《Medical Consort vs. Evil Sickish Prince》


 C1

    Was she dead or alive?


    Gu Qingli opened her eyes from the intense headache. She touched her hair and was shocked to see a hand full of blood.


    Her vague memories told her that during the previous explosion, she had relied on her quick and nimble movements to jump off the yacht and see the flames and waves that soared to the sky. In other words, her assassination had succeeded?


    No, she had controlled the amount of explosives so precisely. How could she have gotten into such an accident?


    Fragments of incomplete memories that did not belong to him instantly appeared in his mind. The second daughter of the Prime Minister of the Empire of Dongyuan, Gu Qingli, left the bridal chamber on the night of his wedding and arrived at King Mu''s Estate.


    She looked at herself in surprise, her clothes untidy, her skin white everywhere, and in front of her stood a tall, handsome man, his cold eyes evil, as if burning with desire.


    "He''s still alive?"


    "Who are you?"


    Gu Qingli instinctively moved her body, only to discover that her hands had been tied behind her back and she hadn''t been able to break free at all.


    Even though he was only wearing the middle clothes, the fine material on his body clearly showed the nobility of his identity. However, this man who seemed either rich or noble was currently using a beast-like gaze to stare at her exposed skin while saying words that were inconsistent with his status.


    "Don''t come near me!"


    "What are you pretending for? You escaped from the Residence of Mo King on the night of your wedding, didn''t you want to climb into this king''s bed? Isn''t it a little late to pretend to be a lady of a noble family? "


    The man''s heavy body leaned forward, completely unaware that the body in front of him had changed to a soul.


    "Scram!" Gu Qingli''s anger rose in her heart, and she lifted her knee to heavily hit his lower body. His expression instantly changed, and she sucked in a breath of cold air as she was struck by the blow. She retreated a few steps, staring at her with disbelief.


    Gu Qingli followed up with a series of kicks. Gu Qingli dodged, but her knee strike was still the one that heavily injured him. Even her dodging movements were a bit sluggish, and two kicks landed on her shoulder.


    "Bang ~ ~ ~"


    As the door was heavily kicked open, a man dressed in red slowly walked in. His slightly pale skin was as clear as jade, and his entire body seemed to be emitting a faint brilliance.


    "Don''t be rude, Suifeng." He lightly reprimanded her, and the youngster who kicked the door replied. He then cast a disdainful gaze at Gu Qingli.


    His gentle and elegant gaze first lightly swept over Gu Qingli''s face, revealing a faint hint of estrangement, but it was quickly replaced by a pitiful expression. "Esteemed wangfei, this prince has come to take you back home."


    Her clothing didn''t seem to attract too much attention from him, he didn''t even see the slightest fluctuation in her eyes.


    Gu Qingli stood there in a daze, looking at the jade-like face of the man in front of her. For a moment, she forgot to chase after Xiao Yi Mo.


    Xiao Yimo, who had tried his hardest to use violence, forced himself to stand up. When faced with the room full of wolf books and their bedraggled, ambiguous appearances, the first thing he thought of was to trample Xiao Yixiu''s dignity beneath his feet.


    "Fifth royal brother, are you late?" Xiao Yi Mo''s frivolous gaze swept across Gu Qing Li, who was completely naked. But this is your Princess saying she wants to be with me... "Tsk tsk, looks like your illness is serious again. Is it because it can''t satisfy your bride that she wants to join another man on her wedding night?"


    Seemingly in response to Xiao Yi Mo''s words, Xiao Yi Xiu coughed lightly and covered his mouth with the handkerchief.


    Gu Qingli quickly determined the situation. The original owner of her body was the wangfei from the wedding night. For some reason, she escaped from the marriage and came to this dreg''s residence. This gentle man with the slogan "Find a wife" in front of her didn''t seem easy to deal with.


    "Are you sick? If there''s an illness, then there''s a cure. " Without waiting for Xiao Yixiu to react, Gu Qingli sneered. "Even a fool can tell that I was forced?"


    With a twist of her hands, she unexpectedly used an incredible flexibility to wrap her bound hands behind her back and move them around the top of her head.


    "A woman of her own free will. You will tie her up with a belt? Is it because Prince has some sort of special habit?! "


    Xiao Yi Mo stared at the woman he looked down upon in anger.


    Is she crazy? In the past, she would always look at him with infinite admiration, bashfully calling him Prince Mu.


    Xiao Yu Xiu looked at them calmly, a trace of surprise flashing through his heart.


    "Very good. Princess Mo, why don''t you explain to the Fifth Emperor how you came to this prince''s estate? This king couldn''t have kidnapped you on your wedding night, right? "


    "I was about to ask." Gu Qing Li turned to Xiao Yi Xiu. "My lord, why did I suddenly lose consciousness when I was waiting for you in the bridal room?" After waking up, his hands were actually bound by someone ¡­ "If it weren''t for the prince''s timely arrival, I''m afraid that this pervert would have tainted my innocence ¡­"


    She had a sad, shy, angry look on her face.


    If he hadn''t known all of this, Xiao Yi Xiu probably would have believed this woman''s lies!


    "Nonsense! What kind of woman does This King want that I need to use force on you? "


    Gu Qingli stopped crying and said coldly, "Who knows what Your Highness is thinking? Some people feel that they are a human after getting their clothes tied, and even their younger brother''s wife is about to be tied up. Those who don''t know better will think that they have never seen a woman before! "


    Xiao Yi Mo snorted angrily, but was defeated by Mo Wuji''s sharp tongue.


    "Alright, This King believes that all of this is just a misunderstanding."


    Having seen enough of the show, Xiao Yixiu smiled faintly, as if he didn''t care about the shocking scene in front of him. He took off his cloak and gently tucked Gu Qing Li, who was still in a disorderly state, into it.


    "Princess, let''s go." His gentle but undeniable tone suppressed what Gu Qingli was about to say. Third Imperial Brother, I hope that this kind of misunderstanding will not occur again.


    Xiao Yi Mo forcefully repressed his anger. What happened today was completely out of his expectations! He was actually ridiculed by a woman to the point that he couldn''t refute her!


    Gu Qing Li turned his head to look at Xiao Yi Mo before leaving and gave him a middle finger.


    He was hinted at to wait and see; this matter was not settled yet.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was unsightly to the extreme!


    The carriage of the Residence of Mo King stopped outside the main entrance. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Prince Mo helped Gu Qing off the carriage.


    She quietly sat down, but was surprised to find that Xiao Yixiu had made an unremarkable gesture in front of the door. He wiped his hand with the handkerchief that he had just covered his coughing mouth, and gently dropped it on the ground.


    Her eyes widened. Was he dirtying her hand?


    "For Princess to look at me like this, could it be that she still wishes to stay in the Third Emperor''s estate?" Xiao Yi Xiu sat across her from her. When they were alone, his previous gentleness was gone, and he didn''t even look at her once more.


    Indeed, this Prince Mo was not someone to be trifled with.


    However, she wasn''t Gu Qingli herself, who could be crushed by others. In her previous life, she was a top assassin with exceptional medical skills. No one would be able to bully her.

 C2

    The news of the wedding was still fresh in Prince Mo''s mansion. Gu Qingli followed behind Xiao Yixiu into the bridal chamber and slammed the door.


    "Actually, you did it on purpose, right?" Gu Qing Li cut straight to the point, staring at Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Xiao Yixiu took out another handkerchief from nowhere and coughed lightly. His eyes were calm like still water. "What did Princess say? I don''t understand."


    "I have carefully observed this entire journey. The prince''s mansion is heavily guarded. If you hadn''t deliberately let down your guard, would I have arrived at the manor so easily before?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu stared at her with a smile on his face, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes.


    "Esteemed wangfei, it''s not a good thing to be too smart a woman for This King. This King prefers obedient women." His voice was light and elegant, filled with a trace of chilliness. A woman who dared to read his mind was a threat if she stayed by his side.


    She noticed that Xiao Yixiu''s gaze fluctuated, a trace of undetectable killing intent flashing through his eyes.


    Did he begin to doubt her identity?


    Gu Qingli quickly determined that this King Mo''s steps were shaky. His eyes were dim, his armor bed was slightly green, and his breathing was shallow. It could be seen that he had been bedridden for years with a strange illness.


    However, his mind was very profound. If he really wanted to kill someone, he might as well strike first to gain the upper hand!


    In the blink of an eye, the two of them had developed from exchanging glances to exchanging killing intent.


    Gu Qingli suddenly took a step forward and struck out with her killing blow, aiming straight for Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart. However, she soon discovered that this body was not as fast or as fast as she wanted it to be.


    Following the sound of the broken windows, three more black-clothed shadow guards silently appeared within the room and attacked her at the same time.


    Very quickly, the bound Gu Qing Li was brought before him.


    "Kneel!"


    After the shadow guard kicked her in the leg, she had to kneel.


    "There''s no need to be so rough with the princess." With a light wave of his hand, the three shadow guards disappeared from the room as if they had arrived.


    He leaned forward and sat down in the chair in front of her. He put out his forefinger to feel her chin and looked at it with interest, his dark eyes unwavering and unfathomable.


    Right now, he wasn''t in a hurry to get rid of her. This Gu Qing Li before him clearly had a big problem with her. His agility in battle and his decisiveness in killing made him have a whole new level of respect for her.


    "Speak, who are you?" When he placed his finger on her, he could tell from the feel of her skin that she wasn''t wearing a human skin mask, nor was she using a disguise pill. So this was clearly Gu Qingli herself.


    "I am Gu Qingli, the direct daughter of Prime Minister Gu Chaoran."


    "Prime Minister Gu''s training is not bad. The wangfei has good skills." Xiao Yi Xiu''s brows were raised slightly, and his eyes curved slightly. If it wasn''t for that cold and merciless gaze, Gu Qing Li would have been completely captivated by his smile.


    However, she was very clear that this elegant and refined man in front of her only had a good-looking face, and his bones were blacker than anyone else.


    "When my deceased mother was still alive, she had hired a master for me. She taught me martial arts for a while, but it was just a flowery martial arts training."


    "Your father did not mention this to This King."


    "He doesn''t care about me." She had deduced this from the fact that her original body had been forced to marry her. This Prince Mo was only half alive, and her original body had gone over to the scum man on their wedding night. It was clear that she couldn''t bear her father''s love.


    From Xiao Yixiu''s noncommittal expression, she knew this was correct.


    His fingers slid slowly down her chin, and she felt her throat tighten as his fingers closed around her. His eyes grew darker and darker, and she could not catch a hint of emotion.


    "As long as you promise to let me live, I won''t say a word about what happened tonight." It was difficult for her to breathe as she struggled to speak. At this moment, it was more important for her to stay alive. This man was really going to kill her!


    "But This King feels that it''s safer to be dead." His smile deepened.


    "A dead wangfei is of no use to you and you still have to spend your time and effort to explain it to your father. If the three emperors were to add insult to injury at a time like this, wouldn''t it be difficult for you to deal with them?"


    "Huh?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her without batting an eyelid. Their eyes met, and the silent confrontation seemed as if sparks would burst in the air.


    Actually, this wangfei was quite interesting, wasn''t she? Xiao Yi Xiu thought to himself as he slowly took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and poured out a pill into his palm.


    "Swallow it, and let This King see the sincerity in your surrender."


    She immediately sneered in her heart. Poison? I''m afraid there aren''t many poisons in this world that she can''t cure? However, she did not immediately agree. If she was wild with joy, it was hard to avoid him seeing that something was amiss.


    She thought about it for a long time, then lowered her head and swallowed the pill with a heavy expression on her face.


    Because her hands were tied, the pill was small and slippery, and swallowing it was difficult. The tip of her tongue inadvertently touched his palm, leaving behind a bit of wetness.


    Xiao Yixiu''s expression froze for a moment, but she didn''t notice.


    "Sleep by yourself tonight."


    He didn''t even look at her again, flicking his sleeves and walking away. He didn''t even untie her hands.


    Bastard Xiao Yi Xiu, sooner or later I''ll tie you up as well! She cursed inwardly.


    Fortunately, this wasn''t too difficult for her. Given enough time, she was able to quickly untie herself.


    Rubbing her wrist, which had a different blood circulation, she began to build up her pulse. Then she checked the look in her eyes and determined the poison.


    Detoxicating the poison wasn''t difficult at all. Just a few rare medicinal herbs were difficult to obtain.


    When she thought about Xiao Yixiu''s illness, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration.


    His illness was obviously incurable. From his cold face and the sound of him coughing, he must have been afflicted with some sort of strange poison that corroded his heart and lungs.


    If she could treat him, not only could she control his life vein, she could also use the power of the manor to gather the required medicines. It was truly a two sided plan.


    As she thought about it, she couldn''t help but snicker. She felt that she really was extremely quick-witted.


    What she didn''t know was that Xiao Yi Xiu was currently ordering the Prime Minister''s Estate to investigate the situation regarding the wangfei.


    On the morning of the same day, Gu Qingli was awakened by the sound of the door being pushed open. Last night, she had walked through the closed door of death again. She was truly tired to the point of falling asleep.


    Seeing Xiao Yi Xiu walk in, she said coldly, "Your highness, aren''t you being a little too casual? You don''t even need to knock on the door to come in?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly. "I''m in my own mansion and I''m in my own room. Why is there a need to knock?"


    Gu Qingli couldn''t refute him and could only reply with a cold tone, "Your highness won''t intentionally come back to see your wangfei get dressed and get out of bed, will you?"


    "This King has only come to remind the wangfei to dress up well so that she can enter the palace later." He casually sat down on the seat facing her. "Is there even a need to watch an imperial concubine dress up ¡­" "Not interested."


    His next sentence made her want to die even more. "Last night, Imperial Concubine revealed even more of her new costume. This king has already seen it."


    Gu Qingli closed her eyes for a moment, dissecting him in her heart. Then, she expressionlessly lifted up her blanket and put on her clothes to clean herself in front of him.


    Wasn''t it because he liked it? Letting him see it for himself wasn''t as if he wasn''t wearing anything.


    Gu Qingli froze when she raised her brush to draw her eyebrows.


    She knew everything, except that she had never used a brush before. Furthermore, the brush used to sweep her eyebrows was really thin and small. She had no idea how to hold it in her hands at all. Use this on your face... Would he draw Zhang Feimei? Staring at the vermicelli in front of her, she steeled herself and dipped a little.


    "Esteemed wangfei''s eyebrows ¡­" Are you drawing a pig''s head? " His indifferent tone was laced with obvious mockery.


    Xiao Yixiu slowly walked forward and used a handkerchief to wipe away the two brooms she had drawn. Then, he lifted the eyebrow pencil and lightly swept it across her forehead. She involuntarily closed her eyes.


    At such a close distance, she could smell the faint scent of medicine on his body and even his warm and cool breath. She subconsciously felt uncomfortable and wanted to retreat.


    "Don''t move."


    His cold voice seemed to have an invisible force, causing her neck to stiffen. She only needed to lift her foot and place it back down.


    "Are you done?" For so long she had begun to wonder what he had painted on her face.


    His voice was still as cold as water. He picked up the mirror and looked at her. "Open your eyes."


    Gu Qingli stared into the mirror for a moment. This distant mountain was filled with warmth, causing her eyes to shine like the stars. She forgot to refute the question about pigs.


    Then he casually shook off the pen, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and left it there.


    Was she crazy? If she touched someone, she would wipe their hands. Was she a pile of sh * t?

 C3

    The Imperial City was grand and imposing as it spread out in front of him. As he exited the carriage, he saw that there was another Eight Treasures Incense parked beside the west gate, and that Xiao Yi Mo was alighting from it.


    They looked at each other. Xiao Yimo stared at Xiao Yixiu, who was helping Gu Qing Li get off the carriage. He suddenly remembered his resentment from last night, and was instantly enraged by their love for each other.


    "Oh? Isn''t this the fifth brother? Yan Er is newly wedded. I presume that because last night''s Spring Festival Gala was so beautiful, sister-in-law was so high-spirited? "


    Without waiting for Gu Qing Li to retort, Xiao Yi Mo laughed again. "But did something happen to my little sister last night?"


    When Gu Qingli thought of her torn wedding dress, she couldn''t help but feel angry.


    Xiao Yi Xiu lightly patted Gu Qing Li''s shoulder. Feng Qing Yun laughed, "Since it has fallen, it must be something that I don''t want. Imperial brother is a rare species, so I''ll keep it to myself. However, I didn''t know that Imperial brother liked the leftovers of others."


    Gu Qing Li''s anger was instantly transferred to Xiao Yi Xiu. However, it wasn''t appropriate for her to turn hostile towards him at this kind of occasion. She only used her sharp nails to poke at Xiao Yi Xiu''s palm without making a sound.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s smile darkened, and before he could think of how to reply, he heard Xiao Yi Xiu say with a light laugh, "Imperial brother, what did you lose yesterday? If you lack a belt, I will give you a new one another day. "


    Then, without looking back, he slowly walked towards the white jade stone steps, holding Gu Qing Li in his arms.


    Behind him, Xiao Yi Mo''s face turned green and he clenched his teeth in silence.


    After walking far away, Gu Qingli finally said in a low voice, "Enough! Who''s the last thing you need?"


    "Don''t move."


    She was stunned.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stopped and lightly touched her hair. He smiled gently and looked at her coldly, "You are indeed not the last one this king uses, because this king doesn''t even have the interest to use you. The way you have such poor eyesight, it really suits the one behind us quite well. "


    Gu Qingli was so angry that she almost vomited a mouthful of blood. She even hit him on the eye with her cold blade, "Who knows, maybe the prince is worse than that kind of person in my heart?"


    She glanced out of the corner of her eyes at the following Xiao Yi Mo, who was staring at them with a devouring gaze. In his eyes, this newlyweds who loved each other would die sooner or later.


    When they entered the main hall, they saw the empress sitting high up at the head of the table. Imperial Concubine Lan and Imperial Concubine Ling sat to their left and right, followed by the palace masters and imperial concubines.


    The empress looked elegant and quiet, graceful and gentle, with a smile on her face and a nod.


    After that, it was time for the newlyweds to pay their respects and serve the tea. The empress accepted the greeting and gave Gu Qingli a few steps with her golden phoenix steps while smiling and saying kindly, "Truly a talented girl, a perfect pair."


    Xiao Yi Xiu thanked the empress for Gu Qing Li and took the tray''s shaking steps. He gently and meticulously placed it against her temple and complimented, "The beautiful golden steps of the cloud temples are perfect for an imperial concubine."


    Imperial Concubine Ling was next. She looked gorgeous, but the arrogance in her eyes couldn''t be hidden. She gave a light snort, indicating to the palace maid that a heavy bracelet made of dragon and phoenix silk was on her plate.


    When Gu Qingli saw the golden bangle, she felt that Imperial Concubine Ling hadn''t put in the effort to prepare the gifts. It was obvious that she despised this unfavoured prime minister.


    Just as she was about to resist, she felt a chill on her wrist. Xiao Yi Xiu had already placed the bracelet on her left wrist.


    Imperial Concubine Lan, who was standing next to him, suddenly spoke up in a gentle tone, "This golden bracelet is a bit unformal and elegant. It''s too big of a deal."


    Imperial Concubine Ling''s eyelids twitched, she didn''t look straight at her. "I''ve never seen Princess Mo. "Just order it."


    His words were filled with disdain.


    Imperial Concubine Lan laughed lightly, taking off the emerald imperial concubine bracelet on her wrist. She tenderly held Gu Qingli''s right hand and put the bracelet on, "Some people think that other people''s wrists are as thick as hers. "Qing Li, my wrist is about the same as yours. It''s just right for me to wear it. Look at this icy and ethereal green, shining like the empress''s jade-like steps.


    Imperial Concubine Ling was a little more plump and delicate than Imperial Concubine Lan. Her face turned green upon hearing these words.


    These words belittled Imperial Concubine Ling and even flattered the empress. The empress laughed as she spoke, "Alright, now that we''re seated, we can''t keep the newlyweds kneeling."


    Imperial Concubine Ling wanted to retort, but was interrupted by the empress. She could only glare at Imperial Concubine Lan.


    The other consorts gave gifts one by one.


    Gu Qing Li remained calm and collected as she sized up everyone with her eyes, mentally assessing the strength of their words. For a moment, she didn''t pay attention to Xiao Yi''s gentle and considerate expression as he hung the reward of each piece of jewelry on her body.


    When she came back to her senses, she had three or four bracelets on each of her wrists, as well as a few hairpins on her temples.


    If she didn''t only have two ear holes, she had no doubt that he would have hung all those earrings on her ear as well.


    At first she thought he was just showing tender affection in front of others, but now it was clear that he was just teasing her.


    "Imperial Concubine gave the Eight Treasures Portrait of Beauty a string of ¡­" He felt a little bit heavier on his neck.


    "Esteemed imperial concubine bestowed a pair of phoenixes ¡­" A pair of pure gold pearls! Could it be that his brain was filled with water? He was still stabbing it into her head!


    Gu Qing Li''s expression was wooden the whole time. Her neck was already heavy to the point that it was inconvenient to turn around. She suspected that if she moved her head just a little, it would start to rain jewelry rain.


    All of the imperial concubines were staring at her. The noble empress was still barely maintaining her poise, only coughing twice to cover it up. Half of the other imperial concubines'' faces were twitching.


    His eyes were filled with the expression "This wangfei really loves money too much".


    Gu Qingli didn''t need to look in the mirror to know that she was a Christmas tree full of jewelry.


    Laugh! What''s so funny! Gu Qing Li gritted his teeth in anger. Sooner or later, he would let Xiao Yi Xiu do all of this!


    Gu Qingli didn''t know how she had managed to climb onto the carriage with that stiff neck of hers. Once she left the palace, she began to pull out beads of jade with great hatred.


    When she was done, she raised her wrist and stroked the jade bracelet that Imperial Concubine Lan had given her. Her eyes lit up. "This one is not bad."


    He didn''t notice the change in Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression in the slightest. In a trance, he seemed to have sunk into an unbearable past that gradually turned from estrangement into sadness and anger, then into a scarlet tide.


    A strong killing intent filled his eyes.


    Following that, he slowly withdrew the killing intent in his eyes and suddenly raised her hand.


    She raised her head in astonishment, unsure of whether she saw the killing intent in his eyes. Just as she was about to frown and ask questions, he mercilessly took Imperial Concubine Lan''s jade bracelet off her wrist, casually threw it out of the window, and then wiped his hands.


    "Hey, you ¡­"


    "Has the wangfei never seen precious jewelry before?"


    "Imperial Concubine Lan is your mufei. She raised you all by herself, how can you treat her like this?" Gu Qingli hadn''t expected his relationship with Imperial Concubine Lan to be so vile. After all, Imperial Concubine Lan had spoken in a soft voice and acted very friendly towards her.


    "You don''t have to worry about that." He raised his eyes and killing intent flashed across his clear and cold eyes. His tone was light and indifferent. "Remember, This King only likes obedient women, otherwise ¡­"


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath and stopped trying to figure out what was going on. She felt that although the man in front of her was sickly and weak, his face was as warm as jade, but his bones were cold and ruthless.


    Sooner or later, he would abandon this sickly Hades! She was thinking quietly.


    After returning to the manor, Xiao Yixiu only said three days before returning to his new room.


    She was happy that he didn''t bother her.

 C4

    Just as he was about to lie down on all fours, he heard someone knock on the door. "Princess, your servant will help you wash up."


    "Enter." She only just remembered that she was an imperial concubine after all, and there was actually someone else waiting on her. Last night, Xiao Yi, Yu Ye, who had been chasing his wife, must have been furious and chased away all the servants.


    With a flash of her memory, the one in the lead was actually Yu Li, the Prime Minister''s betrothed, because of her cowardice and cowardice, even the palace maids did not put her in their eyes. This Yu Li was also someone who was respectful in front of others, bullying her all the time.


    The one behind her looked quite handsome. "This servant, Yuying, was sent by the prince to serve the wangfei."


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "Go boil some hot water. This wangfei will take a bath."


    Soon, the two maids were ready for Gu Qing to take a bath.


    She stepped into the bathroom, her face darkening. "Who put the water in there?"


    Yurei said, "Yes, this servant."


    Previously at the Prime Minister''s Estate, she didn''t have such a good attitude towards Gu Qing Li. Now that she came to the Prince''s Estate, she probably couldn''t see through it, but she still acted rather meek and docile in front of Yu Ying.


    Fine, I''ll let you pretend. Don''t forget how you bullied the original body.


    Gu Qingli stared at her, a cold light in her eyes. "Don''t you know to put some flower petals and incense in the bathtub?"


    Yumei was stunned. She did not expect that the second young miss would have a completely different aura when she arrived at the prince''s mansion. When did she become so delicate that she even needed to bathe in flower petals!?


    Just as she wanted to put her face down, she saw Yu Ying staring at her. She could only say, "This humble servant has just arrived, I wonder where the fragrant dried flowers are."


    "The winter plum blossoms are just right outside." Gu Qingli raised her delicate hand and pointed at the window, revealing a cold smile.


    "Remember, don''t wilt the flower. You have to hurry, otherwise the water will be cold."


    Yupi stomped her feet in anger the moment she stepped out of the door. This cold weather, it was obvious to tease her! When she thought back to Gu Qingli''s cold eyes, she suddenly felt chilled to the bone. For some reason, she didn''t dare to disobey.


    She lazily lay down on the beauty bed, her long, narrow phoenix eyes slightly narrowed. She was as sexy and mysterious as a cat, seemingly ready to attack at any time.


    Yu Ying stood respectfully to one side, only to see Gu Qing Li beckoning with his index finger. "Come, help this wangfei massage her legs. I''ve knelt in the palace for too long today without strength."


    "You haven''t eaten?" Gu Qingli''s voice was soft and slow, but it carried an irresistible pressure.


    She coldly looked at Yu Ying and said that she had been sent to serve her. It was most likely that Xiao Yixiu''s black stomach had been planted beside her to keep an eye on her.


    Yu Ying''s eyes flashed, but she soon calmed down.


    His acting was pretty good! Gu Qing Li could tell from her expression that she was a practitioner. This girl, she had to be on guard.


    After a while, she returned and scattered the petals evenly. Gu Qingli lay back down comfortably and slowly closed her eyes.


    "The water is cold, I want more."


    "Too hot, you want to roast this wangfei?"


    "You don''t know how to work?" Gu Qingli scooped up a ladle of cold water and poured it into the jade pear territory in winter.


    Watching her run out while trembling and crying, Gu Qing Li raised an unreadable smile towards Yu Ying. "Treat her well, don''t be like her who doesn''t know your place, do you understand?"


    Seeing her raised eyebrows and her cold eyes, Yu Ying''s heart also turned cold.


    It was not a good feeling to have someone break in so early in the morning.


    Gu Qingli sat up from her bed in anger. Did the Mo Residence have some rules? It was that bastard Mo Wang who barged into her bedroom yesterday, who was it today? There was the sound of the door being kicked apart.


    "Aiyo, San-er, you''re using too much strength! You even pushed down the door of our prince''s new house! What''s wrong with that?"


    Following the soft and gentle voice, a few richly dressed women walked in, followed by a few maidservants.


    Push down what? It''s clearly the sound of a kick, alright?


    Gu Qingli sized them up without batting an eyelid. The woman at the front arched her eyebrows, but smiled first without saying anything. There were dimples on her pretty face. A few others beside him were also in the prime of spring and autumn, each winning their match.


    Yu Ying whispered, "They are all his concubines and concubines. In front of them is his favorite, Xin Ziyao." Then step aside.


    Xin Ziyao said, "I brought a few of my younger sisters with me to pay my respects to the wangfei jie-jie. I didn''t expect this door to ¡­" "Aiya, your highness really doesn''t care. This new house doesn''t have a stronger door, so big sister has to be wronged."


    Gu Qingli smiled. "It''s fine. If I don''t go with a new one, I''ll have to trouble my little sister to install a new one for this wangfei. It shouldn''t be difficult for me to kick her ten feet in thickness, right?"


    Xin Ziyao''s dimples disappeared for a moment as she turned to look at the woman beside her, "Yue''er, what is the wangfei saying? Why can''t I understand her?"


    Madam Ling Yue''er whispered, "The wangfei wants elder sister to compensate for this door." Following that, the other concubines all laughed as if they were all making fun of Gu Qingli.


    "How can you blame me for the door being weak?" Xin Ziyao gave a spurious smile. "No matter what, wangfei is the prime minister''s daughter, why are you so petty?"


    "That''s right, I heard that big sister wangfei''s dowry was very shabby, hehe ¡­"


    This wasn''t a greeting, this was clearly a challenge!


    Gu Qing Li raised an eyebrow, got out of bed, and walked up to Xin Zi Yao with a beautiful smile. "This must be the prince''s favorite secondary wife?"


    Xin Ziyao''s expression was somewhat proud. "As long as you know that the prince dotes on me. Elder sister should be a bit more polite with me. I respect you as the main wife, so I will always give you some face ¡­"


    Gu Qingli suddenly leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Don''t call me big sister. Look at your wrinkled face, I find you old even when you call me big sister. Xiao Yixiu''s eyesight is so bad, so I''ll have to match it with yours!"


    Now that he finally had a chance to vent his anger, Xiao Yixiu felt a burst of joy in her heart.


    With that, she retreated from Xin Ziyao''s ear, a noble and graceful smile on her face. "Three dynasties later, this wangfei will return home. At that time, I''ll have to tell father about the benefits of all my sisters being with this wangfei."


    Xin Ziyao recovered from her shock at her sarcasm. After carefully savoring her words, she had suppressed her anger for a long time. After all, this was the daughter of the Prime Minister, so she had no choice but to tolerate it.


    She didn''t know that Gu Qing Li, the legitimate daughter of her mother, had died in childbirth and had never been favoured.


    Yu Li suddenly spoke up softly, "Miss, have you forgotten that the Madam reminded you before you left? "Since you''ve married from your husband''s family, bringing these matters back to your mother''s house to discuss in detail, I''m afraid that it would be against the virtue of a woman, no?"


    Xin Ziyao''s thoughts quickly turned. To think that a maid would dare to act so impudently in front of a daughter like Gu Qingli, it could be seen that she had no status in the Gu Estate!


    Yuping''s words reminded her that the Madam Prime Minister''s wife was no longer Gu Qingli''s mother. Even if he went back home to cry and complain, no one would stand up for her.


    Very good. Gu Qing Li''s expression was frosty as she glanced at Yu Li. The coldness in his eyes flowed unwittingly, causing her to take a step back.


    Xin Ziyao rolled her eyes and sneered, "Since wangfei doesn''t like me calling you older sister, then I can call you younger sister. Although you''re the main wife, I''ve served the prince for so many years, and I''m afraid I''ll have to explain some of the rules to you."


    Gu Qingli revealed a cold smile, "Here, this wangfei is the rule. From today onwards, I''ll announce the rules and not allow anyone to enter!" Otherwise, don''t blame me for being impolite! "


    Perhaps Xin Ziyao had never seen someone''s face in her entire life. Gu Qingli''s overbearing attitude only stunned her opponent for a moment. Then, she raised her hand and pointed at her with a sneer: "You? Rules? I''d actually like to ask the prince ¡­ "


    Gu Qing Li suddenly pinched Xin Zi Yao''s wrist. She exerted a little more strength in her hand, causing the soreness and pain to flow through her body. She was in so much pain that her nose was sore, and she couldn''t even speak.


    Followed by two backhanded slaps onto the face, the slapping sound was extremely clear in the empty room!


    Xin Ziyao was struck senseless, she froze on the spot.


    Following that, two slaps suddenly landed on the face of another concubine who ridiculed her.


    "These two slaps are to show you who is the main wife of the manor. What are the rules you should follow when meeting this wangfei?" After she was done, she took out a handkerchief and wiped her hands like she did with Xiao Yixiu, then threw the handkerchief at Xin Ziyao''s face.


    "Tomorrow, this wangfei will see someone come to change the doors."

 C5

    "You, you, you ¡­ You just wait and see! " Xin Ziyao rolled on the ground, crying as she turned her head back to say something fierce, "I''m going to tell the prince!"


    As she rushed over to Xiao Yixiu''s place, Xin Ziyao and the rest of the women began to sob, acting like a spoiled child as they shed tears. They even brought the five finger prints on their faces to follow him.


    Xiao Yi Xiu swept his gaze across him and gave an ''oh'' as if he wasn''t surprised by his words. "Go and apply some powder on your face. It looks bad if it''s swollen."


    Xin Ziyao was stunned for a moment: "Prince, you''re not making decisions for me?" "Ziyao, have you been beaten to this state by her ¡­" She had suffered the most, rolled up her sleeves, flesh and bruises.


    "Alright, stop messing around. This King has something more important to do." He waved his hand and dismissed the group of women.


    Suddenly, she felt pain and numbness in her palm. Lowering her head to look, she found that the wrist that Gu Qing Li had pinched before was slowly swelling up, and that the soreness and numbness that had previously spread upwards from her palm had actually spread throughout her entire body.


    Gu Qing Li dismissed Xiao Yi Xiu''s group of women as she looked at Yu Li with a smile.


    Yu Li initially thought that the Second Miss had undergone some changes. However, after the previous commotion, she felt that the change was earth-shattering. She couldn''t help but shiver.


    He then looked at Gu Qing Li. His smile was noble and elegant, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes. Instead, it only added a trace of viciousness!


    "Yuli, you really know how to talk. You must think that this wangfei didn''t teach you well in the past?" Her hand slowly pressed down on Yuli''s shoulder, slowly increasing her strength.


    Jade pear could not help but kneel down.


    "Yuying, slap her face twenty times. Let her learn the rules of the palace."


    Yu Li instantly opened her eyes wide in disbelief. However, before she could regain her senses, a sharp pain came from her face.


    Hearing Gu Qing Li''s order, Yu Ying naturally wouldn''t be polite.


    After cleaning up Yupi, Gu Qingli quickly heard from the manor that Xin Ziyao had contracted a strange disease and was rolling around in pain. Even if she invited the imperial physician, he still wouldn''t be able to figure out what had happened, but he was certain that it had been pinched by the imperial concubine.


    However, when Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her, he only gave her a "wild guess".


    The imperial physician, hearing this, smiled. He didn''t believe that a weak and delicate princess could pinch someone to such an extent.


    On the way back to the Third Dynasty, Xin Ziyao''s strange illness gradually improved. I heard that she still couldn''t get out of bed.


    Gu Qingli saw Xiao Yixiu for the first time in three days. He wore a snow-white brocade robe with a jade crown on his head and a gentle smile on his lips. He looked so elegant that even she was almost tricked by his appearance.


    Once they entered the carriage, the warm smile on his face vanished. Xiao Yixiu''s gaze swept over her as an indescribable chilliness pierced his bones.


    She was already used to seeing the two faces behind him, so she knew that his smile was definitely not good. As expected, she heard him say, "You''d better give this duke some peace. Don''t think that this imperial physician''s story with Xin Wudao''s wife has nothing to do with you. This prince will believe it."


    Gu Qingli raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Why does it have to do with me again?" The prince''s favorite concubine ran over to my place and kicked the door, and the villains even went back to complain, I still don''t have a place to complain! "


    Xiao Yixiu gripped her wrist tightly and pulled her closer. His gaze swept across her body, and it was as if he had completely dissected her.


    His voice was soft and pleasant, carrying only a hint of piercing coldness. "If my imperial concubine were to suddenly disappear, I imagine that father-in-law wouldn''t care too much about it."


    Gu Qingli knew he was telling the truth. Ever since the day she''d married her, that father hadn''t intended to discipline her. If Xiao Yi Xiu really wanted to silence her, then there wouldn''t be anyone in this world who would seek justice for Gu Qing Li.


    Therefore, she had to live on! She gritted her teeth and looked at him.


    When they arrived at the Gu Estate, Xiao Yixiu supported Gu Qingli off the carriage and tenderly wrapped his arms around her waist, secretly tightening his grip and reminding her not to speak carelessly.


    Prime Minister Gu Zhaoran was sitting in the middle of the guest hall. When his son-in-law and daughter returned, he had a peaceful smile and chatted with Xiao Yi for a while before letting them greet him. Gu Qingli then left with her servant girl, allowing their son-in-law to chat happily with him.


    The backyard was where the prime minister and his wife stayed. They walked through the backyard before they arrived at the Gu sisters courtyard. She slowly walked with her servant girl, but coincidentally, they met the young miss of the Residence of Ye, Gu Qingruo.


    Gu Qingruo wore a water chestnut jacket, a long dress, and a fox skin cloak. Her white fox fur accentuated her beautiful face, making her look like a beauty. Her beauty couldn''t hide the arrogance in her eyes.


    "Yi, isn''t this second sister? "What, three generations back?"


    "Greetings elder sister." In Gu Qingli''s memory, the eldest young miss didn''t have a very glorious image. She only made a few cold greetings and wanted to pass by.


    "Halt."


    Gu Qingruo sneered, "Why are you putting on the airs of a wangfei after being married to Prince Mo only for a few days?" You don''t even have the time to reminisce after seeing your sister? "


    Gu Qingli turned around and gave her a shallow smile. "Big Sis and I don''t seem to have much sisterhood to talk about."


    "I''m warning you, don''t be so shameless as to pester Prince Mu in the future. He has already requested an edict from His Majesty, and he will be married to me in a few days. He''s no longer someone you can wishful thinking about!"


    "You ¡­ What did you say? "


    "I''m afraid only big sister would be interested in that kind of trash. My Prince Mo has a temperament and looks that can overshadow him by ten streets, how could I have the time to visit him!"


    Gu Qingruo''s anger rose in her heart as she raised her palm and slapped him. Seeing her expression, Gu Qing Li was already used to beating up Gu Qing Li. She had never thought that there was anything wrong with her.


    Gu Qing Li''s expression turned slightly dark, and her eyes darkened. She slightly moved her sleeves, and a cold light shot out from her fingertips. Gu Qingruo suddenly felt her knees go soft, as if needles had pierced her. She fell to her knees with an indecent fall.


    Gu Qingli wouldn''t give her another chance to hit him. "Tch!" she laughed. "Big sister was too careless, wasn''t she?" She tossed her a disdainful glance and left.


    In the main hall of the backyard, Yu Bi Ling, the successor of the Prime Minister, was waiting for the newcomers to arrive.


    On the surface, the rules still had to be obeyed. Gu Qingli greeted her stepmother without batting an eyelid, then presented her well-prepared greetings.


    Yu Bi Ling opened the box, her face dazed for a moment. A look of delight appeared in her eyes. "My son''s return is enough for mother. Why are you so courteous?"


    Presumably, the gift that Xiao Yi Xiu had prepared was truly valuable. Gu Qing Li suppressed the disdain in his eyes and gave a perfunctory smile.


    With a fake smile on her face, Yu Bi Ling thoughtfully instructed Gu Qing Li to rest.


    He returned to his old residence. It had only been three days, but the tables and chairs were covered in a thin layer of dust. It was obvious that no one had ever cleaned them before. Gu Qingli''s pitiful furniture was a bit worse than the servants of the estate.


    Yuli made an excuse to go get some snacks, but she didn''t stop him. She just looked at his back and sneered in her heart. As expected, he was one of her stepmother''s spies.


    It seemed like this little girl wasn''t ready for this.

 C6

    Yu Li only returned after a long time with a snack. It was likely that she had reported the situation of the third day of their marriage to Yu Bi Ling.


    Gu Qingli remained calm and collected. She had already left her stepmother''s control, so she wasn''t afraid of her.


    When they left the Residence of Mo King, Yu Bi Ling sorrowfully wiped away her tears with her sleeve. She had the face of a loving mother who had a woman in her family.


    Gu Qingli sneered in her heart. Her acting skills were becoming more and more proficient.


    The Prime Minister and Xiao Yi Xiu happily chatted as they left the mansion. The couple sent off Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li with their gazes.


    After returning home, Gu Qingli didn''t meet up with Xiao Yixiu again. She ordered Yu Ying to feed the pastries that she had brought back to the dog, not eating a single bite.


    After that, Gu Qingli was free to roam around the palace and roam around as much as she could. She could make use of the opportunity to visit the garden to become a famous general''s guard, as well as the time to change shifts.


    After dusk, with the excuse that they were tired, Gu Qingli sent the two maids out and followed them out of the window.


    At this time, the guards of the mansion were alternating day and night. The guards on duty could not help but talk to each other. Gu Qing Li hid behind the flowers and threw a stone at them, startling the guards who were looking for her.


    Gu Qing Li purposely changed into her maid attire, covered her nose with a handkerchief, went to the bank to exchange some scattered silver, and went around the village to look around. When she came out, she was already dressed in a scarlet red dress like fire, and a red veil covered her face, revealing only her eyes, which were as clear as water and brimming with radiance.


    Suddenly, he heard loud cries. A group of people dressed in mourning clothes rushed in carrying a corpse. There were men and women crying and crying, and the leader''s expression was fierce as he pointed at the medicine hall manager and scolded him.


    The medicine store''s partners came over one after another to mediate, and the doctor in the shop came over to check the pulse of the corpse. He shook his head and sighed, confirming that the corpse was dead.


    "Look, even the teacher in charge of your house confirmed that the person is dead. Bring him here in the morning for treatment, then go back and eat some medicine. He even said it wasn''t your fault ¡­"


    The head storekeeper had an awkward expression as he repeatedly explained.


    Gu Qingli looked on from the sidelines and paid special attention to the couple when they were building a vein. Seeing that they were arguing happily, she suddenly interjected coldly, "The medicine store might not be fake, but it''s definitely true to pretend to be dead to blackmail."


    "What did you say?" "Who''s playing dead?" The leader of the group had a fiendish look on his face as he turned his spearhead towards the woman in red.


    That doctor was also a strange one. Amidst the chaos, he pointed at Gu Qingli and cursed, "Don''t speak nonsense if you don''t understand. This man is clearly dead, how can he pretend to be dead?"


    Gu Qingli heard his rudeness, let out a cold laugh, flicked her sleeves, and left. In passing, she left a sentence behind: "They did at least make a bit of a ruckus. A quack doctor is a disaster."


    The doctor was even angrier. Without waiting for him to speak, he lifted the curtain at the back of the medicine store and made the whole hall fall silent. Even the head storekeeper bowed and said politely, "Divine Doctor Liu."


    The young man was wearing a light green robe and had a refined appearance. His smile was light and gentle, and although it was not as breathtaking as Xiao Yi Xiu''s, it was still filled with the elegance of a hermit, one that made people feel close to him.


    "Young lady, please take care. May I ask young lady how you judge this corpse ¡­" Is this person faking his death? "


    Gu Qing Li saw that he was being gentle and courteous, and stopped to answer: "The human body has fourteen meridians and three hundred and sixty-one major acupoints, as well as one hundred and fourteen other odd acupoints, including forty-eight external hidden acupoints. Some of the hidden acupoints felt like they died after being pricked, while others felt like they had stopped breathing."


    The expression on the man''s face changed. "Nonsense!"


    The doctor also asked, "What does a little girl know?" The Yellow Emperor''s Internal Canon only contains 160 acupoints, while the ''Roasting Armor B Scripture'' has the most records. It only has 340 acupoints, so where did the hidden acupoints come from? "


    "Miss, I apologize on his behalf. I hope that you can help me ¡­" ¡ª Save this aunt. " The young man spoke very carefully, using the word "save" to give some leeway to the troublemakers.


    When the head storekeeper saw the situation unfold, he also felt that something was amiss. He ordered the barber to pull away and bow towards Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qingli finally bowed her head and bent down to give the ''female corpse'' on the door acupuncture needles. Her technique was peculiar as she dropped her needles swiftly. Everyone saw a silver light flashing before their eyes, dazzled by what they saw. Not long after, her needles were removed from her hands.


    The "female corpse" suddenly coughed a few times and slowly opened her eyes. She had a blank look on her face.


    "This... "This ¡­"


    "You still dare to say that she didn''t faked her death?" Gu Qingli slowly stood up, her gaze like two cold bolts of lightning, shooting straight at the man making trouble.


    That person rolled his eyes and laughed awkwardly: "About this, we are all townspeople who don''t know any medical skills, why would we know about this? It was obviously that scoundrel from before ¡­ "Eh, where is he?" In the blink of an eye, the doctor disappeared.


    The head storekeeper was well aware that this group of people was being ordered to make trouble behind the scenes. However, if they were to quarrel, it would lead to their schemes, which would attract more and more ignorant villagers to come watch.


    Gu Qing Li was about to leave when he saw the gentle looking man blocking her path. He smiled and said, "I am Liu Yanyu from the Valley of the Godly Doctor. I thank Miss on behalf of the restaurant manager. May I ask who you are?"


    "Li Yue." Gu Qingli made it up without thinking.


    Liu Yanyu was secretly shocked. This woman, upon hearing the name Godly Doctor Valley, was actually unmoved. His medical skills were unfathomable, so he was afraid that he could match up to her Master Luo Qingyun.


    "With Miss Li Yue''s miraculous medical skills, I hope that she will have the chance to seek your guidance in the future."


    He was always polite and well-mannered. Gu Qing Li already had a good impression of him, so she smiled and nodded at him.


    Liu Yanyu was dazed by the flow of her eyes as she smiled. He actually didn''t notice when she left.


    Just one pair of eyes was like the misty cold stars in the milky way, and Chen Changsheng had no idea what sort of face there was under that red veil.


    Within the Mo King''s Manor, a green robed Liu Yanyu was taking Xiao Yixiu''s pulse. He heard rumors of a woman in red regaining her life as people came in to report.


    Xiao Yixiu had been ill for many years and had always paid close attention to the news.


    Liu Yanyu laughed, "Unfortunately, I was also about to mention this matter to Your Highness. "The Alchemy Hall is a secret under the name of the prince. Very few people know of it, but today at the medicine store, they encountered a group of people causing trouble ¡­"


    After listening to his explanation, Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows and a cold light flashed across his eyes. "You''re purposely suppressing the medicine store?"


    Liu Yanyu nodded, "If it weren''t for that woman in red, I''m afraid this incident wouldn''t have gone well."


    "What about the doctor in the hall?"


    "The head storekeeper had someone pull him down and ran away. It seems like he''s in cahoots with the people who are causing trouble, and is working with the outsider to destroy the medicine store''s signboard."


    Xiao Yixiu nodded and instructed, "Dig three feet into the ground and find that doctor." The coldness in his eyes turned into killing intent.


    Liu Yanyu had been treating him all year and was used to his heartless look. He sighed lightly, "Why don''t we find that red-clothed girl first? "It''s a pity that she was allowed to leave today. I was unable to stop her."


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled faintly. "Yanyu has a mind of her own. If fate wills it, we will definitely meet again." He actually wasn''t too concerned about life and death.

 C7

    Gu Qingli had recently been thinking about how to use the censer to refine mercury, so she managed to make a funnel-shaped lid with an iron pipe. She was also afraid that the simple and crude equipment would cause mercury vapor to burn and poison her, so she decided to do it in the courtyard.


    While the fire was being calcined, he heard Xin Ziyao''s soft laughter.


    Gu Qingli frowned and raised her foot to enter the room. She really didn''t want to face that arrogant imperial concubine.


    "What is this?" When Xin Ziyao saw the oddly shaped lid, she was stunned for a moment before quickly walking over.


    Gu Qingli had no choice but to stop in her tracks. After all, she was refining poison, and what if Xin Ziyao acted recklessly without knowing the limits of the heavens and the earth? If something happened, it would be terrible.


    "Don''t move!"


    Gu Qingli''s fierce tone scared Xin Ziyao. She couldn''t help but take a step back, her eyes filled with fear as she subconsciously stroked her stomach.


    Gu Qingli''s gaze shifted. She knew that there was something wrong with her, so she sneered as she waited for her to become a demon.


    "This concubine greets the wangfei." Having learned from her mistake, Xin Ziyao acted like she was obeying the rules. She saluted for a while, then raised her face and calmly walked a few steps forward. The smile on her face became even more pronounced.


    "If you have something to say, say it quickly. If you do ¡­" Hurry up and put it on, this wangfei is busy. "


    Surprisingly, Xin Ziyao didn''t get angry. She straightened her back, put one hand on her waist, and smiled at Gu Qingli, "Sister Wangfei, I''ve come to ask for something from you."


    Gu Qingli looked at her suspiciously. Last time, it wasn''t boring enough and she still dared to come asking for things? In addition, Xiao Yi Xiu hadn''t given her anything of value that was worth this woman''s attention.


    "I heard that when big sister wangfei got married, she had a warm jade pillow to accompany her. You can calm your heart and focus ¡­"


    Gu Qingli finally understood. So they were planning to marry her.


    "Sister Wangfei," Xin Ziyao''s eyes swept over the crowd before she smiled and said, "It''s not that my little sister wants to take away someone''s love, it''s just that my stomach ¡ª"


    She deliberately paused and glanced at Gu Qing Li with a smug expression.


    Gu Qingli swept a glance at her flat stomach again. She could hear the meaning hidden within her words. Could it be that she was pregnant and had come to show off?


    Gu Qing gave a cold laugh, but he pretended to be surprised. "Oh wow, I''ve eaten too much, have you eaten something bad?"


    Xin Ziyao''s face stiffened for a moment. "The wangfei is joking."


    "Oh, then that little sister wants to calm down. Don''t tell me that I''ve done too many things against my will that I can''t sleep soundly at night?"


    The smile on Xin Ziyao''s face was finally completely wiped away by Gu Qingli, and the dimples on her face had also disappeared. She had lost much of her excitement and enthusiasm, so when the palace maid, San''er, saw that her expression wasn''t good, she immediately said: "Princess, our imperial concubine has been overjoyed. It''s only been a month and it''s only been a matter of time since she threw up and was unable to sleep."


    Gu Qingli suddenly had a look of realization on her face. "I''m happy, it''s a good thing, but this warm jade pillow of yours has been soaked in many spices for seven to four days in preparation for the wedding. There''s cinnamon, angelica, musk and other warm and active substances that can induce miscarriage. I''m afraid that if you use it, not only will you not help yourself to sleep, you''ll also help with the abortion."


    Although Xin Ziyao didn''t understand the effects of the medicine, when she heard her explanation, she suddenly rolled her eyes in embarrassment, "It sounds like little sister won''t be able to use this jade pillow, but big sister wangfei has already been in the palace for more than a month and is still able to sleep peacefully. There shouldn''t be any movements, right?"


    Xin Ziyao knew full well that Xiao Yixiu had never stayed in her room for the night, so it would be strange if he made any noise. These words were filled with provocation, making Gu Qing Li''s heart burn with anger. He didn''t even bother trying to appease her. Instead, he pushed her away and said coldly, "Once you''re done showing off, hurry back to your courtyard. I still have things to do here."


    Unexpectedly, after being lightly nudged by her, Xin Ziyao unexpectedly fell to the ground, holding her stomach and moaning with a pained expression on her face.


    San''er hastened to help her up and said in alarm, "Princess, you know that our side concubine is pregnant, how can you push her?"


    Gu Qing Li looked coldly at Xin Zi Yao as she slowly fell to the ground. He knew that she was putting on an act and wanted to blame him, so he didn''t bother explaining himself and sneered, "Even if this wangfei were to push her, it''s not up to a servant like you to talk too much. You''d better hurry and bring your master away to find an imperial physician!"


    With a wave of her hand, someone carried Xin Ziyao back to their own courtyard.


    After her ears were cleared, Gu Qingli continued to extract the cinnabar and carefully put away the easily distilled mercury in a bottle. However, Yu Ying hurriedly reported, "Not good, consort Wang. After I heard that Concubine Xin had gone back, I had a small production!"


    "Hmm?" Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "Did she really lose her baby?"


    "That still has nothing to do with this wangfei."


    Yu Ying frowned. "But Xin Wangfei insisted that it was because of you pushing her that she miscarried. The prince was by her side and he listened to her cry for a long time. I''m afraid he will be here soon."


    "Let''s wait for him to come and denounce us." Gu Qingli wasn''t afraid of Xiao Yixiu''s accusation. She was just wondering how Xin Ziyao had managed to make use of this opportunity to cause such a ruckus. How could she have really miscarried? There must be something odd about this.


    Xin Ziyao was pregnant, so she should be extremely careful. It was impossible for her to have an abortion just to frame her. Just what was going on?


    Gu Qing pondered as he carefully sealed the refined mercury and other poisonous substances into the wax pills. After sealing the last pill, he heard Xiao Yi Xiu''s cold voice, "What is the wangfei doing?"


    Gu Qing Li''s heart tightened. He retracted his five fingers and held the wax pill in his palm. Xiao Yi Xiu pushed the door open and entered. Yu Ying, who was guarding the door, didn''t even notify him.


    Her cold gaze shot towards Yu Ying. Although she was still far away, Yu Ying still shivered from her cold gaze and lowered her head in panic.


    "I know that the entire palace belongs to the prince, but I''ll have to ask you to knock on the door next time." Gu Qing Li''s face hardened.


    Xiao Yi Xiu walked up to her and said calmly, "What do you think, Royal Concubine? Or is it ¡­ Afraid of being seen by This King when This King changes his clothes? "


    Gu Qingli''s expression stiffened as she silently cursed in her heart. However, she heard him add, "Don''t forget, even your people are all your lordship''s." It was still a light tone, but it carried an unquestionable pressure.


    He slowly walked half a circle around her, then casually sat down.


    It was as if he was examining her figure and appearance. He had an unfathomable gaze that seemed to see through her entire person, causing goosebumps to form on her skin for some reason. Her face darkened as she asked, "Your Highness, you have a purpose in coming here, right?"


    "Hmm?" He didn''t seem to understand the meaning of her words.


    "It''s about Xin Wei''s concubine."


    "Oh, as you know, she''s not in a good mood right now. She cried for a while and fell asleep."


    Looking at his calm demeanor, Gu Qingli was surprised. "You''re not here to denounce me?"


    "Sin? What crime have you committed? " "Or do you think you did do something to her?"


    Was he trying to test her? Gu Qing Li glanced at Yu Ying from the corner of her eyes, meeting her flickering gaze. Seeing her flustered gaze, he lowered his head and sneered, "Didn''t you clearly know what I had done? Your eyes, ears, and eyes are all over the palace. Other than the things that you don''t want to know, there is nothing that your heart doesn''t understand. "


    "A sharp tongue." He stood up and suddenly pinched her lower jaw. He looked down at her and said indifferently, "It''s better to restrain yourself in front of this duke. Otherwise ¡ª"


    He slowly released her and took out a small bone china bottle from his sleeve. He lifted her hand and poured a vermilion pill into her palm.


    Gu Qingli''s palm was as white as jade, her slender fingers as tender as bamboo shoots, unstained by the sun and spring water. However, he didn''t pity her in the slightest as she held her petite palm close to his and slowly exerted her strength, even causing her fingers to ache.


    "This month''s antidote. Remember, This King likes a good princess. "


    He let go of her and, without another glance, clasped his hands behind his back and prepared to leave.


    Gu Qing Li knew that Xiao Yi Xiu knew her every move, but she didn''t expect that Xin Zi Yao''s abortion was so big that it didn''t affect his emotions. Gu Qing Li knew that Xiao Yi Xiu was aware of her every move, but she never thought that Xin Zi Yao''s abortion was so big that it didn''t affect his emotions.


    Xin Ziyao was carrying his first child!


    A light flashed through her mind, like lightning in the night sky, illuminating the depths of her heart.


    "It''s you!" Everything was done by you! "Hsin-side''s child ¡­" She changed her words as she spoke, "You don''t even want it, yet you''re trying to blame it on me?"


    He stopped and after a long while sneered softly and left.

 C8

    After Xiao Yixiu''s figure disappeared, Gu Qingli sucked in a breath of cold air.


    She knew that he was not a kind person, but his heart was cold and heartless, which exceeded her expectations. Even if Xin Ziyao wasn''t his child, wasn''t this method too ruthless?


    But the thought flashed through her mind, and she had no interest in his family affairs.


    When Xiao Yi Xiu returned to his own courtyard, he quickened his pace to the point that even his usual elegance and elegance were somewhat disarrayed. After entering the room, he leaned on his bed and gasped lightly, "Quick ¡­ His name is Liu Yanyu. "


    After Suifeng entered the room, he immediately understood that Liu Yanyu''s poison had flared up. He quickly ordered someone to call her over, worried that she would step forward and prop him up, "Your Royal Highness, why have you flared up earlier this time?"


    Xiao Yixiu only shook his head slowly. The intense pain in his body made him feel as if his insides were on fire. He pursed his lips into a pale line and subconsciously clenched his fists. Only then did he realize that he still had the bone bottle in his hand.


    He silently thought, at least that girl would wait until he gave her the antidote every month to alleviate the poison, but how much longer would he have to live? Who else could give him the antidote?


    When Liu Yanyu and his junior sister, Luo Yun, rushed in, Xiao Yixiu was already lying on the bed, in a daze from the pain.


    Luo Yun was the only daughter of Luo Qingyun, the Valley Master of the Godly Doctor. Her medical skills were inferior to Liu Yanyu''s, so she stayed at the Mo King Manor to look after him.


    "My lord, my lord! Yun''er came to see you, why did you ¡­ " Before Luo Yun could finish her sentence, two clear lines of tears fell from her bright eyes.


    When Xiao Yi Xiu heard her voice, he forced himself to open his eyes. In his blurry vision, he saw a face as pure as water. Her eyebrows were like crescent moons and her eyes were like autumn apricots. The caring and gentle expression on her face was overflowing.


    "His Royal Highness is awake! How are you? "


    Luo Yun''s eyes revealed a look of joy. She didn''t wipe the tears away as she carefully wiped the cold sweat off Xiao Yi Xiu''s forehead with a handkerchief. And they''re so aggressive? "


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t seem to be used to her gentleness. He tilted his head and said softly, "Yanyu, has your condition worsened again?"


    Liu Yanyu had been checking his pulse in silence. He then looked up at Luo Yun and said, "Junior Sister, you should go back to the valley and get the medicine. Besides master''s medicine being able to suppress the poison in the prince''s body, there is nothing else that can help him."


    Luo Yun asked in shock, "Father''s medicine has already been used up?"


    "There are rare medicinal herbs among them. It is not easy to make them, but there is only a small amount that can be used at a time. Who would have thought that it would happen so early this time?"


    "I''ll go right away!" Luo Yun had just taken a step when she couldn''t help but turn back to look at Xiao Yi Xiu with eyes full of affection. "My lord, just you wait. Yun''er will be back soon."


    Liu Yanyu began writing out a prescription. Wind Following Sword anxiously looked over and saw that his usually gentle and elegant face was covered in a dark shadow. He knew that this situation was more serious than usual.


    Gu Qing Li was half asleep on the bed when she suddenly heard a light sound. She quickly put on her clothes and got up. After training for the past few months, her body''s reaction was much more sensitive than when she first arrived. She could even hear the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze when she was still.


    Under the moonlight, Yu Ying''s figure quietly sneaked to the entrance of the courtyard and opened it a little.


    Gu Qing Li could clearly see from the gap in the door that the figure was Xiao Yi Xiu''s maidservant Jin Shu. Yu Ying stuck her head out and whispered to her. "Prince, he''s acting in advance ¡­"


    "Shh, be careful of the wangfei."


    "She''s asleep."


    Jin Shu sighed. "Take a good look at her. The prince doesn''t have the energy to care about her anymore, so you definitely can''t let her take the chance to be a demon."


    Yu Ying nodded and subconsciously looked around Gu Qing Li''s room again, saying, "This wangfei ¡­ It''s just as what the Prince said. It''s not normal, but I''m afraid I can''t see it too well. "


    Gu Qing Li looked at Yu Ying''s worried face and sneered in her heart. "Of course you can''t watch over me. If I, this wangfei, could be watched by a little girl like you, how would I even have the right to fight with Xiao Yi?"


    She quickly determined that Xiao Yi Xiu must have gotten sick again. This time, it seemed to be quite serious, so Jinshi came to warn Yu Ying to watch over her. Wasn''t this the perfect opportunity to sneak out of the chaotic palace?


    The next morning, Gu Qing Li locked his room door and ordered Yu Ying and Yu Li not to disturb him.


    The two maidservants had long since gotten used to her mysterious actions, and thought that she was making some incomprehensible things in the house, so they answered her questions.


    Gu Qing Li snuck out of the palace and changed into his previous red clothes. He sat at the restaurant''s entrance, pondering on how he could get into the Mo Mansion to treat Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Xiao Yixiu had never placed a bounty on a famous doctor, so he had chosen to recommend himself. With her age and identity as a woman, he probably wouldn''t be trusted by the family. After all, the famous doctors of this era were all men.


    Suddenly, a hubbub of noise came from downstairs. Gu Qing Li came back to her senses. She was sitting at the window seat, and couldn''t help but look down. She saw a few people hurrying up the stairs, as if they had other motives.


    She subconsciously felt that these people were here for her. She quickly got up and secretly took precautions.


    When those people came upstairs and saw her, they were stunned for a moment. Then, they exchanged glances and simultaneously bowed to her.


    Gu Qingli was surprised instead. What was she doing?


    "May I ask if you''re Miss Li Yue?"


    Gu Qing Li''s heart thumped. Not many people knew of this fake name.


    She nodded slowly.


    The leader''s face lit up, "I heard that young lady has great medical skills, may I trouble young lady to come with us and show me your skills."


    The more they walked, the more familiar they became. The questions in Gu Qingli''s heart became more and more numerous. Even when she saw Liu Yanyu walking out to greet her at the entrance of the Mo King''s Manor, she was still dazed.


    "Lady Li Yue, I didn''t think I''d actually find you!" A trace of excitement appeared in the eyes of Liu Yanyu, a gentle and gentle person.


    Gu Qingli had more or less understood his intentions, but she was curious as to why he was one of Xiao Yixiu''s men.


    Since she had a rare opportunity, she naturally didn''t refuse. She followed Liu Yanyu into the palace as she listened to her explanation.


    All these years, Xiao Yi Xiu had relied on the Valley of the Godly Doctor to barely control his sickness.


    Looking at the sickly Xiao Yixiu on the bed, Gu Qingli was surprised for a moment. Looking at his pale face, her jade-like skin looked strangely pale. How could her illness be so severe?


    Liu Yan Yu took a piece of white silk and was about to cover Xiao Yi Xiu''s hand to help him check his pulse, but she shook her head and refused.


    When Liu Yanyu saw the thread on her wrist, he was even more surprised.


    His long eyelashes were like a feather fan as he slept soundly. His nose was straight like a jade pillar, and his thin lips gave off a painful smile. He was still as handsome as ever.


    She thought to herself, it''s rare to see this fellow''s harmless expression, but unfortunately, the moment he opens his eyes, his cold and merciless nature was revealed without a doubt.


    The brows of the distant mountain, which was hidden behind the veil, tightened. Liu Yanyu could also see the heaviness in her expression.


    There was more than one poison in Xiao Yi Xiu''s body, and it had been infecting his internal organs over the years. Its complexity had far exceeded her expectations. She carefully examined the poison that was circulating in his body. It seemed like the medicine in the Valley of the Godly Doctor was keeping him alive, delaying his poison''s release, but it was also causing the poison in his body to be even more difficult to treat.

 C9

    "He is poisoned, and there are several kinds of strange poisons mixed within. Does your master give him the coldest medicine possible to suppress his poison?" Then she gave out a few names.


    Liu Yanyu nodded in shock. Even the Imperial Physician thought that he was just an old wound from years of war, but she firmly believed that he was poisoned.


    In her heart, Gu Qingli was curious about what Xiao Yixiu had been through all these years. The pain of the poison seeping into his bones was not something that an ordinary person could endure, and the method of using the poison to counter the poison in the Valley of the Godly Doctor could only suppress the frequency of his poison. In fact, the damage to his body had been worsening over time, and it could be said that Luo Qingyun''s medicine was detoxifying and relieving her thirst.


    "Break your master''s medicine, including your useless prescription to slow down the poison."


    Her indifferent tone carried an unquestionable decisiveness, but Liu Yanyu was completely convinced and nodded in agreement.


    Gu Qingli took out a silver needle and had Liu Yanyu undo Xiao Yixiu''s shirt and begin acupuncture.


    Her technique was strange and quick. Liu Yanyu was both shocked and shocked. He looked at him, trying to figure out the purpose of her acupuncture. She faintly felt that her treatment method was very bold, one that he, or even his master, did not dare to use. And, as she had said, there were many hidden points, even ones he had never heard of.


    To the others, this seemed simple, but it actually contained a complicated technique and speed. After exhausting herself to the best of her ability, fine beads of sweat had seeped out of her forehead and cheeks, covering her face in a red muslin.


    Xiao Yixiu''s eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a few strands of blood appeared on his lips. He opened his eyes slowly.


    What caught his eye was a pair of fiery-red robes. It was a slightly wet red muslin that outlined a small curve of the bridge of his nose, and even outlined the outline of his cherry lips. The most eye-catching part was his pair of sparkling eyes, which seemed to be familiar with each other as they moved.


    He slightly raised his eyebrows and felt a trace of coldness on his body. He looked down his body and found that his shirt was completely off. There were still silver needles trembling all over his body. It turned out that someone had used needles to wake him up.


    Liu Yanyu quickly said, "Prince, don''t move. Lady Li Yue is giving you needles."


    "Leave ¡­" "Month?" Xiao Yixiu cast a doubtful gaze towards the woman in red, who was sitting on the edge of the bed and looking at him. She was like a raging flame, and even though he couldn''t see her face, the light still flickered and pierced his eyes.


    "You can also call me the Ghost Doctor." Gu Qingli introduced herself simply. She didn''t want her voice to be detected, so she spoke to him as little as possible.


    "Senior brother, I''ll take ¡­" The door was slammed open. The always gentle Luo Yun was drenched in sweat. She ignored her image and barged in, her eyes filled with worry.


    The situation within the room stunned her. She had never dreamed of a woman in red sitting beside Prince Mo''s bed. And yet, Prince Mo ¡­ Lying in bed, disheveled.


    Liu Yanyu frowned slightly, "Junior Sister, don''t be so impatient. Prince is temporarily free of worries."


    "Who is she?" If not for her gentle appearance, Luo Yun would have almost shouted out loud.


    "Ghost Doctor Li Yue."


    "What Ghost Doctor? I think you''re a ghost! " It was only then that Luo Yun saw Xiao Yixiu''s silver needles clearly. She rushed forward in an attempt to push Gu Qing Li away and pull them out.


    Gu Qingli stretched out her arms to block and lifted her leg slightly. In a few moves, Luo Yun was at a disadvantage. After all, the Valley of the Godly Doctor specialized in medicine and not martial skills.


    "Senior!" You actually didn''t help me stop her! I got master''s medicine! "


    However, Liu Yanyu pulled Luo Yun away, and said in a deep voice, "Junior Sister, don''t make a fuss. Miss Li Yue''s medical skills are not inferior to Master''s, she has already discovered that the Prince''s body is shrouded in many poisons, and Master''s medicine can only slow his body. Actually, it causes his body to be even more corroded, so he has to stop his medicine."


    "What did you say?" You don''t even believe in my father, you believe in an outsider? "She''s just a little girl ¡­" From the sound of the voice, Luo Yun knew that this woman in red was around the same age as him. She didn''t believe that she had some sort of miraculous medical skill.


    "Junior Sister!" Liu Yanyu had always been gentle and gentle. Even if he were strict, he wouldn''t be able to suppress Luo Yun. She could only stare unwillingly at the bed, hoping that Xiao Yixiu would say something.


    "Yun''er, listen to your senior." Xiao Yixiu''s words made Luo Yun speechless.


    Gu Qingli had originally resented Luo Yun''s rudeness, but when she saw the concern in Xiao Yixiu''s eyes as they brimmed with tears, her anger dissipated in half. This girl might have been a little rude, but she couldn''t fake the feelings of love she felt, and it was normal for her to care about her emotions. However, she was more concerned about someone as cold-hearted as Xiao Yixiu. She was afraid that this young lady would be empty-handed.


    "If you recklessly pull out the silver needles, I won''t be responsible for the consequences." Gu Qing looked coldly at Luo Yun, not ignoring the resentment that flashed through her eyes.


    "Even you can cure His Highness? My father is the Valley Master of the Godly Doctor Valley! You dare to say you can do something that even he is not confident in? "


    "Of course I can." Gu Qingli swept her gaze over her coldly. "Not only can I suppress the poison in his body, I have the confidence to cure him. But your master''s medicine, besides drinking poison to quench thirst, will only cause the poison in his body to become even more chaotic."


    "You ¡­ Senior Brother, what nonsense did you hear from her? "


    Liu Yanyu looked at Li Yue, unsure of himself. However, when she heard her confident tone, he hesitated. After all, he had witnessed her supernatural medical skills before. If even his master''s medical skills were unable to cure his, could a young girl really?


    Gu Qing Li looked at Xiao Yi Xiu, "The poison is in your body. It''s up to you whether you want to accept it or not. The poison in your body should have been present for three to four years. Currently, there are six types of poison lingering in your body, the first five are the Snow Dragon Scorpion Poison, Ice Sea Saint Snake Poison, Demonic Spider Poison, Exquisite Seven Leaf Flower Poison, and the last one ¡­ "


    "What else?"


    "This poison is very special, it is not fatal in itself, but when mixed with any poisonous substance, it can increase the poison''s toxicity by ten times, and it can even slowly corrode a person''s mind. It is artificially refined and called ''Forgetfulness''."


    "Forget the plane?"


    "The word ''machine'' sounds good, but it makes one calm and unflinching. ''In fact, it slowly causes one to lose their original temperament. The person who is poisoned will gradually become ruthless and cruel ¡­''"


    Xiao Yi Xiu slowly raised his eyebrows. "Forget the engine ¡­" "Then what happens in the end?"


    "Any one of these poisonous substances can kill you in a short period of time, but mixing them with each other will delay death, but it will only increase the pain. The person who poisoned you might want you to live a life worse than death. The sixth type of poison is exactly what I was talking about. The poison of the corpse sandalwood that the Valley Master of the Medicinal Valley suppressed is the method she used to treat you. It causes the poison in your body to repeatedly tangle with each other, corroding your bones and making it difficult to detoxify. "


    "Nonsense! What do you know... Corpse sandalwood ¡­ How is the corpse sandalwood''s poison like what you said? "


    "I didn''t say your father had ill intentions!" Gu Qing Li turned around and shot a sharp gaze at her. "In a situation where he''s unable to eradicate the poison, this is a method to appease it. If it wasn''t for his medicine delaying me until now, even if I did cure it, the prince wouldn''t have lived to this day." But you, girl, if you don''t understand anything, then stop interrupting! "


    "You ¡­"


    "Yun''er."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s voice was weak and gentle, but it easily oppressed Luo Yun. Tears welled in her eyes as she lowered her head silently. With a voice filled with grievance and weakness, she said, "Yes, Your Highness."


    Gu Qingli ignored her pitiful appearance. "You have three conditions for me to cure you. One, you have to trust me. Second, I can stay in the mansion, but I need to be free to go in and out, and I don''t want anyone to interfere. Three ¡ª "She coldly looked at Luoyun," This girl had better go out now, I''m not used to being pointed at by outsiders when I do things. "


    "You''re too much!" I am the daughter of the genius doctor''s valley master! How dare you call me an amateur? "


    "Yanyu, take your junior sister out."


    Liu Yanyu responded in agreement. He glanced at Gu Qingli, a little worried. However, he still half persuaded Luo Yun to go with them.

 C10

    Gu Qing Li poked a few more needles into Xiao Yi Xiu''s body, causing sweat to trickle down the tip of her nose. The reason why she wanted to chase Luo Yun out was because the last few needles were all extremely crucial. Furthermore, the needles were all dead points. If Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t die, then she would be crippled. With Luo Yun''s level, it would only be a bad thing.


    After putting away the needle, she sat down to write the prescription while thinking.


    For a moment, she thought of several plans, but they were all overturned by her. Cleaning the poison wasn''t difficult, but for the past few years, Xiao Yixiu''s body had been severely corroded by the poison. He was already too weak, and the drug''s potency was too strong for him to handle.


    Since she was born strong, she couldn''t afford to make the slightest mistake. Since she wanted to do it, she had to do it perfectly. Cleaning up the residual poison and treating this half-dead King Mo wouldn''t be a disgrace to her?


    After thinking for a long time, she decided to choose a gentle method to slow down and suppress the poison in his body.


    "How is it? Unable to open the prescription? " While she was lost in her thoughts, Xiao Yixiu''s gentle and calm voice suddenly resounded from behind her. Although she wasn''t strong enough and weak, she still turned around in shock.


    He was still bare-chested and wearing a white robe. He was casually standing with one hand holding onto his shirt. Even though he was so weak, he was still emitting a noble and refined aura.


    However, following the direction of his face and looking down, his vision wasn''t very clear ¡­ It was easy to describe.


    Gu Qingli stared at his streamlined muscles and smooth skin for a long time before she finally raised her eyes.


    Your Highness, do you know that men and women are different? When she was silently cursing, she had forgotten that she was the one who had taken off the other party''s shirt with a look of abstinence.


    Gu Qing Li opened the prescription and handed it to him.


    "This recipe cannot remove the remaining poison, but with my acupuncture, I can suppress the poison. I still need a few rare herbs in the prescription, so I need to think about it carefully."


    "How rare?"


    After Gu Qing Li reported the medicine, Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression became more and more serious. "Ling Yu''s scale, Fu Jiao, are you sure you''re not joking?" Is there such a thing in the world? "


    "You''ve never seen it before, do you think you haven''t?" A look of disdain appeared in Gu Qingli''s eyes.


    She raised her brush and drew a few pictures on the paper. "It doesn''t matter if you don''t know him or not. Fortunately, you have the money. If you use this painting to place a bounty, perhaps someone will come to uncover it."


    Xiao Yi Xiu took her painting. "I will send people to look for these medicinal ingredients."


    "Alright, let''s grab the medicine according to the prescription." Although the prescription contained precious herbs, apart from a few rare herbs, he could always get them.


    When she reached the door, she suddenly said without even turning her head, "It would be best for Your Highness to wear clothes. This kind of appearance really doesn''t suit your identity."


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked down and was completely speechless. Had she not forcibly ripped off his clothes when he was unconscious?


    The Mo King''s Manor''s book collection was a rich display, and because he had been afflicted with poison all year round, his subordinates had collected countless books on poisons and pharmacopoeia. However, there were a few books that were incomplete, so even ordinary doctors might not be able to understand them.


    Gu Qingli flipped through the books and drew up prescriptions, then threw them away in a ball. She still felt like she was missing something, unable to achieve the perfect result she wanted.


    She also knew that gathering all the required medicinal ingredients was very unlikely, so all she wanted to do now was to flip through the ancient books and find some alternatives.


    These days, Xiao Yi Xiu had opened up a medicinal garden in the Wang Residence and planted all kinds of herbs according to her needs. She would personally attend to them when she was free, but as it was inconvenient for her to do so with her dual identity, she would usually do these things at night.


    She was so focused that she didn''t notice a slender figure flashing outside the Moon''s Passage Gate.


    After doing all this, she was able to recover the princess'' strength and return to her room to rest. While lying on the bed, she felt a little tired, but as she was too engrossed in studying the antidote, she didn''t care about these things. At this point, she had already changed her focus from simply wanting to find some of her own medicine to wanting to get rid of the strange poison in Xiao Yi Xiu''s body.


    Gu Qing Li''s acupuncture skills were indeed marvelous. Xiao Yi Xiu felt that his mental state had recovered quite a bit. It was even better than when he had taken Luo Qing Yun''s medicine to suppress the poison.


    The only inconvenience was that every time the acupuncture was done, he would be left alone with a man and a woman, while that Godly Doctor Li Yue would always calmly make him undress and go to bed. Every time he heard these words, the corner of his mouth would slightly twitch.


    Gu Qing Li finished the acupuncture as usual, and saw that his jade-like skin was covered in a layer of faint pink color. He thought to himself that the effects of acupuncture and medicine were indeed quite good.


    He then noticed that not only did Prince Mo''s skin turn red, even his usually pale and transparent face turned red. His ears were slightly red. He then asked, "Has Prince been feeling better recently?"


    "Yes."


    "The previous poison was extremely cold, and the medicine used to slow down the poison was also hot. Your highness should always feel the alternating between cold and hot, as if your internal organs are on fire. Recently, you should feel that this feeling has slightly lessened."


    "Yes."


    "Can''t Your Highness provide us with more useful information?" It''s not like I can completely understand the symptoms just by having my veins cut. " Gu Qing Li couldn''t bear his silence any longer.


    Xiao Yi Xiu cleared his throat. "Miss Li Yue, can you please stop staring at me when you speak?"


    "Hmm?"


    "Miss Li Yue said that this duke''s current appearance does not suit my status, but I can''t avoid acupuncture and moxibustion, so ¡­" Should you not be disrespectful? "


    "¡­" Gu Qingli realized that she had misunderstood his symptoms. She silently turned her face away and silently cursed for a while.


    In the end, it was different from the first time she used the needle while in a coma. At that time, she was only there for the sake of first aid, and he was unconscious, but these few days, they were all alone, and occasionally they would touch each other. Gu Qingli, who was focused on acupuncture, naturally wouldn''t think too much about it.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was also speechless. Even though he said those words with a calm and restrained expression, the redness in his ears inadvertently revealed his awkwardness.


    He felt an indescribable gloominess in his heart as the most embarrassing appearance of his entire life was actually all seen by a young girl.


    With their backs facing each other, the atmosphere between the two of them turned cold.


    Gu Qingli was thinking, "What kind of virgin are you acting like? You already have so many concubines, and you still want to blush over such a small matter?" She was like a completely different person from his usual black-hearted and vicious self.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was thinking that this was the first time in his life that a young girl could look at me in such a light. Not only was it disgraceful, she even acted as if she didn''t see anything ¡­ How embarrassing.

 C11

    In the dead of night, Gu Qingli quietly slipped into the kitchen and put the dried herbs from before into the claypot.


    "Your highness, recently Miss Li Yue always enters the kitchen in the middle of the night. Her movements are secretive, so strange ¡­"


    "This King promised not to interfere with her freedom."


    "Yes."


    Xiao Yi Xiu rolled on the bed a few times, but still couldn''t fall asleep. After thinking for a while, he decided to go for a walk.


    The night was as dark as ink, and the stars and moon were dim. Unknowingly, Xiao Yi Xiu still walked to the entrance of the kitchen. Only then did he realize that his subconscious was worried.


    After all, ever since he had been poisoned, he had been on guard against anyone. He no longer had the same attitude as before. In this world, if someone close to him could betray him and harm him, how many people could be trusted?


    A medicinal fragrance drifted out, the kitchen was boiling, and the mysterious Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, was pounding the medicine pestle, blowing on the barrel from time to time to smell the aroma, seemingly trying to judge the temperature of the fire.


    After an unknown period of time, Xiao Yi Xiu, who was standing in the shadows outside the window, felt his legs go numb. The medicine inside had finally been fried.


    Li Yue poured out the medicine that she had fried, gently blew on it, lifted a corner of her veil, and took a sip.


    What was she doing? Xiao Yi Xiu was puzzled.


    Under the corner of her veil, her skin that was like jade could be vaguely seen. Her red lips that were like water chestnuts parted slightly, and a bit of the bitter medicinal juice stained her lips.


    She licked the juice with the tip of her tongue, sighed, and said to herself, "I hope this medicine doesn''t go too far."


    She seemed to hesitate for a moment. Finally, she slowly drank all the medicine in the bowl.


    Xiao Yixiu became even more confused as he watched her quietly sitting there for a while. He frowned, and a pained look appeared in his eyes. He sat down on the edge of the table, his left hand covering his lower abdomen while his right hand wrote on a piece of paper with a pen.


    Subconsciously, he leaned closer to take a look. He could faintly make out the words "clashing against each other ¡­" Colic... "Chilling ¡­" Words.


    She seemed to be in more and more pain. Finally, she was unable to maintain her normal sitting posture, and even the pen in her hand fell off powerlessly, falling to the ground with a thud. Her slim body curled up into a ball, and she reluctantly put a pill in her mouth.


    Xiao Yi moved a bit to ease his numb legs. He accidentally let out a soft sound, but Li Yue, who was inside, didn''t notice it. It was obvious that her mind was completely controlled by pain.


    It took her a while to recover. She lifted her sleeves to test the sweat on her forehead and said softly, "This pill isn''t good either. The medicinal properties can suppress the poison in his body, but he has been sick for a long time and is too weak. This prescription is no different from the Tiger Wolf''s Medicine ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was shocked. She was actually testing the medicine by herself! After all, those drugs were harmful to her body. She didn''t care about her own safety and endured such pain just to reduce the damage done to him by the prescription?


    Of course, Gu Qingli didn''t know that Xiao Yixiu had been watching her for so long. She wasn''t thinking of sacrificing herself to save him, she was just being competitive. Her goal was to cure the poison and achieve perfection.


    Besides, she had her own pill, which could cure 100 poisons. Even though drinking those medicines would cause her pain, it would not harm her body.


    Outside the window, Xiao Yixiu had left without a word. He had slept soundly the entire night, thinking about the corner of his red lips under the red veil and falling asleep in a trance.


    "Did you change the recipe?" Although Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t as proficient with the Hundred Herbs as Gu Qing Li, he had a keen tongue when taking medicine over the years. He quickly felt that the formula for the medicine was different from the last few days.


    "Yes." Gu Qingli was also surprised at his keen senses. She inadvertently glanced at him, thinking that this person was so vigilant. Luckily, she didn''t have any thoughts of poisoning him with the medicine, otherwise she would definitely have been discovered.


    What she didn''t know was that his sense of smell had developed after taking countless amounts of medicines over the years. If he had had such a sense of smell back then, he wouldn''t have been harmed.


    "Will this be better than before?" He actually knew the answer in his heart, but he still wanted to know how she would answer it.


    "There are a few medicinal herbs that are increasing in quantity. The medicinal effects are stacking up, but the damage to your body will be lesser."


    "Why is it that with the increase in the dosage, the damage is less?"


    Weird, why is this King Mo''s tone softer than usual today? Gu Qing Li suspiciously looked at him. He saw a faint warmth on his brows, and the warmth in his eyes seemed different from before.


    "That''s none of your business. You just need to take your medicine on time." Her tone was even more distant than usual as she pointed at the bed. "Lie down and take off your clothes."


    Xiao Yi was a proud and aloof person to begin with. He would occasionally express his goodwill, but when he met her cold gaze, he was somewhat displeased. He silently laid down on the bed, feeling a little bit more grateful.


    Gu Qingli twisted the end of the needle and dropped it on the floor. She felt a little tired, so she sat down on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes without realizing it.


    She hadn''t been able to stay up all night. She was tired and dozed off while waiting for the acupuncture point to burn.


    As Xiao Yi Xiu watched the incense burn to its end, the Ghost Doctor leaned against the end of the bed without moving, as if she were ¡­ Did she fall asleep?


    Although he could not use force, his hearing was still different from that of an ordinary person. Listening to her long and gentle breathing, he concluded that it was most likely due to her painstaking efforts in trying out the medicine.


    He struggled to lift his arm and pulled out the silver needles one by one. After so many years of being treated as a doctor, he had some knowledge about this, but he knew how to pull out the needles.


    When all the silver needles had been removed, he draped himself over the bed and put the needles into her needle bag.


    He then returned to the bed and lightly covered Gu Qingli with a thin blanket.


    Gu Qingli was extremely vigilant. No matter how light his movements were, she had already noticed them in an instant. However, her eyes remained closed and she felt someone was covering him with a thin blanket. Her fingers moved slightly under the blanket.


    She and Xiao Yi Xiu were the only two people in the room. Could it be that the person who did this was the cold looking Mo Wang?


    What was this Mo King trying to do? To her? Did he think he could impress her with his masculinity and his gentle seduction?


    She secretly sneered in her heart as she thought about how she had no reason to be attentive, whether it was cheering or stealing. He gradually began to develop trust in her medical skills, and he wanted to use this method to tie her to his side?


    After a while, there was no response. She quietly opened her eyes and looked around, only to discover that Xiao Yixiu was lying on his side on the bed. It seemed as if he had fallen asleep again.


    She got up and saw that there were not many silver needles inside the needle bag. She quickly took the needle bag and left.


    After exiting the room, she bumped into Luo Yun. She was too lazy to bother with him, so she turned to leave.


    The door closed behind her. She heard Luo Yun''s surprised voice come from inside, "Prince, you ¡­"


    "What are you doing here?" Xiao Yi Xiu reprimanded. As expected, he was just pretending to be asleep.


    After the door was opened with a bang, Luo Yun backed out. Her flushed face was filled with shock, anger, and embarrassment as she glared fiercely at Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qing Li understood immediately. Xiao Yi Xiu had just been lying down in his clothes. He was probably changing his clothes when Luo Yun rammed him against the door.


    "You ¡­ "Shameless!"


    Gu Qingli said coldly, "Actually, you should have known earlier. Weren''t things like this the first time I gave him the acupuncture?" Why don''t you tell me how you are going to insert the needle across a few layers of clothes? "


    He then squinted his eyes, slightly mocking, "Or are you saying that you intentionally barged in to see the prince change his clothes?"


    Luo Yun was so angry that she couldn''t speak, but Gu Qingli just walked away.

 C12

    The next day, Liu Yanyu appeared in the room.


    The speed of Gu Qingli''s Falling Needle slowed down a lot. As she twirled the tail of the needle, she explained to Liu Yanyu, "... here, first to calm down, then to defecate... "This is the hidden acupoint, the left and right ventral acupoints. The left part of the navel is four inches away, and the left part is an inch and three parts down ¡­"


    Liu Yanyu watched intently, learning techniques while memorizing acupuncture points.


    Xiao Yixiu, on the other hand, couldn''t hold it in any longer, and coughed lightly. Seeing that her professor''s hidden acupoints were sinking lower and lower, he felt his body go stiff.


    After all, she would drop the needle very quickly and try her best to avoid coming into contact with his body, but the explanation would not be able to avoid important parts.


    "What''s wrong? Feel cold? " Gu Qingli said lightly, "Do you want me to add kudzu root to your medicine?"


    "Miss Li Yue, can you find an acupoint copper person during the next lecture? Don''t get it on me..." How many moves are there? "


    Gu Qingli glanced at him, an almost imperceptible smile playing across her lips. She was doing it on purpose, it was rare to catch a hint of awkwardness on his calm face. Even if it was just a flash, she would be happy to tease him.


    Being teased doesn''t feel good, right? I still have other tricks up my sleeve.


    "I am teaching Liu Gongzi how to perform acupuncture for the prince in case of an accident. This is because we need to apply acupuncture on the prince''s body, and the acupoints in the human body are incomparably profound, so everyone''s acupuncture points are also off by a hair''s breadth. How could the acupuncture points of a bronze person be more refined and less prone to mistakes than the body of the prince? "


    Liu Yanyu responded, "Actually, I wanted to ask Miss Li Yue for advice." He was still as dedicated as ever, completely like a doctor.


    "¡­" The protesting Xiao Yi Xiu could only close his eyes and remain silent. After all, he was a patient and not a haughty Mo King.


    Gu Qing Li chuckled gloatingly to himself, thinking to himself that he also had such moments.


    Ever since Liu Yanyu had started learning acupuncture techniques and acupuncture points from Gu Qing Li, Gu Qing Li had been even colder towards Xiao Yi Xiu. She seemed to have avoided him recently, and didn''t even want to be alone with him anymore.


    Ever since Luo Yun had accidentally barged in, the guards outside Xiao Yi''s door had become strict, no longer allowing her to enter or leave as she pleased. However, when she heard that Liu Yanyu was learning acupuncture techniques in her room, her mood improved a lot.


    Liu Yanyu naturally knew that her Junior Sister was dissatisfied with the Ghost Doctor. He only felt that it was a little funny, thinking that she was being overly concerned, and that Li Yue was merely expelling the poison from Prince Mo''s body.


    Luo Yun said angrily, "Senior Brother, you only know how to speak up for her. I think you''ve been tricked by her?"


    Liu Yanyu looked at her quietly. "Junior Sister, if you really like the Prince, then you shouldn''t always be targeting Lady Li Yue. "You were originally very gentle, but ever since Miss Li Yue came, you''ve become like a hedgehog, always saying things inappropriately. This will cause your highness to alienate you."


    "I ¡­" Luo Yun thought that this made sense. "Senior Brother, you help me watch over them. I''m not jealous of her, I''m worried that she doesn''t have the ability to cure the King''s poison."


    "But don''t you think that Prince has recovered a lot?" Liu Yanyu thought about it for a moment. "I heard she was testing the medicine with her body. If she wasn''t a doctor, how could she have done this?"


    "Test the medicine?"


    Liu Yanyu knew that he had spoken wrongly. No matter how hard Luo Yun asked, he wouldn''t answer her.


    As soon as Luo Yun turned around, she went to the prince''s mansion to investigate this matter.


    Although Gu Qingli would always come in the middle of the night, she didn''t hide her movements. After all, there were still occasional people in the kitchen who knew she was going to fry medicine, as did the medicine workers in the medicine garden.


    Luo Yun had been in the palace for so many years that she had gotten familiar with everyone. After asking around, he was able to find out the rhythm of Gu Qingli''s work and rest.


    She waited outside the kitchen for several days, and finally found the opportunity.


    After Gu Qingli finished frying the medicine, she put it on the table with difficulty to take a bite out of it.


    Luo Yun carefully curled herself up under the window and let go of the cat in her arms.


    There was a gash in the cat''s foot where the mousetrap had broken, and a small amount of blood dripped as the cat limped. Luo Yun had previously covered the cat''s mouth with a handkerchief. Now that it had let go, the cat''s shriek from the pain from the wound sounded very strange and mournful in the night sky.


    Gu Qingli subconsciously chased after her when she heard the sound of howling and crying like a baby outside the window. The killer''s instinct to be alert prevented her from letting out any sign of danger.


    Although the cat was good at hiding at night, the smell of blood and the slight limp made it slow down. It didn''t take long for Gu Qing Li to catch up with it.


    She caught it and saw that it was only a cat that had accidentally stepped on a mousetrap. She felt relieved and looked at the pitiful cat. Suddenly, she felt a tinge of pity and carried it back.


    Luo Yun was quickly escaping from the flowers.


    Gu Qing Li didn''t see Luo Yun''s figure, but she saw a shadow flash past amidst the shadows of the flowers. She instantly became alert.


    The kitchen was supposed to be easy for rats to enter, but the cleanliness of the palace was quite good, and there were no rat-catching facilities in the vicinity. She looked for the source of the dripping blood, saw a patch of overpowering weeds.


    It was obvious that someone had been keeping watch here before, and had released the injured cat to attract her attention.


    Gu Qing Li walked into the kitchen with a sullen face. When she saw the bowl of cold medicine, her heart stirred. She lifted the bowl and lightly tasted it with her tongue, revealing an almost imperceptible sneer.


    In this mansion, other than that little girl, there should be no one else who would understand medicinal properties other than this little girl, right?


    She stroked the injured cat, carefully wrapping it around her, and a thought slowly formed in her mind.


    If that girl was just willful and jealous because she loved Xiao Yixiu, she could ignore her. However, she had a limit to her patience. How could she dare to provoke her? Did she think that Gu Qingli was useless?


    If someone stepped on her head, she would definitely return it many times over!


    Xiao Yi Xiu sat there quietly, watching the maidservants bring up the steaming medicine. He was about to extend his hand, but was stopped by Gu Qing Li.


    He looked at her hand on the back of his hand and was stunned for a moment.


    Gu Qingli didn''t notice anything amiss with this action. She just looked outside and said, "Wait a minute, Young Master Liu has something on today. He asked Miss Luoyun to come over and learn acupuncture. I heard she cares a lot about you. I think she should try out today''s medicine."


    "Test the medicine?"


    "Oh, I added a pill to it today to replace the rare drug I mentioned earlier. It should be equally effective."


    Xiao Yixiu thought for a moment and doubts arose in his heart. Hadn''t she always tried out the medicine himself before recording the various sensations and effects?


    However, Luo Yun quickly appeared. She had a shy and gentle smile on her face and was wearing a light colored flower dress. She walked in with light steps. There was a piece of jade embedded in the nectar of her neck. It emitted a faint light, making her appear even more gentle and pure.


    It was as if Luo Yun wanted to stick out her neck. She was wearing a shirt with a round collar and a pale white neck. The collar was very eye-catching.

 C13

    "According to Young Noble Liu, Miss Luo is here to learn medicine from me."


    Luo Yun''s expression was slightly stiff as she stared at Gu Qingli, but she couldn''t see anything through the red veil covering her face.


    "Looking at Miss Luo''s expression, I''m rather surprised. Am I not supposed to appear here?"


    "Oh, no." Luo Yun''s expression quickly returned to normal, and she said gently to Xiao Yi Xiu, "My lord, Yun''er would also like to try acupuncture on your body, as long as Miss Li Yue instructs you."


    Gu Qingli gave a faint smile, "So it seems like Sir Liu said that Miss Luo is too focused on her studies and is worried about the Prince''s illness."


    "That''s only natural. Lady Li Yue, please give me your guidance." When Luo Yun had argued with Gu Qing Li before, she had always suppressed him with her domineering aura. Now, however, she had changed her gentle policy and returned to her gentle ways.


    However, when he raised his eyes to meet Gu Qing Li''s sharp gaze, his heart suddenly chilled. He felt that he had fallen into some trap this time around.


    If you want to learn it, it is easy, but in the next few days you have to be an assistant. First, you have to watch my acupuncture techniques and learn the positions of the hidden and strange acupuncture points from me.


    "What, one month?!"


    Gu Qingli said lightly, "Also, your highness has a high status, I''m afraid that some people with ulterior motives are hiding around him. To prove your concern for him, drink this medicine first. I''ve added a new drug here, so the effect should be better."


    "I... Miss Li Yue, how could you let someone test your medicine like that? "


    "What, I''ve tried the king''s medicine in the past. Could it be that you won''t want me to give it a try every once in a while?" "Then what do you care?"


    Luo Yun''s expression changed. She was forced into a corner by her aggressive words.


    Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to have noticed something and looked at Luo Yun.


    Although his eyes were calm, in Luo Yun''s eyes, it seemed as if he doubted her concern.


    Luo Yun gritted her teeth, picked up the medicine bowl, and drank a few mouthfuls while enduring the pain.


    Gu Qingli saw that she wanted to give up, so she added, "The medicine''s volume isn''t enough, and its effectiveness isn''t enough. Miss Luo, you have to finish this bowl!"


    Luo Yun''s face alternated between shades of green and white. Under Xiao Yi Xiu''s gaze, he finally finished the rest of the medicine.


    Gu Qing Li calmly glanced at her before walking to Xiao Yi Xiu''s side and helping him unbutton his clothes.


    Normally, she would be cold enough to let him undress himself and go to bed. Today, this sudden change made him feel extremely uncomfortable. He glanced at her with slight surprise, and from her crafty eyes that were faintly smiling and moving, he could tell that it was something else he was not used to.


    So he let her carefully and considerately undress him. However, he had never been close to a woman, and the only person who served him for a long time was Suifeng, so he always felt that it was a bit unnatural.


    Luo Yun looked on helplessly at the two''s intimate postures. His heart was like a million little worms gnawing at it, wishing that she could push Gu Qing Li away and take her place.


    "My prince, let me help you lie down." Although Gu Qingli''s voice wasn''t as gentle as Luo Yun''s, it was clear and cold to the ear, giving off a unique charm.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t refuse and lay down on the ground under her support. A sharp look appeared in his usually estranged eyes.


    Gu Qingli was very serious as she explained everything, just like she was with Liu Yanyu.


    However, Luo Yun''s eyes flickered. Sometimes she would slip past Xiao Yixiu''s bare skin, and sometimes she would blush and embarrassedly move to another place. It was unknown as to how many times she actually heard Xiao Yixiu''s words. In the end, she was still a young girl from the feudal era. He was only 15 or 16 years old, inexperienced and inexperienced. How could he be like Gu Qingli who was used to seeing the world?


    Slowly, Luo Yun began to fidget, and from time to time, she would restrain herself from lightly scratching the back of her hand and her face. In the end, she became more and more unable to hold herself back.


    Xiao Yixiu had also noticed her abnormality and asked, "Yun''er, why do you have so many patches of red on your face?"


    Luo Yun could not see her own face, but she could clearly see the red rash on the back of his hand. She was greatly shocked, and finally remembered the medicine she had placed in the soup last night.


    So this Ghost Doctor had discovered this long ago and even left this bowl of medicine to heat up today, waiting for her to take the bait!


    Luo Yun was so anxious that she almost wanted to cry. It was one thing for her to feel itchy and embarrass herself, but what she feared the most was that the red rash on her face would leave behind a scar.


    The reason why she drugged Gu Qing Li was that she hoped that he would be able to scratch her face and leave a scar on it. She didn''t expect that she would suffer from this.


    Gu Qingli stopped and pretended not to know as she looked at Luo Yun, "What''s wrong with Miss Luo? Seeing your red rash, could it be that you have a rash? Or smallpox? "Aiyo, you should go out first. All of this is contagious. Your highness is weak, if you spread it, it would be bad."


    "I... You... How could it be smallpox! "Nonsense!"


    Gu Qingli said slowly, "You don''t need to hide it from doctors. Why don''t you ask me to give Miss Luo a pulse and prescribe some medicine?"


    "No!" Luo Yun couldn''t bear the itch anymore. If she continued to grab, he would show herself in front of Xiao Yi Xiu. She said, "My lord, Yun''er will be leaving now ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu said calmly, "Since you don''t want Lady Li Yue to be treated, then quickly go and let Yanyu have a look. If there really is smallpox, then it will be dangerous." Even if it''s just a eruption, it''s not good to leave a scar or anything like that. "


    "Thank you, Your Highness ¡­" "Yes." Luo Yun wanted to cry, but her words were incomplete.


    "Right, since you are sick, don''t enter This King''s room these days."


    "Yes." Luo Yun swallowed her anger and ran out.


    After Luo Yun had disappeared, Xiao Yi Xiu said, "You did that on purpose."


    "Hmm?"


    "Don''t tell This King, you don''t know that there''s a problem with the medicine."


    Gu Qingli smiled faintly. She knew that someone like him was more intelligent than even ghosts, so she naturally couldn''t hide from his eyes. However, her purpose wasn''t to hide it from him, but to make him take the initiative to ask.


    "Since Your Highness has already made sense of the situation, why do you need to point it out?"


    "What are you trying to do by teasing Yun''er like this?"


    "Does Your Highness think that I have nothing better to do than to tease Miss Luo?"


    "Hmm?" Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows and glared at her. They dared to say no, and had purposefully undressed him in front of Luo Yun. Wasn''t this all for Luo Yun to be jealous of and sad?


    Gu Qingli, on the other hand, didn''t say anything else and just continued to slowly and slowly work on him. If you want to know, then ask slowly.


    Naturally, Xiao Yi Xiu knew that she was fishing for his appetite. Originally, he wasn''t that curious. However, he suddenly felt that this Ghost Doctor was extremely cold and didn''t want strangers to come close to her.


    "Miss Li Yue didn''t mention it because the extra medicine was added by Yun''er, right?"


    Gu Qingli was stunned. Looking at his calm expression, she realized that she had still underestimated this despicable bastard.


    "Yun''er is still young and doesn''t think things through properly. Lady Li Yue, please take more responsibility. You have already punished her. She should know to restrain herself in the future."


    Gu Qingli was stunned again. He actually spoke up for Luo Yun! They simply couldn''t differentiate right from wrong! But, wasn''t this bastard ruthless? Why did she treat Luo Yun so well? If he could be so heartless to Xin Ziyao, could it be that he had a soft spot for that little girl Luo Yun?


    "The prince said forget it, forget it." she said coldly. That little girl Luo Yun wants to fight with her? She didn''t even know how she died! In any case, she had already successfully tricked Luo Yun in this round. If that girl dared to make a move again, she definitely wouldn''t sit still and wait for death.


    "Yun''er, she is only worried about this duke."


    You have a reason to harm me just because you''re jealous? Although the medicine that Luo Yun had added was not poisonous, it was still very itchy. Now, she could bear the suffering by herself.

 C14

    She stroked the cat''s shiny black fur and said gently, as if she was coaxing a child, "Miao''er, you be good. If I change the medicine for you later, it will hurt a little. You are not allowed to scratch me."


    The black cat opened its glass-colored eyes and looked at her. It lowered its head on her knees, appearing very obedient.


    She carefully applied medicine on the cat and wrapped it with a handkerchief. Her gaze was gentle and considerate, far more so than when she treated Xiaoyi Xiu.


    "You like cats?" An elegant voice came from the doorway.


    Gu Qing Li raised his head abruptly and found that Xiao Yi Xiu was standing at the door.


    "Didn''t you say that you can''t see the light of the wind while you''re applying acupuncture? And that you need to lie still for less than an hour?"


    "It''s fine to come out occasionally."


    "Could it be that Your Highness is worried that I will take action against Miss Luo?" I''m not going to be like her. " Gu Qingli stroked the cat in her arms. "For the sake of some vinegar, you drugged me. You even crippled this cat."


    "Cripple the cat?"


    Gu Qingli recounted what happened last night when she caught the cat and said, "She forcefully used a trap to break the kitten''s leg bones and cut them open so that I could chase after her with the smell of blood. And the cat is soft and light, and good at diving and low concealment. In the night, I catch up with her, so I broke her leg, so that I wouldn''t look back and see her drugging me after a few steps. I do not think that she is young and ignorant for having such a vicious nature towards such an innocent being. "


    Xiao Yixiu walked around silently for a while, examining the dried and blackened cat blood along the road. Just as she had said.


    He didn''t speak to Gu Qingli again and walked directly to the guest residence.


    Luo Yun had just showered and applied some antipruritic herbs to his body. His body was already covered in bloodstains. She had to force herself not to leave any marks on her face. At this moment, she was holding the medicine that Liu Yanyu had fried for her and crying as she complained to her Senior Brother about how the Ghost Doctor Li Yue had poisoned her with the medicine.


    Xiao Yixiu listened quietly from under the porch until Liu Yanyu said, "Miss Li Yue shouldn''t be such a person."


    Luo Yun cried, "Senior Brother, you actually believe her?"


    "But what reason does she have to harm you?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu walked slowly into the room. With a cold expression, he said, "It was because Yun''er added medicine into the bowl of soup that Li Yue forced her to consume it in front of me. She was reaping what she sowed."


    Luo Yun didn''t think that he would come here. She stood up and asked with a pale face, "Your Royal Highness, do you also believe the Ghost Doctor''s words?"


    "This King sees that injured cat and knows how cruel you are."


    Although Liu Yanyu did not know what was going on, after hearing the two''s responses, and seeing Luo Yun''s face turn from pale to red and then back to blue, he more or less guessed what was going on.


    He sighed, "Junior Sister, you know your own limits." He then left the house. He was very clear about this junior sister''s pampered personality. He didn''t want to plead for her in any way.


    Luo Yun knew that there was no point in trying to defend herself, so she kneeled down in front of Yun''er and cried as she held onto his clothes, "Your highness, Yun''er knows she''s wrong. Yun''er just doesn''t believe that she can really cure your illness. "If she really is that magical, then I can naturally taste that medicine ¡­"


    "Yun''er, you still have to quibble. This duke is truly disappointed in you."


    "My lord, my lord! "Don''t go!" Luo Yun gripped his sleeves tightly. "Yun''er only likes you, could it be that you''re wrong? Yun''er is truly worried for you. I''m afraid that if she doesn''t have sufficient medical skills, she''ll harm you! "


    Luo Yun cried until her eyes turned red. She looked pitiful.


    In the end, she was still helped to her feet by Xiao Yi Xiu. Thinking back to how Luo Yun had treated him so well over the years, if it weren''t for Luo Yun repeatedly asking for help from the Godly Doctor Valley''s Valley Master Luo Qingyun, the Valley Master wouldn''t have gone to such great lengths to treat him. No matter what, the Luo Family had no merits nor hardships.


    "Yun''er, this duke always thought you were a kind and gentle girl. I didn''t think that you would be willing to cripple even a cat for the sake of harming Li Yue. I hope that you won''t do the same thing again."


    "Yun''er knows, Yun''er doesn''t dare anymore!" Luo Yun lowered her head and cried in grief, but her eyes were filled with hatred.


    Ghost Doctor Li Yue ¡­ She didn''t expect that she would have such tricks up her sleeve. If she wanted to snatch the prince away from her, she wouldn''t let this kind of thing happen even if she died!


    Gu Qingli stroked the lazy cat in her arms as she pondered, wondering what kind of attitude Xiao Yi Xiu would have towards Luo Yun.


    Suddenly, the cat she named "Miao''er" meowed and jumped off her knees before limping out.


    The closer they got, the more they felt like the windows inside the house were more exquisite than her own yard.


    "Black jade!" The cat went into the yard and jumped into the arms of a man.


    Gu Qingli looked and saw that it was unexpectedly Xin Ziyao, the "Moon-Seizing Son" she hadn''t seen recently. She was dressed in a long, multicolored dress, her black hair tied up with an exaggerated gold phoenix egg, still as luxurious as before.


    Looking at her complexion, Xin Ziyao hadn''t been getting along very well recently. She was a bit listless, not knowing if she had lost some blood after having a baby or not, and even her lips were a bit pale.


    "Black Jade, who hurt you?" Xin Ziyao hugged the cat and looked at the handkerchief on its leg in surprise.


    "Side Consort ¡­" Three by her side lightly nudged her and saw Gu Qing Li.


    Xin Ziyao hadn''t left the courtyard recently, so she felt that the woman in the red silk gown outside the door was a stranger. Instinctively alert, she asked, "Who are you?"


    "Ghost Doctor, Li Yue." Gu Qingli couldn''t be bothered with this woman as she turned to leave.


    "Halt!" Xin Ziyao had heard that a female godly doctor had arrived at the manor. She hadn''t expected that she would be so young, and her voice sounded as frightening as flowing spring water.


    "Is the secondary wife calling me?" Hearing this commanding tone, Gu Qingli halted her steps and slowly turned around.


    "How do you know I''m a secondary concubine?" Xin Ziyao was a little surprised.


    "Look at your disposition, saying that your family''s jade-like daughter has already been raised. She''s not a secondary wife, so how could she be a main wife?" Gu Qing Li unhurriedly swept a glance at her, his gaze clear with provocation.


    "Where did this wild girl come from? How dare she be so rude to this wangfei!" Xin Ziyao''s expression changed. She didn''t even put that notorious main wife in her eyes, so how could she possibly take this wandering doctor who came from nowhere seriously?


    "San-er, go and capture her. When you see that this side''s Concubine isn''t bowing, you still dare to be impudent!"


    Gu Qing Li remained calm and collected. When she got close, her feet suddenly slipped as if she had slipped and fell down, followed by a flash of silver light. San''er''s knees turned soft and numb, causing her attack to miss.


    This girl was rather nimble. After falling down, she felt that something wasn''t right, so she didn''t have time to chase after Gu Qingli. Instead, she pressed her palms to the ground.


    Gu Qingli suddenly reached out to grab her wrist and cried out, "Ouch!"


    San''er was supposed to lift and spin her body with a single push, but when she felt his body go numb, her hands went soft. She fell to the ground, with a small portion of her body pressed against Gu Qing Li.


    "It hurts!" Gu Qingli called out, "Consort Xin, I''m a guest of the prince, how can you treat me like this ¡­" Sigh, forget it, your Mo King Manor is not a place to keep people. I can''t afford to offend you, so why can''t I hide? Then, we will go to the Prince and bid our farewells! "


    Then, with great difficulty, she pushed San-er away and limped to her feet, as if she were really pressed down by San-er after her fall.


    Sans stood up in surprise, looking at Xin Ziyao at a loss for words.


    Xin Ziyao originally wanted to put some pressure on the Ghost Doctor, but after hearing that she was going to bid farewell to the Prince Mo, she knew that things were not going well. After all, she had heard that this Ghost Doctor had taken control of the Prince''s illness and was now in high regard.


    He hurried forward and said, "Miss Li Yue, don''t leave. The servant of this concubine is rude, is it really unintentional?"


    "Don''t, don''t come over! Who knows what schemes you have! "


    Xin Ziyao hesitated for a moment, thinking that if she went to frame him in front of the prince, she would be in deep trouble. She could only helplessly watch her walk away.


    Not long after Gu Qing Li left, he quickly changed into an Imperial Consort''s dress and returned to his own courtyard.

 C15

    The news of Xin Wangfei beating up Miss Li Yue with her servant quickly reached Xiaoyi Xiu''s ears.


    Gu Qingli was well aware that with Xiao Yixiu''s meticulous eyes, there was no one who didn''t know him. She didn''t need to publicize this matter.


    Li Yue''s disappearance was a good opportunity for Xiao Yixiu to teach Xin Ziyao a lesson.


    As expected, the news of Xin Ziyao''s confinement quickly reached her ears.


    Gu Qingli sneered. Xiao Yixiu''s punishment was so light, but it was beyond her expectations. Wasn''t that person ruthless and merciless? Why did he show so much mercy to Xin Ziyao?


    When Yu Ying saw her expression, she cautiously said, "Princess, don''t blame the Prince. He also has some difficult matters."


    Gu Qingli''s heart thumped as she swept a glance over her. She had always felt that Yu Ying was not a simple person. Even though she knew that she was probably Xiao Yi Xiu''s spy, she was still very careful and didn''t do anything out of the ordinary these days. Thus, she did not make things difficult for her.


    However, there was something in Yu Ying''s words today. She became curious, "Yu Ying, what do you want to say?"


    "Xin Wei Fei ¡­ "She''s the empress''s distant niece."


    It turned out that Xiao Yixiu wasn''t fond of Xin Ziyao, but rather had such concerns.


    Gu Qingli began to understand.


    Due to the disappearance of Li Yue that night, Gu Qingli slept very well. She no longer needed to attend to medicine in the medicine garden, nor did she need to test out the medicine. In any case, Xiao Yi''s condition had stabilized recently, so she would be fine even if she didn''t give her acupuncture every few days.


    After resting for two days, he heard that the guards were looking for Li Yue and were extremely worried. Gu Qing Li thought it was about time for him to show himself, but Xiao Yi Xiu had already closed the door.


    "Princess, why is your complexion so bad these days?"


    Actually, Gu Qingli had only put on a pale makeup to make herself look more sickly, so that she could stay sick all day to prevent Yu Ying and Yuli from becoming suspicious.


    "Nothing much, I was just infected by the cold." "She coughed a few times, as if she was really sick." I heard that Prince has been feeling a bit weak recently, so it''s best to stay away from me. "


    "This King has been feeling a lot better recently."


    "I heard that it was all due to Lady Li Yue?"


    "Yes." He said lightly, "However, she had some conflict with Madam Xin and left the manor."


    "I''m afraid that your highness rarely goes out of his way to do good deeds, and that the disappearance of the genius doctor is your retribution, right?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to know that she would mock and ridicule him. He nodded his head slowly and said, "Actually, you should be more worried about my body. There''s no need to gloat like this."


    Gu Qingli froze.


    He took out a jade bottle from his sleeve. She was very familiar with the blue and blue flower patterns on it.


    He held the pill out of the bottle in front of her with a smile that was not a smile. It was as if he was a god that could control everything, looking down at her from above.


    She understood that he was here to deliver the antidote for this month, so she took a deep breath and swallowed it. The poison on her body was indeed a recipe that could be cured, but even in the Wang Mansion, she was unable to find all the ingredients needed. In the past few days, she had used Xiao Yi''s body to gather a lot of rare and precious herbs, but she still couldn''t find the most important Volcano Lingzhi, so she could only obediently submit to him.


    "Prince, can you tell me the truth?"


    He looked up at her.


    "You want to marry me so that I can be an obedient puppet, just like you, Consort Xin?"


    A sliver of emotion appeared in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes as he said calmly, "You''re much more dangerous than her. How could she be qualified to consume my poison?"


    "Hmph."


    "However, your performance has been quite good recently. Just continue to be obedient." He glanced at her and said, "Have a good rest. Your eldest sister will be getting married to your fifth imperial brother in a few days. Don''t put on such a sick face when the time comes."


    Gu Qing Li was startled, but she forgot about it. A few days ago, the Prime Minister''s Estate had indeed sent a bridal note to her. However, thinking of Xiao Yimo''s disgusting appearance, he was truly a match made in heaven with Gu Qingruo.


    "I don''t want to go."


    "If we don''t go and congratulate them, how can we face them?" Xiao Yixiu''s voice was soft and slow, with a strange tone to it.


    Could it be that he had to play some tricks to get Xiao Yimo to get married? This liveliness could not be ignored.


    Gu Qingli nodded in agreement.


    Rumors had recently spread in the capital that the only son of the Zhang family was coughing out blood, but he had been treated by a woman in red; that an old woman in her seventies from the assistant minister''s family had bought a birthday suit, but was saved by a woman in red; that someone who had been blind for more than ten years was now able to see things clearly.


    When this news spread, the guards of the Mo King''s Residence started to look for clues.


    Gu Qing Li was trying to lure people to find her. After all, she hadn''t achieved her goal yet, and the poison in her body was still a difficult problem for her to overcome. She hadn''t decided to give up yet.


    That day, she was treating a red lady in the biggest brothel in the capital, the Xuanhua brothel. Originally, she didn''t want to come to this filthy place, but that young maid of Miss Du Ying''s was extremely loyal. She knelt in front of her and cried for a long time.


    He heard that Miss Du Ying had not seen anyone for more than ten days, and was forced to come out occasionally to meet them. She only played a song of her lute to accompany the guests and drink wine, and after forcing a smile, many of the guests expressed their dissatisfaction with the bawd.


    "Get out, get out!" When Gu Qingli arrived outside the door, she heard the girl''s graceful voice, filled with anger, as if she was venting her emotions.


    The maidservant Jin Rou, who had come to beg her, cried miserably, begging her to give the Godly Doctor a pulse. However, the angry female voice still refused, "Tell him to scram, I''m not sick, I won''t see any doctor!"


    This is strange, if one were to say that they are wholeheartedly seeking death, why not just solve it with a piece of white silk?


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment before barging in, ignoring Jin Rou''s order to wait outside.


    Compared to the palace, the inside of the house was a different kind of magnificence. It had a vulgar yet expensive style, a long yellow pear case with a purple sandalwood incense bed, and three fine carved railings on each side.


    The person who was somewhat out of place in this room was a young lady dressed in white, her hair scattered over her shoulders. She was originally sitting diagonally on the beauty bed, her long hair tied up like a messy cloud, her pale cheeks still wet from undried tears.


    The beauty of her appearance was not as gracious as Gu Qingli had imagined. Instead, it was the beauty of a fairy, causing one to feel pity for her.


    However, her eyes were filled with fear and anger, as if Gu Qing Li''s appearance would bring her disaster. She picked up the soft pillow and tossed it towards the door. "Scram, scram, don''t come over!"


    "What are you doing?" Gu Qing Li held the soft pillow in her hand. The good feeling she had from seeing her earlier had been completely shattered by the soft pillow. Her face darkened and she sneered, "Could it be that your maidservant begged me to come just to look at your eyes?"


    "No, no, no. Divine Doctor Li Yue, you mustn''t be angry. My family''s young miss is very pitiful ¡­" She just doesn''t dare to trust anyone anymore ¡­ " Jin Rou knelt in front of her and wailed.


    "Get up, Jin Rou, don''t beg her! I don''t need a doctor! "


    "Miss! You''re not in a good condition, and if you keep yourself locked up like this and refuse to receive guests, Mom will beat you to death sooner or later! "


    "I don''t care!" Du Ying was throwing things around again, nearly throwing everything she could get her hands on, and then crying like a madman.


    Even so, it did not affect her gentleness.

 C16

    Gu Qing Li understood Du Ying''s current situation a little from Jin Rou. This famous courtesan who was the most famous in the capital usually did not sell her skills, but after meeting a noble young master a few months ago, her cold and arrogant attitude had greatly changed.


    But when he disappeared from her life, she began to "get sick." Not only was she not well, her mood was very bad, and she refused to go to the hospital. The old procuress began to lose patience with her.


    "If you wish to continue like this and be sold by the bawd, then continue." Gu Qingli sneered and turned to leave, ignoring Jin Rou''s struggling to stay.


    She didn''t believe it, but Du Ying didn''t know what her next fate would be. A disobedient girl, besides being sold to a lower building, was either sold to a merchant as a concubine, or drugged to make her yield. In any case, there was no way the brothel owner could just let her go crazy like this.


    "..." You can''t save me. " Du Ying seemed to be intimidated by her fierce aura. She was silent for a while, but when she reached the door, she spoke in a sorrowful tone.


    "Humph!" Gu Qingli sneered, too lazy to comfort her. A weak woman like her wasn''t worth saving.


    "Godly Doctor, if you pity me, give me a dose... "Let''s take the medicine then." Du Ying''s voice became lower and lower, as if even she herself found it hard to say that sentence.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help feeling a little strange. She refused the treatment, but she still wanted to prescribe medicine for her? What medicine?


    Du Ying''s emotions had finally calmed down for the time being. Jin Rou closed the door and windows, carefully guarding the door as she was afraid that someone would come in.


    Gu Qingli sat on the edge of the couch and checked Du Ying''s pulse. Her pulse was smooth and powerful like a pearl, but it was very easy to tell that this Miss Du Ying was pregnant.


    "You know that yourself?"


    Du Ying''s eyes were dull as she slowly nodded.


    "No wonder you ¡­" However, this matter cannot be concealed for long. If the old procuress were to find out, she will definitely deal with it quickly. "


    "That''s why I asked the Godly Doctor to prescribe the medicine for me... I can''t let others know, or else I won''t be able to live. "


    Jin Rou was listening, confused, as she didn''t know what they were talking about.


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Who can you hide from? It''s been four months and you should hurry up since you''re going to fall. It''s dangerous to prescribe medicine now. "


    "I... I was waiting for him to come back, but day after day ¡­ " Du Ying''s eyes were filled with madness in her despair, and it gradually turned dark again. I know he won''t come back. Originally, I would rather die than give birth to this child, but for the sake of a heartless man, is it worth it? "


    Although Jin Rou was young, she had grown up in a brothel. When she finally understood something, her eyes widened in shock. Her young lady was pregnant!


    "Do you know who he is?"


    Du Ying lightly shook her head. She only knew that he was a noble young master who squandered her wealth like the soil and had a free and easy temperament. Her handsome appearance and frivolous eyes conquered her, but she never saw him return.


    Gu Qingli was about to say something when she heard a slight sound coming from outside the door. Jin Rou gave them an urgent look and slipped under the bed.


    "Du Ying, I came to see you." A gust of fragrant wind blew in. It was so rich that it made one feel dizzy.


    Along with such laughter and speech, a woman with thick makeup walked in. Her beauty and beauty contrasted perfectly with that of a natural beauty called Du Ying.


    She held a bowl of steaming hot soup in her hand and laughed, "I''ve heard that you''ve been feeling unwell recently. I''ve specially ordered the kitchen to boil some black chicken soup. There are some angelica and red ginseng in it. You can drink it to replenish energy and nourish your blood."


    "Just leave it."


    "You should drink it while it''s still hot. Don''t waste my effort."


    Du Ying''s appetite had been poor recently, and she felt nauseous upon smelling the stench of the chicken soup. How could she drink it? She covered her mouth and nose and lightly waved the handkerchief around: "It''s a little hot, I''ll drink it if it''s a bit cooler."


    Seeing that the woman still wanted to speak, Du Ying said, "Warm Fragrance, I know you care about me. I''ll definitely drink."


    "Fine." Warm Fragrance seemed to be resentful, and after saying a few more words of concern, she withdrew herself.


    Du Ying let out a soft sigh and stretched out her hand to the side of the bowl, as if she wanted to pick it up.


    Gu Qingli quickly rushed out and grabbed the bowl in front of her. Her eyes were like cold lightning as they swept across her. "You can''t drink this soup."


    Du Ying looked at her in surprise.


    "Is that woman really concerned about you?" Gu Qing Li picked up the bowl and took a deep sniff. After tasting it lightly, he slammed it onto the ground.


    A bowl of fragrant chicken soup was spilled on the ground, and a string of white foam appeared on the surface.


    "This ¡­" Du Ying''s expression changed.


    "If you drink it, the old procuress will think that you have sacrificed yourself in despair. In less than an hour, you will be dragged to the grave."


    "She is... "Why did you do this to me ¡­" Du Ying''s lips began to quiver. "We were sold in together and took care of each other. Our feelings were more like that of sisters ¡­"


    "With that face of yours, it''s normal to be envied by others. However, you shouldn''t be able to wait this long because of the poison because of jealousy. Think about it, what else do you have?"


    Du Ying thought hard, then suddenly lifted her face and softly said, "I think it''s because of him."


    "What him?"


    Jin Rou interrupted, "The one that my lady likes ¡­" Young Master Xiao. "


    "What?" Hearing this name made Gu Qingli a little sensitive.


    "Xiao Shuo Fang."


    Jin Rou saw that Du Ying wasn''t willing to mention this name, and explained, "In the beginning, Young Master Xiao always looked for a warm fragrance, but when you saw our Miss, you spent money every night to support her. Just for the sake of our Miss'' first night, you spent a hundred thousand silver ¡­ Warm Fragrance never seemed to have any objections. He just occasionally sat by her side, and she seemed to be very satisfied. "


    Du Ying suddenly said, "I think I know."


    "Hmm?"


    It turned out that two months ago, Xiao Shuo Fang came here once, but he only looked for the incense and didn''t look for her. It was not the same as being in her room all month.


    She told Xiao Shuo that she was pregnant and that women were always sensitive to such things. Although she had no experience, she was aware of the changes in her body. However, after being shocked for a moment, he acted very perfunctorily. He only said that he would think of a way and left.


    Last night, he quietly came over in the middle of the night, and didn''t even let Du Ying know, but still went to Warm Fragrance''s place.


    Du Ying didn''t know about this beforehand, so she went to the greenhouse to discuss her worries, but she was shocked to hear that they were secretly discussing something!


    It turned out that Xuanhua Tower was a secret underground organization! Apart from the bawd who was a puppet, many of the girls in the building were the undercover agents of Xiao Shuo. Through these girls, he heard all kinds of private news about the nobles in the brothel, which he then used to coerce them into submission.


    This time, Xiao Shuo was talking about a certain prince in the capital. He seemed to have sent some news during the day because of the spies planted in the mansion. However, Du Ying only heard one thing: "Xin Ziyao miscarried, so that plan was ruined ¡­"


    "Wait, who are you talking about? Xin Ziyao? "


    Du Ying''s face was blank as she nodded, she didn''t understand why the Ghost Doctor''s gaze started to fluctuate.


    "Is that the name? I don''t know the three words, but I shouldn''t be wrong. "


    "Xin Ziyao miscarried, and the plan was ruined ¡­" Could it be that behind Xin Ziyao''s pregnancy was a conspiracy? Then whose person was Xin Ziyao?

 C17

    Du Ying gave Gu Qingli a puzzled look, but her eyes calmed down. "What happened next?"


    Du Ying''s eyes dimmed. "Later on, I quietly retreated. Before I could even enter the house, I saw him come out. "When he saw me, he seemed very surprised. She followed the warm incense out ¡­"


    With shock and doubt in his eyes, he approached her and asked a few questions. She was very nervous and deliberately changed the subject, asking him what to do with the child in his womb.


    He seemed to be in a dilemma, but in the end, he still patted her face. "I''ll think of a way. Wait for me." It was still a perfunctory tone.


    Du Ying''s heart turned cold. She told her to wait, but she couldn''t wait anymore after four months.


    He left her and went over to whisper a few more words to her, and she saw the warmth of his eyes in the moonlight and glanced at her, hard to make out.


    "That Young Master Xiao of yours wants to kill you."


    "No no ¡­" "He ¡­" Du Ying''s voice weakened again, but she still shook her head. "It must be that Wen Xiang suspected that I listened to their conversation and wanted to silence me."


    "If your Young Master Xiao doesn''t give the order, would she dare?"


    "He just ignored me and decided that there was no need for me to exist." Du Ying lowered her head sadly.


    "Either way, you want to swallow your anger like this?"


    "Or what?"


    "Live." Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "You''ve been doing this for over four months. Not only are you injured, you might even take your life. You have to give him birth."


    Du Ying looked at her in shock. "How is that possible? Mommy wouldn''t allow it ¡­"


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Just tell me if you want to or not."


    "I want to ¡­" Du Ying hesitated for a moment. Actually, she couldn''t tell if she wanted to or not, but she still felt that there was life in her stomach, and she was still a little reluctant to part with that man since he didn''t want her anymore. Furthermore, since Gu Qingli had said so, she had to consider the dangers of abortion over and over again.


    "Breaking it is but a piece of meat, but life is life. That Young Master Xiao of yours might be heartless to you, but he might not be so heartless to your child."


    Du Ying hesitated for a while before slowly nodding.


    "Can he change his mind and look at your methods? Look at your appearance, you are already used to being aloof. You don''t know how to catch a man, right?" You always wanted him to marry you, but from what you said, his status is very prestigious, so it''s definitely impossible for him to give you a name. However, if it''s just a secret room, he might be willing. "


    "But what am I going to do in his darkroom?" Du Ying''s eyes were filled with tears. Although she was born in the mortal world, she loved herself and was also a renowned courtesan in the capital. She never sold herself.


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Do you still want his heart? If he doesn''t treat you well, you have to make him feel bad! If he really is the one who instigates warmth and fragrance in people, then you have to show him how great you really are! " |


    "I can''t ¡­"


    "No one can help you! If not, I will give you a set of abortion pills. If you take one corpse and two lives, then you have to muster up your energy to deal with him! First of all, let him agree to you having this baby! Since he didn''t force you to kill him, you''ll have a chance to give birth to him, understand? "


    Du Ying was still hesitant, but when she saw the charred ground, she suddenly felt pain in her heart. She gritted her teeth: "Right, he''s heartless to me, why should I hurt myself? I want to make him suffer as well! "


    Gu Qingli nodded approvingly, "Go call the warm fragrance in now. Jin Rou, you have to pretend to be very flustered and say something happened to Miss Du Ying."


    Jin Rou, on the other hand, was quite quick-witted. She immediately ran out of the room, and heard her panicking voice from the corridor, "Oh no! Miss Wen Xiang, you''ve had some chicken soup. You''re crying about your abdominal pain!"


    The warm fragrance came in without stopping, and as it walked it lowered its voice and said, "Shh! "Don''t yell, Du Ying doesn''t want anyone to know that she''s in bad health."


    Jin Rou''s voice sank.


    When she entered the room, she saw Du Ying curled up in a ball on the bed, her hair hanging down in a mess and still twitching.


    Jin Rou closed the door and carefully walked over. Just as she pulled Du Ying''s shoulder, she suddenly saw an unfamiliar face, and before she could react, the woman had already sat up. She quickly grabbed her chin and stuffed a pill into her mouth.


    Following that, the woman raised her hand. A red veil covered her face, revealing only a pair of eyes that were as bright as autumn water.


    Warm Fragrance didn''t even have time to see what the other party looked like.


    The one who had changed into Du Ying''s clothes was naturally Gu Qingli. She straightened her clothes and sat upright on the bed. Only then did Du Ying appear from behind the screen, staring coldly at the kneeling, warm and fragrant scent.


    "Now that you''ve taken my poison, if you don''t get the antidote on a regular basis, I can guarantee that you''ll die miserably. If you don''t believe me, take a deep breath and feel the pain in your lower abdomen. "


    Warm Fragrance took a deep breath. As expected, she felt a hidden pain in her lower abdomen and could not help but turn pale from fright. "You ¡­" "Who are you and what are you doing?"


    "You don''t have the right to know who I am. The answer I''m asking you now is fake ¡ª" She suddenly stretched out her hand. Her two fingertips flashed with a silver light as she pressed them against Wen Xiang''s throat.


    Warm Fragrance was scared out of her wits and she begged for mercy before revealing that Xuanhua Pavilion was owned by the Empress''s brother, the minister of war, Xin Yingning. In reality, it was the biggest undercover organization of the Xin family in the capital.


    Even though the Xuanhua Restaurant was a brothel, it was an elegant pavilion, a place that specialized only in elegant courtesans. People like Du Ying, who were both beautiful and beautiful, were only for the royalty to enjoy themselves, and they would not easily accept guests.


    Those who could afford to spend money here were either rich or wealthy. When these people arrived at Xuanhua Tower, they would sometimes discuss some private matters or reveal some secret to the people lying in bed. Therefore, there were quite a number of amorous officials in the capital who were in the hands of the Xin Family.


    These secret files were kept in the secret room of the Flower Pavilion.


    The Warm Fragrance was the head of the spies that infiltrated Xuanhua Restaurant. Of course, there were a few girls like Du Ying who didn''t know anything about it. However, this didn''t prevent Warm Fragrance from finding out about the news from their mouths.


    "Very good." Gu Qingli finished listening. "Take me to the secret room."


    Warm Fragrance was shocked, "No, young master knows he will take my life!"


    "Who is the young master?"


    "It was sent by the Xin family to help me. He is very mysterious, even I do not know his true identity. Moreover, he originally came very rarely, and was often met with the empress''s eunuchs or maids to assist him, but afterwards it was because of Du Ying that she often came. "


    "Then was the poison ordered by him?"


    Warm Fragrance shook her head, "That''s not true, but I don''t think Du Ying should know too much."


    "Aren''t you afraid that the young master will blame you if he finds out that you poisoned her?"


    Warm Fragrance glanced at Du Ying: "Young Noble has so many women, why would he care about a mere brothel lady? If she is dead, Young Master will not pity her. "


    Du Ying''s face gradually paled, and her gaze slowly turned cold.

 C18

    Gu Qingli raised an eyebrow, "I''m afraid that your young master didn''t tell you one thing. Du Ying has his child." He might not care about a woman, but she might not care about his flesh and blood. "


    Warm Fragrance was stunned as she looked at Du Ying. Her gaze landed on Du Ying''s lower abdomen, which could barely be covered by her wide clothes.


    "From today onwards, you have to report everything that happened in Xuanhua Tower to Du Ying. You still have to speak up for her in front of her young master, and ask him to come see her more."


    "There are three pills here. If she is obedient, you can give her one every twenty days. Remember, this antidote won''t be able to eradicate the poison. If you harm Du Ying, the remaining antidote ¡­" "Hmph, you know that."


    Warm Fragrance could only reply, "Yes."


    "Take me to the secret chamber."


    Warm Fragrance clenched her teeth and looked at her. She silently led her into her room and felt around the wall.


    Gu Qingli could see clearly that she had drawn a pattern along a specific spot, and then a secret door opened up in the wall without a sound.


    "Right here." Warm incense lit a lamp and brought Gu Qingli inside, the door silently closing behind them.


    The two of them walked slowly. The dark room was long and quiet. Suddenly, the lamp in Warm Fragrance''s hand went out, and the wind blew towards Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qingli had never expected this move from her. She sneered and dodged to the side, twisting her wrist and raising her foot to kick. Even in the blind darkness, she accurately kicked her knee.


    By the time the light came on, the smell of warm incense was already curling up on the floor.


    "Don''t challenge my patience. I will make Du Ying give it to you three days late for you to taste the first antidote." Her voice was light and unconcerned as she walked in, looking at the scrolls stacked on the shelves of the cabinet in the darkroom.


    Gu Qing flipped through the books as he casually said, "Don''t doubt my words. Otherwise, you''ll die a horrible death."


    After exiting Xuanhua Tower, Gu Qingli took a deep breath, and the corner of her lips curled up slightly under her veil.


    This diagnosis was truly an unexpected gain. Regardless of which faction or faction one was facing in the future, they would be an important bargaining chip.


    The capital city was big but big. Finding a person was as easy as finding a needle in a haystack. Gu Qingli had only just entered the city when she heard people talking about her at the teahouse and even her scarlet red dress and red veil had attracted everyone''s attention.


    Under such circumstances, it was impossible for her to hide her tracks. Just as she was about to find a restaurant to eat, she was cut off on the street.


    "Miss Li Yue, please follow us back to the palace!" Looking at the guard''s terrified expression, he remembered that he had met him at the Residence of Mo.


    Gu Qingli sighed. It hadn''t been a few days since she came to arrest her and bring her home. She thought that she should go see Xin Ziyao. After all, she had gotten some different news from Warm Fragrance.


    When he returned to the palace, he saw a group of people walking out of Xiao Yi''s residence. They bumped into each other.


    With just a glance, Gu Qingli could tell that these people dressed in ordinary clothes and looked carefree were all tall and proud. Their auras were clearly different from ordinary people. If they were not royalty, then they were important officials of the imperial court.


    Those people did not take the unfamiliar woman seriously and lowered their heads. They planned to leave in a hurry, but one of them raised his head and exclaimed: "Isn''t this the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, who has been famous in the capital for the past few days?"


    Gu Qingli made eye contact with him and took note of his appearance. This person was young and had a rough appearance. She had a weather-beaten expression; it seemed that she was a martial general.


    Inside the room, Xiao Yi rested his forehead on the purple sandalwood chair. The room was filled with the fragrance of medicine and steaming hot air was drifting around Gu Qingli''s nose. She recognized that it was her own prescription.


    "Your Highness."


    "I heard that you left the manor in anger because of the matter with Xin Wei''s wife?" When Xiao Yi Xiu noticed her enter, he raised his head to look at her with a warm and gentle gaze. It was like a gentle breeze caressing his face. He was completely unable to find the cold and distant expression he had when treating his wangfei.


    "Why should I be angry? It''s just that at that time, I was a little worried that Xin Beifei would do me harm, so I decided to leave the estate for a while. " Her eyes unconsciously flashed with a trace of craftiness. "Since Consort Xin has been grounded, my safety is guaranteed."


    He looked at her, and a trace of an imperceptible smile even rose from the corner of his mouth. "Don''t worry. In this prince''s estate, no one dares to make things difficult for you."


    Gu Qingli was stunned for a moment. She almost thought that she had seen wrongly. How could someone like him show such a gentle smile? Even if it was just an illusion.


    "How has the prince been lately?"


    "It''s about the same as before."


    Gu Qingli sat across from him and took out the red silk vein. She nodded, "I have temporarily suppressed it, but I didn''t remove it. What I have done is about the same as what Luo Qingyun did, I''m only suppressing the effects of the poison, and getting rid of the poison still needs a long time. If I lose my thread, I won''t be in a hurry to recover from my illness. "


    "After so many years of waiting, This King is no longer in a hurry."


    Xiao Yixiu had just laid down on the bed to receive the acupuncture when Luo Yun''s voice could be heard from far away. She was truly everywhere.


    In the end, he saw Xiao Yi''s jade-like skin and undulating muscles. The Ghost Doctor had dropped a needle on her side, which happened to be a hidden point in her lower abdomen. Luo Yun''s face flushed red with shame and indignation.


    Gu Qingli swept a glance at her. "Does Miss Luo want to come in and take a look, or continue to stand there?"


    Luo Yun did not dare to flare up in front of Xiao Yixiu. She turned her head and angrily said, "I''ll wait outside."


    Gu Qing Li purposefully and slowly dropped the needle, extending the time needed to pull out the needle. By the time she finished, Luo Yun had already been standing outside for more than an hour.


    "Miss Luo Yun, your feet must be numb, right?"


    Although Gu Qingli''s voice was cold as always, the ridicule in it was obvious.


    Surprisingly, Luo Yun did not go against her words. Instead, she rubbed her numb legs and smiled gently at her. "Big sister Li Yue''s acupuncture for the prince is even more difficult. Why should I stand for a moment?"


    Gu Qingli started. It was true that Luo Yun was gentle and graceful in front of Xiao Yixiu, but she had always been as angry as a hedgehog in front of her. What was going on today?


    "I wasn''t able to listen to all of the acupuncture techniques that my elder sister taught me last time. Why don''t you move over to my place and give me some more pointers?"


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment and nodded. She knew that even though Luo Yun was young, she did not seem to be a simple person. Especially since she was the one that set him up last time, she should be full of resentment right now.


    Luo Yun stayed at the palace to entertain the guests. She stayed at the pavilion near the water, where the wind blew the fragrance of lotus flowers, and had some herbs planted in the backyard. It looked rather elegant.


    There were many herbs in the front yard. Liu Yanyu was in the middle of picking them up and giving pointers to a servant.


    "Miss Li Yue is here."


    Liu Yanyu''s warm smile was as gentle as the morning sun. He had never been as hostile as Luo Yun.


    "Senior Brother, I''m listening to your advice, big sister Li Yue."


    "That''s fine too, you should get Miss Li Yue to guide you. No matter what, you are the descendant of the God Doctor Valley, so don''t let others laugh at you."


    Liu Yanyu obviously doted on this Junior Sister very much. Even though she was sometimes willful and willful, she couldn''t bear to take responsibility.


    Upon entering Luo Yun''s room, Gu Qing Li was shocked to find that Luo Yun was actually the size of a real person. She quickly understood that Luo Yun was so respectful because he wanted to learn how to use acupuncture in place of Xiao Yi.


    Thinking about it, this was not a bad thing. If he really taught Luo Yun, then he could save a lot of trouble.


    In the end, Luo Yun was also a medicine girl. Although her medical skills were mediocre, she had a solid foundation. When faced with a acupoint, she was not shy and listened attentively, even while writing down notes, like a studious student.


    Gu Qingli had less of a bad feeling towards her, so she taught her seriously as well.

 C19

    Gu Qingli lay on her bed to rest for a while after returning to her position as an imperial concubine, before calling Yuli over to serve her.


    Yu Li had been much more obedient lately. At least, she didn''t dare to disobey on the surface. While she was beating her legs, she spoke some words of flattery.


    "Princess, you''ve always been bedridden these past two days. I didn''t know that you carried a palanquin into the mansion from a side door and entered a Lady Jia." There were flowers on the edge of the cherry blossoms, and she seemed to be speaking casually.


    Gu Qing Li pricked up her ears and listened attentively. She felt that Yu Ying was not an ordinary girl. It seemed that her words were always lecturing her on something. For example, he had mentioned that Xin Ziyao was the empress, and as expected, when he went out of the mansion, he had found out Xin Ziyao''s real purpose.


    Although he didn''t pay attention to Yuying last time and didn''t do anything, this time he listened carefully.


    "I heard that this Madam Jia is extremely charming and has been kept in the Prince''s room for two nights straight."


    Gu Qingli sneered inwardly. Seeing how restrained and indifferent Xiao Yixiu looked, she didn''t expect him to be so enticing.


    "Your highness really likes her, right? Why don''t you give her a name?" After listening to all of this, he should at least give a little reaction.


    "The prince said he wants to ask the wangfei. Two days ago the wangfei told him to refuse to see his guest, and seeing that you''re in a better mood today, I wonder if ¡­"


    "That Madam Jia, do you have to come everyday to greet her?"


    "Yes."


    Gu Qing Li raised her head to look at the sky and saw that it was time to pay her respects. She hoped that it wasn''t that kind of woman who didn''t know anything. But what was strange was that Xiao Yi Xiu was the wife of the secondary wife, so why did he have to ask her?


    "Which family does Madam Jia belong to?"


    "She is the daughter of the Minister of Rites'' assistant minister. Her background is average, but she looks very charming and charming."


    "Since your prince likes it, there''s no need to ask me."


    Yu Ying stole a glance at her from the corner of her eyes and said softly, "Madam Jia ¡­" "Imperial Concubine Lan was the one who found them for the prince. She said that the prince lacked a considerate and considerate person to serve him, so ¡­"


    No wonder he said he had to ask her! Did he use her as a shield? The reason for her rejection was only because she was jealous, so she could explain things to Imperial Concubine Lan.


    Gu Qingli sneered in her heart. Xiao Yixiu, do you think this wangfei will obediently listen to you? You wish! This hot potato, I will make you accept it!


    Sure enough, before she could finish her breakfast, Xiao Yi Xiu personally arrived with his new wife.


    "How''s the princess these days?" Xiao Yixiu looked at Gu Qing Li, who was holding Madam Jia''s hand. He walked closer to examine her expression, his face filled with concern and gentleness.


    "Not good."


    Gu Qing Li paused for a second, his face darkened as he glanced at Yu Ying, expressionlessly raising his chin, indicating that she should serve the prince.


    Only now did he have the time to look at Madam Jia. She was dressed in a peony yellow embroidered jacket with a white phoenix tail dress. She looked very charming and charming. Her beauty was different from Xin Ziyao''s, but she seemed more reserved.


    It was said that she was the daughter of the Minister of Rites'' assistant minister. Although she was a Shu girl, she was expected to have some upbringing and wasn''t as spicy as Xin Ziyao. Her posture was very dignified and polite.


    Madam Jia was supposed to have been left alone by Xiao Yixiu the moment she entered the room. The two of them didn''t pay any attention to her, with an awkward expression on their faces. However, she didn''t seem to be restrained at all, instead faintly smiling at them.


    Seeing that Gu Qingli''s gaze had turned to her, Madam Jia then bowed. "I am Jia Bi Ruo. Greetings, Imperial Concubine."


    "Is this Lady Jia?"


    "This concubine doesn''t dare. Since I have no title, how could I be a madam? Princess, please call me Bi Ruo."


    Xiao Yi Xiu said indifferently, "Mother, you probably pitied me for being too weak. That''s why you chose Bi Ruo to enter the mansion and serve you. But This King wants to marry the wangfei only for a month, and after that, this concubine can''t help but act frivolously towards her, so I''ll take her to see her and leave it up to you to decide. "


    This ball is great. You want me to kick it out for you, but you don''t even have the door.


    Gu Qingli smiled without batting an eyelid. "Since we''re all going to call her Lady Jia, then let''s be madams for now. Why go against Imperial Concubine Lan''s good intentions?"


    Xiao Yi was leisurely drinking lotus seed congee and coughed when he heard what was said.


    Gu Qingli quickly patted his back with a gentle smile on her face. "Prince, please slow down. This porridge has just been cooked and is very hot."


    He then took the bowl of porridge and gently stirred it with a silver spoon, blowing on it slowly. Then, he raised the spoon and placed it next to Xiao Yi Xiu''s lips, "Prince, let me serve you.


    Xiao Yixiu''s expression was somewhat gloomy, as if he was gritting his teeth in discontent with the ball he kicked back.


    "Madam Jia is extremely alluring and charming. I still feel pity for her. This wangfei''s heart must be very fond of her, right?"


    "..." "Yes." Xiao Yi Xiu slowly emphasized his tone, his tone icy cold. "But your lordship prefers wangfei more. If it wasn''t for wangfei''s illness in the past two days, how would I have let you sleep alone?"


    Gu Qingli immediately sensed that something was wrong. Before she could say anything, he said, "Your lordship will stay with wangfei tonight. I don''t want people to say that they''ve forgotten their old love since they''ve found a new one. In the end, wangfei is still the proper wife."


    "I''ve been feeling unwell recently, I''m afraid ¡­"


    "No worries, when we get back, I can ask Yanyu to cook some medicine for you and send it over." The more unwell the wangfei is, the more Ben Wang should look out for her, shouldn''t he? " Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her.


    Madam Jia whispered, "Your Highness is right."


    "Princess, please help this king choose a day. Just take out Bi Ruana."


    "Yes." A simple ceremony was necessary to decide whether it was the daughter of the Minister of Rites or not.


    "This humble one thanks the wangfei. The wangfei is magnanimous and magnanimous; this is the fortune of the prince and this humble one."


    However, what Gu Qingli was gritting her teeth over was not the ''concubine ceremony'', but rather tonight''s'' staying overnight ''. It was obvious that he had forcefully accepted Gabriella as her revenge, which had added to his troubles.


    Since Xiao Yi Xiu wanted to stay the night, he naturally ordered Li Yue not to go for acupuncture. However, the person who sent the message discovered that Lady Li Yue was not in the room and had gone off into nowhere.


    When he heard this news, he also wrinkled his brow. However, he had agreed that he wouldn''t interfere with Li Yue''s freedom, so he was only a bit puzzled in his heart.


    Gu Qingli waited inside the room for a long time, cursing Xiao Yixiu in her heart for not knowing where she had gotten this information. A grown man bathing with incense every day, just how serious was his obsession with cleanliness?


    Then he thought, such a perverted person, even if he touched her hand he would wipe it with a handkerchief. As long as he first got into bed with her, would he really be able to snatch her bed? Where she had slept, he must have disdained lying down.


    When she thought of this, her heart was filled with joy. She quickly got out of her clothes and lay down on the bed, revealing only her pair of black eyes. She gloated as she thought to herself, Let''s see where he will sleep tonight.


    Xiao Yixiu walked into the room and Yu Ying closed the door behind his.


    He wore a snow-white robe. His black hair was untied, and was scattered on his back like dark red silk. Step by step, he walked over, looking down at Gu Qingli from above.


    "Princess has already undressed and gone to bed. It looks like I can''t wait anymore."


    Gu Qingli was infuriated. Who wouldn''t be able to hold it in? Without waiting for her to retort, he actually flipped the blanket and lay down on her side.


    She was greatly alarmed. Originally, his obsession with cleanliness was considered serious, and he was disdainful of sharing a bed with her. Who knew that this person actually did not take the usual route? Could it be that he really wanted to consummate his marriage with her?


    Xiao Yi Xiu extended a hand to pinch her jaw, his lips curving upwards. "Princess, do you look more surprised than happy?"


    What was more surprised than happy? He didn''t like it at all, right? Gu Qingli''s hand had already reached under the pillow. She had two silver needles at her fingertips, ready to give Gu Qingli a look if he made a move. She didn''t believe that the guards would come in at any time.

 C22

    Gu Qingli said, "Your highness should rest first. After tomorrow, your symptoms will be better. There won''t be any major problems." She could use acupuncture to ease his pain, but she was determined to make him suffer a little more.


    As they left the courtyard, Gu Qingli felt a sense of pride. The pain she''d suffered that night had only been from Lil ''Yi Xiu. She was just going to use Luo Yun as a form of punishment. She thought that the early stage of bezoar overdose was cold sweat and palpitations, and after a while, it would still be possible ¡­ She couldn''t help but laugh out loud as she thought about Xiao Yixiu running into the latrine all night.


    But she had more important things to do.


    Madam Jia was walking alone under the moonlight, feeling apprehensive when her vision suddenly turned black. She looked up in alarm and realized that it was only the Ghost Doctor blocking the moonlight in front of her.


    "Lady Li Yue ¡­"


    Gu Qingli said lightly, "I saved you tonight, do you know why I sold you this favor?"


    Madam Jia was stunned.


    "Do you really think that bowl of medicine is okay?"


    With a start, Madam Jia immediately kneeled down. "This humble one knows how gracious this young lady is in saving my life."


    Gu Qing Li snorted. "Since you know, then you should also know who wanted to harm you?"


    Gu Qingli nodded in approval. To think that Madam Jia didn''t suspect Xiao Yi Xiu. It seemed like she wasn''t very clear about the relationship between him and Imperial Concubine Lan.


    "But prince trusts her. I can hide from you for the first time, but I can''t hide from you for the fifteenth time. Miss Li Yue, please point the way."


    Gu Qingli patted her shoulder. "He''s really a smart person."


    On the night that Madam Jia entered, although there weren''t any guests, a few tables were set up for the banquet. Most likely, the ones invited were those who were close to Xiao Yixiu.


    The mansion was decorated with lanterns and decorations. The new room was decorated a deep crimson color. After all, it was not the main room, so it could only be considered as a small celebration.


    Li Yue, on the grounds that she was not used to such occasions, refused to attend.


    Gu Qingli was participating in the wedding as the main wife, because there was no way she could avoid being worshipped by a newcomer. She secretly observed and realized that apart from a few who appeared to be civil servants, most of them were martial generals.


    Even if these people had changed into civilian clothes, their rough demeanor and unyielding appearance were completely different from those of civil servants.


    Xin Ziyao had been confined for a while, and had been released today. After all, she was a side concubine. How could she not attend?


    Below her were a few other madams. Gu Qing Li had learned from Wen Xiang that they had all been sent to the palace with Xin Ziyao and had been given different positions according to their appearances and backgrounds. However, in reality, they had basically obeyed Xin Ziyao''s instructions. A while ago, Xin Ziyao had an abortion, and her body was not in good health. Later on, she was grounded, so they were able to obediently follow her lead until now.


    In the midst of the music, Gabrielle, dressed in a dark auspicious suit, came in through a side door. She was helped off the palanquin by the matchmaker, and walked leisurely into the wedding hall.


    Since the palace was accepting concubines, naturally, the imperial concubine wouldn''t come. There was no need to bow to heaven and earth or to the imperial concubine.


    Xiao Yixiu was dressed in a dark silk robe. His face was warm like jade, and his actions were elegant and expensive. Luo Yun looked at him, as if he had become infatuated.


    Gu Qing Li looked coldly at him as he bowed to Gabriella. His eyes dimmed a little, but his smile was warm. He couldn''t help but think that this man had done a good job. Even if there were people from Imperial Concubine Lan, they wouldn''t be able to see anything wrong with him.


    After picking up the lid, Gabriella, with a charming smile, carried the teacup to the maid, and bowed to the first wife and the first wife.


    Gu Qing Li didn''t make things difficult for her, but took the cup of tea and drank it in one gulp.


    However, Xiao Yixiu didn''t act like he was teasing her. Instead, he stuck the reward into his head and just sat there, watching.


    The concubine only had to half-bow, and Gabriella bent her knees and served the tea Gu.


    Xin Ziyao grinned as she took off the teacup cover. Her eyes flashed as she said, "Yo, why are there so many red dates, walnuts, and raisins here?" And lotus seeds, medlar, cinnamon ¡­ I have never toasted this tea before. May I ask, Princess, what tea is this, and what intentions do you have? "


    There was a trace of pride on her face, as if she was boasting that she had entered the palace early in the morning and hadn''t even had the chance to drink her respectful tea. Actually, this Eight Treasures Tea was very ordinary, how could she have not seen it before?


    Gu Qingli calmly smiled, "This is the Eight Treasures Tea, used to nourish the Yin and moisten the lungs. A new disciple enters the palace to offer this tea, which means Eight Treasures, many sons, and riches. When Zi Yao entered the palace, this wangfei had not yet gotten married. According to etiquette, they should meet again on the second day. However, since Zi Yao did not recognize this tea, she would naturally not know about royal etiquette.


    A single sentence dissolved Xin Ziyao''s arrogance, and she retorted with a "you don''t know etiquette" crime.


    Xin Ziyao''s expression was a bit unsightly. She took another glance at the tea Gu and spoke in a gloomy tone, "Since it''s the Eight Treasures Tea, why are you so small ¡­" Wouldn''t that be damaging the good fortune of having an early son? "


    Then he glanced at Gu Qingli''s tea leaves on the tea table and sneered, "So this Eight Treasures Tea is something special, giving it to an official is a little bigger than an imperial concubine''s dried fruit!"


    Gu Qingli lowered her eyes to look. There really seemed to be some difference, but these teas couldn''t have been personally prepared by Gabriella in the dining room. They were obviously borrowed from Xin Ziyao and wanted to teach Gabriella a lesson.


    Gabrielle''s knees were trembling slightly. She knew that this half-bow was actually a half-squat, and that the longer she stayed in the air, the harder it would be for her to get to her knees. After a while, she stealthily used her ring finger to support her index finger.


    The tea Gu had no ears, and the bone china was thin. After being hot for so long, it would be strange if the bone porcelain didn''t make Gabriella''s hands tremble. However, in front of all the guests in the hall, she was a lady from a noble family. She was very well-mannered and could only grit her teeth and endure.


    Naturally, the ghost-like Xiao Yixiu could tell that he was pretending not to see them because he was using Xin Ziyao''s hands to make things difficult for her.


    Gu Qingli thought for a second. She might be the one who was doing the worst in the tea, borrowing a knife to kill someone was something he was used to doing. To stir up a fight between Xin Ziyao and Jia Bi Ruo, wouldn''t that be equivalent to a secret duel between the Empress and Imperial Concubine Lan?


    "I''m afraid my wife won''t have much luck with this tea. As soon as a newcomer enters the door, she''ll give me, an old man, a hard look!" Xin Ziyao looked at Xiao Yi Xiu ruefully, "My lord, if you don''t like me, why don''t you send me away so that I won''t be bullied!"


    Gu Qing Li''s hair stood on end when Xiao Yixiu said in a gentle tone, "There''s no need to be sad, Consort. It must be that the people from the kitchen weren''t doing well either. Ben Wang ordered them to start anew."


    Xin Ziyao pursed her lips in a wronged manner. She didn''t accept the bowl of tea nor did she let Gabriella put it down. She was too preoccupied with acting coquettishly with Xiao Yi Xiu that she seemed to have forgotten to let Gabriella get up first.

 C23 scald

    After the kitchen was made and the Eight Treasures Tea was served, Gabriella''s charming face completely lost its color. Her whole body was shaking, and her lower lip was bleeding all over.


    Gu Qingli lowered her head to brew her tea Gu, as if there was something special worth studying.


    It was so easy for Gabriella to put the old tea on the tray that the maidservant brought over. She forced a smile and said, "Bi Ruo greets sister concubine. I hope sister will be young forever."


    Only then did Xin Ziyao pretend to go get the tea Gu.


    At this time, Jia Bi Ruo''s hand was shaking violently. Unexpectedly, Xin Ziyao caught it without putting any force behind it, and the tea immediately overturned from Xin Ziyao''s hand. A small portion of it fell on the corner of Xin Ziyao''s skirt, and a large portion of it fell on her hand and leg.


    No one could tell what she had done, except for Gu Qingli, who discovered that she had poked her pinky finger at the bottom of the tea Gu when she was receiving the tea Gu, so the entire thing had been turned towards Jia Bi Ruo''s hand.


    In the end, Xin Ziyao was the first to complain. She cried, "Prince, I don''t dare to drink this tea anymore. This isn''t a toast, this is my life!"


    She first got up and knelt beside his knees to complain. He patted her shoulder and comforted her. On the other side, tears streamed down her face. Her hands, which had been red and swollen from the heat earlier, were now covered in a string of blisters.


    "Alright, alright, what''s going on?" Gu Qingli finally came back to her senses. She got up and used the handkerchief to wipe Gabriella''s hand, blowing on the air while saying coldly, "Since the ancient times, aside from the orders from the parents and the words from the matchmaker, only the first wife has agreed. This wangfei has already drank the tea, and with this kind of plan, it''s fine if you don''t drink this cup of tea. It was clearly an accident on purpose, so why are you making such a big fuss over nothing? "


    Just as Xin Ziyao was about to burst into tears, she choked. She stopped crying and cast a venomous glance at her before lowering her head.


    Gu Qingli knew that she already hated the matter of her abortion, so she wasn''t afraid of her gaze. She said slowly, "Esteemed wangfei, please wait on her first. We can''t let such a small matter leave all the guests alone. This wangfei will accompany Madam Jia to change."


    With the support of Gu Qing Li, Gabriella entered the room. She gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with hatred.


    Gu Qingli took out a box of ointment and slowly applied it to her face before speaking coldly, "Now do you know that it''s not easy to enter the Duke''s Mansion? Endure it, you have not yet endured this suffering to the end. "


    "This concubine understands. I''ll listen to what wangfei says."


    "If you want to gain a foothold, you have to first get rid of all the people who are blocking your way. Remember, you have to connect the roots ¡­"


    Madam Jia took a deep breath, revealing a resentful expression. She took the ointment and bit her lower lip. "I will remember this well."


    Gabriella staggered in, holding on to her numb legs. Xin Ziyao had already returned to her seat and was looking at her with a proud and pampered face.


    Gu Qingli said, "Once Bi Ruo enters the palace, no matter who''s willing or not, she''ll be the prince''s wife." She looked around and conveniently swept her eyes over the wives standing next to Xin Ziyao. Their eyes were cold, and two or three of them even shivered.


    "Go get a cup of tea."


    Gabriella brought a cup of Eight Treasures Tea, and after listening to Gu Qingli speak, she said, "Madam Xin, if you want to accept this cup of tea, then I''ll give it to you. If you don''t like it, you can have her give it to Madam Ling."


    Following her were Madam Ling Yue''er, Yue Gelu He, Qin Caisheng, and Ji Jiang Shi Yu. None of them dared to say anything as they watched on helplessly.


    According to Xin Ziyao''s instructions, they had originally planned to take turns adding insult to injury after lesson, but Gu Qing Li''s imposing manner frightened them so much that they didn''t dare to act rashly.


    If Xin Ziyao didn''t accept the cup of tea, she wouldn''t be able to stop Madam Jia from entering the room, but she would admit that she had been neglected by Madam Jia. But if she did, Madam Jia wouldn''t be able to maintain her manners.


    Xiao Yi Xiu coughed lightly and said, "How could I not accept your magnanimity? "It''s just that your appearance doesn''t seem like it''s the custom to toast tea."


    Gabriella crouched down again and offered the tea to him.


    Xin Ziyao bitterly received the tea and allowed her to continue serving tea to each of the madams. Afterwards, Jiang Shiyu, who had a lower position than her, also gave her a cup of tea before leaving the matter at rest.


    A person at the table laughed, "Prince Mo''s imperial concubine has really good rules!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled without batting an eyelid. This person was General Ling Yun, who had once served as his deputy general and was on friendly terms with him, hence he dared to speak in such a manner.


    After a round of banquets, Xiao Yixiu pushed open the door to the bridal chamber. Seeing that Gabriella''s hands were full of blisters, and that they couldn''t hold a cup, he asked his servant to carry one for her and have a drink with her.


    "How can it be like this? Tomorrow, I''ll get Yanyu to prescribe some medicine for you."


    "Thank you, Prince."


    "Don''t hate Ziyao, she didn''t do it on purpose."


    "Yes."


    When Xiao Yi Xiu saw the trace of venom in her eyes as she lowered her head, he smiled faintly. The more he said it, the more Gabriella hated him, which was why it became so noisy, right?


    After that cup of wine, Jia Bi Ruo gradually lost her consciousness. She felt that it was just an illusion. She felt that Xiao Yixiu was gently hugging her and going to the wedding bed, and couldn''t help but reveal a gentle smile.


    "Let her rest well." Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t have a trace of smile on his face. He watched Yun''er help her up onto the bed before turning around and leaving.


    As she applied the potion, she looked at her hands that were starting to rot and gritted her teeth to endure the pain.


    When she returned on the third day of her wedding, her hands were like this. She didn''t know how to feel sorry for her mother.


    Upon seeing her, Xiao Yi Xiu was also startled. "How did it turn out like this?"


    Gabriella tried to hide her tears and tried to hide her face. She forced a smile and said, "It''s nothing."


    "Didn''t I tell you to get the medicine from Yanyu?"


    "That''s right, Young Master Liu said that there are no ready-to-use materials. When they were done, they were delivered to us. It took us two days to get worse. Maybe the wounds were a bit too severe, so the more smeared, the better."


    Xiao Yi Xiu said, "Where is the ointment? Let me see."


    Gabriella pointed to the box of ointment on the table. He took it and sniffed it, then said with a frown, "Yun-er, go and ask Miss Li Yue to come take a look."


    Gu Qing Li arrived in the blink of an eye. He didn''t take the ointment, but looked at Jia Bi Ruo''s hand and asked, "What did you put on your hand to make it look like this?"


    "It was Young Master Liu who sent the ointment."


    Gu Qingli accepted the medicine box from Xiao Yixiu and sniffed it. "The medicine here is made from Corroding Bone Muscle. Not only is it slightly poisonous, but it can also infect people. If you apply it again for another two days, Lady Jia''s hands will be crippled."


    Gabriella turned pale with fright. She took two steps back and her eyes started watering up. How was this possible? Young Master Liu and I have never known each other before, moreover the doctor was kindhearted, how could he have poisoned me? "


    "What a coincidence, Liu Yanyu is also waiting outside. Let him in." Gu Qingli looked outside. She had come prepared, so how could she not invite Liu Yanyu along?

 C24 Plagiodon

    "He came too?" Xiao Yi Xiu was slightly surprised.


    "Originally, I met him halfway and came to see you. I heard you were here, so I came with you."


    Liu Yanyu didn''t appear surprised at all when he walked in. It was obvious that she had heard their conversation from the outside.


    He took the ointment and sniffed it, then nodded at Gu Qingli, "That''s right, there''s something wrong with this medicine. Even this box isn''t the one I gave to Rui Zhu."


    Gabriella''s eyes widened in shock: "How is that possible?"


    "Get Rui Zhu here."


    Rui Zhu served Liu Yanyu and Luo Yun''s yard everyday. That little girl''s face was filled with panic, as if she didn''t know what had happened. After being interrogated for a while, she kneeled down and bit to death.


    Gabriella excitedly held up the box of ointment and showed it to her: "Is this the box of ointment?"


    "No, no. Although there''s a box outside, the one that Mister Liu put in looked similar to a blue and blue porcelain box. This box even has some golden engravings on it, it looks like it''s for a woman!"


    These words made everyone in the room look at each other.


    "Madam Ling and her personal maid Xing''er."


    Xiao Yi Xiu was about to ask Yun''er to pass the message, but Gu Qing Li already said, "This kind of investigation is really troublesome. Since Madam Ling is suspected, why don''t we call the rest of the women over? Firstly, it''s a good question, and secondly, it''ll help us understand the rules."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded slowly, admitting her action of killing a chicken to set an example.


    Not long after, a group of women came into the courtyard. They stood in groups of twos and threes, chatting and laughing. It was only when Xiao Yixiu led the way out that they tidied up their greetings.


    "Where''s the wangfei?" Xiao Yi Xiu looked around with a dark expression.


    Yurei hurriedly said, "My young lady said that she is not well and cannot come over."


    "How sick are you? Is he dead? " Xiao Yi Xiu said indifferently.


    Yupi knew that the wangfei was alone in her room, so she naturally could guess what the prince was thinking. She replied carefully, "It shouldn''t be too heavy, it''s just a cold cough. It''s been like this ever since I entered the palace."


    Gu Qingli''s eyes widened as she cast a frosty gaze at Yupi. She thought to herself, This wangfei is here, so you naturally won''t be able to see her.


    Yupi suddenly met her gaze and shuddered. She vaguely felt that this piercing gaze was somewhat similar to the sharp look her young mistress had after her personality had changed drastically.


    Yu Ying, who had been standing quietly at the side, suddenly interjected, "Although the princess isn''t too sick, she said a few days ago that she went to the medicine garden to look for Miss Li Yue for treatment. She said that her body is cold and weak, and she cannot feel the wind, and her cough is contagious, so she doesn''t dare come over."


    Gu Qingli was surprised that Yu Ying had helped her smooth things out, but she quickly said, "It''s true, the wangfei''s illness may not be severe, but it''s very contagious. It''s lung disease."


    "How come I''ve never heard of it?" A look of doubt appeared in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes. The rest of the crowd also burst into an uproar.


    At that time, tuberculosis was an incurable disease, and wasn''t it considered a serious disease?


    However, Gu Qingli said, "If you discover it early, it won''t be a problem. As long as I slowly recuperate, there won''t be any problems."


    Xiao Yixiu finally nodded his head, "There''s no need for your consort to come."


    Xin Ziyao said tenderly, "What''s going on?" The Prince actually wants his sisters to come together? "Aiya, I''m so tired, I didn''t even have a chair to sit on ¡­"


    "This King is still standing."


    As Xiao Yi Xiu''s gaze swept over her, Xin Ziyao couldn''t help but steadied herself, and the attendant restrained himself from supporting her.


    The rest of them felt that something was amiss and they all became respectful. However, he pulled out a handkerchief and coughed lightly. "Miss Li Yue, please conduct the interrogation for this king." He seemed to be lacking in spirit.


    With a look from Gabriella, Yun''er brought over an armchair for him to sit down on, and Gu Qing Li started interrogating Ling Yue''er and the maidservant Xing''er.


    Xing''er looked confused, but Ling Yue''er remained calm. "You really know how to talk nonsense. I was embroidering flowers with my concubines and sisters in the house that day, wasn''t I?"


    Xin Ziyao, Yue De He, and the others all nodded.


    Rui Zhu was on the verge of tears. "It was obviously Madam Ling who ordered this servant to help Xing''er pick a flower ¡­" "Madam, do you still remember when this servant held the box in her hands? Because it was inconvenient for me to support Xing''er, she even placed the box on the stone table in the garden for a while ¡­"


    Ling Yue''er''s face became serious, "You mean I secretly changed the medicine?"


    "This servant doesn''t dare, but this servant has indeed seen you before!"


    "Where''s the evidence?" Ling Yue''er turned around and faced Xin Ziyao, "I have the secondary wife and several other wives as witnesses. Could it be that so many noble people aren''t as good as you, a lowly girl?"


    Rui Zhu burst into tears.


    Rui Zhu sobbed, "Your servant didn''t lie ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li sighed and looked at Xiao Yi Xiu, "My lord, this will be difficult to investigate. Madam Ling is in your side room, and she has so many witnesses ¡­" "Could it be Rui Zhu?"


    "Good!" Prince''s words were enough. In order to be fair, he dragged Rui Zhu and Xing''er down to interrogate them. As for Madam Ling ¡­ You are a noble after all, it''s not good to lose face for now, just wait. "


    "You ¡­" Ling Yue''er was flustered and exasperated, before she could finish, she heard Rui Zhu and Xing''er''s screams from the other two rooms, causing her expression to change.


    What important matter would cause such an interrogation?" "Even Ling Yue-er didn''t know what was going on.


    Seeing the innocence on her face, Jia Bi Ruo sneered coldly in her heart. No matter how innocent you are, it''s useless.


    Inside the room, the sound of a board hitting flesh and the sound of a scream continuously rang out. Even Xin Ziyao''s face lost its color.


    Jia Bi Ru slowly extended her hand with a sorrowful look on her face. "Doctor Li Yue said that my hands will be crippled if I continue to use that medicine. Who would be so heartless?"


    Only then did Ling Yue''er figure out what was going on, and said angrily, "What does this have to do with me? "Since it''s not my fault, and I didn''t deliver the medicine to you, who are you putting on such a pitiful face for?"


    Gabriella didn''t argue with her and only looked at Xiao Yixiu with a sad expression, "Prince, you have to make the decision for me. How could I dare to show my hands to my parents today?"


    Gu Qingli praised Lady Jia secretly. She really was a playboy, she had put on a good show.


    After a while, Rui Zhu and Xing''er were dragged out, bleeding profusely.


    "Well, in order to be fair, I''m not biased towards anyone. I''m trying to prevent Rui Zhu or Xing''er from lying." Gu Qingli''s eyes shone brightly as she looked at the girls.


    Xin Ziyao took a few steps back when she saw the bloody and lacerated faces of the two maidservants.


    "What do you mean?"


    Rui Zhu lifted her disheveled, pale face and screamed, "Your servant is telling the truth ¡­" Then he fainted.


    Suifeng, who was monitoring the execution, reported, "Xing`er has been recruited."

 C25 Cases

    Ling Yue''er turned pale with fright when she heard that, "It has nothing to do with me! "Your highness, please let me know. This little girl wrongly accused me!"


    Xing''er mournfully cried, "Madam, weren''t you the one who ordered this servant to pull out Rui Zhu and secretly change the ointment? "Why is this servant the only one to blame in the end ¡­"


    This counterattack from Xing''er caused Ling Yue''er to be filled with both shock and anger. Her eyes almost spouted fire as she charged forward, giving her two slaps as she shouted, "You damned girl, what did you say?"


    Xing''er cried, "Madam, you must have admitted it. Otherwise, this servant will be tortured like this. In the end, I still can''t escape!"


    "Nonsense, why did you admit me for something that has nothing to do with me?" Ling Yue''er''s anger assaulted her heart, "You guys ¡­"


    With trembling hands, she pointed at Gu Qingli, "Where did this bewitching girl come from? Her words are bewitching, and she even condescended to use them against others. How could Xing''er not admit it after being beaten to such a state?"


    "How dare you!" The one who berated him was Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Two gazes that seemed to be like flowing spring water shot over, causing Ling Yue-er to tremble in fear as she took a step back. She had never heard him speak in such a cold tone, and she was stunned.


    "Lady Li Yue is this prince''s honored guest. She has never met you before she entered the palace and has nothing to do with your interests. Why would she want to frame you?"


    "This concubine ¡­"


    Gu Qingli stroked a strand of hair on her cheek and sighed softly, "Your Highness, I''m just a physician in the clan. I originally wanted to relieve Your Highness of his worries, but after my wife said this, it''s reasonable. How could I have the right to interrogate your highness?"


    "This King asks you to continue."


    Gu Qingli then looked at Ling Yue''er and said, "You can''t blame me for this, Madam Ling." But you don''t have to be afraid. With your esteemed identity, naturally you won''t be punished. Besides, don''t you still have many witnesses? Other than Xin Wei, there''s also Madam Yue and Madam Qin who are testifying for you. "


    Ling Yue''er was stunned, not understanding what she was trying to say.


    "That''s right, the various ladies are embroidering on one piece. I presume that there are people waiting on them as well?"


    "..." "Yes."


    "Which ones?"


    Thus, the maidservants beside the madams all stood to the front and looked uneasily at Gu Qingli.


    "Take them to their own rooms and ask them which madams were there that day. Ask them what they said and how long they were gone. Ask them in detail."


    The maidservants were brought into a separate room. After interrogating each of them for a long time, they were brought out. However, they didn''t use any more punishments, but their faces were full of fear.


    Although there was some discrepancy between the answers given by the interrogators, there was one thing that was similar. Madam Ling had only been out on the way and said that she was being courteous.


    However, she also had many tricks up her sleeve and had to serve Xing''er along with her.


    "You still insist on claiming your wrongs?" Gu Qingli smiled faintly. "Your Highness, I think we''ll go this far. This is already a family matter for Your Highness, it''s inconvenient for an outsider like me to ask about it."


    Xiao Yi Xiu was silent for a moment before he slowly raised his head to look at Ling Yue''er. His gaze slowly turned dark, as if it had turned into frost.


    Ling Yue''er was so shocked that she didn''t dare to plead, only staring at him blankly.


    "Execute the penalty for signing a contract."


    Signatures were when a person''s fingers were pressed down and a needle was inserted into the tip of the finger. Usually, this type of torture was used on women.


    Ling Yue''er screamed like a madman, but could not find the strength to struggle. She was soon pressed to the ground, the first steel rod stabbing into the tip of her index finger.


    Ling Yue''er painfully howled as she twisted her body to beg for mercy.


    Seeing the second and third steel sticks piercing in, Ling Yue''er bit her lips until they bled. Her hair was disheveled and blood was flowing out from her forehead. "Your Highness ¡­"


    Although Gu Qing Li''s heart was cold, when he saw her miserable state, his heart was moved. He looked at Xiao Yi Xiu and was about to speak, but he changed his mind and held himself back.


    His eyes were cold, without the slightest emotion. Apart from feeling nothing for Madam Ling, Gu Qingli thought about the strange poison in his body. Indeed, his change of heart had been influenced by it.


    Xin Ziyao suddenly pushed the executioner away with all her might and knelt on the ground, crying as she held Ling Yue''er''s face in her hands.


    Since she was the side wife after all, the servants in the house didn''t dare to be rude to her. They allowed her to hug Ling Yuer and cried, "Yue''er, don''t be stubborn. Admit it, I''ll plead for mercy from the prince!"


    Not good! Gu Qing Li''s heart skipped a beat. As expected, he saw Xin Zi Yao block everyone''s line of sight. Her nails lightly flicked, and something shot into Ling Yue''er''s mouth.


    It was no wonder that these concubines were led by Xin Ziyao. This woman was indeed powerful. Ling Yue''er was relieved when she heard this. She knew that those who came out would definitely harm her, and thus she was dealt with first.


    Ling Yue''er could feel the powder in her throat. She couldn''t speak anymore and started to cough.


    Madam Qin and Madam Yue made a show of pulling Xin Ziyao over, consoling her, "Consort, don''t disturb the Prince''s interrogation. If there''s anything you want to say, we''ll talk about it later."


    However, Ling Yue''er could only cough out a few mouthfuls of blood. She stared at Xin Ziyao with her bloodshot eyes, but couldn''t raise her fingers. With that, she stopped breathing and glared with her bloodshot eyes.


    Only now did purplish black blood flow out from her mouth.


    She shrank back to Xiao Yi Xiu''s side and cried out in alarm, "What is this, my lord?"


    Gu Qing Li walked up to Xiao Yi Xiu and slowly shook his head.


    Xin Ziyao burst into tears: "Little sister, you really can''t bear it. Even if you were wrong for a moment, admitting your wrongs to the Prince and receiving a punishment, you shouldn''t have to wholeheartedly court your death!"


    Gu Qingli sneered. Xin Ziyao''s abandonment of the janitor''s car was pretty good, so she had broken this line. She had originally planned to take care of these concubines in one go, but only Ling Yue-er had died.


    Gabriella said with a trembling voice: "Forget it, I don''t want to pursue this matter any further. I just hope that it will never happen again."


    Xiao Yi Xiu then slowly stood up and said coldly, "Find a thin coffin and get her family to bring it back. Even if they die, this kind of person shouldn''t pollute my courtyard. He can''t be buried in the name of the Xiao Ling family."


    The meaning in his words was that even if Ling Yue''er died, she would still receive a letter of rest. For a girl, being abandoned after death was the most miserable ending.


    Gu Qing Li once again experienced Xiao Yi Xiu''s coldness and ruthlessness. They looked at each other, a trace of fear in their eyes.


    "Bi Ruo, today is the day you return. I will accompany you back."


    When I return to my room, my husband will not accompany me.


    Only Gu Qing Li''s thoughts turned and he understood what he meant. Using Madam Jia''s power to exterminate the empress, wasn''t that obviously provoking a fight between Imperial Concubine Lan and the empress? No wonder he didn''t participate in the interrogation from the beginning to the end. This was a ''show of fairness''.


    Wow, she had actually always thought that she was putting on a show in front of Xiao Yixiu. She hadn''t thought that she would still be tricked and used by him in the end.


    Chapter XXVI


    Ever since Gabriella came back from the Third Dynasty, everyone in the palace knew that Lady Jia was the new pet, and the other concubines were much more quiet.


    On the other hand, once the news of the wangfei''s consumption of lung spread, no one dared to go to her courtyard. Gu Qingli had settled down, making it more convenient for everyone to move about.


    Xiao Yixiu had just laid down after taking the acupuncture and medicine that night when he heard that Lady Jia had asked him to go to her courtyard. He frowned and was just about to say something, but then he heard another voice from outside, "Miss Li Yue is also here."


    Xiao Yi had woken up a little, so he changed his clothes and headed over there.


    Suifeng carried a lantern and walked in front while two guards from the Palace of Hua-Yang followed behind him. He snorted, "What is Madam Jia doing in the middle of the night? and even brought Miss Li Yue along to join in. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu remained silent. It was strange, but ever since the previous incident with the ointment, he had felt that Li Yue was secretly helping Madam Jia.


    When he got closer, he found Xin Ziyao''s yard was dark. There really wasn''t much to look at. Just as he was wondering, two slim figures walked out from the shadows. They were precisely Gabriella and Li Yue.


    Xiao Yixiu turned to look at them suspiciously. "We couldn''t find Miss Li Yue during the day, so we applied the medicine at her place at night. We don''t dare let anyone pass the medicine to her this time."


    Xiaoyao''s garden was close by, but it was strange for her to be here on the last herb. Gabriella continued: "In the dark, I saw a figure sneaking into the yard. I''m afraid there might be a criminal or a thief who wants to make things difficult for Xin Beifei." The two of us do not dare to act rashly, so we sent Yun-er to call the Prince over. "


    This made sense, but Xiao Yi Xiu laughed coldly in his heart. There really were villains that wanted to harm Xin Zi Yao. By the time they reached his courtyard, they had already succeeded. What were they trying to do?


    He calmly nodded, just like last time. He knew Xin Ziyao didn''t know much about medicine and hadn''t had any contact with a doctor in the Prince''s mansion. That ointment was obviously planted by Gabriella, but wasn''t that the effect he wanted?


    Xin Ziyao had always been a luxurious woman. The yard was always lit up all night, but tonight it was quiet and lonely, with the courtyard door locked.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had been prepared for this, so he had someone unlock the door, put out the light, and silently entered the courtyard.


    There were two maidservants sitting at the opposite side of the corridor. It was obvious that they were dozing off from keeping vigil. With a wave of his hand, someone took care of them and kicked the door open.


    At this point in time, the lights in the room lit up with the wind. Gabriella was the first to rush into the room. Screams could be heard from inside as Xiao Yixiu followed her into the room.


    The lights in the room were lit a second time, and all eyes were focused on the person in the tent who was embracing in a hazy manner.


    Clearly, it was a man and a woman.


    Gabriella sneered and mercilessly pulled open the curtain. She saw Xin Ziyao and a man trembling in the embrace of the blanket.


    Upon closer inspection, that man''s appearance was pretty handsome, but Gu Qing Li had never seen him before. Just as he was wondering, he saw Xiao Yi Xiu''s face darken as he said, "Chen Wei, as a dark guard, you are indeed worthy of me!"


    It was actually the Prince''s Mansion shadow Guards!


    "Your Highness!" Chen Jian''s face was abnormally pale, but he was still calm. "Just listen to my explanation."


    He looked around and found that Xiao Yi Xiu was followed by two ordinary guards of the Royal Mansion and Suifeng. They got off the bed in a disheveled manner and approached and knelt down.


    Gu Qingli suddenly realized that something was wrong with his gaze. She knew that he was going to make a move, so she slid her sleeve and caught the tip of her silver finger.


    Sure enough, Chen Wang suddenly attacked, a single move aimed at Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Gu Qingli thought back to that night when he had stopped her fast speed by the pillow. She quietly withdrew her hand, waiting to see his reaction.


    Sure enough, Xiao Yixiu finally moved to the side and dodged the attack. Although his feet were on the ground, his reaction speed was still there. This side just happened to move the attack to his back.


    The two guards and Suifeng rushed forward at the same time and attacked him.


    It was a pity that the difference between the skills of an ordinary guard and that of a dark guard was too great. Windy''s skills were quite nimble, but he was still inferior to the dark guards.


    Gu Qing Li judged that Xiao Yi Xiu''s reaction speed was useless no matter how fast he reacted. In reality, Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t even use the slightest bit of inner Qi. This not only affected his speed, it also affected his strength.


    In the end, she still secretly made her move. The silver needles shot out, and Chen saw that his arms and knees had gone numb. His movements became sluggish, and he was quickly captured.


    At this time, Xin Ziyao crawled over to Xiao Yi''s feet as if she had come back to her senses. She held his leg and cried, "Prince, it''s clear! It''s him ¡­" He forced me to do so. I refused to obey him, I was forced to do so! "


    Chen Wang spat and cursed, "You slut, back then when you seduced me, why didn''t you say that you were forced!"


    "You pervert, you actually wronged this side of the Concubine!?" If you don''t look in the mirror and see yourself, how can you compare with the prince? Why would this side of the consort want to seduce a servant like you? "


    Chen saw his neck stiffen and said angrily, "You said that as long as you are pregnant, the child will inherit the throne and you will be able to take on the throne. As long as the prince is sick, the entire palace will be yours. You made a good idea, and now you''re pushing it onto me? "


    Gu Qingli was suddenly enlightened. No wonder that Xiao Yixiu wanted to secretly dispose of the fetus in Xin Ziyao''s womb. So it turned out that something like this was going on behind his back! If her child was successfully born, didn''t the empress mean that he would have to "focus on her illness"? As for whether or not he would hand over the entire palace to Xin Ziyao, who knew.


    Xin Ziyao was anxious and angry, "You wrongly accused this side of the consort. The child I''m carrying is obviously the prince''s ¡­ "Wuwu, Your Highness, don''t listen to him ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu finally said, "Alright, if you still feel wronged about what happened today, then I don''t know what else you felt wronged about. Logically speaking, adulterers and adulterers should be immersed in pig cages. Seeing as you have the identity of a stranger, this King should give you a letter, then go out of the mansion by yourself. As for Chen Wei, we''ll take him in for another deal. "


    "No, my lord! Your Highness, don''t send me out of the palace! " Xin Ziyao burst into a heart-wrenching roar. She cried incomparably mournfully, "As long as you keep me here, I''m willing to do anything ¡­" "Prince ¡­"


    "Alright!" Xiao Yi Xiu kicked away the arm she was hugging and said coldly, "If we bet it out, we''ll definitely suffer the consequences. We can''t live!"


    Suifeng followed up with a sneer, "Consort Xin, you better stay here and wait for the rest!"


    Seeing that there was nothing to see, Gu Qing Li followed Gabriella out of the courtyard.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was walking in the darkness with the wind behind him, and his expression was dark.


    Suifeng asked, "Your Highness, how should we deal with Chen Wei?"


    "I told him to seduce Xin Ziyao and didn''t tell him to do anything after that, but he did. He even had a child, so he still believed Xin Ziyao''s explanation, right?" Xiao Yi Xiu laughed coldly. "When he attacked just now, he was just thinking about how lucky he was. Besides Ben Wang, everything else was fine. What''s the use of being brainless and unafraid of death?"


    "Then why didn''t you give the order just now?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu paused and didn''t say anything.


    Snorting with the wind, he continued, "Is it because Miss Li Yue is here? "Your highness doesn''t want Lady Li Yue to think of you as ¡­"


    "How dare you!"


    Suifeng shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

 C26 The Death of Xin Ziyao(part I)

    Ever since Gabriella came back from the Third Dynasty, everyone in the palace knew that Lady Jia was the new pet, and the other concubines were much more quiet.


    On the other hand, once the news of the wangfei''s consumption of lung spread, no one dared to go to her courtyard. Gu Qingli had settled down, making it more convenient for everyone to move about.


    Xiao Yixiu had just laid down after taking the acupuncture and medicine that night when he heard that Lady Jia had asked him to go to her courtyard. He frowned and was just about to say something, but then he heard another voice from outside, "Miss Li Yue is also here."


    Xiao Yi had woken up a little, so he changed his clothes and headed over there.


    Suifeng carried a lantern and walked in front while two guards from the Palace of Hua-Yang followed behind him. He snorted, "What is Madam Jia doing in the middle of the night? and even brought Miss Li Yue along to join in. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu remained silent. It was strange, but ever since the previous incident with the ointment, he had felt that Li Yue was secretly helping Madam Jia.


    When he got closer, he found Xin Ziyao''s yard was dark. There really wasn''t much to look at. Just as he was wondering, two slim figures walked out from the shadows. They were precisely Gabriella and Li Yue.


    Xiao Yixiu turned to look at them suspiciously. "We couldn''t find Miss Li Yue during the day, so we applied the medicine at her place at night. We don''t dare let anyone pass the medicine to her this time."


    Xiaoyao''s garden was close by, but it was strange for her to be here on the last herb. Gabriella continued: "In the dark, I saw a figure sneaking into the yard. I''m afraid there might be a criminal or a thief who wants to make things difficult for Xin Beifei." The two of us do not dare to act rashly, so we sent Yun-er to call the Prince over. "


    This made sense, but Xiao Yi Xiu laughed coldly in his heart. There really were villains that wanted to harm Xin Zi Yao. By the time they reached his courtyard, they had already succeeded. What were they trying to do?


    He calmly nodded, just like last time. He knew Xin Ziyao didn''t know much about medicine and hadn''t had any contact with a doctor in the Prince''s mansion. That ointment was obviously planted by Gabriella, but wasn''t that the effect he wanted?


    Xin Ziyao had always been a luxurious woman. The yard was always lit up all night, but tonight it was quiet and lonely, with the courtyard door locked.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had been prepared for this, so he had someone unlock the door, put out the light, and silently entered the courtyard.


    There were two maidservants sitting at the opposite side of the corridor. It was obvious that they were dozing off from keeping vigil. With a wave of his hand, someone took care of them and kicked the door open.


    The lights in the room were lit a second time, and all eyes were focused on the person in the tent who was embracing in a hazy manner.


    Clearly, it was a man and a woman.


    Gabriella sneered and mercilessly pulled open the curtain. She saw Xin Ziyao and a man trembling in the embrace of the blanket.


    Upon closer inspection, that man''s appearance was pretty handsome, but Gu Qing Li had never seen him before. Just as he was wondering, he saw Xiao Yi Xiu''s face darken as he said, "Chen Wei, as a dark guard, you are indeed worthy of me!"


    It was actually the Prince''s Mansion shadow Guards!


    "Your Highness!" Chen Jian''s face was abnormally pale, but he was still calm. "Just listen to my explanation."


    He looked around and found that Xiao Yi Xiu was followed by two ordinary guards of the Royal Mansion and Suifeng. They got off the bed in a disheveled manner and approached and knelt down.


    Gu Qingli suddenly realized that something was wrong with his gaze. She knew that he was going to make a move, so she slid her sleeve and caught the tip of her silver finger.


    Sure enough, Chen Wang suddenly attacked, a single move aimed at Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Gu Qingli thought back to that night when he had stopped her fast speed by the pillow. She quietly withdrew her hand, waiting to see his reaction.


    Sure enough, Xiao Yixiu finally moved to the side and dodged the attack. Although his feet were on the ground, his reaction speed was still there. This side just happened to move the attack to his back.


    The two guards and Suifeng rushed forward at the same time and attacked him.


    It was a pity that the difference between the skills of an ordinary guard and that of a dark guard was too great. Windy''s skills were quite nimble, but he was still inferior to the dark guards.


    Gu Qing Li judged that Xiao Yi Xiu''s reaction speed was useless no matter how fast he reacted. In reality, Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t even use the slightest bit of inner Qi. This not only affected his speed, it also affected his strength.


    In the end, she still secretly made her move. The silver needles shot out, and Chen saw that his arms and knees had gone numb. His movements became sluggish, and he was quickly captured.


    At this time, Xin Ziyao crawled over to Xiao Yi''s feet as if she had come back to her senses. She held his leg and cried, "Prince, it''s clear! It''s him ¡­" He forced me to do so. I refused to obey him, I was forced to do so! "


    Chen Wang spat and cursed, "You slut, back then when you seduced me, why didn''t you say that you were forced!"


    "You pervert, you actually wronged this side of the Concubine!?" If you don''t look in the mirror and see yourself, how can you compare with the prince? Why would this side of the consort want to seduce a servant like you? "


    Chen saw his neck stiffen and said angrily, "You said that as long as you are pregnant, the child will inherit the throne and you will be able to take on the throne. As long as the prince is sick, the entire palace will be yours. You made a good idea, and now you''re pushing it onto me? "


    Gu Qingli was suddenly enlightened. No wonder that Xiao Yixiu wanted to secretly dispose of the fetus in Xin Ziyao''s womb. So it turned out that something like this was going on behind his back! If her child was successfully born, didn''t the empress mean that he would have to "focus on her illness"? As for whether or not he would hand over the entire palace to Xin Ziyao, who knew.


    Xin Ziyao was anxious and angry, "You wrongly accused this side of the consort. The child I''m carrying is obviously the prince''s ¡­ "Wuwu, Your Highness, don''t listen to him ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu finally said, "Alright, if you still feel wronged about what happened today, then I don''t know what else you felt wronged about. Logically speaking, adulterers and adulterers should be immersed in pig cages. Seeing as you have the identity of a stranger, this King should give you a letter, then go out of the mansion by yourself. As for Chen Wei, we''ll take him in for another deal. "


    "No, my lord! Your Highness, don''t send me out of the palace! " Xin Ziyao burst into a heart-wrenching roar. She cried incomparably mournfully, "As long as you keep me here, I''m willing to do anything ¡­" "Prince ¡­"


    "Alright!" Xiao Yi Xiu kicked away the arm she was hugging and said coldly, "If we bet it out, we''ll definitely suffer the consequences. We can''t live!"


    Suifeng followed up with a sneer, "Consort Xin, you better stay here and wait for the rest!"


    Seeing that there was nothing to see, Gu Qing Li followed Gabriella out of the courtyard.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was walking in the darkness with the wind behind him, and his expression was dark.


    Suifeng asked, "Your Highness, how should we deal with Chen Wei?"


    "I told him to seduce Xin Ziyao and didn''t tell him to do anything after that, but he did. He even had a child, so he still believed Xin Ziyao''s explanation, right?" Xiao Yi Xiu laughed coldly. "When he attacked just now, he was just thinking about how lucky he was. Besides Ben Wang, everything else was fine. What''s the use of being brainless and unafraid of death?"


    "Then why didn''t you give the order just now?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu paused and didn''t say anything.


    Snorting with the wind, he continued, "Is it because Miss Li Yue is here? "Your highness doesn''t want Lady Li Yue to think of you as ¡­"


    "How dare you!"


    Suifeng shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

 C27 The Death of Xin Ziyao(part II)

    Gu Qing Li pondered as he walked. Since when did Xiao Yi Xiu become so benevolent? He had actually sent Xin Ziyao off with a piece of paper? Even though Ling Yue''er died, he didn''t receive the slightest bit of mercy.


    Gabriella asked cautiously, "Lady Li Yue, do you think that the Concubine Xin will do something else?"


    "She?" Gu Qingli shook her head after thinking for a while. Xiao Yixiu wouldn''t give her the chance to have any more thoughts. Although there was a letter for her to recuperate from, when she returned home, she would lose face for her family, and her days would not be good.


    Wrong... She had neglected to notice that Xin Ziyao was the empress''s man. The moment the empress found out about her accident in front of Xiao Yi Xiu, she would suspect that he had been exposed. In order to ensure that everything went smoothly, the empress would definitely not allow a person who lost to her to continue living!


    This was why Xiao Yixiu had suddenly shown mercy!


    After coming to this conclusion, she smiled coldly. How could she think of Xiao Yixiu as being merciful when he didn''t make a move but instead tried to kill him with a knife?


    Early the next morning, Gu Qingli was awoken by Yu Ying''s voice. "What? Did Xin Wei''s wife hang herself? "


    She was sure that Yu Ying had purposely raised her voice so that she could hear. This little girl was usually gentle and never spoke loudly.


    Yu Li was also very surprised. "Why?"


    Jinshu''s low voice sounded, "Last night, Madam Jia took Miss Li Yue to catch the traitor ¡­ Xin Wenjie was crippled and had to accept a letter of rest. It seems like she doesn''t have the face to see anyone, right? "


    "Bring this wangfei to take a look." As she listened to their gossip, Gu Qingli quickly finished dressing and washing up, then stood by the door.


    Yu Li was shocked and immediately went silent. Recently, she had not dared to disrespect the princess, but the princess still looked at her with such a cold and frightening gaze.


    Jin Zhui coughed lightly. "Your servant has heard of wangfei''s illness ¡­"


    "Afraid of infection? "Stay away from this wangfei."


    Jin Shu looked at this princess who had never been pampered since she entered the sect with disdain.


    Yu Ying lightly pulled on her sleeve. "This servant will go with the wangfei."


    Although Jin Shu was unwilling, she also followed behind Yu Ying and Gu Qing Li to see Xin Zi Yao.


    The remaining Qin Zai Sang, Yue Li He, and Jiang Shiyu all cried loudly.


    The rabbit died and the fox mourned. It hadn''t been long since Ling Yue''er died. Xin Ziyao hanged herself as well. When they thought about their own destinies, their moods probably weren''t that much better.


    However, when they saw the princess consort coming over, the three of them were stunned and stopped crying. They stood far away from her, bowing as they pleased. It was obvious that the rumours of pulmonary tuberculosis had entered their ears as well.


    "Go and lift the white cloth."


    Yuli was stunned, while Jinshu stood far away, covering his mouth and nose with a look of disdain.


    Yu Ying was about to take a step forward when she was pulled back by Gu Qing Li. She said coldly, "Yu Li, you go."


    Yu Li was stunned. "Why would I ¡­"


    "You''re this wangfei''s concubine. Don''t disappoint this wangfei''s trust."


    Jade pear swallowed a mouthful of saliva and unwillingly lifted the white cloth with trembling hands.


    As she screamed miserably, she took a big step back. Finally, the state of Xin Ziyao''s death revealed itself.


    The person who was strangled to death was extremely terrifying. Other than his neck being covered in purplish black blood, there was also someone whose tongue would grow out of his body and not be able to retract. This was how Xin Ziyao was now. Her face was swollen purple, her tongue hanging out of her mouth, and even her eyes were wide open.


    "Uncover them all!"


    Gu Qingli''s stern voice scared Yu Li so much that she trembled and raised her head to look at her.


    "Did you hear that?"


    Jade Pear could not help but turn pale. He closed his eyes and grabbed a corner of the white cloth, forcefully lifted it up and ran away.


    Gu Qing Li bent down and carefully examined the various parts of the corpse. She even lifted Xin Zi Yao''s lower jaw and undid her collar to examine the corpse. Then she tried to open her tightly clenched hands, but was stopped by the fact that the corpse had started to stiffen.


    When all the women in the room saw her appearance, they sucked in a breath of cold air. They hadn''t thought that the wangfei would be so bold.


    "Did you see anything?" Xiao Yi Xiu''s pleasant voice slowly rang out, containing a hint of coldness within.


    No one knew when he had arrived.


    Gu Qingli suddenly raised her head and swept a glance over him. "So what if you can see? So what if you can''t see anything?"


    "You don''t think she hanged herself, do you? Otherwise, we can carefully examine it? " He clenched his fist and coughed lightly. Then, he walked closer step by step.


    Jinshu quickly said, "Your majesty, you are a metal body, don''t get too close."


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu pushed her away as if he didn''t care about her concerns.


    Jin Shu pushed him back a step, looking a little wronged.


    Gu Qing Li lowered his head and caressed the corpse''s neck, saying: "The bruise marks are behind, and the local skin appears to be like parchment, which was created by dragging the corpse backwards with a strong and hard rope. The other bruise mark ascends, and although it partially overlaps with the ligature mark, you can still see the soft furrow mark, which is caused by the long period of time one hung on the beam with white silk after death."


    "So, Xin Ziyao should be strangled first, before pretending to hang herself?"


    "That''s right."


    Gu Qing Li ordered Yu Li to remove her shoes and socks, and Yu Li almost cried. But under her fierce gaze, she trembled as she did as she was told.


    Gu Qingli unceremoniously lifted her skirt up to her knees, pointed at the purplish-red patch on the lower half of the corpse, and said: "The deposition of corpse spots, means that the corpse was indeed hanged up by someone as soon as it died, and only then would it fall on the lower half of the body, and only spread out. The time of death counts ¡­ It should be around midnight last night. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu lightly clapped his hands and said calmly, "Your analysis makes sense. Continue."


    "The corpse''s hands are clenched tightly. I believe there are still some traces left inside ¡ª because the corpse can''t be broken open now, it should be able to be examined after twelve hours."


    "What do you think?"


    "If someone strangled her to death, she would certainly resist. The most common action is to subconsciously grab the rope around her neck. She might scratch her palm, or leave some rope fibers between her fingernails. She might even pull something out of the killer''s clothes during the process of scratching ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. "Seal off this room and let everyone leave. We''ll come back for an autopsy in the afternoon. "Although Xin Ziyao has tarnished her family''s reputation and insulted women, she still deserves to die. Someone actually dares to blatantly kill someone in this prince''s mansion ¡ª"


    He slowly turned his gaze in a circle, and everyone who saw him could not help but feel a chill seep into their bones.


    Jiang Shiyu timidly opened her mouth, "Wang ¡­" Master, can''t we stay with elder sister? "


    "I can. Accompany her to death."


    Jiang Shiyu immediately kept quiet.


    Everyone left, with Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li leading the way.


    When he reached the fork in the road, he suddenly stopped and turned around. Gu Qing Li was lost in thought as she thought about the corpse, and her forehead almost hit his nose. She couldn''t help but stare blankly.


    The distance between them was so close that Xiao Yi Xiu''s aura could not help but remind her of the dubious distance between them that night. For some reason, her ears started to turn red.


    Xiao Yixiu stared at her, his expression calm, but the suspicious pinkish tinge on his white and round earlobes betrayed her feelings.


    He suddenly felt that ¡­ This King''s consort is rather interesting.

 C28 Evidence of a Black Cat

    Gu Qingli looked at him for a long time before her gaze finally began to wander a bit. She coughed lightly and thought of something that could resolve the embarrassment, "My prince, I have tuberculosis. Don''t you want to stay away from me?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s answer was to raise his hand and touch her earlobe. With a light twitch, he asked, "What are you blushing for?"


    "Who''s blushing?" A numb feeling spread over her ears as her heart inexplicably skipped a beat. She was provoked by his actions to the point that she was about to go berserk, and her gaze returned a piercing gaze.


    "Lovely for just a moment." He snorted.


    "What?" His voice was too soft for her to hear.


    Xiao Yi Xiu withdrew his hand and said coldly, "Who did you learn the analysis from, Consort Wang?"


    "It looks like it''s from a random book."


    "There are so many books about princesses. Have you been feeling better? "


    Gu Qingli wasn''t sure what he meant, but she snorted, "It''s still the same."


    "You''ve been taking Miss Li Yue''s medicine?"


    "Yes."


    No wonder she always had the medicinal fragrance of Li Yue on her body, which could not be removed.


    Having been afflicted with the poison for so many years, he had felt that he was extremely disgusted by the bitter scent of the medicine. However, ever since Li Yue had appeared, for some reason, he had begun to feel that the herbal aroma was emitting from her body.


    Or perhaps it could only be said that the medicinal scent on her body was called the medicinal fragrance. Liu Yanyu and Luo Yun both had a pure and bitter aura on them.


    Xin Ziyao''s residence was quickly surrounded by the guards. Madam Qin and the other two naturally had no choice but to return to their own residence.


    As they passed by Xiaoyao''s garden, Xiao Yixiu walked up the path to Li Yue''s house. Gu Qingli knew full well that he wouldn''t be able to find her in the past, but she was still curious about what he was doing, so she couldn''t help but follow him.


    The room was naturally empty. He silently placed his hand on the medicine pot on the small table. His fingertip slowly slid down, and his movements were extremely gentle.


    Suddenly, a black cat jumped over. It squatted on the table and looked at him with its glass-like eyes. He recognized that this was the cat that Li Yue had treated her leg. It was also one that Xin Ziyao had tamed before she died.


    Xiao Yixiu wanted to touch it, but it nimbly jumped away, landing into Gu Qing Li''s arms.


    Xiao Yi Xiu turned his head and stared at the cat for a long moment. Then he looked at her. "Why are you following me?"


    "Who''s following you? They''re just here to find Miss Li Yue. They want to see if the medicine has been fried well today."


    "She''s not here."


    "Then I''ll be going." Gu Qingli carried the cat and left.


    "Don''t go, the cat in your arms ¡­"


    "Meow!" The cat meowed as it should.


    "You want it?"


    "It was raised by Xin Ziyao and never held by strangers."


    Gu Qingli was stunned. She hadn''t expected a cat to arouse his suspicions. Unconsciously, she looked down and saw something hanging from the cat''s paw.


    It was just a few thin lines. She held them up to the sun for a long time but could not find anything.


    "See what?"


    "It''s fibers from clothes, but I really can''t tell by just this." Gu Qingli took out a handkerchief and carefully wrapped it around her chest.


    "As long as this cat has been hugged, there''s a possibility that it could draw the thread. It doesn''t have to be the killer''s clothes."


    Gu Qingli nodded and sighed. No one knew if the cat was there when Xin Ziyao died.


    "Let''s go. Li Yue shouldn''t appear. She only appears at night."


    Gu Qingli thought, wasn''t it because of this wangfei''s freedom at night? She let go, but the black cat refused to go, following her every step of the way.


    "Strange, Blackjade likes you so much."


    Gu Qingli felt a chill in her heart.


    "It also really likes Li Yue, because Li Yue saved it."


    "What does Your Highness want to say?"


    "Did This King say anything?" Just a casual chat. "


    Gu Qingli was speechless. She quickened her steps to get out of his sight, but she was fast as a cat, so she could only sigh in her heart.


    Very soon, it was noon. When they arrived at the house where Xin Ziyao had died, her stiff corpse had already begun to ease up. Gu Qingli finally opened her fingers without a hitch.


    Just as she had expected, Xin Ziyao''s palm was scratched with a bloody scratch, but there was no trace of clothing under her fingernails. Upon closer inspection, her face slowly darkened.


    Xiao Yi Xiu also squatted beside her. He used a handkerchief to wrap around Xin Zi Yao''s wrist, a trace of disgust appearing in his eyes.


    Gu Qingli knew that his obsession with cleanliness had flared up again, so she scoffed, "Don''t touch it if you''re afraid it''s dirty. The stench of the corpses will come out soon."


    He snorted and put down the corpse''s hand. "The head here is flesh and blood. What part of the killer''s body did she grab?"


    "That''s simple. Call everyone in the house, especially those who are close to her."


    "It would be easy if it was exposed, but what if it isn''t?"


    "The only thing she could grab was naturally the exposed parts. Otherwise it would be clothing and fibers. Who wouldn''t wear an outer coat to kill people?"


    As soon as Gu Qingli finished her sentence, she met Xiao Yixiu''s complicated gaze and knew that she had made a low level mistake.


    It was the height of summer. If the culprit was someone who was close to Xin Ziyao and lived very close to her, then they might not necessarily have to wrap themselves up in order to kill him.


    "Alright then, I''ll check the women, you check the men."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. Naturally, he wouldn''t capture all the people in the manor and check them out. He only ordered a few suspicious characters to gather in one room. After all, the person they suspected the most was already locked in a small area ¡­


    In front of Gu Qingli were Qin Caisheng, Yuehe, Jiang Shiyu, Luo Yun and a few maidservants.


    Luo Yun was the most dissatisfied: "What does it have to do with me? I never dated Signora Hindoo. "


    "Everyone has to check. There''s no exception."


    Luo Yun snorted lightly. "If we can''t find anything among these people, won''t the princess want us to check it out as well?"


    Gu Qingli''s pretty face was like ice as she swept her gaze over her. "If this wangfei wanted to kill her, I wouldn''t have to strangle her to death. I could use the name of disobeying the law of women to immerse myself in the pig cages."


    Luo Yun rolled her eyes. "But there''s still one more lady in the mansion that hasn''t arrived yet."


    Gu Qingli raised an eyebrow, her eyes filled with questions.


    "Miss Li Yue."


    Gu Qing Li''s heart shuddered and she forgot that Li Yue was a thorn in Luo Yun''s side.


    "We''ll investigate first. Miss Li Yue is a guest. If we want to investigate, we''ll get the last." Since Miss Luo is so unwilling to be examined, this wangfei will begin with the wives and maids taking off their outer robes. "


    Although they didn''t know why, the girls still unwillingly took off their coats.


    Apart from the thin jacket on the outside, there was only a bra and a long skirt inside during the summer. They all stared eagerly at Gu Qingli, thinking that if they continued to strip off her clothes, it would be a disgrace. Could it be that this wangfei had a special hobby?


    "Extend your arms horizontally." Gu Qing Li circled around them one by one, going up and down, not missing a single one.


    "Madam Yue, what''s this around your neck?" Gu Qingli stopped in front of Yuehe, staring at the few bloody wounds on her neck.


    "Ah?" This is what the black jade caught at noon today. "


    "Today... Noon? What a coincidence! "


    Yue Manhe instinctively felt that something was amiss, and stammered, "Yes ¡­" Yeah, I saw Black Jade walking around the herb garden as if he was hungry, so I went to hug him, and then... and somehow got caught by it. "


    "I heard that Blackjade is very hostile towards strangers?"


    "Yeah, but we often meet up with Xin ¡­" Black Jade is very familiar with us, and I don''t know why he suddenly became angry and came to arrest me. "


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Isn''t this too much of a coincidence? "Come with me to see the prince."


    "Esteemed wangfei, what did I do wrong?" "You have to make it clear, don''t you?" Yue He was in a panic.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t be bothered to talk to her, so she gestured for Yu Ying and Yu Li to carry her out.


    "Esteemed wangfei, you''ve gone too far. Although I''m just a madam, I''m still a part of the prince''s household ¡­"

 C29 tattooing

    Amidst the commotion, Xiao Yi Xiu also walked out from next door. He glanced at the undressed Yue He, and his gaze fell onto the bloody marks on the ground. He stared at them for a long time.


    "Madam Yue said that the wounds were caused by the black jade. What does Your Highness think?"


    "Your Highness, you must uphold justice for this humble one. This humble one is wrongly accused! I don''t understand what happened! "


    Xiao Yixiu lowered his eyelids, too lazy to talk to her. He simply raised his chin towards Suifeng, indicating for him to explain.


    "Madam Yue, Xin Ziyao was strangled to death by someone. She struggled when she died, and her nails scratched a few wounds on the murderer''s body, leaving behind skin and flesh. Now, are you satisfied with your death? " Suifeng revealed a contemptuous smile.


    "No no, I was really scratched by the black jade!" "Picking mulberry trees!" Yue He suddenly thought of something, "Weren''t you and Mei Er watching this from the side? Didn''t you see the black jade catch me? "


    Qin Caisheng had already buttoned her shirt and came out. She said softly, "Sister Yue, when have I seen her? Mel, did you see it? "


    Mei Er shook her head. "I was with Madam at noon. I''ve never seen Mistress Yue before."


    Yue He froze, and then suddenly shouted: "You''re lying! "I was wrongly accused ¡­"


    "This is a murder case, send it to the magistrate." There seemed to be regret in his voice as he sighed softly. "I think the justice courts will clear it up."


    "Your Highness, this is Zai Sang framing me!" The cry of the moon gradually faded, mixed with the sound of weeping.


    "Tch!" Luo Yun''s low voice could be heard amidst the crowd. What kind of people were these wives? One after the other, they were scum. Yet, Prince Mo still had to face them all day.


    The crowd dispersed, leaving behind only Xiao Yi Xiu, who was still standing in his original spot. He swept his gaze across Gu Qing Li.


    "Princess, why aren''t you leaving? What are you waiting for?"


    "What is the prince waiting for?"


    Xiao Yixiu stared at her for a long time before asking, "Are you waiting for Black Jade?"


    Gu Qing Li was greatly surprised. He was able to see through her, but she had still deliberately allowed him to identify the moon!


    "I''m planning on going to Miss Li Yue''s place to see if she''s back." She started to walk, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer.


    His face was very close to hers, and his breath was soft and steady on her face. His soft voice seemed to mock her: "You are still too tender to show off your wisdom in this king''s eyes. The claw marks are sharp, but the claw marks are wide and uneven."


    Gu Qing Li flung him with all his might. In the end, he was still powerless, but she still managed to throw him off. He sneered, "Since you could see that Yue He was wronged, why didn''t you clear up things for her? You want to send her to the court? Are you trying to go with the flow and use me to get rid of her? At the end of the day, there should be a problem with your wives, right? "


    He didn''t expect her to be so direct. After a moment of silence, he nodded and said, "Including you, Consort Wang, don''t all of you have the same goal?"


    Gu Qingli was startled. She suddenly realized why he had been so rude and hostile to her from the beginning! This was because the one who had proposed the marriage was the Emperor. He believed that all the women around him came from all sorts of powers within the palace to monitor his actions and words!


    She carefully searched her original body''s memory to make sure she hadn''t accepted any task of monitoring him. She snorted. "You think too highly of yourself. I have no interest in your matters!"


    He didn''t know if he believed her words, but as if by accident, he asked, "Who''s next?"


    Gu Qingli''s mind flashed with the fresh rose tattoo that had appeared on Qin Caisheng''s shoulder during the examination. This woman''s reaction was quite fast. She had thought of a countermeasure in such a short period of time. She had indeed been ruthless enough to draw a flower for herself to cover herself!


    With that needle and the hemostatic, you think it''s flawless? Of course not! Even if the tattoos could cover up the scratches, the red and swelling of the surrounding skin after acupuncture was not so easy to dispel. Even if she applied ice on it, there were still some traces left behind.


    She probably killed Xin Ziyao because she was afraid that she would go to Xiao Yi to plead with him and reveal their identities, right? Or perhaps she was afraid that Xin Ziyao would come before the empress and drag them down with her punishment.


    "Meow!" Black jade appeared without a sound.


    She bent down to pick up the black jade and carefully examined its claws. Sure enough, clothes and fibers were added to the claws that had previously removed the few silk threads. After careful examination, there were indeed remnants of blood.


    Yue He did not lie. Black Jade had suddenly gone crazy and wanted to capture her. Qin Caisheng must have secretly instigated this. That woman must have gotten a better grasp of Black Jade''s habits and made her her her scapegoat!


    "In your manor, it''s not even easy to be a cat. You''ve been used by others three times!" After Gu Qing Li finished taunting and ridiculing him, he made a decision. He didn''t want to tell him any more clues.


    He didn''t want to deal with these madams personally, yet he wanted to fake her. Why did she have to repeat what he wanted her to do? If he had the ability, let him investigate it himself!


    She picked up the cat and smiled sweetly at him. "Your highness, do you want to know who''s next? Look it up yourself slowly. Please forgive this wangfei for not playing with you."


    Watching Gu Qing Li''s retreating back, Xiao Yi Xiu''s anger faded away in the blink of an eye. He didn''t even realize that a smile had appeared on his face.


    What had happened recently that he''d actually become more and more tolerant of this rebellious wangfei, allowing her to clash with him repeatedly?


    Killing to pay with one''s life, even the wife of the Duke''s Mansion was no exception.


    Xin Ziyao''s body was taken to the Supreme Court for autopsy. Yue Li was interrogated and found guilty of murder. Naturally, she was quickly sent to the prison to be executed.


    From this, Gu Qingli judged that there must be someone from Xiaoyi Xiu in the justice courts.


    To be able to solve this case so quickly and unreasonable, and even immediately execute it without giving the Queen any time to react to it, this Prince Mo, looks like he has been sick for a long time.


    When the news reached the Residence of Mo King, Xiao Yi Xiu said plainly, "I''ll spend the night at Madam Qin''s place and have her prepare."


    Qin Caisheng was feeling uneasy, not knowing whether to be happy or worried.


    Ever since she had entered the palace, she had only served the prince once or twice. Every time, she would fall asleep after drinking wine, and she did not even know what the first night felt like.


    Of course, she was also very confused, but it was said that Xin Ziyao was also like this when she was being favoured. She was even drowsy after smelling a light fragrance, and she even suspected that the prince had never touched them, but she didn''t dare to say these words to anyone.


    If the empress found out that they were so incompetent that they had not even climbed into his bed, who knew what kind of punishment they would be subjected to?


    In the end, even Madam Ling had experienced the same thing as them. As they brought it up, they all thought the same thing: Prince Mo was sick and weak at the same time, but in that aspect ¡­ No way, right?


    While that thought lingered in her mind, Xiao Yixiu had already ordered her to start undressing.


    He sat on the edge of the bed without moving, as if he were waiting for her to come and serve him.


    Qin Caisheng''s hands subconsciously trembled a little as she didn''t drink or smell any unusual fragrance tonight.


    When she had taken off her clothes to the point where only her chest remained, she hesitantly went to help him undress. Seeing that he did not refuse, her actions gradually became more natural. She gently smiled. "Your Highness seems to be in a good mood tonight."


    "Yes." He even raised his hand and caressed the rose tattoo on her shoulder. He smiled gently and said, "This tattoo is so beautiful. Why haven''t I seen it before?"


    "I think it''s pretty good, but you liked it when you stabbed it yourself?"


    "Did he stab himself?" "Looking at the mirror, it should be very difficult ¡­"


    "I''ve learned this before."


    "Why don''t you help Madame Jia with her tattoo? What do you think it should be?"


    Qin Caisheng''s expression froze for a moment before he smiled and said, "Whatever you like, your highness, you can make it up to me."


    "This King likes scorpions."


    "Scorpion ¡­" Scorpion? "


    "Snake Scorpion Beauty, snakes and scorpions are more suited for you, roses are not."

 C30 Ziziphus chinensis Thunb

    Qin Caisheng''s expression changed slightly. His charming expression was mixed with a hint of confusion and fear. However, the man in front of her continued to smile blandly, as if he was just teasing her.


    Suddenly, Mei Er''s short cry came from outside the house, and then it quieted down.


    Qin Caisheng turned pale with fright. He turned to look outside the door and saw that it had already been pushed open. Gabriella was in front, and Wangfei Gu Qingli was behind. The two of them walked in alone without even taking their maidservants.


    Gabriella looked up and down at Qin Caisheng''s disheveled clothes. She smiled charmingly and spoke in a delicate voice, "Yo, not a bad figure!"


    "What are you doing here?" Qin Caisheng crossed his arms across his chest and glared at him.


    "Of course the prince wants us to serve him together! Why are you staring at me so strangely? Aren''t we all princes'' women? What''s there to be ashamed of? "


    "You ¡­" Qin Caisheng bit her lower lip. She really couldn''t compare herself to this woman with such thick skin, so she could only turn to Gu Qingli. "Does the wangfei want to say the same?"


    Gu Qingli cursed silently in her heart. Who would serve that bastard together with these two women? However, on her face was Mu Rufeng. "This wangfei heard that Lady Qin''s tattooing skills were peerless, so I came here to take a look."


    Gabriella stepped forward and put her hand on Qin Sansa''s shoulder. She was still smiling seductively, "She really is a beautiful rose. Madam Qin, please don''t hide it. Let me see ¡­"


    Qin Caisheng''s eyes suddenly flashed with a murderous light. His arm was as smooth as a snake as it went through the crook of Gabriella''s arm. "Crack!" He dragged her away and dislocated her. Then, he made a strange palm attack towards Gu Qingli.


    Since the sickly prince and the two weak girls were the only ones here tonight, she might as well kill them all off!


    Gu Qingli, on the other hand, had already been prepared for this. This woman could strangle Xin Ziyao to death by herself, but she wasn''t a weak person. Even if she hadn''t seen it before, that didn''t mean she didn''t know.


    Right now, she and her original body were in perfect harmony. Even if she had only used thirty percent of her power, it would still be enough for Qin Caisheng to fall down in three moves!


    By the time Qin Sansa had been tied up by his clothes, Xiao Yi Xiu had already helped Gabriella get her dislocated arm back in place.


    Gabriella stretched her arms and became even angrier. She rushed forward and pressed her fist against Qin Sansa''s tattoo. With a scary smile, she said, "Madam Qin, little sister didn''t get the chance to look at your tattoo!"


    Then he slowly rubbed the tattoo with the knuckles of his fist and let out a scream.


    After being scratched, she forced the tattoo on her body. However, how could it be completely healed after three days? As she slowly rubbed the scar off her body, fresh blood flowed down along Qin Caisheng''s white skin.


    Gu Qing Li frowned slightly. He thought that if Jia Bi Li could not be kept alive sooner or later, she would not be a good person.


    His gaze shifted to see that Xiao Yixiu was still sitting calmly on the bed. The belt that Qin Sansa had taken off was lying by his side, while his clothes were half open. He looked as lazy as if he had just woken up.


    She froze for a moment, her eyes falling.


    Actually, it was unknown how many times he had seen his bare chest, but upon closer inspection, he could not help but feel that his blood was boiling. He always felt that the perfect lines drawn on his jade-like skin were so enticing that they made one unable to shift their eyes away, just like his natural and refined face.


    Pui! She came back to her senses and cursed in her heart. Did he purposely not put on his clothes? How shameless!


    Xiao Yi Xiu noticed her gaze and smirked. "You even belong to me? Why are you acting shy?"


    Gu Qingli turned her stiff neck to find Qin Caisheng moaning and crying. He was already begging for mercy under Gabriella''s torture, but he still refused to admit his guilt.


    "Alright, Bi Ruo." Xiao Yixiu finally called for him to stop.


    Gabriella immediately withdrew her hand and respectfully said, "Royal Highness, from my point of view, she must be the killer of Xin Ziyao."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded his head. "The evidence is conclusive. Bring her to the justice courts tomorrow and tell them she''s one of Yue Li''s accomplices. This king discovered her while she was trying to eliminate the evidence."


    Qin Caisheng cried out, "No, Your Highness, I''m innocent!"


    "Just based on the wounds on your tattoo, you can already be convicted. Where is the injustice?" Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows slightly.


    "What right do you have to say that I was captured by Xin Ziyao?" Qin Caisheng said angrily.


    "Well, it should be hard for a man to judge, but a dog can smell it." Xiao Yixiu sighed as he shook his head, "Don''t forget that Xin Ziyao hasn''t been buried yet. As long as the dog sniffs the air beneath her nails, it will be able to recognize you."


    Qin Caisheng''s face was pale and filled with despair.


    "This King will give you one last chance to call out your accomplices. Perhaps This King can think of a way to plead for mercy and spare your life."


    Qin Caisheng''s eyes suddenly lit up, but quickly dimmed down. "I don''t have any accomplices."


    "Hehe, to be able to draw such an exquisite tattoo on a mirror, you are truly amazing." Xiao Yixiu slowly stood up, as if he didn''t want to hear any more of her words. He lazily looked out of the window and said, "If you don''t want to live, so be it."


    "I confess ¡­" It''s Jiang Shiyu. She and I murdered Xin Ziyao. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her expressionlessly, "Bi Ruo, call someone to come in and take her away. Don''t forget Jiang Shiyu."


    "Yes." Gabriella laughed and clapped several times. Then, someone rushed forward and beat Qin Sang out.


    Once everyone left, Gu Qingli wanted to leave as well.


    "Esteemed wangfei, are you just standing here looking at this unkempt king?"


    Gu Qing Li turned around to look at him, but he was still looking at her with that lazy and soul-stirring look of his!


    She fiercely said, "Don''t you know how to dress yourself?"


    He chuckled. "I''m sorry, but This King has always been used to being served."


    This wangfei doesn''t have a hobby of serving others either! Gu Qingli silently cursed in her heart as she thought about how this bastard had always been the one to take off his clothes for acupuncture. How could he act like a scoundrel when he faced off against her as an imperial concubine!


    Thinking of the cure next month, she took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, and walked closer to him. After all, he had only gathered more than half of the antidote.


    After smoothing his lapels, she began to button them one by one.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her bent head and focused expression, and pouted his red lips in resentment. Suddenly, a strange feeling of warmth arose in his heart.


    In the end, what was similar to Falling Moon? Other than the medicinal fragrance on his body...


    When she was tying his belt, she viciously tightened it so tightly that he almost couldn''t breathe. He couldn''t help but frown. "You want to murder your husband?"


    "My apologies, Your Highness. In your eyes, there is no woman worthy of being your wife." She mocked him in his usual tone and gave him a triumphant smile.


    If he wanted this wangfei to serve him, he''d have to endure it first.


    Surprisingly, Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t angered by that. He snorted coldly, took out a handkerchief, wiped his hands, and threw it away.


    Gu Qingli was stunned. It had been a long time since she saw him act this way. She thought he had long since stopped looking down on her. So she actually ¡­


    She walked out without a word.


    As Xiao Yixiu watched her leave with a somewhat sullen expression, he had the feeling that she had misunderstood something. He only subconsciously wanted to wipe his hands because he had touched Qin Sansa''s tattoo. Actually, it had been a long time since he had an instinctive aversion towards Princess Hua-Yang ¡­


    But what difference did it make? Should he explain it to her? Thinking that she was a woman sent by the Emperor, Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart chilled again. No matter how different she looked, she couldn''t change her identity. If she acted obediently and made a move, she would end up like Xin Ziyao and the others.

 C31 Makeup Beauty

    Gu Qingruo and the Sunset King Xiao Yimo were about to get married, so Gu Qingli had already changed clothes. She looked around in the mirror, feeling that the Yu Ying painting was a little lacking in appearance.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stepped into the room, and when he looked up, he was stunned.


    Gu Qingli was wearing a long dress with red embroidered butterflies on it. Her dress was elegant and elegant, and her dress was luxurious and stunning.


    The hairpin was the last imperial palace reward of the Jadeite Golden Phoenix Step shake, hibiscus plum blossom treasure, a fresh and elegant fresh flowers in the temple.


    "Why are you looking at me?" Gu Qingli had noticed his presence in the mirror.


    Xiao Yixiu approached her and carefully examined her. Without saying a word, he wiped away the eyebrow he had just drawn and started drawing with the brush in his hand.


    After finishing the task, he swapped the eyebrow pencil for a new red one.


    When Gu Qingli saw this, she wanted to open an art shop on her face and immediately resisted. "What are you doing?"


    Xiao Yixiu did not answer, but held her chin in place with his left hand while holding the brush with her right hand. She felt a chill between his eyebrows, and had no choice but to let him do as he pleased.


    "Alright."


    Gu Qingli hurriedly grabbed the mirror to look at herself, completely dumbfounded.


    Last time, she knew that he had drawn well, but she didn''t expect that the Descending Plum Makeup to be so exquisite. Looking at the five dark red petals between his eyebrows, she subconsciously felt that if this bastard was truly gentle, he would be rather ¡­


    As this thought flashed through his mind, he was awakened by his cold voice, "Alright, let''s go."


    "Why do you want to paint me like that?" Today was a day to attend Gu Qingruo''s wedding, not to steal the limelight from the bride.


    "This King''s consort should be a beauty queen, no matter the circumstances."


    With such makeup on, how could Gu Qingli still be the timid and cowardly Prime Minister Qian Jin? His distant gaze swept across her face, and she couldn''t help but admit in her heart that this makeup beauty in front of him was like a gem, her beauty transcending the mundane world. With a single glance, even he felt moved.


    It turned out that she was just a tool used in grand occasions to embellish his face.


    When Gu Qingli thought of this, her good self-esteem towards the mirror vanished like smoke into thin air. She was the first to leave the palace, leaving Xiao Yixiu behind.


    When the carriage arrived at the manor, Gu Qingli couldn''t help but think of the humiliation she had suffered on the day of the wedding. After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Yixiu stepped down from the carriage, lifted the curtain, and handed her his hand.


    She was very clear that there were many people coming and going at the door of the prince''s mansion. At times like these, he always had to show off to the fullest.


    With a sneer in his heart, he still placed his hand on his palm and silently got out of the car.


    In fact, the last time she heard him coldly accuse her of being the same as Xin Ziyao, she was just a spy forced into his side by the palace. She had thought about it for a long time when she returned, and her hatred towards him had weakened a lot. However, his repeated indifference and usage made her feel disgusted.


    An endless stream of guests greeted Xiao Yi Xiu from time to time, all of them using their stunned gazes to look at the beautiful and cold Princess Mo.


    The Mu King''s manor was joyous. Even the large courtyard had guests seats. Naturally, the royal clan would be seated in the inner hall''s VIP seats, the closest seat to the wedding hall.


    Xiao Yi Mo was dressed in a dazzling red brocade robe and his hair was like ink clouds. When it fell down from his shoulders, his jade-like face made him look especially extraordinary. He seemed to be quite pleased with the marriage and seemed to be quite satisfied with it.


    As a daughter of the Prime Minister''s Estate, Gu Qingli knew that her status couldn''t be compared to that of Gu Qingruo. This was why Xiao Yimo had abandoned his previous body and chose Gu Qingruo instead.


    Furthermore, Gu Qingruo, who carried the title of "the most talented person in the East Abyss", was well-known for her beauty and skills among all the young soldiers and young girls.


    "Princess, what are you thinking about?" Xiao Yixiu''s voice was so gentle that it could make water flow. In the midst of all the noise and joy, it was like a gentle stream that trickled down to a clear and bright place.


    Gu Qingli came back to her senses and saw that Xiao Yi Mo was looking at her with a face full of amazement. His eyes were filled with shock, doubt, and regret ¡­ And disbelief?


    The three Gu sisters were famous for their beauty, but the reason Gu Qingli hadn''t stood out back then was largely because of her personality.


    She was fresh and light, she did not like to dress up, she was always shy and weak in front of others, she always kept her head down in front of others, she seemed to be lacking in spirit and her temperament was greatly reduced. Xiao Yi Mo had never seen Gu Qing Li look like this before.


    "Hmm? "Oh ¡­" When Gu Qing Li came back to his senses, he knew that Xiao Yi Mo must have said something, but she didn''t notice it when she was lost in thought. She didn''t know how to respond.


    Thus, she looked to Xiao Yi Xiu for help, holding his arm and smiling, "I''m naturally thinking of you, my prince."


    This response immediately helped her lose her composure. With a warm smile on his face, Xiao Yixiu''s words lit up the entire room. It was obvious that he was extremely satisfied with her response.


    At this moment, Gu Qingli was a little dazed, as if he could see a sense of true gentleness in her eyes, rather than the gentle appearance used to conceal his ice-cold nature.


    After entering the wedding hall, Gu Qingli asked in a low voice, "What did that pervert say just now?"


    Scoundrel? Xiao Yixiu''s gaze froze for a moment, then he remembered that this Gu Qingli wasn''t the same bewitching little girl who had looked at him with adoration in his eyes.


    He had thought that perhaps Xiao Yi Mo''s despicable methods on the night of their wedding had made her heart turn cold, allowing her to see through that savage prince. However, her disdainful tone was beyond his expectations.


    "He said, I didn''t expect that after not seeing her for so long, the Gu family''s second young miss seemed to have been reborn, becoming so moving." He didn''t even look at her, but out of the corner of his eye he saw her expression. He actually called you ''Second Miss Gu'', and you didn''t refute him. "


    She was not the least bit lustful. Instead, she furrowed her brows in disgust as she coldly said, "Whether it''s Second Miss Gu, or Princess Mo, they have nothing to do with that pervert''s ass, right?"


    "It''s related. All of them are his sister-in-law."


    She choked and viciously glared at him. "When did you let me have a good time? You don''t feel good about it, do you?"


    Surprisingly, he smiled gently, "Yes."


    Gu Qingli didn''t want to bother with him anymore, so she wanted to find a female guest to sit down first. However, he continued, "He even asked you if our Feng Shui was particularly good in Mo King''s Manor, which nourished you to such an extent."


    Gu Qing Li was about to mock him, but then she rolled her eyes and immediately understood. "You added that in, right? How would he think that the Feng Shui of the Prince Mo Residence is good, it''s too late for him to ridicule you. "


    His smile didn''t lessen. A trace of cunning flashed across his eyes. He seemed to have acknowledged it.


    Gu Qingli had originally been a bit angry, but now her cunning and scheming side had dispersed. She actually had such a vivid look in his eyes. Speaking of which, he seemed a little different from when they first met. At that time, the killing intent in his eyes was hidden behind that gentle smile, and she didn''t have the slightest bit of warmth towards anyone.


    The guests seating was separated by a screen separated by eight embroidery screens. Gu Qing Li happened to be able to see Xiao Yi Xiu from afar, but the two of them didn''t meet face to face as they sat down.


    Following that, the ceremonial official announced the arrival of the emperor and Imperial Concubine Ling in person. Almost all of the guests in the hall were stunned.


    After becoming a prince''s official residence, one would only be able to enter the palace to meet the Empress and his concubines on the second day of the wedding, as Xiao Yi Xiu had done. It was clear that Xiao Yi Mo was the only one besides the crown prince that had the highest honor.


    Under the crowd of guards, a man dressed in a dragon robe and wearing a royal robe, looking magnificent and magnificent, slowly entered the room. Next to him was Imperial Concubine Ling, who, perhaps because her son was getting married today, was no longer as arrogant as she usually was, with a gentle smile and a smile that was rarely seen on her face.


    The two of them sat in the middle of the hall, and all the guests greeted them with three cheers.

 C32 Difficulties at Joy Hall

    When the bride was helped to the center of the wedding hall, Xiao Yi Mo''s face was full of smiles. Both of them held onto a ball of flowers as they started to worship their parents.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Suddenly, a well-dressed woman rushed into the wedding hall, staggering a little.


    Although no one knew who she was, judging from her attire, the servants would assume that she was some distinguished official or even a member of the royal family, which was why they let her walk around as she pleased.


    However, upon closer inspection, her makeup was filled with sorrow and sorrow. It seemed that it was mixed with anger, resentment, and many other complicated emotions as it stumbled towards the center of the wedding hall.


    With such a peculiar action, some people immediately stepped forward to stop her. However, the servants of the manor still didn''t dare to be too rude, considering which noble family she was from.


    The VIP seats were already beginning to discuss with each other as they whispered to each other, "Who is this?"


    As soon as Xiao Yi Mo finished bowing, he instinctively glanced towards the door when he heard the noise. When he saw the woman, his expression changed and he shouted, "Who let the random people in? "Quickly drag it out!"


    The woman was originally struggling under the obstruction of a few maidservants, but when she heard his voice, she felt as if she was stabbed by a needle. Her entire body shook as she suddenly turned around and screamed, "Prince Mu, you can''t get married!"


    There was no lack of people at the banquet who were on good terms with the Prime Minister. Even the Gu family members began to change their expressions. Imperial Concubine Ling was the daughter of the Great General Ling Pu. The Ling family held half of the military power in the Eastern Abyss, and their troops were spread throughout the imperial court. Many of them were from Imperial Concubine Ling''s family, so their faces were even uglier.


    "Prince Mu, when you forced me to enter the palace, you promised me that you would marry me in the future!" "Although my father is just a rank 4 military official, he has followed the army and went on an expedition under General Ling for more than ten years. He has never let down the Xiao family''s Jiang Shan and the Ling family in any way ¡­"


    These words caused all the guests in the hall to burst into an uproar. Finally, someone recognized the girl as the daughter of the rank 4 general of Ling Pu, He Zhenkun.


    "What nonsense is this madman spouting?" Why aren''t you pulling her down? " Xiao Yi Mo was flustered and exasperated.


    "No ¡­" "No ¡­"


    Seeing that the maidservants were forced to come up to pull her, He Yanyu struggled even more. Unexpectedly, she actually had some skill and managed to knock several maidservants to the ground. She even charged forward a few steps.


    She covered her lower abdomen. "Who dares to touch me? I have the child of Prince Mu in my womb!"


    These words really did intimidate many servants. The guards who had planned to rush up to her had no idea what to do when they saw her clothes.


    In that instant, she rushed in front of Xiao Yi Mo, pointing at him while trembling and crying, "My prince, you''re actually so heartless to me! If I didn''t believe you, I wouldn''t have listened to you so easily. "No matter what, I am the daughter of an innocent family. You have tainted me and even married Gu Qingruo. Today, I am going to tell the emperor and the officials in front of them how you started to abandon them all!"


    "Nonsense!" Killing intent surfaced in Xiao Yi Mo''s eyes, but if he really did make a move on this Huatang, then he wouldn''t be able to wash it away even if he jumped into the Yellow River.


    Furthermore, although the other party was only the daughter of a fourth rank general, her father was a capital official after all. In front of the emperor and so many other officials of the imperial family, he could only cover her mouth and yell sternly, "You crazy woman, when had I had anything with you? Hurry up and drag her down, what are you all standing there for? "


    Amidst the clamor, the emperor''s voice suddenly rang out, neither light nor heavy. "Let her go. Listen to her."


    Xiao Yi Mo was shocked as he looked up in disbelief.


    Imperial Concubine Ling, however, was clearly furious. "Your majesty, today Mo''er is overjoyed. How can you allow a madman to disrupt the auditorium?"


    The Emperor looked at Ling Pu indifferently, "Who is this woman?"


    Ling Pu was stunned for a moment. He wanted to say that he was a madman, but he was not the only one who knew She Yiyu. He could only bite the bullet and say: "It''s She Yiyu, the direct daughter of General Wei De."


    The Emperor nodded. "Continue."


    Imperial Concubine Ling''s face looked as if a dyestuff shop had just opened. The alternating colors of green, red, white, and black were extremely wonderful to behold.


    Gu Qingli suddenly remembered Xiao Yixiu''s words a few days ago.


    It seemed that this wedding wasn''t in vain. He had meticulously prepared a main event. No wonder the Emperor and Imperial Concubine Ling were present as well. It seemed like he would have to retrieve all the face that he had lost at his own wedding.


    This made it easy to understand why this woman had been placed in the wedding hall. Wasn''t it all because of Xiao Yi Xiu''s arrangements to secretly bring her into the Royal Mansion?! As for how he did it, she had yet to guess.


    On the other side, Xiao Yi Mo was already in a rather sorry state, but She Yi Yu was still pressing on. "I was not willing at the start, so why would I agree to it, your highness? Now that I have a big belly, not only will I not be responsible, I will even marry someone else! I know that Miss Gu comes from a more noble background than me, and also has the reputation of being the number one talent in the Eastern Abyss. But if you were to marry her, then you shouldn''t have provoked me! "


    Gu Qingli was also confused as to why Xiao Yi Mo would use violence against this woman just because he was too perverted. The reason why he wanted to sully her was to make her lose face, but this woman in front of him ¡­ Even though she was beautiful, it didn''t seem like she was the most beautiful, right?


    Then he heard her say, "Didn''t you want my father to go under General Ling''s cloak and help him win the battle at Frontier City? In order to win him over, you used such a method. What happened in the end? "


    Gu Qingli heard someone whisper in the middle of the banquet, "Didn''t that battle at Besset happen two years ago?"


    He had been friends with She Yiyu for almost two years, it was just that Gu Qingruo had been greatly influenced this time.


    Gu Qingruo, who had been standing to the side with her red hair covering her head, couldn''t hold it in any longer. She tore off her head, and her eyes were red with tears. She looked at Xiao Yi Mo and said, "How dare you treat me like this!"


    "Qingruo, listen to me ¡­"


    She Yiyu was still in the midst of her anger. When she saw the elegant and noble Gu Qingruo dressed in her wedding dress, she crazily rushed over to grab her and slapped her left and right on the bow as she scolded: "It''s you, fox spirit. If you didn''t seduce Prince Mu, why would he do this to me?"


    Gu Qingruo was a girl from a noble family after all. She was no match for He Yiyu. Her delicate face was smacked twice, and she was stunned. She then cried even harder, "Your highness, how can you treat me like this?"


    Xiao Yi Mo''s face turned green. He didn''t care about the Emperor stopping him before and pulled He Yi Yu away. He gritted his teeth and said, "You crazy woman, if you continue spreading rumors, don''t blame me for being impolite!"


    She Yiyu raised her face, stuck out her chest and said: "What does Your Highness want? I''ve been five months pregnant. You don''t want me, not even your own child? "


    At this time, everyone''s eyes fell on her lower abdomen. Sure enough, the slightly loose brocade gown revealed the curves of her lower abdomen.


    Seeing that Xiao Yi Mo was unable to deal with this situation, even if he did not care about killing He Yi Yu, he wouldn''t be able to explain himself.

 C33 Make you a side wife

    The emperor''s slow and dignified voice rang out: "He Yiyu."


    Even though She Yiyu was being rude, she did not dare to act rashly when she heard the emperor call her over. She could only respectfully kneel down and cry, "Your Majesty is acting on behalf of this subject''s daughter."


    "Which family''s young man is unromantic? Yi Mo might have done something wrong, but he didn''t lie to you."


    He Yiyu looked up in astonishment.


    "He agreed to marry you, and didn''t say he wanted you to be his first wife. Actually, he also mentioned this before. Zhen told him to suppress the matter and marry Gu Qingruo first. Later, he planned to make you his second wife." In the end, Gu Qingruo''s background is even more noble than yours, so how can I allow you to enter the sect? "


    F * ck me! This round robin was not fake at all! Gu Qingli thought to herself, When I walked in, I had a side concubine and a bunch of other wives!


    However, Imperial Concubine Ling immediately cast a grateful look towards the emperor. Xiao Yimo''s expression also eased up. This concerned the dignity of the imperial family, so how could royal father watch him embarrass himself in front of others?


    He Yiyu was also stunned and did not say anything for a long time.


    "How about this, let the two of them finish paying their respects first. I promise you that in the future, I will give you marriage with Yi Mo and let you be his secondary concubine."


    She Yiyu was stunned and didn''t know what to do. She didn''t say anything for a long time.


    Imperial Concubine Ling was slightly angry. "Why aren''t you thanking me?" In her heart, she hated this daughter-in-law who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. If it weren''t for the fact that she couldn''t react in time, she would have cared not for this woman''s womb. She wanted to kill this slut!


    "Oh ¡­" She Yiyu panicked and had no more ideas. She kowtowed and said: "Thank you, Your Majesty."


    Although this result wasn''t as satisfactory as she had imagined, at least the Emperor bestowing the marriage was still better than having no name and no children.


    This farce had actually ended like this. Gu Qing Li thought that Xiao Yi Xiu would definitely be disappointed. When his gaze landed on him, he saw a smile in Xiao Yi''s eyes, as if he had fallen for it. Could he have expected such an outcome? Then he had only made Sayo make a fool of himself, so why should he let it go at that?


    Indeed, there were no fools present. They could tell that the emperor had intentionally resolved this matter, and they also knew that even though he had announced this matter for the sake of the imperial family''s honor, his impression of Xiao Yi Mo would definitely be greatly reduced.


    However, such an ending was still a distance away from Xiao Yixiu''s vicious attitude.


    Gu Qingluo unwillingly covered her head. At that moment, Gu Qingli saw the malicious intent from the depths of her eyes shooting towards He Yinyu.


    As for the pitiful He Yiyu, who was still a little crazy, she was surprisingly calm. There was a faint trace of a smile on her lips, and her eyes met Gu Qingruo''s without any signs of retreat.


    This He Yiyu was not simple!


    Gu Qingli felt a chill in her heart. The news of the wedding between Xiao Yi Mo and Gu Qing Ruo had already spread throughout the capital a few months ago. He Yi Yu really wanted to make a ruckus.


    Before the wedding banquet ended, the emperor and Imperial Concubine Ling left first. The guests then began to disperse.


    Watching the emperor leave, Gu Qingli felt that Xiao Yixiu had at least achieved the goal of suppressing him in the heart of the emperor.


    With the support of Xiao Yixiu, Gu Qingli stepped into the carriage. Suddenly, she heard a call: "Second Sister!"


    She turned around and saw sher third sister, Gu Qingxiao, looking at them from afar. She was extremely surprised in her heart. When had this Third Sister ever called her "Second Sister" with a face full of gentleness? Thus, he could only coldly nod her head.


    Gu Qingxiao didn''t seem to care about her attitude. She only saluted for a moment before giving a sweet smile to her. "Second brother-in-law."


    Unexpectedly, she didn''t address him as "Prince Mo", but this intimate "second brother-in-law" made Gu Qingli''s hair stand on end.


    When he looked at Xiao Yixiu, his usually gentle and refined smile was plastered on his lips. He gave Gu Qingxiao a slight nod, causing her face to turn rosy as she lowered her head slightly.


    Only Gu Qingli knew that other than smiling, this person couldn''t hold anyone in her eyes. Her sweeping gaze might not have been able to clearly see Gu Qingxiao at all, so he carried her into the carriage.


    When Gu Qingxiao raised her head with a shy smile, the carriage had already begun to rumble.


    "Do you want to vent your anger?"


    On the carriage, Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly spoke.


    Gu Qingli was stunned for a moment before she raised her head to look at him.


    The Glazed Wind Lamp was hanging inside the carriage. It moved with the shaking of the carriage, casting light on his face. It was like a mist or a dream-like mist, causing his eyes to become hazy and hard to distinguish clearly.


    She thought for a moment. "What''s there to vent your anger on? You''ve placed a pretty good chess piece by Xiao Yi Mo''s side. Where did you get it from?"


    "This move, I learned it from someone else." He lightly said a few words, then no longer explained himself.


    Learning from others? Gu Qingli kept thinking about it and felt that something wasn''t right. What did he say? Was it to cause a ruckus in the wedding hall, or to force He Yiyu to hand over to Xiao Yi Mo?


    Suddenly, her heart brightened as she sucked in a breath of cold air.


    Pregnancy!


    Her guesses were all wrong. He was referring to He Yanyu''s pregnancy!


    "Don''t tell me that Miss He has always hated Xiao Yi Mo. She bore someone else''s child and then decided to spy on him! You... What are you trying to do? "


    He looked at her with a profound gaze and sighed softly. "Princess, you shouldn''t be too smart. If you''re too smart, you can''t live for long."


    Gu Qingli snorted. She had almost collected the antidote in the past few days, so she didn''t care about his threats at all.


    She thought about Xin Ziyao''s pregnancy. If Xiao Yimo wasn''t on guard and allowed He Yanyu to give birth to this unknown child, and if he happened to be a boy and coincidentally the eldest son, wouldn''t he inherit the throne in the future? Perhaps, that She Yiyu would cause a ruckus in the Mu King''s manor, and perhaps even cause Xiao Yi Mo to never be able to give birth to another child.


    That Gu Qingruo ¡­ The fragments from her childhood appeared in her mind. Gu Qingruo had a cold and arrogant expression on her face while her original body knelt helplessly on the ground, crying as she raised her face to beg for mercy. Gu Qingxiao clapped her hands and laughed heartily while a servant ruthlessly stepped on the back of her original body.


    It was just that for a small matter, the three sisters had embroidered a handkerchief together, and she had received the praise of Xiao Yimo, who had come to the Prime Minister''s Estate as a guest.


    What did a casual compliment count for? However, her original body had firmly remembered it in her heart. Because she hadn''t received any praise during her cold childhood, she had always remembered that young man''s faint smile in her heart, and it had become the memory of her for the rest of her life.


    Thus, no matter how much Gu Qingruo and Gu Qingxiao trampled over her and stepped on her fingers, she never gave up on learning the female''s red. She cried and begged for mercy.


    She hoped that she would be able to embroider another item in her life that was praised by Xiao Yi Mo, right? How could she have imagined that the youth who had casually smiled at her was actually the demon of her life, the kind that had cut off her short life.


    Serves her right. If She Yiyu were to stir up a mess in the manor, it would be exactly what she wanted. It was the Emperor''s attitude that confused her. In the end, he maintained the imperial family''s prestige with a single sentence. However, why did he not stop She Yiyu from speaking in the beginning and instead let her continue speaking?


    Before she could think it through, the carriage had already stopped in front of the Mo King''s Manor.


    After returning to his room, he hastily changed out of his scarlet clothes. He wanted to disguise as Li Yue before heading to Xiao Yi Xiu''s place. She was about to wash her face when she saw her makeup in the water. She couldn''t help but be stunned for a moment, and then subconsciously touched the Plum Blossom on her forehead.


    So beautiful, she couldn''t bear to wash it off at the moment.

 C34 Sisterhood

    He rushed over to where Xiao Yixiu was. He was leaning against the door as if he was waiting for something.


    "The prince has returned from the banquet."


    "Lady Li Yue." He smiled, more tenderly than ever.


    After entering the room, she used the acupuncture as usual. However, when she placed the needles, she felt that there were always two pairs of eyes on her back. She couldn''t help but look at him and ask, "Is the prince different from before?"


    "Today was a grand wedding, so I naturally felt something." Feel it? Was he gloating over someone else''s unhappy marriage?


    "The Prince''s own wedding is just as grand." Not only was it grand, it was also exciting. The bride ran away with the others and had to go to her brother''s mansion to fish for her.


    He seemed to be in a daze as he recalled something. His smile gradually faded.


    Gu Qingli hadn''t expected this kind of straightforward denial. She looked at him in confusion, as if she was in a hurry to get rid of something. He wasn''t the type to talk about love and hate.


    "Your highness doesn''t like the wangfei? Then why did you marry her? "


    He turned his face away and did not answer.


    "Is there something wrong with the princess? "Then you can give her up." She wanted to coax him to say what he thought of her.


    He seemed to want to avoid the topic, but in the end, he still said indifferently, "Let''s talk about it when This King finds out what''s wrong with her. She hasn''t done anything wrong when she decided to divorce her wife."


    Gu Qingli was stunned. In his eyes, she was still a wangfei who had no faults?


    "Miss Li Yue, is her consumption rate better?"


    "Ah?" "Oh, it''s much better now."


    "Her body... Is there any other question? "


    "Your highness, you mean?" She suddenly thought of something bad that she had overlooked.


    Sure enough, he would not miss a single detail. She pondered for a moment and said, "I once found out that she was poisoned, and I asked her how she was poisoned. She said that the poison was ¡­ The prince gave it to her. Even though I do not believe it, this is a matter of the Duke Palaces, so it would be inconvenient for an outsider like me to ask about it. Fortunately, she was slowly poisoned and seemed to have concealed herself after a period of time.


    "She didn''t ask you to cure her of the poison?"


    "I said the poison in her body is too strange, I can''t cure it."


    "She actually believed your words?"


    Gu Qingli smiled. "Even if she doesn''t believe it, she can''t force it."


    "Yes." Xiao Yi Xiu nodded slowly, his eyes dark and unfathomable. If this duke were to say that the poison in her body was truly administered by this king, how would Miss Li Yue treat it ¡­? "


    Gu Qingli thought, what else can I do about it? You bastard, I just want to kill you. However, she said, "Your highness must have his own reasons."


    "This King requests of you one thing."


    "Hmm?"


    "Don''t agree to cure the wangfei of her poison."


    Gu Qingli looked at him speechlessly. What was he trying to do? If she kept herself by his side, she wouldn''t even see him a few times a month, yet he never gave her any freedom! Did he want to use the antidote to control his entire life?


    "Actually, I really don''t understand what the Prince is trying to do. If you dislike her, you can divorce her. If you hate her, you can kill her. Why is it so troublesome to poison her?"


    "Miss Li Yue, this is the business of this prince''s family." He suddenly felt that his tone had turned heavy. "I''m sorry."


    "Well, I don''t care." She raised her eyebrows. Actually, her hatred towards him had lessened quite a bit. She decided to leave him after she cured her poison. This man with a body full of mysteries was tired enough to stay by his side.


    Gu Qingli hadn''t expected Gu Qingruo to receive news from her mother saying that she would be returning home to talk about her feelings for her sister.


    At first, she didn''t understand, but when she saw the glint in Yuli''s eyes, she understood. Gu Qingruo was clearly showing off to her, bringing Xiaoyi Mo home to show off to her.


    She did not understand what else there was to show off about what had happened at the wedding.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t have much of a reaction to that. He just said that he wasn''t free and told her to go back by herself.


    This was also a good opportunity for him to leave the residence in the open. It was time to go to the Xuanhua Pavilion and check out the latest news. Recently, the two characters had been changing roles day and night. She was also very annoyed.


    She first went to the main hall to pay her respects to Prime Minister Gu. The couple, Xiao Yimo and his wife, were in the middle of a small conversation. Yu Bi Ling held her daughter''s hand as she asked about Gu Qishao. Her face was filled with a pained expression.


    She must have heard about the wedding. From time to time, she shot a glance at Xiaoyi Mo as if she was dissatisfied. However, since the emperor had promised He Yiyu that she would enter the sect, she could no longer interfere.


    Only a few words of sarcasm could not be avoided, "When the prince has decided on the next step, he will be extremely kind to us, Qing Ruo. However, this newcomer has not even entered the sect for three dynasties and is about to take on another concubine. We can only blame him for his bitter life." As he spoke, he forcefully wiped away a few tears, his face filled with the heart of a loving mother.


    When Gu Qing Li entered the sect and saw his filial daughter being filial, Xiao Yi Mo looked embarrassed and his eyes filled with rage.


    When they saw her, the atmosphere in the family seemed to freeze. Only Gu Zhaoran naturally received her greeting and said, "It''s been a few months since Li''er returned home. If you don''t see Ruo''er for a few months, the two sisters can go to the backyard to have a chat."


    "When have we not seen each other for a few months? On the night of the wedding, my daughter went with Prince Mo to offer her congratulations." Gu Qingli smiled and tactfully told them all that she had seen Xiao Yi Mo''s ugly state that night.


    Yu Bi Ling''s face darkened. Just as she was about to flare up, Gu Chaoran said, "Bi Ling, you go with them to the backyard as well."


    Seeing his stern expression, Yu Bi Ling knew that he wasn''t willing to cause any more trouble in front of Xiao Yi Mo. Thus, she had no choice but to bring the two sisters to her room in the backyard.


    As Gu Qing Li left, he cast a glance at Xiao Yi Mo. When he saw that Xiao Yi Mo was staring at him, Xiao Yun was somewhat lost in thought. Gu Qing Li intentionally smiled sweetly, like a hundred flowers blooming in unison.


    Gu Qing Li couldn''t wait any longer, so he and Yu Bi Ling feigned camaraderie. After drinking a cup of tea in her room, they bid farewell and left. Who would''ve thought that Gu Qing Ruoyun would follow them out as well.


    "Halt!"


    As long as they were not in front of everyone, Gu Qingruo would be as domineering as Gu Qingxiao.


    Gu Qingli slowly turned around. She hadn''t learnt her lesson last time with that needle. If she hadn''t been given some medicine today, wouldn''t she have known that Prince Ma had three eyes?


    "Have you seen enough of that night''s events to be a joke?" Gu Qingruo had changed from being a dignified and noble girl to having flames in her eyes. Even the charm of her bright eyes had been ruined.


    "Oh? More than half of the officials and royals in the capital had seen that, right? What do I think, is that important? "


    "You ¡­ Bitch, I see that you''re jealous of me marrying Prince Mo, right? "Tell me, were you responsible for what happened that night?"


    Gu Qingli was suddenly enlightened. No wonder she wanted Yu Bi Ling to send someone to the Mo Residence to return to her parents'' home. She wanted to interrogate him harshly at the Prime Minister''s Residence! As expected, she also felt that there was something fishy going on that night.

 C35 Calling you big sister is giving you face

    "Then elder sister, do you think that I''m the one who caused someone else''s stomach to grow?"


    Gu Qingruo was at a loss for words. Even Xiao Yi Mo didn''t deny this. It was obvious that he also believed that She Yiyu''s child was his.


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Elder sister, you''ve shown off enough. Can I leave now?"


    She turned around and tightened her arm. She couldn''t help but turn her head back, but she didn''t expect that Qing Ruo would move so quickly. She slapped her in the face, although she turned her head to the side and didn''t completely avoid the slap.


    Gu Qing Li''s heart was on fire as he shook off her hand. He returned two blows to her, then flicked his pinky. A speck of colorless, tasteless powder was flicked out. Gu Qing Ruoyun didn''t even pay attention as she sucked it in.


    Gu Qingruo''s eyes were wide open. She was more concerned about the two slaps she received. In her entire life, she never thought that this submissive little sister would actually be so tough!


    "Enough, Gu Qingruo!" I''m giving you face by calling you big sister, but do you really think you''re some sort of toy? "


    Gu Qingruo was shocked and angry at the same time. She struggled as she shouted, "Men! Seize that bitch! "Come ¡­" Her jaw was suddenly pinched, her mouth half open, unable to utter another word.


    Both of her hands were in Gu Qing Li''s other hand, like iron hoops, and she was also powerless to resist.


    She didn''t know when Gu Qingli had become so powerful, but fear gradually filled her eyes as she let out a helpless'' wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwu.''


    "Also, you better restrain yourself in front of me in the future. Otherwise, even Xiao Yi Mo won''t be able to protect you!"


    Gu Qingli''s eyes were full of killing intent, cold light shooting in all directions. Her tone was sharp and severe, causing Gu Qingruo''s legs to go soft. Her struggling movements immediately slowed down.


    Gu Qingli sneered. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly discovered that Gu Qingruo was struggling as her collar was unraveled, revealing a piece of jewelry that had fallen from the sky.


    Although the chain was made of pure gold, she didn''t think much of it. However, the pendant''s shape was extremely peculiar, translucent in texture. Under the sunlight, it emitted a five-colored luster similar to a mummy.


    Mausoleum Fish Scale! Gu Qingli''s heart skipped a beat. She almost wanted to rip it off her neck immediately, but after thinking for a moment, she decided that if they tried to rob her in the future, it would all go wrong.


    Gu Qing Li''s hand loosened and Gu Qing Ruo suddenly lost her balance. She lost her balance and fell to the ground.


    Gu Qingli didn''t pay any attention to her. She patted her hands and coldly said, "In the future, you have to first open your eyes and see who''s in front of you." After that, she tossed Gu Qingruo onto the ground and left.


    Gu Qingruo kept feeling that something wasn''t right, but not only was her butt in pain, her entire body had gone limp, and she couldn''t get up for a moment. She sobbed and shouted, "Someone come! Quick, help this wangfei up! "


    Only now did she have the time to figure out what had happened. For some reason, she felt that Gu Qing Li had changed ¡ª had become terrifying! That look in his eyes, that tone, that strength ¡­ This was not something that her useless second sister could have. Could it be that after marrying to the Mo King''s estate for a few months, Prince Mo had completely reborn her?


    Touching her swollen cheek, she felt her cheek, which had been numbed from the beating, begin to hurt. She breathed in cold air and was carried to Yu''s room, sobbing, by the maidservants who had rushed over to help her.


    Upon seeing her beloved daughter being beaten to such a state, Yu Bi Ling turned pale with fright. She hurriedly asked who had done this. When she heard that it was actually Gu Qing Li, disbelief filled her face, "Are you dreaming? That girl actually dared to resist? And hit you? "


    However, the two finger marks on both sides of Gu Qingruo''s face were clear, an indisputable fact.


    Furious, Yu Bi Ling ordered her maidservants to chase after Gu Qing Li and bring him back.


    Not long after, she returned and reported that Princess Mo had already left by car.


    Yu Bi Ling angrily used an egg to help Gu Qing Ruo''s face. She consoled her while she thought of an idea, "Sooner or later, I''ll make that little bitch look good ¡­" "I don''t know what''s going on with Yuli, but it''s been a long time since I''ve received any news, and now that I''ve brought this information back to the manor, I don''t know why Yuli didn''t follow me!"


    "Mom, I''m afraid that the lunatic causing trouble at my wedding was called over by Gu Qingli!"


    "She''s not that bold ¡­" Just as she said this, Yu Bi Ling felt that something was off. If she dared to hit her own sister, she would be even braver than the heavens themselves. Therefore, he changed his tone and said, "She doesn''t have such methods."


    "I asked her today, and she didn''t admit it. Seeing her arrogant attitude, if she was the one who did it, she shouldn''t have denied it ¡­ "


    Gu Qingli thought about it while sitting in the carriage. If she had known earlier that Gu Qingruo had the scales on her, she would have doubled the amount of medicine she had just now. Unfortunately, it had been caught off guard long ago, as it was only as small as the inside of the canopy. She could only wait for it to flare up.


    In order to prevent others from suspecting her, the effects of her poison were extremely slow. At least half a month after her return, Gu Qing Ruo''s symptoms began to appear. By the time she became anxious and looked around for a cure, it would probably be a month later ¡­


    On the way back, she made an excuse herself by stopping by the roadside to buy things, then climbed up the path beside the Xuanhua Restaurant to see Du Ying.


    Du Ying, on the other hand, felt refreshed. With Gu Qing Li''s arrangements, the old procuress no longer dared to call her a guest, only allowing her to rest every day.


    However, her Xiao Shuo Fang really hadn''t come again. She probably didn''t want him anymore and she had been thinking about what Gu Qing Li had said recently. She felt cold to him and only felt a bit of hatred.


    Gu Qing Li called over Wen Xiang, asked her about the recent situation, and left after saying a few more words.


    After returning to the palace, she was surprised to find Xiao Yi Xiu waiting for her.


    "Isn''t the prince busy?"


    "Just rested. Why are you back so soon? Didn''t you have a good reminiscence with your King Mu? " His bite on the two words "Sunset King" was particularly strong. It was unknown whether his eyes were filled with ridicule or displeasure.


    "Is Your Highness jealous?" If you were afraid that I would meet with King Mu, you would have stopped me from returning to my parents'' home. "


    "You think too highly of yourself." He stood up and looked around her. "So, who are you arguing with now?"


    Gu Qingli was startled. How did he know? Lowering her head, she realized that his clothes had already been wiped flat. There shouldn''t be any wrinkles on his clothes.


    Xiao Yi Xiu lifted his chin and gently caressed her left cheek. He said lightly, "It''s swollen."


    Only then did she recall the scene of Gu Qingruo slapping her in the face. She felt a burning pain, but soon forgot. After all, she wasn''t a delicate and charming young miss like Gu Qingruo. This kind of pain meant nothing to her.


    But when his soft fingers brushed past her face, she felt a little rough. She subconsciously judged that it was a hand that was used to holding weapons, then she felt that his movements were gentle and ¡­ Ambiguous.


    "It''s no big deal, Gu Qingruo hit me once, I gave her back twice."


    "He still has that same bad temper." He still has that same bad temper of his. He said this softly, but he did not seem to be reprimanding her. She felt that perhaps she was mistaken, but did she think that he was actually a little sympathetic?


    "I am taking the blame for you. She thought it was because of me that Yi Yu''s matter was done by me. A woman who has been imprisoned by you in the palace all day, how could she fly out to do such a thing? "


    "Go to the kitchen and cook some eggs yourself. Your face is swollen and ugly."


    Gu Qingli was stunned for a moment. Although she had to cook the egg herself and had to knead it in the end, she still couldn''t get used to the worrisome words coming out of his mouth.


    "In your eyes, when have I ever looked good?" Finishing her sentence, she turned and left, not giving him the chance to reprimand her.

 C36 sign

    The people of the Mu King''s Manor posted bounty notices all around. The streets and alleys were filled with traveling doctors to watch and uncover the bounty, but not a single one who came out of the manor weren''t rolling and crawling; some were even being beaten until they cried for their parents.


    No one dared to reveal the last board in the end. Only then, a slim and delicate hand reached out from the crowd and gently took down the last board.


    "Eh, it''s a girl!"


    "Ah, isn''t this the Ghost Doctor!?"


    "Ghost Doctor ¡­" It really is the Ghost Doctor! "


    Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, this reputation had already spread throughout the capital.


    Gu Qingli hadn''t thought that she would be so eye-catching. Even if she had been among the crowd, so many people would have recognized her. She hurriedly put away the list, only to be pushed out of the crowd with great enthusiasm.


    However, the crowd that was watching the commotion did not see her enter the Mu King''s Manor as scheduled. Instead, they headed in the direction of the Mo King''s Manor.


    If she wanted to enter the Mu King''s manor successfully, she wouldn''t be able to switch positions with Li Yue and the wangfei at the same time. After all, these two princesses weren''t from the same residence, so she had to tell Xiao Yi Xiu that she was on leave.


    When Xiao Yi Xiu heard that Li Yue was on leave, he nearly got up from his bed, ignoring the silver needles all over his body.


    Gu Qingli pressed her shoulder and frowned, "Prince, don''t be impatient. Although the poison in your body hasn''t been completely removed, I''ve been in the Gu household for more than two months with acupuncture and moxibustion, and I can almost finish the first round of treatment. What I need later is some medicine, and it won''t be as useful as me staying by your side all day."


    "Where are you going?"


    "To do this."


    When Xiao Yi Xiu saw the board, he didn''t react for a moment. He frowned and said after a long time, "You ¡­" You left this duke just to treat Princess Mu''s illness? "


    Gu Qingli didn''t notice the change in his mood and replied, "Yeah, I saw this bounty on the street today. I just got it back."


    "This King will give you double the amount of gold. Don''t go if you stay."


    Gu Qingli frowned. "I won''t leave without the results."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression darkened. Surprisingly, he grabbed the board with his hands and tore it into pieces.


    "Hey, what are you doing?" Gu Qingli was furious, and her tone became impolite as well.


    His tone became lighter. "The rankings are gone. This King will still agree to give you the money you asked for ¡­"


    "Your Highness! Do you know what kind of money I want? Can you afford it? "


    He was startled for a moment before a look of doubt appeared in his eyes.


    She sighed and picked up the pieces of the bounty list. She put them together one by one and helplessly said, "This is the last one on the street. You actually tore it up!? I heard that there was a mausoleum fish scale in the Palace of the Mu Prince, which was why I decided to enter the Palace to treat Princess Hua-Yang. If you have this item, why would I reveal it to you? "


    Xiao Yixiu had never thought that she wanted to go to the Mu King''s manor to treat his illness for his sake. The expression in her eyes fluctuated a little.


    "There''s a Mausoleum of Books fish scale at the Palace of the Twilight Zone?" Why has This King never heard of this matter? "


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. She had definitely not seen the pendant on Gu Qingruo''s neck when she was in her parents'' family. If it hadn''t been for the Gu family, it was highly likely that it had been given to her by King Mu.


    "Nope." "Xiao Yi Xiu had seen her draw a map before, but he couldn''t recall ever seeing it before." If This King had seen it, I would have definitely told you already. "


    She sighed. "It doesn''t matter if it''s true or not, I still have to try."


    "Then you ¡­" When will you be back? "


    "Of course it''s to come back as soon as you''ve obtained the Magical Beast Scale." I have to clean up the leftover poison for you, you bastard. If not, who will return it? she thought.


    "I''ll do it as soon as I can." She slowed her tone, as if comforting him.


    When the glued name list was handed into the Palace, Gu Qingli was almost driven out, "Even the name list was torn, and you still dare to come into our Palace to treat diseases? Get lost, get away! "


    "How dare you!" Do you know who I am? " Gu Qingli''s face darkened as she raised her hand to block the fat hand pushing her forward.


    The guard felt his wrist tighten and then his entire arm began to go numb. He looked over in shock and anger and found that his five fingers had turned purplish black and had swelled up all the way up.


    He shouted like a pig, "Help me..." A demoness has arrived! "


    Gu Qing Li leisurely stood at the door. There were already several guards who wanted to block her entry, but she didn''t want to barge in right now. She would wait for that bastard Xiao Yi Mo to beg her.


    Sure enough, Xiao Yi Mo, who was wearing a black robe and had a cold expression, hurried over under the lead of a guard. He was stunned when he saw her.


    He was not as ignorant as the imperial guards. He had heard of the Ghost Doctor''s name before. Was this trademark red gauze the Ghost Doctor? He was still a little doubtful.


    "Prince Mu."


    "This king heard that someone sent a torn and redecorated ranking in, and was just guessing who it was, it''s actually the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue?"


    "Do you not believe me, your highness?"


    Xiao Yi Mo glanced at the guards who were covering the entire floor and almost blocking the entrance of the Mu King''s manor and nodded, "I didn''t believe you at first, but now I''m starting to believe you."


    "Then does Your Highness care more about a broken leaderboard or the body of an imperial concubine?"


    "Come in."


    Gu Qingli lowered her head and looked. "I''m sorry, brothers. Please lift your feet."


    "I''m a swindler, I can''t cure you of your poison." Gu Qingli laughed softly.


    The swindler was the one who scolded her earlier, she hadn''t forgotten a single word.


    "Ghost Doctor ¡­" No no, Miss Godly Doctor, this lowly one has offended you just now, please be magnanimous! "


    Xiao Yi Mo''s eyes swept across the imperial guards and darkened. He calmly said, "They are just servants. I don''t know the identity of the Ghost Doctor. I hope Miss Li Yue won''t bother with them."


    Gu Qingli nodded. With a light wave of her sleeve, she said, "Alright."


    "You''re done?" Not only were the groaning guards stunned, but even Xiao Yimu was stunned.


    But indeed, not long after, the lightest of the poisoned guards started to use the wall to prop themselves up.


    "This is too godly!" The guards were dumbstruck.


    Xiao Yi''s dark expression began to change. He no longer only believed in Li Yue''s identity, but his medical skills as well.


    Gu Qingli followed behind him into the estate and asked, "What is the current situation of the wangfei?"


    Xiao Yi Mo paused for a moment. With a slightly unhappy expression, he glanced at her and said, "Let''s talk about it when we meet the wangfei."


    Gu Qingli was very clear in her heart. What medicine did she use? What kind of situation would occur after so long? How could she not know? She was just purposely asking to test Ye Zichen''s reaction, and sure enough, Ye Zichen noticed that he wasn''t happy about it.


    Men really value their looks. She sneered in her heart.


    What had become of Gu Qingruo''s beautiful, jade-like face?

 C37 detoxification

    Pushing the door open, he saw that the interior was airtight. Obviously, the doors and windows were covered by heavy curtains, preventing even the outside sunlight from shining into the interior of the room. He had to turn the screen to see a swinging curtain hanging in the inner room.


    Xiaoyi Mo frowned, "Still not holding a light?"


    As a result, in the dark, someone ignited a few more lanterns in succession, then someone behind the curtains screamed, "Extinguished, extinguished!"


    Gu Qingli was baffled. She thought to herself, "She''s just poisoned, it''s not measles. Why are you so afraid of light?"


    Xiao Yi Mo didn''t pay any attention to him and walked forward with large strides. He casually lifted the bead curtain and walked in.


    Gu Qingli followed closely behind and was almost hit in the face by the beaded curtain that was thrown at her. She thought to herself, "This Sunset King is so angry."


    On the rosewood bed carved with Luan Fengxiang, there was a large red smokescreen, and the dressing table in the room was still pasted with the word ''Joy''. It was clear that the wedding had not yet passed, but a strange depressing atmosphere permeated the room, not a single trace of happiness could be seen.


    Even the maidservants who were standing with their hands down didn''t dare to breathe. Their faces were full of fear and trepidation.


    Just as Xiao Yi Mo rolled up the curtains made of pure gold, he saw a person sitting upright on the bed. With disheveled hair and red silk undergarments, he yelled out like a ghost, "Get out! Get the hell out of here! "


    Following that, he waved his hands in a flurry.


    "What''s the matter with you?" Xiao Yi Mo roared and grabbed the woman''s shoulder, attempting to stabilize her body.


    The woman struggled with all her might. Her long hair covered her face, making it impossible to see her face. She could only vaguely make out a thin figure under the empty silk gown.


    Gu Qingli felt a sense of wanting to laugh. The dignified prime minister of a thousand gold, not long ago she was still acting arrogantly in front of her, but now she had become like this. She said lightly, "Is this the princess consort?"


    The woman was originally struggling with all her might. However, it took some effort for Xiao Yi Mo to suppress it, so he furiously slapped her in the face.


    She suddenly stopped moving and stared straight through her long hair at Xiaoyi Mo and Gu Qingli.


    Seeing Gu Qingli''s crimson red clothes, it was as if she had received a huge shock. "You actually let someone else enter the sect again. It''s been less than a month ¡­" she muttered. "You''ve only been married to me for less than a month, yet you''ve already taken in a side concubine and even a new one ¡­"


    "Are you sick? This is the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, whom this king has invited.


    Gu Qingruo sat there like she was in a daze.


    Gu Qingli didn''t expect that her red clothes would be mistaken for bride attire by the emotional Gu Qingruo. She frowned, then went up to the bed and sat down. She extended her hand. "Princess, please extend your hand and take my pulse."


    Gu Qingruo hesitantly stretched out her wrist, allowing her to feel her pulse.


    Gu Qing asked as she examined her pulse. Gu Qingruo was in a trance, and Xiao Yi Mo would sometimes answer.


    At first, she felt nauseous and uncomfortable half a month ago. Then, she felt a slight tingling on her face and couldn''t help but scratch it. Then, she started to itch more and more, until her face started to swell up, and along with the scratches on her fingernails, some parts of her face started to crack and fester.


    The unveiling teacher was mostly helpless against her ghost-like face. There were even some prescriptions that were right, but they couldn''t get to the root of the illness. She ate medicine every day, and the more she ate, the more painful she became.


    It was the fear of seeing her face that made the house look like this haunted house.


    Gu Qingli flipped her black hair over and was startled. There was still some dregs of the medicine left on her face by the doctor, she had already applied them internally and externally.


    "Wash her face."


    "No, no, no ¡­" Her face was in so much pain now that it stung every time she touched it, and it itched without touching it.


    The maidservants brought water for them and brought masks with their hands, but none of them dared to advance while trembling in fear. Lately, whoever saw her face would have to be beaten up, let alone washed it.


    Gu Qingli said lightly, "Don''t be afraid, Your Highness is holding her down. I''ll help her wash." She took out a small bottle from her bosom and poured some yellow powder into the basin, instantly dissolving it.


    She twisted her mask, thinking to herself that for the sake of the scales, I will wash your face first, and then we will settle our debts after autumn. She sneered in her heart as she slowly wiped Gu Qingruo''s face with a handkerchief.


    For fear that Gu Qingruo would struggle to resist, Xiaoyi Mo sat behind her and twisted both of her hands, locking her in place.


    At the beginning, Gu Qingruo was still struggling and crying weakly. As she washed the handkerchief, she actually calmed down, as if the pain had lessened greatly.


    Actually, Gu Qingli''s powder had only been mixed with mint and some pain-relieving powder. When applied to her face, it was calming and refreshing, slightly reducing the itchiness on her face. Gu Qingluo felt much more comfortable.


    But in the eyes of others, she definitely had a pair of mysterious hands. She had washed her face just once, and made Gu Qingruo obediently quiet down.


    His face was dark red and swollen, covered in dried scabs and bloody scars. There were also a variety of purplish black pimples scattered all over his body. He looked like an ugly toad skin.


    Gu Qing Li couldn''t help but want to laugh, so he continued to ask, "Does the wangfei still drink alcohol sometimes?"


    "There''s a doctor who said that alcohol can stimulate blood circulation and dissipate blood stasis ¡­"


    Who the hell said that? Gu Qingli wanted to laugh as she silently cursed the wine. It was good that alcohol could disperse qi and remove blood stasis, but Gu Qingruo''s body was poisoned. Drinking alcohol would speed up the blood circulation and speed up the poison.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was so bad that it could no longer be seen. His gaze shifted to the side, not wanting to land on Gu Qing Ruo''s face at all.


    It was no wonder that even a single person couldn''t stand such a face, let alone a heartless scum like Xiao Yi Mo. It was already out of respect for Gu Zhaoran that he had been able to register for a doctor for Gu Qingruo.


    After washing his face, Gu Li Qing leisurely wiped his hands. "Alright, take a pen and paper, and open up the recipe."


    Xiaoyi Mo ignored Gu Qingruo and walked up to her, watching her as she started writing.


    Gu Qingruo''s calligraphy was not good. In her previous life, she had spent all of her time practicing poison techniques and killing people. She didn''t have the time to study these flashy things.


    As she wrote, she said, "Your Highness, if I can cure Princess Hua-Yang, I''ll need some compensation."


    "A thousand taels of gold. It''s written on the reward list that I will definitely pay for it."


    "I want more."


    Xiaoyi Mo''s long and thick eyebrows slowly knitted together, "How much do you want?


    Gu Qingli paused for a moment before pointing at Gu Qingruo''s neck. "I want that thing in her neck."


    Gu Qingruo was wearing red silk undergarments that didn''t fit her dress at all. Her neck was bare and slender, and the ornamental gold chain around her neck was shaking. The translucent crescent moon-shaped fish scales in particular emitted a pearl-like luster, reflecting a rainbow-colored luster on the edge of her chest.


    The expression in Xiao Yi Mo''s eyes changed slightly, and his expression seemed stiff. He looked at Gu Qing Ru but didn''t say anything.


    Gu Qingruo''s expression changed as she instinctively covered her chest, "You can''t give it to her!" This was one of the new appointments he made before the wedding. She had personally helped her put it on.


    Although she didn''t know what it was, it was a tribute that the Emperor had given Xiao Yi Mo for his grand wedding. It was said that it was a tribute from the distant Southern Moon Country, so it was naturally incomparably precious.

 C38 carp scale

    Gu Qing Li didn''t even raise his head as he continued writing, "Then it''s up to you. My prescription is for the first three days. If you only take the internal medicine and don''t apply the external medicine, then a thousand taels of gold would be enough."


    "What do you mean?"


    "The poison in her body will be dispelled, but her complexion will not recover."


    "Poison?!"


    However, Gu Qingruo''s main point was a bit different, "What? Her appearance wouldn''t recover? Then why are you called the Ghost Doctor?! "


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Whatever you want, you have to pay the price. If you don''t want to give me my price, I''ll take care of half of it." If you do not believe me, you can not even eat medicine and wait for your death. After one month, you can buy the Immersed Water Coffin and prepare for the future. "


    Gu Qingruo was angered by her and shrieked, "How dare you not treat this wangfei! I won''t let you out of the palace!"


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was dark, as if he was considering something.


    "Your Royal Highness, why don''t you let them arrest her!"


    Gu Qing Li raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Your highness should be someone who understands. It won''t be that easy to keep me here, right?"


    Xiao Yi Mo finally nodded slowly and waved his hand to stop Gu Qing Ruo. "Royal Concubine, don''t cause trouble. Miss Li Yue, does your lordship want to know if the wangfei''s body is poisonous or not? What poison is it? When did it happen? "


    "The poison in the Royal Concubine''s body is called Nine Seeds Seamless, and is made from nine different types of poison. I don''t know how long it will take for him to be poisoned, but judging from the time the poison was released, it should have been around half a month ago? What did the wangfei touch at that time? "


    "Half a month ago?" Gu Qingruo had a blank expression on her face. She had been staying at the palace and hadn''t gone anywhere else. "Oh, that''s not right. I made a trip to the palace, about 20 days ago ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression turned cold. Enter the palace? If someone in the palace tried to harm her, it would be impossible to guard against ¡­ But what did he do to her?


    Gu Qing laughed in her mind. She shouldn''t have been able to think of herself, because it had already been a month since she had returned, and the poison had not been released for more than half a month.


    "Alright, we''ll go with the prescription." Gu Qing finally finished writing the damned prescription. He took a look at it and was slightly dissatisfied with his large handwriting. However, to be able to sell it for a thousand taels of gold, it would be useless even for a calligrapher''s sticker.


    Gu Qingruo anxiously asked, "Then what about the external application?"


    "There''s no need to rush. Wait until Princess Hua-Yang has thought it through and is willing to give me the item on her neck. "However, if there''s a scar on his face, tsk tsk ¡­"


    "I, I ¡­" "Prince ¡­" Gu Qingruo raised her tear-stained face to look at Xiao Yi Mo. If it was the same Hibiscus Jade Mask that she wore in the past, her expression would be extremely pitiful. However, it only made him feel disgusted, causing him to subconsciously look away.


    "Do you think so, your highness?" Gu Qingli''s inquiring gaze turned over. Just how much did Mu Wang love this new wangfei?


    Xiao Yi Mo said indifferently, "Give it to her. No matter how beautiful it is, it''s just an ornament. It can''t be more important than you." Hearing her tone, he didn''t know what it was at all. He only thought it was beautiful, so he gave it to Gu Qingruo on the gold chain.


    Gu Qing gave a cold laugh. The scales of the mountain fish were extremely cold, and they had been hanging around his neck for a long time. The cold air would corrode Gu Qingruo''s body, so she had saved her.


    "NO!" This is a token of love from the Prince! "


    It was no wonder that she treated Xiao Yimo like a precious treasure. It seemed that she was really infatuated with him, even forgetting a token of love after his appearance had been ruined. Did she really think that Xiao Yimo would love her more because of that object? What a fool.


    Xiao Yi Mo frowned as he controlled his emotions and spoke slowly, "Royal Concubine, I like you. I''m giving you everything to make you happy, but how can you be happy if you ruin your appearance? This King will also feel heartache when he looks at you. Although that thing is rare, This King will give you better things in the future.


    He kept saying that he liked her, but he didn''t even glance at her from the corner of his eyes. His unwittingly passing eyes even carried a hint of loathing.


    Obviously, Gu Qingruo didn''t understand this logic.


    However, Xiao Yi Mo''s words made Gu Qing Ruo''s eyes light up. After some hesitation, she finally nodded her head. "Alright."


    Gu Qing Li heaved a sigh of relief. He thought that if she didn''t give it to him, he had to find another way to deceive her. After all, he couldn''t use force. On the other hand, Xiao Yi Mo didn''t think that it was that important. It was just a rare accessory.


    For the past few days, Gu Qingli had been concocting medicine, decocting medicine, cooking and drying them, as well as concocting the ointment that Gu Qingruo had applied on the outside.


    After the medicine was made into a kind of red cool paste, with a light fragrance.


    However, she had kept her eyes open and added a scent of medicine to the ointment. If she couldn''t get the scales by that time and activated the ointment, Gu Qingruo would continue to be poisoned. If everything went well, she decided to keep her promise to get rid of the poison in that woman''s body and leave the grudge for later.


    The second prescription had already been given seven days'' worth of medicine. Gu Qingruo looked much better, the swelling on her face had subsided, but the purplish black nodules and scratches were still there.


    She naturally understood why she still hadn''t received the external medicine, so she had no choice but to send for the Ghost Doctor.


    When Gu Qing Li arrived, he saw Gu Qing Ruo untied the chain around her neck. She was reluctant to part with her hand, but when he saw her, he raised his gaze and glared at her. There was no trace of gratitude in his eyes, only resentment.


    Gu Qingli was speechless at her coldness. In the past, when she was a sister, she had been ruthless to her because she was from a different father and mother. But now, she had saved her life with an unfamiliar identity.


    Gu Qingruo knew that now was not the time to offend the Ghost Doctor. She calmed herself down, stood up gracefully, and handed the Myriad Willows Fish Scale in her hand to Gu Qingli. "Since you like this item, I hope you will keep it with you and not ruin it. This is my most treasured item."


    Gu Qingli took the gold chain and untied it, then tossed it back to Gu Qingruo with a faint smile. "Since it''s so precious, the other half will return to you. I only want this pendant." She thought to herself that she wouldn''t be able to store the medicinal herbs properly and turn them into powder not long after she took them, let alone damage them. One could imagine what would happen after she fed them to Xiao Yi Xiu.


    When she thought of this, Gu Qingli suddenly wanted to laugh. If Gu Qingruo knew that the treasure she used as an ornament had been drugged, what would she think? She saw her holding the golden chain in a daze, so he took out the prepared ointment and passed it to her.


    "Twice a day, when applied to face, do not be greedy." After that, he asked Gu Qingruo to sit down and take her pulse.


    He was going to change the formula this time, but as Gu Qing checked his pulse, his expression gradually changed.


    "What''s wrong with the Princess after taking her medicine recently?"


    "I feel like vomiting and nausea. Is it because I ate too much medicine that it hurts my stomach?"


    "How long has it been since we last met?"


    Gu Qing Ruoyun thought about it for a moment and vaguely remembered that it was before she got married. Afterwards, when she was married, she was poisoned, and her body gradually became unwell. She had long forgotten about the matters of the month that had expired. She thought it was probably the effects of the poison and the drug, so she didn''t think it was strange. Instead, she told him the truth.


    "Esteemed wangfei, you''re going to stop applying the medicine, you can''t use the external application either."

 C39 Princess Huai

    "No, the poison in Princess Hua-Yang''s body has more or less been removed, but a new situation has occurred, so it''s not appropriate to use any more violent drugs. The only thing we can do now is to reduce the number of pharmacists and use slower methods to expel the remaining poison."


    "What''s new?"


    "The princess is delighted. It will be a month."


    "..." You... What did you say? How is that possible? " Ever since she''d started feeling unwell and his face had changed, Xiao Yimo had stopped touching her. How could he have gotten pregnant just like that?!


    Gu Qingli hadn''t thought it would turn out like this. Previously, she''d only been pregnant for twenty days, but the fetus was too young to be diagnosed. Now that her pulse had changed, she realized she couldn''t continue using medicine. Fortunately, the previous poison and medicine should not have caused too much damage to the fetus. She only needed to prescribe some birth control medicine and do her best to salvage the situation. She believed that the fetus should still be alive.


    "Pregnancy... Pregnancy... "No, I can''t have this child!"


    However, Gu Qingruo didn''t listen to her explanation at all. She only stared at her like a crazed demon. "You don''t have to worry. Just pretend you didn''t find the right pulse and continue to prescribe medicine for this wangfei!"


    "If you stop the drug now, you still have a chance to keep it. You can continue to use it. If you insist on doing so, you won''t be able to keep the fetus, or even ¡­" It''s possible that she''s infertile. "


    Gu Qingruo''s entire body trembled as she shook her head. At this moment, she no longer dared to doubt the Ghost Doctor''s medical skills. She could only ponder on it in her heart before resolutely saying, "This wangfei must recover her looks. Did you hear me?!"


    Gu Qing Li''s cold eyes swept past her, full of disdain. "Could it be that your appearance is more important than your biological son?"


    Gu Qingruo clenched her teeth and said, "Firstly, the residual poison in this wangfei''s body has yet to be cleansed. If you change your method, I''m afraid it won''t be completely cleansed. Secondly, you''ve already used so many medicines. "Three ¡­"


    She subconsciously reached out and slowly caressed her face as she mumbled, "Ever since this wangfei became like this, Your Highness has never looked me in the eye ¡­ "No, I cannot disfigure his face, I must restore my former beauty!"


    "Okay, but do you want to discuss this with your highness?"


    "No!" Gu Qingruo''s voice suddenly grew louder, fierce and fierce.


    Gu Qingli''s face darkened. She hated being threatened the most in her life.


    Fortunately, Gu Qingruo sensed that something was amiss, so she immediately slowed down her tone and said, "Lady Li Yue, please do not tell the prince anything, especially that thing ¡­" there''s a possibility of infertility. "


    Gu Qingli couldn''t be bothered to care about her, but upon hearing her insistence, she merely snorted and said, "You know what''s going on yourself. That''s your husband, speaking or not is your problem."


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt that something was wrong as she turned around and left the room. She turned around and saw a corner of her clothes flashing past. She wrinkled her delicate eyebrows as the matter from before flashed through her mind. Lowering her eyelids in thought, she left as if nothing had happened. She was too lazy to get involved with the couple''s matters.


    Gu Qing Li''s medicine was marvelous beyond compare. It had only been half a month, and the purplish black nodules and scars on Gu Qing Ruo''s face had all been removed. Most of her face had already been restored to its original state.


    Just when Gu Qingruo thought everything was going to turn for the better, she suddenly felt a stomachache. She waited for the maidservant to call Gu Qingli to come back to the scene in a panic. She was in so much pain that her entire bed was rolling about and blood was seeping out of her dress.


    Gu Qingli knew something was wrong the moment she saw him. She ignored the pain and forced the maidservant to connect the pulse. After a while, she brushed away the prescription and called for someone to grab it. She started to give Gu Qingruo acupuncture herself.


    "Calm down, if you don''t want to die, then it''s best if you don''t struggle to move." After all, even if the maidservants were in pain while pressing Gu Qingruo down, they still couldn''t compare to Xiao Yi Mo.


    After the acupuncture, Gu Qingruo gradually recovered. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat, her face was pale, and the hem of her skirt was gradually turning red.


    Under Gu Qing Li''s command, the maidservants got hot water and some cloth. They closed the doors and helped Gu Qing Ruo remove the stillborn child.


    After all, the fetus was still young and it would be difficult to clean it up no matter what. Even though Gu Qing Ruo had a needle, the root of the disease she was suffering from would make her infertile for the rest of her life.


    "Is it worth it?" Gu Qingli ordered people to clear her blood, coldly looked at her.


    Gu Qingruo was already exhausted, so she couldn''t give a proper answer.


    "When the medicine is ready, eat it properly for another seven days. All the blood and blood in your body will be drained."


    Not long after he left, he bumped into a woman in a peony embroidered skirt. She walked carefully with her palms clasped together in front of her lower abdomen. When she lifted her head, her snow-white face had a beautiful look, but her eyes seemed to be a bit uncertain, as if there was something on her mind.


    Gu Qingli recognized that this was the man who had caused trouble at night. However, the other didn''t recognize the man in red, so he only glanced at her for a moment before brushing past her, as if she was heading for Gu Qingruo''s residence.


    Thinking of the clothes on the corner of the corridor, Gu Qingli seemed to have thought of something.


    Coincidentally, in the past two days, Xiao Yimo had not been in the manor. When he returned, Gu Qingruo had recovered almost to her usual state, leaving behind only the blood that had yet to be drained from her body. The scar on her face had already disappeared, and her face was as fair as a peeled egg; it was even prettier than before.


    When Xiaoyi Mo came over, he saw Gu Qingruo in a dancing dress with her arms around her mirror. Although her face was plain, it was difficult to hide her picturesque appearance. Her jade-like skin made him feel intoxicated.


    Gu Qingruo smiled sweetly at him, but didn''t say anything. She only got up lightly and started playing a song, "Losing the Sleeve Actuation", in the inner hall.


    Back then, when they were young and knew each other, she had done this exact same thing. He had seen a young girl dancing so gently and moving, as if she were flying through the sky. At that time, he had been stupefied.


    At this moment, the memory floated into Xiao Yi Mo''s mind. He couldn''t help but be moved and took a few steps forward.


    Just as he was about to grab Gu Qingruo''s slim figure and hold her in his arms, a maidservant called out from outside, "My lord, which side of the imperial concubine is not feeling well? There seems to be some movement in her womb. Please go take a look!"


    Xiao Yi Mo froze. Gu Qing Ruo''s entire body was bent down towards him, and she wanted to press her weight against his arm. In the end, she almost lost her balance and landed on the ground. She regained her balance after a short while and saw that he was walking out without caring about her.


    She shouted in exasperation, "Hongyi Mo, stop right there!"


    "Esteemed wangfei, pay attention to your identity. You speak in such an impolite manner that you''re no longer like a prime minister!"


    Gu Qingruo was so angry that her jaw dropped. She watched him walk away, crying as she scolded, "You ingrate! "It wasn''t like this when you wanted to get engaged and marry me!"


    After crying for a while, she suddenly thought of Gu Qingli saying that she might lose her virginity and couldn''t help feeling a chill run down her spine. At first, Xiao Yi Mo didn''t like He Yi Yu very much. Even though he had been ordered by the emperor to invite her into the mansion as a secondary wife, he didn''t really like her much.


    However, as her stomach grew, he also gradually changed. In the end, if She Yiyu were to have a son in the future, he would be her eldest son!

 C40 miscarriage

    Xiao Yi Mo hurried over to He Yanyu''s side. He was surprised to see that Gu Qing Li was taking her pulse.


    Gu Qingli glanced at him. "It''s just a side effect. I heard that the secondary wife isn''t feeling well, so the servant girl invited her over."


    He Yanyu said, "Lady Li Yue is such a good person. She has accompanied me for quite a while and even comforted me."


    "What is it?"


    He Yanyu pouted, feeling wronged. There was a layer of tears in her eyes, making her look delicate and pitiful: "Recently, when the Prince isn''t here, I feel unwell and even have a palpitation. I suspect that the child can''t be protected. Fortunately, Miss Li Yue said that I was fine. It''s just that the pregnant women have too many worries and are too depressed before giving birth to a child. "


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was a little unsightly, but he only frowned. "Alright, I''ll be leaving if there''s nothing else."


    "Your Highness, don''t leave. I have something to tell you." She Yiyu stood up and hugged him to act like a spoiled child.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s emotions gradually calmed down. Perhaps it was because when He Yi Yu was with him in the past, she always fought back and refused most of the time. Even if she endured later on, she never gave him a good face.


    Gu Qingli got up and left. She couldn''t be bothered to look at their fake love show and could only hear He Yanyu whispering behind her, "Royal Concubine, she ¡­" This way... Your Highness, you actually don''t know about this? "


    Gu Qingli knew He Yanyu had entered the palace for the sake of stirring up trouble, but when she heard this, she still thought about it and finally sneered. She just needed to sit back and watch.


    The next day, when he was checking Gu Qingruo''s pulse again, he felt that there was still blood inside her body. Gu Qingli was about to say something when she heard her ask, "Was there anything different about Miss Li Yue''s pregnancy image yesterday?"


    "No, everything is fine."


    "Then why did the Prince stay in her room and not come back?" Gu Qingruo angrily grabbed a teacup on the table and smashed it.


    "Why are you angry?" As Xiao Yi Mo spoke with a slightly cold voice, he walked into the room. His gloomy face looked as if he wasn''t in a good mood.


    "Your Highness!"


    Seeing that Gu Qingli was present, Xiao Yimo didn''t say anything more. He only said coldly, "Could it be that your lordship already needs Princess Consort to arrange a room for him?"


    Yesterday, he had brushed off his sleeves like the clouds and Gu Qingruo had been ignored at night. She had learned to be obedient and her tone was gentle, "Prince, don''t be angry. I was wrong yesterday. Can''t I apologize to you?"


    Xiao Yi Mo ignored her and only picked up the teapot on the table to smell it. He said coldly, "What is this brown sugar water for?"


    "For... It''s too bitter. "


    "Didn''t you expunge all your poison? Still taking medicine? "What prescription?"


    Gu Qing Ruo''s expression changed, only to see him take out the medicine bowl that she had drank from. He stared at her as he asked, "What''s in this?"


    "Of course it is ¡­ The medicine to purge the remaining poison. "


    "Miss Li Yue, please speak."


    Gu Qingli furrowed her brows. With just a glance, she knew that Xiaoyi Mo already knew everything. It didn''t matter even if she didn''t say anything. However, she wouldn''t do it if the evil person asked her to do it.


    He then stood up and said coldly, "Your highness won''t suspect that I poisoned Princess Hua-Yang, right?"


    It''s none of your business. It''s a matter of the Wang family''s business." "Someone, take the leftover medicine from the wangfei and find a doctor to take a look.


    "Your Highness!" Gu Qingruo''s face lost its color.


    "Why not let This King guess? "Esteemed wangfei, did you accidentally lose your baby? Are you taking some medicine to stimulate your blood flow and remove blood stasis?"


    Gu Qingruo denied her words, "Your highness, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? How could you think like this?"


    "Humph!" Seeing that she didn''t want to admit to it, Rong Yi Mo turned around and was about to leave.


    She began to tremble as she rushed forward to grab Xiao Yi Mo. "My lord, you can''t listen to rumours. You haven''t touched me for almost a month. Where did I get an abortion from?"


    "These words of yours reminds This King that pregnancy is a joyous occasion. Why did you hit your fetus in such a hurry? Could it be that this fetus ¡­ Not This King''s? " As Xiao Yi Mo''s sharp eyes swept over them, his killing intent suddenly rose.


    Gu Qingruo was shocked and afraid as she sobbed, "Your Highness, you''re getting more and more outrageous the more you think about it. How could something like this happen?"


    Xiao Yi Mo grabbed her neck and shouted, "Explain yourself then. What are you planning to do when I''m not here?"


    Gu Qingluo had been pinched so hard that she couldn''t breathe properly. She kept coughing, unable to speak.


    Gu Qing Li looked coldly at the couple''s internal strife and couldn''t help but gloat in her heart. However, Gu Qingruo looked at her pitifully. Tears welled up in her eyes, and they were bloodshot.


    Gu Qingli''s heart softened for some inexplicable reason before she said lightly, "It''s useless for the prince to strangle an imperial concubine. The child has already fallen and won''t be able to come back."


    Xiao Yi Mo looked at her gloomily.


    "The princess wanted her looks to recover, so she forced the drug on, causing an abortion. At that time, if the drug was stopped, the fetus might have been saved, but the princess might have been disfigured. Women love beauty, so it is understandable for the princess to think so. "


    Gu Qing Li inwardly sneered. Gu Qing Ruo had chosen to think of the consequences today and undergo an abortion for the sake of beauty. Even if Xiao Yi Mo no longer doubted the origin of the child in her womb, he definitely wouldn''t tolerate her actions.


    Sure enough, under Xiaoyi Mo''s rage, although he loosened his grip on Gu Qingruo, he still slapped her twice until she stumbled and fell onto the ground. He then kicked out furiously, "Bitch! He clearly knows that This King has no son, yet he still dared to perform an abortion without permission! Don''t think that your face is as beautiful as it looks. Even if this king recovers, I don''t want to look at you again! "


    He angrily strode out, completely ignoring Gu Qingruo''s pale face and cold sweat from the kick.


    She had only been a child for a few days. Now that she was kicked again, her lower body blood quickly dyed her skirt red and her stomach began to hurt.


    Gu Qingli glanced at her and only threw her a sentence, "The blood from left and right hasn''t been cleared. This kick has helped you clear it out too. Drink more Angelica, Chuanxiong and brown sugar water."


    Gu Qingruo''s venomous eyes stared at Gu Qingli''s back, the hatred in her eyes intensifying like a raging fire. She couldn''t remember that if Gu Qingli''s words hadn''t saved her life, she wouldn''t have been kicked so easily. Xiao Yi Mo would have probably strangled her to death already.


    Only then did Yu Chen, her maid, dare to step forward to help her up. She said softly, "Miss, it''s all Miss Li Yue''s fault. Since the prince knew about this, she must have said it!"


    "Except her... Who else? " Gu Qingluo gritted her teeth. The matter of her abortion was so secretive. Other than the two close maidservants beside her, only Gu Qingli knew about it!


    Gu Qingli had absolutely no idea that she would be repaid for her kindness. She could only casually walk around the palace garden, thinking about how she should bid her farewells to Xiao Yimo.


    When she raised her head, she discovered that Xiao Yi Mo had appeared out of nowhere. The anger and gloominess on his face had already disappeared, and the normally tall and handsome Xiao Yi Mo had revealed a slight smile on his face. No wonder his original body was infatuated with him.


    However, this Gu Qingli was not the same foolish girl as before. She only coldly glanced at him, feeling astonished at the speed at which his expression had changed, thinking that this man was actually cold and merciless to anyone. When she had just heard the news of Gu Qingruo''s miscarriage, her anger had been suppressed so quickly without a single trace of sadness on her face.

 C41 Leaving the Palace of the Twilight Zone

    "What orders does the Prince have?"


    "Is Miss Li Yue interested in staying in this prince''s estate?" Even though you are a woman, this king can promise you that in the future, I will definitely bestow you with a title in the palace, allowing you to become the number one female doctor in my Chu. "


    Gu Qingli didn''t expect him to make such a request. "I''m not interested in these rewards," she said indifferently, "I was just about to speak to the prince. Now that the wangfei has settled down, I''ll leave a prescription for the prince. A few days later, the poison will be completely removed and the blood in his body will be drained from his body."


    "Don''t mention her." Xiao Yi Mo''s gaze darkened when he thought of Gu Qing Ruo, but he still greeted her courteously. "Lady Li Yue is wandering in the martial arts world, how can she be at ease in the Prince''s Mansion? As long as you''re willing to stay, just mention whatever conditions you want. This King will definitely not frown. "


    Gu Qing Li''s gaze swept across him, but she felt that there was a hint of longing and eagerness in his eyes, causing her to feel a little surprised. However, after calculating the date, if she didn''t return to the Mo Mansion, she didn''t know if Xiao Yi Xiu''s body would have any problems, so she shook her head and rejected him flatly, "Thank you for your good intentions, Prince."


    Disappointment flashed across Xiao Yi Mo''s eyes. "Lady Li Yue, don''t reject me so quickly. Think about it again. I will wait for your news."


    Gu Qing Li nodded his head, but the doubt in his heart disappeared in a flash. Regardless of what Hanyi Mo was planning, he definitely wouldn''t have any good intentions. She didn''t want to stay by this scumbag''s side.


    She didn''t know that the Emperor''s body was slightly ill and could not be cured. Although the imperial doctors said that there was nothing wrong with him, he had yet to recover. Xiao Yi Mo wanted her to enter the palace to treat him.


    However, he also knew that she was someone who could not be forced. Therefore, being rejected would only result in a faint disappointment. He would slowly think of a way to deal with it later.


    He gazed at Li Yue''s pair of eyes outside the red veil. His eyelashes were like fans, and his gaze was as clear as autumn water. Suddenly, he began to think about something, wanting to find out just what sort of appearance that face under the veil had.


    Because it was inconvenient for her to come and go, she only occasionally sneaked into Princess Mo''s room at night and continued to act like she had tuberculosis and lived in seclusion. Even Yu Ying and Yu Li rarely saw her again.


    Xiao Yixiu''s health had improved quite a bit recently. He had seen the effects of acupuncture and medicine in his previous session, so he had been quite busy lately.


    When he returned to the house, he was surprised to find a woman in a dark red dress sitting quietly in the room, eating something in her hand. The window flowers were illuminated by the light from the porch, and a gentle light was cast upon her.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at the sky full of flowery shadows, as if they were all falling on her body. It made her fiery-red body look a lot more blurry, as if she was a stranger to him.


    "Miss Li Yue?" His voice was very soft, somewhat gentle.


    Gu Qingli was stunned for a moment before recovering from her focused gaze. She watched him walk towards her with the lamp in hand, as if she was walking through the night, covered in a layer of faint light.


    "So this is the Mythical Fish Scale?" Xiao Yixiu finally saw the item in her hand clearly. It looked like it was a beautiful accessory with a sparkling and translucent pearl glow.


    Gu Qingli handed it to him. "The love gift that Mu Wang gave to Princess Mu is extremely painful to her heart, and she even told me to keep it carefully. It seems impossible."


    Xiao Yi Xiu took it and flipped it over and over. "There really is such a thing in this world. Could there be a tortoise as well?"


    "Yes, the human head fish body, skin like white jade, song seductive, tears into pearls."


    "According to what I''ve heard, there must be more of them."


    "Yes." Gu Qingli suddenly thought of something. "I heard from Princess Mu that this was a newly bestowed tribute from the palace to King Mu, sent from the Southern Moon Country. The border of the Southern Moon Country is like a mountain facing the sea.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was startled for a moment before he slowly nodded his head, "That''s a possibility." Not long after, royal father''s birthday banquet happens to be a chance to enter the palace ¡­ "


    "Take care of yourself after you enter the palace."


    "Can''t Miss Li Yue accompany Ben Wang to the palace?" He was a little worried that he wouldn''t recognize that sort of thing.


    Gu Qingli was stunned. "Me?" "With what status?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t say anything else. He also felt it was a bit difficult for her to impersonate his concubine and enter the palace, so he changed the topic to ask her about the matter at the Mu King''s manor. When he heard that Xiao Yi Mo and his wife had turned hostile, he was also a bit surprised.


    "Where''s He Yiyu?"


    "She''s very good. Mu Wang''s expression towards her is much better than before." Gu Qingli thought, how could the chess piece you set down not be good?


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled faintly. "Very good. Who let him marry a girl like Gu Qing Ruo?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to be lost in thought. After a while, he shook his head resolutely. "Of course, my wangfei is different from those superficial girls like Gu Qing Ruo."


    This is... Was he pretending in front of others, or was he speaking from the bottom of his heart?


    Gu Qingli discovered that she didn''t understand him anymore. She only felt that when he mentioned "this prince''s wangfei", her eyes seemed to ripple a little. Perhaps he didn''t even realize it herself.


    "Is the prince and the wangfei on good terms? Why haven''t I seen you visit her in the past few days? "


    "Isn''t she easily infected with pulmonary tuberculosis?" Xiao Yixiu noticed that she kept bringing up the subject of wangfei tonight, and smiled faintly. "Does Miss Li Yue care about her existence?"


    "What did the Prince say? That''s your princess consort. What does it have to do with an outsider like me? " Gu Qingli subconsciously stood up to leave.


    Suddenly, he grasped her arm. "Miss Li Yue, you''re in such a hurry to leave?"


    Gu Qingli stared at his hand. He subconsciously loosened her grip, and a faint trace of disappointment flashed across her eyes.


    But in an instant, he sat down quietly and placed his wrist flat. "This king has not been feeling well lately. Shouldn''t Miss Li Yue take a pulse for this king?"


    Gu Qingli finally remembered her responsibilities as a doctor. She helped him take a closer look and said, "There''s nothing abnormal. It''s a lot more stable than before. At least she''s under control."


    "It''s just control." His tone was very calm, as if he wasn''t worried at all.


    "The medicinal properties given by Luo Qingyun have been slowly dissolved. This will be beneficial to your body." After chatting for a while, she realized that Xiao Yixiu wasn''t listening to her, but was staring at her with a dazed look in his eyes.


    She coughed lightly. It was as if he had just awoken from a dream. Only then did he regain his senses.


    "Your Highness ¡­" "Prince ¡­" Suifeng came in panting and stopped when he saw Li Yue.


    "What is it?" "Speak."


    Suifeng glanced at Li Yue and said, "Minister Lin of Revenue has a house in the outskirts of the capital, and a corpse appeared in the well for no reason at all. It scared all the servants out of their wits."


    "Is that so?" Xiao Yixiu said indifferently, as if he didn''t care in the slightest. "So?"


    "Minister Lin, you are at a loss of what to do. You have come to ask for help from the Prince."


    "He is begging This King to see him? "Let him try going to the Mu King''s Manor."


    "Prince ¡­" Suifeng''s voice dropped, "You''ve already forced him to the point where he has nowhere to go, who else can he go to beg?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed coldly, "Even if there was nobody else to ask for, how could he not take care of a mere corpse?"


    "There''s something strange about this corpse. Vice Minister Lin said that he wanted you to personally go and see it, but he''s already kneeling outside."


    "Continue kneeling. This King is going to sleep."

 C42 Floating Corpse in Well

    Gu Qing Li couldn''t help but silently curse. He thought to himself, "This man is really evil, isn''t he obviously trying to show this to Vice Minister Lin?"


    In the end, he heard Xiao Yi Xiu say, "Miss Li Yue, do you have the leisure to play chess with me?"


    Gu Qing Li was startled, but still agreed.


    Slightly bored by the wind, Suifeng retreated to stand guard outside the door.


    She wasn''t very good at chess, but she was quickly killed by Xiaoyi Xiu. She looked at the game carefully. It was a tacit understanding of the art of war. When Blackie had surrounded Bai Zi, there was almost no hope for her.


    "I''ve lost. Your highness has also wasted that Minister Lin so much time, shouldn''t you go out and take a look?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyes to look at her and inadvertently let out a smile. She could actually tell that he was intentionally making things difficult for Vice Minister Lin, and wanted to make him kneel for a long time.


    "His Royal Highness will not allow him to kneel until daybreak."


    "Go with Ben Wang and have a look. Just what is going on this time to make this noble and noble Vice Minister Lin humble himself and beg Ben Wang." He emphasized the word ''tall'' with a hint of sarcasm.


    At first, Gu Qingli didn''t understand why he had brought her along. However, after a moment of thought, she concluded that it must have been for that corpse.


    In the guest hall, Vice Minister Lin was kneeling down. This person looked very young and handsome, but his complexion was pale and his forehead was full of cold sweat. He looked somewhat terrified and embarrassed.


    "Your Highness, please save this official!"


    Xiao Yixiu, on the other hand, looked at him without batting an eyelid.


    Suifeng winked at him, but Vice Minister Lin''s face paled even more. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "As long as Your Highness can help this official this time, then if I can help in the future, this official will be very grateful!"


    Gu Qing Li was curious. He didn''t know what sort of method Xiao Yi Xiu had used to make this third rank official run out of options. He had no choice but to submit to him.


    However, she knew that since the Department of Revenue was the foundation of the nation''s finances, Xiao Yixiu did not care how he tried to recruit him. He must have had a hidden motive for doing so. If her conjecture was correct, it was definitely related to the battle for the rights.


    "It''s good that Vice Minister Lin remembers what we said today." Xiao Yi Xiu smiled faintly as he used his empty hands to prop him up. Vice Minister Lin had knelt for too long, and almost tripped on the spot before he managed to stand up. Luckily, the wind managed to hold him back.


    Arriving at the Lin residence late at night, Gu Qingli realized that this was only Assistant Minister Lin''s courtyard. In reality, it was his place of concealment, and inside was his outer room.


    However, she didn''t know yet. The reason that Vice Minister Lin didn''t dare bring the outer chamber back to the estate was because her identity was extremely special. If her identity was exposed, he would bring about a calamity upon himself.


    They first went to the well and looked at the corpse. The whole yard was brightly lit, but the corpse did not move. When it was salvaged, it lay quietly by the well, puffy and stinking, soaked pale and swollen and terrible.


    The first thing Gu Qing Li noticed was the cause of death. She looked closely and saw that the corpse was pale and impregnated, and it was still reeking of alcohol. It looked like a drunkard who had lost his footing and fell into the water.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at the corpse with a strange expression on his face.


    "Your Highness, you can also tell?" Vice Minister Lin smiled bitterly.


    "This is the uniform of the emissary."


    "This official knows."


    "Why didn''t you say that earlier?"


    "My lord, do you see that this emissary of the Southern Moon is the same person as the one we''ve met?"


    "Height is not the same. Not to mention anything else, it''s swollen like a pig''s bladder. How could I tell? "


    "That''s right. If this official were to confirm that he is the envoy from the Southern Moon, then I would naturally have told the prince. But now, he is only a person wearing the envoy''s clothes, or perhaps ¡­"


    This matter involved a friendship, no wonder Vice Minister Lin was in such a difficult situation. It was impossible to deal with such a corpse so easily.


    "He should still be at the inn."


    After a few questions from Xiao Yixiu, he suddenly realized that Gu Qingli was already squatting down. He wrapped a cloth around his palm and began to examine the corpse.


    The servants guarding the corpse all retreated a few steps, their faces were filled with shock, as they were all curious as to where this woman had come from.


    "Li Yue... Don''t you find it unpleasant? " Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but ask.


    "Mm, of course ¡­" He suddenly straightened his body and walked in front of him: "I understand, this person didn''t die that long ago. After he died, someone soaked him in hot water and entered the Giant Monastery early. When his body is filled with a rotten gas, his corpse will easily float up."


    Xiao Yixiu''s face was a little green, and he subconsciously wanted to vomit. His hands were covered in a rotten and stinky stench when she rolled over the corpse, even if it was just a few times in front of him.


    "Oh, oh." Only then did Gu Qingli remember to remove the dirty cloth on her hands, and washed her hands with clean water brought by the servant.


    When she raised her eyes and saw the snow-white handkerchief, she was stunned for a moment.


    Seeing that she didn''t accept, Xiao Yi Xiu pulled her hand to wipe the water off of it. His actions were meticulous and considerate, gentle and gentle.


    Gu Qingli froze. She watched him wipe her hands and thought his next move was to throw away the handkerchief. Who knew he would just look at it, fold it up and put it in her sleeve.


    "Stop smelling, just go back and change your clothes and let the incense smell." With an almost imperceptible gentleness on his face, Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her with a faint smile.


    When she had examined the corpse, she had been extremely focused. He had almost suspected that she was a coroner, so why hadn''t she felt the corpse smell then?


    Vice Minister Lin told them to sit down and had someone serve tea. Only then did he look at Gu Qingli in shock and astonishment. Initially, he thought it was strange that the prince would bring a lady here for some reason. However, at this moment, he realized that the lady before him wasn''t simple at all.


    "Tell me what you think of the body."


    "The body died from poisoning. Someone soaked it in hot water to change the state of the body, causing people to misjudge the time of death. Following that, the body was thrown into the well, causing people to think that it was drowning due to alcohol."


    "He died from poison?" Even Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t able to see this point. After all, he wasn''t a coroner, so his judgment of the corpse wasn''t as straightforward as it seemed.


    Vice Minister Lin was dumbfounded, his eyes filled with doubt at this conclusion.


    "The corpse was wearing a wide robe and big sleeves. There were a lot of bruises on its body before it died. There were even signs of its skin and hair falling off. This proves that this person has been taking a poisonous substance called ''Frigid Eclipse Powder'' for years."


    "What is Frostbite Powder?"


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. Although there had been historical warriors who had taken to eating the Frigid Food Dispersal to create a wind, the Empire of Dongyuan had never heard of such a thing.


    "There are several kinds of prescriptions for Frigid Eclipse Powder, such as purple quartz, white quartz, carnallite, vitriol, sulfur and so on. There are also some kinds of prescriptions, such as saltpeter, yellow, alum, turquoise, benevolent stone, etc. But actually taking this stuff for a long time can cause signs of chronic poisoning. "


    "So according to you, this person is willing to consume this thing for a long time?"


    Vice Minister Lin was puzzled. "Since there''s poison, why does anyone like to use it?"


    Gu Qingli rolled her eyes at him, "Not everyone is clear about its poison. Moreover, it''s not a blood seal throat poison, but only a slow erosion. Compared to the pleasure it brings to people, many people are willing to take it as an illusion and ignore this poison."

 C43 liuxin

    "Since you know more or less about the cause of death, then Vice Minister Lin, you only need to do these few things tomorrow: First, find out how many people are in Nanyue Emissary; secondly, investigate whether the Southern Moon Country has the habit of consuming Frostbite Powder; and thirdly, check if there are any suspicious people entering or leaving your residence recently. Who is most likely to throw the corpse into the well?"


    Gu Qingli added, "If you hide the discovery of the body and keep it a secret, all those who know will try to keep it a secret. No matter what method you use."


    "This... "Everything else is easy. All of the servants sealed their mouths ¡­" Vice Minister Lin''s expression was somewhat unsightly.


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment, then took out a small bottle and handed it to him. "Each person take one pill, let them take it. "Don''t worry, my medicine can''t be activated, and won''t break out easily. However, if I don''t keep my mouth shut and use the medicine, it will make them want to die. Anyone who doesn''t believe it can come here and give it a try."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. "Do all of this before going back and forth with me."


    Vice Minister Lin bowed as he sent them off. After tossing and turning about in the middle of the night and looking at those corpses, he looked listless and haggard.


    As they passed through the eaves of the main hall, Gu Qingli suddenly felt something strange. She unconsciously turned her head to see a slim figure standing at the entrance of the side hall. The red veil from the lanterns below cast a red glow on her.


    When the woman met Gu Qingli''s gaze, she took a step back in panic and instantly disappeared into the shadows.


    From the look of his lowered eyes and the flash of divine light, he also saw the woman. It was just that she pretended not to see him, and was in a hurry to pull her away.


    After exiting the Lin residence, Gu Qingli looked at Xiao Yixiu with doubt, "Your highness, do you know who that woman is?" It''s Vice Minister Lin''s outer chamber? "


    "Do you know who she is?"


    Gu Qingli didn''t expect him to actually tell her, "She was once a small palace maid by the empress''s side, called Liu Xin. She was chosen by the crown prince and wanted to force her into the position of secondary wife, but she wasn''t willing."


    "But she is deep within the palace. Could it be that Vice Minister Lin can go to the palace and fight for the bride?"


    "No, but she had a relationship with him before she entered the palace. She had always thought that when she reached the age where she could be released from the palace to marry him, the Crown Prince, in order to make him give up, not only forced him to marry his wife, but also broke the rules and promoted him to assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Under both of these circumstances, he wrote a heartless letter to Liu Xin."


    No wonder he became the Assistant Minister of Revenue at such a young age.


    "What do I need a man like him for?" Gu Qingli suddenly became angry.


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled lightly and shook his head, "You can''t judge a person by his appearance. In fact, he has never betrayed Liu Xin. Furthermore, Heartless Letter is a hidden poem. The first word he reads is'' feign death and endure before you can leave the palace ''."


    "At that time, I had cut off that letter halfway and understood his intention. I then continued to send the letter to Liu Xin."


    "But how could Liu Xin die so easily in the palace?"


    "This is where his scheming comes from. Don''t think that his current position was only pushed up by the crown prince. He herself is indeed outstanding." He rolled the four corners of the two pieces of paper with rice and stuck them together when folded. He knew that Liu Xin had a small habit of subconsciously swiping the tips of her fingers on her tongue when she was unable to open the pages while reading or reading. "


    "Indeed, many people have this habit." Gu Qingli suddenly understood. "He drugged a corner of the letter, causing people to fall into a faked deep sleep. That''s why the crown prince thought Liu Xin was really dead!"


    Xiao Yixiu''s smiling eyes swept over her, unwittingly tinged with a gentle pampering.


    Gu Qingli suspected that she was hallucinating. She stared at him again, certain that it was a misunderstanding caused by the reflection of the light.


    Xiao Yi Xiu continued speaking about Vice Minister Lin''s matter. As expected, Liu Xin was rolled up and handed over to the rear palace steward for her family to take back.


    Liu Xin Yuan came from a family of officials and officials, and because her father committed a crime, his family entered the palace to become slaves. Now, where would his family be? Naturally she was taken away by an impersonated family member that Assistant Minister Lin found.


    Xiao Yixiu set up a trap for Vice Minister Lin to get into, and sold the house to him at an extremely low price. At first, he was suspicious, but later on she used the house''s Feng Shui to clash with her master, causing Vice Minister Lin, who couldn''t wait to hide Liu Xin, to fall into her trap.


    Subsequently, all sorts of unfavorable news spread throughout the Imperial Court, saying that he was so young and that his status was extremely suspicious. He also bought such a luxurious mansion, and it was likely that he was secretly operating in the Ministry of Revenue to embezzle, or even embezzlement.


    The person in charge of investigating this matter was Xiao Yi Mo. However, Xiao Yi Xiu stood out and claimed that he had borrowed money to buy the house for Vice Minister Lin.


    Xiao Yi Mo had found all sorts of suspicious clues, but in the end, they all turned out to have nothing to do with Vice Minister Lin.


    Just like that, Vice Minister Lin had mysteriously become Xiao Yi Xiu''s man. Xiao Yi Mo and the crown prince were suspicious of him, and thus they were isolated. However, his personality was proud and aloof, and he was unwilling to form a relationship with Lu Li. Xiao Yi knew Lu Li''s temperament, so he didn''t try to rope Lu Li in.


    In short, under his pressure, Vice Minister Lin was no longer a human. He was making enemies everywhere, and there was no other way but to rely on him.


    Gu Qingli didn''t expect him to scheme against Assistant Minister Lin like this. She was surprised and found it funny. "Then why are you making things so difficult for him at night?"


    "If I don''t make him kneel down, how can he lower his head?"


    "Don''t tell me this corpse was also designed by you?"


    "Of course not." Xiao Yi Xiu''s smile disappeared and his expression turned serious. "It''s obvious that someone wants to do something to him. If that person isn''t the crown prince, then it''s someone from the Mu King."


    "Of course. He''s just a lowly assistant minister, how could he withstand the pincers'' attacks?"


    "That''s because the position of Department of Revenue is more important," Xiaoyi Xiu said flatly.


    "There''s still the Household President''s Office above us."


    "The letter is his family''s Lord Mt. Tai."


    "Ah?" But now that you have caused a ruckus with his principal wife, won''t he fall out with his father-in-law as well? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. "If he were to submit to me, would I still have to worry about not being able to get back on good terms with his father-in-law?"


    Gu Qingli stared at him speechlessly. It wouldn''t be too much to say that he could turn black into white. Vice Minister Lin had fallen into his trap. Besides turning him into "his man", there should be no other way out.


    "Since Your Highness is so clever, why don''t you guess if this envoy is real or fake?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression became serious. After all, he couldn''t do anything without knowing. He really didn''t dare to say anything about the Southern Moon Envoy.


    Gu Qingli saw the look of contemplation in his eyes and seemed to be considering it, "It should be true. If it''s just a fake with emissary''s clothes, she wouldn''t waste so much effort to get Vice Minister Lin''s residence." It''s not as easy to bring in such a large corpse as this, but if we can''t prove his crime, wouldn''t that be a waste of our effort? "


    "If this body is the true emissary, then who was the one who saw the emperor?"


    This was also a question for Xiao Yixiu, so he had no choice but to remain silent.

 C44 Star-Moon Gambling Workshop

    Upon entering the mansion, the two of them made their way through the gates. Gu Qing Li hastily jumped out the window to his room to change clothes. Just as he took off his clothes, he heard Yu Ying''s soft voice from outside, "Esteemed wangfei, your highness has come to see you."


    Gu Qingli was startled. She hadn''t even taken a deep breath, so what was he doing here now? She hurriedly stuffed the red veil under the bed and opened the door.


    As the night breeze blew in, a cold feeling seeped into Gu Qing Li''s body. She subconsciously clutched her shoulders, thinking of how she was going to pretend to cough a few times. She then saw Xiao Yi Xiu frown slightly, then quickly shut the door.


    "It''s already late at night, I''ve already gone to sleep. What else has the Prince come here for?"


    "Have you forgotten what day it is?"


    Gu Qingli was stunned. Could there be another anniversary between the two of them?


    He seemed annoyed, but he took out a small bottle from his sleeve.


    Only then did Gu Qingli suddenly remember that today was the day he''d delivered the antidote. The reason she''d forgotten was because she had already cleared away most of the remaining poison in her body. She didn''t need to take his so-called antidote anymore.


    She took the bottle and glanced at Xiao Yi Xiu. She thought that he had accomplished his mission and should have left by now, but he was just looking at her, not moving at all.


    "It''s already getting late, shouldn''t Prince still go back to his room to rest?"


    "You know that it''s already late, so you don''t intend to keep This King here for a while?"


    Gu Qing Li froze for a moment, thinking back to that night when they shared a bed. He was obviously punishing her for Gabrielle, so she didn''t sleep all night.


    Thus, she rolled her eyes and suggested, "Madam Jia''s Biliu Courtyard isn''t far from here. Last time, I heard she said that she hadn''t seen the prince for a while, so I was feeling very nostalgic. I would like to ask the prince to move over to comfort her."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s chest rose and fell, his eyes flashing. Gu Qing Li was trying to guess his thoughts when she heard his voice, filled with joy and anger. "Very good, wangfei. You sure are magnanimous and proper. You don''t fight for favors, but you''re not jealous."


    Gu Qingli smiled like a blooming flower. "I don''t dare, it''s all thanks to the prince''s good teaching."


    Instead, he took a few steps forward, the tip of his nose almost touching. He clenched his teeth and said in a low voice, "You really know how to infuriate This King."


    She innocently looked up at him with her eyes. "I don''t have any intention of infuriating His Highness. It''s just that right now, my consumption of lung disease is very contagious ¡­"


    "Infection?" He sneered and propped up her lower jaw, "It''s fine if you use these lies on others."


    "That''s what Lady Li Yue said as well ¡­"


    Hearing this name, the expression in his eyes turned cold. "This king doesn''t know what you bewitched Li Yue about and made her lie for you. But this king can still tell whether you have tuberculosis or not."


    "You are just using this as an excuse to avoid This King."


    He let go of her and said coldly, "Do you really hate me? To avoid me, you live in seclusion all day and even pretend to be sick?"


    Since he was going to be so aggressive, then don''t blame her for being impolite. Gu Qing Li''s expression became serious, and her eyes became frosty. "Then your highness will tell me how I can smile and please someone who poisoned me?"


    Four eyes met, and his usual cool aura unexpectedly cracked inch by inch. Replacing it was a moment of ignited and dimmed flames.


    With a flick of his sleeve, he turned around and left, never looking at her again.


    Gu Qingli let out a sigh of relief behind him. It was still the same cold and emotionless looking man he was more used to. Those sudden and strange words just now always made her heart tighten and bounce from time to time, giving her an inexplicable feeling.


    In fact, she didn''t think it was disgust, just discomfort.


    She felt that she was not yet used to his occasional flirtatious intimacy.


    The case of drowning in corpses in Vice Minister Lin''s estate had actually not been announced to the public. It was obvious that there were people who couldn''t sit still.


    Very soon, his house was surrounded by soldiers. Vice Minister Lin had heard that someone had reported that the previous owner of the house was anxious to get rid of him due to the numerous disappearances. In order for the government to thoroughly investigate this matter, they had to temporarily lock down the house and investigate.


    Vice Minister Lin had no choice but to cooperate with the investigation and could only temporarily send the servants of the mansion back home.


    Within the Mo King''s Manor, he sighed to Xiao Yi Xiu, "Your Highness is indeed wise. If it weren''t for you moving Liu Xin out of her body overnight, we would have been surrounded by enemies today."


    The corpse had already been moved to the Prince''s Mansion''s cellar and kept under ice. Liu Xin had been arranged to live in the Wind Reach, where Xin Ziyao had once lived. Even the people from the Prince''s Mansion didn''t know about this.


    Only then did they begin to analyze everything they had found out.


    He had yet to find out what had happened to the envoy of the Southern Moon, but consuming the Frigid Eating Powder was indeed a Southern Moon tradition. This was something he could gather from the followers of the envoy.


    As for the suspect, they had already locked down a few targets, especially the one they were currently pursuing.


    A sneaky figure entered the biggest gambling den in the capital, the Starmoon gambling den.


    The people who came and went here were either rich or noble. Those who dared to place bets here were not ordinary gamblers, so those who were poorly dressed or looked disgraceful were stopped outside.


    When this person, dressed in ordinary clothes, entered, his eyes twinkled, almost no one gave him a second glance, almost to the point of being chased out.


    Until someone familiar came over and patted his shoulder. "Wu San, you still dare to come!"


    Wu ChangShun jumped in shock. Seeing that the person who came was just an assistant from the gambling den, he straightened his back and said, "I want to gamble on something big. Take me to Tian Xiang 1."


    The shop assistant was startled at first, then burst out laughing: "Tian Xiang number one? Is that where you went? "How many times did you bring ¡­"


    Wu ZhangShun opened the bag tied around his waist and a bright yellow light flashed inside, causing the waiter to nearly go blind from the light. For a moment, he just stared without uttering a word.


    "How is it?"


    Go and try. Be careful not to lose your life." The shop assistant''s maniacal laughter gradually died down as he brought him into an inner room. After that, an unknown mechanism was triggered as a door opened on the ground and a flight of stairs led downwards. The entrance to the black shuttle was like the mouth of a man-eating beast, giving off a strange and unfathomable feeling.


    The shop assistant held onto a lantern as he slowly walked down.


    The so-called extravagant spending of a thousand gold wasn''t considered strange here.


    Wu ChangShun had come prepared. He had so much gold with him, it was only enough for the next bet. But there was nothing he could do. He needed something here, or else he would lose his life.


    When they reached the bottom, they discovered that the walls were shining with a golden light, and even the ceiling was embedded with Night Pearls. The palace lamps illuminated this place as bright as day, and smoke and cyan clouds were floating around everywhere.


    Wu ZhangShun was not in the mood to watch. He walked to table nine, drenched in cold sweat. His gaze fell on a strangely shaped object in the middle of the table.


    The object was shaped like a deer horn and had a jade-like quality. Its color was as white as ice and snow and there was a cold aura emitting from it.

 C45 Yun Yi Ge

    This kind of thing almost caused him to lose his life. Wu ZhangShun looked on awkwardly, biting his lower lip. "I want to bet on it!"


    "Last time you bet everything on your house, this time ¡­ You aren''t putting your life on the line, are you? " The Zhuang family''s blue-clothed woman was gorgeous. The tattoo on her chest was enchanting and it spread along her shoulders like vines wrapping around her body.


    However, Wu ChangShun did not dare to glance at her. At this gambling table, this seemingly beautiful woman had won over countless distinguished guests, even royalty. Many people had lost their lives to her.


    He hesitated, then poured out all the gold and piled it on the table.


    The woman laughed out loud: "This little bit of gold in Tianxiang No.1 is not enough to make a huge bet, but you are also curious, why don''t you tell me, what is this thing used for, for you to go bankrupt?"


    Wu ChangShun was both upset and speechless. He only stared at the tattoo on her collarbone as she spoke, "I''m only betting on this. To you, this is just a secondary source that you don''t even know its use."


    "Alright, I''ll give you this chance." The woman''s eyes and tail were raised as a demonic light flowed. Her sleeves were rolled down, revealing her snow-white arms. She held the dice cup and began to sway it.


    The sound of the dice hitting each other caused Wu ZhangShun to break out in cold sweat. He stared at the dice cup until it finally settled down. The Zhuang family started to reveal it, and his face instantly turned pale.


    "You lost!" The woman smiled softly.


    "I ¡­" He staggered, wanting to walk out, but suddenly turned back and threw himself onto the table, as if he was trying to snatch something from the table.


    The woman''s face darkened. Immediately, someone rushed forward and fiercely pressed him down on the gambling table.


    "I told you, this little bit of gold you have isn''t enough to make a big bet here, so if you lose this time, not only will you have to leave behind some gold, but you''ll also have to leave behind some other things." She laughed leisurely and wantonly.


    "What?" You didn''t tell me that this is a fraud! " Wu Changshun struggled with all his might.


    "I am the rule here!" The girl''s smile gradually turned cold and she waved her hand. "Leave one of his arms behind!"


    Wu ZhangShun was shocked. "No, no..." You didn''t make it clear to me... "Manager Yun, have mercy ¡­"


    "I don''t want your life, I only want your hand!" She waved her jade arm with a smile.


    A cold light flashed. Under the bright blade, Wu ZhangShun''s pale face, drenched in cold sweat, was reflected on the back of the saber. It was obvious that there was an additional shadow behind him.


    "Yun Yige, keep him under your saber."


    Yun Yige''s peerlessly beautiful face froze for a moment. The killing intent that melted into her seductive smile gradually faded, replaced by a sense of helplessness and confusion, as if she had seen something unbelievable.


    Wu ZhangShun did his best to turn his head and saw a man in snow-white clothes standing behind him. Xiaoxiao was ethereal, and a dark green silk ribbon hung from the coiling dragon gold band. As he slowly walked over, the white jade beneath the silk veil gently swayed.


    Two people followed behind him. One was a woman dressed in a fire like suit, covered in a red veil that covered most of her face, and a pair of beautiful, clear eyes that seemed to be filled with the resplendent brilliance of Heaven''s Incense No. 1.


    As for the other person, it made him feel extremely disheartened. He powerlessly lay on the table, unable to get up.


    Vice Minister Lin looked at the person on the table with hatred and helplessness. "I really didn''t think that you would betray me."


    "Prince Mo ¡­" The moment Yun Yige opened his mouth, she was stopped. Looking at his eyes, her gaze gradually dimmed. Even if he were to step into this place, the disdain in his eyes showed how much he despised her.


    In his eyes, people like him would definitely not come to the Starmoon gambling den, which had many injuries.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t even look at her. Even though he had shocked all the rich and powerful guests, and some called her the biggest wager of the Heavenly Fragrance 1, he had never really looked at her.


    "Wu ChangShun, it''s your choice whether you answer truthfully or persist to the end." Vice Minister Lin stared at him.


    No one noticed that Gu Qingli''s gaze had been fixated on the jade-like corner of the gambling table, unable to move away.


    Corner of the husband. She silently said this in her heart.


    However, she didn''t dare to say anything lightly about how to take the Husband''s Horn away from this place.


    Yun Yige had set up a private room for them in Fragrant Sky city. Xiao Yi took his seat, Gu Qing Li and Assistant Minister Lin took their seats, while Wu ChangShun knelt in the middle with a listless expression on his face.


    He was the son of Assistant Minister Lin''s housekeeper. The two of them had grown up together, but they were like brothers. To Vice Minister Lin, being betrayed by him was truly a matter of heartache.


    "If you don''t tell me everything about the corpse, I''m afraid you won''t live past today." Vice Minister Lin calmed himself down with great difficulty and stared at him.


    Wu ZhangShun could only narrate the story with a bitter face.


    A month ago, as the Lin Family''s Second Manager, he had made a business deal outside the Lin Family''s silk shop. When he met a group of Southern Moon envoys, one of them was the one who drowned, the Southern Moon Envoy, Jin Xiyuan. In other words, the Southern Moon diplomatic mission actually had two official envoys.


    Jin Xi Yuan had a problem with eating the Frigid Food Powder, and he was quite addicted to it. That night, after taking the pill, his spirit drifted, and he was so excited that he lost all sense of reason. He took his tribute to the local casino to gamble, and accidentally lost it to Wu Changshun.


    After all, he did not know what it was, so he followed the merchant caravan back to the capital. After the medicinal strength of Jin Xi''s elemental energy had dissipated, he could no longer find him, so he followed the diplomatic mission all the way to the capital.


    Wu ChangShun casually lost to Tianxiang No.1 and returned home dejectedly.


    For the sake of not delaying the trip, the mission of Nanyue paid tribute to the other offerings while Jin Xi Yuan secretly looked around, after all, these offerings were on the list. Although he made an excuse saying that the tribute could not bear the turbulence and would arrive at the capital later, he still had to find the tribute eventually.


    However, the item was no longer in Wu ZhangShun''s hands. When Jin Xi Yuan found him, how could he take it out?


    Just as he was about to be forced into a corner, Jin Xi Yuan suddenly died. A mysterious man appeared, coercing him to throw the corpse into Assistant Minister Lin''s mansion. The mysterious man even gave him a reward. Under the threat and temptation, Jin Xi Yuan had no choice but to do so.


    Jin Xi Yuan had told the other envoy that Jin Xi Ran''s horns were in his hands. Jin Xi Ran had not only come to find him, but he had also suspected that Jin Xi Yuan had been hurt by him. The only thing Jin Xi Yuan could do was to come here and fight for the final reward.


    Wu ZhangShun did not know what ''corner'' was. In his narration, it had always been ''that thing''.


    Xiao Yi Xiu also said indifferently, "Just because of that thing, you almost lost your life, and you almost harmed Vice Minister Lin''s family. Is it worth it?"


    Vice Minister Lin angrily said, "He''s not doing it for that thing, he''s gambling for sex!"


    "My lord, my lord, please save me!" Wu ZhangShun kneeled in front of him, begging for his life.


    Gu Qing Li then opened his mouth: "You betrayed someone and you still expect someone to save you?" "It is only the corpse of the South Moon Envoy. As long as you are not careful in handling it, Assistant Minister Lin will be dragged into the water and killed. Do you still have the face to cry here?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu said calmly, "Let''s go."


    Vice Minister Lin kicked him aside and left in anger.

 C46 Missed

    After exiting the quiet room, Gu Qing Li walked straight to the gaming table on Tian Xiang''s first floor, only to find that his husband''s corner had disappeared!


    Yun Yige was still doing her work there, but her expression was listless, as if she was a completely different person from before when she was bewitching and domineering.


    "What about that thing just now?" Unconsciously, Gu Qingli''s voice turned urgent.


    Yun Yige raised her head and swept his gaze across her with hostility, as if all the thorns on her body were standing on end: "What does it have to do with you?"


    Xiao Yixiu sensed her emotions. Although he didn''t understand why Gu Qingli seemed to care so much about it, he still asked, "What if I ask you?"


    Yun Yige''s voice immediately softened, "If Your Highness asks, you can ask whatever you want. Just a moment ago, a gambler came and won it away. "


    "Winning it from you?"


    A look of disbelief appeared in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes.


    Up till now, Yun Yige was known as the "Invincible throughout the capital". Other than the Star Moon Gambling Workshop, she had used the best method in the capital, to have someone taking something away from her!


    Yun Yige did not say anything, only looked at him with hidden bitterness.


    Gu Qingli, on the other hand, was a bit impressed. This woman was of an extraordinary background. It was obvious that she had long known Xiao Yi, and there was also a single thought that she couldn''t unravel. It must have been Xiao Yi Xiu''s arrival and his cold attitude towards her that caused her to lose the bet.


    "Forget it, Your Highness. Let''s go."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. Just as he was about to leave, Yun Yi Ge extended his hand to grab his sleeve but stopped just before he touched it. He asked gently, "Your Royal Highness, is that thing very important to you?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked towards Gu Qing Li.


    Yun Yige felt her heart break. So it wasn''t because he felt that it was important, but because the woman in red wanted it, that she valued it so much.


    "So what if it''s important? You''ve already lost." He knew he should have tried to get hold of the husband''s horn first.


    "Does Your Highness not want to know who I lost to?"


    Xiao Yixiu only looked at her. She knew that no matter what, he would not give his a good face, so he could only look at him with a resentful look: "He''s dressed strangely, wearing a trichromatic robe with vertical stripes and wide sleeves. He doesn''t look like a person of Dongyuan."


    "Jin Xiran?!" Gu Qing Li and Xiao Yi Xiu looked at each other and simultaneously thought of who it was.


    After they left the gambling house, they bid farewell to Vice Minister Lin. Gu Qingli suddenly sneered, "Prince, that Yun Yige''s eyeballs are about to fall off your body!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked back at the gambling den and asked softly, "Do you know which business this is?"


    Gu Qingli was stunned for a moment.


    The owner behind the scenes was actually Imperial Concubine Lan. Although Xiao Yi Xiu was not her biological daughter, she was still her adopted son. She could be considered the Young Master of the Star-Moon Plaza, so Yun Yige had already known him for a long time.


    "So this is your family''s property. If I knew earlier, I wouldn''t have thought too much about it. I''d have gotten that thing first."


    He did not speak, but quietly got on the carriage.


    Gu Qingli stepped onto the shaft of the carriage and saw that he was leaning forward. She extended her hand towards him, and after a moment of hesitation, she placed her hand on his palm.


    He didn''t let go of her after they got into the car. He still held her hand as if he was thinking about something.


    Just as Gu Qingli felt unwell all over and was about to pull out her hand, she heard him say softly, "I am only an adopted son, how can I be the Lan Clan''s master? The property of the Lan family belongs to King Yan, Xiao Yijin. "


    He had never heard him mention anything related to Imperial Concubine Lan and the Yan King. Previously, when he was the consort, she had worn a bracelet of Imperial Concubine Lan and he had thrown her away in disgust. He knew that was his taboo, but he had never expected her to mention it to an outsider.


    "There''s no need for you to look at This King with sympathy. This King doesn''t even see things like these." He smiled, his eyes full of tenderness.


    "But a nurturing relationship is only natural. Could it be that Imperial Concubine Lan doesn''t put the prince in her heart at all?"


    "Putting it in your heart ¡­ Actually, This King is really afraid that she will take This King too seriously. " This voice sounded a little strange, with a faint hint of ice-cold hatred, and even a little bit ¡­ Killing intent.


    "Forget it, let''s not bring this up." He instantly changed the topic, his smile becoming gentle again. "Tell me, why do you care so much about that thing?"


    Gu Qing Li sighed lightly, "That seems to be the corner of the palace. But now that it''s in Jin Xi Ran''s hands, I''m afraid he''ll have to pay tribute and enter the palace."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s smile faded. He didn''t expect to miss the opportunity.


    "You can only blame me for trying to get hold of it sooner."


    Xiao Yi Xiu thought for a while, "Don''t worry, once we know that it has entered the palace, we will still have a way to obtain it. royal father''s lifetime is at hand, if I have the chance to enter the palace, I can possibly obtain it. "


    Gu Qingli nodded. Right now, the most important thing was to find that mysterious man and figure out why Jin Xi Yuan had died. These things couldn''t be a coincidence. She suddenly thought of Xuanhua Pavilion, where she might be able to obtain more clues.


    When she looked down, she suddenly realized that he was still holding her hand in his own. He didn''t seem to notice at all.


    She gave him a light slap, and he looked at her, lowered his eyes, and watched her soft, boneless hand gently pull away from his palm. He felt a sense of loss.


    Halfway there, under the pretext that she wanted to buy some medicine from the medicine store, she got out of the car and went to Xuanhua Restaurant.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Xiu lifted the carriage''s curtain and looked through the slightly lit jade-colored crack. He felt that she might have seen his anger and deliberately found an excuse to avoid his gaze.


    She was always so cold to herself. Perhaps in her eyes, she was just an ordinary patient.


    Warm Fragrance trembled when she saw Gu Qing Li. Previously, she had told Du Ying to give her the first antidote three days late. Those three days after the poison broke out were incomparably painful, causing her to roll around on the ground, feeling worse than death.


    Now that he was obedient to Gu Qing Li and listening to her inquiries, he immediately told her everything that had happened recently.


    Four days ago, Xiao Shuo Fang came to Xuanhua Restaurant again. His expression was frivolous, and unlike before, he smelled of alcohol.


    Then he went to see Du Ying. After all, Du Ying''s stomach was already big, and when he thought about the life she was about to have, he actually couldn''t bear to force her to have an abortion. Instead, she started to think about how to correct the child''s name.


    "Propriety?"


    "In other words, he was brought back to his home. Young Master Xiao should be born in a clan, or perhaps even a royal relative."


    Gu Qingli had always felt that this Xiao Shuo, whom she had never met before, didn''t seem to care so much about her children, even if Du Ying was really concerned about his flesh and blood. Warm Fragrance said, "I heard that Du Ying''s child was born as the eldest son''s grandson. The Xiao family''s grandchildren have yet to be male, so the first is always very important."


    Gu Qingli nodded. Perhaps this eldest son could help him compete for something in his family business.

 C47 Shuo also known as the North

    Du Ying also happened to come over at this time. She puffed out her stomach as she listened to them talk, and suddenly interrupted, "After that night, he drank some more. She was drunk for seventy percent of the time, so she said a few weird things."


    "What did he say?"


    "I heard that the Frigid Eating Powder''s medicinal properties are really strong. After consuming it, one will feel like they''re floating in the air, but their entire body is still hot." Following that, Du Ying''s expression darkened, looking extremely unhappy.


    Frostbite Powder! Gu Qingli was startled.


    Du Ying said angrily that Xiao Shuofang even tried something on her, but since she was getting older, it naturally couldn''t satisfy his needs, so he left her to find another girl to accompany him at Xuanhua Restaurant, ignoring her feelings.


    Four days ago, after the night banquet, he reeked of alcohol ¡­ He even consumed the Frigid Eating Powder? Gu Qing Li had a guess. But who was Xiao Shuo Fang? How could he be connected to the envoy of the Southern Moon?


    She sent a secret order to Warm Fragrance, inquiring about anything that had to do with the envoy of the Southern Moon, including any information on the whereabouts of Cape Husband.


    After returning to the palace, Vice Minister Lin was just about to say something to Xiao Yixiu when he heard Gu Qing Li knocking on the door and stopped. He could faintly hear what he was saying, "Crown Prince ¡­" He and Yan Wang both had the intention of winning him over.


    "Your Highness, this official will take his leave." Vice Minister Lin seemed to have the intention of avoiding Gu Qingli.


    "He was afraid I''d hear something?" Gu Qingli could tell.


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. "He found some clues. He said that the crown prince and the emissary from Southern Moon were very close, and that the Yan King wanted to rope him in as well."


    Gu Qingli was lost in thought. If it was to win her over, then her guess was wrong. Wasn''t that envoy murdered?


    "King Yan has returned to the capital?" She remembered that the King of Yan, Xiao Yijin, was not in the capital.


    "We can see him when we enter the palace as soon as we return, so he is still a step behind the crown prince. Among the forces of other countries, Nanyue is actually neutral ¡­ "


    Gu Qingli''s mind was in a daze, and she didn''t hear what Xiao Yixiu had said after that, because a name suddenly popped out in her heart: "Xiao Yibei."


    She didn''t expect it! "Shuofang!" The elegant "Yun", "Shuo, the north also." Xiao Shuo Fang, this name, did not take the name Xiao Yi Bei Bei? Xuanhua Pavilion was the empress''s underground faction, but she didn''t think much of it. What a big mistake.


    "Your Highness, have you ever thought that this dead emissary might have been murdered?"


    "Didn''t you say that he died from poison after taking the Frigid Food Powder in large quantities? It must have something to do with his daily bad habits. "


    "No, I suspect that he was killed by someone, but who would want to kill the envoy? "What is his purpose?"


    "He''s from Southern Moon and has just arrived. Who could he have a grudge with?" Xiao Yi Xiu felt that it was possible for the emissary''s corpse to be used as a piece of cake, but if it was murdered, it wouldn''t make sense. Furthermore, what Vice Minister Lin found was that the emissaries were actually being roped in by various powers.


    "Your Highness is right, he''s new here, it''s impossible for him to make enemies easily, not to mention that he''s the target of all the forces trying to rope him in, but don''t forget, there are two emissaries!"


    With Gu Qing Li''s reminder, Xiao Yi Xiu nodded slowly, instantly understanding the relationship between the two.


    It was impossible for Nanyue''s envoy to have such a huge enmity with someone from the Dongyuan Empire. If that was the case, the person who wanted to harm him should be someone within the delegation of Nanyue. The greatest possibility was that it was another envoy!


    However, he still didn''t know that on the night of the envoy''s death, there was another person, Xiao Yi Bei, who had interfered and interfered.


    Gu Qingli suddenly reminded him, "The reason why the Crown Prince and King Yan want to recruit envoys is because they want the support of the Southern Moon Country. If you find out about this, will it be beneficial for your relationship with the Southern Moon Country?"


    Although Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t do this, but wasn''t the Southern Moon Country a worthy target for him to recruit? If he didn''t do it, he probably felt that he had gone to all the trouble to please an envoy from a foreign country. With his proud and aloof personality, he naturally felt disdainful. However, this great opportunity was right in front of him ¡­


    Gu Qingli was about to leave when she noticed that Xiao Yixiu''s eyes were burning as she calmed down and looked at her with a peculiar expression. Then, he shook her hand. "Li Yue, you''ve been running from this king."


    She was suddenly confused by his question.


    Regardless of whether it was the wangfei or Li Yue, they were both subconsciously avoiding him. He could actually see through it ¡­ What was he trying to say?


    Instinctively, she felt nervous and tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.


    "What does the deceased envoy of the Southern Moon have to do with the one who entered the palace?" She clearly wanted to change the subject.


    "Brother, blood brother."


    "What?" Gu Qingli had just asked casually, which successfully attracted her attention.


    According to the reports of Xiao Yi Xiu, the envoy that entered the palace, Jin Xi Ran, was the older brother, and his younger brother, Jin Xi Yuan, was born directly into the palace, so he was born into a concubine, and was favored by the Emperor of Nan Yue. Thus, when they sent an envoy to the East Continent, Jin Xi Yuan was actually the leader.


    From this, it could be inferred that Jin Xi Ran was a scheming person. He had taken advantage of the opportunity of sending out an envoy to another country to murder his younger brother, after all, this was a place far away from the emperor.


    Just as Gu Qingli was engrossed in her speculations, she suddenly heard a low and gentle voice by her ear. "You want to be so engrossed in your speculations? Could it be that the matters of others are more important than your lordship?"


    Her body stiffened slightly. She turned around and saw Xiao Yixiu''s warm and handsome face, his black hair hanging down to his shoulders like water, his brows like spring mountains, his phoenix-like eyes slightly raised, and a dark flame burning in his eyes.


    When did he get so close? She didn''t notice at all!


    "Li Yue doesn''t understand what the prince is saying." She shifted quietly.


    Xiao Yi Xiu could see the side of her face, which had a proud and aloof expression. However, he couldn''t conceal the fluttering of her eyelashes.


    He could not see the confusion that flowed in her eyes. He only subconsciously wanted to pull away the red veil covering her face to see what kind of face she would have under the mysterious, fiery colors.


    "Li Yue, why do you always use a red veil to cover your face?"


    "Naturally, it''s because ¡­" She was extremely intelligent, so how could she not know what was on the other side of his bowstring? In an instant, she wanted to stop him from seeing her: "She''s too ugly, she''s too embarrassed to see others."


    "This King does not believe."


    Gu Qingli smiled faintly. "If Your Highness had hoped for that peerless beauty under her veil, I''m afraid you''d be disappointed."


    Xiao Yixiu''s slender jade-like hand reached out slowly. He was about to touch her veil, but he stopped himself. "Miss Li Yue doesn''t want to reveal her true appearance. She even belittled her own appearance. Does she think that I am someone who can judge a person by their appearance?"


    Gu Qingli subconsciously let out a sigh of relief. Provoke really was useful. He didn''t want to take on the reputation of being pretty, so he wouldn''t easily take off her veil again. Although she could reasonably avoid it, it would eventually freeze the atmosphere and make it difficult for them to get along in the future.


    However, she heard him say something that made her extremely speechless, "One day, this king will make you willingly take off this veil. Whether it is appearance or appearance, as long as it is Li Yue, it is enough. "

 C48 Halloween

    "It''s fine if I don''t see an unsightly Li Yue." Gu Qingli finally withdrew her hand from his palm and quickly left his bedroom.


    A cool breeze blew over, filling the garden with the fragrance of flowers. Gu Qingli subconsciously felt a little cold on his hands. She touched his hands and actually vaguely recalled the cool temperature of his palms.


    She was surprised, looking back to where she had left from. She only saw the dark blue curtain of clouds gently swaying, and there seemed to be a pair of foundation cloud heads faintly peeking out from under the curtain. He was still looking at her from behind?


    No, he had a bunch of concubines and madams. Even if Xin Ziyao and the others had evil intentions and were sent to his side, the spies were all gone. At the very least, there were main concubines and Madam Jia.


    When she thought of his first wife, Gu Qingli felt a strange sense of grievance. Where would he put his first wife?


    Very soon, she was startled. She was actually conflicted about this bastard prince disregarding his main wife and treating the Ghost Doctor flirtatiously. No matter what her identity was, she had never thought of having anything to do with this bastard, right?


    The more she thought about it, the more confused she became. She stopped herself from thinking about it any longer. She only had one thought in her mind, which was to get to the corners of the city as soon as possible, cure the poison in his body, and then leave him.


    Long live the emperor, Gu Qing Li washed her face and changed clothes. She carefully looked at herself in the mirror, feeling that there was something missing.


    "Princess, the Prince is waiting for you outside. The carriage is already prepared, I need to hurry you up."


    When she thought about Xiao Yixiu''s makeup and his beautiful eyebrows, she felt slightly disappointed. After entering the palace tonight to join in the Emperor''s birthday celebration, he actually didn''t draw her eyebrows for such an important occasion like he did in the past. In the mirror, his exquisite and cold face was like a dragon drawing, lacking the most important part.


    Behind her, Yu Ying dragged a long and long skirt for Gu Qing Li and praised her. "Esteemed wangfei, you''re really beautiful, so beautiful that you could topple kingdoms."


    Yuli forced a smile and also praised.


    However, Gu Qingli didn''t pay any attention to them. She slowly walked to the side of the carriage with a depressed mood and looked at the carriage.


    Xiao Yixiu, who had been waiting in the car for a long time, lifted a corner of the brocade curtain and swept his eyes over it. He saw a woman wearing a misty purple muslin dress leisurely approaching him.


    Yu Ying drew a crescent brow, gently curved, just like a crescent moon. It drew out a trace of warm and gentle elegance, making her cold and proud expression become a bit more gentle.


    Three thousand strands of black hair was like a painting of a face. It was so elegant and graceful, yet it gave birth to a thought that was lacking in his heart.


    Unfortunately, she was not Li Yue.


    Unfortunately, those crescent moon-like eyebrows didn''t suit her domineering temperament.


    Why did life always have such a flaw? It was like the princess that the emperor had planted next to him. No matter how beautiful, intelligent, and charming she was, she couldn''t truly become Xiao Yixiu''s pillow bearer.


    The Longevity Festival was one of the most sacred banquets in the imperial family. The princes entered the palace the day before their birthday to extend the emperor''s birthday. They could stay in the palace for the night and participate in the official birthday banquet the next day.


    During such an important festival, even the princes who had been released or sent to war had to return to the palace. Thus, as the commander of the imperial camp, the Yan King who was guarding the northern border had to return to the palace in advance.


    The carriage stopped in front of the palace gates. Xiao Yixiu helped Gu Qing Li off the carriage, gently and considerately as usual, and the two of them slowly made their way along the White Jade Imperial Road.


    This wasn''t the first time Gu Qingli had entered the palace, but she still felt a sense of reverence for the palace''s majesty, its sternness and majesty.


    The splendor of gold and jade revealed the extravagance and coldness of the imperial family. Everyone could not help but think of the brutality of the struggle for power behind the lofty throne.


    "Fifth royal brother!" Following the melodious sound of a young voice, Gu Qingli turned to look at the source of the voice. She hadn''t expected to run into a prince on the vast imperial road.


    Not far away, a young man was walking towards them. He was dressed in a red robe with eight pythons embroidered on it with golden threads, and his red pill robe made people''s eyes shine. Unlike Gu Qing Li''s crimson clothes, it was a bright red.


    After all, he was only eighteen or nineteen years old. Even though he carried the aura of a noble prince, he still remained youthful. His bright peach blossom eyes were filled with innocence as they scanned Gu Qing Li once more, and he said with a smile, "This must be the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law?"


    Gu Qing Li had originally disliked the princes who went all out to fight for the throne. However, the smiling and harmless young man in front of her made her feel extremely disgusted. He was as clear as an unpolished jade.


    "It''s me." It was rare for her to reveal a trace of a light smile. Like a cool breeze and a light moon, it brushed against a person''s heart, causing it to feel slightly cold and soft.


    The young man looked at her absent-mindedly for a moment, and then he smiled, like a hundred flowers blooming in the sky. He was even more beautiful than a woman. "Fifth royal sister-in-law can call me Yi Yan."


    Yi Yan! Even Xiao Yi Xiu had never allowed her to call him by name!


    If it was anyone else, they would think that Xiao Yiyan was a frivolous person, lacking the dignity of a prince. However, Gu Qingli only felt that he was amiable and amiable, without the slightest bit of arrogance.


    As a result, the three of them headed towards the Sky Bearing Hall, where the birthday banquet was being held. The only sounds that could be heard were the laughter and conversation between Xiao Yiyan and Gu Qingli.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was silent the entire way. The fate between people was always so strange. Some people were so close to each other, while others were so close to each other that they didn''t know what the ending would be between him and the wangfei.


    She seemed to ignore her own posture as she chatted happily with Xiao Yiyan. Her expression of hate made Xiao Yiyan, who had originally come to the palace to greet him out of brotherhood, forget his own motive, as if he only had eyes for his sister-in-law.


    "Princess, the Sky Bearing Hall is just ahead. It is a majestic place of the royal family, and needs to be quiet and solemn." Xiao Yixiu finally opened his mouth to speak at a leisurely pace.


    Only now did Gu Qingli feel that his hand that was originally light and persistent had turned into a tight grip, to the point that her fingernail had left a shallow mark on her palm.


    Although it wasn''t painful, but to Xiao Yixiu, who was like a mountain that collapsed at the top but did not seem to care at all, it was already an unintentional loss of composure.


    Xiao Yiyan couldn''t help but take light steps as well. His smiling expression became much more serious, and even the lines of smile in the corner of his eyes became light.


    Gu Qing Li turned to look, meeting Xiao Yi''s moving gaze. The coldness in his eyes had been replaced by a deep, unfathomable look. Based on her understanding of him, he was in a rather bad mood right now.


    Xiao Yixiu''s footsteps slowed down, and Gu Qingli was in his grasp. She had no choice but to keep her distance from Xiao Yiyan, who was standing in front of him. Only then did he hear him mutter, "Gu Qingli! No matter what you think, you will always be this king''s wangfei. This identity of yours is like a brand in your bloodline, something that can never be removed. "


    Then he lifted his eyelids, and under the long black eyelashes, there was a chill in his eyes, and he tightened his grip on her wrist.


    "Your Highness, are you saying that your reward for the poison still flows in my blood?" Gu Qingli''s voice was calm and cold, and her retaliating eyes were like blazing flames as she confronted him without any signs of retreat.


    "Thank you for reminding me over and over again how I should be grateful to you for controlling my freedom with poison." She shook off his hand and walked on alone.

 C49 Princes Gathering

    This person was most skilled at pouring ice water on others when they had a slight change in their opinion of him, right? He never seemed to know how to close the distance between them.


    Xiao Yi Xiu instantly stopped moving. The coldness in his eyes dissipated, and before she could get far, he held her hand again.


    "I''m just a chess piece you used to show your love. If you come in front of the emperor, you can whitewash it in peace. Right now, no one is looking at you."


    "You finally admit that you''re a chess piece he sent."


    Gu Qingli angrily stopped and glared at him. "I''ll tell you one last time, I''ve never been sent by anyone to spy on you, including your majesty."


    He leisurely said, "Then why did he give us a marriage?"


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "Maybe he just thinks I''m more of a match for you."


    One was known as a prince, yet he was not related to the emperor. The other was known as the direct daughter of the prime minister. His mother had died young, so he had to live a life worse than a concubine. They were people with noble statuses on the surface, shining with unparalleled brilliance. However, deep down, they were existences that were ignored by others.


    The lengthy Han Baiyu imperial path had finally come to an end. He stepped onto the emperor''s throne, and the two rows of stern imperial guards with bright armor and silver helmets stood by the side. Even if the princes carried weapons, they would still be left behind.


    The sound of music and dancing filled the entire Sky Bearing Hall. The muslin palace lamps under the front porch had long since started to emit a soft glow, making the arches and paintings appear even more dazzling and resplendent.


    The ladies who greeted the guests at the door were all of the same height and height. They all had delicate bodies and beautiful faces. They were all dressed in pale-green palace dresses.


    Xiao Yixiu led Gu Qingli into the hall.


    The hall was deep and wide, appearing imposing and imposing. The hall was brightly lit, and the night pearls the size of pigeon eggs were scattered around the ceiling. They were arranged like Big Dipper Stars, shining like a river of stars as they fell into the world under the bright lights.


    They were the first to arrive, and only two people were seated on the throne of the prince, other than Xiao Yiyan, who was a few steps earlier than them. The one seated in the lead was a young man, who was dressed in a golden silk Nine Python''s gown, and had a domineering look on his face.


    "Crown Prince." Xiao Yi Xiu bowed slightly, but the man only bowed slightly. With a cold face, he made an arrogant gesture.


    Crown Prince Xiao Yi Bei! Gu Qingli glanced at the man who abandoned her and thought of how Du Ying had been infatuated with her. She sneered inwardly. If that silly girl who came from a brothel but had a clean body saw the true face of this man''s arrogance and brazenness, how disappointed would she be?


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t pay any attention to the crown prince''s rudeness. Under his gaze, he sat down beside him.


    "Big brother Crown Prince!" A handsome man dressed in an octopus robe embroidered with dark blue golden silk strode in. He had the manner of a valiant general, but when his gaze made contact with Xiao Yixiu, it changed slightly, and in a flash, it disappeared. Following that, a warm smile appeared on his face, making his originally carving-like handsome face softer.


    Compared to the other princes, this one had a bit more heroic aura, and his thin lips were slightly pursed, making him seem even more ruthless. But he seemed to know how to decorate this with a smile.


    The Crown Prince nodded casually. His perfunctory attitude did not make the other party feel awkward at all. It was obvious that he was used to it.


    When he shifted his gaze to Xiao Yi Xiu, the smile on the man''s face clearly expressed some ill intent, "Yo, isn''t this the famous War God from our Dong Yuan Kingdom, someone who can''t be defeated? "Fifth royal brother, we brothers haven''t seen each other for a long time. We are as healthy as ever, and our demeanor is even more graceful than before."


    He stepped forward, spread his arms, and made a gesture of embrace, as if he were intimately close.


    Judging from his words and title, the man in front of him was the new commander of the imperial camp, the Yan King, Xiao Yijin.


    Xiao Yi Xiu sat up straight, completely still. Gu Qingli, who was sitting at the side, felt the oppressive force coming from Xiao Yijin''s body, bringing along with it a strong gust of wind.


    With Xiao Yi''s slender and frail body, even if he didn''t sustain any internal injuries, Xiao Yi Jin would at least make him look good in front of everyone.


    Gu Qingli was secretly angered in her heart. To actually do such a thing to a weak and sickly person. This King Yan''s mind was truly venomous. She calmly waved her sleeves and withdrew the silver needles at the bottom of her sleeves. Then, she stretched out her slender hand and leisurely patted Xiao Yi Xiu''s clothes.


    Flowing Cloud''s wide sleeves blocked the way between the two of them, perfectly blocking Xiao Yi Jin''s arm. This caused Xiao Yi Jin to pause in mid-air in an extremely awkward position. At the same time, he felt a sharp pain from somewhere on his arm. A surge of inner force was like a ball leaking air, causing him to be extremely surprised.


    Only now did Gu Qingli realize that she was standing between the two of them. She smiled apologetically at Xiao Yijin. "Aiya, what a coincidence. I''ve actually gotten in the way of Prince Yan''s business."


    Xiao Yijin raised his eyebrows as he sized her up in surprise. Only then did he notice the "Fifth Imperial Aunt" standing next to Xiao Yi Xiu, whom he had never seen before. He had long heard that Prime Minister Gu Zhaoran''s eldest daughter was a weak and cowardly young lady, and that her secret feelings of love for the Sunset King, Xiao Yi Mo, had been ridiculed. How come the rumors that he saw his today were completely different?


    Xiao Yijin was currently looking at Gu Qingli with interest. He saw that her eyebrows were curved like the moon and her eyes were like the ocean. A sharp, cold light flashed across her eyes.


    Outside the palace, the herald announced the arrival of the emperor and all the imperial concubines and princesses.


    Outside the palace door was the sound of a horn-shaped bell on a jade sedan. The emperor, queen and imperial concubine were riding on the first palanquin.


    The emperor walked at the front, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe embroidered with golden threads. The imperial consort took a seat at the left side of the prince, with the empress, imperial concubine, imperial concubine and imperial concubine following behind him. The princesses were seated on the left side of the prince.


    The Emperor opened the conversation with a few words. Although his voice was grand and reverberating in the hall, Gu Qing Li felt that his confidence was lacking. He couldn''t help but quietly look up.


    The emperor seemed to be fine, only his eyes were slightly dimmed. Compared to the last time, his spirit seemed to be slightly weakened, as if he was suffering from severe injuries. Of course, only a skilled doctor like Gu Qingli would be able to detect these subtle changes. It seemed like there was nothing unusual about ordinary people.


    The princes stood up and bowed to the emperor, congratulating him on his well-deserved victory.


    After all, it was a festive day, and the emperor''s face held a trace of a rarely seen amiable smile. Just as he was saying the two words "rise", his smile suddenly froze; he discovered that one of the princes was missing, while King Mu, Xiao Yi Mo, was yet to arrive!


    According to the etiquette system, princes who had already become independent had to enter the palace early and wait for the Emperor to sit down and congratulate them. Even if it was an ordinary household, how could they allow their elders, who had such a warm life, to sit in their seats and wait for their juniors?


    Thus, it was only natural that the Emperor''s complexion would be terrible ¡­

 C50 unintentional

    Fortunately, at this moment, three figures hurried over on the imperial path. It was Xiao Yi Mo who had brought the second concubine with him into the hall. He clasped his hands and kowtowed to her.


    He only looked at Xiao Yi Mo and said, "Please forgive me royal father. I did not come late on purpose, but because I heard that royal father had been ill recently, so I came late in search of the Ghost Doctor Li Yue outside the palace in search of a cure for his father''s body. I came late in a hurry because of this."


    Gu Qingli was shocked. She hadn''t seen Xiao Yimo since she left the manor. Where did the Ghost Doctor''s divine formula come from? Then he thought that if the Emperor had not been seriously ill, he could have asked for a prescription from one of the famous doctors in the capital and would have received the same medicine.


    The reason why he wanted to win the title of Ghost Doctor Li Yue was because the Ghost Doctor''s name had become famous in the capital recently. She had become a mysterious figure fought over by various forces and thus, this recipe was even more valuable.


    If so, then his lateness was just a show.


    As expected, however, the Emperor''s expression improved as a faint smile could be seen in his eyes as he watched Xiao Yimo stand up and respectfully present a medicinal formula.


    "Mo''er sure is considerate." The Emperor nodded with approval as he watched Xiao Yi Mo return to his seat. He then glanced at He Yiyu. She could no longer hide her stomach, so it was obvious that if she was born with the status of Emperor''s eldest grandson, then it would naturally be extremely precious.


    The crown prince and the Yan King looked at Xiao Yi Mo with hostility. Not only did he win first place, he also won the favor of the emperor. He even brought a pregnant imperial concubine to show off.


    The birthday banquet officially began with loud laughter, the sound of drums, the sound of the music playing and the music dancing.


    Only Gu Qing Li focused on the Emperor''s expression of fatigue and depression amidst the din and the sounds of the wine cups.


    That sound was completely wrong. It didn''t sound like an internal deficiency, but rather ¡­


    "What are you daydreaming about?" Xiao Yixiu''s low voice interrupted her concentration as she looked at him in astonishment.


    His gaze was fixed on her, and he stared at her for who knows how long.


    "Why did you block that attack for me just now?" Although he didn''t know what she had done, he knew that she had helped him block Xiao Yijin''s evil intentions.


    Gu Qingli said lightly, "You''re overthinking it. It''s just that it''s not intentional."


    "Being able to block Xiao Yijin''s inner force, your unintentional status is already quite high."


    Gu Qing Li remained calm and collected. When he looked up, he saw that Xiao Yi Jin wasn''t planning on letting them go, so he raised his glass and walked over. He smiled at Xiao Yi Xiu and said, "Fifth Imperial Brother, I, your little brother, toast you.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at the wine in the cup and smiled faintly as he tapped the rim of the cup with Nie Tian. However, he only took a sip. He had been taking medicine nonstop. The forbidden smell of alcohol was extremely strong in his cup, but he could not drink as much as he used to.


    Xiao Yi Jin drank it all in one gulp. With a mocking smile, he said, "Fifth royal brother, do you look down on royal brother? Or are you so useless that drinking a cup of wine will harm your body?"


    His voice was neither loud nor low. Coincidentally, it didn''t reach deep into the imperial palace where the emperor and his imperial concubines resided. However, the surrounding princes and princesses could clearly hear his words.


    The crown prince and Xiao Yi Mo laughed in a low voice. They couldn''t hide the gloating in their eyes.


    For a moment, he had the feeling that this woman, who had once followed behind him and begged him not to even look at him, was actually becoming more and more arrogant and cold ever since he had entered the Prince Mo Mansion. On the contrary, Gu Qingruo, who once shocked the world with her dancing, was becoming more and more unsightly in his eyes.


    "Little Sister Qing Li, are you happy after marrying into the Prince Mo''s mansion? "If I had known that my fifth brother''s body was so weak, that night ¡­" It was obvious that Xiao Yi Mo wanted to remember and make up for his mistakes.


    Gu Qing Li replied with a cold smile: "Duke Mu, although you took my sister as your first wife, since you married me, I think you shouldn''t address me so intimately. Instead, you should address me as the eldest son of the imperial family. As for our prince''s body, I don''t need to worry about it. Only I know how good his body is, right? So, where did the two princes judge this? "


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was dark, and he could not continue after being interrupted.


    She casually took the cup from Xiao Yi Xiu and shook it gently. With a smile, she said, "My master doesn''t drink all sorts of wine. It depends on whether the other party has enough face to drink all the wine in one cup."


    Xiao Yijin didn''t like Gu Qing Li''s words. After a moment of shock, his interest in Gu Qing Li increased as he smiled, "I wonder what sort of face you''d need, Fifth Imperial Aunt''s, to have?"


    Gu Qingli smiled: "I''ve heard that Prince Yan was recommended by my prince and took over the command position. Since you''re able to sit in the same general position as my prince, you should be able to conquer the same enemies and gain the same ''War God'' position. Only then will you have the qualifications to talk about the ''brotherhood''."


    Although she didn''t know much about Xiao Yi Jin and Xiao Yi Xiu''s past, from her long experience in the Wang Mansion, she could roughly guess from Xiao Yi Jin''s words.


    She just hadn''t thought that Xiao Yixiu would have a title similar to ''War God'' in the past. Compared to his current weakened state, it was entirely possible to imagine how much of a gap there would be in his mental state, from the invincible general to the state where he could not even use his internal energy.


    Xiao Yijin''s expression was even darker than earlier. It was obvious that Gu Qingli''s mocking words had hit her weak spot.


    The war at the northern border had lasted for a long time. Xiao Yijin had never defeated his greatest enemy, the Crown Prince of the Northern Chu, Helian Yu. And Helian Yu''s only defeat had come from Xiao Yixiu.


    Gu Qingli smiled as she put down the cup of wine. Coincidentally, she met Xiao Yixiu''s gaze and couldn''t help but be taken aback.


    The expression on his face was warm and tranquil, as if it was the collapse of Mount Tai and did not affect his appearance. He clearly did not care about the ridicule from Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin. On the contrary, the look in her eyes, which had changed from the old alienation and gloom to probing and curiosity, had gradually turned into a moving, gentle smile.


    Actually, this gentleness wasn''t considered unfamiliar to her, but he had only revealed it to the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, and as the wangfei Gu Qingli, she had never seen him look at her with such an expression before.


    The princes began to toast the emperor in turn. Although it was not the day of the birthday banquet and there were no officials from the other dynasties to congratulate him, the congratulatory speech was still extremely majestic. The emperor gave each toast one by one, with a somewhat fatherly expression on his face.


    In the Northern Frontier, Xiao Yijin''s enemies were Sui Guo, a small country that was on good terms with the Northern Chu. However, Xiao Yijin had always refused to be enlightened and often provoked others along the way.


    The difficulty lied in the fact that this small country was subordinate to the Northern Chu, holding the throat of Dongyuan, and was the gateway to the Northern Chu. In order to protect this gateway, the Northern Chu had also dispatched troops to help many times, until Xiao Yixiu was defeated a few years ago.


    Although he did not get the title of War God, and his opponent was not Helian Yu, but that was not important. The Emperor was very satisfied with the victory at the northern border, at least in the short term, he could make the Sui Nation submit and restrain themselves.


    Thus, Xiao Yijin received the most amazing reward.


    "..." "Jin''er won the battle at the north. She is indeed a national general. She is not inferior to your fifth brother." The Emperor was really generous. Although Xiao Yijin had won a few matches, even he himself knew that his battle achievements were incomparable to Xiao Yixiu''s back then.


    However, he was not ashamed at all, smiling without saying a word, with a look of arrogance on his face as he looked down on the other princes.

 C51 Reward

    "What would Jin''er like for this bounty?" Without waiting for Xiao Yijin''s reply, the emperor cast a meaningful glance at Imperial Concubine Lan, "Lan''er''s children have indeed won one after another. Xiu''er has been sick for many years, so I didn''t want Jin''er to fight for him."


    Imperial Concubine Lan''s face, adorned with exquisite makeup, had a smile that was as beautiful as a flower. Her eyes couldn''t conceal the delight in them as they floated towards Imperial Concubine Ling.


    "I have decided to grant Jin`er a fiefdom. I will also reward her with ten thousand pearls and a pair of jade ruyi ¡­" The Jade Velvet Horn, a tribute of the Southern Moon Country. "


    The State of Zhou was one of the richest counties near the capital.


    Each of the princes had a different expression when they heard that the Luo Prefecture had been bestowed upon Xiao Yijin. The crown prince was still alright, after all, he was the ruler, and the world would belong to him in the future. They would not fight for this land, but they were still unhappy.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was as dark as if it was his own name. He brought along the imperial concubine with the eldest grandson of the emperor to the palace and even specially used a prescription to curry favor with the emperor, but Xiao Yi Jin still managed to steal the limelight. His feudal fiefdom was located hundreds of miles away from Jingzhou. In terms of terrain, it was far from the ground.


    When the eunuchs reported the gifts, many elegant palace maids brought jewelry, jade artifacts, paintings, antiques and other things to the princes.


    Naturally, the reward from Xiao Yi Xiu was the most pathetic. It was said that he was gentle and talented; only he was worthy of his master''s calligraphy and painting. Therefore, the painting in front of him was merely a scroll.


    Xiao Yijin sat beside Xiao Yixiu. The several sandalwood trays that his rewards had not been able to fit, and the treasures presented by the palace maids instantly attracted Gu Qingli''s attention.


    Before this, she had left a snack bar when she heard the tribute. Now that she saw it, she was almost certain that this was the husband she had seen in the Star Moon Gambling Workshop! In the end, they still entered the palace. The worst case scenario was that it ended up in Xiao Yi Jin''s hands!


    Nanyue Ren actually didn''t know what this thing was. From afar, it looked like jade, but it had small antlers shaped like deer, which was why she gave it such a name. As far as tribute was concerned, although this object looked good, it was of no practical value. No matter how much precious jade it was, it was just the same for princes.


    Only Gu Qing Li stared unblinkingly at it, cursing in his heart that this tribute and the reward were all a waste of a treasure. He treated the rare herbs that could bring someone back to life as an ornament.


    After the birthday banquet was over, the princes would be left in the palace. This was a rare opportunity for adult princes to stay in the palace for the night.


    The princes were arranged to stay in the Palace of XuanShou, entering the Palace gates. The front and back halls were made of emerald glazed roof tiles, carved flowers and lacquer pillars, the doors were covered with beaded curtains, and the palace muslin fluttered in the wind.


    When the crown prince returned to the Eastern Palace, the people who lined up in the front and back rows were Xiao Yimo, Xiao Yijin, Xiao Yixiu, and Xiao Yiyan.


    However, the Xuan Yuan Palace was specially used to receive the crown prince and adult princes of the resident palace. They were divided into different halls, with the exception of the main hall, there was only one room in the main hall.


    In this way, Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yixiu became extremely embarrassed.


    Although the inner chamber was spacious and luxurious, it only had a carved, round, jade jade carved Hornless Bed. There was also an Imperial Consort''s bed, so it was obviously not possible for the three of them to sleep on it together. She Yiyu had a big belly, so it was inevitable that she would have to sleep on a Imperial Consort''s bed.


    However, his problem was that he and Gu Qing Li were husband and wife, and they only slept together once. It was clear that he wanted to make things difficult for Gu Qing Li and deliberately embarrass her that night.


    Gu Qingli glanced at the sleeping quarters as she pondered how to sneak out after Xiao Yixiu fell asleep. "I''ll sleep on the Imperial Consort''s bed, and the prince will sleep on the bed," she said.


    Unexpectedly, Xiao Yi Xiu said indifferently, "Princess, you can go to bed. I''ll go to the west hall to find Seventh Imperial Brother to play chess."


    Amidst Gu Qingli''s stunned gaze, he slowly walked out.


    When he reached the door, he suddenly paused, and without turning his head back, he asked, "Why are you helping this duke out of trouble tonight?"


    Gu Qing Li was startled. After thinking for a while, she actually couldn''t answer. At that time, it was only out of instinct. When he heard that Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin had teamed up and ridiculed him, he felt inexplicably unhappy. It was as if his territory had been violated and he wanted to refute them back without a reason.


    Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t hear her reply and didn''t press her further. He only whispered, "Princess, rest early. I won''t be coming back tonight."


    Her cold and slender figure left the hall, her clothes fluttering in the wind like a fairy under the moonlight, causing Gu Qingli to be lost in her own thoughts.


    It was better not to come back, for her to do so.


    Gu Qingli felt a wave of relief. She took out the night clothes she had prepared earlier and put them on, blew out the door light, then jumped out of the window to look at the flickering lights of the house. From the window, she could see the projections of two people sitting there.


    She suddenly felt a sense of unhappiness. He had clearly gone to play chess with Xiao Yiyan in order to avoid her and not be in the same room as her.


    Could it be that all the thorns in her body were annoying him as well?


    As he thought of this, the joy he had had from having his freedom vanished completely. All that was left was a trace of anger.


    She slowly climbed up the palace wall, lowered her body, and moved stealthily on top of the palace. Although she didn''t have the ancient light technique of treading on the waves, with her flexible body and agile movements, it wouldn''t be difficult for her at all.


    Gu Qingli naturally didn''t know anything about the palace, but based on her estimation of the palace''s appearance and the people guarding it, she soon deviated from the center of the palace and headed towards the northwest corner.


    The structure of the palace became more and more simple as they moved northwest. The number of auspicious beasts on the roof of the palace decreased from nine to seven, or five, and the glazed roof also changed from gold to jade, until it became black. It was obvious that they were heading towards a place of low status within the palace.


    At this point, all one could do was to judge from the structure of the guards and the palaces which were the various storehouses and which were the various branches of the palace, but the furnishings and odors within each palaces were different, such as the overflowing aroma of the imperial kitchens and the tall chimneys.


    The only thing that was unique to the imperial pharmacy was undoubtedly the fragrance of herbs.


    Gu Qingli leapt down from the roof following the scent of medicine. Naturally, there were no guards there at night. All the doors to the medicine room were locked. Yao Cheng and the eunuchs were all asleep in the room.


    She took out a hairpin, easily opened the latch and jumped in, beginning her search.


    The medicine shelves were lined up in a row, and each drawer was labeled with a drug name. Gu Qingli found a candle and lit it, slowly reading it. She should be able to find all the ingredients she needed here. As long as tonight passed, she would be able to completely shake off Xiao Yi Xiu''s control and leave the Mo King''s Manor.


    The thought only excited her for a moment, but then it faded, as if this unexpected event could no longer surprise her. On the contrary, she even thought that after she found the medicinal ingredients she needed here, she could go to Xiao Yi Jin''s place and try to steal out her husband''s horn ¡­


    She didn''t even notice that her train of thought had changed from looking for the antidote to looking for the antidote on Xiao Yixiu, completely curing the poison in his body.

 C52 drug theft

    As expected, there were all sorts of medicinal ingredients in the palace, and even those that were extremely expensive on the market could be found here. Gu Qing Li had just finished wrapping the medicine when he heard a slight noise from outside the courtyard. He then saw the light of a candle flickering through the window.


    She blew out the candle and found a corner to hide behind the medicine rack.


    "Ceng Yao, it''s not a big deal to get more this time." Because they were separated by a door, the female voice outside was a bit indistinct, but Gu Qingli, who had good hearing, was able to discern most of what she was saying.


    "This won''t do. The imperial physician''s order comes here to personally inspect special and precious medicines every few days. It''s extremely heavy, and if the quantity is too small, it will naturally raise suspicions." With the sound of the key opening the lock, two figures entered.


    A middle-aged man was in the lead, dressed in official clothes and carrying a lantern.


    Behind her was the garb of a watery red palace maid. The dress of a palace maid with a light veil draped over it belonged to the delicate and pretty jade-like daughter of a small family. Gu Qingli looked at it a few more times before suddenly recalling the palace maid who had stood behind the empress during the banquet.


    "That thing isn''t highly toxic, so it can''t be considered to be that precious, right?"


    Xin Yao glared at her: "You didn''t know that this thing would be made from Stone Bee Nest. It would be very troublesome to make it using Wufang Grass and Purple Myrtle Sunflower juice." Although it''s not expensive, it''s also very rare. "


    The court lady was somewhat unhappy. She pouted and said, "This is Emperor ¡­"


    "Shh!" He made a gesture with his hand and looked around. The man was very careful. Even though it was almost midnight and the pharmacy was empty, he was still worried.


    "I know I have to be careful not to have ears, but no one will hear me in the middle of the night."


    "Be careful at all times." With a sullen face, he walked to a shelf and pulled out a small drawer. He then took out some white crystals.


    The palace maid took out a box and placed it in, sighing: "It''s just that this thing is really slow to work, it''s not very useful until now, can you change it to something else?"


    "It''s safe."


    "I knew it would be safe." The palace maid whispered.


    Prime Minister Xin Yao''s face sank. "If you''re a man who can make decisions, I won''t care about you even if you want to take on the peak of the crane. As long as you can clean up that mess!"


    The palace maid fell silent, and the two of them went out one after the other, locking the door behind them.


    It wasn''t until there was no sound that Gu Qingli finally jumped out, lit a candle, and walked to the spot where they had been standing.


    The drawer on the shelf was so tight that she couldn''t tell which drawer it was, but when she remembered that she had seen a white crystal, she took a closer look at it and opened a small drawer.


    Alum! She recalled what Xin Yao had said and made her decision. Although she did not know how the alum method was refined, it contained lead. If used in small amounts, it would cause nausea and vomiting, depression and irritability, memory loss, and eventually kidney injury.


    However, the ancient medical records did not mention that alum was poisonous, and that was why Chang said it was "safe." Obviously, they were poisoning someone.


    She recalled how the Emperor seemed to be in low spirits and had a bad appetite at the banquet. At that time, she had instinctively felt that something was wrong with him. When she thought of this matter, she had immediately concluded that the Emperor had been poisoned!


    The little palace maid only said the word ''emperor'' before being interrupted by a cautious and bitter medicine. Could it be that the person who poisoned her was the empress? He was right, the walls had ears, who knew that there would be "ears" in this medicine warehouse!


    But the empress had poisoned the emperor, that was an excuse that couldn''t be justified. She was already a noble empress, and her son was the crown prince. What did she wish for? Could it be that if Emperor Tu died, she would become a widow early on?


    Xiao Yixiu and Xiao Yiyan sat opposite each other under the window of the western hall. Xiao Yixiu sat opposite Xiao Yiyan under the window of the western hall.


    Xiao Yiyan played with a piece of black jade in his hand. He didn''t let it fall, but looked at Xiao Yixiu.


    "Why?" Xiao Yixiu finally noticed his odd expression. "Why aren''t you playing chess? Why are you staring at me like that?"


    "It''s good to see fifth brother, haha!" Xiao Yiyan''s smile was somewhat mischievous, and he still carried the innocence of a youth.


    "All day long." Despite knowing that he wasn''t speaking the truth, Xiao Yi Xiu had still casually given him a piece of meat after weighing it in his hand.


    It seemed that Xiao Yi Yan was not thinking at all and was just casually waving his hands around. His smile stiffened and he was unable to pick up his black bead no matter what, as he muttered: "Fifth brother, can''t you give me a way out of this predicament? "Knowing that my chess skills are no good, I still have to chase after it."


    "A drowning dog has always been my supervisor." Xiao Yi Xiu raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Are you going to admit defeat obediently, or do you want to put up a resistance?"


    "I''m not resisting, I''m not resisting anymore!" Xiao Yiyan pouted unhappily, then looked at him, "Fifth brother, I''m serious. You look better lately, you''re not the same as before."


    "Isn''t it the red light of the palace veil?" Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyes to look at the exquisite and magnificent palace lamp hanging from the beam. He stood up and said, "The night air is very cold. I''ll go to my draped clothes and come over."


    He leisurely walked out of the west wing of the palace. Under the cold and clear moonlight, he stood there for a long time. Finally, he pushed open the door to the east wing and slowly walked in.


    A corner of the carved bed was raised by the gentle breeze blowing outside the hall. The golden carvings on the bed had an ancient luster. Green smoke lingered in the incense burner, and the entire hall seemed to be floating in the air.


    Xiao Yixiu walked up to the bed, seeming to be quietly looking at something, but also seemed to be deep in thought. In the end, he quietly lifted a corner of the curtain.


    He remembered the only night she had slept in the same bed. She had been so uncomfortable that she had rolled over and fallen asleep just before dawn, and when she had fallen asleep he had leaned forward and stared at her sleeping face from a distance.


    It was a small, delicate face, the size of a palm. Even when she was asleep, her expression was still unhappy, and her lips, which were as small as water, curled into a cold and proud smile. She was a woman who would never lower her head to anyone.


    It was completely unlike the Gu Qingli he knew from back then, who only knew how to stand in the corner and stare at Xiaoyi with admiration.


    He didn''t know what he was thinking, but he found an excuse to come back and change his clothes. He actually just subconsciously wanted to take another look at her sleeping appearance, but he didn''t want her to notice.


    When the tent flap was lifted, he suddenly opened his eyes wide in confusion and anger. Although the bed was covered with a blanket, even though it looked like someone was curled up inside the blanket, it didn''t fluctuate at all.


    He took a deep breath.


    A litter of clothes and a pillow were piled into a human shape.


    Where had the princess, who had never wanted to be at peace even after taking his poison, gone to? He pondered for a moment and took a deep breath. He restored the bed and put down the curtain.


    Although this wangfei had never been obedient in her entire life, she still had a sense of propriety and should not cause too much trouble. No matter what he had done, he would ask it tomorrow. If a ruckus arose, it would be difficult to deal with.

 C53 Cold night with cloak

    Gu Qingli quietly left the medicine store and returned to her own sleeping quarters. She looked at her bed, which was still as it had been before, changed her clothes and hid the medicine. After thinking for a while, she tidied up her hair and headed to the west wing.


    Seeing that he was about to lose again, Xiao Yiyan became even more agitated. However, when he heard the knock on the door, he couldn''t help but be startled, "It''s already so late?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was also puzzled. He looked towards the door, got up and opened it.


    Gu Qing was wearing a snow-white one-sided cloak embroidered with green bamboo, and was looking at him.


    Under the light of the light, Xiao Yixiu''s skin was as warm as jade, his nose was as straight as a jade pillar, and his lips were dark red and cold. A look of surprise flashed across his eyes.


    "Your Highness, the night is very cold. I''m worried that your body might be afraid of the cold, so I came over to give you a cloak." She had a noble, pleasant smile, and she looked gentle and considerate.


    Xiao Yiyan couldn''t help but say, "Fifth Imperial Aunt, you slept so well ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu raised his hand in time to stop Xiao Yiyan from continuing.


    The two brothers had a tacit understanding of each other, and Xiao Yiyan quickly understood that the arrival of the wangfei was strange. The fifth brother didn''t want her to know that he had just returned home to change his clothes.


    However, Gu Qingli was very observant. She only heard half of her sentence and glanced over at Xiao Yixiu. She noticed that he had changed into a slightly thicker shirt, causing her heart to tremble.


    "Just now when This King went in to change his clothes, wangfei sure slept soundly, but I didn''t hear anything at all." Xiao Yixiu''s usual cold tone carried a hint of ridicule.


    Hearing his words, Gu Qingli heaved a sigh of relief. She thought that he would rather spend time playing chess with Xiao Yiyan in order to avoid her, so naturally, he wouldn''t go and look at the mannequin on the bed.


    She chuckled, "That may have been because the prince did not cover the door when he left, and the cool night wind woke me up. I suddenly thought of the prince, so I got up to take a look."


    Naturally, she pulled the cloak over his body and carefully tied a ribbon around his neck. His gaze was slightly frozen, unable to shift away from her face.


    Xiao Yiyan sighed, "The Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law is so virtuous. Fifth brother, you''re the lucky one from your previous life."


    Then, he pouted and put on a displeased expression. "I also hope that one day, I''ll be able to choose a beautiful, gentle, and considerate woman like the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law as my first wife. However, my royal father and mother have always wanted to find me a princess ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu had already recovered from Gu Qing Li''s "considerate" cold gaze. He sat back down at his chess piece and said, "You have a different identity. Naturally, you have to be worthy of a princess."


    "What? You don''t know? It was the crown prince brother who rejected the marriage, so the empress had to force Princess Xiliu onto me!" Xiao Yiyan''s face was full of grievance, "Think about it, the person that Crown Prince didn''t want is either ugly without a trace of salt or has a bad temper. Otherwise, when would it be my turn?"


    "Don''t be childish." "It''s a pity," Xiao Yi Xiu reprimanded her softly, but his voice was filled with a doting expression. I''ve heard that Princess Lan Xunxun is a spirited orchid with a fairy-like appearance, how is it like what you described? "


    "Well then, why don''t you want it? I am the youngest among all the brothers, and the crown prince and sixth royal brother have not even gotten a main wife yet. When he was angry, Hsiao Yiyan puffed up his cheeks like a child.


    "Imperial Father wholeheartedly wanted to marry into the west, while Big Brother Crown Prince refused to marry into this family. The Sixth Imperial Brother did want to marry into this family, but the Imperial Father felt that he was not a legitimate son, so the sincerity of the marriage was not enough. That''s why he sacrificed me!"


    Gu Qing Li looked at Xiao Yiyan from the side and couldn''t help but think that the Seventh Prince was very interesting. Although he looked like a child, and his speech was straightforward and unchanging, he was actually a smart and discerning person. He couldn''t be bothered to hide his thoughts like the other princes.


    Xiao Yixiu suddenly realized that Gu Qingli hadn''t left yet and was standing to one side. His gaze fell upon Xiao Yiyan, who was listening in on his conversation with great interest. His body subconsciously tensed up as he shot a cold gaze at her, clearly intending to chase her away.


    However, Gu Qingli seemed to have ignored his existence, and spoke with a smile, "Why do you dislike this princess so much, Prince Chen? "The honey is mine, and the arsenic is mine. If the Crown Prince doesn''t like it, he might want it. I think you should see the princess first and then decide what to do. It''s fair."


    "Fifth Imperial Aunt''s words are reasonable. If there''s a chance, I can also take a look at that Princess Lan Xun. If she''s half the size of the Fifth Imperial Aunt, perhaps I might consider it."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s gentle and indifferent eyes darkened. He pursed his lips and said, "Ah Yan, you''re already an adult. Pay attention to your status when you speak."


    Xiao Yiyan''s eyes curved into a crescent shape, his crescent-like smile somewhat captivating: "Yes, I''m sorry about that."


    As he said this, his eyes were still focused on Gu Qing Li, his smile carrying a hint of innocence and sincerity.


    "The night is cold, the dew is heavier. Princess should go back to rest. I will not go back tonight to talk about my brotherhood with King Chen."


    Gu Qingli seemed to have finally come back to her senses. She responded by saying goodbye to Liu Yiyan, "Then I''ll go back first. Prince Chen is taking good care of my master. He always doesn''t know how to take care of himself. He stays the night knowing he''s not feeling well."


    After she left, Xiao Yiyan stared at the Fifth Imperial Brother''s stormy face and laughed out loud: "I have never seen Fifth Brother''s face before, I always thought that you, Mount Tai, would collapse without a trace of your true colors. I didn''t think that you would be moved like this upon meeting an imperial concubine."


    Xiao Yixiu lazily replied with a cold glare, refusing to answer his question. "Have someone warm the jug of wine and warm your body with the cold at night, making it easy for you to fall asleep." It''s better not to play this game, even if you still lose tomorrow. "


    "That may not be so!" Xiao Yiyan remembered that he had missed half the game of chess and mumbled, "If the wangfei had finished playing when she was at the side just now, fifth brother would have lost without a doubt!"


    "What''s that supposed to mean?"


    "Fifth brother only cares about my sister-in-law, afraid that she will make eye contact with me ¡­"


    "Yan!" Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes darkened. This was a clear omen of the storm. Even if they were close friends, this kind of joke made him feel like something was up his sleeve. For no reason at all, he was still unhappy.


    "Alright, alright, when did fifth brother become a joke that he couldn''t even open? "A strong smell of vinegar. If I really had any ill intentions towards the Fifth Imperial Aunt, how would I joke in front of you?"


    "You''re thinking too much."


    Xiao Yixiu took the wine and ordered her to leave. The two brothers had always hated the eunuchs and maids in the palace when they spoke to each other.


    "You know how those women in my residence enter the estate."


    "But this one is different. News has already arrived from the palace saying that she was born to be jealous. Not long after she left the palace, she joined forces with the newly arrived Madam Jia to take care of the secondary wives. Even Fifth Brother has no choice but to fear her." "It''s fine if she''s talking to someone else, but I know very well that you''re not the one who''s pulling the strings behind this, fifth brother. I''ll use her ¡­"


    "That''s because she''s no different from those women." Xiao Yixiu cut him off, his eyes cold.


    Xiao Yi Yan paused for a moment. With suspicion in his eyes, he rolled his eyes and judged the meaning behind his words. Then, he said softly, "Fifth brother truly thinks that she is ¡­" There are some words that can only be understood, and cannot be spoken. Thus, he will not continue to speak. "

 C54 furnishings

    "Drink." As expected, Xiao Yi Xiu changed the subject and raised his glass.


    Xiao Yiyan bumped into him, but he was still unwilling, "With my understanding of her, I don''t think she is that kind of person ¡­" Could it be that you purposefully avoided her tonight, just like those other imperial concubines? You''re not going to touch her either? "


    Xiao Yixiu raised his glass and lightly sipped. His eyes were already filled with tacit approval.


    Many thoughts flashed through Xiao Yiyan''s mind. He wanted to say that he really was a cold-hearted person, but then he thought that if he really had no interest in his wangfei, it would actually be a good thing.


    Recalling that unadorned and bright face from before, the bright and beautiful luster of the first day was gone. Instead, it looked even more clean and pure, like it could not attract any dust or dust. Its proud and aloof appearance was truly admirable.


    After three cups, Xiao Yiyan remembered that Xiao Yixiu''s body had always been weak. He stopped drinking and said, "We can''t drink anymore. Let''s rest. Drinking too much is harmful to our health."


    "It''s alright. I''ve been stopping my medicine for a while and saying that even a small amount of alcohol can stimulate the blood circulation and replenish energy."


    "Stop the drug?" Xiao Yiyan''s eyes opened wide, "How can the Valley Master of the Godly Doctor make you stop treating the medicine so casually? "Aren''t you afraid ¡­"


    "My recent medicines were all prescribed by the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue. It''s been a long time since I''ve been convinced by Valley Master Luo''s medicines."


    "No wonder you look so much better!" Xiao Yi Yan stood up and got closer to take a closer look, then said in shock, "The Three Sovereigns said that he found the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, and obtained the prescription at the beginning. Didn''t they say you were familiar with her as well?"


    "She has been living in seclusion in my manor for a long time, why isn''t she familiar with it?"


    "Then your prescription, Third Imperial Brother ¡­"


    "As expected, it might be fake."


    "Why didn''t fifth brother expose him?"


    "Do you have any evidence?" Xiao Yi Xiu asked indifferently.


    "Bring Li Yue here to prove it."


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head with a serious expression. He was thinking about why the Emperor had been constantly suffering from minor ailments lately. He was afraid that there might be something wrong with it. Xiao Yi Mo offered the prescription, what kind of heart did he have?


    However, she couldn''t tell this to Xiao Yiyan, so he could only say, "Li Yue is the target of many factions, so it''s inconvenient for her to show herself for the time being."


    "True." Xiao Yiyan suddenly felt that when he mentioned Li Yue, his tone had also slowed down, and even his gaze seemed especially gentle.


    "Fifth brother, does Li Yue look good?"


    "She has been masked for a long time, who can see her face?"


    "You haven''t even seen fifth brother?" Xiao Yiyan was astonished.


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook her head and smiled faintly. What he cared about was not what Li Yue looked like, but rather her pair of long and elegant eyes that could never reach anyone.


    What he cared about was when his figure would appear in the flowing light beneath her eyes.


    Xiao Yiyan suddenly approached and stared into his eyes, "Fifth brother''s eyes are about to fill up with gentleness, then where are you going to put the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu got up and pushed him away. Due to his lack of strength, his voice was soft, but his tone was steady and calm. "The decorations were naturally placed in a place that others could see."


    "Fifth brother''s meaning is that Lady Li Yue should be placed in a place that others can''t see?"


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t say anything and seemed to tacitly agree. Instead, he washed his face and went to bed.


    Xiao Yiyan tidied himself up and sat on the arhat bed. With a displeased tone, he said, "Fifth brother doesn''t like the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law, so he should give her freedom. Why are you keeping her trapped?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t respond to his words and directly put down the hook.


    Xiao Yiyan thought he was disdainful to continue speaking. He pursed his lips, revealing a trace of displeasure on the face of the handsome youth that had yet to fade. His eyebrows were locked in a frown. No matter how close he was with fifth brother, he still felt that he had done something wrong.


    Xiao Yi Xiu turned his body inside the veil. Li Yue and Gu Qing Li''s silhouettes alternated between each other in the depths of his heart. In the end, Li Yue could only look back at Xiao Yi''s slender silhouette clad in red.


    When Gu Qing Li woke up early to wash up, he saw Xiao Yi Xiu push open the door and enter.


    Unexpectedly, it looked like he was slightly drunk, which was completely out of place with his usual appearance.


    Gu Qingli was somewhat surprised. She looked at him as he walked over. "You just woke up?"


    With a grunt, he leaned over the dressing table and lifted his hand to take her jaw in his.


    She was not used to this kind of posture but he seemed to like it. He always let her avoid him and coldly looked at her: "Did you look good last time with the Plum Blossom?" This King will draw another for you. "


    Gu Qing Li struggled for a moment, but he raised the brush on his hand and lightly tapped her forehead.


    She was afraid to paint flowers, so she could only slightly raise her face and let him paint. However, this posture had been there for a long time. He felt very tired, so he wanted to say something to divert his attention. "How much did you drink last night?" Your highness doesn''t know whether he has recovered from his illness, so should you take care of yourself? "


    The light scent of alcohol on his breath assailed her face, causing her to feel it.


    "Hm." After he finished drawing the last stroke, he casually threw the red brush. His steps seemed unsteady, and with a flick of his wide sleeve, he overturned the water that was still on the triangular water chestnut rack beside the dressing table.


    Gu Qingli let out an "ah" as she jumped up to dodge. Although she was fast and nimble, she didn''t have much room to retreat. She still couldn''t escape the fate of splashing water everywhere.


    She embarrassedly waved it a few times as she watched the bottom of Consort Xiang''s skirt and embroidered shoes get soaked. She raised her head to look at Xiao Yi Xiu with resentment.


    With this glance, all of her anger dissipated. Xiao Yixiu, who usually had a calm demeanor, was now drenched from head to toe in water. His snow-like white dress stuck to her body, clearly outlining his slender figure.


    She had wanted to laugh at him for losing himself in the same manner, but she saw that he was still as indifferent as he was before. He didn''t seem to be embarrassed at all.


    The drink seemed to wake up, and without a word he began to undress and stand before her, unafraid.


    It wasn''t that Gu Qingli hadn''t seen his body before, but that she was just lying in front of her as a patient, not to mention she was wearing underclothes. Even her pants were soaked, could it be that he ¡­


    Her eyes grew wider and wider as she looked at Xiao Yixiu, who had already unbuckled his belt and dropped it to the ground.


    "Does it look good?"


    Gu Qingli''s anger was ignited by these words. A small flame ignited from the bottom of her heart, and she was a bit annoyed. "Aren''t you being a little too narcissistic?"


    "Then why are you still staring at This King? Or could it be that you intend to come and help This King change his clothes? "


    She finally remembered to turn her back on him, and turned her face to the other side in some panic, more embarrassed than when half her body had been splashed with water.


    The rustling sound of his clothes being taken off could be heard unceasingly. The rubbing sound of his skin and the light Luo Qi''s satin being rubbed seemed to have magnified countless times over as it drilled into her ears, followed by the sound of them landing ¡­


    When she finally felt the stiffness in his face when she told him to "undress and go to bed" before giving him the shot.


    Yet, his delicate skin that was like white enamel, his smooth muscles, and his pinkish white skin had surfaced from the bottom of her heart ¡­


    After thinking about it for a while, Gu Qingli was startled. She realized that she was daydreaming and hurriedly pulled back her train of thoughts from thousands of miles away. She heard Xiao Yixiu''s cold voice, "Wangfei should also change her clothes. Don''t tell me she wants to meet people like this?"


    Gu Qingli turned around and saw him still buttoning her collar, staring at her wet shoes.

 C55 Shoes

    "Prince, turn around."


    Xiao Yi Xiu snorted. His eyes were filled with disdain, as if he was silently saying, "How is your body worthy for me to look at?"


    However, he still turned around.


    Gu Qingli casually flipped open a phoenix tail dress made out of a hundred butterflies and hastily changed into it. A palace maid summoned her, "Prince Chen, please come over to invite you. Prince Mo, please come over to pay respects to the Empress."


    "Let him wait outside."


    Xiao Yixiu casually turned his head and saw Gu Qing Li, who had just taken off his socks, staring at him with a stiff expression.


    Fortunately, the dress was well-worn.


    "So slow." He approached, bent down, took the stockings from her hand, put them on carefully and gently, and slipped the embroidered shoes over her feet.


    Gu Qingli almost couldn''t believe her eyes. She just stood there, stiff and unmoving, not knowing how to cooperate until he impatiently said, "Can you move it on your own?"


    She hurriedly extended her foot to let him dress properly, and when she saw him holding her other bare foot, she could not help but say, "I ¡­ I''ll do it myself. "


    Xiao Yixiu ignored her, continuing to gently hold her delicate feet in his lap.


    Only now did Gu Qingli feel that his hand was as light as a goose feather. The places that it brushed against were a bit itchy and a bit intoxicated. She actually felt like she didn''t want to pull it back.


    His ankle, which was as clean as soft jade, seemed to be about to break under the force of his palm, as if it would break if he used even a little bit of strength.


    Her vision turned hazy, and her mind was in a mess. Was this still the cleanness of that perverted Xiao Yi Xiu?


    "Let''s go, Ah Yan has been waiting outside for a long time."


    Gu Qingli seemed to have awoken from a dream. She stood up with a "Ah!" to hide her messy mood, and subconsciously stroked her hair, revealing her small, round, white, and smooth earlobes.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stared at her before slowly walking over. He bent over and whispered, "No wonder even Ah Yan is moved by Princess Wang''s alluring beauty."


    "What did you say?" Gu Qingli raised her head and glared at him.


    He straightened his body and said indifferently, "Ah Yan has praised you before, but you shouldn''t be too concerned. He would even flirt with a beauty whenever he sees her. This is his nature."


    Gu Qing Li focused on recalling the conversation with Xiao Yi Yan last night. Suddenly, suspicion arose in his heart as he cast a sidelong glance at him, "What does it have to do with you? Don''t forget that you and I are only husband and wife in name. Even if I am tempted by someone, it has nothing to do with you. "


    She walked out, feeling proud of herself.


    Suddenly, Xiao Yixiu gripped his arm tightly. She turned his head to look at him and saw a cold smile in his eyes. It was so cold that it chilled people''s heart. "Even if it''s just a name, it''s still a husband and wife. Before I divorce you, you must always obediently be your wife."


    Gu Qingli glanced back at him and smiled, a gorgeous smile appearing in her eyes. "Your highness, admitting to being jealous is not a big deal, why pretend to be generous?"


    He released her arm, and the smile in his eyes deepened: "Relying on you? "Down..." He stopped and walked out without looking back.


    He was no longer like before, looking at her with eyes full of disdain. He could easily spit out the word "cheap".


    When he said the first word, he subconsciously felt that it was used to describe her, which made him feel even more uncomfortable.


    Gu Qing Li followed him out, completely immune to all the poisons, and saw Xiao Yi Yan standing outside, bored out of his mind. He stretched out his hand and pulled at a piece of the almond tree, causing the almonds to fall like rain, covering his shoulders and unconsciously grabbing onto the flower bud on the branch with his slender and pretty hands, as if he wanted to destroy it.


    "Yan." Xiao Yi Xiu frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with Nie Tian''s actions.


    Xiao Yiyan turned his head and raised an eyebrow. When he saw Gu Qingli behind Xiao Yixiu, his eyes lit up and a smile broke out on his face. He was dressed in red, making him look like a blazing ball of fire beneath the apricot tree.


    "Good morning, Fifth Sister." Xiao Yiyan waved at her, ignoring Xiao Yixiu who was walking towards her.


    Gu Qingli also smiled at him, "Good morning, Prince Mo."


    "Fifth royal sister-in-law is always so polite, it makes my king feel a little uncomfortable, why don''t you and fifth brother call me Ah Yan, calling me seventh brother is also fine."


    "Seventh brother ¡­" "But since you are older than me, let''s call you Ah Yan." Gu Qingli was originally sixteen years old, so she was younger than Xiao Yiyan. However, in her opinion, he was just a childish young man.


    She had been holding onto her dress as she walked gracefully towards Xiao Yiyan. When she passed by Xiao Yixiu, he suddenly reached out his hand and gripped her wrist before sliding his fingers together with her. He said lightly: "Let''s go."


    The three of them headed towards the empress''s Hall of the Phoenix.


    "Ah Yan, don''t you think this title is a bit too excessive for you?" Xiao Yi Xiu''s voice was so low and oppressive that even Gu Qing Li beside him couldn''t hear him clearly. Only the two words, "A Yan", seemed to come out from a crack between his teeth, appearing exceptionally clear.


    Gu Qingli gave him a funny look. Was this possessive or jealous? It was one thing if he didn''t admit it, but even though his eyes were filled with arrogance and displeasure, he still maintained a calm expression that was as gentle as jade.


    "Fifth Imperial Aunt ¡­" Xiao Yiyan kept talking to Gu Qing Li the whole way. His clear laughter seemed to pierce through the palace walls and reverberate through the palaces.


    Gu Qingli only smiled reservedly, replying to him from time to time. She looked like a spring breeze, and even her eyes seemed to shine with starlight.


    Xiao Yixiu glanced over from the corner of her eyes and suddenly remembered those cold eyes of Li Yue''s. They were like stars in the milky way, and Gu Qingli had a pair of eyes that were similar to hers ¡­


    He suddenly understood why he always had this indescribable feeling towards Princess Hua-Yang. It was only for a pair of similar eyes, as well as the medicinal fragrance from her entire body.


    But no matter how similar they were, it was useless. Li Yue was Li Yue, but Gu Qingli was just a chess piece set up by the Emperor.


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt empty in her hands, and her palms turned cold. Amidst her shock, Xiao Yixiu had already let go of her hand and sped up her pace, leaving her and Xiao Yiyan behind.


    What was he trying to do? She was confused.


    The moment he stepped into the palace, the garden was filled with the fragrance of flowers and sandalwood. The sounds of birds chirping and the fragrance of flowers mixed together in a peaceful manner, making it almost impossible for Gu Qingli to connect with the person who set up this dark and secretive organization.


    As they entered, they saw that the imperial concubines were already sitting in the hall, all dressed up. The princes had gathered around to bid the empress good morning.


    The empress was dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe with a peony top, sitting in the middle of the hall. The empress was dressed in a bright yellow phoenix robe, sitting in the middle of the hall with a peony yellow phoenix.


    Imperial Concubine Lan was dressed in a beautiful dress, with a coquettish smile on her face. Imperial Concubine Ling was usually arrogant, except when she looked at her own son, Xiao Yi Mo.


    "Today, my sons, here, I have something to explain to you." The empress looked around her, as if she was a little tired. She raised her plump white hands to support her forehead and said in a helpless tone, "The next thing to say is related to everyone in the palace, not to you."

 C56 Stolen

    The princes looked at each other, faintly feeling that the empress''s next words would make everyone feel uncomfortable.


    "Today, before the sky brightens, I received news that someone had secretly entered the imperial pharmacy last night and stolen a few medicinal herbs. This is no small matter. We must investigate it strictly. "


    The Crown Prince spoke up first, "Imperial Mother, have you made a mistake? There are so many treasures in the palace, what''s wrong with them? Why are they stealing worthless herbs?"


    As soon as the crown prince opened his mouth, the empress couldn''t help but glare at him as if he had been tricked.


    Xiao Yi Mo revealed a dark smile, "You can''t put it that way. The stolen item can be used to deduce the thief''s intention. If the loot was rare, it proved that this person was someone of status within the palace. Ordinary objects of gold and jade were no longer of interest to him. If it was gold, silver, and jewelry, it was most likely to be sold by low-status palace maids and eunuchs.


    Imperial Concubine Ling pursed her lips into a smile, a trace of pride flashing through her eyes. Her son''s intellect had immediately suppressed the crown prince''s, how could she not show off?


    "Obviously, other than some people who have hidden injuries and are unable to get medical attention, they use medicinal herbs to harm others. As long as we can find out which drugs were stolen, we can be sure. "


    The empress slowly nodded her head. "Mo''er is right. Prime Minister Xin Maowen has confirmed that among the stolen medicines, there are rare and poisonous ones."


    Extremely toxic? Gu Qingli thought about it for a moment. There wasn''t any poison in the medicine she stole, and Xin Maoweng''s alum that stole from himself wasn''t that poisonous either. He was even classified as a non-poisonous medicine, so what was Empress''s motive for saying this?


    With a quick thought, she understood that the empress was using this as an excuse. If something were to happen to the emperor in the future, she could blame it on this theft.


    The empress continued, "It can be seen that this thief has evil intentions. I''m afraid he has some scheme up his sleeve. This is much more serious than the theft of a rare treasure. All persons in the court shall be prohibited from entering or leaving until a thief is found. "


    Xiao Yi Jin immediately said, "What mother said is very true. No matter if it is the family that brought me into the palace, or my son and the others, they cannot escape suspicion. Therefore, I am willing to cooperate with mother''s investigation."


    With this fart, who knew how many people were cursing in their hearts. It was obvious that he was going to drag everyone down with him. Not a single one of them could be missed.


    The empress, on the other hand, was very pleased. I have already made it clear that before this, when I woke up early in the morning, I had already thoroughly investigated the palace eunuchs, palace maids, servants, and the various treasurers. The only ones left were the palace concubines and the various sons of imperial concubines.


    Imperial Concubine Ling spoke up with a cold face. "I wonder how esteemed empress will investigate this?" "Last night, I called for Your Majesty''s blessing and was always by his bedside. I wonder if ''anyone'' from the Empress included Your Majesty as well?"


    The queen was not angered by her arrogance, and was evidently accustomed to seeing her posture. After all, among the imperial concubines, the Ling family was the strongest, surpassing even the empress''s mother, the Xin family.


    The empress smiled faintly, her expression gentle. "There''s no need to doubt the emperor. Since Imperial Concubine Ling is sleeping with the emperor, there''s no need to investigate. Could it be that the emperor''s pillow bearer will make any unusual moves?"


    On the surface, it seemed that Imperial Concubine Ling was overbearing, overpowering the empress, while the empress was magnanimous and tolerant. But in reality, Imperial Concubine Ling''s actions were not wise.


    At this moment, the eunuch summoned Prime Minister Xin Maowen into the hall. After greeting him respectfully, the eunuch told him what he had discovered to be strange.


    When he unlocked the door, he discovered that there were some indistinct footprints in the shadows in the southernmost corner. He was extremely surprised, and immediately called someone to interrogate him, knowing that someone had accidentally spilled a packet of warm, staunch plaster powder during the day, so he did not pay attention to it and did not clean.


    Xin Maowen began to count the herbs and found that he was missing several of them, including the highly toxic aconite and the poisonous toad cake. He was sure that someone had stolen the herbs and immediately reported it to the police.


    "That shoe print is a woman''s embroidered shoe footprint. Although there are no palace maids in the imperial pharmacy or the medicine store, it cannot be determined that it is a woman because of this."


    The empress nodded her head, "Everyone must lift their feet up for inspection. Let''s start with the palace maids."


    Naturally, none of the palace maids dared to resist. All of them lifted their feet up to be examined.


    Xin Maowen led a few eunuchs and pasted the original drawing on top to compare.


    Then came the low-level concubines, all the way until Imperial Concubine Lan.


    Imperial Concubine Lan wasn''t as pampered and proud as Imperial Concubine Ling, but with a smile on her face, she modestly raised the palace maid''s feet to compare them. She softly said, "As Imperial Concubine, I should naturally support the empress. I shouldn''t rely on my position in the palace to make a difference."


    These words seemed to mock Imperial Concubine Ling, causing Xiao Yi Mo''s expression to change.


    When it was the turn of the princes and their families, he first lifted his own feet, then said, "This time, when we enter the palace, this king has brought two family members with me, which is no exception."


    At his suggestion, Gu Qingruo lifted her foot in grievance. She Yanyu said softly, "My body is inconvenient, my leg is badly swollen. Can I trouble elder sister to help lift it ¡­"


    It was true that she had a big belly, but the fact that she was being examined by Gu Qingruo in public meant that she was disrespecting Princess Mu.


    Gu Qingruo''s expression immediately changed, as if flames were about to shoot out of her eyes. She was born noble. When had she ever done such a thing? She had been staring fiercely at She Yiyu''s stomach, as if she wanted to use her sharp gaze to cut it open.


    He Yiyu shrank back pitifully, looking at Xiao Yi with pleading eyes, not saying a word.


    "There are so many palace maids here ¡­" As soon as Gu Qingruo finished speaking, Xiaoyi''s face turned cold. "Qingruo, help her lift her leg."


    Gu Qingruo almost vomited a mouthful of blood as she looked at him in disbelief.


    Even Gu Qing Li was surprised. Since when did He Yi Yu become so important to Xiao Yi Mo? However, when he thought about the possibility that Gu Qing might lose her virginity, he thought to himself, "This is truly ironic." In order to keep Xiao Yimo''s heart, Gu Qingluo gave up her child in exchange for his appearance, but Xiao Yimo was already tired of her looks, and only wanted a child.


    Imperial Concubine Ling saw the unwillingness in Gu Qingruo''s eyes, but wasn''t willing to refute her son''s words. She could only look on coldly. The empress didn''t seem to want to interfere either. She didn''t say a word and didn''t send any court ladies forward.


    Gu Qingruo looked around and saw the mocking smile in Gu Qingli''s eyes. Her face immediately turned pale, and she felt extremely humiliated. However, this place wasn''t the Prime Minister''s Estate, but the Imperial Palace''s Phoenix Crest Hall. Here, what was a mere Prime Minister like her worth?


    She bent down silently and lifted He Yanyu''s feet. The hatred in her heart had reached its peak. Today, it was all thanks to that slut Li Yue. One day, she would definitely not let go of that slut who came from who knows where.

 C57 thorough examination

    Following which, the princes and women all took turns lifting their shoes. Although the Crown Prince had no main wife, he had a few secondary concubines. Today, they were all gathered around him, surrounded by beautiful flowers, unable to escape from the fate of being examined.


    Gu Qing Li calmly sat there. When it was her turn, Xiao Yi Xiu bowed slightly and lifted up her skirt slightly, showing a considerate expression.


    She lightly lifted her feet and looked at her geese yellow Cymbidium embroidered shoes. She recalled that Xiao Yixiu''s basin of water had turned over just in time that morning.


    Seeing that all the female servants in the hall had finished their investigations, even the princes raised their feet symbolically to face the scrutiny, but there was still nothing suspicious.


    "Everyone has already investigated thoroughly, how is it that there still isn''t any clues?" Imperial Concubine Lan frowned and sighed. Her eyes were full of worry.


    Imperial Concubine Ling laughed coldly, "Prime Minister Xin Maowen is someone from the Empress'' mother''s race. Who knows what kind of play he''ll be singing?"


    The entire hall was silent. None of the other imperial concubines dared to make a sound as they eyed the two most proclaiming women in the harem. One was an extremely respected empress, while the other was Concubine Ling, who had a huge family background and six palaces.


    The empress looked at Imperial Concubine Ling silently, smiling gracefully. "The fact that we can''t find out who has done what she did proves that she was cautious. It doesn''t mean that there was no news about it." Who hasn''t arrived today? "


    "To reply to Esteemed Empress, there''s also Wei Renhua. She''s pregnant and overjoyed, so Esteemed Empress Meng doesn''t need to come to pay respects. The other one is Fu Yu. The Empress knows that she''s ill for the rest of the year ¡­"


    "Yes, for the sake of fairness, let''s go to their palace and investigate it thoroughly."


    While the investigation was going well, a pair of wet embroidered shoes quietly lied at the edge of the garden, eye-catching yet dazzling.


    A pair of cloud silk soft shoes stopped at the side and bent down to pick them up. The surprise on his face gradually faded as doubt turned into joy.


    Before anyone could turn their heads to investigate, an eunuch rushed into the hall and whispered a few sentences in front of the empress. He saw that her graceful and elegant expression had changed a little as he looked around and said softly, "Imperial Consort Lan, Imperial Concubine Ling, all the princes stay behind. The rest can disperse now."


    The consorts were all baffled, but they naturally didn''t dare to not disperse upon the orders of the empress. In an instant, only the two imperial concubines, the five princes, and the concubines remained.


    "Let''s go." The empress was the first to get up. No one knew what she was up to, so they all followed behind her, puzzled.


    "What are you trying to do, I''m not accompanying you!" Imperial Concubine Ling impatiently wanted to leave.


    The Queen walked ahead, pretending not to hear and ignoring her.


    Xiao Yi Mo was a few steps behind, lightly tugging on Imperial Concubine Ling''s sleeve. He gave her a look, and she immediately quieted down. She suspiciously looked her son in the eye, trying to guess what he was thinking.


    "Mufei, follow them and take a look, just in case something happens to us." Xiao Yi Mo''s voice was extremely low.


    Imperial Concubine Ling had wanted to say who would dare to blame her, but when she saw the crown prince looking at her with dissatisfaction, she thought that something was off. The empress wouldn''t come for no reason at all.


    Who knew that the empress was heading for Imperial Concubine Lan''s Ning Xiu Palace?


    Xiao Yixiu, who was walking in front of him, suddenly felt a warm sensation in his palms. A soft, delicate hand held onto him, as if it were trying to stop him from moving too quickly. Without thinking, he slowed down his pace.


    He knew whose hand it was, but he had never expected her to take the initiative and hold his hand. That hand was so slender and long. Warmth seeped out from his fingers, causing his hand that had been cold for years to gradually grow warm.


    "Tell me, what''s going on?" Gu Qingli finally asked him in a low voice.


    "I''m not sure." He answered as if he were an outsider.


    "I don''t believe it."


    They didn''t get a reply from Xiao Yi Xiu, nor did they have time to ask any further. They followed the empress into the palace.


    Under the sun, the light was dazzling. The Dragon and Phoenix Seaweed well was decorated in magnificent and complex patterns. Green willow trees were planted in the walls of the palace, and the water lilies in the gold-plated copper vat were about to sprout.


    The luxurious scene of spring and summer was intertwined with each other. Imperial Concubine Lan''s taste was elegant and tranquil, completely untouched by the secular world. Even the fragrance of orchids drifting in the yard came from nowhere.


    However, the coquettish and gentle Imperial Concubine Lan''s expression was getting worse. This battle formation was clearly aimed at her. There were rows and rows of palace maids and eunuchs lined up neatly in the corridors, clearly not greeting them but rather guarding something.


    "Esteemed Empress, this is the room."


    The empress gave a light snort and followed the eunuch into a room. She unconsciously lifted her sleeve to cover her nose, feeling that there was something unbearably pungent about the rooms of these servants.


    In truth, the residences of the palace maids were nothing more than the smell of inferior makeup, and not too unpleasant.


    There were eight beds in total. Two eunuchs stood by a weeping little palace maid, while the other two stood on either side, as if in the center of the gatehouse a pair of wet and muddy embroidered shoes.


    Although Gu Qingli was the last, she still saw the shoes through the cracks in the crowd. She secretly sucked in a breath of cold air, not understanding why her shoes ended up here.


    She subconsciously squeezed the hand of the person she was holding tightly to. The joints of his hands were clear. They might have been strong hands, but now they were held by her. There was no resistance, nor was there a backhand.


    Gu Qing Li raised his gaze, but Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t even look at her. His expression was calm and his lips even curled up into a gentle smile.


    In a flash, the drunk feeling he''d felt when he came in the morning, the basin of water he''d accidentally spilled, all went through her mind.


    He had been ill for a long time, and even if he said he could drink a little after he stopped taking medicine, that didn''t mean he was allowed to get a hangover. In fact, in his daily life, there had never been such a thing as drinking. The smell of alcohol that still lingered after a night of sleep was the illusion that he had wanted her to give birth to ¡­


    He changed her shoes with his own hands. Where did the shoes go after that? She should have been lying in the east hall, but now she was in Imperial Concubine Lan''s palace!


    She did not believe that he had unwittingly wet her shoes and exonerated her. That was to say, he had already known about part of what he thought he had done last night, or even all of it? But how did he do it?


    When Gu Qing Li came back to his senses, the empress was slowly interrogating the little palace maid, while Imperial Concubine Lan rebuked angrily, "I didn''t expect that a servant like you, who disregards the rules of the palace, covets wealth and profit, and is extremely daring, would appear within the palace ¡­ "Say, did you steal the medicine from the dispensary to sell?"


    "This servant doesn''t have one, this servant is wronged!" The little palace maid struggled and cried as the two eunuchs held her down. She wanted to throw herself at Imperial Concubine Lan''s feet and beg her to save her.


    Imperial Concubine Lan covered her face and shook her head, her face filled with pain. "I thought you were loyal and steady, but you''re actually this kind of person! "Forget it, esteemed empress, take her away to interrogate her. Your little sister won''t dare to plead on her behalf anymore."


    "This matter should be decided by the emperor himself. Since this little palace maid is so stubborn, what can I do?" The empress sighed.


    The Crown Prince said, "Imperial Mother, why not take her to the justice courts for interrogation and torture?"


    Xiao Yiyan, who had never spoken before, suddenly interjected, "There''s something fishy about this. How did you find these shoes? This is a shared palace with eight palace maids. Even if these shoes were dug out from under her bed, it would not be enough to prove that she is the only one who is suspicious, right? "

 C58 chamber interrogation

    Grand Concubine Lan''s face stiffened, anger flashing across her grief-stricken face. "I don''t know how to respond to Prince Chen''s words. Do you think everyone in Ning Xiu Palace is a thief?"


    Xiao Yiyan''s original intention was not to do so. He had just said, "I think we should unhurriedly use torture first ¡­" Following that, someone heavily stepped on his foot. He gritted his teeth and stopped speaking.


    Xiao Yijin said, "To prove the innocence of my mother''s concubine, you can bring all eight palace maids who live in this room to interrogate her." Even at this point, he was still showing respect and filial piety to the empress.


    The empress smiled. "No one said there''s a problem with Imperial Concubine Lan. Jin''er doesn''t need to worry. Clear people should know." With a wave of his sleeve, he gave the order without mercy, "Men, escort all eight palace maids who are staying here to the cell for interrogation."


    Imperial Concubine Lan''s expression was somewhat unsightly.


    Although the Supreme Court was the torture department, in the end, it was still a public trial. There was a hearing between the Ministry of Justice and the three Divisions of the Supreme Court, so naturally, someone like her could interfere.


    However, the empress had narrowed the scope of the matter down to a harem interrogation. There was nothing wrong with the procedure, but entering the chamber was a heavy punishment. Even if they didn''t die, they would at least lose a layer of skin. In other words, she could determine the outcome she wanted!


    Furthermore, Xiao Yijin agreed to send all eight palace maids to be interrogated together. As long as the eight of them had a unanimous statement, she would be the one to blame for all of the crimes! She couldn''t help but complain about Xiao Yi Jin''s inappropriate flattery. He looked at him angrily.


    Xiao Yijin also realized that he had made a mistake and couldn''t help but frown.


    Gu Qingli thought of something. This was a good opportunity!


    This matter was quickly reported to the emperor. The entire birthday party was affected by the unpleasant atmosphere, but the empress still acted as if nothing had happened and ordered the princes not to spread the news. After all, this matter concerned Imperial Concubine Lan''s reputation.


    Gu Qing Li was clear that there was only this little bit of time left for her to make a move. However, she had yet to figure out how to escape from the banquet.


    On the way back to the Eastern Palace Hall, Hsiao Yiyan suddenly jumped a few times and complained, "Fifth Brother, can''t you step on it a little more lightly? My toes are about to break! "


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but giggle when she saw his pitiful expression. "Who allowed you to speak so recklessly?"


    Xiao Yiyan looked at Xiao Yi Xiu, puzzled. "Fifth brother, that is your mufei! What are you trying to do by stopping me from speaking up for her? "


    "It''s precisely because she''s my mother''s consort that I can''t rush to defend myself. I don''t want anyone to think she''s guilty and afraid of interrogation," Xiao Yi Xiu said flatly.


    "That''s not right, fifth brother. Although I don''t know much about it, you shouldn''t try to hide your little thoughts from me ¡­"


    "Okay, Yan, aren''t you tired? Go back and rest. It''s time to prepare for the Eternal Night Meet at night. "


    "Hey, hey ¡­" "Fifth brother, you can leave now. Let Fifth sister accompany me to have a chat and drink some tea!"


    "You''re not young anymore. You should be more serious now." Xiao Yixiu gripped Gu Qingli''s hand tightly and sped up, shaking off the distance between them.


    The two of them entered the house one after the other, and Gu Qingli bolted the door behind them.


    Xiao Yixiu turned to look at her, as if he was waiting for her to ask a question.


    "You ¡­" Gu Qingli wanted to ask directly, but she suddenly remembered that if he had sent someone to follow her last night, it would have been very easy for them to suspect that she was the same person as Li Yue. However, judging from his attitude towards her, he clearly hadn''t suspected that she was this far, so he definitely didn''t know much.


    "Why would those shoes come to Imperial Concubine Lan''s palace?"


    "How would This King know?" He glanced at her casually. "Maybe someone just happened to wear a pair of shoes of the same style as yours?" Which shop in the capital did you buy these shoes from? They are actually the same as the palace maid''s shoes? "


    Gu Qingli pursed her lips into a smile as he continued pretending. She believed that it wouldn''t be so easy to get the truth from this person''s mouth. Just like his relationship with Xiao Yiyan, his attitude towards Imperial Concubine Lan had never been revealed in front of Xiao Yiyan.


    "Prince, I''ve seen my sister today, and I feel that she''s in a bad mood. I want to take a look at her."


    However, Xiao Yixiu only looked at her without saying a word, his eyes filled with a cold light.


    "I know that you have to be cautious in the palace, but it''s not like you need to go greet your own sister, right? "It doesn''t make sense."


    Xiao Yi Xiu finally nodded slowly. "When you see your brother-in-law, you''d better be careful when greeting him."


    Gu Qingli seemed to suddenly come to a realization, "So Your Highness cares about this. Since you''re so worried, why don''t you come with me?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed coldly. "I''ll go find Ah Yan." She left first.


    Did he really think that he still had feelings for Xiao Yi Mo? Gu Qingli laughed. She felt more and more that this self-righteous King Mo couldn''t hide the arrogance in his heart anymore.


    She thought for a moment. It was really inconvenient to stay in this deep palace, so it was better to change into a palace maid''s attire to walk.


    After exiting the room, he found a random palace maid that was serving the prince. He placed her down easily and changed into her clothes. Then, he brought her into his room, closed the curtain and began to make up for her reflection in the mirror.


    Her modern makeup techniques and the disguise techniques she had learnt at the Mo King''s Manor''s Book Collection Vault were enough to make her look about 60 to 70% similar to that palace maid. In any case, the princes would not live in the palace for years, so there was no doubt about it.


    Afterwards, she took the opportunity to send her heart''s content to Xiao Yiyan, who then sighed and pointed at the air, scolding, "Bro smelly fifth brother, you only know how to bully me. You''re not even willing to lose to me in a game of chess ¡­ "If you win, you win. If you win, you run. Leaving me by myself is boring!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t there! Could he be like her, just finding an excuse to slip away?


    Gu Qingli''s heart chilled as she hurriedly put down the tray. "This is a snack the empress told me to give to Prince Chen." He wanted to leave.


    "Hey, wait."


    Gu Qing Li was startled to see Xiao Yi Yan walk over. He tilted his head in curiosity and used his fingers to prop up her lower jaw. "Eh? Why do you look like my Fifth Imperial Aunt?"


    Gu Qingli was shocked. Even this kid could tell? Could her disguise be that bad?


    "Well, it''s just a tiny bit. The shape of the face, I guess." Xiao Yiyan sighed and shook his head. "Especially her eyes. She doesn''t flash like you. She always looks like a passerby when he looks at people. Ben Wang has never seen such an expression in a woman''s eyes before."


    "I don''t understand the words of the prince. Can you allow me to take my leave?"


    "Go, go." Xiao Yiyan waved his hand dejectedly as if he was just talking to himself, "Fifth brother is truly wasting this heaven''s treasure ¡­"


    Gu Qingli hurried out and looked around. She didn''t see any sign of Xiao Yixiu, but she suddenly thought of Ning Xiu Palace.


    When they arrived outside Ning Xiu Palace, Gu Qing Li stood against the wall for a while. Seeing that there were no movements, Gu Qing Li flicked his finger, causing the eunuch guarding the door to look around, while she quickly jumped over the wall and jumped into the flower bed.


    She ducked down the path between the flowers and stopped.


    "Prince ¡­"


    "Mm, this prince will pay respects to mufei." Xiao Yi Xiu''s voice came from afar.


    Strange, he paid his respects to Imperial Concubine Lan and didn''t head for the main hall. Instead, he gradually made his way to the flowerbed where the leaves were lush and flourishing.


    Gu Qingli had no choice but to dive into the flower bush. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be a clump of rose flowers. The wooden thorn had penetrated her dress, causing her to feel a slight pain. This bit of pain was nothing to her, so she could only endure.

 C59 killing intent

    His voice instantly turned soft. "How is it?"


    "Imperial Concubine Lan was panicking. She sent for King Yan to discuss the matter. "After all, for eight people, it''s not that easy to silence them."


    Xiao Yixiu was silent for a moment, and then sneered, "Forget about her. She''s lucky that she''s able to escape this time. If she can''t escape, it will also be her own life. "


    "Was it really not done by the prince?" Although he spoke in a low voice, it was obvious that he was a eunuch.


    "No, if This King did it, she wouldn''t even have a way out."


    "The prince still has a trace of kindness in his heart. He is still wary of her kindness in raising him." The eunuch sighed. From the sound of it, he was no longer considered young.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t refute him.


    "Your Highness has been harmed by her in this life. Your poison ¡­"


    "Don''t mention it, it''s a long time ago."


    Even so, Gu Qingli knew that he still hadn''t walked out of the shadow of the poison. Although the poison had been restrained under her treatment, it had not been completely eradicated.


    "She really has the heart to be ruthless ¡­"


    "What can''t she do for Xiao Yijin?"


    Xiao Yixiu changed the topic. "That night, when you said someone had infiltrated the imperial pharmacy, I wasn''t sure it was her. I didn''t expect her to be so daring ¡­" But what was she going to do by sneaking into the store? And Toad Soup and Aconitum... No, although these highly toxic substances are strictly controlled on the market, it''s not that they''re unobtainable. She had snuck into the Imperial Pharmacy, and definitely did not steal these. "


    "These were all said by the empress. I''m afraid they were just a rumor to make everyone believe that the person who stole the medicine has ulterior motives."


    "Actually, she wanted to cover up the fact that Xin Maowen had committed suicide, right?"


    "Bandits? He needed some medicinal herbs. Was there a need to guard and steal from the shadows? What does he want medicine for? "


    "This King is not sure for now, but if he occasionally needs some medicinal herbs, he will accumulate them over the years." However, if he needed one or more of the same medicinal ingredients for a long period of time, it would be difficult for him to not be discovered. It''s a big deal, even if he''s Yao Cheng, he won''t be able to cover it up. "


    Gu Qing Li digested the information in those words before coming to a conclusion: Firstly, Xiao Yi Xiu was poisoned, and it seemed to be caused by Imperial Concubine Lan; secondly, she was discovered on the very night she stole the medicine, and reported it to Xiao Yi Xiu in secret. Only then did he manage to deal with her shoes; thirdly, Xiao Yi Xiu also started to suspect that Xin Maowen had been keeping watch over the matter, which confirmed that the Emperor was afflicted by the poison that the Empress had inflicted on him; and fourthly, it was too crucial, her embroidery shoes were not placed by Xiao Yi Xiu in Imperial Concubine Lan''s palace.


    Xiao Yixiu and the eunuch slowly walked away. Their voices could no longer be heard. Gu Qingli climbed over the wall and returned to the Longevity Palace.


    She quickly changed into her own clothes and woke the little palace maid.


    The little palace maid was at a loss for words. When she found out that she was still lying unconscious on Princess Mo, she jumped in fright and knelt down while trembling, "Royal Concubine, please forgive me. Your servant ¡­" I don''t know what happened ¡­ "


    "I''m fine. It''s just that your body isn''t well, so you suddenly fainted and fell asleep." Gu Qingli comforted her gently.


    The court lady was on the verge of tears. "Thank you, esteemed wangfei, for sparing my life ¡­"


    "What''s your name?"


    "Nan Xin."


    "Alright, you can go now."


    Xiao Yi Xiu returned very quickly. He wasn''t surprised to see her, and said calmly, "Have you gone to see your sister?"


    "Yes."


    "Is she all right?"


    "It''s pretty good."


    "You''re the one who''s in trouble, right?"


    Gu Qing Li was startled and looked at him suspiciously.


    Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly grabbed her arm, right where she was stabbed by the rose, and she quickly retracted her arm.


    "What''s wrong?" He quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled up the wide sleeve, revealing a snow-white arm with a few red spots exposed.


    Gu Qingli wanted to retract her hand, but he pressed down on a small wound and pulled out a short and sharp rose, stabbing towards her. She had been in a hurry to change her clothes, so she hadn''t noticed that there were still some broken thorns left in her flesh.


    "This King met your good brother-in-law on the way back. You didn''t go to him."


    Gu Qingli pursed her lips and didn''t say anything.


    "This rose thorn is only found in the Imperial Gardens, there isn''t any in the Xuan Longevity Palace."


    "I went to visit the imperial garden, is that not okay?"


    He slowly lowered her sleeve and looked at her. "You haven''t learned to be smart in front of this duke."


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Then your highness went to chat with Duke Chen. Why did you manage to make the smell of flowers and come back?"


    Xiao Yixiu approached her, his face so close to her that his breath was faint and cold, causing her to feel inexplicably flustered. He lowered his head and sniffed at the side of her neck. His hair brushed against her neck, causing it to itch. Subconsciously, he moved his head away from her.


    "If you didn''t say it, This King would have forgotten. Isn''t the fragrance of the water on your body a little strong?"


    Gu Qingli was startled. Amongst the rare medicines she had stolen, there was one high-grade "Agarwood" from the Agarwood. It was very rare in the East Abyss, and there were only a few offerings in the palace. No wonder he could so easily judge this morning that she had stolen the medicine.


    She decided to speak openly to him: "Did the Prince send someone to follow me last night? So did you intend to help me this morning by taking care of that pair of embroidered shoes covered in plaster? "


    "Princess Consort, do you mean to say that you secretly stole medicine from the medicine warehouse last night?"


    Gu Qingli snorted in tacit agreement.


    "Then shouldn''t you explain why you''re stealing medicine?"


    "I, Stealing Crow Head, am here to poison you."


    Xiao Yi Xiu smirked as he replied with a warm smile, "You can buy Wu Tou from the medicine store. Qi Nan is the one that you can''t buy."


    "It''s good that you know it. In addition to being a rare medicinal ingredient, the Agarwood is also a rare spice. I need it to make an aroma."


    "What is it?"


    "You want to know?" "Then could you tell me why you sent people to follow me?"


    "This King has no interest in having someone follow you." He said coldly, "It''s just that someone accidentally discovered Xin Maowen coming in and out of the medicine store late into the night. When they secretly checked, they saw him leaving, so you came out." Then he came back and found the footprints on the plaster. "


    "You''re monitoring Xin Maowen?" Is it because we found something suspicious about him? "


    Xiao Yixiu looked at her with raised eyebrows.


    "You also think that the Emperor is ill from poisoning?"


    "What?" Don''t tell This King that you came to the imperial pharmacy late at night to investigate Xin Maowen''s background. "


    "That night, I was too bored to sleep, so I wandered around the palace, only to get lost. I saw a palace maid, who worshipped ghosts, enter the imperial pharmacy and meet with Prime Minister Xin Yao. "I was almost found out by them and hid into the medicine store when I had nowhere to go. That''s what happened after that."


    "Which sentence is the truth?" Apparently, he didn''t believe her completely. He smiled warmly as he raised his hand to stroke her face. His fingers gradually slipped down to her throat. Naturally, she was not unfamiliar with this move. Every time he did this, a murderous intent would arise in his heart.


    "It''s fine if you don''t believe it. I heard the two of them talking and wondered if the emperor was poisoned ¡­ " She told him what she had heard that night, and this time it wasn''t a lie.


    This confirmed Xiao Yixiu''s suspicions. He put everything else to the back of his mind and began to ponder.


    Gu Qingli felt her neck stiffen as she maintained this posture. She couldn''t help but remind him, "Your Highness, shouldn''t you move your hand a little?"

 C60 pleasure boat

    Xiao Yi Xiu came back to his senses and loosened his grip on her throat. However, his hand was still on her beautiful neck. His misty gaze swept across her face. "Are you really not from the royal father?"


    Gu Qingli didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "If I were him, this kind of news would''ve spread to your royal father''s ears as soon as possible."


    He nodded. "This King knows."


    "Your poison ¡­ Was it from Imperial Concubine Lan? " She suddenly asked softly.


    His face suddenly darkened, "In the end, you still followed me to Ning Xiu Palace. Where did you leave all those thorns and roses?"


    "I just want to know who brought my embroidered shoes to the Ning Xiu Palace."


    "It''s not This King."


    "Yes, but you must have given it to someone. And you know that person used these shoes to frame Imperial Consort Lan. This is much better than personally doing it." Gu Qingli immediately sneered. That eunuch from Ning Xiu Palace thought that he still had a kind heart. He remembered the favor of raising her and didn''t understand her at all.


    "Esteemed wangfei, you''re just too smart. Otherwise, this king would really have..." "I like you." He said this in a low voice in her ear, then turned and walked out of the side hall.


    His voice was still lingering in his ears. His voice, which used to be clear and cold like water, now slowly flowed like wine. It was vague and soft, but he couldn''t tell if it was real or fake.


    It was almost noon when a palace maid knocked on the door, inviting Princess Mo to go out for a meal.


    Gu Qingli walked out the door. Seeing that it was an unfamiliar palace maid, she looked around and asked, "Where''s Nan Xin?"


    That palace maid lowered her head and said, "The princes are in the Imperial Court''s Xishi Flower Hall. Prince Mo has sent a servant to bring you there."


    Gu Qingli didn''t know where the hall of flowers was, so she could only follow her out. Along the long street of the palace, they entered the imperial garden, flowers bloomed along the way, birds sang softly, and their eyes were filled with a myriad of redness that blurred the boundaries of the four seasons.


    Arriving at the hall, he found out that it was merely an octagonal pavilion situated in the middle of the Imperial River. There were still wine jugs, cups, and cups on the stone table, as well as some delicacies.


    "Where''s Prince Mo?" Gu Qingli stopped in her tracks, puzzled.


    At the other end of the hall, a huge dragon boat was moored. It was painted with dragons and phoenixes, and the sound of silk, bamboo, adamant music and melodious singing could be faintly heard from it.


    "Princess, the Prince is waiting for you on the pleasure boat."


    Gu Qing Li relaxed and stepped onto the sampan, lifting the swaying flowery curtain.


    The pleasure boat was two storeys high, the four sides of the bottom floor were carved, the windows were open, the white gauze was blown by the river wind, and the fragrance of the lotus leaves filled the boat.


    Such a fresh and elegant style was something that only Xiao Yi Xiu could do.


    The long table in front of him was filled with all kinds of fresh flowers, all inserted into the long neck and protruding belly of the blue and white beauty. They used thin iron wire to thread out the words'' Eternal Life '', which was probably a decoration arranged by the palace to celebrate the celebration of the birthday.


    Another two palace maids stood by the wooden staircase, guiding Gu Qingli in unison. "Princess, please go to the second floor."


    Gu Qingli began to feel that the cruise liner was a bit strange, as if something wasn''t right.


    However, she was never afraid of anyone. She calmly stepped onto the stairs and suddenly felt the boat start to move.


    She stepped onto the second floor of the boat and instantly saw a spacious area before her. The second floor of the boat had a wide platform that could accommodate dozens of people. Right now, there was only a rosewood round table in the middle with chairs placed on all four sides.


    Surrounded by a line of piers, eight musicians were seated. They were either playing a zither with a lute in their bosom or holding bamboo flutes. This was precisely where the sound of the music had come from.


    Gu Qingli''s gaze swept the area and she saw that the round table was filled with a sumptuous feast. The various cold dishes combined together could make people dazzled. There was also the purple glass bottle of wine, which was gently swaying with the launch of the pleasure boat.


    The high backed chair slightly moved, and the person that was leaning against it turned around with a smile that was not a smile.


    "Crown Prince?" Gu Qingli subconsciously furrowed her delicate eyebrows. The uneasiness in her heart instantly grew, turning into discomfort. She calmly looked around. Outside the platform was a ship''s side that was about half the height of a man. Lotus leaves covered almost all of the surface of the river, so the pleasure boat was already huge and bulky, and there were lotus leaves blocking the way. The only way to start was to move extremely slowly on the surface of the water.


    However, this was a advantageous condition. If she were to jump into the river, with her diving ability, she would definitely not be noticed.


    "Where is my Prince?" Although Xiao Yi Xiu knew that his words were unnecessary and that he definitely wouldn''t be on the cruise liner, he still needed to ask before he could make a move.


    "He hasn''t arrived yet. Fifth Sister-in-law can sit and wait in silence. Or enter the boat. " The Crown Prince, Xiao Yi Bei, raised his arm and pointed.


    Behind Gu Qingli, not far from her, was a booth on the second level of the cruise liner. It was different from the lower level; it was separated into two rooms, like an inner and outer room.


    Gu Qingli''s eyes swept over them, and her heart skipped a beat when she remembered the crown prince''s lecherous name.


    He began to abandon the Du Ying, and wishful thinking about Liu Xin. These things floated up in his mind, causing her to feel extremely disgusted.


    She raised her head and smiled without batting an eyelid, "I wonder which princes the crown prince has invited today?"


    "We brothers haven''t been together for a long time, naturally everyone will come. Don''t worry, let''s sit down." Although Xiao Yi Bei was known for his lecherous reputation, he was still well-behaved and had a noble smile on his face. After all, he had been raised as a crown prince since he was young.


    Of course, if he didn''t have a deceptive set of skin, Du Ying wouldn''t have turned on him.


    "The pleasure boat is already heading towards the center of the river. I wonder how the princes will get on the pleasure boat once they''re here?"


    Xiao Yi Bei looked at the distance between the pleasure boat and the riverbank and smiled. A trace of confusion flashed in his eyes. "Fifth Sister-in-Law, I''ve heard that Fifth Brother has quite a good relationship with the Assistant Minister of Revenue. I''ve invited you here to ask about this."


    So it was still about Vice Minister Lin''s matter. Gu Qingli let out a sigh of relief, but when she heard Xiao Yi Bei laugh, she said, "Sit, why be so reserved?"


    She sat down opposite of Xiao Yi and looked at the wine glass in front of her. Immediately, a palace maid came forward and poured a cup for her.


    "I heard that Lin Zhihan has been in a bit of a mess lately, and has he always encountered some strange things?"


    "The Crown Prince has a wide range of ears and eyes, but I, your younger sister, am a woman. I can''t step foot into the Prince''s Mansion, so how could I know about this?"


    Xiao Yi Bei didn''t seem to get angry after coming across a soft nail on his shoulder. He continued to size Gu Qing Li up with interest, as if trying to judge whether or not he was right from her gaze.


    How could Gu Qingli let him easily uncover the truth? She raised her head and looked him straight in the eye, smiling faintly as she spoke, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince wants to know about these matters. Go ask my Prince."


    "It''s a pity that the fifth brother has a cold nature and doesn''t like to get close to others. He rarely says those words from the bottom of his heart." Xiao Yi Bei pretended to sigh.


    Gu Qing sneered. His good manners and behavior couldn''t hide the essence of ugliness. For example, if he invited her into the pleasure boat and made it clear that he couldn''t get anything out of her, he would use her to coerce Xiao Yi Xiu.

 C61 diving

    However, his plan was wrong. In Xiao Yi Xiu''s mind, she was nothing more than an insignificant chess piece.


    However, Xiao Yi Bei didn''t pursue the matter any further. He raised his cup and said with a smile, "Come, let me toast to Fifth Sister-in-law."


    Gu Qingli looked at the wine cup, thinking that if she didn''t drink it, he would definitely have some tricks up her sleeve, this wine was definitely not right. Xiao Yi Bei''s wine had been poured beforehand, and her wine was poured out from the purple jade glass.


    She calmly raised her cup. As soon as the wine touched her lips, she immediately understood. She laughed coldly in her heart, but without the slightest hesitation, she imitated Xiao Yi Bei and drank it all in one gulp.


    "Good alcohol capacity." Xiao Yi Bei praised, "Listen to the song while waiting for the fifth brother."


    Gu Qing Li frowned after a while. "My head is spinning ¡­" he murmured.


    Xiao Yi glanced at her.


    With that bit of knockout powder, it wouldn''t have been difficult for Gu Qing Li to handle, but she had a lot of alcohol to drink. With that alcohol, it was easy to get drunk, and her cheeks flushed red.


    Xiao Yibei originally wanted to see when the medicinal properties would take effect, but was intimidated by her boundless beauty. He was so stunned by it that he almost forgot what he was supposed to do.


    "Crown Prince... They... "When..."


    Xiao Yi Bei suddenly placed his hand on the back of her hand and spoke softly, "Fifth Sister-in-Law, tell me, is the woman from Lin Zhihan''s courtyard called Liu Xin?"


    He had long since found out that Liu Xin was hidden in the yard! Perhaps he didn''t have any evidence, but when these matters were put together, there was no doubt that the matter of Vice Minister Lin being framed was related to Xiao Yi Bei. Even the death of that South Moon envoy was suspicious, perhaps it was because of Liu Xin.


    Could it be that Xiao Yi Bei couldn''t forget Liu Xin, and wasn''t willing to let her go?


    "What shooting star?" Gu Qingli''s eyes were misty as she pointed at the azure mirror-like sky with an innocent smile. "Look, the sky''s still bright. It''s not even summer night yet, where''s the meteor coming from?"


    Xiao Yi Bei''s expression stiffened. When he saw her confused expression from laughing, he couldn''t help but feel slightly moved. He hadn''t thought that other than Gu Qingruo, who was only famous in the capital, the Gu family would also have such a gorgeous Gu Qingli.


    "Did Xiao Yi Xiu never tell you this?"


    "Hmm? What did he say? Looking at the shooting stars? "Ugh ¡­" The prince never watches shooting stars with me... "He only likes the new Madame Jia. When would he have the time to bother with an old person like me ¡­" Gu Qing took the opportunity to mock Xiao Yi Xiu as she pretended to be dizzy from the drug''s effects.


    It would be better if his reputation was ruined by her. Who told him to always put her at a disadvantage?


    "Men, help Princess Mo into the inner chamber." A sinister smile appeared on Xiao Yi Bei''s face. He was finally unable to maintain his crown prince demeanor, and desire rolled in his eyes.


    Gu Qingli could feel the palm of his hand stroking the back of his hand. Following her wrist down, she heard him chuckle, "I heard that Xiao Yixiu was sick and had stopped doing so long ago. You''ve never slept with him ever since you entered the estate. Is this true?"


    Gu Qingli was furious, thinking, "You''re the one who can''t do it. Your entire family can''t do it anymore." They had forgotten that they were brothers, even Xiao Yi Xiu had cursed them.


    Xiao Yi Bei''s hand had already slipped into her sleeve. A sticky and sticky feeling made her feel disgusted, and she subconsciously withdrew her hand.


    Coincidentally, two palace maids came to support her, she smiled and stood up unsteadily, as if she couldn''t even stand up, and even pressed down with her weight on the palace maids.


    Gu Qing Li took a few steps to the side of the boat, then suddenly pushed aside the palace maid and jumped into the river.


    Although Xiao Yi Bei was a lecherous man, as a crown prince, he cultivated both martial and civil arts. His skills were actually not bad, and he didn''t expect this little girl to play such a trick right under his nose.


    Gu Qing Li jumped down, creating a white wave a few feet long. Amidst the splashing of the water, he couldn''t be seen at all. He shouted in fury, "Go down and fish for him, quickly!"


    All the palace maids turned pale with fright, but none of them dared to jump off the pleasure boat.


    Xiao Yi had always liked women. There were always more maids and eunuchs by his side. These girls who entered the palace at such a young age were mostly pretty girls from a small family. How could they possibly know how to swim?


    He angrily went down from the second floor of the ferry. He had wanted to jump into the river, but it would be dishonorable if he jumped down with his status. He hesitated for a moment and could only watch the lotus leaves float by as Gu Qing swam further and further away.


    This woman could actually swim, this was truly out of his expectations.


    Under Xiao Yi Bei''s order, a eunuch ran over from the distance. He shouted angrily, "Jump down and capture her!"


    Some eunuchs had just jumped in, but the surface of the river had gradually calmed down. They swam forward a few feet and lost their target as if at a loss. They couldn''t help but feel puzzled.


    Xiao Yi Bei ignored their helpless expressions and yelled, "Split into four directions and search!"


    From afar, a few people walked towards the imperial garden. The one in the lead was wearing a white satin robe. Although the face couldn''t be seen from afar, it was so plain that only Xiao Yi Xiu could wear it.


    If Princess Mo were to drown in the Imperial River, it would be very difficult for him to wash away the responsibility. If she were to be picked up, he would probably not say anything good about herself, and might as well avoid the limelight.


    He ordered, "Come back, all of you come back ashore."


    A few eunuchs swam awkwardly on the pleasure boat, and Xiao Yi Bei ordered his men to transfer to the pleasure boat and row into the distance.


    The few people on the other side approached the railing of the Imperial River and looked down. They could only see the Skypiercing Lotus Leaf, clear as a mirror. There wasn''t even a slight breeze, so how could there be any other movements?


    The one leading them was Xiao Yi Xiu. His pale face seemed to have become even paler as he gazed into the distance, looking in every direction.


    Behind him, Xiao Yiyan and a few palace maids and eunuchs followed. They were quite flustered as well. "There seemed to be someone jumping off the cruise liner just now. I wonder if it''s the wangfei?"


    Xiao Yiyan said, "You''re so far away, but you can see someone jumping down?"


    The eunuch did not seem to be sure, so he fell silent.


    However, one of the palace maids said anxiously, "When this servant saw someone leaving with the wangfei, this servant was sure that it was the person at the crown prince''s side. That pleasure boat was also the one that the crown prince was riding on!"


    This young palace maid was none other than Nan Xin. When she saw that Gu Qing had not returned since leaving, she felt that something was amiss. Thus, she found Xiao Yiyan and told him to bring his over as well.


    Suddenly, from several zhang away, the water rippled, as if there was a fish leaping. However, it only splashed a bit. Then a dripping head lifted from the river, wiped its face, and looked at them.


    "Princess!" This time, they were closer. Everyone could clearly see that the hair at the side of the river had been scattered. Her black hair was like a waterfall, covering the surface of the water. It was none other than Princess Mo.


    Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly pressed down on the railing and jumped into the river.


    This action caused everyone to cry out in alarm.


    Although Xiao Yixiu''s speed was still quick and agile, and he had used to be quite good at swimming, everyone knew that it was just an appearance. In fact, he was extremely weak, so how could he withstand the cold of spring.


    Gu Qing swam as he watched Xiao Yixiu approach her, waving at him from afar.


    She was as surprised as anyone else when he jumped down, and she swam faster and faster, but as she watched him come closer and closer, her heart began to beat faster and faster, as if there was a warm current she had never felt before, a sour feeling in her eyes.

 C62 Lovers

    She kept waving, trying to make him look back, but he didn''t know if he was mistaken or not, but he swam faster.


    After all, they were only a few dozen feet apart and soon they met. Xiao Yixiu put his arm under her arm without saying anything further.


    Gu Qingli spat out a mouthful of water and said, "I can swim, you don''t have to jump down."


    He didn''t even look at her and his tone was as cold as usual. "You''re this prince''s wangfei. If you can''t even protect your own woman, what kind of man are you?"


    Gu Qingli instantly stopped moving. Even her paddling arms had stopped.


    Who was his woman?! She didn''t know how to reply to him. She wanted to retort back, but then she felt an inexplicable panic. Her heart was beating even faster. She even felt like she was suffocating. Could it be that she had been diving for too long and choked on two mouthfuls of water?


    The moment she stopped, the speed at which he was swimming with her slowed down significantly. It was obvious that he was having a lot of trouble. After all, he was no longer as strong as he was back then.


    But he had no intention of giving up. His thin lips pursed into a faint purplish hue, caused by the stimulation of the cold spring water.


    Gu Qingli gave up paddling and obediently let him wrap her arms around her and support her chin. Her gaze never left his pale, marble-like face.


    So it turned out that she actually felt safe in his arms. No matter how weak he was, he would not abandon her.


    Xiao Yiyan and the eunuchs pulled both of them up at the same time. It seemed that Xiao Yixiu couldn''t even keep his balance anymore.


    Gu Qingli stepped forward to support him, but he gently pushed her away.


    He took a deep breath and whispered, "This King can leave by himself."


    Seeing how he was forcing himself to hold on even when the sky was about to collapse, the bitterness in Gu Qingli''s eyes surged up again. For some reason, she felt her heart ache.


    She gently wrapped her arms around his waist. She spoke in a voice that had never been gentle before, so soft that only he could hear her: "But I can''t walk anymore. Can''t the prince and I support each other?"


    He didn''t look at her, but his arm unconsciously rested on her shoulder.


    The two of them looked quite out of place as they walked on the small path, as if they were afraid of being seen.


    Nan Xin wanted to help Gu Qing Li up, but she was pushed away. She held onto his waist with one hand and the hand on his shoulder with the other as she slowly walked forward.


    His hand was colder than ever, but she clenched it tightly.


    His waist was thinner among the men. Perhaps it was because the poison had seeped into his bones and corroded his body over a long period of time, causing him to lose a bit of weight. Gu Qingli held onto him, feeling a little absent-minded. It was as if she had never been like this before ¡­ Closer to him.


    Who knew that the more they wanted to avoid the people in the palace, the more they wanted to meet someone they didn''t want to meet?


    A man wearing an embroidered robe and a jade belt walked towards them from the narrow gravel path. Two eunuchs followed behind him. When they saw them, they stopped in their tracks.


    He then heard the surprised and malicious voice of the King of Yan, Xiao Yi Jin, "Yo, isn''t this the Fifth Emperor''s brother? This... ''Tsk tsk, isn''t that the fifth sister-in-law ¡­ '' I say, during this cold spring season, did the two of you jump into the Imperial River to take a mandarin duck bath and end up in such a sorry state? "


    The two eunuchs behind him wanted to laugh but did not dare to. They were all trying their best to hold back their laughter.


    Xiao Yiyan retorted, "It''s fine for Sixth Imperial Brother to fear the cold, but don''t treat everyone like you."


    Xiao Yijin''s expression darkened. "Seventh Imperial Brother''s words are becoming more and more incisive. Who taught you to be so undifferentiated in your youth?"


    Xiao Yiyan was about to say something else when he saw Xiao Yi Xiu raise his hand as if to stop him from arguing with Xiao Yi Jin. Xiao Yi Yan took a deep breath and held it in.


    Xiao Yi Jin sneered, "Let''s get out of the way. Seeing that the fifth imperial brother is in such a hurry to return to the Mystic Longevity Palace, he probably won''t be able to see the fifth imperial sister-in-law''s drenched body, right?" "Tsk tsk, your spring clothes are thin and curvy. Even a man wouldn''t be able to resist looking at them a few times. Fifth Imperial Brother, next time you want to bathe, choose the season with thicker clothes ¡­"


    Gu Qingli didn''t expect Xiao Yijin, as a prince, to say such vicious and frivolous words. Her anger rose abruptly as a cold light flashed in her eyes. She was about to speak up as a cold light shot towards him.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s cold and clear voice sounded out, "Sixth royal brother, is this the order of the young? When he was reprimanding Seventh Imperial Brother, he should have added something like, "Only the officials of Xu Zhou can set the fires, and no one is allowed to light the lanterns."


    In his memory, this royal brother would never easily argue with others and would only use methods to win against him. However, ever since he was poisoned, that sickly man had left him with all his previous methods and martial arts. Shouldn''t he have become a cripple long time ago?


    Xiao Yixiu continued calmly, "The so-called eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. When the sixth royal brother looks at her directly, no matter what she looks like, he should treat her with respect. Could it be that your childhood friend, Kong Daozi, has already returned to the Imperial Tutor, or that mufei has never taught you?"


    Xiao Yijin was actually choked to the point of being unable to speak. He had never known that this fifth brother, who had been gentle as jade and indifferent as ever, was so sharp that it was difficult to refute.


    After that, Xiao Yixiu let go of Gu Qing Li and took off her outer garment to drape it over her body.


    Of course, his clothes were soaked from the inside out, and didn''t have any effect in resisting the cold. But this unnecessary action made Gu Qingli''s heart tremble.


    Naturally, his clothes were a bit wider. He put them on for himself, hoping to block Xiao Yijin''s malicious gaze. However, his weak and fearful body ¡­


    Gu Qing Li supported Xiao Yi Xiu as they hastily walked past Xiao Yi Jin. As they passed, they left behind a soft yet cold whisper, "Prince Yan, you should think about the eight people in the chamber. You have the mind to meddle in this matter."


    She raised her head, completely ignoring Xiao Yijin''s black face as she walked further and further away.


    After entering the Western Courtyard, Xiao Yiyan hurriedly ordered people to bring hot water and ginger soup to help them bathe and change clothes. He then sighed, "What is this all about? What does the crown prince want?"


    Gu Qing Li entered the washroom and saw Xiao Yi Xiu untied the belt on his clothes. He had forced himself to stay calm, but now his hands were shaking uncontrollably.


    "What are you trying to do?" Why did you reject them? " She hurried to undress him.


    Xiao Yi Xiu took a step back and said coldly, "Get out!"


    "I know you have a germaphobia, why can''t you tolerate it? Don''t you know your body? " Gu Qing Li untied his clothes in quick succession and pushed him, "Go in."


    Xiao Yixiu stared at her, his eyes almost twitching. All he could say was, "You don''t want this month''s antidote, do you?"


    Oh yeah, I forgot about him poisoning me. Gu Qingli looked at him, then her cold indifference suddenly turned into a facade of arrogance. He was the kind of person who would never let himself fall, even when he was weak to the point of being unable to withstand a single blow.

 C63 strong kiss

    She wordlessly left the room and hurriedly washed and changed her clothes in the other room before heading over to Xiao Yi Xiu.


    He had been soaking in the bucket for a while before he came out. He was still slowly wearing his clothes, and his face had turned a little red after the steam had evaporated.


    Gu Qingli held the bowl of ginger soup and looked at him. "Your highness, please drink this bowl of ginger soup later."


    "No need." He turned his back to her coldly.


    She remembered that he was still half open. Actually, he hadn''t paid attention to this before, but now that he thought about it, his anger and coldness was only because he was covering up his embarrassment. Could it be ¡­ Was he shy?


    She quietly put down the ginger soup and circled around him. "Prince, you ¡­"


    Her gaze deliberately moved up and down. His shirt was buttoned halfway up, and a patch of skin from his neck to his chest was suffused with pink.


    "What are you looking at?" He could not bear it any longer.


    She tried her best to suppress her smile, but the smile in her eyes was about to spill out. "Prince is my husband. Helping you get dressed is a matter of course. Is there a problem?"


    She went up to him with a straight face, folded his coat, and buttoned it slowly.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s wrist suddenly tightened as he raised his hand to stop her. He said coldly, "Do you think I can''t really heal you?"


    "But I don''t know what I did wrong. Could it be ¡­ Your highness isn''t an obsession with cleanliness, just shyness? " Before he could finish, the back of his neck was held down, and he was forced to raise his face.


    Xiao Yixiu suddenly dropped his face. He instantly felt two soft, ice-cold lips press against her, and her entire body stiffened. She couldn''t move at all.


    This experience was too foreign to her, and she didn''t even know how to deal with it.


    But he did not stop there. After kissing her, he freed one hand to unbuckle her collar. His movements were soft and aggressive, and she was quick to notice.


    The cold of her neck brought her to her senses, and she reached out and pushed him away. In fact, he had no control over her at all, not without a great deal of effort.


    Gu Qingli was both embarrassed and annoyed. There was still an indescribable feeling in her heart that even she couldn''t understand.


    She looked down at the exposed white skin of her collar and hurriedly buttoned it.


    "This King is your husband. This is a matter of course."


    He used her own words to stop her from retorting, and could only glare at him in anger: "Didn''t you scold me for being despicable? You''re interested in a lowly girl? "


    Xiao Yixiu, on the other hand, looked composed. Perhaps her awkwardness had piqued his interest, but there was a faint smile in his eyes. "But I''ve changed my mind now ¡­"


    "Your Highness, don''t you want to know why the Crown Prince tricked me into going to the pleasure boat?"


    Indeed, these words caused Xiao Yixiu to change his direction of interest. The smile in his eyes dimmed a little, "He wants to use you to coerce me?"


    "He mentioned Assistant Minister Lin to me, and also said something about Liuxin. He asked me if I knew who the woman from Assistant Minister Lin''s courtyard was, and I didn''t know what was going on."


    "A single Liu Xin isn''t even in his eyes. He''s even more annoyed that I used Liu Xin to control Lin Zhihan." he said to herself.


    However, she still suspected that Xiao Yi Bei was the one who designed the blame for the death of the emissary, but she couldn''t say these words. After all, she had examined the corpse as Li Yue, and as a wangfei, she shouldn''t have known about it so clearly.


    "What else did he say?"


    "Nothing."


    "Then why did you jump off the pleasure boat?"


    Gu Qingli pursed her lips but didn''t say anything. Remembering that Xiao Yi Bei''s disgusting hand had slipped into her sleeve, she didn''t want to bring it up.


    Seeing her expression, Xiao Yi Xiu could guess what was going on. An unexplainable anger gradually rose in his heart. "Did he make a move on you?"


    Gu Qingli didn''t say anything.


    "Today is the birthday celebration, yet he dares to do such a shameless thing in the Imperial Garden!" He suddenly thought of something and stared at her, "Did he not kill you ¡­" "How about it?"


    She raised her eyes and looked at him, suddenly having the thought of a prank. "That''s right, I drank a glass of wine. It might have been drugged, but after drinking it, I became dizzy and then ¡­"


    The last trace of blood on Xiao Yixiu''s face had completely faded. His face was as pale as a piece of jade, and even his breathing seemed to have turned cold.


    "I forgot. Your highness wouldn''t mind such a thing. Back then, Imperial Concubine Xin was pregnant with someone''s child. Your highness didn''t even spare her a glance. What''s the difference between her and me?"


    Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she was suddenly hugged from behind. A pair of arms were wrapped around her chest, and she could even feel the chaotic heartbeat coming from the chest of the person on her back.


    Startled, she subconsciously resisted twice, but she was held even tighter.


    "What is Your Highness doing? "If someone sees it in the clear sky and day ¡­"


    "Who dares to say anything more when This King is hugging his own wangfei?"


    "Let me go." She was a little out of breath. In fact, she couldn''t bear to push him to let go with a heavy blow on the back of her elbow.


    "We''re just a couple in name. There''s no one here, so there''s no need to show them off to others."


    "When Xiao Yi Bei hugged you, were you struggling to resist like this?"


    His sudden words stung Gu Qingli''s heart. Just who did he think she was? She struggled violently to free herself from his embrace and looked at him mockingly. "The crown prince knows that we have never consummated our marriage, so why is it necessary for him to pretend that he cares about me?"


    The Crown Prince knew about it, and it was naturally because of the spies and spies of Xin Ziyao and the other empress.


    "So, he thinks I can''t do it, that''s why he wants to give you some comfort?"


    Gu Qingli was startled. Xiao Yimo had said something similar to this before. She had forgotten that it hurt a man''s pride the most.


    Before she could regain his wits and think of a plan to deal with it, Xiao Yixiu had already forcefully pulled her into his embrace, tore off her collar, and forcefully kissed her.


    Gu Qing Li was distracted. He couldn''t tell what he was feeling, but he was actually powerless to resist. He had clearly wanted to kick him away to get him to get lost, but all he could do was let out a few helpless, delicate cries.


    "Where did he touch you? "Speak." He kissed down along her neck, as if he wanted to remove all traces of Xiao Yibei from her body.


    "No ¡­." No... "Let me go." She slightly hated herself for not being able to use her martial skill against a sickly man and could only helplessly beg in his arms.


    "Didn''t he say that it is impossible for This King to make fun of him? "Today, we''ll make a full room ¡­"


    "You ¡­ Do you want me to prove something to the Crown Prince? " She panted, even if she was still conscious in the chaos.


    "It''s all the same."


    "It''s not the same!" She pushed him away with a sudden surge of strength.


    If he didn''t mean it, just wanted to prove that he had something, wanted to leave a mark on his body, then he had found the wrong person.


    She stared at him with wide eyes that were filled with anger, "Xiao Yi Xiu, if you really cared about me, you wouldn''t force me. You only care about the fact that others have defiled your personal belongings and want to regain your dignity, you have no feelings for me, only possessiveness! "


    After this fierce resistance, Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but gasp for breath. He placed his hand on his chest, but couldn''t say anything as he looked at her.


    "Just like you didn''t let me leave and poisoned me before, you just wanted to keep me by your side and prove that I was yours; now you feel that the Crown Prince touching me is a disgrace to you, so you want to prove something! But you''ve never thought about the difference between treating me like this and treating me like the crown prince? " She turned and rushed out.

 C64 Confusion

    After returning to the bedroom, she closed the door and checked herself in the mirror. He had ripped off a few buttons on her collar, leaving a few red marks on her tender skin that was as smooth as water.


    She began to stare into the mirror.


    He treated her differently than he used to be. When he touched her at that time, he would brush his hands clean with his handkerchief in disgust before throwing it away. Yet now, he was actually hugging her and kissing her ¡­ When he heard what Xiao Yi Bei might have done to her, the color of the blood that had been emitted from the steam had completely faded. It was as if he had suffered a great blow.


    Did he really care about her, or was his perverted possessiveness playing tricks on him? She couldn''t tell.


    But he did not hesitate to jump into the icy, bone-piercing river to save her. He took off his outer garment and wrapped it around her ¡­ Although he was good at showing off in front of others, he probably wouldn''t show off his body to others.


    She couldn''t help but feel a bit regretful. She had said too much just now.


    Xiao Yi Xiu straightened his clothes and looked at himself in the mirror. His face was still pale, as if he hadn''t turned around. His eyes were filled with confusion, and he couldn''t even tell what he was thinking about.


    He thought back to what Gu Qingli had said, and his eyes turned colder and colder. Xiao Yi Bei actually dared to touch his men ¡­


    Following that, Gu Qingli''s furious gaze swept across his heart. That layer of watery light reminded him of Li Yue, causing him to be terrified.


    Those two similar eyes and the medicinal fragrance from her entire body ¡­ It turned out that his heart had long since been unable to differentiate the two of them.


    But they were clearly two people.


    He decided to stay away from her. No matter how similar they were, they were not the same person.


    Before the birthday banquet had even begun, it was already filled with the sounds of silk and bamboo. The festive atmosphere in the palace was lit up everywhere, and before the sky had even darkened, the palace lamps were lit up, and the palace maids were shuttling back and forth with flowers and fruits, and eunuchs were going to the east and west sides to welcome the prince, duke, and official.


    In the throne room, the emperor was seated in the middle of the grand hall. The princes were already seated at the bottom of the hall. When they saw hundreds of civil and military officials sending gifts like flowing water, the eunuchs who were counting the gifts almost went hoarse from shouting at the top of their lungs.


    At such a joyous time, the emperor didn''t seem to be in a good mood. At the beginning, he looked dignified, sitting upright like a mountain. Gradually, he showed an impatient expression. It was obvious that his body wasn''t feeling well.


    Xiao Yixiu watched him without batting an eyelid. Gu Qingli wasn''t clear about the situation within the palace, but he was clear about it.


    Recently, the crown prince, Xiao Yi Bei, had heard of the absurd behavior of the Emperor. He even heard that he had secretly hidden a pregnant woman in a brothel outside the palace.


    From the matters of Liuxin, the emperor had already expressed his dissatisfaction with the crown prince''s preference for beauties, but now his heart wavered even more. Therefore, even though he hadn''t expressed anything in the past year, his attitude towards the crown prince had become more and more unfathomable.


    The Ling family had become more and more powerful in the imperial court. The empress could feel that the position of the crown prince had become more and more unstable, so she had no choice but to make a move against the emperor and let him die before he could bear it any longer.


    How could the empress not write something when the dispensary was stolen at this time? The pair of embroidered shoes that he placed in the Wei Ronghua Hall were not in vain.


    He smiled coldly. The empress was dissatisfied with Imperial Concubine Lan for what happened to Gabriella, so she took the opportunity to attack her. She wanted to get rid of Imperial Concubine Lan''s power.


    Xiao Yi Xiu thought that the empress would make use of this opportunity to make a move tonight, so she didn''t have much time left.


    The emperor''s gaze swept the area, only to see that Xiao Yixiu had a handkerchief over his mouth as he coughed softly. There was no one by his side, so he asked, "Where''s Princess Mo?" There was displeasure in his eyes.


    "In reply to Imperial Father, the wangfei has caught a cold. I''m afraid that it will disturb the celebration at the banquet, so she won''t come back from her illness."


    Following that, a eunuch took a step forward and whispered a few words into the emperor''s ear. Immediately, the emperor''s expression changed.


    The Crown Prince was actually inviting Princess Mo to the pleasure boat, forcing her to jump into the river. His actions were getting more and more ridiculous! This matter was related to the honor of the imperial family, so he naturally could not speak out at the birthday banquet. He could only glare at the crown prince.


    It was no wonder that Princess Mo chose not to come. Firstly, she was afraid that she might really freeze in the Imperial River. Secondly, she was afraid that she might meet this disrespectful crown prince again. On the other hand, King Mo was able to keep his cool and endured the urge to report anything.


    For a moment, the emperor''s impression of Xiao Yi Xiu improved slightly. He glanced at Xiao Yi Xiu and saw that he was coughing violently. He couldn''t help but frown. The War God of the past had now become such a sick person. No matter how good he was, it was useless. The emperor then stopped paying attention to him and continued to accept the celebration of the hundred officials.


    After the eunuchs surrounding the emperor left, they secretly glanced at Xiao Yi Xiu and then turned their gazes away as if nothing had happened.


    Not long after the banquet started, Xiao Yi Jin suddenly held his head with his hand. With a pale face, the palace maid by his side secretly sent a message that Prince Yan had yet to recover from his injuries before returning to the capital and was in a hurry to return to the capital.


    "Go, go." Since it was an old illness on the battlefield that had yet to be healed, it was inconvenient for the Emperor to say anything.


    Xiao Yijin''s figure staggered into the darkness. When he entered the harem, he immediately started walking hurriedly.


    Under the cover of the trees and flowers, the mysterious figure headed towards the chamber.


    Suddenly, a red figure appeared in front of them, blocking their path. It was as if a ghost or shadow had appeared out of nowhere, and they didn''t know where it came from.


    Xiao Yi Jin was walking alone before he suddenly saw a red shadow standing in the darkness. Even though he was bold, he was so shocked that he stopped walking. He wondered where that ghost girl came from.


    "Who?" He lowered his voice. He knew that he had to go where he did not want anyone to discover him, so he did not dare to cause too much of a ruckus.


    The lady in red slowly walked closer. A red veil covered his face, and only a pair of eyes that were bright as the stars stared at him. "Prince Yan is in a hurry to rush to the riot room?"


    Xiao Yijin''s expression changed as he suddenly attacked without any warning.


    No matter who she was, she knew that he was going to the bomb den, and it was safest to kill him here first!


    The woman in red''s figure flew through the air, like a bright cloud passing through the shadows of his palms. Occasionally, he would see her fingers like an orchid, flashing with silver light.


    Xiao Yi Jin actually couldn''t get the upper hand in a fight at all. On the contrary, his body was constantly tingling. He did not know that if it wasn''t for his agility, it would not have been a simple matter.


    "Who the hell are you?"


    "Ghost Doctor Li Yue."


    Xiao Yijin had only been back in the capital for a few days, but he had heard of this name before. Recently, it had been widely spread throughout the capital. It was the target for all sorts of forces.


    But why had she entered the palace? This puzzled him.


    "Who brought you to the palace?" Xiao Yijin couldn''t kill her at the moment, but he was even more anxious. He only wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.

 C65 Transactions

    "Prince Yan should be thinking about the eight palace maids in the chamber."


    "There''s no need for you to worry." Xiao Yijin sneered, but in his heart, he wanted nothing more than to kill her and silence her. No matter how much use this Ghost Doctor had, if he saw through his motives and blocked his path, he was his biggest enemy.


    "I know that Your Highness wants to rush over and silence them, but you''ve never thought about it. If they all die, you''ll only end up with more problems, which will only increase Imperial Concubine Lan''s suspicions with you."


    Xiao Yijin was stunned for a moment before his hand relaxed.


    "Who knows, the reason why I came here was because I was waiting for you to fall into the trap set up by the empress. "If all eight palace maids were to suddenly die, the most suspicious thing would be you and your mother. If there is any more evidence against you ¡­"


    "Nonsense, is he creating something out of nothing without evidence?"


    "Creating something from nothing isn''t something lacking. For example, that pair of embroidered shoes that came out of nowhere."


    Xiao Yijin''s heart turned cold, and he subconsciously stopped his attack.


    Li Yue did not press forward. At the same time, she took a step back. Her red sleeves gently rolled over as the silver tip of her fingertip disappeared.


    "Do you know where those embroidered shoes came from?"


    Li Yue glanced at him, her eyes cold. "Right now, those shoes are no longer important. Your Highness doesn''t have time."


    "What are you trying to do?"


    "Your Highness is finally willing to ask. The reason Li Yue is guarding here is because she wants to make a deal with you. "


    "Trade?"


    "Rather than the sudden deaths of those eight palace maids, it''s impossible ¡­"


    When Xiao Yi Jin heard this, he became even more surprised. After a long while, he asked, "What do you want to obtain by doing all this for me?"


    "The tribute of the Southern Moon, is the Jade Velvet Horn that the Emperor bestowed to you last night."


    "What is that? is it worth Miss Li Yue risking her life to enter the palace at night to exchange for it? " At first, Xiao Yi Jin didn''t put that thing in his heart, but after hearing that she could use it as a trade, he became suspicious.


    Li Yue took a few slow and unhurried steps, her voice filled with an unquestionable meaning. "Prince, no matter what it is, it''s unable to reverse your current disadvantage. Besides cooperating with me, there''s no other way."


    Xiao Yijin took a deep breath, "Alright."


    "It''s a deal."


    In the end, Xiao Yijin still didn''t feel reassured. He quietly followed behind Li Yue and entered the room. Seeing her figure sticking to the shadows, dots of silver light flashed and all the guards outside the room fell to the ground.


    She slipped inside alone, but the room was silent.


    Xiao Yijin became more and more curious, and the trust he had in her increased by a few points.


    Only after a long time did she come out. She was still dressed in her red gauze gown, and her dress was like a floating flame in the dark night.


    Xiao Yijin quietly retreated out of the darkness.


    Falling Moon glanced at his invisibility. It was a quiet night without any wind, and the slight movement of the leaves made her sneer.


    No rush, if I help him this time, I''ll be in trouble in the future.


    After the birthday banquet was over, the various princes and princes were left behind. Only when the Emperor''s personal officials had retreated did the Emperor take a quick glance around the hall. He indifferently said, "Men, go and see if the King of Yan is well. Invite him over."


    "No need." With the support of a palace maid, Xiao Yijin slowly walked in. He still looked to be in a bad mood.


    "Father, your son is better now. Come take a look."


    "You''re a good one." The emperor paused for a moment and glanced at Xiao Yi Jin disdainfully. He clearly understood that Xiao Yi Jin had come here specifically to listen to the interrogation.


    Before the princes left the palace, this matter had to be investigated thoroughly.


    Soon enough, eight palace maids were brought in from the room. All of their clothes were stained with blood, but their faces were still in good condition. The rest of them seemed to be half-dead from the torture.


    In the palace, very few people who entered the cell managed to come out. The empress''s methods were quite ruthless. If the eight of them were to agree on who to point at, then there was no way this person could escape a crime.


    The empress gave him a stern smile. "I admit it." Then he slightly raised his chin, indicating that he should continue the conversation.


    A palace maid shivered and raised her head. She looked straight at the two empress and said with a trembling voice, "This servant, this servant is willing to admit defeat. That pair of shoes ¡­" Yes... "It was a servant who went to steal medicine ¡­"


    "Oh? What are you planning to do by stealing medicine? "


    "Liu Shangshu, Lord Liu ¡­" "I was told to steal it ¡­"


    "Yes, that night, all the servants saw her sneaking out at night!" The other seven ladies testified against her.


    The empress''s expression changed slightly. This was different from what she had expected. She didn''t understand why such a change would occur so soon.


    "Minister Liu?" The Emperor frowned. What did he want you to steal for? "


    "No ¡­." "It''s no use, it''s just a blame to Imperial Concubine Lan ¡­"


    The emperor sneered, "There''s highly toxic poison in the stolen medicine. Who are you planning to poison?"


    "Servant ¡­" He had wanted to give it to the Crown Prince ¡­ "Use poison ¡­"


    "How dare you!"


    The people who escorted them over were greatly shocked. One of the eunuchs went up to investigate and said, "She died!"


    The Minister of Rites, Liu Zhengyan, was the Minister of Rites, and everyone knew he was Imperial Concubine Ling''s brother-in-law. "Your majesty, you can''t believe that slut''s words. She''s dead now, and there''s no proof of her death. How can a single sentence prove that Elder Liu did it?"


    "Even being a concubine can''t prove that it wasn''t Minister Liu who did it." The Emperor was expressionless, and no one was able to discern what he was thinking.


    Even the empress was stunned, not knowing what to say. However, it was still beneficial for her now that things had turned out like this. It would be beneficial for her to frame either Imperial Concubine Lan or Imperial Concubine Ling.


    "Since this servant has made her move, then we should confirm that it has nothing to do with your sons. Your Majesty should let them leave the Li Palace, right?" The empress finally remembered the identity of the head of the Six Palaces, and spoke up carefully.


    The princes stood up and left as if they had received amnesty. Only Xiao Yi Mo looked worriedly at Imperial Concubine Ling.


    Xiao Yi Jin looked around and left the crowd. When he arrived at the agreed location, he saw the woman in red, Li Yue, waiting for him there.


    "Prince Yan, are you satisfied now?"


    Xiao Yi Jin laughed, "Lady Li Yue is indeed powerful. This move has been used well by Jiang Dong."


    Li Yue didn''t say anything and just extended her hand.


    He took out the item he had hidden under his clothes and handed it to her. He couldn''t help but ask, "Is this item very useful?"


    "No, it''s just rare." He opened it and checked it. He was sure that it was correct.


    "If Miss Li Yue is willing to be used by me, I''ll let you choose the rarest of treasures." Only now did Xiao Yijin have the mood to try and win her over.


    Li Yue looked at him coolly. "I''m only interested in rare medicinal herbs. You don''t have to worry about anything else."


    Medicinal material? Before Xiao Yi Jin could come back to his senses, he saw her leap onto the palace wall. Her figure was like a ghost, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

 C66 wind-cold

    "So that''s just the taste of the rare medicinal herbs? But what is she going to do? " Xiao Yi Jin couldn''t figure it out, so he could only shake his head.


    Gu Qing Li finally made it back to the side hall before Xiao Yi Xiu did. He had just taken off his red clothes and hid them, so he didn''t even have time to change into his own clothes before Xiao Yi Xiu entered.


    When he saw her disheveled appearance, he was startled. "Change into your clothes and leave the palace."


    "Why are you returning to the manor so late?" In the middle of the night, the emperor didn''t keep them in the palace for the night, so Gu Qingli was a bit surprised.


    "Last night, I stayed for an entire night, but so many things have happened. The palace is a place of conflict, it''s best for me to leave as soon as possible."


    Gu Qingli also felt that this made sense, so she hastily changed her clothes and left under the guidance of the eunuch.


    When they arrived at the square, each of the princes got into their respective carriages and left the palace. Only Xiao Yimo was nowhere to be seen, probably to discuss matters with Imperial Concubine Ling.


    Seated on the carriage, Xiao Yi Xiu was coughing even more heavily. He wasn''t pretending. It seemed that the chill in the Imperial River during the day had worsened his illness.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t bear to watch any longer. She reached out her hand to pat his back a few times, but he lifted his hand to push her away. With a cold voice, she said, "Stay away from this king."


    She had been used to his sudden heat and cold, but she had always thought that their relationship had improved after the Imperial Garden, and she had never expected that he would return to his old cold temperament in the blink of an eye.


    It wasn''t Gu Qingli''s personality to stick her hot face to her cold butt. She instantly changed colour, brushing her sleeves as she distanced herself from him.


    Xiao Yixiu kept coughing uncontrollably. Although her ears constantly felt as if they pierced the heart, his face was still cold as he ignored him.


    After returning to the Mo King''s Manor, the two of them were like strangers.


    Gu Qingli returned to her room. Her anger over being rejected by Xiao Yixiu''s cold face had not yet subsided. She decided to ignore him and went to bed on her own.


    After rolling on the bed for a while, she remembered that he had coughed up so much along the way. If there really was another illness, it would be bad for the poison injuries on his body. She could not help but get up.


    When she pulled out the corner she had just acquired, she was startled for a moment.


    In the end, she had finally gotten the pill. By the time she was done concocting it, Li Yue''s identity should have disappeared from the Mo King''s Manor, right?


    Moonlight shone down on the simple wooden house by Xiaoyao''s side, the original color of the wooden tables and chairs. The medicinal fragrance filled the room, lingering around for a long time, but there was no sign of the mysterious Ghost Doctor Li Yue.


    Xiao Yixiu pushed open the door and looked at the unchanging furniture in the room. Only the black cat that Li Yue called "Miao''er" was curled up on the chair.


    Hearing the noise, Black Jade arched his back and looked at him warily. After determining that he was one of his masters, he relaxed his body and jumped out of the door.


    When Gu Qingli entered the house dressed in her blue robe, she had never expected that there would be someone sitting quietly inside the unlit wooden house.


    There seemed to be a trace of surprise in his eyes when he saw her. Before he could even open his mouth, he violently coughed once more.


    "What''s wrong with you, your highness?" she asked, knowing.


    "It''s fine. Maybe he''s caught a cold. Come over and let Lady Li Yue see."


    Gu Qingli sat down across from him and lit a candle to check his pulse.


    "The cold air entering the body is very bad for the prince''s current health. How did he suffer such a heavy cold after entering the palace?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t reply. He looked at her with eyes as gentle as water. "It''s so late. Where did Miss Li Yue go?"


    "Your highness won''t be able to find out where Li Yue is." She walked over to the medicine rack, took some medicine, and put it in the casserole to soak.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was helping her get wood for a fire. When she saw that he was doing this very naturally, she couldn''t help but ask, "Prince Jin Zun Yu is expensive, why would he do such crude work?"


    "Back then, on the battlefield, I was willing to share hardships with my soldiers. There is nothing that I can''t do personally." He seemed to be reminiscing about the past, his eyes distant and full of nostalgia.


    "Those who have never been to the battlefield will never understand the taste of fighting in person. No matter how harsh the environment was, they had to advance step by step to kill their way through it. Even when there wasn''t enough food, they would dig out the roots and eat them ¡­ "


    Seemingly feeling that he had said too much, he smiled at her and said, "Sorry for the ridicule, Lady Li Yue."


    "The Prince''s current weak body ¡­ It is hard to imagine such a fierce military career. " The two of them sat facing each other, separated by a red clay stove. The flickering flames made their faces slightly red.


    "It seems to be a matter of my previous life. This King can barely remember it."


    "Oh right, I forgot to tell Your Highness one thing. The medicine to cure the poison has been prepared. Wait a few days for me to go through and prepare a prescription to remove the poison from your body."


    Xiao Yixiu''s eyes were filled with shock. He clearly hadn''t expected this to happen.


    "His Royal Highness might be able to return to the battlefield soon."


    "Impossible, I just saw Fu Ziya in the palace last night, and today you said that all the ingredients are complete?" Although he had seen that the tribute had been given to Xiao Yi Jin, he still hadn''t thought of a better way to get it.


    "Do you not believe me, your highness?" Gu Qingli took out a corner that looked like ice and placed it in front of him.


    "How the hell did you get it?" Xiao Yi Xiu gradually retracted his gaze as sharp as a sword as he stared at the item.


    "Naturally, it was exchanged from the hands of the Yan King."


    Xiao Yixiu was silent for a long time before connecting the events of the past few days together in his heart.


    He had placed Gu Qingli''s embroidered shoes in Wei Ronghua''s palace. He had calculated that Wei Ronghua was the empress and would definitely frame Imperial Concubine Lan for her. With the empress''s personality, the moment Madam Jia entered the Prince Mo''s mansion, her undercover spies were exterminated. Furthermore, since Xiao Yijin had returned to the capital with great merits, how could she not be considered a big threat?


    It was only natural then to blame the imperial concubine.


    Since the empress had set up this trap and forced all eight palace maids into a room, she naturally had a way to pry open their mouths and make them confess in unison. She wanted them to bite the hand of Imperial Concubine Lan, but for some reason, they turned their backs on her, all because they were trying to weaken her power.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had thought that the empress would change her mind to deal with Imperial Concubine Ling first, but now it seemed that there was another story behind it.


    "Did you get those palace maids to collude with you and point all the evidence at Minister Liu?"


    "That''s right."


    "You did it for this man?"


    Gu Qing Li slightly nodded.


    "But how could you be so well-informed? Father only gifted it to the Yan King last night, and tonight, you and the Yan King will work together to attack Imperial Concubine Ling ¡­" And how exactly are you going to enter and exit the palace to do all of this? "


    "I have my own methods."


    "Don''t tell me you''re in contact with Xiao Yijin as well?" Thinking of this, he felt as if there was something at the bottom of his heart. He refused to think into it.

 C67 Reduction

    "How could I have any private contact with him? I only agreed to help him once in exchange."


    "..." You know, after helping him this time, dealing with him again won''t be that easy in the future. "


    "He is your younger brother. Why do you want to deal with him?" Gu Qingli pretended not to know.


    He seemed unwilling to elaborate on this matter, but in the end, he still said, "The poison in this king''s body was given to me by mother and son."


    Although she had long since overheard this fact, Gu Qingli still felt shocked when he said it herself. His eyes turned dark, and there seemed to be endless pain entangling, sinking, and unable to extricate himself from his eyes. That dark past had obviously become the one he hated to think about the most in his life.


    "Forget it, they got away with it this time." He let out a long sigh.


    Imperial Concubine Lan looked flirtatious and gentle, but her personality was as poisonous as a snake and a scorpion''s. She could even do such a thing to her adopted son who had grown up with her own hands.


    Although Gu Qingli didn''t know much about the past, she could speculate that it was precisely the name of "War God" that had dragged him down, causing Imperial Concubine Lan to view him as a thorn in her side. She wanted to poison him first and get rid of him. Perhaps the emperor had treated him with unparalleled importance back then, and had even threatened her position. That was the reason why she had been so decisive and merciless.


    A medicinal fragrance filled the air. Gu Qing Li came back to her senses and poured out the medicine in the clay pot.


    "It''s late at night. Your highness, after taking the medicine, should go back to your room."


    "If the poison in this prince''s body is completely removed, does Miss Li Yue intend to leave the Mo Residence?"


    He asked so directly that Gu Qingli couldn''t answer. She was indeed planning to leave after removing the poison in his body, but the anxiety in his eyes made her hesitate.


    "If the king''s poison is resolved, there wouldn''t be any meaning for me to stay in the manor ¡­"


    She subconsciously wanted to withdraw her hand. "Your Highness, do you have a principal wife and wife? This is not appropriate."


    The disappointment in his eyes gradually surged into the depths of his eyes. That''s right, if he forced her to stay, what rank would he give her? Wangfei? A girl like her was obviously not willing to be a concubine.


    But if he gave up on the wangfei ¡­ After all, it was a royal marriage. Since the princess had made a mistake, it would not be so easy for her to divorce her. He didn''t notice at all that in his subconscious, he was just finding an excuse not to give up on his wangfei.


    After Xiao Yixiu left, Gu Qingli silently watched his back. It was cold and lonely, as if she couldn''t stand to be lonely.


    A female corpse slowly moved in the unmarked cemetery outside the capital. A red clothed figure stood in front of her and bent down to help her up.


    The female corpse raised her face. Dressed in palace attire and with a dazed expression, it was precisely the palace maid who had vomited blood and died within the throne room.


    "Ghost ¡­" "The Ghost Doctor ¡­"


    "Don''t forget what you promised me. Since I saved your life, you can''t reveal this matter to anyone in your entire life." The woman in red''s voice was frosty.


    "Of course, I understand. Thank you, Ghost Doctor, for saving my life." The palace maid struggled to kneel.


    "Don''t be nosy, change your clothes and go." The woman in red tossed down a cloth bag. "Don''t ever return to the capital again. It would be best if you left the Eastern Abyss."


    The palace maid untied the cloth bag, inside was a change of clothes and some scattered silver. After thanking him a thousand times, she found that the Ghost Doctor had already disappeared.


    Three days later, during the hearing between the justice courts and the three divisions of the Ministry of Justice, the Minister of Rites, Liu Zhengyan, was convicted of murdering the crown prince and sent to serve in the bitter cold lands of the northwest.


    Since there is no suitable candidate for the letter of advice, the Assistant Minister of Rites will temporarily take his place.


    The Ling family had finally calmed down after receiving such a heavy blow. They heard that Imperial Concubine Ling had also restrained herself in the palace.


    In the Rising Sun Palace, Imperial Concubine Ling looked at herself in the mirror and shouted at the palace maid, "Didn''t you see that it was pasted off? "Scram!" She picked up something out of anger and threw it at the palace maid.


    All the palace maids in the hall were silent, afraid that they would anger her.


    "Mufei." Xiao Yi Mo came in quickly from outside. When he saw the mess, he understood that Imperial Concubine Ling was in a bad mood.


    "Mo''er, your royal father hasn''t come to the Shoyang Palace for a few days, he''s only interested in seeing that sickly Ninth Prince all day!" Imperial Concubine Ling cried at his son.


    Xiao Yimo waved his hand, and all the palace maids left.


    "In the end, your mufei, I, am no longer twenty-eight years old, and now the Ling family has suffered this kind of fate ¡­"


    Even though she was in her forties, she had excellent maintenance. Her skin was white and tender, and her eyebrows and lips were red. She was a true beauty. Then he laughed: "Mufei need not be angry. Ninth Brother is young and always sick, what''s wrong with royal father going to take a few more glances? Your Six Palaces are gorgeous, can''t you compare to that Fu Gongyu? "


    "How can I not be angry? "You said your uncle ¡­"


    "This is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." "Hmph." Xiao Yi Mo''s smile sank. "At first, we all suspected that it was the empress''s underlings. However, after further investigation, we discovered that Xiao Yijin had appeared around the room that night ¡­"


    Imperial Concubine Ling was bewildered as she listened to him speak.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s deduction was reasonable as well. Although the Empress could very likely blame them, Imperial Concubine Lan''s suspicion was not small either. At that time, all the evidence pointed towards Imperial Concubine Lan, which was very disadvantageous to her. If she wanted to make a comeback, of course she had to find another scapegoat.


    It looked like everything was beneficial to Imperial Concubine Ling. In the eyes of the emperor, this was a double-edged arrow from Imperial Concubine Ling!


    "Lan Yunyan, I swear to you that I will never leave you!" Imperial Concubine Ling gritted her teeth.


    Of course, when Imperial Concubine Ling was furious, she didn''t know that the empress was smiling right now. She was the one who had spread the news that Xiao Yijin had appeared in the room, and she certainly didn''t expect that Xiao Yijin had indeed appeared.


    "Bei''er, you''re already so big, it''s about time for you to have a snack. If it wasn''t for Minister Liu distracting your father, the matter of you swindling Princess Mo into going to the pleasure boat would have blown up!"


    Xiao Yi Bei was subservient and submissive on the one hand, and his gaze was darting all over the place. He was completely impatient to be lectured here. He had been the Crown Prince since he was young. When he sat down as Crown Prince for more than ten years, he always felt that he was as steady as Mt. Tai, and not in danger like his mother had said.


    "Child, you''re really too untalented!" The empress couldn''t help but feel angry when she saw him. "If I hadn''t been plotting for you, do you think you''d be able to hold the position of crown prince so steadily?"


    She had gone through so much trouble to frame Concubine Lan and now she wanted to start a fight with Concubine Ling. The only thing she was worried about was that her son was too useless and couldn''t keep his position as Crown Prince.


    "Alright mother ¡­"


    "The matter of the brothel girl that you mentioned last time needs to be put on hold. If your royal father were to find out about her background, it would be difficult for her to enter the imperial family even if she is carrying an imperial descendant. Who would allow a brothel girl''s descendant to enter the imperial family?"


    "Didn''t Imperial Mother say that with a grandson, you would change Imperial Father''s opinion of me slightly?"


    "That depends on who his birth mother is!" The empress''s face sank. "Also, if you don''t want to marry Princess Lan Xun, then we must try to build a good relationship with Nan Yue. It would be best if we can marry Nan Yue, and it would be the same if we can marry their Princess Huai Rou."


    "Got it." Actually, Xiao Yi Bei was secretly cursing in his heart. If he went to the unruly Princess Lan Xun to welcome the unknown Princess Huai Wen, wouldn''t that be equivalent to changing the situation? He was still thinking about Liu Xin. That''s right, that Princess Mo was actually pretty good. Alas, she already had an owner ¡­

 C68 cold liquor

    The envoy of the Southern Moon Country, Jin Xi Ran, walked into the Star-Moon Gambling Workshop with a body filled with the smell of alcohol.


    Yun Yige was wearing a bright blue robe with a wide sleeves and a jade belt that tied around her waist, as if it could break her waist. The bodice of the dress was faintly visible, revealing a snow-white skin with the head of a lazy cat tattooed on it. It was half open and half closed, as if it would come alive with her movements. It was lovely and noble.


    Jin Xiran had recently become a frequent visitor, so Yun Yige was naturally no stranger to him. Seeing his wide robe and wide open chest, she knew that he must have taken that strange medicine today. She smiled and went up to greet him: "Yo, isn''t this Master Jin?"


    Jin Xiran''s eyes flickered. When he saw her, he focused his attention on her with a hint of greed in his eyes. Then, as if he was extremely excited and delighted, he rushed towards Yun Yige and hugged her, "Beautiful woman!"


    Yun Yige was frightened and in a flash, she dodged the wolf''s pounce. Her eyebrows were locked and a look of disgust flashed in her eyes.


    Jin Xiran obviously didn''t plan on letting her off today. Although he always looked at Yun Yige with ill intentions in his eyes, he was still aware that this place wasn''t his, Nanyue''s territory. He would at most wipe his hands and never excessively do anything.


    "Beauty, come here ¡­" Jin Xiran''s ruckus caused the entire Tian Xiang City to become restless. Yun Yige''s face even darkened as he quickly called for the thugs from the gambling den to surround him.


    He did not expect Jin Xiran to be so skilled. Although he appeared to be a little high-spirited, he was able to topple all of the thugs in one fell swoop. In the end, Yun Yige was the only one left standing.


    She turned pale with fright. "Grandpa Jin, what are you trying to do?" He turned around and ran into an inner room.


    Jin Xiran followed closely behind. An iron cage descended from the skies, attempting to trap him within. However, he was exceptionally agile. With a roll on the ground, he rolled out of the cage before it hit the ground. Only a corner of his clothes had been pressed down by the cage.


    He leaped up, and without caring about anything, he ripped off a corner of his clothes, then rolled onto a table, avoiding the arrows shot out from under the table. He reached out and grabbed Yun Yige, ripping her clothes apart.


    "Wait!" Looking at him, he smiled flirtatiously: "Master Jin, you are from Southern Moon and do not understand the rules of our East Peak. I, Yun Yige, am also one of the top people in the Star-Moon Gambling Workshop. If you want to be my guest, you have to pass a few tests first."


    "What is it?" Jin Xiran took off his wide robe and stared straight at Yun Gu''s beautiful shoulders.


    "This place is connected to the outer room, isn''t it too inconvenient?" Yun Yige saw him relax her vigilance and reached out her hand to press the button. A door slowly opened up on the wall and a long path appeared in front of him.


    As they walked, the oil lamps were lit up along the way. It was unknown what mechanism the lights were set off.


    Looking at the buildings on the ground, it was only a street that took up several acres of land. Including the myriad of labyrinths that appeared and disappeared, no one could tell how big the underground structure was.


    Jin Xiran had been staring at Yun Yige''s shoulders and back the whole time. His gaze had always been attracted by his creamy skin. At this moment, she no longer looked as bashful and fearful as before. Instead, he would occasionally look back with a smile, causing him to be mesmerized.


    The amount of Frigid Eating Powder he consumed today seemed to have increased a little. Even he felt that his excitement had surpassed his usual level. He felt as if he was floating into the realm of immortality.


    Yun Yige was the first to lean against the arhat bed, pointing at the table full of dessert and wine. She smiled sweetly: "Come, come, come, let''s have a taste of our Starmoon gambling house''s refreshments."


    Jin Xiran looked at her. His soul had been drawn into his body. He sat down opposite her and smiled. "Beautiful girl, even though you know your uncle is anxious, you still chose to come here to hone your skills."


    He opened his mouth and let Yun Yige pick up a piece of dessert.


    Instantly, his expression changed as he spat out, "It looks cold on the outside, but why is the inside so hot?"


    "This is the specialty of our Dong Yuan. It''s called the Baked Rong Ice Skin Cake. It''s cold on the outside but hot on the inside."


    Jin Xi Ran seemed to be a little bit disappointed. He waved his hand and shook his head: "I don''t eat hot food!"


    "Alright then." Yun Yige poured a cup of wine, got down from the bed, and walked in front of him, sitting unsteadily in his arms.


    Jin Xiran was mesmerized by her captivating smile. He almost forgot his surname as he stared at her captivating smile.


    She took a sip of the wine, and then placed the remaining wine in the cup next to his lips, "Master Jin, let me toast you three times ¡­" "The rules of the people of Dongyuan City are such that we don''t reject wine ¡­"


    Jin Xiran lightly touched his wine glass as he thought of something. His expression changed, and he pushed away her arm. "I want to drink hot wine!" "Besides, this wine is not alcoholic. It''s much worse than our Nanyue''s wine!"


    "Grandpa Jin, you''re refusing a toast and eating a forfeit, aren''t you?" Yun Yige''s expression suddenly changed as well. Her previous gentleness had suddenly turned into a cold killing intent. She suddenly stretched out his arms to wrap his arms around his neck, twisted her legs, and wrapped herself around him like a vine. Then, a cup of wine was poured into his mouth.


    At this time, Jin Xiran sobered up even though his soul had been in his body for a long time. He shouted, "Bitch, what are you trying to do?"


    The two of them fought in close quarters, but he was still unable to shake off Yige Yun. He suddenly realized that he might have underestimated the leader of Fragrant Sky one. How could he be a weak beauty in the Starmoon gambling den?


    Jin Xiran put away his tender feelings for the fairer sex, and focused on dealing with Yun Yige.


    His skills were not bad, and with the effects of the Frigid Eating Powder, he felt even more energetic. After a few moves, he was finally able to escape Yun Yige''s clutches.


    However, he didn''t notice in the slightest that there were a few strands of silver light flashing by. No one knew where it came from.


    Accompanied by slight stabs of pain, his arms, legs, and joints all went numb, and even his neck became stiff.


    When he looked up, he saw a cloud floating down in front of him. It was a woman in a long crimson dress, and with a few quick movements, she tied him up like a dumpling and knelt in front of the woman in red without any resistance.


    Yun Yige took the jug of wine and passed it to the lady in red without hesitation. "Lady Li Yue, this is cold wine."


    With a cold smile, Li Yue took the jug of wine. With one hand, she pinched Jin Xiran''s jaw and the other hand was holding the jug as she prepared to pour the wine into his mouth.


    Jin Xi Ran was so frightened that his face turned pale, and he shouted with all his might, "No no no ¡­. Don''t... "Don''t ¡­"


    "This is just an ordinary pot of wine, why would the Golden Emissary be so frightened?" Li Yue looked at him coldly.


    "Please ¡­" "Miss, you don''t understand ¡­"

 C69 Past

    "I don''t understand?" Li Yue suddenly laughed lightly, "Did you use that to trick Jin Xi Yuan into drinking the cold wine, which resulted in his sudden death?" You know that you need to eat the Frigid Eating Powder, but you can''t drink cold wine! "


    Jin Xi Ran''s eyes opened so wide that it seemed as if they would split open at any moment: "You ¡­" "How would you know?"


    Li Yue laughed coldly, "You are the eldest, and Jin Xi Yuan is the youngest. However, because he is the legitimate son, even if he sent an envoy, you would be the only deputy, so you already have a grudge against him. You used the crown prince to help you assassinate your own brother, and the crown prince was not idle to use you to frame Vice Minister Lin! "


    "You ¡­ You... "Nonsense, who doesn''t know how to frame and frame people!"


    Li Yue replied, "The corpse is still suppressed by the ice. Don''t worry, we will dispatch people to safely send your younger brother''s corpse back to the Southern Moon family. When that happens, you people from Southern Moon will naturally have an autopsy certificate. "As for the matter of you and the crown prince coaxing Jin Xi Yuan to drink the cold wine, there is someone to testify it ¡­"


    "Please let me go! Your Highness the Crown Prince has ordered me to do this, you can''t blame me for it all! "


    "Wait, you said that the Crown Prince ordered this?"


    "That''s only natural. Without the instruction of your crown prince, how would I have the guts to do so?" "I drank a bit too much that day. The crown prince tried to stir me up, and for a while, I was too distracted ¡­"


    Jin Xiran recounted how the crown prince had drunk with them and persuaded him to make a move on his own younger brother. Li Yue saw the glint in his eyes and knew that what he said wasn''t the truth. Perhaps Xiao Yi Bei really had the intention to add fuel to the fire, but if he didn''t have this intention, why would the crown prince kill an envoy from a foreign country for no reason?


    Li Yue pondered for a moment. "Do you have a deadline to return this time?"


    "Of course not. His Majesty has sent out an envoy to the East Abyss just for the sake of the friendship between the two countries. There are thousands of mountains and rivers, and it has been a long journey, so how can there be a time limit?" I, Nan Yue, have nothing better to do, so I don''t need to return to the capital to report on my work.


    "You can continue to stay in the Eastroad Ruins. Otherwise, once you return to Nanyue, it will be hard to explain how your little brother died."


    "This... I am always from Nanyue, how can I stay here and not return? "


    Li Yue coldly said, "I''ll leave it for your useful day. It won''t be for long. As for Prince Dongyuan, you can continue to be on good terms with him, as long as you remember what you said today. "


    Jin Xiran''s eyes flickered. "I understand ¡­" Before he could finish his sentence, a pill flew into his mouth. It was slippery and small, and before he could recover his senses, it rolled down his throat.


    He was shocked, "What is this?"


    Li Yue''s eyes were filled with ridicule: "Envoy Jin, if you keep your word, I''m afraid it won''t be an easy matter. A person who can even kill his own brother, other than his own life, what does he care about the most? Don''t worry, the medicine you swallowed won''t kill you. Every 20th day, go to the Xuanhua Pavilion and ask Miss Du Ying for the antidote. When you finish your mission and leave the Eastern Abyss to return to the Southern Moon, I will give you the final antidote. "


    Jin Xiran''s face twitched. He had finally lost all confidence. The medicinal strength of the Chilling Qi within his body had dissipated, and he seemed to have withered away.


    At this moment, a hidden door opened in the wall as Yun Yige clapped her hands, and someone led Jin Xi out.


    "Thank you for Lady Yun''s help. It''s just that I didn''t expect you, a member of the Yan King''s group, to have such a heart."


    Yun Yige''s face looked as if it was covered with a thin layer of frost. She glanced at her and lazily took out a piece of cloth to cover herself, as if she didn''t care about her half-naked appearance.


    The more it was like this, the more flirtatious she seemed. Her charming demeanor was somewhat cold, and the way she looked at Li Yue was ice-cold.


    Li Yue smiled at her, ignoring her enmity. She was well aware that the two times she had accompanied Xiao Yi Xiu here, she had already caused jealousy to surge in her heart.


    It was clear that Yun Zhige wanted to help because she admired Xiao Yi Xiu. Li Yue had unwittingly discovered this matter ever since she followed him here. This girl didn''t care about anyone or anything in the entire process. She intentionally or unintentionally swept her gaze at Xiao Yi Xiu, her eyes almost falling onto his face.


    "You can leave, I''ve done everything I promised Prince Mo. It''s not convenient for a god like Lady Li Yue to stay at my Starmoon Workshop."


    The more Li Yue heard from her, the more she was interested in her. She glanced at her again, her eyes brimming with happiness.


    A person like Yun Yige, who had been a gambling den since childhood, had a special identity behind her back. Of course, she couldn''t have been careless, but he had put all of her feelings of love and hatred on the table. She wasn''t as gentle and gentle as Luo Yun, nor as full of malice as Xin Ziyao; it was clear that she was a genuine person.


    "Miss Yun, you don''t need to think about me as your enemy. I am only Prince Mo''s doctor. It is because he has been ill for a long time that I have accompanied him at all times. It is not because I have any special relationship with him. " For the first time, Li Yue seriously explained to the others that she didn''t want Yun Yige to misunderstand her, and that she had some sort of plan to make it clear to herself that she and Xiao Yixiu were only doctors and patients.


    Yun Yige was surprised and stared at her for a long time. When he saw her unperturbed expression and the hint of a smile on her face, she suddenly felt relieved. "I was overthinking things."


    "I will leave after the prince recovers."


    "But the Prince trusts you so much that you even do such a thing."


    "It''s because it''s inconvenient for him to show his face. After all, this is the territory of the Yan King. His frequent visits here have caused the Yan King to be wary of him."


    Yun Yige fell silent. It was a feud between two brothers. She more or less knew something. Even though she wasn''t very clear about it, she still understood that Prince Mo was no longer one of her masters.


    Li Yue walked along the long passageway. After all, the dancing flames could not really make this place as bright as day. It seemed that there would always be darkness, and even her mood had become gloomy. After the poison in his body was cleared, she was really going to leave, right? But why was there always the feeling of being unable to explain it clearly?


    Yun Yige followed her out. Her footsteps were light and silent. It was evident that this woman''s lightness skills were quite outstanding. She had been hiding her strength from Jin Xiran, so it hadn''t been easy for her to see through it.


    "Actually, I have no right to be jealous of Lady Li Yue." Yun Yige''s voice suddenly came out in a low voice, sounding a little vague, a little disappointed, and a little desolate.


    Li Yue''s footsteps subconsciously slowed down, as if she didn''t want to let her footsteps become disorderly.


    I grew up in a special environment, and learned all sorts of tricks, assassinations, and a thousand dark things. It wasn''t until I entered the Star-Moon Gambling Workshop and took charge of Tian Xiang''s Number One that I found out that there were two young masters behind the gambling den, the King of Mo and the King of Yan.


    "In the past, Prince Yan always liked to imitate Prince Mo. When he smiled, he was gentle and refined, but deep down his bones, he was vicious ¡­" She paused, as if aware of his slip of the tongue.

 C70 roping

    "You don''t have to worry that I will tell King Yan. You should believe that since King Mo can make me do things for him, she won''t follow along with King Yan." It seemed that this Yun Yige was someone that could be fought for, and Li Yue was slightly tempted.


    In the end, Yun Yige did not mention anything about the Yan King and continued, "Prince Mo is a hero in my heart, I have never seen him rise, and I knew that he is the War God of the Eastern Abyss. That year when I first met him, he had just returned from winning the war. I looked up at him from among the people on the streets, thinking that I could actually become such a handsome, noble, and talented young master. I wonder how much I admire him ¡­ "


    "And then?"


    "He rarely comes to the gambling den, and I can only peek at him every time. He never notices me. At that time, I was only a twelve or thirteen year old little girl. But before long, he began to get sick. I heard that it was a series of ailments that caused his body to collapse. "I don''t know about all this, I only know that he came less and less. Later on, he couldn''t even go on stage to fight anymore, so he recommended Prince Yan to the Emperor."


    "From then on, he never came here again. I heard that he was weak and sickly, and that he rarely left the palace."


    A thought struck Li Yue. Like the rest of the world, she believed that Prince Mo was sick, which was why she didn''t know Xiao Yixiu. If a girl like her, who admired Xiao Yi Xiu, knew that the God in her heart had been poisoned by Imperial Concubine Lan, what would happen?


    Li Yue stopped in her tracks without a change in her expression, "Prince Mo is not a disease left on the battlefield. He was poisoned by someone''s food all year round, and the poison has seeped into his bones, causing him to be unable to recover."


    "What?" Yun Yige suddenly raised her head and looked at Li Yue''s cold and clear eyes.


    "Why, you don''t know?"


    Yun Yige originally wanted to reprimand her for spouting nonsense, but then she realized that she was now the Ghost Doctor of the capital, and there were even rumors that she was able to come back from the dead, so she couldn''t doubt her.


    "But in the past, even the royal doctors said that he had an old illness. Could it be that the royal doctors were at such a low level that they were unable to differentiate between poison and disease?"


    Li Yue thought to herself, "Not only is he an imperial physician, even the famous doctors in the capital that came to treat him have been bribed by Imperial Concubine Lan. That''s why he went to the Valley of Godly Doctors to seek help."


    Seeing that Yun Yige was a smart person, she only lightly nodded her head and said: "Imperial Physician isn''t necessarily that bad. I''m afraid what they said might not be true."


    Indeed, Yun Yige''s expression changed. A lie would be no different from an assassination attempt on the king of the Mo Clan. In the capital, what sort of power would she have to resort to to deceiving a prince? Her face turned paler and paler, as if she had thought of something.


    "We''ve reached the end of the passageway." Li Yue reminded her.


    Yun Yige seemed to have awoken from a dream. She raised her hand to press the button, but hesitated as she stared at Li Yue, "Are you speaking the truth?"


    "If you have the chance in the future, you can ask Prince Mo." "As long as he is willing to tell you the truth."


    Yun Yige''s hands were trembling as she pressed the trigger. Two streams of clear tears flowed down her face, making him look even more charming.


    "In the end, who harmed the Prince?"


    "Miss Yun is so smart. Think about it slowly. This answer is not convenient for me to tell you. "


    Yun Yige bit her lower lip and pressed the trigger.


    "Regardless of what Lady Yun thinks or does, remember that you must not spread what you have said today. In a place like the Star-Moon Gambling Workshop, where dragons and snakes are mixed together, no information can be kept secret."


    Yun Yige nodded solemnly.


    In front of the Mo King''s Residence, a luxurious carriage stopped. A youth dressed in bright red auspicious grass [1] jumped down from the carriage. His black hair flowed behind him, and only the warmth of the jade crown could be seen.


    When he looked back, he saw a girl dressed in fiery red get down from her horse. His eyes lit up. "This must be Lady Li Yue?"


    Gu Qingli raised her eyes and couldn''t help but smile when she saw Xiao Yiyan''s red clothes flash past like the morning clouds. Prince Chen liked red like her, but his red clothes were more like crispy clouds. It was not like her red clothes, which were burning fiercely and red like blood.


    "How did you know I was Li Yue?" Gu Qingli teased him on purpose.


    She looked at Li Yue and smiled, "Fifth brother said that Li Yue has lived in his residence for a long time, and that she loves to wear red clothes. The red veil covers her face, and seeing a girl who loves red clothes as much as I do, she must be Lady Li Yue."


    With a flick of his sleeve, a flower appeared before Gu Qingli''s eyes. He lifted his hand from his sleeve, and between his fingers was a budding flower. It was a Begonia flower.


    "The Begonia is like blood, matching the dress of a beauty. Here it is."


    Gu Qingli found it both novel and funny. She had no idea where he had conjured the flower, even though he had only raised her sleeves. She hadn''t expected him to know so many tricks.


    She took it and smiled, "Thank you so much, Prince Chen. I wonder if you are so attentive to all the beauties?"


    "Of course not. Of course they have to have a good impression of him."


    "What do you mean by interested?"


    "For example, Miss Li Yue is a renowned Ghost Doctor in the capital."


    "Prince Chen is so funny." This Xiao Yiyan seemed to like picking up beauties whenever he saw them. Originally, when he entered the palace as the princess'' consort, he didn''t understand Xiao Yiyan''s sudden appearance. But now, it seemed that it was just a habit of his.


    However, he did not pester her. After sending off the flowers, he stepped into the doorway, no longer acting out of line. As he walked, he asked, "How does Miss Li Yue know the identity of this king?"


    "As long as you hear me from someone, I will naturally hear you from someone."


    "Haha, Fifth Brother actually still has the leisure to bring up This King."


    "Among all the princes, those who love red clothes so much are none other than Prince Chen."


    As the two chatted, they arrived in front of Xiao Yi''s room. Unexpectedly, they saw Liu Yanyu and Luo Yun, whom they hadn''t seen for a long time.


    A while ago, the Prince''s Mansion didn''t have much use for them, so the two of them returned to the Valley of the Godly Doctor. Only now did they return to the Residence of the Prince of Mo and brought with them a piece of news, saying that Luo Qingyun was very interested in the Ghost Doctor and hoped to be lucky enough to meet him and spar with him.


    Luo Qingyun''s medical skills weren''t bad either. Gu Qingli didn''t want to refuse, so she agreed.


    She didn''t realize that Liu Yanyu''s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise when she heard her answer.


    Xiao Yiyan looked at Luo Yun and smiled, "I didn''t expect to meet two female Divine Doctors today. Miss Luo is so young, you actually came from the God Doctor Valley, you are indeed extraordinary. "


    Luo Yun heard that he was the king so she was naturally very polite too. She gave him a gentle and proper smile as she bowed.


    When Luo Yun wasn''t scheming, she would look sweet and charming, and she was also young, making people like him.


    Xiao Yi Yan gently waved his sleeve, and a flower appeared from the bottom of his sleeve. He handed it over to Luo Yun with a smile, "A peach blossoms in the sky, shining brilliantly. Miss Luo is like a peach pear in the beginning of spring."


    Luo Yun''s smile was as bright as a peach as she repeatedly thanked Qin Lie.


    Gu Qingli, however, unnoticeably furrowed her brows. She thought to herself, he really did see a beauty picking up a girl, not even letting Luo Yun off the hook.


    Xiao Yi Xiu let them in after Wind Following Sword sent a message through the door. As soon as Liu Yanyu and Luo Yun came out, they said their goodbyes and left.

 C71 swallows nest

    When had someone like him ever experienced true love? He was both true and false to his main wife, and he also seemed to have feelings for Li Yue. If he didn''t mean it, when would he be the real him? Who knew if he was the same as the other factions in the capital that were trying to win her over, using a roundabout and tactful method to keep her here?


    "Your highness is overthinking it. Li Yue is only a doctor, and to Li Yue, your highness, no matter what, is only an ordinary patient." She struggled to free herself from his embrace, fell her pen on the table, and went out without looking back.


    Gu Qingli walked hurriedly, and she was even a bit flustered. She followed the path and entered her own yard, quickly changing out of her red clothes and stuffing them under the bed.


    Even she didn''t know why she was in such a state of panic. It was as if she was trying to escape from something.


    It wasn''t until she gradually calmed down that she had a vague feeling that she was only avoiding his gaze, his gentleness, or the feelings surging in his eyes.


    She slowly embraced him, feeling the warmth of his embrace, thinking back to the soft words he whispered to her as he hugged her from behind.


    You can''t think about this! Gu Qingli had told him that when he had entered the palace as an imperial concubine, hadn''t he done the same to him? She even hugged her and forcefully kissed her because she believed that Xiao Yi Bei had done something to her. This person, I''m afraid, would forever be unable to distinguish between feelings and possessiveness. He always thought that whatever he wanted must be obtained, and never cared about the wishes of others.


    She took a deep breath, adjusted her hair in the mirror, and heard a knock at the door.


    Yu Ying''s voice was always soft. "Princess, Prince Chen has told you that she wants to see you."


    "Prince Chen?" Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "Invite him in."


    That child was so angry just now, but he actually managed to find her residence after circling around a few times? Aren''t you afraid that Xiao Yi Xiu will get even angrier?


    After Yu Ying led Xiao Yiyan in, she saw the red-clothed youth flick his sleeves with a dejected expression. Even his peach blossom eyes lost some of their luster: "Fifth royal sister-in-law, can I come to your place?"


    "Since you''re here, what can''t you do?" Gu Qing Li knew why he was so angry, but she secretly found it funny. She asked Yu Ying to serve him a seat and instructed Yu Li to serve him some tea.


    "I don''t want to eat it, I''m in a bad mood."


    "Huh? Who dares to make Prince Chen angry? Let me guess, in this Prince Mo''s mansion, perhaps only we, the prince, have such abilities? "But he and Prince Chen have a deep relationship ¡­"


    "Don''t mention it!"


    Xiao Yiyan raised his voice, giving Gu Qingli a fright. He stopped and looked at him.


    He seemed to have realized that he had lost his composure. His face slightly flushed, and his clear eyes glanced at her once more. Then, he smiled like a crescent moon. "Fifth royal sister-in-law, don''t mind me. I am not treating you like this."


    At this time, Yuli brought up some refreshments and stole a glance at Xiao Yiyan from time to time, as if she was slowing down on purpose in order to make him pay attention to her.


    Sure enough, Xiao Yiyan also noticed the slow movements of the servant girl. He turned his head to look at her bent over face: "What are you doing? Do you know how many snacks This King has in front of him? "


    Gu Qingli almost laughed out loud as she quickly covered her mouth with the handkerchief.


    Yuli was like a frightened rabbit. She took a step back, and her face turned completely red. Her voice was also as soft as a mosquito. "I am too clumsy. Prince Chen, please excuse me."


    Gu Qing Li finally saw through her thoughts. He couldn''t help but sneer to himself.


    Xiao Yiyan, however, didn''t care. He saw the other party look at his shyly, then glanced back at her and smiled, "The maids here all look as sweet as dessert."


    How could Yurei not be excited when she heard this? Although her face was as bashful as a young girl''s in love, her eyes were clear as day.


    Yu Ying coughed to the side.


    Gu Qingli shot her a cold glance, "Yuli, if you''re still free, help this wangfei stew a cup of bird''s nest. Remember to add 1 spoonful of sugar, 12 red dates, 1 Chinese wolfberry, 5 angelica, 8 red ginseng, 2 coconut, 15 yam, 10 red cinnamon cubes, 2 red bean peels ¡­"


    She purposely reported hurriedly and quickly. There were a lot of miscellaneous items, and each item had a definite number of items. Not only did Yuli feel the cold sweat on her forehead, even Xiao Yiyan was dumbstruck.


    "Do you hear me? If you still don''t go down, you''ll be the one to ask. "


    Yupi had been treated to the point that she seemed extremely obedient. Although she was confused and couldn''t remember how many things she had said, she was so anxious that she almost burst into tears.


    Xiao Yiyan said carefully, "Fifth royal concubine, this nourishing qi and blood ¡­" Isn''t that a bit too much? It was just a cup of bird''s nest, how could he add so many things? "Not to mention destroying the bird''s nest''s effect, even if you eat these nourishing ingredients, you should still have a nosebleed, right?"


    Gu Qingli smiled at him. "If I stew this bird''s nest, I won''t eat it. I''ll keep it for you."


    Xiao Yiyan was flabbergasted: "To..." "That little girl from before?"


    "That''s right. She was rewarded because she was polite to the king and got praise from the king."


    Xiao Yiyan understood and laughed, "Fifth sister, you''re too bad. If you keep eating like this, she''ll have to go to the latrine ten times a day ¡­" "Oh, that''s not right. There should be a long nosebleed."


    Gu Qingli smiled and said, "There are so many hot and dry things here. I can''t go to the latrine ten times a day, I''m afraid I can''t even go to the latrine ten days."


    Xiao Yiyan smiled until his eyes curved into crescents, "The Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law is punishing her like that ¡­" Could it be that you don''t like her? "


    Gu Qingli''s smile faded, "Prince Chen is used to thinking that people who get close to him are considerate and reliable, but in actuality, this rule isn''t useful in the Residence of Mo King."


    Xiao Yi and Yan Li were enlightened, and their smiles also faded away. Their eyeballs rolled in their sockets as they looked towards the door.


    "Alright, let''s not talk about these unpleasant things. Tell me why Prince Chen is unhappy."


    "Didn''t you guess correctly? Fifth brother scolded me. " He pouted, and a trace of malice appeared in his pure eyes.


    "Hmm?"


    Xiao Yiyan recounted the incident regarding the Begonia.


    "In that case, I''m a bit angry too."


    "Why?" Xiao Yiyan tilted his head, confused.


    "When you see a girl, you can come out and make them happy. As your imperial sister-in-law, how can I not be angry when I haven''t even seen your flowers?"


    Xiao Yi Yan was startled, then laughed: "Spells are all a trick to trick people, it''s just a small trick. As fifth brother said, flowers and such were just tricks used to coax little girls. How can those frivolous things be used against the five emperors and sister-in-law? "


    He opened up a small space on the tea table in front of him and waved his sleeve. A small purple sandalwood box appeared on the table and he smiled. "This is a gift for the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law."


    Gu Qingli was very interested in his tricks. Seeing that the box was only half a meter in diameter, she couldn''t understand where he was hiding so she smiled and said, "Duke Chen, can you teach me that trick? Why can''t I tell where you hid it? "


    Xiao Yiyan smiled slyly, "When it comes to teaching the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law, who will be surprised in the future?"


    Gu Qingli smiled. Actually, she didn''t really want to learn too much. If he wasn''t willing to say, then so be it.

 C72 shopping(1)

    She lifted her hand to open the box, and saw that it was a square yellow frost stone seal. The upper half was oval shaped, carved with phoenixes and songs, and the lower half was a square seal with the ancient seal character ''Gu Qing Li'' at the bottom.


    She gasped.


    Not to mention one tael of Tian Huang three taels of gold, just the Tian Huang stone, due to its warm texture and golden color, was designated as something exclusive to the royal family. As a prince, it wasn''t strange for Xiao Yiyan to have it, but to give it to her ¡­ This didn''t make any sense at all.


    Gu Qing Li closed the box and pushed it in front of him, "Prince Chen, please take it back. This gift is too precious, I''m afraid it will arouse the jealousy of others."


    Xiao Yi Yan laughed disapprovingly: "This is something that royal father bestowed to me, and it already belongs to me. At that time, this square stamp was written without any words. He allowed me to gift it to others, so you don''t have to worry about it. Even though you are a female, you are still a close relative of the royal family, so you can''t be considered to be overbearing. "


    Gu Qingli still refused, "I''m only afraid that someone will use it as an excuse."


    Xiao Yiyan was slightly displeased, "There is no reason to take back the gift that I gave. If you don''t like it, take it and smash it."


    Gu Qingli saw his helpless expression and sighed before accepting the box. She could only hide such a precious item at the bottom of her mind.


    Only then did Xiao Yiyan''s expression change. "I originally wanted to give you some accessories. Firstly, I felt that a girl like you might not like those gold and silver items. Secondly, I felt that it was inappropriate with my identity, so I''m afraid that fifth brother might be angry."


    Gu Qingli smiled. Originally, a seal was not really suitable to be used as a gift to a woman, but she still rather liked this seal.


    "I''ve heard that the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law is bedridden all year round, still being able to infect people with illness, but this king doesn''t seem to think so." He glanced at her, "It was Fifth Brother who restricted your freedom and prevented you from leaving the mansion, right?"


    As a prince, Xiao Yiyan wasn''t as naive and innocent as he looked. He understood everything that he needed to understand, but he wasn''t willing to live with such clarity. He just wanted to be free and unrestrained. However, Gu Qingli hadn''t expected him to speak in such a straightforward manner.


    "Aren''t you afraid that he''ll be angry if you say something like that?"


    "I''m still angry at him, afraid that he''ll be angry?" He stood up, suddenly beaming with joy. "Don''t you think that Fifth Sister sometimes feels very infuriating? Do you want to make him angry as well? "


    Gu Qingli looked at him, puzzled.


    When Yu Ying came over to Xiao Yi Xiu to pass on the message, her eyes were filled with worry.


    Jinshu led her to the main hall. Seeing the listless servant standing by the door, she asked, "What''s the matter?"


    Suifeng shushed him and whispered, "Our prince is in a bad mood right now. Don''t go mess with him if you have nothing to do."


    Yu Ying hesitated for a moment, then stopped and looked at the brocade tree.


    "Who''s talking there?" Xiao Yi Xiu''s cold voice sounded, but no one could tell what he was thinking.


    Jin Shu pushed Yu Ying from the back. She involuntarily took two steps forward, and had no choice but to enter the inner room.


    Suifeng glared at her and grimaced, blaming her for acting on her own.


    "Reporting to Your Highness, the wangfei, she ¡­" "And ¡­"


    "With what? You don''t even know how to speak, yet you want This King to teach you? " Xiao Yi Xiu sat in front of her with his back facing her. His back was ramrod straight, exuding a sense of loneliness.


    Yu Ying lowered her head. "Her highness sent servants to monitor the wangfei, saying that they need to report any unusual movements. But this time it''s Prince Chen who''s taking her out of the house. We can''t stop her ¡­"


    "What?" Xiao Yixiu''s voice rose in pitch, so cold that Yu Ying''s blood froze. He stared at his back, not daring to make a sound.


    He slowly let out a breath as a thin layer of frost appeared in his eyes. However, he did not turn around.


    "Take her where?"


    "Prince Chen just said to take Princess Hua-Yang out for a stroll in the capital."


    "Go on, This King knows."


    Suifeng watched as Yu Ying left with a face full of bewilderment. Just as she was wondering, she heard Xiao Yi Xiu call him over to let him enter Vice Minister Lin and a few other generals she was close with.


    This was the tempo of a discussion, but where did this prince get the mood to discuss political matters?


    On the main thoroughfare, merchants bustled, pedestrians flowed, hawking and shouting, and the high, deserted walls were a deep ochre color.


    In the past, when Gu Qingli had sneaked out of the palace under the guise of Li Yue, she had always been in a hurry.


    "Give me a box with all kinds of scents." Xiao Yiyan was in high spirits.


    "Hey ¡­" Without waiting for Gu Qingli to stop him, Xiao Yiyan had fully demonstrated the prince''s hedonistic ways, buying almost half a handful of the scented powder.


    How crafty were the eyes of the peddlers? With one glance, they could tell that this young man in embroidered clothing was a fool. He was obviously trying to win the heart of the beautiful women around him. He didn''t even ask for the price.


    So peddling hairpin, embroidered shoes, silk handkerchief and all kinds of women''s objects all came first.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yiyan waved his away, pulling her through the crowd with great difficulty. He was practically running all the way.


    "Prince Chen, are you going to take me on a stroll or escape?" After calming herself down, Gu Qingli felt both angry and amused.


    However, Xiao Yi Yan blinked his eyes and laughed: "That''s the way to be fun, don''t you think that''s the way to be popular in the capital? This is how ordinary people live. "


    "Does Prince Chen often mix in the market like this?"


    "It''s also very interesting to not be a high and mighty prince every once in a while."


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but laugh. "Look at that pile of scented powder you bought. Even if I were to use them all up, I still wouldn''t be able to use them all."


    Xiao Yi Yan laughed, "You bought it to play with, don''t you know how to scatter it? "Watch me." He walked over to a stall and whispered a few words into his ear.


    The stall owner looked puzzled as he packed up his stuff and put it under the shelf to make an empty shelf. Then he stood aside.


    Xiao Yiyan spread out that pile of fragrant powder. He shook out a folding fan from nowhere and lightly waved it a few times.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t hold it in any longer, so she could only smile and cough. He looked just like a martial artist, with all sorts of tricks on him.


    She thought that he was definitely going to start peddling cosmetic powder. She covered her mouth as she laughed and choked for a while. She curiously looked at how he was going to shout. She didn''t believe that a prince like him would be able to show off his identity.


    Who knew that before Xiao Yiyan could even open his mouth, there were already groups of two or three girls with fan-like faces that didn''t want to leave the stall. They leered at him as they absent-mindedly picked up the powdered incense.


    Following that, a young woman with a basket came over to ask for the price.


    Xiao Yiyan picked up a box of fragrant powder, and the light in his peach blossom eyes vanished. His expression was graceful and calm, and he looked even more like a prince than usual.


    "Don''t just look at this box of fragrant powder, this place is also used for the palace''s cosmetic powder. Since this lady is so elegant, she must be from a rich family. She knows who she is and who she is not ¡­" Look at this Jade Orchid Powder, Qingfen Flavor, Pale White Exquisite ¡­ "Actually, lady, your skin is as white as jade, there''s no need to embellish your beautiful appearance any further ¡­"


    Gu Qingli was thinking about how to do business like this when she heard the girl with the fan covering her face blink her long eyelashes and shyly tell the maidservants behind her to start withdrawing the money.

 C73 shopping(2)

    In terms of assassination and scheming, she did not lose to anyone. However, she really did not understand the crafty and crafty methods that were used in the mall. At that time, she was dumbstruck and could not speak a word.


    "Does this sister want one too? Seeing that you have such an otherworldly temperament, I believe you are well liked by your husband. This Orchid Fragrance is light and elegant, just right for you. "The so called Orchid Keeper, with a fragrance like orchids and a voice like ''Remain Man'', can help you keep a man''s heart for a long time ¡­"


    Too much bullshit! Gu Qingli once again witnessed Prince Chen''s flirting. She watched helplessly as he sold each box of scented powder in front of her for three to four times the price.


    When there was only one box left, a young lady with a veil over her face hesitantly wanted to leave. She looked at it for the longest time, but her intention was obviously not to drink.


    "This girl probably doesn''t like these mundane things. The road is'' banana leaves on the autumn wind green, late rain tassels wet. New scented mignonette. "It''s late and deep in the tent, and the melilotus fragrance is in the tent at night, helping me to sleep. Although I don''t like the scented powder, it''s elegant for me to use a scented pouch to hang it in the tent."


    The girl hesitantly placed her hand on the powder box, but Xiao Yiyan smiled. "The melilotus fragrance is unique to the autumn flowers. It suits the lady''s temperament of being unique and fragrant all night long, so I''ll give it to you."


    He didn''t even look at the girl''s surprised expression as he waved his sleeve at the stall that sold the powdered incense. "The money is all yours." He pulled Gu Qingli along and left.


    "Prince Chen." Gu Qingli couldn''t help it, but she didn''t know what to say. She kept having the feeling that he was very childish, but at the same time, she was making her want to laugh.


    "Are you happy?"


    "Your highness spent so much money just to make me laugh?"


    "That''s right. Seeing you trapped in Fifth Brother''s house for so long and feeling cold and depressed, how boring must these days be? "It''s rare to be able to enjoy life. If one can get a smile from a beauty, why not?"


    Gu Qingli smiled and shook her head. No matter how childish he was in using these tricks to win her smile, she really couldn''t even straighten her back when she was smiling. The haze in her heart had rarely disappeared.


    They gradually walked to the end of the street. At the end of the street were the rich and beautiful families, and just as they were about to turn back, they saw a group of officials holding a seal to the door, chasing a large group of crying people out of a large mansion. Among them were many women and children, all dressed in luxurious clothing, and even if they carried some small bags in their hands, it could be seen that they were wealthy families.


    "What should we do ¡­" Master ¡­ " One of them, a woman with a head full of jade, thumped her chest and stamped her feet.


    "Come, come. I''m here to seal up the Liu Estate with the imperial edict of the emperor. No one is allowed to stay!"


    Gu Qingli subconsciously halted her steps, only to find that Xiao Yiyan had raised a fan to cover his face with a serious expression. It was obvious that he didn''t want to be discovered.


    A few carriages came along Crossroads Street from the east. Although their journey was slow, they were not ordinary carriages. When they entered the alleyway of the Liu residence, they stopped. Someone alighted from the horse.


    "Sister, come with us. Does the Ling Residence still not have a place for you?" That man seemed to be in his early thirties. He wore a red robe with water chestnut patterns, and his face was frosted over, appearing quite impressive.


    Gu Qing Li heard Xiao Yi Yan whisper, "General Zhao Wei, Ling Long."


    Hearing the word ''Ling'', she subconsciously thought of Imperial Concubine Ling''s mother. Sure enough, the Liu residence was the residence of the Minister of Rites, Liu Zhengyan. Today, it just so happened to be sealed off.


    Ling Yun shouted to the people who sealed the door, "If you want to do it, do not touch the women! What are you looking for? Just this little bit of clothing is a woman''s possession. Could it be that you are not allowed to take it away? "


    Those sealed were all people from the Military Department. It was obvious that they were the subordinates of the Empress''s brother, Xin Yingning, but since Ling Long was a first rank Martial General, how could they dare to say anything? They just nodded and gave up on the idea of searching their personal belongings.


    Xiao Yiyan frowned and said softly, "With his interference, if the Liu Family had anything important, they must have been brought into the Ling Family."


    Gu Qingli grabbed his sleeve and whispered, "You''re a prince, you shouldn''t interfere."


    Xiao Yiyan was also somewhat helpless as he nodded.


    After the two of them walked a long distance, they heard Xiao Yi Yan sigh and say, "How could Ling Long let the matter go? Even if the Ling Family''s forces don''t have half a mountain, it''s still a very important matter. The Ling Family already has two of the six leaders.


    Gu Qingli understood. It could be said that as long as one was born in the imperial court, they had to curry favor with the Minister of Rites. From this, one could see how much power he held.


    This time, Liu Zheng''s fall was a great loss to the Ling Family.


    When he was young, she and Imperial Concubine Ling''s father, Ling Pu, were also the greatest generals of the Eastern Abyss. Now, they were too old to fight; although they still held the title of the Imperial Protector, they only had empty titles and limited manpower. The Ling Family had the majority of military power under their control, and that was Ling Long, who Ling Pu had personally brought out.


    In terms of strength, he was slightly stronger than the Minister of Rites.


    Other than that, there was another official in the Ling family, Imperial Concubine Ling''s eldest brother, the Minister of Government, Ling Yuanzhang.


    The rest of the six divisions are called the Military Department.


    The Board of Justice''s Prince, Xiao Lingbin, was the leader of the world''s criminal force. He had always been loyal to the Emperor, which was why the Ling family had not been able to do anything to him during the Three Divisions Trial.


    In the Ministry of Revenue, she was in charge of the finances and taxes. Minister Lin''s father-in-law, Fei Lian, took the position of neutral and became the target of many people''s desire.


    The Ministry of Industry and Industry, Hengshui Transportation and so on, Bai Wanqing, took the neutral position. Unfortunately, of the six departments, the Ministry of Industry and Technology was the one that was the least worth roping over. Although its status was important, it didn''t have much to use.


    Gu Qingli only knew a little about the powers behind the six divisions through the secret accounts of the Xuanhua Pavilion. However, a question suddenly appeared in her mind, "Who is the head of the Board of Justice?"


    "The Prince? He is royal father''s youngest brother and is also his direct son. royal father''s mother''s birth is not very high; when he was young, he was adopted as the mother of the prince. "


    Gu Qing Li suddenly understood, but the questions in her heart grew bigger. At the Three Divisions Trial, the President of the Board of Justice, the Grand Court Official of the Supreme Court, and the Imperial Physician, of whom the Minister of Justice was known to be the Emperor. The other two were still unaware, but why did the President of the Board of Justice conveniently carry out Liu Zhengyan''s sentence?!


    She was the only one who knew that Liu Zheng was wrongly accused. Could it be that the other two were both the empress''s men who, under her guidance, led the Minister of Justice astray and made such a judgment? No no, she was more inclined to say that Prince Li''s mastermind was the emperor. It was the two emperors who had worked together to push Liu Zhengyan to his death ¡­ She suddenly shivered.


    If this was the truth, then the Emperor must also be using this as an opportunity to suppress the Ling family!


    If she hadn''t brought the evidence to Imperial Concubine Ling, and the empress wanted to suppress her, would the emperor have come along with the flow?


    The situation in the royal family was getting more and more complicated. She thought that she was involved, but it turned out that she just happened to be involved. She didn''t even know what role she played in the situation.


    However, he was certain that Xiao Yixiu had seen things more clearly than she had, and that he would be able to see things in the long run. In his plans, the Ling Family and the Lan Family were the same, on the verge of destruction.

 C74 empty yard

    "What are you thinking about, Fifth Sister?"


    "Hmm?" Gu Qingli came back to her senses, suddenly realizing that the person in front of her was the empress''s youngest son. No matter how good his relationship with Xiao Yixiu was, the empress definitely wouldn''t go along with him. She couldn''t say too much in front of him.


    "I''m thinking that Your Highness must be extremely angry at me for not returning soon enough, so it''s best for you to quickly return."


    "Fifth Sister."


    Gu Qingli felt that his tone was a bit strange, so she turned around to look at him.


    There were some fluctuations in his eyes. He didn''t see any trace of frivolity in those peach eyed eyes of his. It was as if something was surging inside him.


    "If you have nothing to say, then leave." Gu Qingli smiled indifferently and took the lead.


    "You know Li Yue?"


    "That''s right, the prince trusts her. Her medical skills are indeed godly." However, her matters at the prince''s mansion are very secretive, and she only appears at night everyday. "


    "Fifth brother doesn''t just trust her, right?"


    "Yes, and gratitude."


    "That''s not it. He''s the one who''s grateful to Luo Yun and that Li Yue ¡­"


    "There are carriages over there. Let''s hire a carriage. I''m tired from walking." Gu Qingli seemed to purposefully keep him from speaking, constantly interrupting his words.


    Xiao Yiyan was somewhat resentful, so he could only follow her into the carriage.


    A few people were sitting around the study room in the Prince Mo Residence. Since Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t able to sit there for long, he leaned back in his chair and listened to their conversation.


    "Your highness has come up with a brilliant plan. This Liu Zheng''s downfall has given the Ling family a headache. However, the Emperor has yet to express his opinion on who could hold the position of Minister." On the day that Liu Zhengyan left the capital, he had intentionally borrowed his position to take pleasure in the other''s misfortune.


    "That''s right. His Royal Highness only stayed in the palace for one night, and the trap he set up had cleverly turned to the nail of the Rites ¡­"


    "It''s not This King."


    The air suddenly became quiet as everyone stared at him in surprise.


    Xiao Yi Xiu held his forehead and said flatly, "Originally, I had intended to take down the weakest of the three legs. "No one knows who stabbed him, but he actually pointed his spear at Liu Zhengyan. There was no time to change the direction of the wind." Even in front of these trusted comrades, he did not want to expose Li Yue''s identity.


    "But it doesn''t seem to be any better right now?" "If the Ling Family is weakened, the Xin family and the Lan family will be able to fight back. If the three forces are in balance, the conflict between them will intensify."


    "No, This King did not expect the situation before him." He took a deep breath. "This King did not expect that there would be a hand behind the scenes, and it turned out to be him ¡ª"


    He had been worried for days now, and he was well aware that the Prince Li was the Emperor''s man. The Imperial Physician was always clean and upright, and it would be very difficult for them all to find out that Liu Zhengzhi was guilty.


    He did not expect the end result to be unexpectedly good. This actually caused him to have the same doubts as Gu Qingli: Why is the Emperor quietly weakening the Ling family''s forces?


    He originally thought that the Ling family''s seat and Xiao Yi Mo''s positive performance were because the Emperor had wanted to make a choice between Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin. However, it seemed that wasn''t the case.


    One of them raised his head, a beard under his chin and a dignified expression on his face, carrying the air of a military general, "Prince, recently my daughter has heard a piece of news from the manor. It seems that Brother Ling Yuanzhang, Ling Long, and his henchmen have made some moves, I''m afraid they are right ¡­"


    Suddenly, he heard a cough coming from outside, and spoke to someone, "Has Prince Chen come back?" Where''s our wangfei? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu sat upright, and the entire room became silent. Besides the general who was the last to speak, he whispered to him in a low voice. The rest of the people began to leave one after another.


    They were going through another exit of the secret room, so they wouldn''t bump into anyone outside.


    "Fifth imperial concubine said she''s tired, so she''ll head back first." Where''s fifth brother? Looking for Lady Li Yue again? "


    He paused for a while and then smiled, "Prince Chen is so wise."


    "Humph!" Was there anyone else in his eyes other than Miss Li Yue? I gave her a bouquet of flowers... "Ouch!" It was likely that Xiao Yiyan had suddenly realized that this was a shameful matter and had kept his mouth shut.


    In the secret chamber, Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but smile. This kid still held a grudge.


    Suifeng held his laughter and said, "Prince Chen, go to our prince''s room and have a seat. I will send Jinshu to call him."


    "No, I''ll go and see what he and Lady Li Yue are doing to let down the Fifth Concubine."


    Suifeng''s face immediately twitched, "Prince Chen, you are right. What can you do in broad daylight?"


    "Oh, I can''t say for sure." Xiao Yiyan didn''t wait for him to stop them and directly headed for the garden. If you don''t lead the way, can''t I find it myself? "


    "Oh my lord ¡­" The wind moaned as it followed.


    As soon as Xiao Yi Xiu walked out of the secret chamber, he knew that Xiao Yiyan would turn around if he couldn''t find him. Without hesitation, he returned to his room to wait for him.


    The wind followed behind Xiao Yiyan. As they passed through the garden, they came upon a patch of overgrown and overcast Xiaoyao''s garden. There was a medicinal fragrance emanating from the bed, even covering the fragrance of all sorts of flowers within the garden.


    Suifeng was complaining in his heart. [How come Prince Chen doesn''t even know how to go straight to the herb garden?] It was only the smell of the medicine that was too strong.


    What made Xiao Yiyan disappointed was that the hut inside the herb garden was completely empty. Only the faint medicinal fragrance lingered in the air for a long time, and he was almost scared by a black cat that jumped out of the window.


    "Yo, who''s the owner of this cat? She almost scared This King. It''s pitch black."


    "In the past, she was raised by Xin Dao''s concubine. After her death, she followed Lady Li Yue ever since."


    Xiao Yiyan was just about to catch the cat that scared her, but he saw it rushing down the path like a bolt of lightning. For a moment, he had the temperament of a child, so he performed a lightness technique and followed, intending to compete with this black cat.


    Suifeng was greatly alarmed and cried out, "Your Highness, don''t ¡­"


    The cat was running extremely fast, and within a short distance, Xiao Yiyan wasn''t able to catch up. However, as the distance between them lengthened, Xiao Yiyan caught up and allowed the cat to jump into the courtyard. He was just a step away from catching the cat, but it squeezed itself into the narrow gap between the gate and the gate by relying on its agility.


    The girl''s cute voice sounded from inside, seemingly shocked by the black cat that suddenly jumped in.


    Originally, Xiao Yiyan was disheartened and wanted to turn back, but this shout made him stop in his tracks.


    This was really strange, this voice was actually familiar? That''s right, he knew quite a few girls from the Mo King''s Manor. But other than Gu Qing Li and Li Yue, he probably couldn''t remember the voices of the others.


    He was even more surprised when he saw the lock on the door open. He shouted, "Prince Chen ¡­" "Our prince has returned ¡­"


    There was someone in the courtyard, but the door was locked from the outside. Could the girl inside be imprisoned? Xiao Yiyan didn''t hesitate to stare at the lock for a while. Then, he gathered his energy and jumped over the gate, mounted on the wall, and peeked inside.


    A maidservant chased after the black cat in the yard. In the yard stood a delicate and pretty woman with a slight frown. She was wearing a white brocade dress and was nervously clutching a handkerchief, as if she was very afraid of the cat.


    "Liuxin!" Xiao Yiyan blurted out.


    Wasn''t Liu Xin dead?!

 C75 Jinhuangzhijiao

    As the empress''s youngest son, he was naturally as familiar with Liuxin as the crown prince himself. However, he never expected to meet her here!


    Liu Xin raised her head and saw King Chen riding on the wall. Her face turned pale. She shouted and ran away.


    Xiao Yiyan leaped lightly and landed in front of Liu Xin. She almost couldn''t stop himself from crashing into his arms.


    Liu Xin exclaimed again. She found out that she had nowhere to run. Her eyes filled with tears, "Are you here to bring me back to the palace?"


    Xiao Yiyan was baffled. "Why did I capture you and bring you back to the palace?" He was very dissatisfied with his big brother Crown Prince''s decision to force the heart of Liu Xin. However, it was not enough for him to turn hostile towards a young palace maid like the Crown Prince.


    "Then why did Your Highness chase me here?"


    "Oh, ah..." Isn''t this the question This King should ask you? You really didn''t die. Could it be that you wanted to faked your death to escape from the crown prince''s brother? But did you escape to the Mo King''s Manor because of fifth brother? "Not good, not good! Fifth brother hid you in a golden house and flirted with Li Yue. My fifth imperial sister-in-law was raised!"


    A string of words made Liu Xin stare at him, not knowing where to start.


    A voice came from outside, it was Windy who was gasping for breath. It was the voice of someone who was patting the door loudly, "Prince Chen ¡­" Master... You... Hurry up and come out... That courtyard doesn''t have ¡­ "No one ¡­"


    "No one?" Xiao Yiyan raised his eyebrows, "You want to play this trick with me? You want to say that this living creature in front of me isn''t a human?"


    Liu Xin bit her lower lip as she timidly took a step back.


    The servant girl who was chasing after the cat stopped chasing. She could tell that something was wrong with the situation in front of her. She went up and shielded Liu Xin behind her with caution. "What are you planning to do with my wife?"


    "I have to ask Fifth Brother, how can he be worthy of Fifth Sister in this way?"


    "Prince Chen, it''s not what you think." Liu Xin retorted in a low voice, "I was hidden here by Prince Mo to avoid the crown prince''s search."


    "If there''s nothing, would he hide you here? Oh, that''s not right. This little girl still calls you Madam. "


    "She''s not the wife of Prince Mo!" Liu Xin was close to tears. "It was Prince and Lady Li Yue who hid me here."


    "Li Yue knows? "Why is that?"


    "I can''t say. If I say it, then it means that Prince Mo is being unjust." "Liu Xin bit her lower lip, her face pale but determined." If Prince Chen wants to bring me back to the palace, I will just die. "


    Xiao Yiyan rubbed the center of his brows. The sound of keys opening the door came from outside as the wind continued to blow. He didn''t want to make things difficult for Liu Xin. Although Xiao Yi Xiu definitely had some sort of secret behind her, it had nothing to do with him.


    Windy finally opened the door and stumbled, "My little ancestor, Prince Chen, how did you get here?" When he looked again, there were two girls standing in the empty courtyard that he mentioned, and he couldn''t help but laugh embarrassedly.


    "There are not only two people here, there is also a cat." Xiao Yiyan went over and lifted an ear of Suifeng, "Tell me honestly, what did you hide from me?"


    Although it was just a show, Suifeng still shouted, "It hurts, it hurts! That''s not a pig''s ear! "


    "Bring This King to see Fifth Bro." Xiao Yiyan couldn''t find any words to say from Suifeng. He was completely loyal to Xiao Yixiu, so there was no point in making things difficult for him anymore.


    Xiao Yi Hen was quite surprised to see Xiao Yi Yan carrying Suifeng''s ear as he entered the room.


    "Yan, when did you become violent?" Xiao Yixiu swept an indifferent glance at Suifeng, who was clearly not in pain but was crying out in pain on purpose.


    "You actually hid a girl in a golden house in the prince''s mansion!" Xiao Yiyan let go of his hand, "This is punishing him for lying to me. I''m already in the courtyard, and he still dares to tell me through the door that there''s no one inside!"


    With his freedom, Suifeng quickly covered his ears and slipped out. He then said, "Prince Chen has seen Lady Liu Xin."


    Naturally, Xiao Yi Xiu understood, and nodded. "You shouldn''t have known about this, so you don''t need to ask. What, you plan to tell the empress that I have hidden the palace maid? "


    "No." Xiao Yiyan quickly made his stand. He knew that his identity was rather awkward, so he rarely came to the Prince Mo''s estate. After all, the Empress and Imperial Concubine Lan had never been on good terms with each other, but this did not affect the relationship between the two brothers.


    "But Liuxin... Is it related to your fight as well? " Xiao Yiyan instantly guessed something and felt the distance between him and him distancing.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t answer, but looked deeply into his eyes.


    Xiao Yiyan had always been outside of the forces of war, and had never participated in the harem battle or the battle for storage. However, this did not mean that he was completely unaware of the darkness behind all of this.


    "I''m leaving." He pursed his lips, wanting to leave.


    "Where''s your fifth sister-in-law?"


    "She? "I''m back to my room."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression was calm, but his tone was cold. "Have you ever asked me before that?"


    Upon hearing his words, Xiao Yi Yan''s face became displeased, "You treated her badly, so how can you not let others treat her well? We know we''re not alone, and let''s not talk about the crowds on the main street, even if we''re in private, I''ll know what to do. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu frowned slightly. "How have I treated her badly?"


    "You like Miss Li Yue, right? You never used to be angry with me for a single Begonia! As for your fifth sister-in-law, you just treat her as your personal property. Although you don''t want others to touch her, you treat her coldly all the time! "


    The empress had planted so many spies in the Prince''s Mansion, it was impossible for Xiao Yiyan to know nothing about it. Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli''s cold relationship was something that the crown prince knew, and naturally, Xiao Yiyan knew as well.


    Ever since he was young, this was the first time that Xiao Yixiu had seen the easy-going Xiao Yiyan''s mood. He still frowned as he looked at him, but he didn''t know what to say. He had always thought that even though he had reached adulthood and was still a childish person, the words that came out made him unable to refute them.


    It was unknown when Xiaoyan left. He didn''t even say goodbye.


    When Xiao Yi Xiu came back to his senses, he lifted his arm and pinched the center of his brows. Forcing himself to think about the few pieces of information he had heard in the secret chamber today, he linked them together. There was nothing more important than his present situation and the poison in his body. He told himself that he should not think about useless things.


    However, the figures of Li Yue and Gu Qing Li alternated and appeared in her mind. How could it be so easy to get rid of them?


    The brocade woman came in noiselessly, and there was only one octopus tea on the mahogany tray. Although Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t like maids serving him personally, Suifeng was a youth after all. He couldn''t possibly be meticulous in everything he did, so there were quite a few maidservants in his courtyard. After moving to Gu Qing Li''s place, Yu Ying was left with only Jin Shu. She was always smart and knew when to do something.


    But today, as dusk was falling in the west, she had yet to prepare dinner.


    Jin Shu asked softly, "Madam Jia asked if you would like to go to her place for dinner today? She personally prepared a table and is waiting for you. "


    Lady Jia? Xiao Yixiu had almost forgotten about this person. She wasn''t like Xin Ziyao or the others, who colluded with each other in private and always flaunted themselves in front of his eyes. As a result, she didn''t particularly annoy him.


    She thought of Imperial Concubine Lan just by mentioning her. She was an exceptionally tolerant woman. Perhaps she could stay hidden for ten years without making any unusual movements. Once she launched an attack, she would definitely hit. This kind of person was truly terrifying.


    "Not going." He wasn''t in the mood to deal with random people today.


    "But Madam Jia said that Young Master Liu and Miss Luo returned from the Valley of the Godly Doctor today. As the host, she should be the host to receive them. If Your Highness is absent ¡­"


    "Whose host is she? "Even if we''re talking about females, the princess is the leader in this residence."


    "But the Princess went as well."


    She really knew how to conduct herself! If he didn''t go, it would be on the face of the Liu siblings. After all, they had done their best to treat him.


    "Miss Li Yue, are you going?"


    Jin Shu froze for a moment, an undetectable resentment in her eyes. "Miss Li Yue is not here. Madam Jia has sent someone to invite her."


    Xiao Yi Xiu subconsciously let out a sigh of relief. For an occasion where an imperial concubine was present, it was better if Li Yue wasn''t present.

 C76 water diversion(1)

    Lady Jia''s Moon-Parasol Pavilion was located in the most remote corner of the palace. Outside of the courtyard was a row of tall parasol trees.


    When Xiao Yi arrived, he saw that the yard was brightly lit and the sounds of laughter and chatter were light. Everyone had actually arrived.


    Gu Qing Li sat in the upper seat, and there was an empty seat beside him, obviously reserved for him. Madam Jia stood below her, facing Liu Yanyu and Luo Yun.


    "The prince is here." Gabriella got up to welcome him, and it seemed like she was not surprised at all.


    Xiao Yixiu couldn''t remember not seeing her for a few days. Seeing her wearing a long skirt that was embroidered with peach blossoms and Li Fangfei''s jacket for some reason made him feel that she was quite eye-catching.


    After looking up and down again, he realized that her makeup was quite decent and there was nothing wrong with it. She was still as dignified and charming as before, and there was a bit of expectation in her eyes, as if she was full of admiration for him.


    He finally remembered what it was that made him feel so dazzled. It was that the red of her clothes was somewhat similar to Li Yue''s crimson clothes.


    "Next time, don''t wear this."


    Gabriella opened her beautiful eyes in confusion, not knowing what she had done wrong.


    Luo Yun, on the other hand, was watching from the side. Her clear black and white eyes moved a few rounds before she softly chuckled, "Madam Jia, why does your outfit look so much like Miss Li Yue''s?"


    Gabrielle looked down at herself and finally understood what his taboo was. She bit her lower lip and returned to her seat without a word.


    Seeing that his wife had been scolded, Yun''er hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please take a seat. Half of today''s meal was cooked by our wife herself. Your highness, no matter what, must take a few more bites from her heart."


    "Yes." Xiao Yi Xiu finally gave him some face.


    Yun''er then hurriedly ordered the dishes to be served. Seeing that the expression in his eyes had faded, Gabriella did not dare to serve the dishes for him because she was not angry.


    "Your Highness, try this ¡­ "And that ¡­"


    The dinner was peaceful and harmonious, except for Gu Qingli, who said nothing and ate very little. She couldn''t be bothered to make friends with the others at the banquet, and only towards Liu Yanyu with a gentle expression.


    The two of them occasionally responded with a few words, talking about Xiao Yixiu''s condition. Liu Yanyu, on the other hand, spoke rather discreetly, as if it was inconvenient for his to reveal it.


    Luo Yun''s ears twitched. She had lowered her eyes, but she had heard everything.


    "Senior brother, isn''t Lady Li Yue arrogant?" Even now, the poison in your body has yet to be cleansed. " Luo Yun finally could not hold it in and lowered her head to whisper to Liu Yanyu.


    Liu Yanyu looked around, his expression hesitating, but he still replied in a low voice, "Miss Li Yue said that if there''s no accident, after a period of time, the poison should be completely removed with the help of the prescription. This matter cannot be publicized for the time being. "


    It was no wonder that Gu Qingli had asked him this question. Even he hadn''t answered her question, as if she hadn''t fully understood her progress.


    Eliminate all toxins... This was her goal, and it should have been a good thing, but why did she feel so uneasy? Luo Yun felt as if the delicious food in her mouth was biting on her tongue and had always felt that something was wrong.


    She raised her head to take a peek and realized that Xiao Yixiu didn''t seem to be happy at all when he answered his question in a distant manner. His heart skipped a beat as he realized that Xiao Yixiu didn''t seem to be happy at all.


    Luo Yun no longer had any reason to worry about staying at the Mo King''s Manor after realizing that Xiao Yi Xiu''s poison had all disappeared. However, shouldn''t he be looking forward to getting rid of the poison as soon as possible? Why was there no joy?


    "Thank you for your care, Young Master Liu. For my prince to have this day, Young Master Liu has done a great service." Madam Jia gave Liu Yanyu a toast with a smile. It seemed like she was just like Gu Qingli, trying to find out what was going on.


    Liu Yanyu shook her head gently, "I''ve never been able to help you with anything. Even though I''ve tried my best, I''ve only slightly delayed his poison. Right now, only Miss Li Yue knows about his situation."


    Gu Qingli said, "Sir Liu, you don''t have to be modest. The hardest thing is your kind intentions." If it wasn''t for the Valley of the Godly Doctor and your hard work, perhaps if your highness couldn''t wait for Miss Li Yue, how can you say that you have no achievements at all? "


    The two of them exchanged a few more polite words before suddenly realizing that they were the only two who were answering each other. Everyone''s eyes were fixed on their faces.


    Gu Qing Li cleared her throat and changed the topic. "Why hasn''t Lady Li Yue come tonight?"


    Gabriella replied, "Yun-er went to invite her, but she wasn''t there."


    Gu Qing Li pretended to nod, feeling a little regretful. "If Lady Li Yue was here, it would be even more lively."


    "Miss Li Yue is an important guest. I have given her permission to come and go, and will not interfere in the least. In the future, there will be no need to invite her over to such an occasion."


    Gu Qingli was wondering what he meant, when she heard him say, "She''s never liked these worldly pleasures."


    With these words, everyone present was demoted to commoners. It''s fine if it''s someone else, Luo Yun thought as she bit her lower lip. But in his heart, she was only a common woman? It was no wonder that Li Yue was the only person in his eyes.


    Suddenly, he heard a call from outside, "He went into the water." Water... "Where''s Xiaoyao?"


    Everyone''s expressions changed as Windy rushed in, somewhat flustered. "Prince, someone''s already gone over to Xiaoyao''s garden where the water''s been swimming!"


    "What''s going on?" Xiao Yi Xiu quickly got up, unable to maintain his composure. With a trace of anxiety in his eyes, he asked, "Where''s Miss Li Yue?"


    "She ¡­" It doesn''t seem to be in the medicine garden. "


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t say a word as he left his seat. The others naturally didn''t have the mood to continue, so they each followed behind him.


    The fire in Xiaoyao''s bed started in the wooden house. After all, that house was made of logs, making it easy to catch fire.


    Liu Suifeng followed the wind and directed his men to draw water to extinguish the fire. There were two large vats outside the wooden house. Usually, the vats were used to store water to water the medicinal plants. It was just right for them to extinguish the fire.


    Fortunately, he found the fire early and didn''t suffer too much of a loss. The herbs in the herb garden weren''t affected by the fire either, so he followed the wind and asked about the situation. When he came over to report, the fire was caused by an oil lamp inside the house, and the cat called Miao''er jumped onto the table and kicked the oil lamp over, causing the accident.


    Gabriella patted her chest: "Luckily we didn''t lose any herbs."


    Liu Yanyu''s expression was solemn as he exchanged a glance with Luo Yun. Luo Yun then said with an angry expression, "It looks like there isn''t much loss, but the shelves of medicine in the hut are filled with herbs that have been prepared. There are dried, vinegar, ginger, and alcohol ¡­ How could it be useful after being poured with fire fighting water? Do not think that only a great fire can burn all the medicinal herbs, and water will still be destroyed. "


    He could not help but feel embarrassed, and he thought of an important matter. He heard that the last two medicinal herbs that could cure the King''s poison had been found, but the medicinal herbs were so rare that it was likely that they would not be found in the entire East Abyss ¡­ His face went white.


    It was obvious that Liu Yanyu''s eyes were filled with worry because of this thought. Only Gu Qingli remained calm and collected. She knew very well that the two pills were so hard to come by. How could they possibly be placed in a wooden house that was devoid of guards at night, when the sun never set? If this fire was intentional, then it was because of those two medicines ¡­


    "Prince ¡­" Suifeng looked at Xiao Yixiu hesitantly. He knew his master well, how could he not think of this?


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu remained calm as he replied, "It''s good that Miss Li Yue is not here."


    "It''s all the fault of that darned cat!" When Suifeng thought of that cat, he felt unlucky. The cat had been raised by Xin Ziyao earlier, so the woman was not a good person. Afterwards, when people died, the cat would stay in the mansion. Other than Li Yue, who would sometimes feed it, no one cared about it.


    Just as he was cursing that darned cat, he saw a guard from the Palace of Hua-Yang rushing over, saying that he had let that darned cat run away.


    Xiao Yi Xiu waved his hand. Naturally, he was disdainful of making a fuss over a cat. So what if that cat had committed a heinous crime? Could it be that he wanted to vent his anger by killing an animal?


    "Send someone to find Lady Li Yue."


    "Did you hear that? Even if you want to turn over the capital, you have to bring Miss Li Yue back tonight." Suifeng was feeling anxious, it was clear that it was for those two medicines.

 C77 Sorry

    However, Xiao Yi Xiu stopped him, "There is no need to be so flamboyant, let the dark guards secretly look for him. When they find him, they must be courteous and not force him, and there is no need to mention the fire in the medicine garden. Remember, no matter when you find it, you must immediately report it. "


    "Yes." Solewind agreed.


    "Order people to watch over the medicine garden. We cannot leave even a single inch tonight."


    After that, Xiao Yi Xiu ordered everyone to disperse, while he himself followed Gu Qing to the back.


    When they arrived at the fork in the road, Gu Qingli felt that he was still following them. She couldn''t help but turn around in bewilderment. "Your highness, did you take the wrong path?"


    "I''ll go to your room tonight."


    Gu Qingli widened her eyes. No wonder he had even sent Suifeng away. She was actually thinking about this. She immediately rejected her request. "If Your Highness wants someone to serve her, why not go to Lady Jia''s Moon Parasol Pavilion? She''s been working so hard tonight, so she hopes that Your Highness can stay the night ¡­"


    "She''s working so hard tonight to plan this fire, I''m afraid."


    Gu Qingli was speechless as she stared at him. Under the cold moonlight, his face seemed even paler, like carved jade. Her eyes were especially cold.


    She thought for a moment. "For tonight''s matter, the Prince might just have been thinking too much. After all, he didn''t see anyone around when the guards ran into the water. I heard that only the cat came out of the burning house."


    "Yes or no, it''s too early to say."


    While talking, the two of them arrived at Gu Qing Li''s Feng Ling Xuan. They saw Yu Ying looking towards the courtyard entrance, seeming to be waiting for them.


    "It''s late at night, are you still waiting outside?" Gu Qingli was a bit surprised.


    Yu Ying smiled humbly and gently, "This is my duty."


    After entering the room, Xiao Yi and Yu Ying went to wash up. It looked like they were staying for the night.


    Gu Qingli was anxious. She recalled the night he shared a bed with her, and then remembered the scene when he forcefully kissed her in the palace. Her heart was a mess.


    Previously, he didn''t have any fear, but now that the poison in his body had been dispelled, he felt some misgivings.


    "Esteemed wangfei, why aren''t you coming over to help this king undress?"


    Gu Qingli met his gaze and quickly came to her senses. "Your highness hasn''t bathed yet, how about I let Yu Ying go ¡­"


    "What time is it?" Moreover, today we did what Miss Li Yue said and used Chinese medicine to steam it for an hour. We''ve already had a bath. " He was a little impatient, and continued to stare at her.


    In the past, she could rely on his germaphobia to think that he wouldn''t dare to touch her, but now that confidence had vanished from that kiss, she suddenly thought of a reason. "Prince, I can''t go today. Uh, that ¡­"


    The coldness in Xiao Yixiu''s eyes deepened as he silently unbuttoned his shirt and looked at her coldly. This sort of indifference was completely different from his usual indifference.


    "What? Are you afraid This King will use force against you?"


    Before she could reply, he had already said coldly, "With this body of yours, it''s impossible for me to make a move against you."


    Gu Qingli''s face suddenly turned red for some reason when she heard him speak so frankly. She shifted her gaze and subconsciously looked out the window. When she had first arrived at the prince''s mansion, the Dark Guards hadn''t left her room, but she had seen them before.


    "Stop looking." Suddenly, he reached out his hand and pulled them both down onto the bed. His cold breath came close and whispered, "There won''t be anyone staying close to this duke''s room all the time. I can''t let the dark guards see my imperial concubine, right?"


    "You ¡­ "Shameless!" Gu Qing Li raised her hand to slap him, but he stopped her.


    She knew that although his hand movements were quick, it was powerless to stop it. If she were to suppress it with force, he would not be able to stop it. However, her palm remained in midair, unmoving by him.


    "Princess." His voice suddenly became slow and gentle, even to the point that it had a few hints of ¡­ Maybe it was just her imagination.


    "Did you have fun shopping with Ah Yan today?"


    "Of course I''m happy." "Half of her was angry with him, and the other half was true. She withdrew her hand and rubbed her wrist, which didn''t hurt, to ease the awkwardness." All day long, you''ve been trapped in your residence, unable to take even half a step out of it. It''s rare for you to be out for a breather, how can you not be happy? "


    "Is it mainly because of the elegant King Chen beside him?" He was a little cynical, and seemed sour.


    "He''s a lot more emotional than you."


    He didn''t say anything. His hand rested on her cheek and slowly slid down. She thought he would suddenly be strangling her again, but she felt that he was only gently unbuttoning her dress.


    Her body instantly stiffened and her mind felt empty. She actually did not know how to refuse.


    "Before you left the pavilion, did you not learn to serve your husband?" As he spoke, he untied her clothes.


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt a little cold on her body. Although these ancient clothes were very troublesome to wear, they were very soft and could easily slip off her clothes. In the blink of an eye, all that was left on her was her skintight clothes.


    Panicking, she pushed him away and climbed into the bed. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him warily. "What is the Prince trying to do?"


    He put down the tent hook, climbed onto the bed, and took advantage of the situation to push her down. "This king is your husband, what do you want to do?"


    "I only know that you don''t like me. Even if we were in the same bed last time, you were merely punishing me and looking at me embarrassedly." Gu Qingli forced herself to calm down. If there weren''t any shadow guards outside, she didn''t need to be afraid of him using force.


    "Actually, you want to say that you don''t like This King, right? Or do you prefer Yayan? Like... The powder he bought for you, like... He spent so much money for you just to try and make you smile? "


    Gu Qingli''s face turned pale as she heard this. Actually, this was not surprising. How could he let the ''prisoner'' under his watch obtain true freedom? Once she left the manor, Yurou would naturally report this matter to him. How could he let his'' thing ''be taken away so easily?


    But why was it that when she heard his sour tone, she actually couldn''t stop blushing? In fact, she even felt a bit baffled ¡­


    "Why do you mind?" She remembered that he had lost control of his emotions because of the incident between her and Xiao Yi Bei on the pleasure boat, and her heart suddenly raced wildly.


    He held her hand in the middle of the bed, raised it to his lips, and gently caressed it, making the words that came out of his mouth somewhat vague: "You can let Xiao Yi Bei touch you, and you can even go with Ah Yan. In your heart, do you really see This King as nothing? Do you really hope that the poison in This King''s body can never be removed? "


    Gu Qingli was suddenly stunned.


    "Tonight''s fire... "It could also have been you."


    Her heart sank, and she stopped for a second, her rhythm speeding up.


    He actually doubted her. Even today, he still doubted her!


    She suddenly withdrew her hand and mercilessly slapped down with her palm. The pain in her eyes was unbearable. She desperately tried to take in a deep breath to prevent a surge of heat from rushing out.


    "Yes, I did. I like the Crown Prince and King Chen, but I don''t like you!" She rolled onto her side, no longer wanting to look at him.


    With that clear sound, five shallow finger marks slowly appeared on his face that was as white as snow. He did not even try to dodge. With his fast reaction, he could at least avoid hitting his face with that palm.


    "I''m sorry." His low voice sounded.


    Gu Qingli felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind. She struggled to shake him off, but was stopped in her tracks by his apology.

 C78 dead cat

    The apology was low and short, but it soon drifted in the wind as if Gu Qingli was hallucinating.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t really suspect her, but his words were uncontrollable and full of sarcasm. It was as if a hole had been opened in his heart just by thinking of her previous actions.


    He was silent for a long time, but his tone remained cold. "Can''t you be a good girl and be an obedient princess?"


    "You like obedient people, weren''t the former Xin Wei Fei and the current Madam Jia enough to be obedient? "Oh, if you find them to be spies placed by your side, then go and accept some of the official family''s daughters. With your identity and appearance, Prince Mo, there are many obedient young ladies. Not to mention the distant ones, there are Luo Yun and Yun Yi Ge nearby ¡­"


    "Is wangfei jealous?"


    Gu Qingli suddenly realized that her tone wasn''t right, so she stopped and was a bit embarrassed and annoyed.


    He felt her body slowly soften, as if she was about to compromise. Her tone also became softer, "As for Ah Yan, treat it as if we are even. In the future, don''t ever see him alone again."


    Gu Qingli didn''t say anything, but in her heart she was thinking, ''So if he says it, she''ll have to listen?'' No.


    He did not hear her answer, nor did he continue speaking. He ran his hand along her shoulder.


    Gu Qingli was in a bit of a daze, ignoring the cold feeling on her neck. She didn''t even feel the soft breath on the back of her neck.


    It was only when she felt the cool softness of his shoulder that she regained her senses. A dangerous aura followed.


    "Prince ¡­" Her voice was rough.


    "This King will give you the antidote tomorrow to completely remove the poison in your body."


    She was stunned. Was this considered showing goodwill to her?


    "I know that you are unwilling to deal with Xiao Yi Bei''s matter."


    He sounded like he wanted to compromise. Gu Qingli felt like laughing when she heard this. Just what did she think the crown prince had done to her?


    It was obvious that this matter lingered in his heart, and his doubts were never dispelled. However, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. He knew that she was able to swim, but he still recklessly jumped into the water. Was it because he was afraid that she would be humiliated and he couldn''t bear it?


    As he was thinking, he suddenly felt a slight pain in his collarbone. He had actually taken a bite.


    She took a deep breath. "Are you sick? Abuse? "


    He clenched his teeth and kissed her all the way down. He exerted a little strength in his fingers and squeezed her skin until it hurt.


    The robe on her body was completely torn off, and her breathing had started to quicken. She started trembling, and her hand subconsciously reached under the pillow, but all she found was empty.


    Suddenly, a hand came out and covered the back of her hand. His voice was slightly hoarse. "You''re still thinking of using those needles to deal with Ben Wang?"


    "How many needles did Xiao Yi Bei take from you?"


    Gu Qingli finally couldn''t help curling her lips, but the sense of danger had lessened a bit. "No ¡­" He didn''t have time to eat. "


    "He didn''t touch you?" His movements became sluggish, obviously surprised.


    "He only touched my arm ¡­"


    Before he could finish his words, he had already grabbed his hand. He rubbed his lips a few times and suddenly took a bite.


    "Hiss ¡­" "Not this hand." At the same time, he quickly retracted his other hand and pressed it under his body. His eyes were filled with a crafty smile.


    Xiao Yi Xiu bent over her, a smile spreading across his face.


    Only when she was Li Yue could she see this sort of gentle smile in this person''s cold face and heart.


    The two blurry figures in his mind gradually overlapped, making it difficult to distinguish them clearly. He lowered his head and kissed her, moving his hand over her lips. His hand moved down along her collarbone, causing her to wince.


    But at this time, she still had some sense. Only she and Xiao Yixiu knew about the hidden needles beneath her pillow, but it wasn''t as if no one could do anything to them. After what happened last time, it was he who had Yu Ying hide the needle in advance. He had always been on guard against her.


    Suddenly, a shrill cry pierced through the night sky outside the window, as if it was the cry of an infant that had changed its tune.


    The two of them simultaneously regained their senses and looked outside. Only then did they realize that it had started to rain. The sky was dark and the stars and moon were dark.


    "It''s a cat meowing. It''s coming from the small herb garden." Gu Qingli felt that there was something wrong with this cat cry.


    Although it was spring and the cat''s heart was beating fast, and the cat''s cries were really mournful, this sound seemed to have been forcefully cut off by someone.


    Something had happened to Li Yue! This was Xiao Yi Xiu''s first reaction.


    He sat up in his dressing gown at an astonishing speed and left without a word, even slamming the door behind him.


    Gu Qing Li sat on the blanket in a daze for a long time. It was only when her body felt cold that she gradually regained her senses.


    He had clearly been moved just now, and at that moment her mind was in a mess. She didn''t know what she was thinking, if she continued to develop, it might be possible for her to fake it. Was he worried that the arsonist would commit another crime, or that something might go wrong with his antidote?


    This person had always been terrifyingly rational. No one knew what he was thinking.


    The wind blew at the door that was wide open to the end and the rain poured in from the eaves. No one could see the pair of eyes in the darkness that were red with jealousy as they stared at Gu Qingli who was in a mess.


    When Gu Qing Li was done putting on his clothes and rushing over, the black jade body with its bloody skin still hung on a branch not far from the medicine garden.


    She subconsciously bit her lower lip and took a deep breath, suppressing the soreness that was rising to her throat. After her previous life''s training, she understood that any violent emotional fluctuation would be used by others, and it would also be easy for them to deceive her.


    She had kept this cat for a few months. She thought that it was the only creature in the Prince Mo''s mansion that held no ill intentions towards her. In the end, it was hanged on a tree branch and died a horrible death.


    Xiao Yixiu stood not too far away, looking up at the cat. Suifeng held up an oil-paper umbrella for him, his body completely drenched. Behind him were a few scattered bodyguards.


    In the rain, the vision was poor. Just by searching the area within a radius of 100 feet with the cry of a cat, he only discovered that it wasn''t too far away.


    "Who did it?"


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t seem to notice Gu Qing Li''s arrival, he could only calmly look around and ask.


    The guards of the manor looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time. Although they had chased after the cat when the fire broke out, but after all, the prince didn''t give any more orders, so who would still be interested in chasing after a cat? Moreover, they couldn''t force anything out of its mouth.


    "Your Royal Highness, this matter ¡­ It''s not very important, is it? "It''s raining heavily at night, let''s check again tomorrow." It was just a dead cat. The blood was strange, but it was not worth the trouble.


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyes to look at it. The dead cat''s body had been penetrated by the tree branches. The rain fell on it and fresh blood dripped down, making it look even more sinister and terrifying under the dim light of the ox-skin lantern.


    "Do you think that a dead cat is unworthy of attention? This is the Prince Mo''s Mansion, and this cat evidently doesn''t know how to skin herself after committing suicide ¡ª someone dared to do such a thing in the Prince Mo''s Mansion. Tell this king, what is your intention? "


    The person who spoke immediately went silent.

 C79 The History of Lady Jia

    "Investigate this immediately. "Also, why haven''t the people who went out to look for Lady Li Yue returned yet?"


    Suifeng interrupted, "... It''s not easy to search the entire city on such a rainy night, especially at night. Without a warrant, how can we search the entire city? "


    Only Gu Qing Li knew. Even if she dug up three feet of the capital, he wouldn''t be able to find Li Yue because she had just been molested by him and then thrown onto the bed by herself.


    Xiao Yi Xiu then turned to Gu Qing Li. "Esteemed wangfei, the night is cold, let''s go back." He walked into his own courtyard with his hands behind his back, as if he didn''t care about Gu Qing Li in the rain.


    Only after walking a distance did he look forward. It was unknown who he was instructing, "Go give an umbrella to the wangfei."


    Suifeng stared blankly at the umbrella in his hand, but the guards were too far away to hear his soft voice under the rain.


    "Go, give an umbrella to the wangfei." Following that, Suifeng muttered to himself, "She cares about me in her heart, but I still stubbornly insist on not letting her know."


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked over and shut his mouth with a cold stare.


    When the rain began to fall on the eastern horizon, it was bright and sunny. Xiao Yi Xiu was kneeling in the Feng Zhixuan Hall.


    In addition to the Dark Guard who sent the order, there were also Madam Jia and Yun-er.


    Madam Jia was alarmed. She didn''t seem to understand what was going on as she listened to the dark guards report back one after another. Whether it was due to the absence of news or the dead cat''s skin being found under a tree, she was completely confused.


    After the guards finished their report, they all left. There was the sound of footsteps that were close to soundless, and a girl in a red robe appeared at the door.


    "I heard that Your Highness sent a net all over the sky in search of me?" She tilted her face, causing her frosty eyes to have traces of mischievousness in them.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was already used to her sudden appearance. He nodded and said, "Please take a seat Miss Li Yue. "Last night, there was a fire in Xiaoyao''s garden so she was searching everywhere for fear that Miss might be hurt."


    "A fire broke out in Xiaoyao''s garden?" Gu Qingli raised an eyebrow. "There''s nothing worth arson there. Although there are some precious herbs, with your wealth, you can still buy them."


    "At that time, all we found was black jade. It was the black cat, Miao''er, who kicked over the oil lamp. She didn''t want to cause a fire in the house. "Actually, I didn''t manage to burn too many medicinal ingredients. Instead, I managed to destroy many of the prepared medicinal ingredients during the firefighting."


    "What time was the fire?"


    "At that time, we were gathered at the party at Biro''s. It was almost midnight."


    Gu Qingli lowered her head for a moment and shook her head. "It wasn''t dark the day before I left. Why would I light an oil lamp? If they do, that little bit of oil won''t burn Wu Zheng. "


    "It is exactly as this king expected, but it cannot be explained. At that time, there was no one in the room, only black jade appeared out of nowhere. Who was it that instantly escaped from the crowd of guards surrounding the medicine garden?"


    The two of them turned to look at Gabriella, as if they had suddenly discovered that there was someone else in the room.


    Gabriella was a smart person. She immediately understood the reason why she was told to kneel here early in the morning. She said angrily: "Why did I burn the herbs to harm your majesty?"


    Xiao Yixiu only looked at her.


    "I understand that a fire in the herb garden can indeed be caused by someone setting the king on fire. Everyone knows that Miss Li Yue has made an ingenious move and has improved her condition for many years, so her ingredients must be stored in the hut in the herb garden. But whoever intentionally set the fire to the medicine garden will definitely send the prince to his death, this person definitely isn''t me!"


    Gu Qingli snorted coldly. If her acting skills were outstanding enough to move a cunning fox like Xiao Yixiu with a heart as cold as ice, then Imperial Concubine Lan had underestimated him.


    "Your highness, do you still remember ten years ago, before the birthday banquet, a hundred officials entered the palace to congratulate the emperor." Your highness, did you still remember ten years ago, before the birthday banquet, a hundred officials entered the palace to congratulate the emperor.


    The Xiao Yi Xiu from ten years ago was just a twelve year old child. Among the princes, he was proficient in poetry, calligraphy, calligraphy, calligraphy, and archery. He was praised as a prodigy by everyone.


    At that time, he was still highly valued by the Emperor, and his love for the Emperor was not inferior to that of the other princes.


    The Crown Prince, Xiao Yi Bei, was the opposite. Since he was young, he had been taught by the Empress to be a domineering person.


    Suddenly, he saw a little girl sucking on her finger, curiously strolling around the Imperial Garden. Seeing that he couldn''t get her identity, the crown prince suddenly had a bad feeling and read along with his group of youngsters, coaxing and deceiving her into the Eastern Palace.


    At that time, the Crown Prince only wanted to bully her by putting mustard powder in the pastries and choking on her tears. She wanted to run out of the hall during the quarrel, but she ended up knocking over a copper and silver censer, pressing her shoulder against the side of the censer, making her tear from the heat of the censer. The censer''s ashes were turned over, and the crimson incense burned a picture of the sky and clouds that the Crown Prince was planning to present as a birthday present.


    The crown prince was furious and refused to let her go. He gathered his reading partners and surrounded her.


    At this moment, Xiao Yi Xiu and Xiao Yi Jin came to the Eastern Palace to look for the crown prince.


    Xiao Yijin had always been respectful and obedient to Eastern Palace disciples, so he could only remain silent.


    Xiao Yixiu slipped around and roughly guessed what had happened. He said that the Venerate Heavens Sect had calculated that it was a blessing in disguise for a boy or girl who had been born some time in the past. Hence, they had chosen a hundred men and women to perform the Hundred Sons Celebration Ceremony. If he couldn''t find her, miss his auspicious hour, and use his celestial appearance, no one would be able to bear the blame.


    At that time, Xiao Yijin was like the shadow of Xiao Yixiu, using him as a benchmark for everything, silently showing his compliance.


    The crown prince could only bitterly let him bring him away.


    After leaving the Eastern Palace, the little girl told them the truth. She said that she had entered the palace with her grandfather to congratulate the emperor, and that she had lost her way because she wanted to see the beautiful scenery of the Imperial Garden.


    His bloodstained clothes were glued to her skin, and on his shoulder, Xiao Yixiu saw seven blood-stained plum blossoms that were arranged like the Big Dipper. It turned out to be a carved Yangwen carved on the censer, the branch of the Plum Blossom among the Three Friends of the Cold Year.


    Xiao Yixiu accompanied her out of the palace and even gave her a box of the best healing medicine in the palace. With every step she took, she would look over his shoulder three times.


    She took off her clothes, revealing the seven plum blossoms on the back of her shoulder, "My lord, do you know that I risk leaving behind ugly scars when I go back? I did not need your healing ointment to remind myself of the kindness of the crown prince and King Mo."


    The so-called ''kindness'' of the crown prince was naturally filled with resentment, but towards him, she had always dreamt of him and remembered his ten years of benefactor.


    Xiao Yi Xiu heard her words and vaguely remembered the past. He had only used Bai Zi''s birthday present to return the favor, and it wasn''t something worth remembering. Who would have thought that the little girl from that year would not forget him, and would marry into the Prince Mo''s estate through Imperial Concubine Lan?

 C80 rhyme

    "In this world, anyone would want to harm His Highness, but I don''t." "Alright." Moreover, if Lady Li Yue was not here, if she had precious medicinal ingredients, she would not have stayed in a house that was completely defenseless and had never fallen behind a lock. "


    "I''m afraid the arsonist doesn''t think so." Xiao Yi Xiu swept his gaze over Yun''er. "Where did you go last night?"


    Yun''er had an innocent expression. "When I went into the water, I served the wife of the prince in the hall. Afterwards, I naturally served the wife to sleep in her room."


    "Did you all sleep well after the arson incident?" Gu Qingli suddenly interrupted.


    "But is a cat''s fault that it has to be tangled up to the point that it can''t sleep at all for the rest of the night?"


    "Even though it was the cat''s fault, it still lost a lot of precious herbs. This kind of thing cannot help but make people feel uneasy. I went back home and tossed and turned about, worrying if the herbs the king needed to treat his illness would be damaged."


    Yun''er lowered her head, "Anyway, the rain continued to fall during the night, where can this servant go in this weather? Naturally, I''m sleeping in my room. "


    Gu Qingli pointed at her shoes. "Could it be that you came here this morning specially to pick up muddy and undried paths?" Every path in the manor was paved with fine and flat pebbles. The open space that led to the manor''s gate and the main road were all flat green stripes that were definitely not stained with mud.


    Yun Er''s expression changed.


    "Last night, it rained. You slept early last night. Could the mud on the legs and shoes have been splashed over a month ago?"


    Yun-er pulled her feet back in panic, as if the hem of her skirt would cover everything.


    "Yun''er!" What exactly did you do last night? " She did not expect that the one who asked the question was Gabriella. Her face was pale and her eyes were filled with disbelief. She bit her lower lip.


    "I... This servant really only served the madam to sleep before returning to her room. "Oh right, I brought the upside-down gold clock that the madam likes best in the flower beds in the courtyard to the corridor below. Because the flowers are blooming, I''m afraid the cold rain will knock out all the flower buds that night."


    She lifted the corner of her skirt. "Maybe it was at that time that I stepped on the flower bed and got dirty!"


    It sounded reasonable, and Gabrielle frowned: "Is that true? Why don''t we go back and see if the inverted gold clock is under the porch. "


    "No need, I don''t think a pot of flowers can bring out cat hair." Gu Qing Li suddenly grabbed Yun''er''s leg and lifted her feet. There were several unreadable strands of black hair stuck to the mud at the back of her shoes. If it wasn''t for her sharp eyes, she really wouldn''t have noticed.


    Yun''er fell to the ground with a thud, her face contorted in pain.


    With this, she could clearly see the black fur on the bottom of her feet.


    "Don''t tell me you cut off this hair?" Gu Qing Li picked up two pieces and placed them in front of Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes.


    He quickly tilted his head, and the disdain in his eyes could not be concealed. It was as if he needed to be ten feet away from her.


    Gu Qingli was startled, but then she laughed inside. She had forgotten about Prince Ao Jiao''s obsession with cleanliness. Let alone removing it from the soles of her shoes, just the cat hair in the mud was enough to make him nauseous.


    On the other hand, Gabriella stared at him for a few times before looking at Yun''er with a pale face. "You''re my servant girl, so I''ve never been unkind to you. Tell me, why did you go to Xiaoyao''s garden and start a fire?"


    "That''s right, that''s a cat''s fur, but it doesn''t mean I set fire to Xiaoyao''s garden!" "I was just sneaking out to kill that cat! I am acting unfairly for Madam! "


    "You ¡­ What does it have to do with me if you kill that cat? " Not to mention that Gabriella didn''t know what was going on, even Gu Qingli felt that it was unreasonable.


    "This servant knows that Madam has been secretly in love with the Prince for many years. I don''t want to anger that cat for causing trouble, causing the oil lamp to overturn and the medicinal herbs to burn." Madam was worried all night and couldn''t sleep because she was afraid that Prince''s medicinal herbs would be burned. "I was too angry, so I went to kill that cat and skin it on a tree!"


    "What?" Skin and hang it on a tree? " "Gabriella''s face was pale and her body shook, as if she was frightened." You... How can you do this? "


    "Isn''t it just a cat? It''s just an animal! After all the trouble, why didn''t anyone arrest it and kill it? If it was someone else, they would have already been severely punished, or even sentenced to death, right? "


    Gabriella frowned: "It''s just an animal! What does it know? What do you care about an animal? "


    "This servant doesn''t want to bicker with it, but this servant also doesn''t think that there''s a need to kill a cat to vent her anger. Madam, do you really not know why I killed it? "


    Gu Qing Li was furious when she heard that she had killed Miao''er. She wanted to strangle this vicious girl to death, but she couldn''t resist grabbing Yun''er''s wrist and shouting, "Your heart is so vicious that you won''t even let a cat go. Killing it is fine, but you still want to skin it?"


    "How did this servant become so malicious?" It almost destroyed the medicinal herbs in the medicinal garden, and perhaps even delayed the recovery of the prince''s illness because of this. Yun-er changed from her cowering posture and spoke with conviction.


    Gu Qingli knitted her brows, unable to refute him for the moment. She and Xiao Yixiu both tacitly believed that Miao''er didn''t cause the fire to go bad, but if Yun''er was ignorant and believed the guard''s deduction, she believed that the cat had committed the crime and shouldn''t be too harsh on her. After all, no matter how cruel she was, she still needed to differentiate between life and a cat''s life.


    Xiao Yi Xiu finally spoke up. "Yun''er, did you kill the cat just because it accidentally caused a fire in the herb garden?"


    Yun-er bit her lower lip and didn''t say a word.


    "Your Highness, Yun''er is my servant, but after what happened, I didn''t dare to protect her. I was willing to hand her over to Your Highness for punishment." Gabriella looked pitiful as she added, "I hope you can make it clear that you can''t ¡­" One can''t die for a cat. "


    Yun Er suddenly cried, "Madam, you only want to please the prince, but he has never put you in his heart. This servant knows why he did not order people to capture and kill the cat, because it was raised by Lady Li Yue, because the prince only has Lady Li Yue in his heart, and even her cat is more important than Madam!"


    Gu Qingli raised her eyes in shock.


    "Madam can hold her temper in, but this servant just can''t stand it. Ever since you entered the mansion, the prince has stopped looking at you directly and has been pairing his feelings with Lady Li Yue all day." You see, their cat had turned over the oil lamp and burned down the cabin, but with a few words the prince believed her. Madam, you are the prince''s concubine, and even if you enter through a side door, you are still his pillow man. He only believes Lady Li Yue''s words. The reason he suspects this servant is actually because he suspects Madam! "


    Gu Qing pulled back the center of his brows and started to have a whole new level of respect for Yun''er.


    Compared to Xin Ziyao and those other vicious and venomous women, her IQ seemed to be more than a level higher. Even if she spoke perfectly, it wouldn''t be easy for her to refute them.


    From the mud on her shoes to the black fur on her cat, no matter what evidence she listed, Yun-er was able to do what she wanted, and it made sense. As for Gabriella, she had been there, innocent and at a loss. She was pitiful, and it was hard to tell if she and Yun-er were colluding or not.

 C81 Anxiety

    "Yun''er!" Jia Bi Ru seemed moved and sad. She stepped forward and grabbed her hand, "How can you be so stupid? "Who does the Prince like? As a concubine, I shouldn''t resent him, let alone a mere servant girl like you."


    "Madam, this servant can''t bear to see you shed tears every night. You''ll stay alone in the empty room!"


    Jia Bi Ru covered her mouth and pleaded with Xiao Yi Xiu, "My lord, I couldn''t control my own strength. If there''s a punishment, I''ll take it on her behalf. I just hope you can spare her life."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression was cold. "In your eyes, I''m a cruel and tyrannical person. Would you want a person''s life for a cat?"


    Gabriella kept quiet.


    "Someone, bring Madam Jia back to your own courtyard. Rewrite the scripture a hundred times, you are not allowed to leave the Yue Wu Xuan until now. As for Yun''er, she pulled down her staff and reprimanded him twenty times. Although it is only killing a cat, the worst part is the Duke Mansion''s rules. Even if you want to punish that cat or its master, you shouldn''t overstep your boundaries to do it. "


    Yun''er was speechless. Biting her lips, she glared fiercely at Gu Qing Li as she was pulled down to use her staff.


    "Are you convinced?" He looked at Gabriella and saw that she was speechless, so he continued, "The reason why I didn''t kill that cat was because Lady Li Yue is a guest. She has always treated guests with respect. There is no such way to punish her. Even if Miss Li Yue''s cat did something evil, it should be left to the master to deal with. After you have trained me to such a state, are you planning on letting others say that the Mo King Manor has broken the rules after this matter has spread out? "


    Gabriella lowered her eyes. She didn''t dare to beg and could only say that she was.


    Gu Qing Li hadn''t expected that Xiao Yi Xiu would suppress Yun''er''s fighting spirit with a single word, so that the pair of servants couldn''t even open their mouths.


    After the room was empty except for Gu Qing Li, Xiao Yi Xiu furrowed his brows and asked, "What do you think of Miss Li Yue?"


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "Why don''t we go to the medicine garden again? We can talk as we go."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded slowly, and the two of them walked side by side towards the herb garden.


    "It sounds like both of their arguments were flawless. The main point is, if neither of them were present that night, how did they get the cat to kick over the oil lamp and cause a fire?"


    "You still think someone set fire to it."


    "Even I must have been one of them."


    "So you can''t be sure who it is."


    Gu Qingli was silent. The master and the servant were both playwrights, and it was difficult for her to tell from her expression or words who had spoken the truth, who had lied, or whether it was all a lie.


    One had to know that the most powerful lie was actually one of the ten truths.


    "However, This King believes that there might really be something fishy about this matter."


    "Hmm?" Gu Qingli stopped in her tracks.


    "If they set the fire, it would be unnecessary to go back and kill the cat. Could it be that, as spies, they only have to deal with a cat? "


    Gu Qing Li was startled. They had indeed made her dizzy, but she had forgotten about this! If they were Imperial Concubine Lan''s spies and set fire to the medicine with the intention of extinguishing Xiao Yi Xiu''s life, it would be unnecessary to kill the cat after the fire!


    Were they telling the truth?


    In the blink of an eye, they had arrived at the medicine garden. There was still a group of heavily guarded guards that bowed and allowed them to pass.


    After a night of rain, the burnt stench had gradually dispersed. However, the charred tables and chairs, shelves, and herbs couldn''t be restored. Because of Xiao Yi Xiu''s orders, everything inside was still as it had been before, and no one dared to move inside.


    The brass oil lamp had been poured onto the table. Naturally, the oil within the lamp had long since been burnt dry. Apart from the burnt smell, he could not smell anything else.


    After the fire, they poured water over it. Inside the house, there were the messy footprints of the fire extinguishers. All the marks were messy, even the cat paw prints and cat hair couldn''t be found.


    "If someone was up to something and there were guards, servants, and maids here to save the fire and no one discovered that someone had escaped from the wooden house, then where did this person escape from?" Gu Qingli muttered to herself and slowly walked a few rounds.


    "Why did everyone assume that Miao Er kicked over the oil lamp, causing the fire?"


    "Look, aside from the door being open, the windows are all closed. When the night watchman saw the fire, he saw Black Jade jump out of the wooden house with more than one pair of eyes."


    If someone was up to something, it would be impossible to escape through the window with everyone watching. Then, he would be able to close the window from the inside. This was the reason why everyone had agreed that it was a cat that caused such a disaster.


    "Actually, why does everyone think that the culprit must rush out of the house and escape?" Gu Qingli lightly tapped on the table. "The situation was chaotic then, and the night watch was a small team of guards. As soon as they noticed the fire, they would scream, and all the servants and maids nearby would rush over to help. Is there really someone who noticed who entered the wooden house first?"


    "If he hadn''t run away and discovered that there was someone outside, he would have hidden inside the house and met up with the people who rushed in to save the fire in the chaos ¡­" As she spoke, she changed places and stood, then stopped behind a row of shelves.


    "The shelves are more than two feet apart, allowing people to pass. Before the shelves fall, the innermost shelf is actually still safe, and it is relatively well hidden. Your Highness, look, there are all kinds of mortar, medicine bed, wooden box on the shelf... If there''s someone hiding behind us, who will notice us coming out of the chaos? "


    Xiao Yixiu nodded. It wasn''t that he hadn''t thought of this, but he''d even investigated further. Just as Gu Qingli had been worried about, no one had noticed.


    If the palace itself had been infiltrated by a spy, this person could have been any of the guards, servants, or maids. Since the others were familiar with him, seeing him appear in the room, they would naturally assume that he was here to save the fire.


    "Madam Jia has a deep affection for the Prince that lasts for ten years. It''s really touching."


    Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but be startled by her sudden change in topic. He looked up at her and saw the confusion in her eyes. His dark eyes were like a bottomless pool of water. The only thing he could be sure of was that she wasn''t joking.


    "What she said may be true, but emotions are something that you keep in your heart. As for whether or not she actually has them, only she knows." Although he had a vague memory of what happened, he still had some impression that Jia Bi Ruo mentioned it. This matter would not be fake.


    Gu Qingli was silent. She wasn''t sure why she said that, but did she subconsciously mind it? Feeling somewhat confused, she said, "Thankfully, we didn''t lose any important medicinal ingredients. I''ll go to Liu Yanyu''s place and fry the medicine."


    Upon seeing that she was about to run away in panic, Xiao Yi Xiu asked, "Where did you hide those two medicinal plants?" Looking up and down, the scales were as small as ornaments. It was fine to hide them on one''s body, but the horns were as large as antlers. No matter what, they couldn''t be hidden on one''s body.


    Of course, Gu Qingli couldn''t tell him that she was hiding in the wangfei''s dorm. She only said, "I grinded it into powder and hid it in a safe place."


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her back and sighed. He realized that it wasn''t a good thing that she had been avoiding him for the past few days.

 C82 Leave East Abyss

    Gu Qingli was silently frying medicine and fanning herself, her mind a little distracted.


    "When a person has more things to hide in his heart, he''ll feel tired. If Miss Li Yue has anything to say, you can tell me."


    Liu Yanyu''s gentle voice rang out.


    Gu Qing Li suddenly raised his head. His pupils were rather light brown, gentle and clear, causing one''s heart to feel at peace. Unlike Xiao Yixiu and Gentle Snow, he was always calm and collected.


    "I''m just a bit worried about the efficacy of this recipe."


    Liu Yanyu shook his head. "I''ve never seen Miss Li Yue lose confidence. From the moment you started examining your pulse, you have a 90% confidence that the poison in your prince''s body will be effective. "


    Gu Qing Li was unable to answer. He stood up impatiently, "There''s still one more moment before the medicine is ready. I''ll have to trouble Young Master Liu to personally deliver it to the prince. I''ll be leaving first."


    "Is Miss Li Yue planning to leave the manor after the prince''s poison is resolved?" Liu Yanyu''s eyes lit up strangely.


    "Yes."


    "Rather than living in a temple, why not travel far in the martial world? Miss Li Yue, are you interested in following me back to the Valley of the Divine Doctor? Master looks up to you and wholeheartedly wants to ask you for guidance ¡­ "


    Now that Liu Yanyu had brought up the matter again, she thought about it. Luo Qingyun''s medical skills might not be as good as hers, but it was good for her to improve her medical skills. Since this Valley Master had no respect for her, she was willing to make friends with him.


    "Alright."


    Liu Yanyu''s smile blossomed into a smile as gentle as spring water.


    Gu Qingli''s mind was in a mess, so she didn''t know what he meant. She returned to Feng Lingxuan with a heavy heart, but before she could even change her clothes, she heard knocking on the door with an anxious and messy rhythm.


    Gu Qingli was so shocked that she quickly took off her clothes and veil. While changing her clothes, she asked, "Who is it?"


    "Fifth Sister!"


    Gu Qingli made up her mind and told him to wait outside. She had never had any visitors, so she was always free to go in and out. She didn''t expect that Xiao Yiyan would visit her twice in the future. It seemed that it would be too easy to be exposed, so she had to find a way to get rid of her identity as Li Yue.


    Opening the door, Xiao Yiyan grabbed her shoulders in a panic, looking her up and down as if something had happened to her.


    Gu Qingli was confused by his actions, so she quickly looked around, afraid that Yu Ying or Yurei would catch a glimpse of his improper actions. The two maidservants, one with unpredictable thoughts, the other with evil intentions, were not to be trusted.


    "Well, Prince Chen, can''t you just mind the situation?" "You are my uncle, and I am my sister-in-law. It is not proper for your fifth imperial brother to see it."


    Hsiao Yiyan let go of her and went inside to sit down.


    Gu Qingli discovered that his face was ashen. Her amorous eyes were no longer as amorous as before, only filled with worry and concern. She hesitated for a moment before closing the door. She didn''t call the maidservant for tea as she walked to the opposite side of the room and sat down.


    "I heard something happened to the Prince''s Mansion last night?"


    "Xiaoyao, take a walk in the water and ruin some herbs." Prince Chen should ask your fifth brother about this. As it is about his health, you should go and say something about it. "


    "I heard that he was neither alarmed nor anxious, so it should have no effect on his health. This King doesn''t need to be concerned."


    On the other hand, Xiao Yiyan had seen through everything and accurately determined that the precious ingredients weren''t lost. His ashen expression wasn''t caused by the fire in Xiaoyao''s garden or his concern for Xiao Yixiu.


    Gu Qingli was even more astonished as she tilted her head to look at him, her eyes filled with doubt.


    Xiao Yiyan wanted to say something but hesitated. Seeing that she was still staring at him with an innocent look, he couldn''t help but ask: "I heard that he spent the night here?"


    Gu Qingli opened her mouth. This sort of private matter only lasted for a night before it reached Xiao Yiyan''s ears. Could it be that the empress''s spies weren''t limited to just Xin Ziyao and the other two? Impossible, there''s no one else in the records of Xuanhua Pavilion...


    "I''m asking Suifeng!"


    Gu Qingli choked. With such a big mouth like Suifeng, how come she didn''t see that he had talent for long tongues? She gave a hollow laugh. "About this ¡­" [That is not something I should ask about. Besides, how bad do you think my relationship with the king is?] It seems like he shouldn''t have ¡­ "


    She was unable to continue.


    Xiao Yiyan blurted out, "Didn''t you never get along with him before? "Could it be that last night, you all ¡­"


    Gu Qingli''s expression changed as well. She abruptly stood up and said with a cold expression, "Prince Chen, do you think you should ask something like that?"


    "Why can''t This King ask? There''s only Miss Li Yue in his heart, but I don''t believe you don''t know! "


    Gu Qing Li froze in place, speechless for a long time.


    It was true that when she had appeared as Li Yue, Xiao Yixiu had treated her with utmost respect, even with his gentle expression, which had often confused her. However, she had always thought that it was simply gratitude towards Li Yue, or perhaps just a play because of a request.


    She refused to dwell on his feelings for Li Yue.


    Xiao Yiyan''s sharp words suddenly pierced through the window paper in her heart. There was a sharp ray of sunlight that penetrated into her heart. It was so strong that she didn''t even dare to look straight at it.


    Come with me. I know that you have no feelings for him, and you cannot leave the palace because you are afraid that his power will spread throughout the East Abyss and you will not be able to escape in the end. But I can bring you away from the East Abyss and his inescapable net ¡­


    Gu Qingli once again shook off his hand that was supporting her shoulders. "Do you know what you call picking a corner? As your uncle who seduced your eldest sister-in-law and your closest brother, how can you be worthy of him? "


    I respect him, I love him, and I have always admired and respected him since young. Although I don''t hope to become a god of war like him one day, I have always believed him to be a flawless person, until ¡­ I know you. "


    "What does that have to do with me?"


    He spoke slowly, "I never knew that he was such a heartless person. He imprisoned you in the Prince''s Mansion but treated you coldly. Let me ask you, does he still have a corner in his heart that belongs to you, the main wife? You still want him to touch you in this situation? "


    Gu Qingli didn''t know what to say.


    "Come with me. Would you like to go to the Southern Moon, Northern Chu, or Western Beings? "I don''t need to be a prince. You can be a free Gu Qingli, not Fifth Brother''s caged bird."


    If his words from before had made Gu Qing Li somewhat embarrassed and angry, then these two sentences had really moved her heart. She bit her lower lip, hesitating.


    To use Xiao Yiyan''s status as a prince to leave Dongyuan was indeed a stable path. Although she had previously promised Liu Yanyu that he would go to the Valley of the Gods as Li Yue, it was still better for his to leave the Eastern Abyss for a safer environment.


    But why... In the past, he had wanted to leave the manor. Now, he really had a chance to leave safely, but he still hesitated?


    "You can leave now. Let me think about it."


    "Consider?" Xiao Yiyan thought for a moment, and restrained himself from continuing to persuade him. After all, she had already let his guard down, and was no longer as agitated as before.

 C83 vacillate

    "Alright, think twice before acting. I hope you can give This King a satisfactory answer." He regained his bearing as an elegant prince, and even a faint smile could be seen in his peach blossom eyes.


    After sending Xiao Yiyan off, Gu Qingli let out a soft sigh. She then heard Yu Ying say that she was here.


    He always came whenever he wanted to, so he was never familiar with the distribution. However, he only came once a month to deliver the antidote. Gu Qing Li was a little surprised that he was sent a message by Yu Ying this time.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked her up and down as they walked out of the door. She couldn''t help but lower her head to see what was wrong with her. Why did everyone have to look at her from the beginning to the end today?


    "Has Yan left?"


    Gu Qingli instantly understood. It was no wonder that she hadn''t seen Yu Ying for a long time. She calmly smiled. "Could it be that Your Highness still wishes for him to stay for a long time?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was as calm and distant as usual. He silently entered the room and wasn''t moved by her sharp words at all.


    "It will be too late for you if you come looking for Prince Chen ¡­"


    Before he could finish his words, he saw him take out a jade bottle from his sleeve and place it on the table.


    "This month''s antidote?"


    "This King promised you last night that I would cure the poison in your body in one go."


    Gu Qingli opened her eyes wide and took the bottle. She poured out a pill that was as clear as jade and a cold fragrance assaulted her nose. She sniffed at the air and said nothing.


    He didn''t lie to her. This medicine could cure her poison completely, but he didn''t know that she had already secretly cured it herself.


    "This King does not know what Ah Yan specifically came to find you to say, but This King knows very well that you will definitely know what you want to do." Slowly he took her hand, and there was something in his eyes, the same thing that had made her misunderstand every time.


    Gu Qing Li''s wavering heart instantly tilted. She bit her lip and held the pill in her palm.


    "What, haven''t you been waiting for this antidote? Isn''t this the biggest obstacle for you to leave This King? " His voice was very light, his eyes very gentle.


    "Now that you''ve gotten your wish, why didn''t you take it immediately?"


    She didn''t answer. She suddenly said, "Prince Chen is here today to take me away from the palace, from the East Abyss."


    Xiao Yixiu''s expression was calm, as if everything was within his expectations.


    He only looked at her more tenderly. "So you are leaving Ben Wang?"


    "I''m thinking about it." Gu Qingli was troubled in her heart. After blurting it out, she felt regret. Will the Prince allow me to go? "


    "Nope." He seemed to not even think about it. "But This King wants to know what you think."


    "Is my idea important?" "She felt it was laughable. When had he ever cared about her thoughts?" When Your Highness wants me to stay, just one pill of poison will be enough to force me to submit. "


    His eyes suddenly dimmed. "If a pill of poison was forcefully left behind by Gu Qingli''s body, then where did her heart go?"


    He turned around and walked out without looking back.


    Yu Ying came out from the corner and hurried to catch up. After carefully confirming that there was no one behind her, she asked, "Why did the Prince leave just like that? Aren''t you worried that the wangfei will really leave with Prince Chen? "


    Xiao Yixiu pursed his lips into a thin line and curved it slightly upwards.


    No one was more clear than him about Gu Qing Li''s stubborn and gentle personality. She would never give in to a pill of poison, but a pill could shake her resolve.


    She was a very smart person. In order to survive, she had to give in temporarily, but she would never give in forever. A smart person like her would always be able to see the situation clearly before making a decision. Most of them would be ruthless. If they wanted to move her heart, they couldn''t use methods to deal with ordinary people.


    Yu Ying sighed lightly. "Your servant sincerely wishes for your highness and wangfei to be well, but your highness is still thinking about Lady Li Yue ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu had been in a good mood, but when he heard that, his expression immediately turned cold. "Shut up!"


    He paused for a moment. "Go back to Ben Wang. She knows that you have come to inform her. You should be careful of yourself."


    "The wangfei has never troubled this servant. These days we''ve been together, this servant feels that she isn''t a bad person."


    "Is that so?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu had calculated all his options. When Gu Qing Li saw Xiao Yi Yan again, she shook her head silently in response.


    She would be free to leave the Eastern Abyss, and could also go to a wider world. However, if the person who brought her away was Xiao Yiyan, she would always feel that something was wrong.


    Xiao Yiyan lowered his head, a dejected mist covering his peach blossom eyes. When he lifted his head, it was a clear shade of color. He narrowed his eyes and smiled. "This King''s promise is still valid. If you regret it one day, you can still come and find This King."


    Gu Qingli smiled slightly. "You won''t be angry?"


    "Why should I be angry? Everyone has the right to choose their own path. Perhaps if you do not choose This King today, you will regret it in the future? " He blinked, starlight shining in his long eyelashes.


    "I actually feel that the prince will only regret his decision to bring me out of the Eastern Abyss so easily and even give up his identity as a prince in the future."


    "If you want to regret it, it should be regret not knowing you before fifth brother did."


    Gu Qingli smiled and shook her head. If they had met back then, would he have liked that cowardly, obedient, and useless Gu Qingli?


    Fate referred to the time when a person would be introduced, never missed or arrived late.


    While listening to Yu Ying''s report, Xiao Yi nodded slightly.


    Yuying raised her head and looked at him with eyes full of admiration, "The prince has calculated everything perfectly, the princess'' mind is entirely up to you."


    Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t happy at all. As for the other woman, he could not think of nothing else. He could not even be sure of what she was thinking, and there was nothing he could do to keep her.


    He could feel his condition improving day by day. Even the air current in his body started to flow slowly, staying at some points without stopping. This was all the airway he needed to open up. He knew very well that when his inner breathing was free and smooth and there was nothing left to obstruct him, he would be able to execute more martial skills just like in the old days, and once again enter the battlefield.


    But that war god, Xiao Yixiu, was already one year younger than he was, and he was rarely worried about whether his broken bones would recover to its original state.


    Therefore, when Yu Ying asked him if he had any grudges against Xiao Yiyan, he did not answer and was completely distracted. Until she left, he hadn''t noticed.


    Li Yue quietly came over and knocked on the open door a few times when she saw that he was lost in thought. Only then did she come back to his senses.


    "Lady Li Yue."


    "Don''t worry, once you''re better, you''ll be just like before." She lowered her head and smoothed her silver needle bag, as if she knew what he was thinking without asking anything.


    He liked the feeling that they were in agreement, that they often understood each other without saying anything, but he often couldn''t place his fingers on what they were thinking, and the two extremes made him feel so uncomfortable that she always felt there was a wall in her that he couldn''t break through.


    The second stage of acupuncture is over. After taking this course of treatment, the acupuncture will stop.


    He undressed and lay down on his back, calmly watching her.


    Gu Qingli''s heart was unperturbed. When she was a doctor, she only had patients in front of her. There were no commoners or princes, only ugly men and handsome men.


    "Today, after the acupuncture, the Prince''s meridians should be cleared smoothly. You can try your luck at the third circulation and tell me if there are any abnormalities."


    Xiao Yixiu''s eyes lit up and then dimmed. This surprise was beyond his expectations. After all, he had waited for more than three years. However, now that they had arrived, it seemed that they were surprised, but the joy in their hearts was diluted quite a bit.


    Only he knew why.


    "Miss Li Yue, are you sure you won''t stay?" he asked again.


    "Yes."


    She did not look up to turn him into a hedgehog and then she wanted to turn around.

 C84 Away

    Gu Qingli tightened her grip on her hand and a long, wide hand appeared.


    His palm began to feel warm, proving that the meridians in his body were indeed much more open. The slightly rough cocoon at the tip of her finger rubbed against her palm, lingering on her palm.


    She used to pretend she didn''t understand, so she herself was very vague, but the words that Xiaoyan said to her mercilessly tore down the layer of paper she didn''t want to tear off, how could she not understand what his persuasion meant?


    "Even if you hold my hand like this and insist on keeping it, what can you give me? The reason why the Prince cannot answer is because you yourself do not have an answer. "


    She took her hand away, not wanting to look at him any longer, and met his eyes with the feeling that she might not be able to control her will.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was speechless. He could promise to make her a side wife, or even tell her that he was only interested in her, but what about the princess? He couldn''t abandon his wife, and he couldn''t seem to turn a blind eye to the princess ¡­


    The moon was almost within reach, but he had never dared to take her in his arms or even kiss her like he did his wife. He was afraid that if he did anything excessive, she would leave.


    Because he couldn''t give her a promise.


    After finishing the medicine, Xiao Yi Xiu sat cross-legged on his bed and started to let the energy flow from his Dantian to his limbs and bones, causing fine beads of sweat to appear on his forehead.


    Gu Qingli knew it wasn''t a good time to disturb him, so she quietly retreated to the side. When she saw his eyes suddenly open, a bright light flashed across her eyes before fading away, retracting her gaze.


    She was surprised as she did not expect him to reach such an easy level of mastery four years ago. Moreover, she did not expect that the airflow in his body would return back to the mud ball after thirty-six cycles.


    "Your Highness ¡­" "Don''t you think so?"


    He closed his eyes, then opened them again: "Everything is normal. The area where we were previously blocked has been cleared up, and we can no longer feel the cold water that used to be as cold as ice water. In the past, This King would not be able to feel even the slightest bit of warmth even during a hot summer day. "


    Gu Qingli unconsciously raised a smile, feeling an indescribable sense of accomplishment.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t smile and just looked at her.


    There was a wind report from outside, saying that there was a visitor.


    "Yes," he said.


    Gu Qingli had already gotten used to it. There were always some visitors in his house that wouldn''t even tell her their names. They would always come and go quietly, and she had met some of them before.


    He greeted her in a hurry, and she walked slowly away, only to linger for a while before going to Yuexuan.


    Liu Yanyu and Luo Yun were studying acupuncture techniques on the bronze man at the meridian point. Gu Qingli had even taught them this.


    "Lady Li Yue!" When Luo Yun saw her, her smile was both sweet and bright.


    Gu Qingli was clear that this girl knew how to hide her emotions and had changed her plans. Thus, he only smiled faintly and replied perfunctorily.


    "Mister Liu, I would like to speak with you."


    Luo Yun''s smile became even more innocent and gentle, "Is there something I can''t listen to? "Alright, I''ll go out and not disturb your private conversation." She went out gently and considerately, closing the door behind her.


    Gu Qingli''s eyes froze for a moment. She looked at Liu Yanyu and slowly thawed.


    "Your Junior Sister is really interesting."


    "Ah?" She''s a little childish, what''s the matter? " Liu Yanyu had just recovered from the bronze man''s state of mind and did not take in the words that had just been said.


    "Nothing." The waves in Gu Qingli''s eyes gradually subsided. For Liu Yanyu''s sake, she didn''t want to bother with Luo Yun any longer. Those seemingly considerate words were clearly meant to tie her and Liu Yanyu together. If he had the chance, he would definitely confuse and misunderstand Xiao Yixiu''s relationship with them.


    Even Luo Yun''s action of nudging the door as she left was full of malice.


    "I''ve come to give you the last prescription for the prince''s treatment. In this mansion, I can only trust you."


    "Hmm?" Liu Yanyu was completely focused as he stared at her in confusion. Why did he sound like he was going on a long journey?


    Gu Qingli took out the folded prescription from her sleeve and handed it over to him. "Your highness''s meridian and Qi points have been cleared today, there''s no need to apply any more acupuncture. "I''ve already tried this prescription myself. With his current body, he won''t be unable to bear the medicine any longer."


    "Wait, where are you going?"


    "Remember, I hope that you can handle all of his medicine by yourself and do not touch anyone else''s hand. This request might be a bit excessive, but I know that Young Master Liu is a gentleman that is worth entrusting. "


    The last sentence stopped Liu Yanyu''s rebuttal. He sighed softly, knowing that she clearly did not want to tell him where she was.


    "What about you? On this trip to the Valley of the Godly Doctor, do you still have a chance to fulfill your promise? "


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment, "I will. If it''s later, please forgive me, Young Master Liu."


    Liu Yanyu''s eyes lit up again. "I hope that day won''t be too far away. After all, my respected teacher is already very old."


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help laughing. She hadn''t thought that this gentle and refined Young Master Liu would know some tricks. That''s right, Luo Qingyun was an elderly person, so she couldn''t use the reason of being a bit late to keep delaying this promise. If ten or twenty years passed, who knew if Luo Qingyun would live that long?


    "Don''t tell him that he''s meeting with guests in the secret chamber."


    Liu Yanyu watched as she disappeared from sight, and after a moment of hesitation, he decided to comply with Li Yue''s will and not report to Xiao Yi Xiu.


    When Gu Qingli arrived at Xiaoyao''s garden, there was no one around. It was as if the sky had caught fire that night. Sunset Clouds covered the moon as if a storm was brewing.


    She threw the red muslin cloth into the hole she dug and planted a medicinal plant on it.


    Not long after a figure gracefully streaked across the night sky, a figure sneakily appeared from under a tree in the distance.


    The black curtain streaked across her face like a bolt of lightning, illuminating her face with a deathly pale light. She looked up in shock, and her eyes were filled with fear. However, after shivering for a moment, he quickly walked to the side of the new medicinal plant.


    After the last of the visitors had left, Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression was grave as he thought back to what he had just heard.


    Liu Zheng endured the bitter cold of the Northwest and died in a foreign land. His son went to the justice courts with a sheet of paper, even going beyond the public''s torture, claiming that his father died in injustice, which alarmed all the people in the capital to come and watch.


    After Liu Zhengyan''s match, the Liu Family lost their family and all those who held the position of officials were demoted to civilians. This proclamation was so vigorous that it was obvious that someone was behind it. Everyone could see that it was of course the brothers Ling Yuanhang and Ling Long.


    The grievances turned over once more, and Prime Minister Xin Maowen was once again implicated. This implicated him in finding out that he had stolen medicine all these years in order to gain personal benefits. After taking heavy responsibility, he was chased out of the palace.


    As for the palace maid who was a perjury, someone else had come out to testify against her. She had met someone she had met in private, and that person was Xin Jian of Imperial history, Liu Zhengyan''s sworn enemy.


    As he continued to investigate, it was no longer important where the series of evidence came from. He only knew that with Liu Zhengyan''s investigation, although the Liu Family could no longer rise to prominence, the Emperor also gave him compensation, along with some separate titles. And most importantly, it was the sentence of the imperial court, which was established in the course of the history of the Imperial Court.


    This time, the emperor could not show him any mercy. He did not even give him the chance to send him to the border.

 C85 cuddle

    When Xiao Yi Xiu came out of the secret room, he was shocked to find that it was raining heavily again. Lightning flashed past his eyes like the edge of a blade slicing through the sky, making him feel uneasy.


    He tossed and turned restlessly under the night''s rain until the sun rose before he drifted off to sleep.


    It wasn''t until the next day, when Liu Yanyu came to deliver the medicine, that Xiao Yi Xiu finally understood where his uneasiness came from.


    "Where''s Lady Li Yue?" His voice was filled with unprecedented ferocity, and even her eyes seemed to have lost their steadiness.


    "Miss Li Yue gave me a prescription, telling me not to tell the prince that she left."


    "You ¡­" Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes turned red instantly, as if he had lost something. He felt a fierce pain.


    "Liu Yanyu!" This King treats you as if you were his best friend, yet you are actually doing such a thing?! "


    Liu Yanyu calmly replied, "I don''t think I did anything wrong. It was Lady Li Yue''s wish. In fact, this kind of thing, it''s impossible to hide from the Prince for long. You only know the difference between yesterday and today. "


    "Yes, it''s only seven to six hours of difference, but it''s enough for This King to not be able to find her." Xiao Yi Xiu smiled coldly and said, "Liu Yanyu, you must ask yourself whether you are following her wishes or your own selfishness."


    Liu Yanyu suddenly raised his head. His heart turned cold as he stared at him, unable to say a word.


    Maybe it was as he said, a moment of selfishness that even he couldn''t detect? Liu Yanyu''s entire body was covered in cold sweat as she lightly pursed her lips and retreated.


    Xiao Yi Xiu got up and walked to the corridor. He ordered Suifeng coldly, "Send someone out of the house to find Lady Li Yue. No matter if she''s in the capital or far away, we must find her!"


    "Yes." Suifeng was very calm. Even though he felt that his master''s disappearance was more abnormal than usual, wasn''t this Miss Li Yue used to it? Just the guards in the entire mansion had already moved out several times.


    "Find an envoy from the capital city''s guard battalion and have him secretly deploy some men to spread the net throughout the capital city. "Don''t go overboard."


    The capital city was guarded by the Protector Battalions, and they were responsible for the safety of the capital city. Naturally, there were people who had their hands spread throughout the capital city. Suifeng opened his mouth wide and stared at his prince. Was this still called making a big fuss out of nothing?


    If this matter were to be leaked out, wouldn''t it be easy for even the secret relationship between Commander Lu and King Mo to be exposed?


    Suifeng rubbed his nose and immediately saw the bone-chilling gaze of Xiao Yi Xiu. He was so frightened that he swallowed his words with a flip of his tongue before trotting away.


    After not finding Li Yue for three days, Xiao Yi and Xiu were silent and didn''t leave the house.


    Gu Qingli naturally knew about this news. She even found out from Yurou that he had spies searching for Li Yue.


    She didn''t pay too much attention to it. When a few months passed and he couldn''t find her, he would naturally give up. Since the poison had already been resolved, why would she need to search for that hasty visitor in his life?


    At night, she went to bed early. She didn''t need to change clothes, she pretended to be on both sides of the bed. She was too bored to sleep.


    Suddenly, she heard Yu Ying''s low voice in the courtyard. She only had half a sentence before she went down. She did not hear it clearly. She pricked up her ears and heard the sound of someone pushing open the door.


    Yu Ying and Yu Li didn''t dare to act rashly. Without her orders, they didn''t even dare to take a step forward with the door open.


    She stood up and looked through the thin fabric. The faint light from the corridor revealed a man in white, wearing a long white robe. Xiao Yixiu''s elegant figure seemed somewhat cold.


    He walked straight over and sat on the edge of the bed, pushing back the soft veil. He didn''t have a light on, he just looked at her.


    In the middle of the night, a lonely figure, a pair of cold eyes, and even wearing white clothes, had come running into her room to play the Midnight Ghost?


    Gu Qingli knitted her brows. "Prince, you''re not here to scare me, are you?"


    "I can''t sleep, so I came to see you."


    "The prince has come. It''s my turn to not be able to sleep." Gu Qing Li wanted to roll over and sleep, but her back was facing him. She didn''t expect him to hug her from behind.


    He couldn''t sleep anymore. Embarrassment was written all over Gu Qingli''s face. She struggled a few times, only to discover that his arms were like iron hoops holding her tightly. She couldn''t break free at all.


    She suddenly thought of it. His meridian points had already been cleared, and the poison in his body would be eliminated as well. If she really made a move now ¡­ She didn''t feel reassured at all, as if her hair was standing on end.


    "What does Your Highness want to do?"


    "Don''t talk."


    Gu Qingli was silent for a while. She felt like she couldn''t take it anymore. She just stayed silent and held her from behind. What was the point of that? Just as he was thinking this, a string of warm snuffles fell from the side of his neck, and he actually buried his face in the back of her neck.


    Gu Qing Li''s body was emitting a faint herbal fragrance. Although she hadn''t gone to the medicine garden for a few days, that medicinal fragrance seemed to have penetrated deep into her bones. Even after bathing every day, it still hadn''t disappeared.


    The faint fragrance on her body carried a hint of bitterness, exactly like Li Yue''s.


    "Recently, are you still taking medicine?"


    "I stopped eating long ago." Gu Qingli was baffled. She had long pretended that she''d seen through her pulmonary tuberculosis, so why would she eat any medicine?


    "Why is this medicinal fragrance on my body unable to be removed?"


    "Hmm?" Gu Qingli raised her sleeve in confusion and sniffed, but didn''t feel anything at all.


    He turned her face to the moon and looked into her eyes. He saw only the waves of doubt, and the moonlight fell into her eyes.


    "The princess'' eyes are really beautiful."


    Gu Qingli became more and more confused. She couldn''t help but give him another push, and pushed him away. "Your highness, you didn''t drink any wine tonight, right? She didn''t understand a single word that she was saying. I am going to sleep, please go back, your highness. "


    She slipped under the covers and pulled the covers up over her head. She didn''t want to talk to him.


    However, the rustling of clothes could be heard. Not long after, a body slipped into her bed and hugged her in an irresistible embrace.


    "I say, Prince, are you still letting me sleep?" Subconsciously, she took out two silver needles and placed them between her fingers. This time, she learnt her lesson and hid the silver needles in the jade pillow, not being easily found by Yu Ying.


    "This King only wants to hug you like this and sleep." His voice was very soft and his movements were very gentle. It was different from the last two times. He didn''t even reach out to take off her clothes.


    As expected, he did not do anything but hug her peacefully against her forehead.


    At first, she was disgusted and unfamiliar, but after a long period of stalemate and sleepiness, she yawned twice and moved her body. Suddenly, she felt that their posture was ambiguous and intimate, as if they had been husband and wife for many years.


    He ran one arm under her neck and the other around her waist, pressing against the soft line of her waist as if she were asleep.


    So she thought, in her haze, that perhaps he was having a fit again, as long as he didn''t molest her. Then he fell asleep.


    Xiao Yixiu hadn''t slept at all. As long as he couldn''t see, he couldn''t tell if the person in his arms was Li Yue or Gu Qingli. He didn''t know why the two figures in his heart were overlapping.


    Whether it was those starry eyes or the medicinal fragrance emanating from her body, he didn''t want to be able to differentiate who she was tonight. He could only hug her for so long.

 C86 return from the moon

    This time, it was a thorough disappearance. Someone from the capital''s military camp secretly sent word to them that the capital city had almost been dug up, but not a single Miss Li Yue could be seen.


    It was no wonder, other than the title of Ghost Doctor Li Yue, no one even knew what she looked like. Even though she was famous in the capital, she didn''t have any close friends other than staying in the palace for a long time.


    Lu Jinfeng received another piece of news from the assistant commander: There was more than one faction in the capital looking for Li Yue.


    However, after a few days, when Gu Qing Li saw Xiao Yi Xiu again, he was slightly shocked. She had only come up with an excuse to see if the poison had been cleared, but what she saw was a silent and haggard Xiao Yixiu.


    He leaned back in his chair. His cheeks seemed thinner, and the white robe that was usually clean and light to the touch was slightly loose on him. His wide sleeves were relaxed at the elbows, and he was holding a medicine bowl in his long and white hands, as if he was lost in thought.


    "Your Highness, this medicine seems to be cold." Gu Qingli could clearly see that there was no longer any heat coming out of the medicine bowl.


    Only then did he regain his senses. It was unknown how long he had maintained that posture. He lowered his head to look at the medicine bowl and asked indifferently, "When did the wangfei come?"


    If a living person standing in front of him didn''t notice, then how important was it for him to think?


    Gu Qingli sat down across from him and snappily replied, "I''ve been watching you for a long time."


    He lifted the medicine bowl and was about to drink. She reached out to touch the edge of the bowl and coldly said, "The medicine is so cold, yet you still drink?" Just as she was about to take it from him, he avoided her hand and drank it all.


    Looking at his calm and slightly gloomy eyes, he didn''t know to wipe off any traces of the medicine on the corner of his lips. It was completely unlike his usual cleanliness habit. He had even forgotten to tidy up his image. From this, it could be seen that his mind was wandering very quickly.


    Gu Qingli subconsciously used her handkerchief to wipe the corner of his lips, bit by bit wiping away the medicinal stains.


    The soft and delicate fragrance of the silk handkerchief wafted into his nose. He lifted his eyes, grabbed her wrist and pulled hard. Gu Qing Li was caught off guard as she fell into his embrace. He wrapped his arm around her waist and hugged her to his lap.


    "Let me go." This was a sunny day, what was he trying to do?


    He did not reply. He held her fingers and stared at her for a long time, causing her to feel scared. Finally, he said, "I have to leave the manor for a few days. You just wait obediently at home and don''t run around."


    Gu Lili froze for a moment. Home? This word was a bit foreign to her, but she had just regained her senses when she realised that the Residence of Mo King was really her home.


    He could not hear her voice. He used his fingers to feel her chin and softly said, "Stop thinking about leaving with Ah Yan. Since you''ve already rejected him once, you just intend to stay by my side. I won''t give you another chance to leave."


    "Does Your Highness have any important matters to attend to?"


    "Go find Li Yue."


    While Gu Qing Li was still in shock, he lightly pushed her away from him and walked out without looking back.


    Of course she couldn''t tell him that Li Yue was clearly by your side. If you go out of the manor, you can find her for a hundred years, but you won''t be able to find her.


    Suddenly she found the development interesting, and wondered how he was going to find someone who didn''t exist. Her lips curved into a faint smile. There were times when he was fooled, times when he was ignorant.


    Ever since he met him, he felt that he had never been left behind, that anyone could be seen through with a single glance, and now that someone had actually fallen into his hands, he could not help but feel proud of himself.


    Gu Qingli''s complacency didn''t last for long. The days of waiting had already caused her high spirits to slowly dissipate. When Xiao Yixiu returned home half a month later, she was already dumbstruck when she saw the figure that he had helped down from the carriage.


    The clothes, the red gauze covering his face, and his light figure were all not the key.


    The pair of eyes on the red gauze was graceful and intelligent, like a galaxy. It was just that it lacked Gu Qingli''s clear and cold appearance.


    "Be careful, Li Yue."


    If that figure had stunned Gu Qingli, then this gentle and caring "Li Yue" was like a heavy hammer striking at her heart.


    "Prince, who do you think she is?"


    Xiao Yixiu seemed to be startled when he saw the wangfei waiting for his outside the gates. Although he had once told her when to return to the manor, she was actually here to receive him. This was completely out of his expectations.


    At this time of the night, there was still some cold air, so he saw her clothes standing in the middle of the night. Her gaze softened, and just as he wanted to ask if she was cold, Li Yue, who was in his embrace, suddenly put her hand on his wrist: "My prince, have you arrived at your mansion? Why aren''t you entering? "


    "Oh." Xiao Yi Xiu lowered his head and looked at her. The words he was about to say were, "Alright, I''ve returned. It''s time for you to return to Feng Ling Xuan."


    Li Yue turned her head to the side and glanced at Gu Qing Li. She blinked her beautiful eyes and asked, "Prince, is this your mansion''s servant girl?"


    Gu Qingli had always been light dressed, so she didn''t like applying makeup. Even her hair was loose, and she stuck a hibiscus stone dipstick in the air. Gu Qingli had always been light dressed, but she didn''t like applying makeup.


    However, at this moment, she did not feel angry. Instead, she stared into his eyes, trying to discern something from them.


    It was as if Li Yue had been pricked by a needle. Her gaze shifted to Xiao Yi Xiu''s face, as if she was looking down on Gu Qing Li, waiting for his answer.


    "She is this king''s consort. You''ve seen her before, but you''ve forgotten." Xiao Yixiu explained to her patiently and gently.


    "Oh ¡ª ¡ª" Li Yue dragged her words out as she looked at Gu Qing Li. With a glint in her eyes, a glimmer of water appeared. "So there''s a main wife in the prince''s estate."


    Xiao Yi Xiu was stunned. Li Yue originally knew about this, and even rejecting him over and over again was also one of the reasons. However, now that Li Yue had lost her memories, he forgot to explain it to her.


    "Then there''s no need to look around for Li Yue." She looked at him with some resentment, and her voice was faint and heart-wrenching.


    Gu Qingli looked on with goosebumps rising all over her body. She sneered, "You guys continue to treat the meat hemp as fun. Forgive me for not accompanying you." She didn''t want to explain, so she turned around and entered the manor.


    It wasn''t hard to expose this fake Li Yue, but it seemed like she didn''t want to reveal her cards to Xiao Yi Xiu. What did it have to do with her who he liked? Let him open his eyes to the truth and go with that Fake Moon.


    The furious Gu Qing Li returned to his room, slammed the door, and went to bed. She had felt her arm go cold, but when she saw that fake Li Yue, her heart went completely cold.


    Yuli was on duty. Originally, she wanted to help her wash up inside, but the heavily closed door slammed into her nose. Although it wasn''t heavy, it was enough for her to cover her sour nose for a while.


    She gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath, "What''s going on now?" He then bitterly returned to his room.


    After a while, there was a slight creak from the gate. Yu Li peeped through the crack in the door and saw Yu Ying open the door. Jinshu stood outside with a rather unsightly expression.


    Yuriy shushed her, signalling that she wanted to go out.

 C87 peeping

    Yuli was well aware that these two Mo Wuji''s maidservants would pass the message late into the night. She quietly opened the door, followed behind the walls, and leaned her ear against the wall as she heard Jin Shu curse in a low voice, "Your Highness has found that demon again!"


    "What demon?" Yu Ying was baffled.


    "Ghost Doctor, Li Yue!"


    "Didn''t she save your highness''s life? Your highness is already so well settled now, you should be grateful to Li Yue. "


    Jin Shu pushed her. "I''m not as ambitious as you! "She''s here. Is there still a place for us?"


    Yu Ying was silent for a moment. "I know, you and I have been serving His Highness since the beginning. We have been serving His Highness from a young palace maid until the time he separated from us, but we have still been assigned to serve him. However, no matter how great the honor is, we are still servants. It''s best not to think too much about it. "


    Jin Shu snorted. "I don''t believe that you don''t want to."


    Yuying said indifferently: "After thinking about it for so many years, is it useful? The secondary concubine and the secondary concubine have already gathered together. Even after the imperial concubine had entered the estate, you''re still you and I''m still me. "


    "That''s different. Sooner or later, Your Highness will give us a title. Even the concubines of rich families will have to give us a title. If Your Highness were to ¡­" We can''t be servants forever. "


    "You even know that there''s a wangfei and a wangfei? With so many Miss Li Yue, what''s the difference? "


    "Of course there is. The prince treats Miss Li Yue differently than the wangfei, wangfei, and wangfei! Furthermore, this Li Yue is obviously cold, arrogant, and condescending. When she was here, she didn''t even let me put needles in my room! " Thinking of Li Yue''s coldness, Jin Shu lightly bit her lower lip, unavoidably feeling wronged. Even the prince had never treated her so differently.


    She wasn''t too clear about what was happening. After all, she was at the back of Feng Lingxuan, so she didn''t touch Li Yue too much. She pondered for a moment. "According to what you said, Miss Li Yue isn''t easy to get close to. Then, is she interested in the prince?"


    "I didn''t see it before, but she always acted as if she was separated from the prince. But when I came back this time, I heard that she lost her memories and became extremely reliant on the Prince! "


    "Oh?" Yu Ying was surprised, "Memory loss?"


    "I heard that when His Highness found her, she was completely immersed in the cold moat. I don''t know what kind of accident happened to her, but she doesn''t remember it at all. Oh, that''s right, the prince said that he tested her meridians, and she actually lost all of her internal energy.


    "Strange, who would throw her in the moat after heavily injuring her?"


    "Who knows?" Jin Shu curled her lips, "I just came to inform you. Alright, it''s time for me to go back."


    Yu Ying''s expression was solemn, "She suddenly appeared in the capital. That is to say, she might not be from the capital, or even from Dongyuan city. That means she has a low chance of enmity in the capital." When she heard that the Ghost Doctor''s name was flourishing, there were many forces that tried to rob her and those that harmed her ¡­ What are you planning? "


    "Is that important?"


    "Alright, you can go back first." Yu Ying waved her hand and watched as Jin Shu left into the night, but her heart became more suspicious. She softly muttered to herself, "The only person she offended was probably that envoy from the Southern Moon Country, right? "If that person wants to hurt her ¡­"


    Yuli snuck back into the room, sneering silently. No matter how smart Yu Ying was, she couldn''t guess what was going on, so she let her thoughts wander further and further away from the crossroads.


    However, he didn''t realize that Jin Shu was actually quite interested in King Mo. She was a toad that wanted to eat the meat of a swan. Jade pear spat lightly.


    The mantis stalked for cicadas, and the sparrow followed. No one noticed that Gu Qingli had jumped out of the window and was sitting at the corner of the wall with her knees in her arms. She coldly watched all of the servants'' words and actions.


    It was true that Jin Shu was loyal to Xiao Yixiu, but she did not have any respect for her as an imperial concubine. Furthermore, she had an impure intention towards Xiao Yixiu; Yuli clearly did not look like she was obedient, but it seemed like Xiao Yixiu had not been dealt with enough, and would not give up until she was done with.


    The night wind blew into the sleeves of her collar, giving her the chills that made her hug her shoulders. She suddenly stood up and took a few steps towards the Feng Zhixuan who was still in the middle of cultivating.


    She landed gracefully and quietly, crouched outside the window of his inner chamber, and poked a hole in the window to peek inside.


    She, Gu Qingli, had actually come to spy on Xiao Yixiu one day. This was truly unexpected. Feeling that she was living more and more, she found a perfect reason for herself: someone was pretending to be her, so how could she not investigate?


    The two of them sat opposite each other across the coffee table.


    "Your Highness, it''s already late at night, should we go to bed?" Li Yue looked at Xiao Yi Xiu with a gaze filled with deep love.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her gently and placed his palm on the back of her hand. "Let me look at you a little longer."


    Li Yue was stunned for a moment. "If Your Highness likes it, then in a while ¡­" "If the lights are on ¡­" Her voice was getting weaker and weaker. Although she couldn''t see her face, her eyes were filled with shyness.


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt a chill, and an indescribable rage filled her heart. This knockoff actually wanted to be in the family, and could even hint it to such an extent?!


    In terms of status, Gu Qingli was the main imperial concubine, and in terms of heart, Xiao Yixiu''s target was Li Yue, but the one in the room was clearly an imitation!


    Xiao Yi Xiu was also stunned, and his eyes were full of questions. The Li Yue he knew was cold and aloof, causing him to respect her, admire her, and not even dare to take half a step over her, but this Li Yue in front of him was hinting at something?!


    It was as if Li Yue had also noticed something. She stood up and gently said, "I mean, as long as the lights are on outside, Prince can send me off with his eyes. "I just wonder, which guest room does Your Highness want me to place in tonight?"


    The guest rooms in Prince Mo''s mansion are all in the moon, but tonight is the night, I''m afraid Yan Yu and Yun''er have already gone to bed. I''ve asked Jin Shu to prepare a room for you in the west wing.


    "I''m fine. Oh, I''ve forgotten where I used to live when I was at the Palace... "Is it the moon?"


    "In the past, you''ve always lived in the garden for the sake of Xiaoyao. It''s not too convenient to stay there after the fire. It''s better not to go there."


    "I just wanted to see it. I just wanted to retrieve some memories."


    "It''s too late now. The King of Japan will accompany you." Xiao Yixiu walked her to the door and subconsciously pulled up her collar. "Deep in the night, it''s cold. You''re wearing too thin."


    Gu Qingli was holding back her internal injuries again. Just now, she was even thinner and stood at the door waiting for him. When he came, she would hold onto a fake Li Yue and tenderly enter the mansion!


    Oh right, she was still wearing her thin clothes as she peeked under the window!


    "It''s nothing. It''s only a few steps away." The eyes behind the red gauze flowing with a gentle smile, presumably lips also flowing with the same smile, do not know how intoxicating.


    Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to be in a daze as he watched her slim back slowly walk into the west wing''s door. Then, he glanced back at her with a smile.


    She used to rarely laugh, but now she did, and the look in her eyes was so moving that it made him want to run after her and unveil her face and look at her intoxicating smile.


    However, she was Li Yue, someone who had lost her memories. He didn''t want to take advantage of her. She had to wait for her to recover her memories before she would be willing to be with him.

 C88 telepathy

    In the past, she had refused to live here because Gu Qing Li felt it was inconvenient to have more people and that her movements were easily detected, so she insisted on staying in the simple and lonely Xiaoyao''s garden. Now that the fire had broken out, no one moved from their original appearance, not even Xiao Yi Xiu knew what was going on in their hearts.


    In any case, Li Yue, who had lost her memory, couldn''t hold on any longer and was arranged to be next to Luo Yun.


    Thus, early in the morning, while Gu Qingli was still tinkering with her poison, Luo Yun paid her a visit. She hurriedly packed everything up before letting Luo Yun in.


    "Good morning, Princess." Luo Yun''s sweet smile always made people who just met unable to guard against her.


    Gu Qingli had never met her before as an Imperial Concubine. She was wary of her sudden visit, so she only indifferently nodded her head. She didn''t even give her a polite smile.


    When Luo Yun saw her cold eyes, she couldn''t help but be stunned for a moment.


    Of course, it wasn''t the first time she had met the wangfei, but she was familiar with Xiao Yixiu and was well aware that the wangfei had always been a decoration. Since the prince didn''t like her, there was no need for her to befriend him. This time, it was because there was an unexpected guest in Yue Ruan. She had thought of a plan for an entire night, and it finally occurred to her that this puppet princess might be of some use.


    She didn''t expect Gu Qing Li''s gaze to remind her of someone.


    "Princess, your eyes are so similar to Miss Li Yue''s!"


    Gu Qingli felt a chill in her heart. Of course, she had also noticed it. From the moment Li Yue left the carriage, her first gaze had been on those eyes. It was as if a galaxy had fallen into her eyes, bright and resplendent.


    If they weren''t so similar, how could Xiao Yi Xiu have been mistaken?


    But where did this fake Li Yue come from? She could actually follow them back to the palace and not resist at all? Was it just a coincidence that she was saved from amnesia?


    "Princess?"


    Gu Qingli recovered her wits. "Miss Luo, what can I do for you?"


    Luo Yun smiled shyly, "Princess is too polite. I''m a guest of the family, it''s rare for me to come visit. How would I dare to instruct you?"


    Gu Qingli gave a faint smile as she ordered Jade pear to serve tea before sitting down and sizing her up.


    Luo Yun laughed, "Princess should already know about Miss Li Yue''s return?"


    "She''s been living in the manor for so long and has disappeared many times. What''s so special about her coming back?"


    "This time is different. Your Highness''s illness ¡­" "Cough." Luo Yun suddenly remembered that Liu Yanyu had told her not to tell anyone about Xiao Yixiu''s recovery, so she changed the subject, "In short, Miss Li Yue has already lost her memories, and your highness is still trying to find her back. Aren''t you surprised?"


    "The Prince''s illness hasn''t completely recovered yet, so the reason I called him back was naturally to treat it. What kind of accident is this?" Gu Qingli pretended to be even more confused.


    Luo Yun heard that she really didn''t know about Xiao Yi Xiu''s condition. It seems like the couple in name really didn''t have any feelings for each other, so she laughed tenderly. "Wangfei is too naive." Your highness clearly has some sort of special relationship with Miss Li Yue after finding her. Don''t tell me that you don''t mind at all? "


    Gu Qingli locked the space between her brows and was silent for a moment. "Miss Luo, why have you come to find this wangfei? What''s your special meaning?"


    Luo Yun whispered a few words to her.


    Gu Qingli looked at her in surprise.


    "These matters are of no consequence. I just wanted to probe this Miss Li Yue''s intentions in returning to the Prince''s Mansion."


    Gu Qingli was silent for a moment. This Luo Yun really didn''t know what to say. In order to help him deal with Li Yue, she told him about Xiao Yi Xiu''s recovery.


    If Xiao Yixiu thought that he was actually a spy sent by the Emperor, wouldn''t he be able to hide his recovery?


    "Miss Luo, there are some things that cannot be casually said."


    "I know, that''s why I''m only telling Princess Hua-jie. You and Prince and your wife have a deep affection for each other, of course you understand what I mean."


    "If you do this, you will arouse the displeasure of the prince." Gu Qingli sneered in her heart when she heard that she''d even called out for her elder sister. However, since Luo Yun was obedient and obedient in front of her and didn''t want to hit a smiling person, it wouldn''t be convenient for her to do anything.


    "How could I let His Highness know? I just feel that Miss Li Yue''s thoughts are weird. In the past, she treated the prince for fear of offending her, but now ¡­ There was no need to be so polite to her. "Elder sister wangfei, you tell me, if the prince had chosen this woman with ill intentions as his side concubine, where would the peace in this house come from?"


    Gu Qingli''s forehead tightened even more. A side consort? That was something she hadn''t expected. Xiao Yixiu had never told her about setting up an imperial concubine. She knew that Li Yue''s personality was cold and proud, and she would never submit to be a concubine. However, this fake Li Yue was hard to say.


    They followed Luo Yun to Yuexuan and saw a scene they both didn''t want to face.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was holding Li Yue''s hand, and the two of them walked out of the room, looking at each other in surprise.


    Gu Qingli stared at the two of them holding hands and said coldly, "Your highness, you''re in a good mood. This early in the morning, are you planning to take Lady Li Yue for a stroll around our mansion''s garden, or are you planning to take a walk on the main road?"


    "I''m just taking Miss Li Yue to the medicine garden to see if I can help her recall some memories."


    "Don''t you know the art of telepathy? Do you even need to go to the medicine garden to remember anything?"


    "What Heart Transmission Great Art?" Not only was Li Yue confused, even Xiao Yi Xiu was puzzled.


    "To be able to transmit one''s heart to another with one''s palm linked together, it is also called having one''s heart connected to one another." Gu Qing Li''s tone was full of sarcasm, causing Luo Yun to burst out laughing.


    How could Xiao Yi Xiu not understand her implied meaning? With a slightly sunken expression, he replied, "Royal Concubine is joking." However, he didn''t let go of Li Yue''s hand and held her hand as they walked past each other.


    Li Yue turned around and glanced at Gu Qing Li.


    Those eyes were filled with contempt, ridicule, and even a bit of a demonstration of strength ¡­


    Gu Qingli''s heart suddenly skipped a beat. If she hadn''t been sure at the start that this fake-off was harboring evil intentions, then she was now certain that no matter where she''d come from, she must have been pretending to lose her memories.


    After the two of them had left, Luo Yun said with a furious look in his eyes, "Princess, that Li Yue doesn''t place you in her eyes at all!"


    "I saw it."


    "As a wangfei, if you don''t counterattack now, aren''t you afraid you won''t even be able to keep your main wife position?"


    "My apologies, but this wangfei can''t help you either. Just now, you should have seen how the prince didn''t place me in his eyes at all." Gu Qingli''s tone was cold, but an indescribable bitterness slowly arose in her heart. It was as if there was still some pain in her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.


    "But wangfei ¡­"


    Gu Qingli left her and quickly returned to her own Feng Lingxuan.


    He slammed the door with a backhand and heard Yuying quietly patting on the door. He asked urgently, "Princess, what''s wrong?"


    "I''m fine." Gu Qingli tried her best to calm her emotions before answering. However, the moment she opened her mouth, a sour feeling overcame her. She felt that even her voice had changed.


    Yu Ying knocked on the door again for a while. Gu Qing Li felt annoyed, so she buried her face in the blanket and covered her ears.


    Only after a long while did she raise her deeply buried face out of the blanket, her hair in disarray. Looking at the wet water stains on the corner of her mouth, she was stunned for a long time.

 C89 brocade

    She walked listlessly to the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror, startled.


    His once cold and proud eyes were now misty, resentful, and a bit hidden. Sad? She was once a golden killer who roamed the martial arts world. She never knew what emotions were, nor did she have the emotions or worries of a young woman. It was as if she had never experienced tears in her life before.


    Could it really be because of that matter with Xiao Yi Xiu ¡­ Bastard?


    Gu Qingli calmed down, tidied up her hair, pulled up her ponytail again, and stuck a stick of Blue Luan Steps into it. She put some makeup on to cover her slightly swollen eyelids, then started to recall every single move she had made when she had just entered the sect.


    It was so similar to her. Other than the nose, lips and cheeks that could not be seen under the red veil, all the parts that the fake Li Yue revealed were too similar to her own. Not only her eyes, but also her eyebrows, eyes, and smooth forehead ¡­ If there was anything that was not similar, it could only be described as the charm of the eyes.


    When Li Yue looked at Xiao Yi Xiu, her eyes were filled with gentleness, and she seemed to want to discharge all of her emotions at once. However, Xiao Yixiu didn''t notice anything strange. Even someone as intelligent as him would have a blind spot when he was in deep love.


    At this moment, regardless of whether she was sad, angry, or unwilling, the only way to get the fake Li Yue to leave him was to expose her true identity.


    This thought lingered in Gu Qing Li''s mind for a while before it was suddenly dispelled like a gush of air ¡ª exposing the fake Li Yue and making her leave Xiao Yi Xiu. Was this something that she, Gu Qing Li, should do? What was the point of such a thing?


    She had been constantly struggling with herself until she reached the willow branch on the moon. It was as if his legs weren''t listening to his commands. He quietly opened the window, climbed up the roof, and jumped over the wall. He arrived before the window.


    As expected, Li Yue was sitting right in front of Xiao Yi Xiu. The two of them were having dinner together and even the servants, Suifeng and Jin Shu, were sent out.


    This candlelight dinner was quite romantic. As the flames danced, Xiao Yi''s jade-like face glowed with a warm orange light. The smile on his face was gentle and warm on the corner of his lips, and his eyes seemed to ripple as if they were about to melt.


    Li Yue''s manner of eating was overly refined. Because the red gauze covering her face was too inconvenient, she had to gently lift it with her left hand in order to put the food into her mouth. Maybe she was sick of the fabric, but she still had to maintain a good upbringing.


    Gu Qingli suddenly remembered the man with jade-like warm face, dressed in red clothes, when she first met him. She slowly walked in and looked at her. Her distant gaze turned to one of pity.


    She knew that he was only putting on an act at that time, but the pity in his eyes now was definitely not an act at all.


    "Li Yue, this veil will forever cover your face. Is there any special meaning?"


    Li Yue seemed to be startled, then she smiled sweetly. "You want to see what I look like?"


    Before Xiao Yixiu could reply, Jin Shu came in and served a plate of sliced fruit. The dinner was already in its final stages.


    Gu Qingli could clearly see that Jin Shu''s eyes were filled with loathing as they swept towards Li Yue, so much so that when she put down the platter, she seemed to have lost her mind and knocked over a cup of wine in front of Li Yue. The blood-red colored wine spilled out and meandered in front of Li Yue.


    The sudden panic caused her to be at a loss of what to do. She wanted to stand up, but she miserably pulled away the bowls on the table. With a wave of her wide sleeves, she flipped open another bowl of soup.


    "Jin Shu!" Xiao Yi Xiu shouted.


    Jin Shu panicked. She was just about to use the handkerchief to wipe Li Yue''s stains, but after he shouted at her, the tears in her eyes began to flow. Not daring to say anything, she retreated a few steps and kneeled down, even kneeling on the broken shard of glass.


    Soon, blood seeped from under Jin Shu''s knees, staining her green dress, mixing with the wine''s blood-red hue and making it hard to tell if it was blood or wine.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t even look at her. He quickly looked at her and took out his snow-white handkerchief to carefully wipe away the dirt on her chest. However, he quickly realized that it was all in vain.


    "Prince, Li Yue has lost her composure." She apologized shyly and looked embarrassed.


    "Jin Shu, what are you still standing there for? "Prepare some hot water and help Lady Li Yue clean and change her clothes."


    The neglected Jin Shu, her face pale, had been trying to get on her knees when she heard the order. She stood up, biting her lower lip, but her knees were trembling.


    Only Gu Qingli saw the deep hatred in her eyes when she turned around.


    "Do you have any more laundry?" Xiao Yi Xiu immediately knew that he had asked this question. When he had found her yesterday, she had obviously been fished out of a cold moat. She had nothing else on her body.


    "Tomorrow, Suifeng will send someone out to help you purchase a few sets of clothes. This King actually neglected this matter."


    Xiao Yi Xiu thought about it for a moment. No matter how anxious he was, tomorrow would come. Even if the clothing store opened for business now, it wouldn''t be open for business. All of the female servants in the mansion wore maid clothes, so it wasn''t appropriate to borrow them from Luo Yun since she was a guest.


    "This King will go to find a set for you from Princess Hua-Yang. Go take a bath first."


    Gu Qing Li''s entire body stiffened as she listened outside the window. It was as if icy water had been poured over him, causing her anger to spread to the bottom of her heart. Xiao Yi Xiu, why did you bring such an obscure girl to the palace? Not only did you return, you even brought her clothes for Li Yue to wear?


    Just as she was about to explode with anger, she heard Li Yue sigh softly. "Your Highness, you can''t."


    "Hmm?"


    "Your Highness, what is Li Yue''s identity? How could she wear Princess Hua-Yang''s clothes? "If someone with ulterior motives were to speak of it, wouldn''t that mean that I want to overstep my boundaries to act as a bullsh * t?"


    Gu Qingli was even more angry in her heart. Didn''t she just want to overstep her boundaries to act as a pimp? This sentence was obviously hinting at something for Xiao Yi Xiu to do.


    Xiao Yi Xiu said, "Don''t worry. Who dares to speak carelessly of my residence?"


    "But I''m afraid that the only thing I''m afraid of is that the wangfei ¡­ What if she does mind? "


    Of course I do, I do! Gu Qingli bit her lower lip. If this Li Yue was going to wear her clothes, she''d have to burn every single one of them.


    Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to hesitate for a moment before he replied, "Wangfei isn''t the kind of person to be narrow-minded."


    Why not?! I am! She wasn''t stingy when it came to others, but this Li Yue wasn''t. She was ¡­ Gu Qing Li gritted her teeth as she glared at him from the hole in the window. If her gaze was a concealed weapon, it would have penetrated his body many times over.


    How could any woman in this world not be stingy towards a love rival? What was he thinking? When this thought flashed through her mind, Gu Qingli was shocked. When... She had actually used the word love rival on that fake Li Yue?


    Pooh, it''s just a misnomer, she comforted herself.

 C90 menswear

    "Your Highness!" Li Yue stopped Xiao Yi Xiu once more. Holding his hand, she gently said, "No woman would be so worried about something like this."


    "Then... "What should we do?" Xiao Yi Xiu furrowed his brows as he thought about Wangfei''s personality. He felt that she was more likely to fall out with him. In the past, he naturally wasn''t afraid, but now, whenever he thought of her being unhappy or even sad, his heart would actually convulse, as if ¡­ Couldn''t bear to part with it?


    "Oh ¡­" "Bi Ruo''s clothes are quite a bit too ¡­"


    "Your Royal Highness, can''t you find a set of men''s clothing for me to change into?"


    "Men''s clothing?" Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t seem to notice. With such a large palace, it took so much effort to get a few outfits from a woman. How could he only give her a single set of men''s attire?


    However, Gu Qing Li instantly came back to his senses. No wonder that fake Li Yue had kept pushing things over and over again. She actually wanted Xiao Yi Xiu to change her clothes?! She almost vomited out her blood, and her mouth was filled with a sour taste.


    The thought of Xiao Yi Xiu''s clothes sticking to Li Yue''s skin from the inside out felt like a hundred claws scratching his heart. Gu Qing Li couldn''t bear to watch any longer, so he leaped out of the window and stormed back into his room.


    This flip of hers was filled with anger. She didn''t think that she would need to let out a soft sound of breathing. The wind that rustled her clothes was the only sound she could hear.


    However, he forgot that Xiao Yi Xiu was no longer the same as before, and was no longer able to utilize his inner Qi. Right now, his ears were sharp and his eyes were sharp. A single leaf hitting the ground was enough to raise his guard, let alone the sound of his clothes. His ears twitched, and he subconsciously swept his gaze in the direction Gu Qing Li had left. He saw the small hole in the window paper where the hairpin had pierced through.


    Without batting an eyelid, he sent Li Yue out and said, "This prince will have Jin Shu send you a set of men''s clothes in a while."


    "Yes."


    He turned around and opened the wardrobe. After a moment of hesitation, he took out a blue brocade robe with white cloud patterns embroidered on it. Purple and noble, this set of clothes was quite expensive. After being made, it was given to him to wear during festive season. However, because he did not like this color, he had never worn it.


    When Jin Shu received the man''s outfit, she was stunned for a long time. "Your Highness, this new set of clothes ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes turned cold. She didn''t dare to say anything as she entered the room.


    Wind Following Sword stretched out his neck to watch the show. Seeing that Xiao Yi Xiu had turned around to glare at him, he chuckled. "My lord, you said that you two can even wear the same clothes. Tsk tsk ¡­" Just thinking of your clothes rubbing against Lady Li Yue''s delicate skin ¡­ "Aiya!"


    He scratched his head with a bitter face, "Your Highness, you want to silence me?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu walked out of the room without looking back. He walked around to the back window where Gu Qing Li was peeking at, dug his fingers into the paper and looked down at the weeds underneath his feet. He subconsciously revealed a faint smile, shook his head, and the smile disappeared.


    Jin Shu fished out the petals from the bath barrel, then slowly poured them onto Li Yue''s snow-white skin. Her movements were light and gentle, but her expression was stiff and cold. Her resentful eyes were like two thorns as they fell on Li Yue''s back.


    Even at this moment, Li Yue did not take out the red muslin.


    Jin Shu rolled her eyes, thinking, could it be that she was really ugly, and didn''t want to show her true face? As she thought about it, she thought of a surprise attack to pull off the veil.


    "Jin Shu, the water is cold."


    The brocade Shu came back to her senses and struggled to fill the hot water. The movement stabbed into the wound on her knee, causing her to hiss in pain. He wasn''t sure if the broken glass had been cleaned clean, but the wound was still in constant pain.


    "Does the wound in my knee hurt?" Li Yue carelessly lifted the water and poured it on her jade-like skin. Seeing the droplets of water roll down, Fang Jian slanted his eyes at her.


    Jin Shu froze.


    "When you kneel, there should be many pieces embedded in your flesh. It doesn''t taste good, does it?" Li Yue chuckled again. "You intentionally flipped that wine and wet my clothes. Do you want to see me make a fool of myself?"


    Jin Shu felt a chill run up her spine. She never expected that this Lady Li Yue would have such a deep and profound thought. She took everything in, but didn''t expose it.


    "Don''t be unconvinced, it''s not like I''m the one who punished you to kneel." Li Yue''s eyes suddenly turned cold!


    Jin Shu felt that this Li Yue''s gaze was somewhat different from before. In the past, Li Yue looked at people with a fierce gaze, but that was a domineering and cold attitude. On the other hand, the Li Yue in front of him seemed to carry a sinister and ruthless intent, like that of a jackal or a wolf.


    Li Yue laughed coldly, "Scram! This time, I will punish you severely. If you throw a spoonful of cold water in front of me, I will turn you into boiling water the next time I act like this!"


    And then he said, "Oh, Jinshu, why were you so careless and spilled water on yourself? Quickly go and change your clothes. The night is cold, don''t get frozen! "


    Jin Zhui''s eyes widened. His face was pale as he rushed out without a word. He saw Xiao Yixiu standing not far from the corridor, looking at her with a cold and displeased expression.


    Having been drenched all over in water, she was naturally in a sorry state. She didn''t dare to say anything as she covered her face and ran back to her room.


    When Li Yue came out dressed in men''s clothing, she looked very handsome. Her waist was outlined by the belt, and although her clothes were a bit loose, it still looked quite unique.


    Xiao Yixiu looked him up and down before smiling faintly. "I didn''t expect you to be so attractive in men''s clothing."


    Li Yue shyly smiled and slightly tilted her head. The thought that the close-fitting, silky material had actually been worn by him made her blush even more, as if his long, beautiful hands had gently brushed her, and felt intimate and ambiguous.


    "Prince ¡­"


    "It''s not early yet. This King will be returning to his room. You should rest early."


    The smile in Li Yue''s eyes froze, as if she didn''t expect him to be waiting for her at the corridor just to say goodbye.


    "Why?"


    "Oh ¡­" "It''s fine." She was slightly flustered and a bit disappointed that her thoughts had been seen through. Embarrassed, she walked out, but her steps were hesitant.


    "Many thanks for the prince''s clothes. I will return them to you after I wash them." She looked back at him, reluctant.


    "No need, you look so valiant in men''s clothing, I''ll give it to you."


    Li Yue frowned, her face full of confusion.


    She was so beautiful with her brows furrowed, it was hard to tell what was beneath the red gauze ¡­ Xiao Yi Xiu was dazed for a moment before recalling the small hole in the window paper.


    As she walked, she wondered what special purpose he had in giving her the dress. She looked down at her brocade blouse. It was a fine brocade with exquisite embroidery. There was nothing wrong with it.


    That was ¡­ What was he hinting at? Her heart was beating like a drum, and her cheeks were blushing for some reason.


    At this moment, Xiao Yi Xiu knocked on Gu Qing Li''s door.


    "I am asleep. Your Highness, please go back."


    "It''s the first time This King has seen someone who can speak even after falling asleep."


    Gu Qingli lay on the bed, her heart burning with anger. She didn''t find his words funny at all. She said coldly, "I''m very tired. Let''s talk another day if you have anything to say."


    "This King has nothing to say."

 C91 Wall Removal

    There was nothing to say but to stand outside the door, refusing to leave even if there was nothing more to say! She couldn''t help but ask, "Why aren''t you leaving? It would be rude to disturb others'' sleep, understand? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu said leisurely, "I am standing in my own mansion and I only want to spend the night with my wife. How is that rude? And yet, it was the wangfei who had actually refused her husband''s entry. That''s impolite, isn''t it? "


    Gu Qing Li couldn''t answer. He thought the door was bolted from the inside anyway. Unless he kicked the bolt, he wouldn''t be able to get in without her opening the door.


    She was betting that, given his character, he would never be able to do something so violent and uncultured.


    In the end, Xiao Yixiu only needed to circle around once before he leaped through a window that seemed to be hiding something.


    Gu Qing Li would slip out of the window in the past and appear as Li Yue. Although Li Yue had disappeared later on, she never changed her habit of covering the window with her hands.


    The curtain fluttered, and with a slight breeze, someone sat on the edge of the bed.


    Gu Qingli got up and pushed him out. "What does Your Highness want to do in the middle of the night?"


    "Of course I want to hug my own wangfei." He turned back and held her, pressing her down on the bed.


    Gu Qingli had forgotten that he was no longer the sickly man with speed and no power. She was like a child''s play to him as he easily pushed her down.


    She struggled as she gritted her teeth: "This is not a place you should be!"


    "If wangfei hates This King so much, why is there a need to peep under This King''s window all night long? Isn''t it because I''m worried that This King will let her stay the night? "


    Gu Qingli froze. "Nonsense!"


    "Then who poked a hole in the window paper?" He gave a light snort. When he heard that Li Yue wanted him to find clothes for her, he immediately left in a fit of jealousy. Who else could it be other than her?


    "It''s probably Madam Jia ¡­ "She has loved the Prince for ten years. What''s so special about peeping on him?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu lowered his eyes and said with a slight smile, "Just now, Li Yue had changed into a fitting outfit for me, so I gave it to her."


    Gu Qingli almost spat out her blood again, but this time she did not hold back as she used all her strength to lift him off her body. Finally, she lifted him off the ground, then punched and kicked him in the darkness.


    If this bed wasn''t a good bed with solid flowers and pear trees, they would have long since broken down to only chopping wood and lighting a fire after being tossed around by the couple.


    Just as the two of them were engrossed in their battle, the curtain was completely torn off, covering their heads.


    Gu Qingli stopped for a moment before feeling her flank go numb. She had been on guard three times and had actually been hit by his move. She had no choice but to admit that he was sinister and cunning. He had intentionally pulled down the curtain to distract her and then bullied her for her eyesight was too weak, so she took the opportunity to launch a sneak attack.


    Xiao Yixiu tore open the curtain and pressed down on her, covering her soft body.


    Before he arrived, she had been sleeping in her underwear, unprotected. With this pressure, all he could touch was her smooth and silky smooth skin. It was soft and exquisite, and it immediately stirred the passion in his heart.


    He had trained his night vision in the darkness of the chamber, and he could see the contours of her face clearly. He could even see a hint of fear and shyness in her bright starry eyes.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t move, so she could only open her eyes in shock, letting out muffled sounds.


    However, his impenetrable kiss soon took away even her last breath, and even this sound was drowned out in her throat, leaving only the vague feeling of her ears and temples, and the lingering sweetness of her lips and tongue.


    Faintly she went from resistance to acceptance, unwittingly responding, until he released her before she could choke.


    She suddenly felt goosebumps all over her body when she heard the sound of his breathing in her ears. Where did that sweet feeling come from? Not long ago, this man had been talking softly and considerately to another woman, and had even given his clothes to someone else to wear.


    His slender but strong fingers moved along her open lapel and caressed her collarbone. Then, as he continued to slide downwards, he heard her clear and emotionless voice, "Xiao Yi Xiu, if you touch me tonight, how will you explain it to Li Yue tomorrow?"


    She had never spoken to him in such a cold tone, nor had she ever addressed him so unceremoniously.


    His hand actually stopped, and he didn''t continue.


    She heard his gasps go from deep to shallow, from quick to slow, until finally they were quiet and faint to the point where it was hard to hear.


    Gu Qingli''s heart almost went cold. She had completely stopped moving when that woman was mentioned. Just what was he doing here tonight? To humiliate her? Or was it to witness his charm?


    She had never felt so humiliated. The wetness blurred her vision, and she could not even make out the outline of him.


    Xiao Yixiu''s soft voice suddenly sounded out, "The clothes that I gave her are new and have never been worn before. I won''t wear them in the future."


    She was stunned for a long time as a cold and wet feeling flashed across her eyes. She asked in a confused and confused manner: "So, you only came to explain this matter tonight?"


    "Yes."


    "Then you ¡­" She wrinkled her nose and finally asked, "You''ll never ¡­" Just now... Just now ¡­ To Me... What did you do? "


    He was silent for a long time.


    She let out a cold laugh, "Go. If you want her, then never touch me."


    As expected, he said nothing and silently left.


    Gu Qing Li closed his eyes, once again revealing a warm moisture in his eyes. She adjusted her breathing, allowing the airflow in her body to rush through her sealed acupoints, quickly gaining her freedom.


    But she only stretched out on her back for a moment and then opened her eyes and looked at the dark roof. She bit her lower lip and couldn''t tell what she was thinking.


    Li Yue... Li Yue... Right now, her heart only had Li Yue.


    She suddenly jumped up. Wasn''t Li Yue herself? The painting beside him was just an imitation, and she was having a silent affair with him. She might as well have tried to uncover it.


    She thought of that momentary grudge.


    Gu Qing Li slept badly that night.


    Not only was the canopy destroyed, but it was also violently torn apart by Xiao Yixiu. In the end, she could only throw it to the side and force himself to sleep on half of the bed. He thought about how unhappy he would be when he left without saying a word.


    Even though he had explained that he had never worn the new set of clothes, and had even given it to Li Yue for her to wear no more in the future, she still could not let it go. Isn''t he a germaphobe? Doesn''t he always wipe his hands when he touches women? He actually gave his clothes to someone else ¡­ Humph.


    She recklessly thought, completely ignoring the fact that he was only treating Li Yue in this manner.


    Afterwards, he did not know how long he rolled before he fell asleep, but at the end of spring, the mosquitoes began to wreak havoc. The result of not having a veil was that he woke up in the morning to find that his exposed arms and legs had several extra bags on them.


    Xiao Yi Xiu, you damned ghost! It''s all because of you! Gu Qing Li was so angry that he pretended to be Xiao Yi Xiu and threw the pillow at Xiao Yi.


    When he went to Feng Zhixuan in the early morning, he saw that Li Yue was also waiting there, but Xiao Yixiu wasn''t there. The breeze lazily swept over the two of them, saying that they were meeting guests.

 C92 mosquito repellent bag

    The moment Gu Qingli saw Li Yue, she couldn''t shift her gaze away. The eyebrows outside the red veil, the plum makeup between her eyebrows ¡­ Today, she had changed her style to a three-petal plum shaped like a flame. It looked more like her red dress.


    Clearly, Li Yue had also noticed her gaze. With a proud smile, she turned her face to the side, silently announcing that it was Xiao Yi Xiu''s handiwork. So what if he saw it, so what if he was unhappy? Then his gaze landed on the mosquito bun on Gu Qing Li''s forehead, frozen and motionless.


    Suifeng obviously noticed that the atmosphere was not right. He took two glances and saw the makeup on Li Yue''s forehead. Knowing this, he began to move his feet, cautiously and imperceptibly retreating out the door. If a gentleman was not in danger, it would be better for him not to stay in this battlefield where fire blazed in their eyes.


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath and silently said to herself that she had to remain calm. Then, she turned around and walked out the door. She asked Suifeng, "Where''s Jin Shu?"


    Suifeng looked up at her and burst into laughter, then quickly withdrew his smile with a twisted expression. The wangfei was the prelude to a volcanic eruption, laughing was not seeking death. However, when compared to the space between Li Yue''s eyebrows and that of the wangfei''s, he really couldn''t help it.


    "Is the princess looking for Jin Shu? I''ll take you there. "


    Gu Qingli couldn''t stand the stiff, twisted expression on Suifeng''s face as she forced a smile. She snapped, "If you want to laugh, laugh!"


    "Esteemed wangfei, are you really not angry?"


    "Why should this wangfei be angry?"


    Wind Following Sword threw his head back and laughed out loud three times. Then, he covered his stomach and said, "I''m sorry, consort ¡­" I can''t help it, haha ¡­ "


    Gu Qingli ignored him with a darkened face. She saw Jinshu sitting in the room with her pants rolled up high. She took the medicine she had gotten from Liu Yanyu this morning and was applying it on her own knee.


    "Jin Shu ¡­"


    Jin Shu jumped in fright. She wanted to get up and kneel, but Gu Qing Li placed a hand on her shoulder and sat her down. "Come, this wangfei will take a look."


    Jin Shu looked doubtfully at Suifeng, her face showed some fear, but Suifeng shrugged at her, indicating that it was none of my business, then left.


    "What''s wrong with your knee? and accidentally kneeled on some broken glass? " Gu Qingli used the soft and wet cloth to slowly clean the wound, then she took out the embroidery needle from her clothes and slowly picked at the bright glaze fragments in the wound.


    "Princess, you can''t ¡­" "Your humble servant''s body ¡­" Jinshu was nervous and frightened, unable to figure out what was going on with her. In fact, after the new wangfei had entered the palace, she had never had any interaction with her. For Xiao Yixiu''s sake, she had a cold expression on her face when she saw wangfei.


    Gu Qingli didn''t think too much about it. It was just an occupational attack on her part. When she saw Jin Shu clumsily treating her wounds, she couldn''t bear to watch any longer and took it over.


    "Cleaning up this wound is the most important thing. If you don''t clear the broken glass, the medicine would infect you. I can''t kneel anymore these few days. I''ll explain it clearly to the prince later. It''s best for me to lie down for a few days. "


    Seeing that she didn''t seem to have any ill intentions, Jinshu bitterly smiled and said, "How can we, as servants, have the chance to lie down for a few days?" He didn''t have time to clean up his wounds last night, so he went to help Lady Li Yue take a bath ¡­ "Later on, he picked out pieces of glazed glass under the lamp. The light wasn''t good, so he didn''t pick them all."


    "Hmm?" It was clear that Xiao Yi Xiu hadn''t noticed that she was kneeling on the broken glass. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have been so heartless.


    "Why didn''t you tell him?"


    Jin Shu bit her lower lip and didn''t speak, but she remembered what Li Yue had said last night.


    "Why has the wangfei come to find me?"


    "Oh ¡­" Actually, since he''s not here looking for the prince, he might as well come over to ask you, or maybe Feng Zhaoxuan has a mosquito repellent scented bag, can you find a few for me? " Gu Qishao suddenly didn''t want to tell her to do it personally. He had to wait for her to tell him.


    Jin Shu looked at the red packet on her forehead and nodded her head in understanding, "For such a small matter, you can just ask Yu Ying to do it, there is no need for you to do it yourself. This servant will find it for you in a while. "


    Gu Qingli smiled, but didn''t say anything. She cleaned up the wound and applied medicine to her at the same time.


    Jin Shu limped over to get a few scented packets for her, then asked curiously: "Isn''t there a cloud curtain in the Princess''s room? Why do you need a sachet to repel mosquitoes? "


    Gu Qingli''s expression stiffened. I can''t say that your prince pulled the blame on him, it''s too easy for people to let their imaginations run wild.


    Jin Shu blinked, instantly understanding. It was unknown what she understood, but she suddenly said carefully, "Esteemed wangfei, you ¡­ "Be careful of Miss Li Yue."


    "Hmm?" Gu Qingli didn''t understand. She''s your Prince''s savior, so what should we do with her? "


    Jin Shu looked around, gritted her teeth and whispered into her ear, saying what she had said to Li Yue when she was bathing.


    This fake Li Yue was actually so vicious, which surprised Gu Qingli the most. She thought for a moment. "Jinshu, Miss Li Yue didn''t seem to be this kind of person before?"


    "In the past, she also had a cold and prideful face, disdaining to talk to others too much. But, she really doesn''t look like she does now ¡­ It is said that she has lost her memory. "


    "You''ve never thought about it. What if this Li Yue is not the same as the previous one?"


    Jin Shu''s expression changed, and she said in a low voice, "Royal Consort, you absolutely cannot say such words in front of the Prince! Even if you are an imperial concubine ¡­ "Ai, even if she isn''t, no one has ever seen her face before, how can they tell?"


    "Why doesn''t she let people see her face?"


    "This servant thinks, or is she ugly?" Jin Shu guessed, then covered her mouth.


    Gu Qingli smiled. She had already achieved her goal, so she turned and left.


    There were very few guests from the Mo King''s Manor who came to visit early in the morning, and this was most likely related to their position. How could a civil servant who had taken office in the imperial court have free time all day long? He would always be busy until the evening when he could rest. Therefore, this matter was an urgent one that needed to be discussed.


    As Gu Qingli thought of this, she decided not to wait for Xiao Yixiu any longer and prepared to leave.


    When he arrived at the entrance of the study, he was stunned to see Xiao Yixiu and Assistant Minister Lin coming out together.


    Vice Minister Lin respectfully bowed and said, "This official will go see Liu Xin first." Judging from his hurried footsteps, the hardships of these days of yearning must be unbearable. She didn''t want to stop even for a moment.


    "Does Your Highness not plan on letting Liuxin return to Assistant Minister Lin''s estate?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu said calmly, "As long as the crown prince takes the lead, Liu Xin will not be able to return to the assistant minister''s mansion. I also do not wish to do so."


    Gu Qingli curled her lips. "The house of wealth has already been filled for months. Could it be that your highness wants Liu Xin to stay there forever?"


    Xiao Yixiu''s brows furrowed as if he was displeased, but his tone slowed down in the end. "Liu Xin has changed the fate of the entire Lin Family. As long as she appears, she will be used as a weapon to attack Lin Zhihan."


    "But there are still a lot of people in the Palace with ulterior motives. If Prince Chen found out about it last time, wouldn''t he be afraid of the rest of the people in the Palace finding out?"


    Staring at her, Xiao Yixiu''s heart quivered, and he felt that she was hinting at something.


    "Princess Wangfei couldn''t have come here on purpose to remind This King of this, right?"


    Gu Qingli waved the perfume bag in front of his eyes. "Come and ask Jinshu for a few mosquito-repellent perfume bags."


    Xiao Yi Xiu was startled, but when he saw the red packet on her forehead, he couldn''t help but smile like Suifeng did. In the end, he couldn''t hold it in and reached out his hand to pat her forehead and smiled, "Other people''s hearts are adorned with the red packet of ambrosia or the imperial concubine''s forehead. "It''s also very pretty."


    Gu Qing Li''s face darkened. She gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, "How can you be in a good mood, Prince? You''ve already painted someone else''s face so beautifully early in the morning?"


    She brushed past him without looking back, leaving behind Xiao Yixiu who frowned with a puzzled expression on his face.

 C93 Ganoderma lucidum

    He followed him down the corridor and saw Li Yue leaning on the door. Perhaps he had already seen the entire scene, but his eyes were filled with frost. He stared at the Plum Blossom Drop in Li Yue''s forehead for a long time before coming back to his senses.


    "The prince and the princess really love each other."


    Li Yue''s voice was filled with sadness and desolation. Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart twitched as he gently said, "Li Yue is overthinking it." Today, the Japanese king has nothing to do, so why don''t we stroll around in the capital for a while? "


    "Alright!" Li Yue''s face was filled with joy.


    "Maybe I can help you remember something."


    "Your Highness, if Li Yue can''t remember and can''t find her hometown, what should we do?"


    "Then treat the palace as your home."


    "Even if the prince is willing to take me in, I''m afraid even the wangfei ¡­" Her voice was getting softer and softer.


    Xiao Yi Xiu thought of Gu Qing Li''s words and his eyes darkened. "What did the wangfei say to you?"


    "You can''t blame her. She thought that the ''Plum Blossom'' on my forehead was painted by the prince, and upon entering the door ¡­ "Forget it."


    "Speak."


    "Princess, you''re blaming me, the noisy soldier, for seizing the throne ¡­" Li Yue''s long eyelashes fluttered a few times before they became stained with crystal droplets of water. Her eyes were covered with a layer of mist.


    For several days, Xiao Yi Xiu accompanied Li Yue. It was said that he was going to walk through every footprint she had taken in the East Abyss in search of her memories. In any case, as an idle prince, he had nothing to lose. Other than secretly meeting and discussing matters, he had never used the imperial court as an excuse, nor did he have to deal with government affairs.


    Gu Qing Li left the prince''s house and went to the brothel to ask about the situation. He found out from Wen Xiang that the Empress''s Xin family had suffered many setbacks recently, including the fall of Xin Yao and Xin Jian. After that, Xin Yingning, the queen''s elder brother, was impeached for embezzlement.


    Warm Fragrance''s face was filled with worry. Xuanhua Restaurant was Xin Yingning''s secret business, and if it was found out, she naturally wouldn''t be able to protect it. Even if she couldn''t find out, she would be in for it if the big tree fell.


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "Don''t worry, it''s not that fast."


    Warm Fragrance looked at her quizzically.


    Perhaps the emperor had already made a move on the empress, or else he wouldn''t have allowed the rest of the powers in the court to strike at the Xin family again and again. The most likely scenario was that this series of actions was the beginning of the emperor''s plans to cripple the empress.


    No wonder the empress was so anxious to take action against the emperor. When all these factors were put together, Gu Qingli could vaguely understand how dangerous the Crown Prince''s situation was. No wonder Liu Xin had become so important, and she might even become the key to turning the tables on him. If she could win over the Minister of Revenue and Vice Minister Lin, then the precarious situation of the Xin Family might change.


    When she returned to the manor, before Xiao Yixiu could return, Gu Qingli saw an unexpected guest: the crown prince, Xiao Yibei.


    Xiao Yi Bei was dressed in a blue silk robe with a lake silk blouse inside. A jade belt was tied around his waist, and it was adorned with jade pendants. He was elegantly smiling as he looked at her.


    Gu Qingli cursed in her heart, but she had no choice but to greet him with a faint smile.


    "Fifth Sister-in-Law, it''s been a long time since we last met. You look even more touching." In Xiao Yi Bei''s eyes, there was even a trace of warmth, but Gu Qing Li only felt disgust.


    She looked around at the rows of followers behind the crown prince. Even though they looked light and simple, they still stood in an orderly manner with a dignified bearing. It was clear that they were the personal guards of the imperial army. She secretly sucked in a cold breath. She felt that this person was not kind to her, that the good would not come.


    "His Highness the Crown Prince has come to the palace, what instructions do you have for him?"


    "I don''t dare to accept your teachings, but after hearing that my fifth brother had been bedridden for a long time, I came to see him. I heard that the scenery in the manor is like a painting, and it''s good to walk along the way. Why?


    Xiao Yi Bei leisurely raised his hand to caress it. Only then did Gu Qing Li notice that there was a floral leopard cat lying on his arm. It was resting with its eyes closed, looking like a tame, beautiful house cat.


    However, in reality, this leopard cat was very different from other domestic cats. It was called a leopard cat, and its appearance was between a leopard and a cat.


    Gu Qingli stared at it, her expression changing slightly.


    Following her gaze, Xiao Yi Bei lowered his head and said with a smile, "Fifth Sister-in-law, you don''t have to be afraid. This cat is extremely gentle and obedient."


    "It''s a pity that our Mo King''s Manor is not suitable for these pets. A black cat that was raised by Xin Wei''s concubine was mysteriously skinned and hung on a tree. I wonder who in this mansion would loathe these pets and would do such cruel things in private."


    Xiao Yi Bei''s smile froze as he lowered his head to look at the leopard cat in his arms.


    "Let''s go, Your Highness." Gu Qingli pretended not to see the crown prince''s dark expression and felt a surge of joy in her heart.


    As she walked, she explained everything, including the scenery, the name of the courtyard, and the variety of rare flowers.


    She stopped under a tree and pointed to a branch. "That night, there were thunderstorms and rain. That cat was skinned and hung on that tree ¡­ "Tsk tsk, bloody, how cruel ¡­"


    Gu Qingli''s eyes darkened. No matter what, cats were innocent. She had kept them for so long, so she still felt a bit sore thinking about it.


    "And then, the blood and rain fell onto the ground, seeping in ¡­" She pointed to the ground again.


    Xiao Yi Bei had done quite a few bad things in his life, but he probably hadn''t faced such a bloody scene before. When he heard this, he couldn''t help but feel nauseous.


    Looking at the leopard cat in his arms, he could not help but smile. "Fifth Sister-in-Law is talking about these things ¡­" Why was he not moved at all? "I think we should go somewhere else. After hearing you say this, this place is a little scary ¡­"


    "Ah, the Crown Prince is a man, could it be that he''s afraid of this?" Gu Qingli raised an eyebrow.


    Xiao Yi Bei laughed dryly. It was unknown if his hands were shaking from hearing her words, or if he was feeling a bit uncomfortable, but he let go of the leopard cat and let it jump out of his embrace.


    This leopard was as fast as a leopard. It was even faster than the black cat from before.


    Xiao Yi Bei lifted up the hem of his clothes and called out, "Lingzhi, Lingzhi!"


    Gu Qingli tilted her head as she stared at that figure covered in gold and lightning like patterns. The figure then leapt into Xin Ziyao''s Rain Tide Pavilion.


    It was indeed the reappearance of a scene ¡­ The black jade had aroused Xiao Yiyan''s curiosity, chasing after Yu Lanxuan, and now it was this leopard cat called Lingzhi ¡­ Xiao Yi Bei really didn''t disappoint her.


    She let out a cold laugh as she watched the group of plain-clothed personal guards closely follow Xiao Yi Bei, forming a fan-shaped encirclement and flanking him.


    "Your Highness, wait for me!" Gu Qing ran as he panted. From time to time, he would stop to support his knees to rest while he wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.


    Xiao Yi Bei turned his head and looked back. With tender affection, he stopped and said, "Fifth Sister-in-Law, you can leave slowly. I''m afraid that the Lingzhi will be in trouble, so I''ll go find it first. Do you know that Lingzhi had once captured and killed a palace maid in the palace? "


    Gu Qingli''s face was full of shock. She patted her chest and said, "Your Highness, don''t scare me. However, there hasn''t been anyone living in this Rainwater Pavilion for a long time, and they only occasionally send people to clean it up. There shouldn''t be anyone inside. "

 C94 cat hunting

    "Oh?" Xiao Yi Bei laughed. "Then we''ll have to find it first. If it jumps from the other side to the other side, it''ll similarly hurt us."


    He was the first to leave. As he knocked on the bronze bracelet on the door, of course there was no answer. He looked at the heavy lock on the door and regretfully said, "Looks like there really is no one else. I can only rely on my sister-in-law to unlock it."


    "Crown Prince, from what I see, Lingzhi seems to have jumped out of the wall over there. Let''s go over there." Gu Qingli had a delicate expression on her face. After a long while, she finally arrived and casually pointed out a direction.


    Xiao Yi Bei didn''t even look at them and said with a smile, "It''ll be safer if you unlock the door first and let me take a look. It wouldn''t be appropriate to break the precious calligraphy and painting inside."


    Gu Qingli gave him a gentle smile. "Why doesn''t that leopard cat listen to His Highness''s words?" Hearing His Highness not willing to come out even after calling for so long, you must have run far away. "


    Xiao Yibei seemed to be intoxicated by her smile and became a little distracted: "Maybe ¡­" It was the Fifth Sister-in-Law''s words that frightened it, right? "Someone come, since Fifth Sister-in-law doesn''t have a key, let''s break this lock."


    He had a smile on his face, and it was even a very considerate smile. His gaze was fixed on Gu Qing Li''s face, but the words he said were not the least bit merciful.


    Gu Qingli''s smile faded slightly. "This is the courtyard that Empress Xin''s wife used to live in. Since she''s no longer here, of course we have to lock her up. However, that doesn''t mean she doesn''t have a key."


    She slowly walked forward, intending to break the lock. The guard had no choice but to step aside. Seeing her take out the key from her sleeve, he opened the courtyard door.


    "I''ll have to trouble everyone. Go in and take a look, don''t let the Crown Prince''s Lingzhi accidentally injure you."


    The guards entered in an orderly and quick manner. The leaves and dust in the yard were startled by the footsteps of many people, causing the dust to fly into the air. Some of the flowers in the flowerbeds in the corner had all withered away, but the weeds had grown quite a bit. They were no different from the ordinary abandoned yards that were left untended.


    Gu Qingli said apologetically, "I already said that no one has lived in this courtyard for a long time ¡­" The servants must have been lazy to take care of it. It was originally cleaned once a month, and now it seemed like it would be more than a month of desolation. Ai ¡­ It''s all because of my management incompetence. "


    Xiao Yi Bei''s eyes were full of doubt as well. He hesitated, wanting to step into the courtyard.


    "Your Highness, since someone has entered to search, why do you need to set foot in this abandoned land? Xin Ziyao was strangled to death in this courtyard. Rumor has it that the servants who cleaned the place heard someone crying in the middle of the night. It was rather unclean. "


    Xiao Yi Bei''s face alternated between green and white before he finally withdrew. Xin Ziyao was his distant cousin, but he still had memories of her. Thinking about this matter, he couldn''t help but feel unlucky, and hesitated to go back inside.


    Finally, the guards came out one by one and reported, "No, not here."


    Xiao Yi Bei was extremely bewildered. He flicked his sleeve and was about to enter, but one of the imperial guards whispered a few words into his ear. His expression darkened, and he didn''t say anything further.


    That person was the captain of the guards. He told him that the walls of every room inside had been knocked on and that no hidden traps had been found.


    In other words, Liu Xin, a living person, had suddenly disappeared from the Residence of Mo King?


    "Search, search every nook and cranny, find the Lingzhi!" The smile that had been hanging on the corner of Xiao Yi Bei''s lips finally disappeared as he coldly and decisively gave his command.


    Gu Qingli''s smile also disappeared as she looked at him calmly.


    "Fifth Sister-in-Law, don''t you want to take me for a stroll?"


    Gu Qingli said, "Looks like His Highness the Crown Prince is a bit tired. Why don''t you go to my small courtyard and have a seat, drink a cup of tea, and wait for news?"


    Xiao Yi Bei was slightly surprised. After looking at her for a while, he revealed a smile and nodded his head.


    "Yuying, serve tea for the crown prince."


    Xiao Yi Bei looked around and said, "Fifth Sister-in-law, there are only two maids attending to you in this huge courtyard. How could the Fifth Emperor treat you like this?"


    "I love peace and quiet. If there are too many people, I would be opposed to all this noise."


    "He probably never comes to see you. When I came today, I heard that he took some Miss Li Yue out for a stroll. He said that he was accompanying Lady Li Yue every day recently ¡­" Tsk tsk, how could he have the heart to leave such a delicate beauty like you in the cold in the manor? "


    "What does Your Highness want to say next?"


    "Don''t think too much into it, Fifth Sister-in-law. What happened in the palace was purely a misunderstanding. I came here this time to apologize to you, because it was just my misdemeanor that caused you to have thoughts of him ¡­"


    "What did Your Highness say?" What was going on in the palace? "How come I don''t remember?" Gu Qingli smiled faintly.


    "..." Yes, yes, there really isn''t anything wrong, haha! "The Fifth Sister-in-Law is so exquisite that it really makes people happy." He then sighed. "Could it be that Miss Li Yue is some sort of Heavenly Immortal that made the Fifth Emperor look down on you for her sake?"


    Gu Qingli smiled but didn''t say anything, only lightly blowing on the tea in the teacup.


    In the end, they were still at the Mo King Manor. Although Xiao Yi Bei was being frivolous, he stopped speaking and didn''t continue teasing her.


    Not long after, Yuli''s voice could be heard from outside, "Prince, Miss Li Yue, the wangfei is inside accompanying His Highness Crown Prince to speak."


    "You''re back?" Xiao Yi Bei smiled and looked toward the door. He saw Xiao Yi Xiu walking in with Li Yue in his arms.


    Xiao Yi Bei intentionally looked at their hands and revealed an imperceptible smile. "The Fifth Imperial Brother is very romantic. He has a beautiful main wife at home, and he even has an honorary Ghost Doctor in his arms."


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at Li Yue but remained silent. He knew that it was impossible to hide news of Li Yue at the Residence of Mo King, so he did not intend to keep it a secret.


    Xiao Yi Bei stood up and walked around Li Yue, causing her to subconsciously flinch behind Xiao Yi Xiu. She lowered her eyes as if she wasn''t used to it.


    "Fifth royal brother, your vision is getting worse and worse. This Ghost Doctor doesn''t look that good, how can she compare to Fifth sister-in-law?" Could it be that under the red veil, there is Zhang Qing Cheng''s face? "


    He suddenly stretched out his hand and shook it. He was so shocked that he shifted his gaze away from the moon, thinking that he was going to take off his veil.


    Gu Qingli looked on with amusement. She regretted that Xiao Yi Bei hadn''t really taken off her veil and wanted to see what kind of painting was underneath.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu abruptly raised his hand and grabbed his wrist, fast and unstoppable, dazzling everyone who saw it.


    Xiao Yi Bei was so shocked that he took a few steps back. Only then did he feel that the hand gripping his wrist was still powerless. His clothes were drenched in cold sweat. He smiled and said, "The Fifth King''s attacks are as fast as they were in the past. What a pity ¡­ Even if you have the speed of the past, what can you do? "


    He lowered his arm inch by inch, and Xiao Yixiu looked weak and powerless, as if he couldn''t hold him back at all.


    "The Crown Prince came to my humble abode today. Could it be just to see how many beauties there are in my house?"


    Xiao Yi Bei laughed. "I''ve only come to look at your body, Fifth Imperial Brother. However, it looks like ¡­"


    Before he finished speaking, Xiao Yixiu had already grabbed a handkerchief and violently coughed a few times, as if he couldn''t catch his breath. Falling Moon caressed his back, whispering comfort.


    Xiao Yi Bei''s gaze swept across the handkerchief in Xiao Yi Xiu''s hands. His grip on the handkerchief was tinged with a bloody red.


    Gu Qingli also saw it and couldn''t help but be astonished and admire him. At this moment, she didn''t see what he was doing. Just what kind of trick was that mouthful of blood hiding in that handkerchief? In any case, this person''s words and actions were full of deceit, everyone would unknowingly fall into his trap.


    At this time, the Eastern Palace Guard Captain also brought the group of guards over. He didn''t look too good either.


    As Xiao Yi Bei walked out, he heard the captain whispering in his ear. The space between his eyebrows immediately creased into a ball.


    Following which, the last guard carried the leopard cat called Lingzhi in his arms and whined softly.

 C95 dispute

    "You''ve found the Lingzhi?" Gu Qing Li looked into the distance.


    Xiao Yi Bei looked at her and then politely smiled, "Fifth royal brother, fifth sister, I still have some matters to attend to so I will leave first. I will come again another day."


    "Take care, Crown Prince." "It''s nothing," Xiao Yixiu said politely, but his feet didn''t move at all, and his expression was very calm. I just came back from the market, so I''m very tired.


    "I''ll send you off." Gu Qingli followed Xiao Yi Bei out.


    "Very good." Xiao Yi Bei instantly smiled brilliantly.


    "Princess!"


    Gu Qing Li turned his head and saw the anger in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes. Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to be warning him. Gu Qing Li turned his head and saw the anger in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes.


    "Your Highness, how could the wangfei do such a thing?" When Li Yue saw that everyone had left, she asked in surprise.


    Xiao Yi''s face was as cold as frost. He shook off her hand and walked out without a word.


    "Take care, Crown Prince." Gu Qingli stood inside the gates of the prince''s mansion and waved her delicate hands towards the crown prince with a smile. Her gentle and moving expression attracted Xiao Yi Bei''s attention, who couldn''t help but turn her head back again and again.


    "Have you sent enough?"


    Gu Qingli turned around and saw Xiao Yi Xiu standing behind her. His eyes were like a frozen river, staring coldly at her. If looks could kill, she would have been stabbed six times in a row.


    Gu Qingli smiled like a spring flower swaying. "Enough. His Highness the Crown Prince has already left."


    "If you haven''t sent him enough, do you want This King to grant you the permission to send him back to the palace?" The corners of Xiao Yi Xiu''s lips curled up into a smile, which was even colder than not laughing at all.


    "That''s good ¡­" Xiao Yixiu grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his embrace. With a cold expression, he looked down at her, his devouring gaze close at hand.


    "What is it? Your highness was weak when you held onto the crown prince''s wrist, but when you held onto a weak girl like me, you really want to use all your strength to do so? " Gu Qing Li''s wrist was in so much pain that it was almost broken. His expression was naturally terrible, and he struggled with all his might.


    "Weak girl? It''s ironic that these three words should be used on you. " He gasped, his anger still rising, "Go and return this king to your Feng Lingxuan!"


    "What is it? You think I''ve humiliated you? "


    "Princess, when you leaned on the door to send them off, do you know what they look like?"


    "My prince, do you know what your intertwined hands look like?" Gu Qingli didn''t show any weakness as she stared at him.


    Xiao Yixiu was stunned for a moment before subconsciously relaxing his strength. Gu Qing Li took the opportunity to break free, taking in a breath of cold air as he looked at the few finger marks on Yu Hao''s wrist that were turning from red to green.


    He subconsciously grabbed her fingertip again, wanting to give a light cough, but was thrown away by Gu Qingli. He sneered, "So only King Mo is allowed to set fire to it, and I''m not allowed to light the lamp myself. Thank you for the experience!"


    She walked forward without looking back. Xiao Yi Xiu took a few steps forward to give chase, but then he saw Li Yue coming towards him.


    "Your Highness." Li Yue frowned as she looked at him. "Something happened in the manor. Suifeng didn''t find you just now. He told me that the crown prince must have another motive for coming here. That group of guards almost overturned the estate ¡­"


    "This King knows."


    "You know?" Li Yue widened her eyes in astonishment.


    "We''ll talk about this later. You should go back first."


    Xiao Yi Xiu hastily followed in Gu Qing Li''s direction.


    As expected, Gu Qingli''s door was shut tight, and only Yurou looked at him helplessly from under the porch.


    "Princess, open the door!"


    There was no sound from inside. He walked around to the door that he had left ajar and found the window closed from the inside. He thought for a moment and knocked on the window pane. "Princess, did you calculate that this king would not kick the door in? Yu Ying, go call a group of guards and tell them to tear down the princess'' room, as per this king''s orders. "


    Yu Ying''s eyes opened wide and her mouth was wide open. She was extremely surprised.


    Xiao Yixiu''s face darkened as he looked at her coldly. "You don''t understand what I''m saying?"


    Yu Ying was sure that he was not joking. She bit her lower lip and hurriedly left the courtyard.


    The door opened instantly. Gu Qingli stood at the doorway, her usually cold and arrogant eyes burning with flames, as if she wanted to swallow Xiao Yi Xiu whole.


    Xiao Yi Xiu walked up to her happily. With a warm smile on his face, he asked in a gentle and amiable manner, "Princess Wangfei is willing to open the door?"


    Gu Qingli glared at him. She had no doubt that he really could do something like demolishing a house.


    "Yuying, there''s no need to go." After Xiao Yixiu entered the room, Gu Qingli slammed the door behind her.


    "Is the crown prince here specifically to find an excuse to capture Liu Xin?"


    Gu Qing Li was startled. She hadn''t expected him to ask about this. She thought about it for a moment, then narrated everything the crown prince had done and said. She then looked at him. "Your Highness, who do you think leaked this information?"


    "You reminded me just in time this morning." He did not answer the question.


    "It was also because Vice Minister Lin came that I remembered him."


    He sat down in the chair and waved to her.


    Gu Qingli subconsciously walked over, but he held her hand and looked up at her. "Guess, could it be Ah Yan?"


    "I don''t believe it."


    "This King doesn''t believe it either, but anything is possible."


    "Although he is an honest man, he is not naive. He knows what to say and what not to say."


    "I''m afraid you have forgotten that he is the mother''s son, the prince''s twin brother."


    She thought for a while and still shook her head, "The Crown Prince is too eye-catching. He brought a leopard cat and let us go on purpose. It is exactly the same as what happened to King Chen last time. There must be someone framing King Chen. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly used some strength to hold her hand and pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her soft body.


    Gu Qingli struggled in surprise, but he held her even tighter. She whispered into her ear, "You believe Ah Yan this much? No doubts at all?"


    "Let go ¡­" "Put ¡­"


    "Do you know why Yan hasn''t been here in a long time?"


    "How would I know?" As expected, Gu Qingli''s attention was distracted by him, and she stopped struggling to look at him in surprise.


    "Lin Zhihan sent a message this morning, saying that Yinqin was involved in an investigation of this case. Twenty to thirty officials of all sizes were involved in this. Do you know who the person behind this is?"


    "The Ministry of Rites has always been in charge of the science exam, but didn''t Liu Zhengyan die?"


    "The temporary official is the assistant minister, Jia Shang-jie. The examination is fraudulent, the top and bottom bribes and the spring test questions are leaked out ¡­ How many joints are involved in this? If this matter was confirmed, not only would the Liu Family be exterminated once again, but also Jia Shang Zhong would be implicated. Even if he wasn''t the leader, he wouldn''t be completely unaware ¡­ You know, he''s about to be promoted to the position of Minister. "


    Lady Liu belonged to Imperial Concubine Ling, while Jia Shang was, without a doubt, one of Imperial Concubine Lan''s men. If too many people came to the case of the Spring Festival, they would be able to suppress both sides'' power. No one knew who would benefit from this.

 C96 Gu Qingxiao

    Gu Qingli took in a deep breath, unwilling to believe that the smiling youngster with the heart of a child would one day fall into this sinister and unrelenting struggle for power.


    "Right now, This King cannot easily trust anyone, including Ah Yan."


    "Does that include Li Yue?"


    When Xiao Yi Xiu heard her tone, he couldn''t help but frown. "Is the wangfei really unable to tolerate her?"


    "Your highness likes her, what can I not accept? Can I stop you? There was Xin Wei and his concubine, and Lady Jia behind them. When was I not magnanimous enough? "Rest assured, your highness wants to take her as his mistress, and even if you want her to be your secondary wife, I''ll give her up to you ¡­"


    "She''s lost her memory, so let''s wait for her to recover her identity." He could clearly hear the sour tone in her voice, and he also felt a bit stifled in his heart. But This King has never thought of giving up on you.


    "Thanks, I really don''t dare." Gu Qingli suddenly came back to her senses and discovered that the two of them were sitting in an ambiguous position. She pushed him away from her. "Prince, quickly go find Lady Li Yue. She''s going to get angry."


    Xiao Yixiu seemed as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he could only sigh softly. Gu Qingli''s back was facing him, and she heard him say from behind, "You handled things well today, but you should stay a bit further away from Xiao Yibei the next time you see him. He ¡­" You clearly have the heart to be disloyal. "


    Gu Qingli ignored him. When she heard the door open, she followed him into the distance. Then she suddenly relaxed and threw herself onto the bed. She hit the bed with all her strength, venting out the depression in her heart.


    "Jin Shu, come wash my hair." Li Yue lazily leaned against the edge of the bath barrel and slightly tilted her face. Her hair fell to the side like the feathers of a crow, smooth and black as brocade.


    Jinshu gritted her teeth and bent over to help her wash. In recent days, although she knew that she couldn''t squat down and couldn''t even walk properly, she had been increasingly urging her to do this and that.


    Jin Zhui''s forehead was covered in sweat. His waist was bent to the point that it was extremely sore, and his legs were about to go numb.


    "Tired of standing? Wouldn''t it be fine to just squat or kneel? " Li Yue slightly lifted her eyelids, sneered at her, and lazily closed her eyes again.


    In fact, with her status, she would only serve Xiao Yi Xiu. The rest of the junk was done by Rui Zhu and the maidservants like Xing''er, but what could she do if Li Yue mentioned her name? She knew she was trying to mess with him, but she didn''t know why she did it.


    Jin Shu didn''t say anything. She coldly looked at the red muslin covering her face. Caught off guard, a ladle of water splashed down from Li Yue''s forehead, soaking the red muslin.


    "You ¡­ Are you doing this on purpose? " Li Yue was filled with both shock and anger. Just as she was about to tear off the red muslin, she sternly rebuked, "Scram!"


    "This servant is clumsy and clumsy. Lady Li Yue, don''t blame me. Why don''t I change people to serve ¡­"


    "No need, scram!"


    Jin Zhui sneered slightly and retreated without batting an eyelid, glancing at Gu Qingli who was standing by the window.


    The two of them looked through the gap in the window at the same time. Li Yue pulled off the red veil angrily and threw it far away. She reached out her hand to wipe the droplets of water on her face and then dabbed at it with the cloth.


    When Gu Qingli saw her face clearly, she was as stunned as if she had been shocked by lightning. No matter what, she would never have thought that this fake Li Yue would actually be the Third Miss of the Prime Minister''s Estate, Gu Qingxiao!


    Her original body''s memories were always blurry, and fragments of memories could pop out from it from time to time. Although she had never carefully searched for Gu Qingxiao''s figure, she was still able to quickly piece together that face as long as she saw it.


    When she thought of the intimate and smiling "Second Brother-in-law" on the night of Xiao Yi Mo''s wedding, a blush crept onto her face ¡­ It turned out that Gu Qingxiao had been interested in Xiao Yixiu ever since.


    But now, even if he knew that the one pretending to be him was Gu Qingxiao, it wouldn''t help him at all. Because no matter what the face under the veil looked like, it could not prove that she was fake.


    Gu Qingli stared at his face for a while again. Her washed face looked like it had faded away. Gu Qingxiao had a pair of faint eyebrows that were different from Gu Qingli''s distant eyebrows. No wonder she usually used makeup.


    However, the eyes beneath the eyebrows were long and elegant, full of sentiments. They were very similar to Gu Qing Li''s, and it was hard to tell them apart just by looking at the distance.


    She silently walked to a secluded place. Only then did Jin Zhuyi anxiously ask, "Does the wangfei know her?"


    Gu Qingli lightly shook her head, but then nodded again. "She''s my third sister, Gu Qingxiao."


    Seeing Jin Shu cover her mouth in shock, she sighed again. "So what if I know? Gu Qingxiao could also be Li Yue. This doesn''t prove anything."


    "Then... What should I do, Princess? "


    "I have my ways. Go back and be careful that she doesn''t deal with you again."


    "This servant isn''t afraid of her."


    Gu Qing Li looked at Jin Shu in surprise, only to see her smiling slightly, her eyes flashing with light. She and Yu Ying had served Xiao Yi Xiu ever since they were young, and they could even be brought from the palace to the manor by him. Of course, this was not something an ordinary servant girl could compare to.


    Within the herb garden, a few stalks of medicine were lying on the ground, completely empty.


    Gu Qingli looked at the pit that had been filled with earth and sneered. This kind of thing actually happened in the Prince''s Mansion. It seemed like there was another unreliable person in the mansion.


    "Yuli, prepare yourself to accompany this wangfei on a stroll."


    "Hmm?" Yurei''s eyes widened as she thought she had misheard. Ever since she had entered the palace, she had never been allowed to leave except with the prince, right? Even to the point of being sickly and shut up all day long, and having heard that he had once suffered from tuberculosis of the lung, he did not take any medicine nor did he look ill anymore. However, walking out of the manor ¡­


    "What is it? "You don''t want to?"


    "No no, this servant is just ¡­" Does Your Highness know? "


    "Does Your Highness know that you need to worry about this matter?"


    Gu Qingli''s voice was a little higher, and Yuli immediately kneeled down and kowtowed. "Your servant understands, your servant knows her wrongs."


    Gu Qingli flicked her sleeves and walked out first, ignoring her. Yuli scrambled to his feet and hurried after her.


    There were no carriages at the entrance. Gu Qingli only said that she would walk around casually, but none of the guards stopped her. They respectfully watched her leave.


    Gu Qingli had also gone for a fun stroll along the main road. She seemed to have no interest in walking alone and just bought along the way. Yu Li had more and more bags in her hands, and she even carried the rouge, powder, and clothing on her back in a sorry state.


    In the end, she helplessly watched as Gu Qingli entered a clothing store.


    At the turn of the spring and summer, the noonday sun made Yu Li''s eyes go blurry and her legs went limp. She almost walked in with tears in her eyes.


    This clothing store also sold fabric and accepted the orders. It was said that the embroidery lady was not only first-rate in beauty, but also had extremely nimble hands and feet. He also didn''t know what Gu Qingli had ordered, only seeing her enter the inner hall and vaguely hearing her talking to the embroidery lady inside.


    He followed Gu Qing Li out and started shopping again. After buying another pile of various items, Yupi could no longer walk and looked like she was about to collapse.

 C97 hegemony

    Gu Qingli turned back and looked at her with a faint smile before saying, "This wangfei is also tired. It''s already noon. Let''s find a restaurant by the roadside and eat something."


    As if she had received an amnesty, Yu Li suddenly perked up and followed her into the restaurant.


    After all, he could finally find a place to leave the treasure. Yuping felt her body lighten, and she felt as though she was about to float to the surface.


    Gu Qing Li ordered a round of eight dishes, such as Eight Treasures Duck, Acetin Carp, Yao Zhu stewed chicken wings, Longjing shrimp ¡­ Red, green, green, white and other colors matched perfectly, making her look like she was about three thousand feet into the water. Yupi could only watch as she ate.


    There was no servant in this world who could eat at the same table as Master. Yupi was clear on this point, but how much food could Gu Qingli eat at the table? She could only hope that she would finish eating quickly and that she would still be able to eat some more.


    Results... Gu Qingli ate a few bites of each one and then stopped frowning. She looked a bit uncomfortable, so she found a waiter to ask for the location of the latrine and left.


    Yuli was baffled. Even if the food was not clean, it shouldn''t be so bad for the stomach, right?


    She waited and waited until she saw a few waiters coming with fiendish expressions, followed by the restaurant manager. He pointed at her angrily and said, "It''s her. Her master ate an overbearing meal and ran away using the excuse of going to the toilet!"


    Yu Li was shocked and scolded, "What nonsense are you all spouting? Do you know who my wangfei is? " She was born in the Prime Minister''s Estate, and even though she was a servant, she had been living in a wealthy family for a long time.


    The owner of the restaurant was not an ordinary person. Even the shops that opened on the main road of Beijing were not ordinary people. It was impossible to achieve such a big business without a backer.


    He was obviously not frightened by Yuli''s aura and laughed coldly, "Princess? I still have Imperial Concubine Ling backing me! "Let me tell you, I''ve already gone to the toilet and found your wife who was deceiving you. Since she pawned you here, either you settle your account with her, or you sell your body to repay your debt!"


    Yu Li was furious and said sternly, "Who dares to touch me? I am a servant of Prime Minister Gu''s estate, and I accompanied you to the Residence of Prince Mo. My royal consort is the second born daughter of Prime Minister Gu, and the main consort of Prince Mo''s Estate! "If you don''t believe me, you can go and ask!"


    The shopkeeper didn''t seem to care at all. He twisted his mouth and sneered, "It''s useless even if you say you''re the Jade Maiden by the Queen Mother''s side!" If you can''t take out the money, I''ll have you pay for it! "


    At his command, the few waiters slowly gathered around, their expressions fierce. Yuli finally somewhat panicked, groping up and down, but only found a few loose change in the pocket.


    "Let me tell you, the dishes ordered are either mountain treasure or seafood, a total of sixty-three taels of silver!" For ordinary people, they would not even need fifty silver coins to buy a servant girl.


    What kind of banquet would cost sixty-three taels! Yu Li was shocked. Although these dishes were indeed high quality, they shouldn''t be that expensive, right? Seven taels of silver for a dish?


    "This is the number one place in the capital, the Drunken Immortal Tavern!" What we are here to eat is not food, but elegance! "


    Yuli looked around at the restaurant''s decorations, his vision turning black. Previously, he was as tired as a dog while carrying his stuff. Later on, when he saw Gu Qing Li eating and being as hungry as a wolf, he didn''t pay attention to anything else.


    The Eight Immortals Table was filled with excellent quality yellow and flowery pear trees, and the entire restaurant was filled with the elegant sound of silk and bamboo. The restaurant was facing the main road, and on the back of the restaurant, there was a considerable amount of water flowing into the moat, so much so that one could even clearly see the imperial city''s Biwa Fly ¡­


    Yuli had seen much of the world and knew that this restaurant was where the royal family and famous officials of the capital would display their wealth. It was indeed a place to sell their style. Then, it was really possible that the shopkeeper had said that he was backed up by Imperial Concubine Ling.


    "But I didn''t ¡­" Her tone turned soft as she spoke in a flustered tone, "But my wangfei is really Princess Mo. You two have sent people to the Prince Mo''s estate ¡­"


    The shopkeeper sneered: "Even if that sickly King Mo has arrived, he has to first pay for the wine before speaking! If you don''t have the money, then beat me up first! "


    "No, no, no ¡­"


    In the land of Wang Shishi, a few waiters would knock her down with punches and kicks, then tie her up and say coldly, "You can''t be a waiter in my restaurant, from tomorrow onwards, learn to play the lute of a song and play the lute. If you do well, you can stay here and wait on your esteemed guest.


    Yuki knew exactly where he was talking about. She shook her hair loose and kept crying.


    "With your looks, you won''t be able to sell her for much." The restaurant manager left behind two attendants to watch over her before leaving in a hurry.


    As the sky turned dark, Yuli''s heart was filled with despair. She saw the shopkeeper nod and bow, his face full of flattery as he followed behind Gu Qing Li into the restaurant.


    Gu Qingli frowned at first before she turned around and berated him harshly, "This wangfei came over just four hours late. What, you think I can''t pay for your wine? You even dare to touch someone from the Prince Mo''s Mansion, are you tired of living? "


    With a flick of her sleeve, two ingots of ingots were placed flat on the table. They were embedded in eight points, causing the shopkeeper''s face to turn pale.


    "Fifty silver taels for one ingot. Here is one hundred taels. That should be enough for the wine, right?"


    The shopkeeper squeezed out a word with difficulty, "Enough." However, when he stared at the yellow, flowery, and pear Eight Immortals Table which was embedded with two ingots of Origin Treasures, even if he dug it out, he would still have to leave behind two holes. It was ruined.


    The price of this yellow pear table was more than one hundred taels, but now that Gu Qing Li had revealed his hand, he didn''t dare to say anything else.


    "Alright, this wangfei owes you all this." Gu Qingli pointed at the jade pear, "But our Mo King''s Manor''s maidservant was beaten to such a state, how are we going to settle this debt?"


    The shopkeeper''s expression changed as he looked at the bloody nose, eyes, and mouth of Yuli. He clenched his teeth and was at a loss for words.


    Gu Qingli suddenly smiled, "The capital city is under the hands of the Emperor, so it''s better to pay a visit to the government offices and see who opened this restaurant. With such spirit, they executed the punishment in private, and the punishment was for us from the Prince Mo Residence!"


    This time, the shopkeeper didn''t dare to doubt that she wasn''t Princess Mo. Just from her actions just now, he knew that the woman in front of him was not someone who could openly contradict her. He could only dryly laugh, "This matter was not properly considered by the servants. When I came here, it was already like this ¡­"


    Yuli''s mouth was stuffed with a rag, but he still resisted with wide eyes.


    "Madam ¡­" "No, Princess, how do you want to compensate?" He steeled his heart. A few hundred taels of yellow and pear table was ruined, so he didn''t mind losing some silver. He first dismissed this fiend, then when he came back someone would come looking for her misfortune. Even if she was really from the Mo King''s Manor, she could not be rampant in the capital.


    Gu Qingli suddenly broke into a gentle smile. "Forget it. No matter what, this wangfei was the one who was in the wrong. Before, because I was ill, I went to find someone to check my pulse and take some medicine before coming back late to cause such a misunderstanding. Forget it, release her."


    Yu Li''s hands were freed as she pointed at the shopkeeper with a face full of anger and shock. "Princess, not only did he say you cheated your food and drink, he even called our Prince a sickly man!"


    Gu Qingli''s face darkened as she looked coldly at the shopkeeper.


    "No, absolutely not!" The storekeeper flatly denied it, "Girl, my shop assistant has started an offense against you. I apologize for them, but you can''t speak carelessly when you are blushing and wronging others."


    "Esteemed wangfei ¡­"


    "Let''s go, Yuli."


    Yu Li was angered to the extreme. She wanted to say more, but as she watched Gu Qing Li walk away, she had no choice but to hurry to catch up. Although she had been beaten up and was only injured physically, she could still walk. However, when she saw the shopkeeper return the large and small bags that Gu Qingli had previously bought, she couldn''t help but stare blankly.

 C98 Disposal of pear

    Gu Qingli continued to walk forward. The waiters had no intention of showing mercy and gave all the luggage to Yupi. She struggled to carry them on her back and felt pain everywhere on her body. She couldn''t even move her legs.


    After walking for some distance, Yuli''s vision had already turned black. Gu Qingli turned to look at her and said lightly, "We can''t walk anymore. Let''s go in and take a rest."


    Yu Li acted as if she had received an amnesty and didn''t have the strength to lift her eyes to see what kind of place it was. She bent down to follow her in, and she heard bursts of charming laughter by her ears.


    Instinctively, she felt that this was not a good place. She tried her best to raise her face when she heard a coquettish female voice say, "Yo, madam. We''re not a place for female guests ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li placed the silver ingot in her hand and smiled faintly. "I''m tired. I want to find a quiet room to rest. Does mother not accept female guests?"


    The luxuriously dressed woman was stunned for a moment. She immediately put on a charming smile, and even her makeup was about to fall. "Yes, there is. Please go to the room!"


    Yu Li could tell from the corner of her eyes that this magnificent and bustling building was obviously a high-class gold selling place. The teaching department that kept the courtesans in the capital was actually a brothel.


    However, Gu Qing Li didn''t turn around and headed straight upstairs. Although Yuli felt that the situation was getting more and more bizarre, she didn''t dare to question anything as she followed her into a private room. The room wasn''t as thick as the scented powder outside, but it was simple and quiet.


    Their mother, who had brought them in, left with a coquettish smile, while Gu Qingli went behind the screen to have Yupi put down her things and wait outside.


    There were some sounds coming from inside, and it was unknown what they were doing. While Yuli was still in shock, someone knocked on the door a few times. She asked warily, "Who?"


    "Warm."


    Yuli didn''t know who the scent was, but she heard Gu Qingli say, "Come in."


    Following which, she walked into a woman with gorgeous makeup that emitted the scent of roses. She was dressed in an Indian blue dress embroidered with butterflies and flowers, the white silk of her chest was faintly discernible, and the two finger-wide green silk of her waist was tied up tightly.


    "Master." That woman walked in seductively, but in the blink of an eye, her expression was replaced with a bewitching air, and she knelt down respectfully in front of the screen.


    A pair of Ferguson''s clothes came out from behind the screen, and a red veil fluttered in the wind. Black hair hung down his shoulders, and only a pair of bone-chilling eyes shone with a faint killing intent.


    "Lady Li Yue!" Yu Li was scared out of her wits and she kneeled to the floor. She couldn''t understand why Li Yue, who had said goodbye to Liu Yanyu and was determined to leave Prince Mo''s Mansion, would come back!


    "Yuli, do you still not know who I am?" The voice behind the red muslin was exceptionally familiar.


    Upon hearing these words, Yu Li''s face became as pale as paper as she sat on her legs.


    "That''s right, I''m Li Yue and Gu Qingli." Gu Qing Li changed his voice and slowly took off the red muslin cloth.


    Yuli stared at her, not knowing when the Gu family''s eldest daughter, who she had watched growing up, would be able to change her voice at will. She had easily become someone else.


    Gu Qingli smiled as her eyes turned colder, "So, you only know what''s going on. You don''t know why. You stole the red dress to give to Gu Qingxiao, but didn''t know that I was Li Yue."


    Yupi looked at the robe on her body as she walked past the clothing store she passed by today, and understood what was going on. The material for this set of clothes was actually custom-made at that shop. If that was the case, the reason why he had eaten such an overbearing meal in the restaurant was obviously because she was trying to show him something, but now ¡­


    She looked around in astonishment. This was a brothel, and no matter how elegant it was, it was still a place where women sold their bodies! She immediately thought of something in fear. "Esteemed wangfei, this servant doesn''t dare anymore. This servant understands her mistake ¡­" She kowtowed with all her might, trembling as she begged for mercy.


    Gu Qingli ignored her and looked indifferently at the warm fragrance. "I''ll leave this woman in your hands. Train her properly, you should understand."


    Warm Fragrance glanced at Yuping and smiled faintly. "Yes, Master."


    Yu Li jumped up in fright. She had no idea where she got the strength from, but she started to run away. But then her shoulders tightened, and she moved more quickly than she did. She put her arms around her shoulders, grabbed him by the back of her hand, and kicked her in the back of her leg.


    Yu Li kneeled down on the ground, in so much pain that she was in tears. She had never imagined that there would be such an expert in this brothel. She had tears all over her face as she stared fearfully at Warm Fragrance. "You ¡­" Who exactly are you? "


    Warm Fragrance smiled like a sly fox. "You''ll soon see who I am." On the surface, Xuanhua Tower was controlled by the mother outside, but she was the real mastermind. She had been hiding this fact well and not many people knew it.


    Gu Qingli smiled and pointed at the pile of things she had bought. "I''ll reward you with all of these." She only picked up a small package from it.


    The warm fragrance unexpectedly turned over the items, such as rouge, water powder, luxurious clothing, fine fabric ¡­


    "Thank you, Master."


    "Speaking of which, you''ve never received a salary for doing things for me. I''ll consider that." Gu Qingli suddenly whispered to Warm Fragrance, "Help me pay careful attention to a person and set up eyes to understand his every move."


    "Who?"


    "Prince Chen, Xiao Yiyan." Gu Qing Li subconsciously refused to believe that Xiao Yi Yan was the one who betrayed Xiao Yi Xiu. It was very possible that Liu Xin''s whereabouts had been leaked out by someone else. She wanted to find out and exterminate all the spies in the Mo King''s Manor.


    "Royal Consort ¡­ Princess! Do not leave me here! "


    As Gu Qingli left indifferently, she heard Yuli''s hoarse wails. It wasn''t that she hadn''t given him a chance. Since that girl didn''t know how to retreat, then he couldn''t blame her.


    The Prime Minister''s daughter, the third young miss, was indeed worth fawning over, even more than the second young miss, who had lost her mother earlier and was disliked, wasn''t he? Gu Qing Li''s lips curved into a cold and disdainful smile.


    But in her opinion, what did Gu Chaoran count for? Back then, she did not even put King Mo in her eyes! A maidservant like Yu Li was like an ant, daring to bully her? Lian Qingxiao would be her dish sooner or later!


    Surprisingly, when Gu Qingli returned to the palace, the first person she saw was Xiao Yixiu. He sat quietly in her room, looking at her coldly.


    It was late, and the lanterns under the porch were swaying. There was only a small corner of the palace lamp burning in the room. The dim light made his face look gloomy.


    "It''s already so late, the prince isn''t sleeping well. What are you waiting for me here?" Gu Qingli casually put down the things in her hands and swept her hair.


    Her actions were casual and casual, but in Xiao Yixiu''s eyes, her seductive charm was filled with indifference and indifference towards him.


    "Come here."


    Gu Qingli was baffled. When she walked to his side, she suddenly thought of his usual actions and subconsciously turned her body to dodge. As expected, she avoided his hand and followed after the two of them.


    She had never fought with him before. Before he could not use his Qi, she had only seen his speed occasionally and had no idea how powerful he was. Now that they had really started fighting, she felt the air around him was like a raging storm, sweeping up her dress.


    Gu Qing Li suddenly didn''t look too good. With a feint, he was able to escape with two somersaults. Just as he regained his balance, before he could even catch his breath, he felt someone else appear behind him.


    Surprised, she threw back her hand, but her wrist was restrained. Then, without any resistance, she was picked up by him and carried towards the bed.


    She was frightened and frustrated. In her previous life, she had been a gold medal killer, but in ancient times, she realized that the ancient martial arts were very different from what she imagined. Her moves were extremely powerful and varied, enough to deal with normal experts. However, against such a terrifying inner force expert like Xiao Yi Xiu, her moves were unable to compete with his domineering inner force.

 C99 Gift

    "Princess Hua-Yang really isn''t just casually practising her moves." His cold voice rang out in her ears. He twisted both of her arms behind her back, and then directly leaned on her body.


    Was he trying to crush her? Gu Qingli felt a little breathless. With his mountain-like pressure, what made her feel even more unbearable was the manly aura he exuded, and the warm breath he was giving in her ear.


    She even felt that his breathing carried a faint yet elegant fragrance. It was warm and pleasant, and she didn''t know where it came from.


    "You ¡­ You aren''t trying to kill me, are you? " She looked directly at him.


    "Where did the wangfei go today?"


    She rolled her eyes and sneered. "Is there anything I can hide from you?" Of course, she believed that Xuanhua Pavilion was a safe place, as it was also Warm Fragrance''s territory.


    He said in a low voice, "The Princess went all over the main thoroughfare and bought a bunch of things... And then, they were all thrown in Xuanhua Tower, what kind of place is that, for the wangfei to be stuck in there for so long? "


    "What kind of place is that, does Your Highness not know?" She knew instantly what he was thinking, and she was annoyed and amused at the same time. What was he mad at? Was she going to Xuanhua Tower?


    "It is one of the biggest gold selling caves in the capital, the favorite place for royalty and nobles to go." Her charming eyes were full of hope, and her smile was concealed. "Could it be that the Prince is also a regular customer?"


    Xiao Yixiu''s expression instantly became icy cold. He gritted his teeth and stared at her, "I''m an honored guest. Are you happy?"


    She smiled. He suddenly realized that he had been led astray by her and coldly snorted. "You, a woman, are going there on official business?"


    "Yes." Gu Qingli''s smile gradually faded. "Your highness can see everything, so you should know where I left Yuli."


    "Why?"


    "Nothing, shopping, I don''t have the money to pay the bill. Sell her and exchange it for some money." She played it lightly, as if it were just a joke.


    "What did she do?"


    "Your highness wants to know, go ask her yourself at Xuanhua Tower." Gu Qingli raised an eyebrow. Would he go? To hear the truth about the holiday? But she knew that it was impossible for him to set foot in a place like Xuanhua Tower.


    But he rose from her, his tone softer, clearly believing her words: "Since you''ve dismissed her, there''s always a reason for you. "She''s someone you brought from the Gu Estate. It''s not good for me to interfere with how you''re going to punish her."


    Gu Qingli was very surprised. This was the first time he had shown such trust towards her. Could it be that the sun was rising from the west today?


    "It''s just that you didn''t buy anything for This King after strolling around for an entire day?"


    What did he want her to buy? She bit her lower lip as she stared at him. She stood up with some reluctance and went to the table to unfold the small bag she had brought back.


    Inside, there was a man''s satin gown. It was a moon-white in color, and the sleeves of his sleeves were beautifully embroidered. Beneath the clothes, there were even blue ripples embroidered on the bottom.


    "Did you really buy this for This King?" He had only casually mentioned it, but he didn''t expect it to be true.


    "And this." She pressed a butter paper packet under her coat into his hand.


    Xiao Yi Xiu curiously spread it open. His face looked like he didn''t know what to say. "This ¡­"


    Gu Qingli lazily turned her head to look, but her expression was a bit stiff. She forced a smile. "I wasn''t paying attention, but I was too pressured ¡­"


    A packet of chestnut cake was crushed into pieces and scattered within the paper bag. From the looks of it, it couldn''t be eaten. She wanted to take it away from him, but he withdrew his hand and placed a small piece into his mouth, slowly tasting it. His expression seemed to have an endless taste, even slightly narrowing his phoenix-like eyes in satisfaction, a trace of a smile appearing on his face.


    "You''re still eating?"


    "It doesn''t taste too good, but the wangfei bought it. It''s still a little sweet." He glanced at her as he ate. "It seems that this is the first time the wangfei has bought something for me."


    Hearing his regretful tone, her heart suddenly softened. She smiled and said, "I''ll cook for you when I have time. My cooking skills are not for show."


    "Royal Consort ¡­ "You even know how to cook?"


    This wangfei knows a lot, how much do you know? She glared at him, then shook off her clothes and said as casually as she could, "Come and try it."


    He was used to her awkward, distant tone, so he took off his coat and put it on in the open gown she held in her hand.


    "It''s rather fitting. Princess, do you know how big This King is?"


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt that his words sounded like a double entendre, so she couldn''t help but glance at him again. She actually thought of some bad things ¡­ There was a profound look in his eyes, as if that was what she was thinking.


    Her face suddenly turned red. Annoyed, she closed the front of his shirt and stopped buttoning it down for him. "Wear it yourself."


    But he smiled silently, and with an indescribable feeling in his heart, he took her in his arms, bent his face, and kissed her soft lips.


    "Prince, are you inside?" Outside the courtyard, Li Yue''s soft and weak voice sounded.


    Yu Ying''s urgent and low voice sounded as if she was trying to explain.


    The two people in the room looked at each other, their expressions subtly changing.


    On the other hand, the people outside the courtyard clearly saw the two figures that seemed to have merged into one as they slowly separated from each other.


    Yu Ying looked embarrassed, and peeked at Li Yue from time to time, but other than Li Yue''s eyes that were exposed on the red silk, no other expression could be made out.


    The pair of intoxicating eyes that could hold the entire galaxy, at this moment, was filled with a heart biting jealousy and hatred.


    Yu Ying even saw the flashing light.


    "Your Miss Li Yue has arrived." Gu Qing Li''s voice was full of mockery, and her expression instantly turned cold.


    "Open the door." Xiao Yixiu hurriedly buttoned his shirt. He was still wearing the long sleeves that Gu Qingli had just bought, even his front collar was loose. It was hot in spring and summer, and all that was left was a thin shirt.


    "If you want to go, go by yourself. It''s not like you''re looking for me." Gu Qingli waved her sleeve, feeling even more unhappy. Was it a demonstration or something, for a young man to brazenly come to the front door of the main room? Of course she wouldn''t open the door.


    Xiao Yi Xiu felt quite helpless. He put on his clothes, tidied himself up, and then went to open the door.


    Li Yue stood outside the door, her eyes suddenly glazed over as she stared at his face.


    Xiao Yixiu subconsciously touched his cheek, wondering what was so strange about him.


    Li Yue bit her lower lip as her eyelids drooped, but she quickly changed to a smile. "Your highness, Li Yue is thinking of old matters. If Your highness is free, why don''t you accompany me to Xiaoyao''s garden for a chat?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. He turned his head to look at Gu Qing Li. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with her back facing him and her shoulders seemed to slightly shrug. His heart skipped a beat. He almost wanted to stay, but a soft hand appeared in the crook of his arm. It held him and said softly, "Let''s go."


    It was only when they left that Gu Qingli finally turned around. She couldn''t hold back the smile in her eyes; it was filled with a vengeful cunning and craftiness. She bought so much cosmetics today that she asked Du Ying to apply some makeup on herself before coming back.


    Xiao Yixiu kissed her lips, which inevitably had a bit of rouge on them. He also emitted a faint fragrance of osmanthus flowers. If she didn''t look, she could imagine Gu Qingxiao''s distorted face beneath the red muslin veil.

 C100 Design(1)

    She casually ran her fingers over her lips, looked down at the little bit of rouge on her fingertips, and couldn''t help but smile complacently.


    Li Yue, who had already walked far away, walked on the small path towards Feng Zhixuan.


    Xiao Yixiu was about to say something when she stopped walking. He turned around, took a handkerchief, and wiped his lips. His eyes were filled with resentment as he said, "My lord, I''ve forgotten a lot of things all of a sudden."


    With a quick thought, Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to understand what was going on. He subconsciously held her hand, and his earlobes were dyed with a layer of red.


    "Li Yue, I''m sorry."


    "The thing I shouldn''t forget the most is that you still have a main wife." Li Yue''s long eyelashes fluttered, and her voice was choked with sobs. After two flashes, her eyelashes gained a bit of crystal clear water glow.


    Xiao Yixiu almost blurted out a promise, but Gu Qing Li''s figure spun in his mind. He took a deep breath, feeling conflicted and frustrated, and didn''t say anything else. He pulled her into his embrace and patted his back lightly, "Give me some time, and give yourself some time as well."


    Under the moonlight, two figures that were embracing slowly walked into Feng Che Xuan and stopped at the door.


    Suifeng looked at them from afar and rolled his eyes. He then murmured a few words in a low voice and retreated far away. When he accidentally bumped into the Jin Shu behind him, he was shocked. "What are you doing standing there in the dark like a ghost?"


    Jin Shu bit her lower lip. After a long time, she whispered, "I think this Li Yue is fake!"


    Suifeng was shocked and quickly covered her mouth, "Don''t talk nonsense, do you want to die?"


    Jinshu bit his hand angrily before she broke his grip. The wind was hissing with pain, but she didn''t dare to make a sound. She could only silently endure it and glare at her angrily.


    "I''ll prove it to you sooner or later."


    Suifeng saw that Xiao Yixiu was holding onto Li Yue as he entered the room. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Forget about you. I saw that she was about to hook up your soul." Say, previously, Miss Li Yue was only cold when she looked at people. Why is it that when Miss Li Yue looked at us coldly, the gaze she used to use on the prince seemed to be on the verge of igniting? "


    "The way this Li Yue looks at others is not cold, but arrogant." Jin Shu tapped him on the forehead. "Insensible."


    Windy suddenly realized something and he finally found a reason why he didn''t like Li Yue. "Right, right. Ever since she was found, she has become ¡­ "He''s especially arrogant, with the exception of the prince, no one else in his eyes."


    Jin Shu couldn''t be bothered to pay any more attention to him. She crouched down and started to walk towards the window. Wind grabbed her and whispered, "What are you doing?"


    "I can''t let her drag Prince into bed, then there''s no other way around it!"


    "What does that have to do with you?" Suifeng had a surprised look on his face.


    Jin Shu''s face darkened as she glared at him. "I can''t let her bully the wangfei so openly!"


    Windy''s eyes immediately widened. Didn''t the sun rise from the east today? When did this girl become loyal to the wangfei?


    Inside the room, Xiao Yixiu was drinking with Li Yue under the full moon light, talking in a low voice.


    Li Yue seemed to be too weak to drink. After a few cups, she tottered as she helped the table up. Xiao Yi Xiu had no choice but to help her up.


    "I... I''m not drunk, so I can still drink. " She raised her head slightly and smiled sweetly at Xiao Yi Xiu, then raised her glass and drained it in the blink of an eye.


    When Xiao Yi Xiu saw her snow-white skin and bright red lips among the red gauze, he suddenly felt a little intoxicated.


    "Prince ¡­" She poured another cup for herself, but was blocked by Xiao Yixiu.


    "Li Yue, you''re drunk. You can''t drink anymore."


    "This cup is for the prince." Her eyes were filled with flirtatiousness as she swirled the wine cup in her hand.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had no choice but to accept it. He raised his eyebrows, intending to half hold her and half support her away from the table.


    Li Yue suddenly stretched out her arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. She placed her face against her and pressed her lips together. A mouthful of fragrant wine was about to be transferred into his mouth.


    Xiao Yixiu''s entire body was burning. He clearly couldn''t control himself, but for some reason, he pursed his lips and pushed her away. "Li Yue, you''re really drunk. I''ll help you to your room."


    His face was cold, and he was clearly not looking at her with the tender affection he had earlier.


    After being rejected by him in such a way, she immediately choked and choked on half of it onto their clothes. She choked on the tears in her eyes, feeling wronged and wronged as she coughed, "Your Highness, when you found me, you said how important I am to you. But now, not only are you intimate with my wife, you''re even treating me coldly ¡­"


    "Li Yue!"


    "Could it be that I will never be able to recover my memories ¡­" You''ll always... Never touch me? " She stretched out her hand to remove her veil. "Don''t you want to see what I look like?"


    "You have lost your memory. This is not your heart. If you ever think back to coming here and feel regret, it would be This King''s fault. This King wants to see how you look, but when you''re awake and free, with your memories gone, isn''t that the same as taking advantage of someone else? "


    Li Yue resentfully looked at him and staggered out of the door with his support. Her entire body was hanging on his body, and her arms were soft, almost inseparable from his.


    Xiao Yixiu felt his body heat up, but he couldn''t push his away. He could only maintain a solemn expression as he pursed his lips into a thin line.


    After exiting the room, Jin Shu came over and greeted, "Aiya, Miss Li Yue seems to have drank too much. This servant will send her back on behalf of the prince."


    Xiao Yi Xiu hesitated for a moment but still let her go. He was afraid that if he held her so close to him again, he would lose his composure. After all, he was a hot-blooded man, and the woman in his arms was the one he dreamt of. He could not bear to let her mutter to herself while her hands moved across his chest.


    "King ¡­" Without waiting for her to look back, he quickly withdrew his hand and retreated back into his room.


    The brocade Shu carried the moon on her shoulder and went to the moon.


    Li Yue''s heart was filled with rage, but she was naturally not really drunk. She was only pretending to be drunk and act like a spoiled child. She didn''t expect that she would be cut off by that little girl, Jin Shu, without being able to sway Xiao Yi''s will.


    Stupid girl! She gritted her teeth and cursed in her heart, but she maintained her composure as she forcibly pressed her entire body onto Jin Shu''s shoulder. She knew that the brocade Shu''s knee is not yet complete, this pressure, the brocade Shu immediately broke out in a forehead full of sweat.


    Jinshi bit his lower lip and watched as Windy made a face at her. His eyes were full of sympathy, but he couldn''t call for help. He could only bear with it and make his way out of the courtyard.


    Not long after leaving Feng Zhaoxuan, Li Yue used her slender fingers under the shoulder of the brocade sword to viciously pinch the soft flesh on her arm. Her eyes were filled with malice as she glared at her.


    Jin Shu cried out in pain. Tears were about to come out of her eyes. Suddenly, she angrily glared at Yue Yu.


    But in Li Yue''s eyes, there was a venomous snake-like smile.


    "Miss Luo!" Jin Shu didn''t continue to confront her angrily, but turned her gaze towards another direction instead.


    Li Yue was stunned as she saw Luo Yun leisurely walking over in the dark. She was dressed in a lotus root robe with a shining collar and a gentle and beautiful face.


    "It''s been a long time since Lady Li Yue has returned. Seeing that the door to the courtyard is about to be locked, I went out to look for her. "Aiyo, Jin Shu, what''s wrong with Miss Li Yue?"

 C101 Design(2)

    In the end, Luo Yun was a guest of the Prince''s estate. Li Yue slightly restrained her expression when facing her, lowering her head and not saying a word.


    Jinshu answered, "Miss Li Yue drank a few more cups. Can Miss Luo do me a favor?" Ye Zichen sneaked a glance over.


    Luo Yun understood and came over. She placed Li Yue on either side of Jin Shu, smiling as she said, "Let me help you."


    Li Yue was somewhat disgusted, but because she was pretending to be drunk, she couldn''t refute, so she allowed them to carry her forward. In front of them was a small garden and an artificial pond called the Crane Shadow Pond. At night, the occasional croak of frogs and insects could be heard.


    "Miss Li Yue, this pond is called Crane Shadow, do you think there''s a crane inside?"


    Li Yue didn''t even raise her head and was too lazy to pay attention to her. The shadow of the crane was probably taken from "Just a lone crane, Hengjiang from the east". Could such a small pond really raise a crane?


    Li Yue was ridiculing Luo Yun''s ignorance when she heard Jin Shu say, "Once upon a time, there really was a pair of cranes in this pool. Later, one of them died, while the other died standing on a fake mountain day and night in isolation. Until now, there are still rumors circulating around the mansion that we could hear the cry of a crane and see the shadow of a crane in the middle of the night. "


    Luo Yun shivered. "Don''t tell such a terrifying thing in the middle of the night."


    "Aiya, Miss Luo, look at that fake mountain top. Doesn''t it look like there''s a crane standing on that Exquisite Stone?"


    Li Yue''s entire body turned cold. She suddenly raised her eyes and discovered that she was actually standing at the edge of the Crane Shadow Pond. Luo Yun tiptoed over to take a look. Suddenly, her feet slipped and she seemed to have slipped, causing Li Yue to fall forward.


    The shore of the pond was heavy with moisture, and the moss covered the stone steps. Li Yue was already unable to stand steadily, and her foot even stepped on the mossy stone. She completely lost her balance, then cried out miserably.


    At this point, Jinshu had already let go of her hand and nimbly dodged to the side, while Luoyun fell down with her, at the same time freeing himself from her.


    Li Yue thought that Luo Yun had lost her center of gravity and fished a few times in midair before falling into the pond. She didn''t see Luo Yun wave a soft ribbon around the willow tree and jump up to the top of the tree.


    "Aiyo, Miss Li Yue, Miss Luo, what happened to you two?" The only sound that could be heard on the shore was the frightened cry of the brocade, and it seemed as if it was still reaching out to her, but it was too dark for her to see clearly.


    Luo Yun jumped down from the tree and sneered from afar. Jin Shu pretended to call out, "Miss Li Yue, I''ll get someone to save you!" She then retreated to Luo Yun''s side. The two of them smiled at each other before leaving.


    "What if they drown?" Luo Yun turned to look back.


    "She didn''t drown, and the edge of the Crane Shadow Pond was more than two feet deep. She was too scared to know what to do, and flopped about randomly. Actually, she only needed to stand straight and grope for a few steps before reaching the shore." "Jin Shu curled her lips." At most, the night will be cold and the water cold, and the wind would be cold. "


    "Isn''t she the Ghost Doctor? Even if she''s sick, she can cure herself, haha! " Luo Yun proudly went back to Yuexuan.


    On the other hand, Jinshu had returned to Feng Zhaoxuan, pulled up his sleeves, and then ran with the wind.


    Suifeng was baffled, "Hey, hey, damn girl, what are you doing?"


    "Save her! Miss Li Yue fell into the water!"


    "..." You did it? " Suifeng was indeed worthy of being with Xiao Yi Xiu for a long time. As soon as he thought about it, he felt that something was wrong.


    "She was drunk and fell in herself."


    "Who would believe that!"


    She ran all the way to the pond, and sure enough, Li Yue had climbed up by herself. She was lying on the mossy stone, vomiting and coughing. She had long forgotten about pretending to be drunk.


    "Miss Li Yue, what''s going on?" Suifeng was somewhat panicking, Jin Shu''s panicking was purely an act. Anyways, the night was dark, and no one could see the joy in her eyes.


    At this time, Suifeng no longer cared about the difference between a man and a woman. He took the wet, frostbitten Li Yue''s back and sent her to Yuexuan.


    Inside, the pretty girl had washed and changed her clothes and wrapped her in a quilt.


    As soon as Li Yue regained some of her spirit, she immediately recalled that there was something fishy about the previous matter. She glared angrily at the little sister, wanting to say something.


    Jin Shu, however, was extremely nimble. She immediately said with an expression of concern, "Miss Luo also doesn''t know how to swim. At that time, she climbed out by herself when she fell into the water. This servant will go and see what''s wrong with her. We can''t be merciful." With that said, she did not give Li Yue the chance to speak and hurriedly left.


    Although it was the end of spring, the coldness in the water was enough to freeze a person''s body. The fake Gu Qingxiao was a daughter of the Prime Minister''s family who had been pampered since he was young. A dozen sneezes and a dozen sneezes followed. Tears flowed down his face, his body was cold, his skin was cold, and he was shivering and curled up in the quilt as he started to get hot.


    However, during this month, there was only Liu Yanyu, who was on good terms with her, and Luo Yun, who was not on good terms with her. The rest of the servants and maids would only be here to clean during the day.


    It wasn''t until almost noon that Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli arrived at Yuexuan.


    At first, Xiao Yixiu didn''t know what had happened, so he first went to Gu Qingli''s place early in the morning. It was only when he returned to the Windy Pavilion and saw Jin Shu that he heard that the moon had fallen into the water.


    Gu Qingli was somewhat clear on the situation, but she didn''t say much. She only gave Jin Shu a deep look, and when she saw the flickering smile in her eyes, her heart became even clearer.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t think much of it until he saw Li Yue.


    It had only been a single night, yet a Ghost Doctor was already so sick that her entire face turned green. Her eyes became dull and lifeless. She didn''t even have the strength to open them.


    "Jin Shu, how did you take care of Li Yue last night?" Xiao Yi Xiu roared before waving his hand. "Royal Consort, go and invite Luo Yun over."


    Jin Shu struggled and kneeled down. The pain from her injured knee made her sweat profusely. As she cried, she recounted the details of last night''s events.


    Gu Qing Li walked in front of Luo Yun''s door and knocked a few times. She called out to Miss Luo and the door opened.


    Luo Yun stuck her head out and, seeing that there was no one outside, pulled her in. She smiled strangely: "Li Yue has caught a cold, and Your Highness has asked you to invite me to treat it?"


    Gu Qingli knew that this girl had a lot of wickedness and wickedness, so she snorted when she heard him. "You sure have good foresight, like the Goddess, Zhuge."


    Luo Yun was smiling so much that her eyes were curved, while her sweet and clear smile had two strange, wonderful eyes.


    Gu Qingli sized her up. "Could it be that last night''s matter ¡­" You designed it? "


    Luo Yun''s smile was faint, but her expression was respectful. "Royal Concubine, please don''t be suspicious. It was just an accident last night. On the other hand, ever since that Li Yue had returned to the palace, she had become even more adamant about going out with the prince.


    Following that, her expression softened as she smiled sweetly and innocently. She said with a gentle and young manner, "Princess, Yun''er has always been humble for you. You are of noble birth and elegance, so why does Your Highness care about that fox like Li Yue?"


    This Luo Yun had too many ulterior motives. From her words, one could tell what she was going to say.


    Although Gu Qinglian was uneasy and kind, Gu Qingli didn''t want to be associated with her. She coldly glanced at her and sneered in her heart. If this Li Yue wasn''t fake, then wouldn''t Luo Yun be dealing with her?

 C102 Design(3)

    "Princess, please think about it. Your Highness is only so concerned about the amnesic Li Yue. If she were to recover her memories, do you still not know how to pamper her? If you really let her in, then you really will ¡­ To watch her snatch away the Prince step by step like this? "


    Gu Qingli calmly glanced at her as if she was deep in thought. After a while, she lightly said, "Your words make sense, but didn''t all of this happen? Maybe it was just worrying. You saw how the prince married Xin Wei''s concubine, Madam Yue, and then welcomed Madam Jia into his household, so what would happen in the end? "


    "How can it be the same? The princes'' wives were not what he wanted, but it was different for Li Yue. Not only did she move his heart, she even saved his life! "Esteemed wangfei, it''s always good to be on the safe side!"


    Gu Qingli let out a light sigh. "What kind of person does Your Highness want to like? How can you let me do that?" She walked out with a dejected face, but it seemed as if she was talking to herself. "However, Miss Li Yue seems to have lost her memory after returning to the Prince''s Mansion. Miss Luo, do you think she has forgotten about her medical skills?"


    Luo Yun was startled as he stared at her back in bewilderment. She cautiously asked, "How did the wangfei think of this?"


    "Oh, you said she was hit by cold water last night. If her medical skills are still there, how could she not remember to give herself a prescription? The Prince''s Mansion had already prepared medicinal gardens and medicine ingredients, so finding a few to dispel the cold shouldn''t be difficult, right? Did he really have to be like this today ¡­ "Sigh!"


    Luo Yun suddenly understood and nodded her head: "The doctor does not know his place. Last night when I fell into the water, I also caught a cold, so there''s no need to mention it, sigh!"


    "Since Miss Luo has caught a cold, I might as well let Mister Liu take a look at Li Yue."


    Xiao Yi Xiu was startled when Liu Yanyu entered the room. He frowned slightly as he saw Gu Qing Li walk in. "Princess Wang has been away for so long. Why did you ask Yanyu to come over?"


    "Lady Luo fell into the water last night and was feeling cold just like Lady Li Yue. There was no choice but to invite Mister Liu. At this time, we can''t care about the difference between men and women. "


    "Yes." Xiao Yi, who was consoling Li Yue with a low voice, moved away from the bed and allowed Liu Yanyu to check his pulse.


    In the blink of an eye, Gu Qing Li discovered that Jin Shu was still struggling to get on her knees, her forehead full of cold sweat.


    "Get up." She pulled Jin Shu down to a seat and lightly rebuked Xiao Yi Xiu. "My prince, what has Jinshu done to you? How are you going to punish her?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s gaze was fixed on Li Yue, not hearing what Gu Qing Li said at all. He casually waved his hand, "She caused Li Yue to lose her footing. What''s wrong with punishing her by kneeling?"


    "Doesn''t Your Highness know that Jinshu''s knee is injured? She had been kneeling on the glass shard for a long time, and the shard had not been taken out for a long time. "In the past two days, I''ve barely been able to walk. Your highness allowed her to carry the drunk Li Yue back to the courtyard. Have you ever thought that it would be difficult for her to even lift a single step?!"


    It was only then that Xiao Yi Xiu looked back and saw Jin Shu''s skirt being lifted and her pants rolled up to her knees. The fresh scab on her knees had been shed and her pants and skirt had been dyed red. Her face was aggrieved and her eyes were filled with tears.


    "Jin Shu..." How come you never said? "


    Jin Shu said softly, "It was all my fault. I was the one who dirtied Lady Li Yue''s clothes; later on, I was unable to help Lady Li Yue ¡­" She and Miss Luo both slid down the slope, this servant really ¡­ He really couldn''t hold it back... That''s why I rushed back and called Suifeng for help. "


    "My lord, this is your mistake. Luo Yun is also supporting Li Yue, how can the Jin Shu hold onto the weight of the two of them as they fall? The injury to her knee was still so serious that even if she went into the water, she wouldn''t be able to save herself, much less save others. You can only blame yourself for making Lady Li Yue so drunk, and not sending her back to her room. "


    "¡­" Xiao Yi Xiu was actually at a loss for words.


    "The night is lonely, the prince left Miss Li Yue so late, a man and a woman drinking together and making her drunk to the point where she can''t even walk. How is it proper for news to spread?" Gu Qingli was so aggressive that even Xiao Yixiu felt his head had been branded with the word "perverted" and was unable to keep up.


    "Jin Shu, let''s go and see Luo Yun." We are both guests and patients of the palace, so Miss Luo must be more worried than Lady Li Yue. We are only concerned about this side, and not one of us went to Miss Luo.


    Gu Qingli had completely quelled Xiao Yixiu''s anger. She walked out the door, vented his anger, and left with a wave of her sleeve.


    Jin Shu followed behind and whispered, "Princess, aren''t we going to see Miss Luo?"


    "Did Miss Luo really fall into the water?"


    With a retort, Jin Shu knew that Gu Qing Li understood everything. She pursed her lips and smiled.


    "Girl, you are quite bold. But you are only a servant girl, yet you dare to use her to scheme against an esteemed guest of the Prince''s Mansion."


    Jin Shu said softly, "Princess is the same as this servant. Do you suspect that this month has not come to the right place?"


    "This wangfei has never said so." Gu Qingli quickened her pace and no longer paid any attention to her. She thought to herself, "This Prince Mo''s mere servant is already so impressive. If the brocade tree is like this, then isn''t Yu Ying also someone who''s hiding her strength?"


    Liu Yanyu asked Li Yue while checking her pulse. She replied in a low voice within the tent. Her voice sounded soft and weak, and from time to time, she would cough a few times. Her voice had turned hoarse, as if she was very sick.


    "How is it?" She remembered that when she came back, she fell into the moat. At that time, she didn''t do anything, so why did it become so serious when she fell into the Crane Shadow Pond?


    Liu Yan Yu replied, "It wasn''t a very severe cold, but I didn''t manage to deal with it last night, so I dragged it out a bit. I just need to take some medicine."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded his head, "Li Yue, you are the Ghost Doctor. Why don''t you find some medicine for yourself?"


    Liu Yanyu smiled warmly, "Maybe it''s because the doctors don''t know what''s good for themselves." Although this explanation was a bit far-fetched, he didn''t want to talk too much about other people''s affairs. It seemed that Li Yue had deliberately made him so seriously ill.


    After he finished writing the prescription, he called for a maid to fetch the medicine and medicine. Yue Lianxuan also had a pharmacy, which was specially set up to study Xiao Yi Xiu''s condition. There weren''t many herbs, but it was more than enough to deal with the cold.


    "Prudence, what are you doing?" The young maid was in the medicine cabinet, taking and weighing the ingredients. She was also very familiar with these tasks and often helped Liu Yanyu with them.


    Luo Yun stood at the door, smiling as he watched her busy herself.


    "Ah, Miss Luo, this servant is collecting Young Master Liu''s medicine, saying that Lady Li Yue has caught a cold, and wanted to fry some medicine for her."


    "Speak a little more. I''ve caught a chill, so I want a bowl too."


    "Alright."


    Luo Yun saw that she was very busy and even followed her into the kitchen. After seeing that she had raised the small stove to fry the medicine, she said slowly, "I''m really serious. I cough really hard, and I''m afraid of suffering. Go and get me some licorice."


    "Here."


    "If the quantity is not enough, add more and the medicine won''t be as bitter."


    As if in a hurry to answer, she went out. Luo Yun looked at the clay pot and grinned. Her smile was seventy percent pleased and thirty percent resentful.


    After the medicine was done frying, he carried two bowls over to Luo Yun like he would usually do.


    As soon as Luo Yun poured the medicine into the flower paste, she let out a cold laugh and knocked on the door.


    The door was ajar. Knocking on it was just a formality. Luo Yun raised her head in shock and put down the medicine bowl. Xiao Yi Xiu came in as well.


    He looked at the dregs in the bowl, then looked at Luo Yun, "Yun''er''s complexion is quite good, it seems like the cold is not serious."


    "I climbed onto the shore by myself last night and was in a very sorry state. I hurriedly returned to drink a bowl of ginger soup. I haven''t had time to go and see it, as I have been told. "


    "I''m fine. Li Yue said that she didn''t see you after that. I don''t know what happened to you, but why didn''t you come ashore at the same time? "


    "After I fell into the water, I probably went in different directions. At that time, I was both embarrassed and terrified. I couldn''t do it myself, so I didn''t pay attention to how she was doing. However, he saw Jin Shu and told her to go get someone. I didn''t know how to swim, and it was very cold, so the brocade lady let me come back first. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded and didn''t say anything else. He only told her to rest. As he was about to leave, he glanced at the immortal guest in the basin from the corner of his eyes.

 C103 Design(4)

    Li Yue had taken a few days of medicine, but her fever continued to rise. She suffered from recurrent illnesses, and even a string of blisters appeared at the corner of her mouth. Xiao Yixiu frowned slightly as he recounted the situation.


    When Liu Yanyu checked his pulse, he frowned slightly as if there was something he couldn''t figure out.


    "Why?"


    "It''s nothing. After taking these few days of medicine, I should have gotten better. Why does it seem like I''m seriously ill now?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu then turned to Li Yue, "There won''t be any problems with the prescription in the next few days, right? Is it not compatible with your physique? "


    Li Yue was startled: "How could that be? Young Master Liu''s medical skills are naturally marvelous. A mere chills, perhaps I have not fully recovered after falling into the moat, my body is too weak."


    She coughed again, looking very weak.


    Liu Yanyu stood up and left without a word. He entered the pharmacy and called Chui Ru over. He opened each drawer and looked at the rest of the ingredients as he asked.


    She didn''t understand, but she would answer any questions she asked. She was the one who had handled all of Li Yue''s prescriptions these days. It was just a cold prescription, so what could possibly happen to her?


    She had been taking care of Liu Yanyu and her sister for a long time, but the thing she did most of the time was to help them with their preparation. Liu Yanyu would occasionally instruct her. She was very smart, and after a while, she also understood a bit of medical knowledge. It was impossible for her to make a mistake with this cold recipe.


    When Liu Yanyu heard this, he went straight to Luo Yun''s room and closed the door.


    "Senior?"


    "Tell me the truth, what did you add to Miss Li Yue''s medicine?"


    Luo Yun stared with wide eyes before her eyes curved into a smile. "Senior Brother, your words really make people puzzled. I''ve been sick recently and I''ve been eating the same medicine as her ¡­"


    "Yun''er!" Others might not understand you, but how could I not know? From the moment Li Yue entered the palace, you didn''t like her. I know what you''re thinking, but even if you don''t like her, you still can''t do this sort of thing! "


    "Senior Brother, what right do you have to think that I was the one who hurt her chills?" Luo Yun suddenly stood up. Her charming face darkened and she gave off a cold aura.


    "Then why don''t you explain why she couldn''t recover even after a few consecutive days when I wrote the prescription for her?"


    "Then I''ll have to ask senior, you can''t even cure a mere chills, could it be that you''ve lost your mind because your heart is preoccupied with beauties?"


    "Yun''er!" Liu Yanyu had always been an extremely gentle person, he couldn''t say any harsh words. Hearing her sarcastic remark, he merely took a deep breath, and then said slowly, "Li Yue said that her mouth was full of bubbles, so I diagnosed that her pulse was obviously still cold and hot. You added a great tonic to her medicine, didn''t you? I just went to check and found that there was less wild ginseng and astragalus in the medicine cabinet. This small pharmacy called the Duke''s Mansion is specially prepared for the prince. It is not a medicine shop, and each medicine shop only has a few taels of silver.


    Luo Yun was speechless, she could only sit there silently with her lips pursed.


    "You clearly know that the cold cannot be added to her medicine, and you even added these into her medicine. Do you know that if she takes it again, something will happen to her?"


    "Senior!" "Those are just things that I want to use to supplement my body ¡­"


    "Yun''er, you can make it up in front of me, but you have to make the prince believe your words." Liu Yanyu''s expression was surprisingly cold. He stood up and left, no longer paying any attention to her.


    Luo Yun stomped her feet in anger.


    On the other side, Xiao Yi was kneeling in the pharmacy, as if he was kneeling down and replying to something. His face had turned pale. Today was the second time that she had been asked about the medicinal formula. Why did she feel that something was amiss?


    "What did Yanyu come in for?" Xiao Yixiu had seen him come in, and it was as if he had only been watching from the side.


    She looked at him uneasily.


    Xiao Yi Xiu walked over and flipped through all of the boxes that Liu Yanyu had looked at. He didn''t say a word.


    Coincidentally, Liu Yanyu had just entered the room. Seeing this scene, he was stunned for a moment. He more or less guessed what had happened and fell silent.


    "Yanyu, I''ve troubled you to take care of Miss Li Yue''s medicine these past few days. Take care of it yourself."


    "Yes, Your Highness. "It''s all my fault for not being skilled enough to make Lady Li Yue unable to recover ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu and Liu Yanyu brushed past each other and patted his shoulders a few times.


    After a long while, Liu Yanyu finally let out a light sigh. Seeing that his body was trembling, he asked softly, "What did the Prince ask you?"


    "This servant doesn''t understand ¡­" But this servant feels like it is the same thing that Mister Liu asked me. " It was as if she knew what she should do. Her words were reserved and tactful, but she had already explained everything.


    Liu Yanyu said, "This matter is not your fault. There is no need to be afraid. "But don''t let Miss Luo get too close to the medicine you fried."


    "Yes." It was as if his mouth had been crushed, and he felt so wronged that he wanted to cry.


    Liu Yanyu took out a handkerchief and handed it over to her. His expression was warm and gentle, while her tears flowed down.


    "Yun''er." Xiao Yixiu knocked on the door and entered.


    However, Luo Yun wasn''t as happy as she was before. She could only force out a smile. Her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had just cried.


    "What''s wrong? "With a wronged expression."


    "No ¡­." Why is Your Highness free to come today? " Luo Yun truly felt wronged. She went to Li Yue''s place every day, and was at the same time as her. He only came once, so she left after a few casual words.


    "Have you recovered from the cold?"


    "Mm. Yun''er is used to wandering the martial arts world, and is naturally better off than Miss Li Yue." she answered sullenly.


    "Yun''er''s body is indeed much better than Li Yue''s. She has caught a cold and doesn''t need to eat any medicine to recover."


    Luo Yun was surprised for a moment. She felt that there was something in his words and subconsciously said, "I also ate a few doses ¡­" If you want to give Li Yue medicine every time, you will always bring me a bowl. "


    "Oh?" Xiao Yi Xiu walked up to Xian Ke and carelessly picked up a few pieces of yellowing leaves. After looking at them for a while, he said, "The people from the Valley of the Godly Doctor have indeed returned to spring with wonderful hands. Even after consuming this medicine, it still works on people."


    Luo Yun''s expression changed drastically as her voice trembled, "What is the prince saying?"


    "Yun''er, you are a guest, and your father and Yan Yu both owe this duke a favor. For this reason, the fact that this king has forgiven you repeatedly does not mean that he knows nothing about what you have done. "


    He turned around slowly and stared at her. "This king has warned you ever since you first drugged and injured Hei Yu that this is the second time. You can act willfully, you can act wildly, and this king can even tolerate you. The only thing I can''t tolerate is hurting Li Yue. "


    "My prince, did you misunderstand something? Why would Yun''er hurt Lady Li Yue?" Did Senior Brother say something? "He ¡­"


    "Yanyu didn''t say anything. He even tried to cover up what you did by blaming himself for his poor medical skills. Do you think he doesn''t defend you enough? From the first time that the Immortals'' Lodge emitted the fragrance of medicine, This King knew that you didn''t catch a cold at all. You plotted to have Li Yue fall into the water, afraid that I would discover you, so you feigned illness. Otherwise, how could you guys be so close to the Crane Shadow Pond? "


    "That''s because Li Yue was drunk, and she staggered so close to Yong that Jinshu and I had to follow her!"


    "Then, did Li Yue''s medicine include the addition of Yinye to join in on the astragalus, and she also made it herself? Although this king does not know about medicine, I also know that cold cannot be taken in when it enters the body. You''ve caused her illness to recur, so how can others believe in your innocence? "


    Luo Yun''s face was pale, and she couldn''t answer a single word. She looked at Qin Lie pitifully. Every time she looked at him like that, he would soften his heart.

 C104 coexisting in one room

    But this time, Xiao Yixiu only glanced at her indifferently, then crumpled the leaves into a ball and coldly said, "I will not tolerate you a third time. Yun''er, if you can''t control yourself, you should leave the Mo King''s Manor. "


    "If Yun''er doesn''t leave, I won''t leave the Duke''s Mansion even if I die!"


    He lowered his brows, his eyes slightly drooping, but he did not say anything.


    Luo Yun bit her lower lip and said mournfully, "Yun''er doesn''t like Miss Li Yue because the prince is too kind to her ¡­ Don''t tell me I''ve done more for you than she has? Before she came to the palace, I took care of the Prince''s illness day and night. When the Prince went to the Valley of the Godly Doctor to seek medical help, father said that you were incurable, and I begged him to find a way to extend your life ¡­ But in your eyes, I can''t even compare to half of her. Can''t you just look at me one more time? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her and sighed softly, "You''re still young and ignorant, so let''s forget about the past." There has never been a relationship between a man and a woman between you and this king. If you can''t accept it, forcefully keeping it is also making things difficult for yourself. Why do you have to go through all this trouble? "


    "Your Highness can dislike me, but you can''t make me dislike you. I only want to accompany you ¡­" I promise you, I will never hurt Li Yue again. "


    "This is the last time This King will believe you."


    As Xiao Yixiu stepped out of the room, Luo Yun fell to the ground crying and biting his lower lip so hard that it bled. Her eyes were filled with a bloody hatred that spread out endlessly like a mad demon.


    After Liu Yanyu took care of the furnace himself, Li Yue''s fever gradually subsided.


    After eating the medicine, she fell into a deep sleep. Xiao Yi Xiu touched her forehead and felt that it was cool and pleasant, and estimated that it wouldn''t repeat itself. Just as he was about to leave, his wrist suddenly tightened as he looked down to see Li Yue holding his wrist.


    "Prince, don''t go. I''m scared."


    "It''s okay, this is Prince Mo''s mansion, what''s there to be afraid of?"


    "It is precisely because it is the Residence of Mo King that it is so frightening. There are so many women in the mansion who like the prince, all of them want me dead, I ¡­ How can I not be afraid? "


    Xiao Yi frowned. "Don''t speak nonsense. Who would want you to die?"


    "Does Your Highness dare to say it? Why am I unable to completely recover from such a trivial cold after repeating it for several days? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu was actually speechless. Then, he sighed. "This King will make it so that you can keep watch outside. If there''s anything you don''t want to do, just summon her. No one else will harm you."


    "I don''t want it!" Who knows if it''s like a brocade once again, who knows if you''re wholeheartedly thinking about my death! "


    "Li Yue! How could she want you dead? When you fell into the water, she was the one who told Suifeng to save you. When you soaked your clothes, she helped you change and clean them.


    Li Yue was stunned for a moment. She finally began to understand that Jin Shu was not as bullying as she looked. She had calculated every step, including the need to be patient with herself. But her mind spun a few times, and she couldn''t think of any way to unravel the lie.


    "Prince ¡­" Her tone changed abruptly, soft and coquettish. Although this move was old and evil, it should always be effective against a man who liked her.


    She simply half sat up, leaning her entire body against his shoulder, gently swinging his arm as she acted coquettishly, her eyes filled with infinite resentment: "Feel, the fever has yet to subside, I''ve been unable to sleep well these past few days, it''s either my fever is dazed, or I woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, afraid of getting hurt by others ¡­" Oh right, Your Highness, have you ever thought about why I suddenly disappeared from the Prince''s Mansion before? "


    "You''ll have to recover your memories before you can tell This King." Xiao Yi Xiu frowned as he looked at her. Why would she ask him about this? She had clearly said before that she would definitely leave when he recovered.


    "These days, I''ve thought and thought about it again and again. Even if I wanted to leave His Highness, I wouldn''t have left without saying goodbye. Perhaps there were people who didn''t want me to stay in the manor and created an accident. Otherwise, why would I lose my memories and be unable to recall what happened in the Prince''s Mansion? It''s just like this time, when I fell into the water and the chill did not fade even after a long time, there was always someone who held malicious intent towards me. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart chilled as she stared at her. To her surprise, he felt that she wasn''t unreasonable. Li Yue had always been smart. Although she didn''t know who planned it behind the scenes, she was right. Falling water and adding wild ginseng were all related to Luo Yun.


    However, he didn''t want to pursue the matter because of Liu Yanyu, so of course he couldn''t hand Luo Yun over. After hearing what Li Yue said, he could not help but think that her amnesia was indeed suspicious.


    "This King will thoroughly investigate this matter. You can sleep in peace."


    "Prince, if you don''t stay with me tonight, how can I be at ease?" She lowered her eyes as her long eyelashes blinked a few times. Then, clear tears began to fall from her eyes.


    He sighed lightly. "This King shall remain. You stay here and rest."


    "Really?" She instantly raised her eyes, which were filled with tears and laughter.


    "Yes." Seeing her cry, although he was somewhat reluctant, he always felt that tonight''s Falling Moon was somewhat different from before. Since when... After losing her memories, Li Yue became delicate, tearful, and her emotions leaked out. She became more gentle and dependent on him than before, but the Li Yue in his heart was not a timid girl that would fall with a gentle breeze.


    Shaking away the haze in his mind, he helped Li Yue lie down and carefully covered her with a blanket.


    "Prince, are you just going to watch me sleep like this?" She stared at him, her heart rippling, unable to calm down.


    "Yes."


    "Then you ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked around and pointed at the beauty couch against the wall. "I''ll lie down on it later."


    She felt wronged and was about to cry again. He agreed to stay, but didn''t even touch him. Was he even a man? Or was she unattractive? This was impossible. He clearly cared deeply about Li Yue, and from the way he looked at her, he could feel that ¡­


    Could it be that the rumors circulating outside were true? He had been afflicted with an illness all year round and had already lost a lot of weight, so he couldn''t ¡­ The more she thought about it, the more her heart chilled. If it really was like that, then what she got in return was an incomplete man. What was this?


    "Your Highness!" She bit her lower lip, sat up again, and pulled back the covers that he had tucked tightly, revealing his thin undergarment.


    She was extremely conflicted in her heart. Even though she was extremely embarrassed, she still reached out her hand to untie the belt and let the silky silky soft silky hair slowly slide down her shoulders.


    "What are you doing?" Xiao Yi Xiu felt his heartbeat quicken uncontrollably. His jade-like face was dyed crimson, and even his neck had turned pink.


    "What do you think?" Although she was an imposter, she was after all the daughter of the prime minister. She had been taught a disgraceful education since she was young. To be able to do this, she had already mustered up all her courage. With a delicate cry, she threw herself into his embrace, tightly hugging his waist without letting go.


    Xiao Yixiu felt a burning sensation in his chest. It felt like tiny sparks had exploded in his mind. Following that, countless fireworks blossomed in his mind, dazzling him. His soul left his body and floated in the air for a long time before returning to its original position.


    Although this feeling was so tempting, why was it so unreal? It always made him feel that the sweet, soft, and coquettish girl in his embrace was not the one he wanted.

 C105 Relaxation

    In a trance, a faint bitter medicinal fragrance seemed to drift past his nose. There was resistance and struggle, there was uneasiness and coldness ¡­ That feeling was the one he remembered from the past, Li Yue. It was not the sweet, creamy fragrance of someone throwing themselves into his arms so easily.


    He jolted awake. What was he thinking? Wasn''t it the wangfei who was struggling in his arms, who had contradictions and expectations in her eyes? He had never been so close to Li Yue before. In his heart, Li Yue was as clear as autumn water, as proud as snow and as unprofane as ice. It was his imagination that allowed these two similar figures to overlap.


    He gently pushed Li Yue away and said with his head lowered, "You are Li Yue, not some ordinary girl. This king will not use this kind of method if I want to obtain you. At the very least, after giving you an official title, you will be legally married into the Mo Residence. "


    In front of her stunned and confused eyes, he put down the Flowertail Golden Hook, retreated to the layers of beaded curtains, sat on the beautiful bed, adjusted his breathing, and smiled faintly at her. "Rest well, you are still sick, how can this king take advantage of someone in distress? Rest assured, I promised you that I would guard this place tonight and that I wouldn''t leave. "


    She lay down on her back and turned her face to the inside of the bed, letting the cold tears slide down her hot face.


    He actually rejected her! She had already undressed, but he ¡­ She was conflicted and conflicted, wondering at first if he really had a hidden wound, and then wondering what she would do if he did.


    Before she finally fell asleep, she thought to herself, when she first saw him, knowing that he was weak, she was still intimidated by his temperament and was infatuated with his handsomeness. At that time, she had never thought about anything long-term. Actually, wasn''t this the person she wanted? As long as she got him, it would be enough.


    Outside the window, the magpie climbed onto a plum tree and called happily. Gu Qing Li woke up, still feeling a little lazy. She called for Yu Ying, and she quickly appeared in front of him, fetching water to serve him.


    Right now, Yu Ying was the only one left in the courtyard. She had served Gu Qingli hard enough, both inside and out. Gu Qingli cast a sidelong glance at her, but she didn''t seem to resent her in the slightest.


    "After the princess gets up, go take a look at the prince."


    "Hmm?" Yu Ying never knew how to talk nonsense, she looked over.


    "Last night ¡­ He did not return to Feng Zhaoxuan. "


    Gu Qingli''s hand that was wiping her face paused. Didn''t return to Feng Che Xuan? Where did he go before? Oh right, ever since she had mocked him for a while, he no longer paid her any attention.


    "Did he stay for the month?"


    Yu Ying pursed her lips, her face was somewhat pale, and her eyes were a little gloomy.


    With a "pa" sound, the towel was thrown into the water, causing huge splashes. Neither Gu Qingli nor Yu Ying were able to escape, and they were all drenched.


    Yu Ying didn''t dare to move, but Gu Qing Li didn''t. Her face was frosted over by thousands of miles, but two small flames flickered in her eyes.


    "Slut." The word that came out of Gu Qing Li''s mouth was light and light, but it had the tone of gnashing teeth.


    If Yu Ying hadn''t been standing close, she wouldn''t have believed that these two words came from the mouth of a wangfei. In her heart, however, she felt relieved. The wangfei was finally unable to endure it any longer.


    "Come and comb this wangfei''s hair."


    Yu Ying helped her to straighten her silky long hair. In the mirror, she looked like a beautiful woman with her hair tied up high. Her expression was as cold as ice and frost, making no difference.


    Yu Ying carefully placed a magpie on her hairpin, Dengmei Huasheng, and a golden silk pearl in her hair. Then, she carefully asked, "Princess, are you going to the front courtyard?"


    "Why is this wangfei going?" Gu Qing Li''s heart was burning like hell, but there was no trace of smoke or fire on her face. She didn''t bother explaining anything to Yu Ying as she walked out of the house.


    Gu Qingli had left the estate to relax, so naturally, she didn''t want any shadow guards following behind her. She first went in and out of a few clothing stores, then changed into a few sets of clothes before entering Xuanhua Tower. She entered the main entrance and exited the secret passageway. When she came out, she seemed to have already become a completely different person.


    It was just that he did not expect that he would be able to get to know people just by relaxing on the main road.


    Gu Qingli ran into Xiao Yi Mo at the incomparably luxurious Immortal Drunken Wine House.


    He was the only person in the room, and not too far away, there was a singing girl carrying a lute. She was singing softly, and she also played a tune or danced along with him.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s forehead was locked. Someone was kneeling in front of him and replying in a low voice, as if they were responding to something. From the looks of it, he wasn''t here for a pleasant drink, but was instead waiting for someone.


    He was obviously not in a good mood. Suddenly, he pointed at the lady playing the lute and said, "What are you singing about? Go down and try something else."


    The woman''s face was ashen as she quickly retreated. She didn''t expect to see Gu Qing Li peeking at her from outside.


    Before she could say anything, Gu Qing Li covered her mouth and dragged her to another room. She quickly changed her clothes, patted her shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Be good and sleep here."


    The woman''s vision turned black and she fell into a soft sleep. Gu Qingli put on her clothes and walked in with the lute in her arms.


    Previously, he had found Du Ying to make up for her thick and beautiful makeup, so it was a good fit for him now.


    With a flick of the lute, her singing voice was sweet and graceful, and the melody it produced was long and melodious. It immediately attracted Xiao Yi Mo''s attention. In her previous life, she had learned a lot of musical instruments, but luckily, lute music was not popular in her time, so she only learned a few basic skills from Du Ying.


    He looked towards the direction of the voice and saw the face of the woman who was playing the song. Feeling slightly disappointed, he snorted, "Her voice is of the first rank, and her pipa is the third. She looks like a loser."


    When the person kneeling heard this, he laughed: "Your highness, the genius doctor that will arrive in a while, Miss Gu Luo, has a first-rate appearance."


    Gu Qingli''s ears twitched, and her heart skipped a beat. Godly Doctor Gu Luo? How come the person Xiao Yi Mo was waiting for was Luo Yun? He had thought that he was going to use the restaurant as a cover and wait for some politicians in the imperial court. It seemed that he had guessed wrongly. Although this restaurant was elegant, it didn''t look like a place for parties, but if he wanted to see Luo Yun, it would be a surprise.


    "What first-rate appearance has made this king wait for so long?" While Xiao Yi Mo was getting impatient, someone outside invited a person to come in and kowtow to him.


    The person introduced said: "This subordinate pays his respect to Your Highness, Miss Luo has brought him."


    Xiao Yi Mo sized up the person standing not far away. He was petite, dressed in men''s clothing, with a round face that still had some immaturity. His skin was like condensed white jade, his eyes were like spring water, and his lips were like a cherry. Although there was still a gap between her first-rate appearance and his, he was not disappointed.


    He nodded and raised his chin, indicating for Luo Yun to sit.


    Luo Yun cupped his fists and greeted him, then lovably sat down across from him. In her heart, a trace of dissatisfaction arose at the arrogance on this Mu Wang''s face, but she still smiled sweetly and gently: "Meeting is known to all. Prince Mu''s heroic bearing far surpasses Yun''er''s imagination."


    Xiao Yi Mo seemed to be pleased by the compliment and a smile appeared on his face.


    "I didn''t expect Miss Luo to be from the Valley of the Godly Doctor. She''s so young, and even so beautiful. Is it just that she''s wearing a man''s outfit ¡­?"


    "Just to get rid of some people I don''t want to see." Luo Yun smiled sweetly.

 C106 remention of the past

    It turned out that she was also trying to shake off the shadow guard from the Mo King''s Manor.


    Gu Qingli silently thought, she didn''t know if she would be able to get rid of him as cleanly as she wished. However, those shadow guards probably wouldn''t spend too much time and effort on following her. This little girl was very cunning and crafty. She wanted to shake off a few people who didn''t pay much attention to her.


    "Miss Luo knows that the person who wants to be treated this time is no ordinary person. In addition to excellent medical skills, he also needs to keep his mouth sealed. If he can''t do it ¡­"


    "The Valley Master of the Divine Doctor, Luo Qingyun, is my father." Luo Yun arrogantly smiled, "As for keeping it a secret, I have my limits."


    "That''s good. When the time comes, there will be someone to guide you to treat your benefactor''s illness. However, you will have to make it difficult for Miss. You will have to cover your eyes the entire process, and you will not be able to see anything."


    Luo Yun was a little taken aback. "Can the doctors help us out? If we can''t even see the patient face to face, how can we talk about ''hope''?"


    "This is something that Miss Luo has to settle. This King is unable to help."


    Luo Yun thought for a moment and said, "Then, if Your Highness agrees to my request, is it possible to accomplish it?"


    "Tell me about it."


    Luo Yun looked around and Xiao Yi Mo understood immediately. He waved his hand and said, "All of you, go down."


    Gu Qingli didn''t expect to be thrown out at such a critical moment and couldn''t help but be disappointed. However, two of Xiao Yi Mo''s subordinates had already left. It was impossible for her to stay, so she could only slowly walk out after the girls left.


    She walked slowly, listening attentively as she walked. Relying on her superior hearing, she could faintly hear Luo Yun''s soft voice, "... To make... Broken Voices ¡­ "We can''t ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Mo''s voice was a little louder than Luo Yun''s, and he said calmly, "Isn''t this a little too much? Does Miss Luo have a grudge with him? "


    "Shh ¡­" Luo Yun was obviously wary of the wall and forbade him from speaking any further.


    Gu Qingli wanted to continue listening, but one of the people in front of her noticed her slow footsteps with her head lowered. He shouted, "Hurry up!"


    Helpless, she could only go downstairs.


    Who did Luo Yun want to ruin her reputation for? So much so that she saved Hun Yimo? What kind of patient did Huyi Mo want her to treat? She had to be blindsided along the way. She couldn''t even see the patient?


    Things were becoming more and more interesting. Gu Qingli was now very happy to sit on the sidelines and watch the fierce battle. However, she couldn''t help but ponder as she watched from the sidelines.


    After making a trip to Xuanhua Tower, she asked Xiao Yiyan a few more questions. The only thing she found out was that the Imperial Examinations had been stolen, involving a large number of examinees who were willing to buy the exam questions with silver coins. The most serious ones were the examiners who were skipping questions and selling them, as well as some officials of different ranks in the Ministry of Rites.


    The person who set the question was a Scholar of the Han Forest Academy, who presided over the Minister of Rites, and the ones who were involved in skipping the question were all in a precarious situation. As for those who bought the exam questions and brought them into the examination hall, they would be disqualified from taking the Imperial Examinations for three years. The next step was to deal with the question setting officials who had leaked the exam information.


    "Then what will happen to the Minister of Rites'' Assistant Minister?"


    "If nothing unexpected happens, the Minister of Rites, as the one presiding over the Imperial Examinations, will be executed after the Three Divisions have interrogated him."


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath. She didn''t know much about how strict the enforcement of laws in feudal society was. From what Warm Fragrance had said, wasn''t Gabriella''s father going to be executed? However, she hadn''t come forward to beg Xiao Yi Xiu for so long. Could it be that she didn''t know anything?


    Gu Qingli returned to the palace with doubts in her mind. She hadn''t even gone to find Gabriella yet when she saw the uninvited guest in her courtyard ¡ª the King of Chen, Xiao Yiyan, whom she had been asking about today had become her guest. She was making tea in the clouds, deep in thought.


    It was the first time that Xiao Yiyan had seen such a calm and serious Xiao Yiyan, someone who was used to seeing his young and innocent appearance.


    "Fifth Sister!" Without waiting for her to speak, he had already heard her breathing. He put down the teacup and walked over. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and the sentimental light no longer existed. There was only a trace of pity in his eyes.


    "Prince Chen."


    He sighed. "When will you be able to treat me with less respect?"


    "Even my prince is treated with such respect! Don''t tell me this isn''t the proper royal etiquette?" She raised her eyebrows. Actually, she was too lazy to be courteous and upright. However, with the strict hierarchy of the feudal dynasty, there was no room for her to be impudent.


    Xiao Yiyan shook his head as if he didn''t know what to say, and said: "I haven''t had the time to come visit you in a long time, have you been well?"


    She didn''t answer, but asked a question instead, "What is Prince Chen doing?"


    "Recently, you''ve been investigating the case under the name of Envoy Qin. This is a matter of the government, so there''s no need to ask about it, Fifth Sister."


    "But isn''t the science exam related to the Ministry of Rites?" "Madam Jia''s father is the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites. Your highness has come to visit, aren''t you worried that someone will criticize you?"


    "I''m not going to see Madame Jia! "In order to avoid suspicion, I didn''t even look at fifth brother." He curled his lips, and his always smiling face also became reserved, as if there was something unhappy going on.


    "You''ve already entered the palace, who cares if you''ve met Madam Jia or not." Knowing that there must be a reason for his bad mood, Gu Qingli decided to change the topic even further. She was truly a little afraid that he would bring up the matter of him leaving the Eastern Abyss again.


    She had been depressed lately, and she was afraid she might waver if he brought it up again.


    "Fifth sister-in-law, I''m here to see you. Why are you always bringing up other people''s matters?"


    Gu Qingli sighed to herself as she returned to the topic at hand. She couldn''t avoid it.


    "I heard that when Li Yue went missing for a while, Fifth Brother went through every inch of soil in the capital and found her again. Furthermore, the two of them are inseparable within the residence every day?"


    Inseparable? Isn''t this too exaggerated? Gu Qingli wanted to laugh, but the corners of her mouth curved downwards.


    When Xiao Yi Yan saw her smile of defeat, he suddenly felt her heart ache. She stepped forward and held her shoulders, "Yu Ying said that Fifth Brother stayed in Li Yue''s room for the night. You ¡­ really don''t mind at all? "


    "At most, there would be more secondary wives. What do I care?" She turned her head away, unaware of the tip of her red nose and the rims of her eyes.


    After all, Gu Qingxiao was different from Madam Jia and the rest. She had entered the estate under the guise of Li Yue! Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her with eyes filled with deep emotion.


    Gu Qingli didn''t know what she wanted to do, but the voice in her heart told her that it had nothing to do with her. No matter how many women he had, who did he like and what did it have to do with her? When she had rejected him in her identity as Li Yue, hadn''t she already made her heart clear?


    "If you really think like that, then why didn''t you leave the Eastern Abyss with me?" Xiao Yiyan''s overbearing gaze was filled with boundless passion, spreading like the ocean waters. It shook her heart, as if it would gush out and submerge her at any time.


    "I ¡­"


    "I hope you won''t refuse me a second time."


    Gu Qingli was extremely hesitant. She couldn''t help but think about what had happened last night. She didn''t directly ask Xiao Yixiu about it, but chose to avoid it. In fact, she subconsciously didn''t want to face the truth, right? But why did her heart have a faint feeling of pain, like a tight and airtight net, gradually closing up, causing her to suffocate?

 C107 Rumors

    "Qing Li, I''m waiting for you to give me an answer. I''ll give you time to slowly consider it. You don''t have to answer so quickly." He also did not seem to want to face her rejection, so he first gave himself an escape route. Allowing her some space, slowing down might help her think more clearly.


    But this form of address made Gu Qing Li not know whether to laugh or cry. Staring at the solemn teenager in front of her, she suddenly felt that these days, she hadn''t seen him again. Once princes were involved in politics, they would no longer have innocent and pure eyes, and they would no longer have their former sincerity.


    She sighed lightly. Xiao Yi Xiu, he was also an innocent youth. Did he transform step by step like this? Perhaps his childhood and adolescence had been more brief, because there had been no queen to protect him.


    However, Xiao Yiyan didn''t go to see him. Unknowingly, there seemed to be a subtle barrier separating the two of them. It wasn''t just because of Gu Qingli, but also because of Xiao Yibei''s sudden appearance.


    Xiao Yixiu knew that Xiao Yiyan had come to look for Gu Qingli, but he hadn''t come to see her once. It was as if after that night, he had already made up his mind and decided not to waver.


    Recently, there was a shocking piece of news spreading around the capital.


    The reason why the Ghost Doctor Li Yue never revealed her true appearance was because she was the renowned courtesan of a brothel. She wanted to get rid of her birth and also had outstanding medical skills, so she left Chu and came to the capital.


    Although this news spread through the streets, other than a few snickers and snorts, it actually didn''t have any effect on the various powers who wanted to win Li Yue over. After all, as long as he had her medical skills, what difference was there whether he was born into a noble family or a lady?


    The only person who had any influence on this matter was Xiao Yi Xiu.


    One month later, an urgent decree came from the palace, summoning Xiao Yi to the palace for an audience.


    Before leaving, he went to Feng Lingxuan and informed Gu Qingli.


    Gu Qingli wasn''t surprised to see him here. After all, everyone knew about what had happened in the past month, even if she didn''t leave her home.


    Unlike the others, she found this news laughable the moment she heard it. It turned out that this was the deal that Luo Yun and Xiao Yi Mo had agreed upon.


    She naturally understood what Luo Yun was trying to do, but there was no need for her to stop him. After all, Luo Yun did not know of Li Yue''s true identity, so as long as Gu Qingxiao removed the veil, she and Xiao Yi Mo would inevitably slap themselves in the face.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Mo had originally wanted to win Li Yue over. Now that he used this move, he probably wanted to ruin Li Yue''s reputation because he couldn''t get her. This person''s heart was filthy, and her methods were sinister. It was truly loathsome.


    Xiao Yixiu briefly explained to her that he was going to enter the palace on his own. He didn''t know how long he would stay for and let her take care of the entire residence, taking charge of the overall situation.


    Gu Qingli lightly smiled. "Your highness isn''t releasing or fighting, why would you need to be so serious?" We''ll only be going for a few hours at most. Since there''s no adult princes staying the night at the palace, we''ll be able to return home at night at the most. "


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression was frozen. "Royal Consort, don''t take this matter so lightly. If there''s no one in charge of this house, it could become chaotic even if it''s only been a few hours. Alright, This King will be leaving now. "


    "Miss Li Yue should be safe now, right?"


    "Hmm?" She obviously didn''t mean what he said. He raised his eyebrows.


    "She should be the one to handle the matter of overseeing the Prince''s Mansion. She is the one that the Prince trusts the most."


    "Don''t be awkward." He reached over and gently rubbed her cheek.


    Gu Qing Li subconsciously looked away, but he couldn''t dodge. Just as she was about to reply to him, she heard him say, "That night, although I stayed at Yuexuan, I didn''t touch her."


    Gu Qingli was stunned. Was this considered an official explanation? Who would believe him!


    But he did not wait for her to say anything else, and turned to leave.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stepped up the white jade steps next to the caster by himself. With every step he took, his heart became heavier.


    He knew better than anyone that entering the palace this time was related to Li Yue''s background.


    The emperor seemed to have been waiting for a while in the imperial study. He placed the imperial report in front of him for a long time, but the imperial brush remained in the brush holder without moving.


    It was only when Xiao Yixiu came in to say goodbye that he raised his eyes and weakly gestured for his to sit down.


    "Why did royal father summon me today?"


    "I heard you''ve gotten better recently?"


    "The same." After Xiao Yi Xiu finished speaking, he coughed lightly and covered his mouth with the handkerchief.


    "I heard that the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, has been treating you at your place all this time. Why is your illness still like this?" The Emperor looked at him with a cold and sharp gaze.


    "She did cause my son''s health to improve, but afterwards, she lost her memories and even forgot her past experiences. Her mind was often muddled, so how could she remember how to treat a patient? Your son''s condition has been delayed once again. "


    The Emperor frowned and nodded. "I''ve heard that you were extremely good to her and even stayed in her room. Could it be ¡­"


    "Imperial Father wants to ask, what sort of position do you plan to give her?"


    The emperor looked at him without speaking, his eyes clearly showing the intention of waiting for his answer.


    "Your son is considering taking her into his estate. He had originally planned to wait for her memories to recover ¡­"


    "Xiu''er." The emperor suddenly interrupted him. "If you want her to stay by your side because of your illness, or even have anything to do with her, I will not ask. However, if you truly want her to join the Imperial Family, it is absolutely impossible."


    "Why?" Xiao Yixiu knew the answer, but he still asked calmly.


    "I think that after being ill for so many years, you don''t even have much left of your wits from back then, right? Rumors are flying all over the place, how could you not know? "Isn''t it funny to pretend to be innocent in front of me?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu remained calm and replied calmly, "Your son naturally knows the rumors. What your son doesn''t know is that with father''s intelligence, how could he easily believe such rumors? Even though you already know that it is a rumor, you still use it to interrogate me, your son, as if it is not royal father''s wise style. "


    The emperor''s mouth curved into a faint smile and he nodded. "That''s right. Rumors ¡­" I don''t know if the rumors are true or false, but you should understand one thing. A woman who can marry into the royal family, even if it''s just a madame or a concubine, needs to have a clean background. Even if it''s just rumors, it''s enough to ruin the royal family''s reputation.


    Xiao Yi Xiu took a deep breath and was about to say something when he heard a report from a eunuch outside, "Reporting to your majesty, Prince Mu requests an audience!"


    Why did Sunset King suddenly ask to see him at this time? Xiao Yixiu''s eyes grew dim, but his heart had already formed a rough outline.


    What a good time, what a coincidence.


    King Mu, Xiao Yi Mo, walked in with his head held high as if he hadn''t seen Xiao Yi Xiu. He lifted his robe and knelt before the emperor before taking a seat.

 C108 pregnant

    "Third Imperial Brother."


    Xiao Yi Mo looked at him with a surprised expression as if he had just noticed his presence. "Oh, Fifth royal brother is here too. He''s been feeling refreshed recently. I''m sure he''ll be fine."


    "It''s still the same."


    Xiao Yi Mo laughed. "What? You don''t even remember your medical skills from a memory loss?"


    "Yes." As expected, he had entered the palace at the right time, so his purpose was naturally also very obvious. Xiao Yixiu smiled faintly, his eyes rippling like spring water.


    From beneath the ripples, Xiao Yi Mo could see a hidden sharpness that was as sharp as a needle. He smiled with ease, "Father, have you been feeling better these past few days?"


    The Emperor nodded.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at the Emperor''s dark and gloomy face and asked, "Imperial Father has been well since the day he was born, how have you been?"


    "Ten thousand years ago, he was already feeling unwell, and it was getting worse. However, it can''t be said to be a major problem. He was just feeling weak." The Emperor seemed unwilling to bring up the matter as he changed the topic. "Have you remembered what I''ve told you today?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head slowly, "I heard what father said, but I don''t understand."


    The emperor suddenly straightened his body and even raised his voice, "I want you to understand that the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, will never be able to enter the main gate of the Residence of Mo King!"


    Xiao Yi Mo raised his eyebrows. "Ghost Doctor Li Yue... Could it be that the fifth brother actually wants to welcome her into the palace and give her a name? "


    Xiao Yixiu swept a glance at him calmly.


    "Haha, I heard that Li Yue stayed at your place for a few months, which indeed made your illness somewhat better. As your brother understands, I''ll bear that in mind." But if he were to welcome her into her residence ¡­ This is really inappropriate. "


    "Third Imperial Brother has been quite free these days." Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t wait for him to answer. "If I''m not free, when will I have the time to ask about so many things related to Li Yue?"


    Xiaoyi Mo unhurriedly said, "On the occasion of the birthday celebration, I told you that you wanted to find my father, Li Yue, and ask around for her whereabouts. This is something you have to do even if you don''t have time. It was the fifth brother who hid such a talent ¡­ Tsk tsk, alright, let''s not talk about that. The Ghost Doctor''s name is known throughout the capital, and everyone knows that her medical skills are godly. However, with her background, she indeed cannot enter the Imperial Family. "


    "Oh?"


    Xiao Yi Mo straightened his body as he said with a serious expression, "I was trying to rope Li Yue in. In the process of investigating her origins, I unexpectedly found out that she was born in the most famous place in Chu, the Smoky Flower Hall. She sold herself to a Courtesan Belle and at that time, she was well-known for it. After someone helped her redeem herself, she concealed her true identity and appearance and wandered out to the capital, where she became a Ghost Doctor. "


    "The brothel that the third brother spoke of specializes in teaching the young lady medical skills?"


    "Of course not."


    "Then her medical skills have reached perfection, and she still has to bow down to a brothel? Could it be that she is unable to rely on her own skills to support herself? "


    "She comes from a medical family. Her medical skills are already outstanding. The fallen brothel was forced, but it was also framed, so it was worth sympathizing with. The rare thing is that even though Miss Li Yue had fallen, she still hadn''t changed her mind and continued to study her medical skills, until someone finally started to pity her and ransomed her. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded his head with a smile on his face, "It''s flawless."


    Xiaoyi Mo asked in astonishment, "Could it be that Fifth Royal Brother thinks that this is just a story made up for you?"


    The emperor waved his hand, looking extremely impatient. "I''ve said that even if it''s just rumors, it''s enough to destroy a person. Besides, Mo''er has investigated this very clearly, it''s definitely not a rumor."


    Xiao Yi Xiu stood up and said, "Your son will not explain himself, but I will definitely marry Yue''er. Not only do we have to welcome her into the sect, we have to take her as our wife."


    "What did you say?" The emperor suddenly slammed the table as a green aura flashed across his face. Following that, his tone became gentler, but the coldness seeped into his bones. "Gu Qing Li is the Prime Minister''s daughter. And what reason do I have to marry Li Yue? "


    "Among the seven entries, there is not a single entry. As for marrying Li Yue, that''s because she''s already pregnant. "


    As soon as these words came out, it was no different than a clap of thunder in midair. It shook the emperor and Xiao Yi Mo so much that their eyes jumped a few times.


    "Does royal father have anything else he wants to ask?"


    The emperor calmed down his slightly anxious aura and returned to his previous listless and indifferent expression. He waved his hand and said, "Kneel in peace. I need to consider this."


    "Yes, this son will wait for royal father to carefully consider."


    Xiao Yixiu left the imperial study, walking slowly. He hadn''t known where the rumours about Li Yue had come from, but now they were all confirmed. He just didn''t understand why Xiao Yi Mo wanted to rope Li Yue in so much. Why did he want to discredit her at a time like this? Or did he have a trump card up his sleeve, and if he wanted to force Falling Moon to the point where she had no other choice, she could only go to him?


    For someone like Xiao Yi Mo who wasn''t interested in benefits, he definitely wouldn''t do something like this. Only someone as intelligent as the crown prince would harm others and not himself.


    "Fifth royal brother, why are you leaving so quickly?" Xiao Yi Mo''s voice came from behind, carrying a light tone.


    Xiao Yixiu stopped and turned around. A look of confusion flashed across his face, but his lips curved into an unfathomable smile.


    "I can''t believe it! The Fifth Emperor has been hiding Lady Li Yue for so long. No wonder all the other powers in the capital were unable to find her." But what use is an amnesiac Li Yue? "


    "Does this have anything to do with the Three Sovereigns?"


    "Nope." Xiao Yi Mo laughed, "I''m just asking a few questions out of concern." Who would have thought that the Fifth Prince would actually have feelings for Li Yue? Haha ¡­ "It''s a pity, it''s a pity that a girl of her birth, tsk tsk, can be considered to be pregnant ¡­"


    His voice suddenly turned soft, so soft that only Xiao Yi Xiu could hear it, "I wonder who it is? Hm? Fifth royal brother, do you really believe that you can make her pregnant? "


    After saying that, he took a few steps back and pulled away from Xiao Yixiu, laughing loudly as he left.


    Xiao Yixiu looked coldly at his back, but didn''t say anything. It was meaningless for him to argue with such a despicable person. He could either not retaliate, or fight back. He had to make sure that the other party would never be able to laugh.


    Xiao Yi Mo quickly left the palace. Before Xiao Yi Xiu left, he turned his head to look back and snorted. He was in a rather bad mood.


    He obviously wasn''t as proud as he looked. It was a blow to him to be pregnant while away from the moon.


    He thought back to when Li Yue was at King Mo''s Manor. He had tried his best to persuade her to stay, but she had actually left without saying a word. That was fine, but the worst part was that she had been at King Mo''s Manor the entire time. Why? What could he not match up to that sickly person?


    The horse carriage slowly left the outer city gate. Outside of the main road was a bustling area. The more Xiao Yi Mo thought about it, the angrier he got. He didn''t notice the slim figure outside the city gate.


    He seemed to have no intention of passing by the teahouse and went to the side of the teahouse that faced the street, facing the city gates.


    "Why is she here?" Xiao Yi Mo muttered to himself as a smile appeared on his face. This area wasn''t a place that an ordinary person could come to, was she here to see who was coming out of the city gate?


    After stopping the carriage, he walked up to the teahouse and sat opposite the woman who was waiting outside the window.

 C109 seven-out bar

    "Do you mind if This King sits down?"


    Gu Qingli suddenly turned around. It was not that she was not vigilant, it was that all her attention was focused on the familiar carriage coming out of the city gate, so she did not notice anything else.


    "Brother-in-law?"


    Xiao Yi Mo, however, didn''t notice the sarcasm in her words. Instead, he raised his eyebrows and smiled. He felt that she was much more beautiful than before, and the arrogant and aloof expression on her face made him feel a sense of novelty.


    "Waiting for the Fifth Emperor''s brother?" I''m afraid you''ll be disappointed. " It was rare for him to laugh so heartily. Even the gloominess in his eyes had been wiped away.


    "Do you know what he said to royal father after he entered the palace?" His evil eyes roamed her face, trying to catch a hint of fear or cowardice from her face, but he did not succeed.


    Gu Qingli wasn''t curious at all. Her gaze remained fixed at the entrance of the imperial city, her expression indifferent. She knew that the more this happened, the more he would have to tell her.


    Xiao Yi Mo Wan sighed as her expression became serious, "I really feel sorry for you. Baba is here only to receive a grievous news ¡ª Fifth Imperial Brother entered the palace to report to Royal Father, he said that he had to marry Li Yue. He also said, "One of the seven rules is'' no later '', and Hugh is not unreasonable." It seems like he''s determined to take Li Li Yue as his first wife, sigh! "


    "Has brother-in-law finished?" I''m leaving now. " Gu Qingli had already seen Xiao Yixiu''s carriage coming out of the city gates. She stood up to leave.


    "Oh, do you know why he is so determined to take Li Yue? He said that Li Yue was pregnant. Hahaha, I really can''t believe that he could actually impregnate such a woman. "


    Gu Qingli stopped in her tracks. At that moment, the spasm in her heart spread throughout her body, as if it couldn''t stop. She took a deep breath and listened to the last part of his sentence. She said lightly, "He can only impregnate women, but you, brother-in-law, are a man. Of course you won''t understand, and you don''t need to understand so much."


    With a sniffle, Xiao Yi Mo disappeared at the end of the stairs.


    Of course, she didn''t stop Xiao Yi Xiu''s carriage. Instead, she took a shortcut and returned to the Residence of Mo King. She went straight back to Feng Ling Xuan and locked herself in her room.


    Li Yue is pregnant, Li Yue is pregnant... These words rang in her ears, sounding louder and louder, causing her eardrums to hurt.


    He said that he had not touched the false moon that night, but he told the Emperor that she was pregnant. He even wanted to cripple his main wife and invite that fake into his residence!


    Gu Qingli felt that her breathing wasn''t easy. Gradually, her chest felt like it was being held down, making it difficult for her to breathe.


    This was good as well. It would be good if she could leave the manor like this. She would be able to escape Xiao Yi Xiu''s control, and would not even need to leave the Eastern Abyss to be free.


    "Esteemed wangfei, the prince has returned to his residence and is here to see you." Yu Ying''s voice was very soft. Perhaps it was because Gu Qing Li had entered the house with a pale face and with a calm expression, she had closed the door heavily. She had sensed something.


    Gu Qingli tried her best to catch her breath and rubbed the corner of her eyes. Very good, there wasn''t even a trace of moisture. She pushed herself up and went to open the door.


    "Princess Hua-Yang''s complexion isn''t too good?" Upon entering the room, Xiao Yixiu noticed the change in her expression and stared fixedly at her face.


    "I''m fine. What is the prince doing here?"


    "..." "Nothing, I just came to visit the wangfei." The moment he saw Gu Qing Li, he was struck speechless. He recalled that in the royal study, he had ruthlessly told the Emperor that there was not a single child in the seven rules that could be abandoned.


    At that time, he had only wanted to contradict the emperor to see how angry he was. His expression had changed, and he hadn''t really thought of crippling his wangfei.


    When he saw Gu Qing Li, his previous thought had disappeared without a trace. He went up to her and wanted to shake her hand.


    Gu Qing Li retreated a step ahead of him, avoiding his hand without leaving a trace. She brought out a cup of cold tea in her hand, preventing him from making any moves to get close. She lightly said, "I had thought that Prince would come back very late, but who would have thought that it would be so soon. Your Highness can rest assured that everything in the estate is fine. "


    "This King wants to discuss something with you."


    "Hmm?" Do we even need to discuss writing a divorce letter? Oh, that''s not right, she''s a wangfei. I don''t know how Dong Yuan went through the process of repudiating his wife, but the wangfei probably isn''t like the people.


    "This King wants to..." It turned out that Na Li Yue''s words were actually so hard to say. He didn''t say anything for a long time.


    Gu Qingli smiled. "My prince, if writing the letter of rest is troublesome, why don''t we just let it go?" I wonder if Dongyuan had a precedent where princes and consorts parted ways? " When she said this, it was as if a thorn in her heart was slowly sinking deeper and deeper into her heart.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was stunned for a while. "What is the wangfei saying? Why does This King not understand? "


    "Miss Li Yue is already pregnant. Can I, as an imperial concubine, still occupy her place?" Gu Qingli had already forgotten about exposing Gu Qingxiao''s identity. So what if it was exposed? The meal had already started. One wanted to replace her own younger sister, while the other wanted to divorce her husband. She didn''t want to see either of them again.


    "How did you know?" Who said anything in front of you? " Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression suddenly became stern.


    "Didn''t Your Highness enter the palace to report to your majesty that you must welcome Li Yue into the estate? "I''ve already committed seventy percent of the offense, so I should naturally be eliminated ¡­"


    "Shut up!" "Xiao Yi Xiu has never spoken to her in such a harsh manner before." This king knows that there are people who wish to make a big deal out of the matter of Laiyue. Perhaps this will make Princess Wangfei unhappy with me, but I''ll tell you right now, Li Yue has to enter, but Princess ¡ª Don''t even think of leaving this king''s side. "


    Gu Qingli''s delicate eyebrows knitted together, her eyes gradually becoming dark. "I just wanted to give Lady Li Yue the position of main wife. Could it be that this isn''t the prince''s intention?"


    "This King will not discard Consort. No matter what crime you''ve committed, don''t even think about leaving." He said each word slowly and then turned around and left.


    Gu Qing Li''s entire body was ice-cold. As she fell into the chair, a deep feeling of powerlessness slowly rose in her heart.


    What did he want? You''re still not willing to let her go?


    Luo Yun sat at the front of the Immortal Drunken Wine Tower in a daze as she listened to Xiao Yi Mo talk about his arrival at the palace today.


    She didn''t have Gu Qing Li''s self-control. The moment she heard what Xiao Yi Xiu had said, she felt as if her entire world had been destroyed. She cried until she couldn''t even make a sound.


    Luo Yun was originally a delicate and sweet young girl, but her crying only made him appear more teary. Her pearly white cheeks were full of tears, causing people to feel pity for him.


    When Xiao Yi Mo saw this, he was slightly moved. He extended his hand to wipe her tears as he consoled her in a gentle tone.


    "How can he do this to me! "Even if it''s Li Yue''s birth that''s despicable and knows that she shamelessly pestered him, she still ¡­" Luo Yun was heartbroken. "I''ve done so much for him, and he never knew when to be moved. Just where did he put me?"


    Upon recalling how she had met Xiao Yi, Luo Yun felt a sense of despair. When he knew her, she had been a twelve-year-old girl, and she had seen him rejected as a doctor outside the valley. She had not uttered a single plea, just stood silently in the cold rain, letting the lightning and thunder in the inky darkness of the night fall, and the rain in his collar.

 C110 amnesia

    His followers were all begging him to leave, saying that with so many famous doctors under the heavens, the Valley of the Godly Doctor wasn''t as magical as the rumors claimed. He also said that since the Valley Master said he couldn''t cure him, there was no point in keeping him.


    Luo Yun looked through the window and asked his father, "Father, are you really unable to cure him?"


    Luo Qingyun sighed and shook her head: "He''s a prince, even the royal doctors can''t cure him, what can I do?"


    "The imperial physician might not be any better than father, but look at him standing there and not leaving. He''s really pitiful." Luo Yun looked outside again.


    He was not pleading for Luo Qingyun to change his mind, but his eyes were filled with deep despair. Perhaps the Valley of the Godly Doctor was his last hope, and this hope was currently being extinguished.


    "Father, think of a way. Even if it''s just a continuation of his life, it''s still good. You might be able to think of a new way after half a year of delay?"


    "Yun''er, do you know what would happen if father took on this heavy responsibility and didn''t cure him?"


    Luo Yun shook her head, unaware.


    "Father might be provoked by the Emperor and get into a calamity of clan extermination. Even if not, do you know who poisoned him? Those who dare to poison princes were definitely not ordinary people. If father treated him, then maybe he would also be silenced ¡­ To advance or to retreat, was to die. Yun''er, you''re still young, you don''t understand these things! "


    Luo Yun pursed her lips and began to cry. "He''s only eighteen years old, but he''s already going to die. So young ¡­"


    Luo Qingyun furrowed her brows, "You''re just a child, what do you know?"


    "I know he is the War God of the East Abyss. He is the hero in the hearts of all the people of the East Abyss."


    Luo Qingyun wordlessly closed his eyes.


    Luo Yun withdrew her soul from her memories and wordlessly raised her wine jug to drink by herself. That night, Luo Qingyun accepted a mission that she knew was impossible because of her pleading.


    As for her and Liu Yanyu, they had been staying at the Mo King''s Manor for years. Although they were guests in name, they had already become members of the Mo King''s Manor. She had never doubted that she would one day be able to marry into the Prince Mo''s estate, until the appearance of that Falling Moon.


    "Miss Luo, slow down ¡­" The more Rong Yi Mo tried to dissuade him, the more Luo Yun drank. He was about to run out of wine.


    "He''s sorry! I was so good to him, how could I not be good to Li Yue? He actually had a child with that bitch, I ¡­ "I don''t believe it ¡­"


    "That''s the truth, but you don''t have to worry about it. The Fifth Emperor''s younger brother doesn''t only have one woman, he once had so many concubines, and then he even had an official wife and Lady Jia. Why would Miss Luo only care about a mere Li Yue?"


    "You won''t understand ¡­" "In the past, he had never touched any of those women. He did not like them, including the princess."


    "What did you say?" He''s never even touched his first wives? " Xiao Yi Mo was quite shocked. Although he often mocked and ridiculed Xiao Yi Xiu, that didn''t mean that he really thought there was anything wrong with him. However, if so many women were just there for show, that would be a huge problem.


    "He only likes Li Yue. That''s good now, Li Yue is pregnant, he even wants to divorce off the wangfei!" Li Yue is extremely overbearing, and would definitely not allow him to have another woman! "


    Xiao Yi Mo nodded subconsciously. He had indeed seen Li Yue''s domineering attitude, but Gu Qing Li wasn''t someone that was willing to give up her position. Strangely, even though Gu Qingli knew Xiao Yixiu wanted to be his consort, she still spoke up to protect him.


    Luo Yun sobbed for a while, then muttered and cursed for a while. In the end, her words were confused, her logic unclear, and the figures in front of him overlapped and became confused. It was already hard to tell who she was.


    "Come, come, This King will help you fill your bowl." Xiao Yi Mo''s voice seemed to echo out from the horizon.


    Luo Yun helped the table up, but she couldn''t stand properly. Xiao Yi Mo rushed forward to help her, and she fell into his arms.


    He lowered his head to look at the young girl in his embrace. Her complexion was as fresh as the dawn, her complexion like a hibiscus. After being drunk, her complexion was alluring, and even her tears seemed sorrowful and moving.


    "Miss Luo ¡­" Luo Yun? "


    "Your Highness!" Luo Yun suddenly wrapped his arms around his neck. The figures in her eyes intertwined, seeming to be Xiao Yi Xiu''s handsome and elegant smile. "Yun''er likes you, don''t you see?"


    "..." Miss Luo, you have the wrong person. This king is not the Fifth Emperor''s younger brother. "


    "Your Highness, would you rather have that slut than Yun''er?"


    Xiao Yi Mo closed his eyes. He was not a righteous man; he was as steady as Mt. Tai even if someone threw themselves into his arms. After repeated rejections, he was still unable to shake it off. His breathing gradually became unstable, and the mist in his eyes gradually became darker.


    "Luo Yun, you asked for this yourself." He turned his face to the side and spoke a few words to the servant beside him. Immediately, someone came to lead the way.


    Xiao Yi Mo picked Luo Yun up and said in a low voice, "Don''t you like me? Don''t worry, I won''t disappoint you like Xiao Yi Xiu."


    He revealed a charming smile and followed the guide into a delicate and refined pavilion filled with fragrance.


    The water level in the leakage teapot on the table slowly descended, and the clouds covering the shelves outside the Moon''s Passage''s door began to flutter. The shadows of people rolling about inside could be vaguely seen, accompanied by the moaning of the bed''s dowels. Even the night had turned darker, and the only light that could be seen was behind the clouds, and the last bit of light had also dimmed.


    Within the manor, a figure hurriedly entered Gu Qingruo''s room. He walked in front of her and knelt down. He spoke a few sentences in a low voice and her expression immediately changed.


    "Xiao Yi Mo!" "Gu Qingruo spat out each word, gnashing her teeth. Her eyes turned blood-red, as if she was about to devour everyone." You still can''t forget about that slut! "


    The man said carefully, "Esteemed wangfei ¡­"


    "I knew he would remember her! The night that slut got married, King Mo brought her back from this mansion. Do you think they can still be innocent? It''s just that I didn''t expect that after she became someone else''s broken shoe, he would have to look up to her again! "


    That person was so submissive that he didn''t dare to interrupt.


    "Are you sure that after the Prince left the Imperial City gates, he met with her?"


    "Yes."


    "Staying out the entire night, I must have gone to see that bitch ¡­" She never gave up on my prince! "


    "Princess, there''s movement outside, it seems like the prince has returned ¡­" You won''t be looking for him ¡­ "


    "No rush." "Gu Qingruo quickly wiped her tears and sat in front of the mirror to fix her makeup." Go first, and don''t say anything else. I will slowly settle this debt. "


    She stared at her own red eyes in the mirror, and used a voice only she could hear to squeeze out a vicious word from between her teeth, "... Sooner or later, you will die a horrible death. "


    At the same time, a cloaked lady hurried into the Prince Mo''s mansion. The guard at the door shouted in reprimand, and only let her pass after he saw her take off her hood and take a look.


    "What''s the matter? It''s already summer and you''re still wearing your cloak." After walking over, the two guards at the gate looked at each other and muttered.


    The cloaked woman hurried toward the moon and disappeared into the house.


    She took off her cloak and stared at the pale woman in the mirror. Suddenly, she broke down and covered her face and cried.


    "Why am I ¡­ "How could this be ¡­" Her cloak fell to the ground, and her sweats were soaked through. Her hair was disheveled on her shoulders, looking miserable and pathetic.


    She couldn''t even remember clearly what happened last night, but when she opened her eyes this morning from the chaos of brocade silk, the handsome face beside her couldn''t conceal the cold look in her eyes. This was something she would never be able to forget in her entire life.


    Even when those eyes smiled, there was no trace of gentleness or warmth. There was only the feeling of evil and looting, as if they could see through her from the inside out.


    "Luo Yun! You''re the one who ruined yourself! " Her face was buried in the palm of her hand, and she let out a muffled wail.


    When she was done crying, she slowly raised her head and rolled her black eyes. The regret gradually faded and the resentment gradually rose up. She could not afford to lose her innocence. Everything she had lost would come at a heavy price.

 C111 Request

    The woman in the mirror carefully stroked her hair and adjusted the red silk covering her face before carefully turning around. "Your Highness, is there something wrong with me?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at him and said, "Don''t put on such a tight belt. You''re a pregnant woman now. Even though the moon is still light, you can''t tighten your waist like before."


    "Ah?" "Oh." Li Yue turned to face the mirror and loosened the jade buckle on her waist. She felt unsatisfied, but could only endure it. After all, she had to act like a pregnant woman in order to get past the emperor.


    After the two of them got into the carriage, Xiao Yixiu subconsciously glanced back through the window of the carriage, and faintly saw a shadow flash past the door of the manor.


    He suddenly felt his heart clench as pain welled up within him. He reached his hand out to the side and grasped Li Yue''s soft and warm hand in his own.


    It was as if only by doing this would he be able to calm his uneasy heart and ease some of the pain.


    When he returned to the palace today, he knew that the scene in front of him would not be easy. On the other hand, Li Yue''s calmness gave him some confidence. She even held his hand and softly consoled him.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked back at her, intoxicated by her gentle gaze. He stared at her, lost in thought.


    When Li Yue entered the palace, she looked around. Although it wasn''t her first time entering the palace, she couldn''t help but marvel at the imperial palace''s extravagant beauty. When she thought that she would have to face the Saint in a while, she felt a bit nervous.


    This time, the emperor was waiting in his resting pavilion. As Xiao Yi Xiu had expected, it wasn''t that easy for a saint to request a side concubine.


    The crown prince was seated on the right, followed by the empress, Imperial Concubine Lan was seated at the bottom. Surprisingly, other than Xiao Yiyan, all the other princes were present, with the crown prince, King Mo and King Yan seated in succession.


    If there were no surprises, it must be because of the rumors circulating around the world.


    While holding Li Yue''s arm, Xiao Yi respectfully entered the hall to pass on her greetings. In the end, this was the imperial family. Although everyone present had varying degrees of contempt for them, no one dared to speak lightly before the Emperor did.


    "royal father should understand the reason for this son''s visit. He is only bringing Li Yue into the palace to request for her to be conferred as an imperial concubine."


    The emperor frowned and said coldly, "Xiu''er, you are no longer a child. Think twice before you act!" The Gu Clan is the direct daughter of the Prime Minister. Under the circumstances, you shouldn''t speak of being deposed so easily. As for the ''Seventh National Male Middle School'', that is also a matter of time. How could they marry each other for a few months and then forget their wives afterwards? "


    "This son understands, so I''m only asking for the title of secondary wife."


    The emperor was stunned and looked towards Imperial Concubine Lan. The other side also shot a flabbergasted glance at her. After all, she was an adopted mother and had the same right to speak.


    "Side Consort ¡­" "Imperial Concubine Lan seemed moved, as if it was a matter for negotiation." Your majesty, after all, she''s still pregnant. Maybe she can consider it? "


    Imperial Concubine Lan''s sudden appearance of gentleness and kindness made Xiao Yixiu cast a glance at her.


    The Emperor was silent as he swept his gaze over.


    The empress wore a smile on her face and didn''t interrupt, as if she was just watching from the sidelines. In this matter, her voice couldn''t compare with Imperial Concubine Lan''s. Whether it succeeded or not, she would have to be happy to sit on the sidelines and watch from the sidelines.


    Xiao Yi Bei laughed heartily. "I thought that my fifth brother would really depose his main wife. What a pity."


    Xiao Yi Mo glanced at the crown prince and said indifferently, "What''s the pity, crown prince?"


    Xiao Yi Bei smiled but didn''t answer. It was a pity in his heart that Gu Qing Li, that ice beauty, would have been better off being abandoned.


    Xiao Yi Jin laughed, "Crown Prince, what you''re saying is that Miss Li Yue is pregnant and can only be a secondary concubine. What a pity." He was trying to guess the Crown Prince''s intentions.


    Xiao Yi Mo replied, "That''s because the crown prince has been living in the Eastern Palace for a long time. I didn''t know that rumors are going around outside the Palace and that the rumors are all about Lady Li Yue ¡­ "Hai."


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Bei had an expression of surprise on his face, as if he was asking for something.


    How could Xiao Yi Jin not know the Crown Prince''s intentions? He immediately made an explanation, "Rumor has it that this Ghost Doctor ¡­ Cough cough, Lady Li Yue came from the Qin house... royal father, this son spoke falsely. " Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a change in the emperor''s expression.


    A faint smile appeared on Xiao Yi Mo''s face as he looked at Li Yue''s red veil. He didn''t say a word, but his expression already explained everything.


    The Emperor took a deep breath, and his mind began to waver from the persuasion of the imperial concubine. Even if she was a side concubine, she still needed to be conferred a title. Compared to a concubine and concubine who were carried in from a side door, she was after all different. Li Yue''s reputation ¡­ It was a disgrace to the royal family.


    Xiao Yixiu had been silent the entire time. He had already made up his mind as he watched everyone take turns to put on a play.


    Li Yue, who had her eyes lowered all this time, suddenly lifted her head. With a soft and gentle voice, she asked, "Your majesty, can you allow Li Yue to say a few words?"


    The Emperor glanced at her, listening to her words with some propriety, and slowly nodded his head.


    "After Li Yue heard this, she somewhat understood why the Emperor didn''t want this commoner to marry into the imperial family. However, this commoner would inevitably feel wronged. Just where did these rumors come from that even the Emperor would believe them without a doubt? "


    The Emperor locked his brows and said slowly, "Could it be that you''ve been wrongly accused?"


    "That''s only natural. Why would the emperor believe these rumors without even asking the woman?" Could it be that there was someone who knew his background better than a commoner? What do you mean, ''Qin Lou and Chu Hall''? This humble woman has never been there in her entire life.


    Li Yue''s beautiful eyes swept over to Xiao Yi Mo. Although she didn''t know where the wind was blowing, she knew that the previous time she confirmed in front of the Emperor that she was a courtesan from a brothel was none other than King Mu.


    Xiao Yimo''s heart skipped a beat when he saw the assured and smiling expression in her eyes. He felt as if something was missing.


    The emperor scoffed. "Do you have evidence or something? Are you here to confirm that the rumors are just rumors?"


    "No need. Li Yue herself is the best proof." She stretched out her slender hand, took off the red veil and smiled sweetly. "This humble girl Gu Qingxiao greets Your Majesty, the Empress, Imperial Concubine Lan, and all Your Highness."


    She knelt on the ground, then straightened herself and looked around, "Although this humble one is not a well-known person in the capital, as the daughter of Prime Minister Gu Zhaoran, he accompanied his parents in and out of the palace. The emperor does not expect his to be a stranger. This humble girl has grown up in the Prime Minister''s Residence since he was young. He wouldn''t even go to the main thoroughfares of the city, much less the Qin Residence. "


    Everyone had not expected this outcome. For a moment, the faces of everyone in the hall stiffened, and even Xiao Yixiu''s usually calm eyes began to ripple as if he had thought of something.


    Even if not everyone in the hall recognized Gu Qingxiao''s face, they had at least met him a few times. Especially Xiao Yimo, how could she not even recognize her sister-in-law?


    He subconsciously clenched his fist tightly under his sleeve and stared into her eyes. He thought back to the woman dressed in red who had treated Gu Qingruo. No matter how he looked at it, she was not the same person. However, he was unable to say what was different. After all, he had never seen her true appearance. Moreover, the appearance of her face outside the red veil was almost exactly the same. However, he had never imagined that those eyes would be so similar to Gu Qingxiao''s.

 C112 cavity chamber(1)

    "How could this be?" The emperor also mumbled to himself as he looked at Gu Qingxiao with a bizarre gaze, "As Prime Minister Gu''s daughter and the daughter of an untouchable daughter, how could you enter the Residence of Mo King?"


    "In order to return to the Emperor, this humble daughter has been studying medicine since childhood. She has never left home, but ever since my second sister was married, she heard that Prince Mo was sick and sick, so she worried for her sister. Thus, she searched through the ancient books for a way to treat Prince Mo. It was only after my father had restrained me and said that my daughter had been living in someone else''s residence for a long time that I secretly thought of this move and assumed the identity of the Ghost Doctor Li Yue. "


    She blinked. "This humble girl knows it''s impolite to do so, but how can I be in love with you for so long ¡­" She bowed her head in shyness, her face and neck blushing pink.


    "This is too impolite!" The Emperor heavily reprimanded before sighing, then his tone eased up. "However, this also solved the most difficult point. Since she''s the daughter of Prime Minister Gu, then she''s the perfect match. As for the second wife, the first wife is your sister after all, so you two sisters should get along. "


    Imperial Concubine Lan seemed to have regained her senses. "Yes, yes. This matter... "This is such a great thing to add to my happiness."


    Gu Qingxiao tilted her head and smiled daintily at Xiao Yi Mo. "Prince Mu, rumors are not to be trusted. It''s best not to believe rumors in the future!"


    Xiao Yi Mo forced out a smile and felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He stood up and said, "Imperial Father, I recall that I still have some matters to attend to in the imperial court. I will take my leave first."


    Following that, the princes took their leave. Xiao Yi Xiu silently left with Gu Qing Xiao.


    "Your Highness, are you unhappy? Oh yeah, actually... I should have known better than to surprise you. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled warmly at her. His expression was calm and at ease, but his tone carried an almost imperceptible sense of alienation. "You''ve truly surprised me."


    "What''s wrong?" Gu Qingxiao could feel his strangeness and pouted coquettishly. "Could it be that because I''m Qing Li''s little sister, you don''t like me?"


    "You''re thinking too much." He calmly helped her into the carriage and said to the carriage driver, "To the Prime Minister''s estate."


    Gu Qingxiao''s eyes widened in shock. "You want to send me home?"


    "Before your marriage, you can''t stay in the palace and attract criticism. "As a secondary wife, it''s better to marry from the Prime Minister''s Estate. Moreover, I also need to formally propose so that you won''t suffer any grievances."


    Gu Qingxiao smiled and said, "You''re the one who thought it through."


    After a long period of silence, Gu Qingxiao inexplicably felt a little flustered. She quietly raised her eyes and sized up his expression.


    "When did you recover your memories?"


    Gu Qingxiao widened her eyes as her heart sank.


    "If you hadn''t recovered your memories, how would you know that you''re the third lady of the Prime Minister''s Estate?"


    Gu Qingxiao quietly let out a sigh of relief and softly said, "Actually, I always knew who I was and what I lost ¡­" It was only a part of her memories in the prince''s mansion. I didn''t tell you, I was afraid of you ¡­ I''m afraid you don''t want to get married. "


    She lowered her head shyly, like a delicate lotus swaying in the wind.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t say anything else. When he reached the door of the Prime Minister''s Estate, he sighed lightly, "We''re here."


    Gu Qingli lowered her head and held the embroidery shed. For the first time, she seriously embroidered a flower. Her heart was like the multicolored ball on the shed, messy and disorderly.


    "Esteemed wangfei, it''s not like this ¡­" Yu Ying patiently taught her. What does the wangfei want to embroider? "


    "An embroidered flower combined with a lotus flower, as a wedding gift to the prince." Gu Qingli''s voice was cold, without any ripples.


    Yu Ying was speechless. The prince had already been back for several days. Although he hadn''t brought that Li Yue, Gu Qingxiao, with him, there was no way he could hide the news of him being conferred a secondary wife.


    The wangfei didn''t see him and kept him out. And the prince was also abnormal. He didn''t use any method to force her to open the door, and just silently left.


    "I''m afraid that even if you''re embroidering to the side, you won''t be able to embroider a proper side dish. This servant will come in your place."


    Gu Qing pulled back his hand and said lightly, "I can do it."


    Yu Ying was speechless.


    On the day that Gu Qingli entered the Imperial Consort''s household, she had actually embroidered a handkerchief that resembled Tilly''s.


    The ceremony for the wedding was much more grand than the day Madam Jia entered the palace. After all, their statuses were different, and the marriage ceremony was grand. Other than not being able to pay respects to the parents of heaven and earth, the rest were not inferior to Gu Qing Li''s marriage.


    However, no matter how luxurious the atmosphere was, it couldn''t rouse the slightest bit of emotion from Gu Qing Li. She had always been dignified and virtuous like a principal consort, with no mistakes to be found.


    Even when Gu Qingxiao was giving her tea, she didn''t feel the slightest bit awkward. With a gentle expression, she accepted it and said a few auspicious words.


    When she raised her eyes, she found an unexpected figure sitting in the VIP seats in the hall ¡ª ¡ª Xiao Yiyan from the Chen-King.


    When did he arrive and when was he led into the hall to be taken a seat? Gu Qingli didn''t notice at all, perhaps all of her eyes were on the newlyweds that were paying respects to him.


    When Xiao Yiyan met her gaze, he cast a deep gaze at her. In addition to his polite smile, he added many complex elements, including pity, relief, joy, and sadness ¡­


    It wasn''t until the ceremony was completed and the newcomers had entered the bridal chamber that Gu Qingli finally came back to her senses. The guests dispersed amidst the din of laughter and chatter. As the mother, she should have been in charge of the family''s affairs until the banquet ended, but she only managed to stand up and say a few words to Gabriella. She handed over all the tasks to Gabriella and left.


    The bridal chamber was filled with a festive atmosphere. The curtains were replaced with red muslin that fluttered like fireworks. The bridegroom and the maidservants were surrounded by the bride, brimming with a festive atmosphere.


    The bride was dressed in a red wedding dress with exquisite gold thread embroidery and ornaments decorated with gemstones. Just this wedding dress alone was worth a fortune, which was a huge difference from the usual wedding dress that Gu Qingli wore when she left the pavilion.


    When Matriarch He saw the well-dressed Xiao Yixiu enter, he beamed with joy and said, "Please lift your head, Your Highness."


    Then she brought him a tray of pure gold weights.


    Xiao Yi Xiu held the weighing scale and looked at the bride sitting on the bed full of red brocade. He actually hesitated.


    "Isn''t Your Highness overjoyed? Don''t miss the auspicious hour. "


    Xiao Yixiu took a deep breath, lifted the weighing rod, and lifted the hood. The pretty face under the phoenix crown lifted up and smiled at him deeply and elegantly. Hong Chang dressed in ceremonial robes, Ying Ying Peishan, a beautiful lady like her, how could he not be moved?


    But when Rui Zhu brought the two jade carvings filled with the wine to him, the smile on her face was like smoke, blurry to the point it was unreal.


    Gu Qingxiao was the first to raise the jade cup and pursed her lips into a faint smile. Xiao Yi''s eyes were misty and had a bit of luster. She raised his cup and drank with her arm crossed. Afterwards, the nanny placed the jade carvings under the bed.

 C113 cavity chamber(2)

    Then, at some point, the nanny and the maidservants had left the bridal chamber, closing the door behind them.


    "Prince ¡­" Gu Qingxiao affectionately took a step forward and pulled them in close proximity. She shyly extended her arms in an attempt to embrace him.


    "Li Yue, This King has something to attend to. I''ll be back soon." Just as he was about to throw himself into Xiao Yi Xiu''s arms, he suddenly took a step back and walked out of the cave.


    "Your Highness!" Gu Qingxiao''s smile suddenly disappeared and her delicate eyebrows arched in surprise. Her eyes were filled with incredulity.


    Xiao Yixiu hurried into the Wind Spirit Pavilion. Yu Yingzhan was so shocked that her jaw almost fell off. She looked at him in disbelief, "My prince, tonight we are getting married, why ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu pushed her away and ignored her. He walked up and knocked on the door. "Royal Consort, open the door!"


    He thought that with Gu Qing Li''s personality, she might not even pay attention to him for an hour. However, to his surprise, the door opened.


    The light in the room was dim, and only the starlight that shone through the window illuminated the curtain of clouds, making it seem gentle and cold.


    Gu Qingli entered the room without saying a word. She heard him heavily close the door behind him and was suddenly carried into a embrace that was filled with the fragrance of wine and the light fragrance of his clothes.


    He always came at unexpected times, so that he could unwittingly confuse her. But this embrace did not belong to her, and such intense enthusiasm was incompatible with his cold personality.


    In the past, he would always oppress her resistance in a domineering and domineering manner. He had never been so anxious and panicked, as if he was afraid that she would run away from him.


    "Xiao Yi Xiu, you''re crazy!" Surprised, Gu Qingli struggled to resist. She first hammered him twice with her elbow before stretching out her arm to form a fist. Her feet weren''t idle either as she brushed past his lower body.


    Xiao Yixiu had seen the flexibility of her arms and legs, and knew that her moves were ruthless and nimble, with tricky angles. However, no matter how much he changed, he would always be able to defend himself with ease.


    This wasn''t the first time Gu Qingli had fought with him. She knew full well that it was only a matter of time before he would subdue her with his skills.


    She took a deep breath and withdrew her attack, allowing him to grab onto her arm like an iron hoop. He obviously didn''t expect that his shaky chase would actually be carried out. He narrowed his phoenix eyes in confusion as his deep gaze fell onto her hazy face through the luster of the frost moon.


    It was only when he heard her soft moan, as if she was in pain, that he felt how heavy his grab was. He suddenly let go of her hand and felt her arm slick like grease.


    One, two, three, four. He counted them, the silver needles between her fingers.


    He had seen her embroidery needles. If they pierced the skin, even if they didn''t, they wouldn''t pose a threat to one''s life. But she didn''t use it as a projectile. That was her weapon. In the end, he had never seen how deadly the effects of a few silver needles were in her hands.


    "Your Highness, you must be here to find trouble, right? With the wedding candles, the newcomer is like jade that''s not bothered with anything. What is he doing here? " Gu Qingli''s voice gave off a frosty feeling.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t say anything. His breathing was rapid, and the alcohol on his face was warm and mellow. After being toasted to such an extent, he felt tipsy and a little tipsy.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t hear his voice, but she felt that he had taken a step forward. She was shocked to think that the needle had pierced through the jade-like skin of his neck. Sure enough, after a while, she felt a warm liquid gently fall on her fingertips, instantly cooling her body.


    Her heart suddenly ached and she couldn''t breathe. She wanted to withdraw her hand, but she suddenly remembered the trick she had used to lure him into taking the bait ¡ª showing how weak the enemy was. Was he also using her soft-heartedness to deal with him?


    She bit her lower lip and coldly said, "Your Highness, I have nothing to say to you. Please leave. Otherwise, don''t blame me for being heartless. "


    In the end, he advanced another step. Gu Qingli felt another drop of warm liquid on her fingertip. Following that, another drop of water rolled down.


    As she counted, she felt her fingertips begin to burn. However, she still couldn''t hear a single word from him.


    "I''ve lost, I can''t kill you!" Suddenly, she withdrew her hand and the sound of bells rang out as she fell to the ground.


    "I''m not as heartless as you. You let me take poison and listen to your orders obediently, and then you stay at the palace as your canary, but you don''t get cold all day long. When you think of me, you tease me like this.


    The night wind rustled the leaves of the tree, gentle as a lover''s chatter. Mixed with the croaking of frogs in the shallow water and the trembling of the grass, Xiao Yixiu''s voice could be heard among the other noises, "You''re jealous, but you refuse to admit it."


    Gu Qingli was hugged again, but she couldn''t resist anymore. She let him hug her and kiss her down. She felt him slowly untie her clothes, but she didn''t refuse.


    "Esteemed wangfei ¡­" His lips slid down and landed on her neck. The soft and delicate touch made her soft.


    Suddenly, she thought of Gu Qingxiao. Perhaps it was because Xiao Yixiu had abandoned his bride to come here tonight, but he couldn''t recklessly hold a pregnant woman in his arms on the night of the wedding. That was why he had thought of her later.


    She gritted her teeth and asked in a low tone, "Aren''t you afraid of disappointing your Li Yue?"


    Sure enough, he stopped all his actions. As usual, this name seemed to be more important to him than anything else. However, Gu Qingli no longer wanted to reveal Gu Qingxiao''s fake identity. It was already too late, and the woman was already pregnant with his child. Even if he knew it was fake, so what?


    She gently pushed him away and said desolately, "Your Highness, did you see Prince Chen tonight? On the night you shared a room with Li Yue, he entered the palace and mentioned to me about leaving the Eastern Abyss, so I agreed. Tonight, he appeared amongst the guests ¡­ "You probably did not invite him. Things like Consort Na Jian shouldn''t have alarmed him ¡­"


    "You mean he came to take you away?" His words were like ice, bone-chilling cold.


    "I like him. He has the freedom that I want but cannot have. He also has a passion that you have never had before ¡­" Before she could finish her sentence, her slender and delicate neck suddenly tightened as a suffocating feeling assaulted her senses.


    "So you like him?"


    A gurgling sound came from her throat, making him realize that he had lost his mind. His fingers loosened slightly, and he heard her cough, "No ¡­" Yes, I love... I fell in love with him, he can give me... You... You can''t give it to me. "


    "Alright!" "I can let you go, but I don''t believe that you really like Ah Yan, unless he shows up now and confirms your words."


    A clear and melodious voice of a teenager came from the courtyard, "What kind of facts does Fifth Brother need to be to be willing to believe?"


    Xiao Yixiu suddenly turned around. He had clearly seen Xiao Yiyan among the guests congratulating him, toasting him, and then leaving! But he didn''t expect that ¡­

 C114 cavity chamber(3)

    The guards of the Mo King''s Manor never stopped Xiao Yiyan from entering or leaving. Everyone knew that he and Brother Mo had a deep relationship, they couldn''t imagine what kind of unfavorable things he would do.


    "Sure enough ¡­" He was instantly speechless. He felt as if thousands of arrows had pierced into his heart. Even the fingers under his sleeves began to tremble. The hand that was holding onto Gu Qingli''s throat also slowly slipped away. It was as weak as his heart.


    "Since the prince has welcomed a new disciple, he should be in a great mood. It''s about time he let an old man like me leave the palace, right?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu closed his eyes and walked out of the Wind Spirit Pavilion without looking back.


    Along the way, the night wind breezed by, and his heart grew colder and colder. It was clearly summer, but he felt as if his entire body had fallen into an icehouse. Unknowingly, his lips were covered in a sweet taste, and he didn''t notice in the slightest that he had bitten his teeth so hard that they bled.


    He didn''t return to the bridal chamber, but went to Li Yue''s garden.


    The dilapidated wooden house had been attacked by fire and water. After being abandoned for so long, it had long ago become covered in dust. The door creaked as if it were a dying person moaning.


    He sat alone in a wooden chair, thinking back to the past. The past was clear and vague ¡­ The pain of her Yue Ye testing the medicine, the coldness of her sitting alone, the tacit understanding of his silence when sitting.


    The night wind brought the fragrance from the herb garden in. Ever since he went into the water, the undamaged herbs in the wooden house had all been removed. However, they could not stop the faint medicinal fragrance growing in the herb garden.


    Xiao Yi Xiu took out a brocade handkerchief from his sleeve. There was a barely recognizable lotus flower embroidered on it. With a glance, one could tell it was the work of a beginner. He looked at it silently for a long time before suddenly getting up and quickly leaving the herb garden.


    He could no longer tell who was the hidden fragrance between his fingers, and who was the longing in his heart. He only knew that even if he went back on his word, he would still go after the girl that he wanted.


    The carriage of King Chen was not slow at all. It was a waste for him to use four horses to pull the carriage, but he still thought it was a bit slow. He wanted to let the coachman whip it down and let the horse run away.


    "Don''t be like this. This kind of good foal has a fiery nature. If you whip them too much, it will instead go against their character."


    Xiao Yiyan pursed his lips and looked at her. From the start, he still felt that she wasn''t real.


    Tonight, she felt like she was in a dream as she quietly returned to the Residence of Mo King. She didn''t care about her reputation and her guards, she only wanted to see if she would be hurt or not. She wanted to say something to comfort her in this moment of despair.


    He was both happy and surprised. He thought and thought, and couldn''t help but reach out to shake Gu Qingli''s hand.


    Gu Qingli trembled and quickly withdrew her hand, "Duke Chen, don''t move if you have to."


    Xiao Yiyan let out a long sigh. He didn''t feel the heartache or disappointment he had in falling into the deep abyss, only sadness and loneliness. He looked at Gu Qingli and said gently yet helplessly: "You don''t actually want to come with me, you''re just angry at him, right?"


    "Your Highness, you''re overthinking it. Of course, I want to leave. Not only do I have to leave the Mo King''s Manor, I also have to leave the East Abyss."


    Xiao Yiyan shook his head, "You don''t even know your own heart. Your eyes are full of scars, drop by drop, gather sand to form a tower ¡­ "The tip of the pagoda is about to pop out of your eyes."


    "Your Highness!" Gu Qingli was a bit embarrassed and annoyed. Her face was pale, and her dark pupils were burning like black flames.


    "Even if you leave the East Mountain, you won''t be able to escape the shadow in your heart. His shadow has already taken root in your heart."


    "Your Highness, if you continue to say such words, I will ¡­" "Ahhh!" Gu Qing Li hadn''t finished speaking when the horse pulling the carriage encountered an accident. A long hissing sound tore through the night sky, and its sharp hooves sent it flying, almost overturning the carriage.


    The carriage driver''s angry shout and the sound of the whip swinging through the air came from outside. Only after much difficulty did the fierce horse calm down, allowing the carriage to return to its original position.


    Gu Qing Li''s stomach felt like it was about to flip upside down from the intense shockwave. Xiao Yi Yan felt dizzy as well. Both of them simultaneously lifted the curtain and jumped off the carriage, standing stiffly on the spot.


    Not far in front of the carriage, a row of fine horses were surrounding the carriage. On each horse sat a knight dressed in black at night. His face was extremely ordinary, as if he had fallen into a pile and would never be able to find him again.


    Between these ordinary looking faces was a fine horse that was as white as snow. It was a man with flawless white clothes, his black hair carelessly tied up and fluttering in the night wind. A few messy strands of hair were stuck to his cheek, making his pale face seem even more jade-like and glossy.


    In Gu Qingli''s eyes, only a pair of cold eyes remained. They were like two lonely stars beside a cold moon, illuminating her path slightly.


    "Fifth brother, you finally caught up." Xiao Yiyan sighed lightly, "You''re even more unbearable than I thought."


    "Ah Yan, don''t blame me. You can have anyone you want under the heavens, but Gu Qingli can''t. She''s my ¡ª wife. "


    Gu Qing Li was startled. Her eyes were filled with tears. She saw the white shadow dismount and walk towards her step by step. It was like a reflection in the water, so unreal.


    "Royal Consort ¡­ This king will come to bring you back to your residence. " His voice, soft and loving, made her heart go soft.


    A streak of sword light suddenly appeared right in front of them. Xiao Yiyan slowly said, "Royal Concubine ¡­ No, it''s Gu Qingli. She''s a free woman right now, so you promised her freedom. Even if you regret it, if she doesn''t want to, I won''t let you take her away. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at Gu Qing Li, waiting for her reply. Starlight flickered in his eyes.


    "¡­" Gu Qingli stayed silent for a long time without making a sound.


    "Royal Consort ¡­ "Qing Li." Xiaoyi Xiu stretched out his hand from beneath the sword and turned it over, waiting for Gu Qing Li to place his hand in his palm.


    "Li Yue, what should we do?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows helplessly. He sighed softly, "She ¡­ Perhaps her loss of memories is the arrangement of the heavens. The departure of the moon in this king''s heart seems to have disappeared along with the loss of his memories, and even his true self has been lost. "


    Gu Qingli''s eyes widened. "You think she''s changed?"


    "This King can''t say it, but I feel that compared to her, it seems like... You are more like Li Yue. "


    Gu Qingli wasn''t sure if she was angry or happy, but he finally felt something was wrong. But that fake Li Yue had his child, so he couldn''t give her up anymore.


    Xiao Yiyan said angrily: "Fifth brother still hasn''t forgotten Li Yue. Is the reason why you''re chasing after Qing Li because she somewhat resembles Li Yue? There are two of them, and I''m afraid you''re mistaken. No woman likes to be a double. If you don''t love her, don''t stop her from leaving. "


    Gu Qingli wasn''t as angry as he was. After all, there was no point in getting jealous. She stared at Xiao Yi Xiu and asked, "If I follow you back to the manor, how will you deal with the child in her womb?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was stunned for a moment. With a puzzled expression, he raised his eyebrows. "The reason you want to leave ¡­ could it be because of the child in her womb?"


    Xiao Yi Yan snorted, "You have a child with someone else, how can she not mind? From start to finish, you''ve been the only one in her heart, but you''re still thinking about Li Yue. You want to enjoy the blessings of others, but she''s not a woman who''s willing to share her husband''s fortune with others! "


    Xiao Yi Xiu sighed, "I remember telling you that I was to stay in the room for the night... "He didn''t do anything to her at all." As he spoke of this embarrassing matter, his voice couldn''t help but lower. After all, the shadow guards behind him were all his subordinates, and he didn''t want his subordinates to hear such a private conversation.


    However, Xiao Yiyan clearly didn''t care about his face, and his voice rose even higher: "You didn''t touch her, could it be that the child in her stomach isn''t yours?"

 C115 Wife Chasing(1)

    Xiao Yixiu pinched the center of his brows, a headache coming on as he used his eyes to signal for Xiao Yiyan to shut up.


    Gu Qingli laughed out loud. She felt that Xiao Yixiu''s bedraggled state was a source of comfort to her. However, this happiness only lasted for a moment. Her gloomy mood couldn''t be changed: "Xin Ziyao''s child isn''t yours. I have my reasons; if it wasn''t for you, then Li Yue''s child wouldn''t have been trustworthy."


    "Since This King has never touched her, where did she get the children from?" Xiao Yixiu gritted his teeth as he looked at her. "Are you forcing me to explain everything clearly?" It was only to marry her, to weave words in front of royal father. "


    Gu Qingli opened her eyes wide, inexplicably happy. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest.


    "You didn''t touch her? You really didn''t lie to me? "


    Xiao Yixiu''s mind was in a mess. He stretched out his hand a little, and without caring about what she wanted, he gripped her hand tightly, "What''s there to be happy about? Go back with This King! It''s the middle of the night for Royal Concubine Mo to run away with little uncle.


    Gu Qingli didn''t shake him off this time. She smiled and said, "Prince Mo, you''ve chased after your wife for thousands of miles. It would be better to hear about it if it got out."


    When Xiao Yiyan saw her bright smile, which was like the moon in the sky, withdraw her sword, and her sword slowly moved away from Xiao Yixiu and her. It no longer blocked any of their attacks.


    Xiao Yixiu pulled Gu Qing Li into his embrace with force, then bent over to pick her up before walking towards the horse.


    "Hey, hey, let me go, I can walk by myself ¡­" Gu Qingli''s earlobes were burning red, and the closer she got to the shadow guards, the more she saw a strange smile appear on their originally expressionless faces. She wanted to hide it, wanted to restrain it, but she couldn''t.


    "Xiao Yi Xiu!" You''ve lost all my face! " She could do nothing but grind her teeth and mutter under her breath, burying her hot cheeks in his neck and not looking at anyone.


    After that, Xiao Yi Xiu felt his body lighten as he was carried onto the back of the horse. He jumped onto the horse and wrapped his arms around her waist.


    She still had her eyes closed, her shy expression causing her former arrogance and modesty to disappear without a trace.


    She heard him softly whisper in her ear, "This King''s face has also been lost by you. What should I do?" He had never been so out of control in front of his subordinates before. In fact, in front of anyone, he looked gentle, elegant, and distant. But now, he was holding a little girl affectionately, tightly hugging her as if he was afraid of losing her at any time.


    "Humph, you deserve it!"


    "..." Alright, you deserve it, but This King wants some compensation. "


    Startled, she opened her eyes. "Not now!" No matter what, she could not accept the fact that Ma Zhen was such a vanguard.


    He did not know whether to laugh or cry. Controlling the reins, he bent his head down and bit her earlobe. "It''s such a public event. What do you think This King can do?"


    The steed galloped along, bringing along a gust of wind that blew by her ears. It was cool and refreshing, but it was unable to extinguish the burning sensation around her body.


    The shadow guards knew what was going on and steered their horses forward slowly. Soon, they were left without a trace.


    The last person to remain motionless was Xiao Yiyan, who seemed to be in a gloomy mood. He was holding his sword in place while listening to the chirping of the insects. Why was this summer night so cold? It was as if it was late autumn.


    After returning to the manor, those shadow guards had disappeared. Gu Qingli had always felt that these people who came and went like the wind were unfathomable. She wasn''t sure how Xiao Yi Xiu trained them, nor did she know which corner of the palace they were hiding in. It was as if they were everywhere, but she had never seen them in broad daylight even though she had been in the palace for so long.


    Xiao Yixiu held onto Gu Qing Li''s slender waist, unwilling to put more strength into it. It was as if the slightest amount of strength would break his. He could only bend his head and look at her with pity.


    "I also have a condition for coming back with you." She looked up at him with a sly look in her eyes.


    "Hmm?"


    "That Li Yue can never be between us."


    She raised her hand to rub Xiao Yi''s face, "Don''t be so contradictory. I won''t make it hard for you to choose."


    He did not say anything as he silently walked with her into the Feng Zhaoxuan. They went around the image wall and across the veranda to see Gu Qingxiao leaning against the door. She wore red makeup, was wearing a phoenix coronet and robe, and had a hidden bitterness in her eyes.


    When she saw that Xiao Yi Xiu had come over with Gu Qing Li in his arms, her eyes widened in fear, fury, and grief ¡­ Most of it was jealousy, jealousy.


    "The prince told me that he had something to attend to and would return soon. In the end, he went for so long ¡­" Gu Qingxiao ruefully bit his lower lip, his expression turning gentle and sad, as if he was an orphan girl who had been abandoned.


    "Let''s go in first." No matter what, this kind of family matter was not suitable to be loudly announced in the courtyard. It seemed that on the night of Ning Xi''s wedding night, there were guards in the dark who could still see their movements.


    Gu Qingxiao entered the new room, followed by Gu Qingli, who locked the door.


    On the night of their wedding, the corridor was completely lit with red gauze wind lamps. In the bridal chamber, dragon and phoenix flowers and candles were dancing in the fiery light, the glazed palace lamps at the corners of the room were shining brightly, and the entire room was as bright as day. The ocher of the acid branches and sandalwood, the crimson of the muslin curtains, the red of the brocade sheets ¡­ Deep and shallow red, illuminated by the gentle light of the red candles and palace lanterns, the entire room was filled with joy.


    Gu Qingli remembered that when she was brought back by Xiao Yixiu, the room hadn''t even been lit with torches or phoenix flowers. There were only ordinary candlesticks lit, and there were also wind lanterns fluttering beneath the veranda.


    On her wedding night, she was forced by the groom to feed her poison and then left alone in her bridal chamber.


    In contrast to the luxurious entrance of a secondary concubine like Gu Qingxiao, she suddenly felt that Xiao Yixiu was biased towards her. She couldn''t help but glare fiercely at him and decided to keep the accounts for a later date.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t know that her train of thought had wandered back to a year ago. He only felt her indignant mood and subconsciously pulled her closer, afraid that she would run away in a fit of anger.


    However, Gu Qingxiao seemed to understand where Gu Qingli''s anger and disappointment had come from. She gracefully moved to stand in front of them and resentfully said, "Your Highness, you abandoned me on the night of your marriage. You actually left the estate to chase after your elder sister. "I don''t dare to complain, but ¡­" Even I said I''m up, this character changes really quickly.


    Her bright and moving starry eyes blinked as sparkling and translucent tears rolled down his cheeks. She seemed to know how to act weak to make Xiao Yixiu feel guilty and moved. This was completely different from the domineering attitude he had when she was in the Prime Minister''s Estate.


    Only Gu Qingli knew what kind of rotten soul she was hiding beneath that pretentious and delicate appearance.


    "Gu Qingxiao!" Gu Qingli intentionally or unintentionally stepped between the two of them. She looked straight at Gu Qingxiao and asked, "Do you not have a sister like me in your eyes?"


    Only then did Gu Qingxiao turn to look at her. In an instant, her weak and mournful expression turned into a somewhat cold expression, "Although you are an older sister and a main wife, tonight is my wedding night. You have no reason to ask your highness to abandon me. Is that why you put on that play about running away from home? Don''t you find it laughable? This kind of method, can you play it once or twice, and can you use the same method a thousand times to make the Prince ignore me? "

 C116 Wife Chasing(2)

    Xiao Yi Xiu''s forehead twitched as she said, "Li Yue, I went to find my own wife. You can''t be so unreasonable."


    Gu Qingxiao said with tears in her eyes, "So what did Your Highness want to say to me after you found Elder Sister? Do you want me to back out? Then what is the meaning of you marrying me in despite the emperor''s resistance? Is it just to get married and stay by the side, just like Madam Jia? "


    Xiao Yixiu took in a deep breath. Although Gu Qingxiao had done her best to suppress her tone of grievance and appeared to be feeling wronged and sad, he felt that it was completely different from what it used to be.


    Gu Qingxiao felt a sense of guilt in his heart. She pushed away Gu Qingli, hugged his body, and gently shook it. Gu Qingxiao felt a sense of guilt in his heart, and pushed away Gu Qingli.


    "I understand. The Prince said that I have to wait until I recover my memories before being fair." However, all of this is something that I am willing to do. Although the past is not in my memories, we can start from the beginning ¡­ "This one doesn''t mind the existence of the wangfei. After all, she''s an elder sister ¡­"


    "I''m sorry, but I really care about your existence." Gu Qingli couldn''t bear it any longer. She was so full of energy singing this play! You should at least have enough of feigning weakness, right?


    Gu Qingxiao cast a sidelong glance at her, her eyes filled with provocation.


    "Qing Li!" Xiao Yi Xiu called out, a trace of tenderness and love in his eyes. In the past, he had always called her his consort, but tonight, when he called her by name, her heartstrings could not help but tremble slightly.


    Gu Qingli knew she didn''t want to embarrass Li Yue. Even if he chose her, he couldn''t just ignore her, who had saved his life. However, he didn''t know if this Li Yue was fake. She rolled her eyes and raised her eyebrows into a smile. "Third Sister, there are some things you might not know and you might not know about. But aside from being the first wife, I''m also your blood sister. There are some things that I can''t say to you."


    Gu Qingxiao looked at her coldly, a sneer on her face. From this angle, Xiao Yixiu couldn''t see her expression, so she could just throw an impudent look at Gu Qingli. He even called out to Third Sister. This woman was truly anxious! When had they ever addressed each other so intimately in the Prime Minister''s Estate?


    "Although the Prince''s illness is much better now, it hasn''t completely recovered. Oh right, you should know this, but you''ve lost your memory. You probably forgot all about your previous medical skills, right? So when you came back this time, you never examined his pulse or stopped his illness, right? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu was startled, but he knew Gu Qing Li would be useful, so he remained silent and didn''t interrupt.


    "So what?"


    Gu Qingli smiled lightly: "You''ve been in the palace for so long, but he''s never stayed over at my place. That''s why you think that he must only love Li Yue and has no feelings for me at all. But it never occurred to you that he never spent the night at Biro''s, and he doesn''t seem to have any feelings for her either. "


    Gu Qingxiao pursed her lips, "Second sister, your plan to distance yourself isn''t very effective. Your highness only has me in your heart, you know that."


    "What a pity, he can only have you in his heart. Do you know why he is in such a hurry to catch up with me because he doesn''t want to settle things with you? It''s not because he''s in a hurry to get me back, but to cover up his embarrassment. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression instantly stiffened. This little girl actually dared to ¡­ He had already guessed what she was going to say next, and he was a little angry with her.


    He had said these words out of malice more than once. He did not care because he did not put those people in his eyes at all. He did not care about those people who made him feel disdain. However, Gu Qing Li''s words were completely different.


    Gu Qingxiao''s expression had clearly stiffened for a moment. She looked at Gu Qingli in puzzlement, not understanding what she was about to say.


    Gu Qing Li slowly rolled up her sleeves and looked at Gu Qing Xiao with a smile that was not a smile. "Do you know what this is?" Shockingly, there was a dark red cinnabar mark near her shoulder, like a rouge mark between her eyebrows, dazzling and beautiful.


    Xiao Yixiu had shared the same bed as her more than once, but he had never noticed the scarlet mark on her arm under the dim light. The space between his eyebrows had shrunk even deeper.


    Gu Qingxiao swallowed her saliva and said hesitantly, "Defend ¡­" "Palace sand?"


    "That''s right. I''ve been married to him for so long, and I''m still a virgin. You should understand what kind of man he is now, right?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu wanted to strangle Gu Qing Li to death right now, but his gaze was filled with the intent of ''just wait and see''.


    Gu Qingxiao''s face was somewhat pale as she thought of her guess. Could it be that it was true? Allegations... Is there a real time? But then she thought, perhaps this is just Gu Qingli''s plan to divorce him. He didn''t like this wangfei to begin with. The cowardly and mediocre Gu Qingli, why would he be tempted by her?


    So she said with her head held high, "What can this prove? At most, it only proves that he doesn''t like you! "


    Gu Qingli gave a spurious smile, "Although you don''t have much of a talent for guarding the palace, I believe that you''re just like me, a complete virgin." Don''t forget, you and he are alone in the room... He hasn''t even touched you. He likes you so much, why are you still a virgin? "


    Gu Qingxiao''s face was red like fire as she angrily retorted, "You''re lying! "I''m clearly pregnant. Otherwise, why would the emperor agree to let me marry into the palace?"


    Gu Qingli''s gaze fell onto her lower abdomen, and she sneered: "Are you sure you really have one in your stomach? Why don''t we go and let Liu Yanyu and Luo Yun take a look? "If there really is one ¡­"


    She raised her eyes and looked at Xiao Yi Xiu with a smile that was not a smile, "Is your highness... "It''s completely green."


    "Gu - Qing - Li!"


    Gu Qing Li saw the icy coldness in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes and knew that he couldn''t bear it any longer. He stealthily cast a glance of satisfaction at him. However, his anger was immediately dispersed. His look of wanting to be angry yet not willing to let go caused her heart to soften.


    Gu Qingxiao''s face was pale. In front of Gu Qingli, she couldn''t lie about knowing that she was pregnant.


    A subtle change had indeed occurred in her heart. If the rumors were true, could she really hug a husband who had yet to recover from his illness and was unable to stay in bed until he was old? What moved her the most was that although Xiao Yixiu was angry, he had never retorted against Gu Qingli from the beginning to the end.


    "Prince, I only believe your words. Tell me, is what Second Sister said true?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s mouth twitched, but he didn''t say anything.


    "This is impossible ¡­" Her face was ashen.


    Gu Qingli smiled, "Since the wedding of the Twilight King, when you met him and had his thoughts turned away, you should have already inquired about everything about him ¡ª is it too fake for you to say that it''s impossible at a time like this?"


    "You''re lying!"


    Gu Qingli said leisurely, "Why am I spouting nonsense?" If you aren''t carrying the intention to seduce your brother-in-law, how would you deliberately inquire about everything about him, including his feelings for Li Yue? "


    Gu Qingxiao''s expression changed, "Second Sister, don''t slander me!"


    "Am I slandering you? What did I say? "


    At this moment, Xiao Yixiu felt even more peculiar. Gu Qingli seemed to not only be infuriating Gu Qingxiao, but also uncovering an even bigger secret.

 C117 FakeFakeMonth(1)

    Gu Qingli came over to Gu Qingxiao aggressively, "You fell in love with him at first sight, so you must have thought of many ways to marry into the Prince Mo Residence. You must have also asked around about everything about him ¡ª this is not difficult for you. It just so happens that you have a pair of eyes like that of the Moon God. As long as you put on a veil, you won''t even be able to tell him apart! The only difference is that you have Li Yue''s memories, so you pretended to lose your memories. It''s just that your memory loss was too thorough. But you even forgot about your medical skills! "


    "You have no proof, and guess from nothing. Do you really think that these few words can make the prince believe you?" Gu Qing Xiao looked at Xiao Yi Xiu again. Even now, she was still hugging onto him, her voice even softer and sticky as she said, "My prince, he''s really just lost his memories. When you rescued me from the moat, didn''t you immediately assume that I was Li Yue? "Could it be that I''m pretending to be Li Yue and have come to the Duke''s Mansion on my own accord?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was silent. At that time, when he saw the red gauze drifting in the river, he lost all sense of reason and rushed down the city wall to rescue her from the moat.


    After that, she fainted for a short period of time and didn''t even say a word to him. He took a glance and confirmed that she was Li Yue, but after she woke up, he explained to the confused and helpless her that she was the Ghost Doctor Li Yue whose name was known throughout the capital. Actually, he should have noticed this earlier. He could only blame himself for messing up his mind after leaving the moon.


    "Your appearance seemed to be a coincidence, but it is not. Yu Li stole Li Yue''s red veil for you. You intentionally put it on to mislead the prince. If you didn''t intentionally pretend, then what was it?"


    Gu Qingli''s words added another layer of doubt to his heart. That''s right, Yuli came from the Prime Minister''s Estate, and he even knew that it was Prime Minister Yu Bi Ling An who had inserted herself into Gu Qing Li''s side to listen in on her movements.


    If it was Jade pear who stole Li Yue''s clothes and gave them to Gu Qingxiao, then where did Li Yue go?


    Gu Qingxiao sneered, "Yuli is already dead. You can say whatever you want now. Your personal servant gave me the clothes of Li Yue to steal. You can even tell such an unreasonable lie!"


    When Gu Qingli had dealt with the jade pear, it had been reported to the outside world that she had died from an illness. Gu Qingxiao had no knowledge of it. As soon as she said this, Xiao Yixiu understood why Gu Qingli had wanted to sell the jade pear to the brothel instead of taking her life.


    Gu Qing Li couldn''t be bothered to talk to Gu Qing Xiao any longer. Instead, she looked at Xiao Yi Xiu. With a light tap of her palms, a shadow guard immediately appeared outside the window to bring Yu Li back.


    When Gu Qingxiao heard that Jade Pear was still alive, her face was already drained of color as she stared at them in shock.


    Xiao Yixiu instantly felt loathing for her, and mercilessly pushed her away.


    "No, it''s not like that. Prince, listen to my explanation ¡­"


    "We''ll talk about it when Jade pear arrives." The coldness in Xiao Yixiu''s eyes caused her to avoid taking a step forward. When he was suspicious of others, he would act in a gentle manner and hide away from them like a blade. No one dared to make a move.


    Naturally, the shadow guard''s speed was extremely fast. Before long, all sorts of tied up jade pears were pushed into the bridal chamber.


    Yuli''s face was filled with fear, his black hair a mess behind his head. He was wearing a red silk robe, and his clothes were a bit untidy. It was obvious that he had been caught in his sleep. In contrast, the heavy makeup on her face didn''t even leave it off at night.


    Seeing Gu Qingli, the panic on her face deepened as she kept kowtowing. "Esteemed wangfei ¡­" "Esteemed wangfei, please spare this servant. This servant listens to Gentle Fragrance''s words and hasn''t done anything to let you down ¡­"


    Gu Qingli''s eyes were filled with loathing as she coldly said, "There''s no need to be so afraid. I only asked you to come and give you an opportunity to take responsibility for your deeds. Tell the king everything about how Gu Qingxiao entered the palace."


    Yuli''s gaze swept across the three of them. Gu Qingxiao''s eyes were filled with boundless killing intent, clearly warning her not to speak carelessly.


    However, Yuli was no longer the same person as before. She had stayed in Xuanhua Tower for more than a month and had deeply experienced Gu Qingli''s methods. Even a power like the Prime Minister''s Estate wouldn''t be able to reach into Xuanhua Tower.


    Her face was pale and she did not dare to look at Qingxiao. She told him everything that had happened.


    For a long time now, she had been tasked with monitoring Gu Qing Li''s every move, including learning Xiao Yi Xiu''s preferences. However, this task had been given to her by Gu Qing Xiao.


    When she heard that Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to be in love with Li Yue, she began to pay attention to her every move.


    The day Li Yue buried her clothes, she was on duty. When she came out, she accidentally saw Li Yue burying something, so she became curious. Although she couldn''t clearly see what it was, she took advantage of the time when Li Yue had left to dig out the red gauze and hand it over to Gu Qingxiao.


    Gu Qingxiao quickly deduced that Li Yue had the intention to leave. The young woman didn''t want to stay with Xiao Yi Xiu any longer, having so decisively buried her own clothes.


    As expected, news of Li Yue''s disappearance spread like wildfire. Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t find anything.


    From then on, Gu Qingxiao began to think about how to enter the Prince Mo Residence. Finally, it was successfully changed to Li Yue. After entering the palace, she would meet Yuli privately, so as to understand Li Yue''s preferences and personality, and try her best to make herself more like her. Unfortunately, Yuli was always at Feng Lingxuan, so she didn''t have many opportunities to interact with Li Yue.


    "Rumors, these are all made up rumors by second sister!" "Gu Qingxiao has been trembling, half out of fear and half out of anger." Jade pear is the second sister''s personal servant in the Prime Minister''s Estate. They''ve colluded with each other to make up this lie to deceive the king! "


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t even look at her as he said indifferently, "In order to collude with her, the two of them framed this lie of yours. So they sent Jade pear to the Xuanhua Tower to receive our guest?"


    Gu Qingxiao''s expression changed as she stared at Yuli''s flushed face, unable to say a word. Gu Qingli''s methods were really out of her expectations. No wonder Yuli quickly admitted everything. She was afraid there would be more serious consequences.


    "You ¡­ Your highness completely believes Yuli''s words alone? "


    "No, it''s because This King feels more and more that you don''t seem like Li Yue." He shook his head lightly, "You aren''t Li Yue at all, so why are you like her? Actually, this king had been thinking about this matter since before tonight. I always thought that you made your words and actions different from before because of amnesia, causing your personality to change. Later... It is only because of my previous obsession with Li Yue that this king wishes to marry you. "


    Gu Qingxiao suddenly threw herself at him and hugged him again with tears in her eyes, "I really like your highness. Regardless of the reason why I approached you or lied to you, my heart has never been fake. Now that we have entered the bridal room, and I am already yours, could it be that you are truly so heartless to me? "

 C118 FakeFakeMonth(2)

    However, Xiao Yi Xiu shook her off. A trace of disgust flashed across his handsome eyes. "It''s your own business if you like me, but you''ve never asked whether I like you or not. Gu Qingxiao, liking a person doesn''t use harm or deception as a method. What about all of this? You love in the name of being able to satisfy your selfish possessiveness. "


    "Doesn''t love someone who doesn''t want to have him? If not, it is not love! "


    "That''s right. While loving someone means that you want them, if you ignore their wishes, then it is called forced." He sneered. "And do you really love it? Qing Li told you tactfully, "What kind of expression do you have when This King can''t be humane?" With how much you care, you shouldn''t have married into the palace. This king has been afflicted with an illness for so many years, and I might not even know how long I''ll live, let alone something like that. "


    Gu Qingxiao had a look of despair in her eyes as she dusted off her sleeves. It was as if he found the place she had hugged dirty.


    Gu Qingli looked at her with a cold smile. "What a coincidence. This wangfei doesn''t like to be together with others, even if it''s sisters."


    "In the end, this person is your sister. I''ll leave it to you. This King does not want to see her again." Xiao Yixiu had already turned around.


    Gu Qingxiao suddenly widened his eyes and began to laugh maniacally. Tears rolled down from his eyes, "Good, good, good! You all do this to me! One was the man I married, the other was my own sister ¡­ You all don''t take me to be a human! Hmph, Your Highness, do you want to know where Li Yue has gone to? I''m telling you, she''s dead, and you''ll never find her again! "


    Xiao Yi Xiu turned his head to look at her, his eyes filled with disdain, disgust, and grief ¡­


    "You will never find the Falling Moon that you love!"


    Gu Qingli didn''t want to hear her hysterically go crazy, so she said with a frown, "Prince, you should lock her in the Prince''s Mansion''s secret basement. Gu Qingli didn''t want to hear her hysterically go mad, so she should lock her up in the Prince''s Mansion''s secret basement.


    Gu Qingxiao''s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets as she screamed in fear, "I''m your blood sister, what do you want to do with me? ¡­" No... "Don''t touch me ¡­" While she was speaking, the shadow guard had rushed in and forcefully dragged her down. All along the way, her cries and shouts were mixed with curses later on.


    Yuli was also brought back to Xuanhua Tower, leaving behind only Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli as they strolled towards Feng Lingxuan.


    "She is your blood sister. This King thought you..." will show mercy to her. " Xiao Yixiu had passed Gu Qingxiao to her because he didn''t want to deal with his too heavily, causing her to feel heartbroken.


    Gu Qingli said indifferently, "Although prince knows everything about what happened after I entered the estate, you don''t know much about the Prime Minister''s estate." Do you know how my childhood was spent? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her.


    "In the past, Gu Qingli was just a joke of the Prime Minister''s Estate. She was nothing more than something that the two sisters Gu Qingruo and Gu Qingxiao could toy around with as they pleased ¡­" But that''s all over. " Gu Qingli noticed her slip of the tongue and stopped speaking.


    "In the past, you seemed to have countless secrets."


    There was no answer, they had already entered the Wind Spirit Pavilion.


    "Then how do you know that there is another secret underground room in the Prince''s Mansion?"


    "If not, where is the Crown Prince hiding Liu Xin? Where are you training your shadow guard? " Gu Qingli smiled sweetly.


    "The sky should be getting brighter by now, right?" Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyes to look at the sky. The starlight was dim, and the moon was shining in the west. The yard was still covered in silver frost, and there was a light breeze blowing.


    Gu Qingli entered the house and held the lamp in her hand. She looked at it more carefully and said, "It''s already the fourth fragment of the night. Your highness, please go back."


    Before she could finish her sentence, she heard the sound of the door being bolted. When she turned around, she found that Xiao Yixiu was already right next to her.


    "King ¡­" Before she finished speaking, her lips had already been covered. Her eyes were wide open, and she did not know what to do. She only felt her breathing gradually becoming chaotic, her heartbeat becoming even more intense, and all her strength disappearing from his embrace.


    She felt like a cloud being lifted up by him and laid flat on the bed.


    "Wait a moment." He whispered something about her neck, and she suddenly realized that he no longer called himself Ben Wang. Did this mean that in his heart, she was already an equal existence to him? Then he remembered how, when he had urged his horse to chase her, he had told Xiao Yiyan that she was his wife ¡ª not his consort.


    Under the lantern light, he quickly spread out his clothes and threw his robe and jade belt on the ground.


    "Your Highness, this is..." "What for?"


    "I can''t wear these clothes anymore, so naturally I''ll throw them away."


    So it turned out that his obsession with cleanliness had flared up again. Gu Qingli was both angry and amused. "Being hugged by Gu Qingxiao, how can it be so dirty?"


    He furrowed his brows, "Being dirty is secondary. I''ve seen her in her wedding dress before."


    Gu Qingli understood. He was afraid that she''d mind him, but he cared about her so much. She lowered her eyelids, pursed her lips, and smiled. Her long eyelashes, which were as thick as a fan, cast a small arc of shadow over her face.


    "Take... Turn Lamp... "Blow ¡­" When she saw him about to go to bed, she began to speak incoherently.


    He stared into her closed eyes. His expression was strange and shy, both tender and funny. As he waved his sleeve, a strong wind blew and the solitary lamp was extinguished.


    "What did you say to Gu Qingxiao just now?"


    "Wh ¡­" "What?" Gu Qingli was in a state of panic, embarrassment, and embarrassment. Her mind was in a state of chaos, so how could she think normally? When she felt his hands move to her clothes and began to loosen the straps, she became even more flustered and did not know what to do.


    "You suggest to her that I''ve never touched you, not even a woman... "Humph, are we going to explain it more clearly?"


    "This... I didn''t say this first... The Crown Prince and the Twilight Prince both said why did you bully me ¡­ "


    "I can''t prove it on them, but you''re different ¡­" His voice was getting lower and lower, ambiguous and soft, with a distinct hint of flirtation.


    Gu Qingli didn''t even notice that his clothes had been thrown to the side. She was then pulled into a boiling hot embrace, with smooth, silky skin sticking close to her.


    She thought vaguely of him lying on his back in front of her, with a look of helplessness on his face.


    As if he was taking revenge, he whispered in his ear, "I''m bullying you ¡­" It''s because you''re so easy to bully. "


    "Xiao Yi Xiu ¡­" You bastard. "


    His smile in the dark was as gentle as water. The deep affection in his eyes could not be removed. The moonlight shone through the layers of clouds. She could clearly see his eyes and her heart softened.


    "Qing Li, you''re mine."


    Accompanied by his affectionate babble and the gentle caress of his fingers, she was unexpectedly attacked by the pain of splitting apart. She let out a painful cry, and tears instantly flooded her cheeks.


    In the past, no matter how much pain she received, she could just silently endure it. However, the reason why she cried out for pain was not because she was afraid of pain, but because she wanted someone to pity her.


    In the past, no one would feel any pain even if she was injured, so no matter how much pain she suffered, she would remain silent. But now, as long as she cried, someone would immediately kiss her cheeks and softly comfort her. They would stroke her cheeks over and over again, coaxing her into their arms.

 C119 FakeFakeMonth(3)

    Gu Qingli woke up from the long torture. She was so embarrassed that she couldn''t say anything. The previous scene had exhausted all of her focus and energy, so she could only helplessly hug the person beside her with her tight and tight waist, burying her face in his embrace.


    All his strength was just enough to breathe for the embers. But she soon became aware of the subtle changes in his body, as if reignited by her inseparable embrace.


    She was greatly alarmed and felt that the residual pain had not yet subsided. She subconsciously pushed at him, but did not push him. She anxiously wanted to use something to distract his attention. "About that, Wang ¡­"


    "Still called Prince?"


    "Ah?" "Xiao Yi Xiu?"


    "What kind of wife calls her husband by his first name? You still have to use such a fierce tone. " With a grunt and a note of dissatisfaction in his voice, he bit her ear.


    A feeling of numbness permeated her entire body. It was slightly painful and itchy. The tip of her heart felt as if it had been lightly scratched by a feather. Her entire body went limp. The remaining strength was only enough to softly groan.


    "Then... "Yi Xiu?" How was she fierce? She pouted as if she felt wronged. Isn''t it just a form of address? How could it be so troublesome?


    He seemed still dissatisfied with her harshness and gave her another nibble.


    Amidst her panic, she thought of something and asked in an unsightly manner, "Do you like Li Yue more, or Gu Qingli?"


    He fell silent.


    She looked at the faint, misty moonlight and saw the sadness in his eyes. He couldn''t find Li Yue, so perhaps he thought that she was already dead. That was why he felt so sad?


    "Maybe she didn''t die?" Such ill intentions were obviously not a form of consolation.


    He said softly, "She buried those clothes, but still buried them by Xiaoyao''s side ¡­" She was determined not to see me again. "She said goodbye to Liu Yanyu and told me that she would leave, but I always thought I would have a chance to keep her. I never thought ¡­"


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help laughing out loud.


    "Is it that funny?" He raised the center of his brows, and his clear face began to freeze. "I do have you in my heart, and I won''t go look for Li Yue anymore. But is something like this worth smiling at?"


    "I''m laughing at your stupidity. Xiao Yi Xiu, you think that you''re smart and think that everything is part of your plan, but you still lost to me. You idiot!"


    He had probably never been described as stupid or stupid in his life. His frozen expression was a bit stiff.


    "Why do you like me?"


    He was speechless. In many ways, he even felt that Gu Qing Li and Li Yue were the same person, including their personality, actions, and even that pair of eyes ¡­


    "And why did you mistake Gu Qingxiao for her and bring her back?" Her eyes flashed with a crafty smile, "Isn''t it because she has a pair of eyes similar to mine? Who do you think is more like Li Yue than me? "


    "Of course it''s you, but ¡­"


    "But you didn''t expect that a woman who takes your poison and relies on your monthly antidote to be able to use the Heaven Returning Art to remove the poison from your body?"


    The astonishment in his eyes began to increase.


    "You never suspected that I was Li Yue. Because I was by your side, even if I was more similar than Gu Qingxiao, you would only mistake her for Li Yue. This is called a blind eye."


    "Are you saying that you are Li Yue?"


    She rolled over and covered his chest, tracing circles with her slender fingers. The lines of her smile spread from her lips, her eyes were misty, and her soft voice sounded like she was mumbling, "I''ve never left you. I''ve only left you as that Li Yue."


    No wonder, no wonder he was always inexplicably tempted by her. They were originally the same person. There was no longer a need to differentiate whether he was in love with Gu Qingli or Li Yue. In the face of love, even the smartest person was blind. When he saw her, he was confused and moved.


    The warm current surged in his heart. The aching pain struck his chest, but his heart was so happy that it wanted to jump out. He opened his arms and hugged the girl tightly as he muttered, "Qing Li, Li Yue, Qing Li, Li Yue ¡­"


    "Alright, I almost forgot my name when I recite it again."


    "No." He suddenly thought of something. "You actually lied to me for so long. How could I let you go so easily?"


    Gu Qingli wanted to open her mouth, but every word was cut off by him. Her fingers were warm and powerful, slowly moving up her skin. She collapsed like a guqin. He seemed to want to play the most soothing movement on the strings, but it triggered her to tremble, little by little, in his arms.


    "You''re scared?" He gently chatted into her ear. The usually cold and distant voice carried a sweet feeling to it, and when it was spoken, it gave off a charming and gentle feeling.


    She was a little dazed and felt her entire body go soft. Her grumbling voice then carried a coquettish tone, "I ¡­ "Afraid of pain." She hadn''t expected it to hurt so much. It was beyond her expectations.


    He was also speechless. Gu Qingli couldn''t sense his movements for a long time, so she asked quietly, "Are you angry?"


    "No ¡­." I''m afraid you''ll hurt. " He stroked her cheek with his lips. "I didn''t know it would hurt so much."


    She felt that there was a sense of helplessness in his voice and could not help but chuckle. "You don''t know? Don''t tell me the ladies you used to have... Is it really just a decoration? "


    "Yes."


    "¡­" After a long while, she finally said, "Don''t tell me you''re also a virgin ¡­" The first time? "


    Unable to hear his answer in the darkness, she reached out her hand to touch his face. It was boiling hot indeed, but she couldn''t stop laughing in a low tone, making him angry. He turned his face away from her hand, gritted his teeth and pulled her down.


    "Of course it''s funny. The suave and suave King Mo is actually a virgin ¡­" How can men not laugh? "


    He covered her soft body and lightly bit her lips. "I''ve only liked a woman called Gu Qingli. Before this, no one has ever tempted me."


    She melted immediately, like a pool of spring water.


    The consequence of her indulgence was that ¡­ Without even closing his eyes, the sun had already risen.


    "Whose bridal ceremony was it last night?" Gu Qingli suddenly thought of this question and pushed angrily at the people around her.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was so tired that he didn''t want to open his eyes. He smiled lazily and replied, "Of course it''s mine."


    "It''s not like you''re marrying me!"


    He finally opened his eyes and said slowly, "But you already ruined my reputation last night. In the future, no one will be willing to marry me. Of course, you have to compensate me."


    Only then did Gu Qingli remember what she said last night. She gave a dry laugh. "I ¡­" I just... Why are you so vengeful? Didn''t you take revenge last night? "


    "It''s not enough. You''ll have to use your entire life to repay it."


    "Yes." It was rare for her to be so gentle.


    Satisfied, he hugged her and kissed her a few more times before getting up and dressing.


    She suddenly thought of something important: "What do we do if the Third Dynasty returns?"


    He turned around and pinched her face with a smile. "Isn''t that simple? She was pretending to be Li Yue and marrying into the family. You should wear that red dress and go back to fool your father, right?"


    She had a pair of eyes similar to Gu Qingxiao''s.


    "I''m afraid that not only will I return to the door, I will also have to wear that red dress in the Prince''s Mansion in the future." She looked at him gravely, "Have you forgotten that the palace is not a safe place? As to who spread the news about Liuxin, we still haven''t found the person hiding there."


    "Actually, aren''t there people that you suspect in your heart?" His eyes were calm as he stroked her hair by her pillow.


    "In the absence of any evidence, you cannot make a decision as you wish. Apart from being afraid of accidentally injuring them, they are also afraid of leaving an opening for those who are truly hiding. "

 C120 floral shock(part I)

    Qing Ling He Flower Association was the biggest Flower Society in the capital. It was located in the lower middle section of Qing Ling He, which was located across the capital.


    At that time, all the famous scholars and nobles of the imperial clan would participate, but because of their distinguished status, their families and guards were numerous, and they also had safety concerns, so the flower assembly was set up like a river flowing. From the middle of the journey, there would be many types of pleasure boats, light boats, and Wu Peng boats lined up on both sides of the river, and each boat would have a family or three to five good friends.


    There were people rowing boats in the middle of the river. One of them was a display of fine wine, and every time one of them would stop to ask for a reward. The other ship was empty. Once there, there would be people putting out precious flowers on board the cruise liner. This was a flower ornament.


    When tasting wine and admiring flowers, there were also famous scholars who flourished. They would write poems and songs, place them in an empty boat, and then finally hand them over to Han Lin Institution for evaluation. According to their talents, they would receive rewards, and they might even be used by the imperial government.


    Thus, the Flower Gathering was also a poetry gathering. Since the Royal Clan was participating, they had the intention to participate in it as well.


    Xiao Yi Xiu pulled Gu Qing Li onto the cruise liner. Their meticulous care and care were no different from how it used to be. Gabriella was in the boat as well, and Yun''er was helping her stand at the bow to watch.


    Liu Yanyu and Luo Yun walked around the stern. Luo Yun''s face was somewhat pale, as if she had just experienced something.


    Gu Qingluo sat at the bow of the pleasure boat. The yellow, flowery, pear, and Eight Immortals tables in front of her were decorated with fine tea and a few stalks of jade hairpin flowers.


    Gu Qingruo was as slender and elegant as a jade hairpin. Her elegant clothes were elegant, and her long green skirt fluttered to the ground. She had a haughty and cold expression as she looked at everyone present.


    Xiaoyi Mo looked at her coldly. Previously, this kind of elegant and proud attitude made her look elegant and attractive, but now, he was already tired of her.


    She Yiyu was after all a woman from the family of generals. It had been almost eight to nine months since the last time they had been born, but she was still able to move freely. She stood at the bow of the ship with a smile on her face, admiring the flowers. Compared to Gu Qingruo, she was not unparalleled in beauty, nor did she have the bearing of a girl from a noble family. But she had the valiant demeanor of a martial general, and she was never shy or gentle.


    From time to time, she would smile at Xiao Yi Mo before holding his hand and placing it on her stomach. A gentle breeze would brush her hair, and her smile would be faintly discernible. Her gaze towards Gu Qing Ruoyun seemed to be showing off.


    A rare look of joy appeared on Xiao Yi Mo''s face. He Yi Yu''s womb was already visibly moving. She couldn''t be indifferent when she thought that this little life was going to be her first child. Especially since Gu Qingruo couldn''t give birth to her again, his hope for the child in He Yanyu''s womb was even greater.


    Gu Qingruo was so angry that she almost vomited blood. Only now did she truly understand the word ''mother'' and couldn''t help but feel deep regret for her previous actions. When they found out that only Gu Qing Li and Jia Bi Ruo were on the pleasure boat with King Mo, they were extremely astonished and called out to Gu Qing Li a few times.


    When Gu Qingli heard her call, she turned around and gave her a cold smile.


    Gu Qingruo watched Xiao Yixiu leisurely walk to the stern of the boat with Gu Qing Li in his arms.He had a face full of love and affection for Gu Qing Li, which made her heart ache. She bit his lower lip and sneered, "Gu Qing Li, where''s little sister?"


    "Oh, her vomiting is serious, so she''s naturally recuperating in the Prince''s Mansion." Gu Qing Li''s smile was extremely graceful, and his reply was flawless.


    No one noticed that during the time they were replying, Xiao Yi Mo had received the meat of the dish that his servant had fished out, and was slowly savoring it. He raised his sleeves and covered it. With a slight turn of his palm, he had already switched the bronze wine from one to the other.


    As the light boat sailed forward, it was Xiao Yi Xiu''s pleasure boat. Someone picked up the wine and carried it to the stern of the boat.


    Xiaoyi Xiu took the wine vat and poured it full into the cup. Gu Qingli also raised her glass with a smile on her face.


    Xiao Yi Mo looked into the distance and sighed in his heart. What a pity.


    Luo Yun suddenly called out to Xiao Yi Xiu from the bow of the ship, "Your highness! Come and take a look. "


    Xiao Yixiu, who was separated by the boat''s hull, couldn''t see what was happening. He put down his wine cup, walked around the stern of the boat, and headed in that direction.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression changed as he called out, "Fifth Sister-in-Law!"


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt that something was wrong when she met his hesitant gaze. She lowered her eyes and slowly raised her glass, smelling a strange scent.


    She reacted quickly and quickly grabbed the canoe, throwing the wine cup into the river with it. At this moment, millions of flames shot out from nowhere, like red, yellow, white, and blue blooming chrysanthemums blooming in the air. The smoke from the flames covered Xiao Yi Xiu''s pleasure boat completely.


    Xiao Yixiu looked up and saw a delicate hand reaching out from the room beside him. It pulled him into the cabin just as the tiny wisps of flames were about to land on him.


    Gu Qingli quickly turned her body to avoid the flames, and watched helplessly as the flames hit the wine cup that was about to land on the water. With a bang, the cup exploded, sending water splashing in all directions before heavily crashing into the river, creating a huge whirlpool.


    Gu Qingli kicked open a window in the cabin and jumped in. She saw Luo Yun, who was in a slight panic, pulling on Xiao Yixiu as she talked, while Liu Yanyu rushed into the cabin through the cabin door. He didn''t seem to be that lucky; a little flame had burned a hole in his clothes. Although the burns were not severe, a patch of skin was still burned red.


    The guards and maids on the second level of the cruise liner rushed into the cabin in a mess. Their disorderly cries proved that they had all suffered from varying degrees of burns and were all in a sorry state.


    Explosions, ships! Although this explosion was far from the shocking explosion that Gu Qingli had experienced in her previous life, the memory of it was still fresh in her mind.


    "What happened?" Xiao Yixiu heard the sound of an explosion, flung off Luo Yun, and walked towards Gu Qingli.


    "Who set these fireworks?" Gu Qingli asked first.


    Xiao Yi Xiu replied, "It''s all the people from the Ministry of Rites. In the past, flowers would set off fireworks, always on both sides of the river, and they had to be separated from the crowd to prevent burns. The flames were set off in a bizarre manner today. It was actually aimed at This King''s pleasure boat. "


    He first looked at Gu Qingli and saw that she was still unharmed. Only then did he relax. Sneering coldly, he said, "You seem to be a little tired of living since you escaped the punishment of the Imperial Examinations. "What about Gabriella?"


    Only then did someone notice that Gabriella wasn''t among the crowd of people who had escaped into the cabin. "I saw her in the lower cabin," Jin Shu replied.


    Suifeng took care of the burning wound and asked doubtfully, "She has a good foresight, why don''t you hide inside first?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li looked each other in the eye and silently walked out of the cabin. They looked at the wine cup that had fallen into the water.


    Xiao Yi Mo stood at the bow of the pleasure boat with the word "Mu." He looked at them from afar with a complicated look in his eyes. Something seemed to flash across his bottomless black pupils.


    Gu Qingruo and She Yiyu stood to his left and right, Gu Qingruo on her shoulder. Her colorful gown flowed with a clear sky, and against her slim figure, she stood gracefully with a proud and aloof demeanor, looking at Gu Qingli with disdain in her eyes. She Yiyu looked over with concern, and when their gazes met, she quickly turned her face away, smiling as she admired the strange flowers and flowers in the boat.


    Gu Qing Li wanted to capture something from their expressions, but Xiao Yi Xiu had already brought her down to the deck of the pleasure boat. He jumped from the boat to the shore, then quickly walked to where the fireworks were.

 C121 floral shock(last part)

    The flowers will set off a great number of fireworks at the beginning and end of the sunset and the moon.


    Before the fireworks, an open space was always opened on the river bank to prevent injuries, so the surrounding area was surrounded by bamboo fences. In addition, the city''s security guards had already evacuated the crowd of onlookers and guarded the area outside. At this moment, there were a few guards of the capital standing in the middle of the open space, twisting around a man in ceremonial attire, forcing him to stay on the ground.


    A slender figure hurriedly stepped in from outside the circle of guards. He was dressed in a silver helmet and armor. He had a handsome face with strong lines, and his eyebrows were fluttering. His thin lips revealed the resolution of a martial general.


    "Commander Lu."


    Lu Linghui, the deputy commander of the capital''s military camp, saw the King Mo and a look of astonishment flashed across his face. He immediately greeted him and asked in doubt, "Could it be that the pleasure boat that was set down by the fireworks was actually owned by Prince Mo?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded indifferently. He looked at the man on the ground and said, "You''re in charge of the security. I''ll leave it to you to interrogate him."


    "Are there any major problems with the prince''s pleasure boat?"


    "How many people were injured? It was a light injury."


    Gu Qingli snorted lightly but didn''t say anything.


    Actually, it was only because of that call from Xiao Yimo that she had been able to detect that something was amiss. When she thought back to it later, he had the feeling that he was reminding her of something.


    It was quite strange. When had Xiao Yimo ever cared for her with good intentions? She suddenly felt a chill in her heart. If Xiao Yi Mo really was reminding her, then it meant that he knew something in advance. Could it be that this matter was related to him?


    Lu Linghui asked in a stern voice. That person was filled with fear and repeatedly declared that he had placed the fireballs in the wrong direction in his panic, which was the reason for the accident.


    Lu Linghui sneered, "Since you are willing to shoulder all of the responsibility, then whether it is intentional or not, all of the blame will fall on you."


    He turned his head to Xiao Yi Xiu and asked, "My prince, we''ve lost your pleasure boat. You should decide on this person''s punishments. What do you think?"


    Gu Qingli said, "The cruise liner itself didn''t suffer much, but it didn''t only harm the female servants and guards."


    She pointed at the man with a sneer, "When it came to the pleasure boat, what was supposed to be Lan Ling Imperial Wine had turned into red wine; in the wine cup, there was a layer of saltpeter; the yellow wine plus the saltpeter, in addition to the intense flames descending from the sky, was about to cause an explosion! If I didn''t smell the scent of yellow and saltpeter and threw it into the river in advance, that explosion would have blown up half of the pleasure boat.


    Lu Linghui, who did not know about the explosion on the cruise liner, was even more shocked when he heard that. He then shifted his gaze to Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Although Xiao Yi Xiu had heard the explosions and the shockwaves, he didn''t know what had happened. Only after listening to Gu Qing Li''s explanation did he understand.


    "Moreover, what he''s burning is definitely not ordinary fireworks, otherwise how could there be such a dense amount of flames? I can smell a strong smell of sulfur in the air. The smoke and fire have added a large amount of sulfur, so even if it were to land on a person''s body, it would cause them to be poisoned. "


    The man turned pale and suddenly bit his chin.


    A silver light flashed between Gu Qing Li''s fingers, and that person''s body was instantly pierced by several needles. His chin was frozen, and he could not move at all.


    Lu Linghui flew up close to him and pinched his chin, causing a tiny, vermilion pill to roll down. He sneered, "You want to commit suicide? It''s not that easy! Drag it out, and interrogate him until it''s over! "


    "There''s no need to go through all this trouble." Gu Qingli stepped forward a few steps and gently lifted her delicate hand, patting his body a few times. The silver needles miraculously pierced into his skin and disappeared without a trace. However, the sealed acupoints were unsealed.


    Just as he was wondering why Gu Qingli let him go, he suddenly felt a great pain in his entire body. One moment it was like a burning flame, and his body was placed in a furnace, and the next moment it was as if he was hacked into a thousand pieces, and every piece was slow, and the next moment it was unbearably itchy as tens of thousands of needles entered his muscles. In the blink of an eye, he seemed to have undergone all sorts of torture in the human world. He lay on the ground and rolled on the ground while screaming. He was in so much pain that he couldn''t even be considered a human.


    Lu Linghui looked at this Princess Mo in shock.


    In order to not arouse suspicion towards his relationship with the Mo King, he had always been in contact with Xiao Yi Xiu, and of course, he had never visited the prince''s mansion. Hence, he was extremely unfamiliar with the princess, whom he had only heard of but never met.


    The silver needles enter one''s body and follow the meridian to reverse the flow, finally converging into one''s heart." This wangfei knows that you are a death warrior and that you already have the mindset of certain death when doing this, but if you can endure this torture that is like the True Samadhi Fire, then you will truly be a tough guy. " "Gu Qing''s lips curled up in a cold smile as he calmly took a few steps back, as if he was just watching a play.


    "I... "Cast ¡­" His eyes were nearly bulging out of his eyes, and a thin line of blood ran down his cheek.


    Gu Qingli poked a few acupoints on his body, temporarily relieving his pain. She looked at him coldly.


    "It''s a... Very young girl, she... She paid a lot of money to hire me... and gave me a very special firework ¡­ "


    "Girl? "What does he look like?" Gu Qing Li was surprised. Could it be that it wasn''t Xiao Yi Mo?


    "A very sweet, round face, curved eyebrows, and a very pretty smile ¡­" About fifteen or sixteen years old, so tall. " He gestured and said hesitantly, "She has an octagonal band around her neck. In the middle of it, there is such a large piece of Jadeite with Jadeite."


    Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li looked at each other and simultaneously exclaimed in a low voice, "Luo Yun!"


    Gu Qing Li composed himself and asked, "Who are you and how did she find you?"


    A Death Soldier like this was not something that could be trained for a day or two. Luo Yun had only bought it for a huge sum of money, it was impossible for an ordinary person to be willing to be a Death Soldier.


    That person''s eyes flashed with fear, "I won''t say it. If you''re kind-hearted, why don''t you grant me death?"


    Gu Qingli''s brows furrowed. Just as he was about to activate the silver needles, Lu Linghui suddenly pulled out his sword. Blood splattered in all directions, and that person''s head was separated from his body.


    "What are you doing?" Gu Qingli''s sharp gaze swept across Lu Linghui.


    However, Xiao Yixiu slowly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Gu Qingli, shaking her head slightly.


    She followed him towards the pleasure boat until they were far away from the guards of the capital''s camp. Then he said in a low voice, "Don''t waste your time on that man. He''s already said what he needs to say, so no matter how hard you try to force the truth out of him, you won''t be able to find out. In the entire Eastern Abyss, only an assassin''s guild has such a strict and thoughtful rule ¡ª ¡ª Destiny. "


    "Do you know what this organization is like?"


    "No one is clear. This is a mysterious power. Exactly how many people are there, exactly where they are, no one is clear. The only thing I know is that they are not people who can be bought with money. They are only subject to the Xiao Dynasty. "


    "The power of the royal family?" Gu Qingli sucked in a breath. "Could it be that your majesty ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head and said indifferently, "You think that the Emperor needs to use such a method to kill people? As long as he knew of their method of communication, and used the Xiao Dynasty''s identity to contact them and agreed to pay a large sum of money, he would be able to do anything to them. Thus, Luo Yun is definitely not capable of such a feat. "


    "It''s Xiao Yi Mo." Gu Qingli said with certainty. She recounted what had happened before, especially the strange actions of Xiao Yi Mo. She still couldn''t understand what he was doing.

 C122 see a person

    "Xiao Yi Mo''s target is me, but Luo Yun''s target is you. At some point, they had come to an agreement and were working together in private. Luo Yun predicted that the firework would fall and sent me away first. Xiao Yi Mo saw that his target had disappeared but didn''t want to hurt you, so he hesitated before calling out to you. He was considering whether he should remind you of this or not. I didn''t expect your reaction time to be faster than he expected, and the explosion was resolved. "


    "They actually colluded in private. Just when did this happen?" Gu Qing Li thought for a moment and suddenly understood. "The rumors that were spread all over the capital saying that Li Yue was born in a brothel, it was Luo Yun who had Xiao Yi Mo do it! Otherwise, there was no enmity between Li Yue and him, so why would he do such a pointless thing? Only Luo Yun hated me so much, and didn''t want me to marry into the palace. Unfortunately, she did not manage to calculate my true identity. "


    "Since then, they have had mutual benefits. However, for no reason, Hongyi had no intentions of being ordered around by anyone. So, what kind of conditions did Luo Yun agree to? "


    "Regardless of the conditions, there is one thing for sure. Xiao Yi Mo arranged this flame to deal with you. Only he has the ability to change the wine pot. Luo Yun, on the other hand, disobeyed his wishes and saved you at the critical moment." At this moment, he is extremely resentful toward Luo Yun''s failure. "


    "You want to use Xiao Yi Mo''s power to eliminate Luo Yun?" Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "That may not be feasible. You don''t understand the relationship between the two of them, and Luo Yun is not a fool either. If you can''t afford to offend him, then how could you do as you please?" Instead, it was Xiao Yi Mo ¡­ Luo Yun must have thought that he didn''t care about your life and death, but at the critical moment, he actually reminded you. "


    "I can''t figure this out either." The two of them walked to the boat and saw that only Gu Qingruo was left sitting at the bow of the boat, sipping tea. She looked extremely lonely.


    "Could it be ¡­" He started to think about old friendships again? "


    Gu Qingli bashfully and angrily hit him. "Who has an old relationship with that slut?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed lightly with a teasing look in his eyes. "I wonder who brought me to his mansion on the wedding night ¡­"


    Gu Qingli''s cheeks were red as she glared at him. "You''re not going to forget about this?" Did she still mention it when she was eighty? "You''re too narrow-minded!"


    Xiao Yixiu wrapped his arms around her slender waist and whispered into her ear, "Can''t I be jealous?"


    She pursed her lips tightly, but in the end, she could not hold it in. Her lips curved upwards like a rake, and a smile overflowed her lips.


    On the pleasure boat, a few injured female servants were still crying in pain. Only Liu Yanyu was quietly sitting at the bow of the boat, seemingly lost in thought. Naturally, his wounds had been treated as well, and he suffered the lightest injuries.


    "Mister Liu, how is it?"


    Liu Yanyu snapped out of his shock, and upon seeing Gu Qing Li ask, he smiled lightly, "It''s fine, I dodged fast. It was just that I was burned at a close distance and didn''t have any damage to my body. I got Luo Yun to wash them off with water, then applied some medicine and treated them a little. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. He looked at Liu Yanyu''s wounds. Aside from the swelling, they were not damaged at all. They should not be a problem. Thus, he casually asked, "Yun''er isn''t hurt, right?"


    "No, wasn''t she in the cabin at the time, and she even called the prince in?" Liu Yanyu''s expression was somewhat unnatural. Her handsome brows furrowed for a moment, and she did not look at him directly.


    Xiaoyi Xiu looked at him silently.


    Liu Yanyu had clearly noticed that all four of her eyes were fixated on his at the same time. He coughed lightly and said, "I''ll go into the cabin to check on the brocade sachet. A large portion of her arm was burned ¡­"


    "Yanyu, you''re actually already suspecting Yun''er, aren''t you?"


    Liu Yanyu''s usually gentle and calm gaze had a trace of panic, and he dodged Xiao Yi Xiu''s direct gaze. He was not a person who was good at camouflage, so he could not answer the question.


    "Everyone on deck was injured, and although the princess was quick and nimble and managed to avoid the attack in time, she managed to break through the window in a very sorry manner before entering the cabin. Even you and the guards weren''t able to dodge it. It''s obvious that this firework was unexpected. Even if it landed on your body, it wouldn''t harm you. But Yun''er had already entered the cabin before the firework fell. What a coincidence. "


    Liu Yanyu forced a smile. "She said he wanted to find the prince in the cabin ¡­"


    "When she called for Ben Wang, her tone was anxious, as if she had some urgent matter to take care of. However, after she pulled Ben Wang in, there were no more urgent matters."


    "After the prince entered the cabin, an accident happened. At that time, it was a mess, so Yun''er''s matter wasn''t too important, so he was left behind ¡­"


    "Yanyu, do you have to continue to defend her?"


    Liu Yanyu let out a silent sigh. He knew that King Mo was a wise and mysterious man who could see through the wits and tricks of so many political and military enemies. This little girl, Luo Yun, wanted to play tricks in front of him ¡­ Sigh!


    "When did you find her wrong?"


    Liu Yanyu gently shook her head. "I didn''t notice it at first, but before we boarded the cruise liner, we met King Mu. He looked at Yun''er smiling from afar, but Yun''er hurried onto the cruise liner with a panicked expression, as if she was avoiding him. "After what happened, everyone was busy taking care of their wounds. I told Yun''er to get the medicine from the lower level, but she went to the stern ¡­"


    He pointed at the broken window on the stern where Gu Qing Li had kicked him and forced a smile. "Only I noticed that she was standing outside, and it seems like she was gesturing towards the pleasure boat on the opposite side ¡­"


    Since the Clear Clouds Flower would explode, the Ministry of Rites would inevitably be implicated. But luckily, no important figures were injured, and Lu Linghui handled the matter in a low-key manner. The Flower Guild would continue to do so, and some of the people downstream would not even know what was happening.


    Liu Yanyu worriedly asked Xiao Yi Xiu what he would do with Luo Yun, but he just lightly patted Liu Yanyu''s shoulder. His expression was calm, and he didn''t say anything.


    Seeing the worry in Liu Yan''s eyes, Gu Qing Li thought for a while and comforted him, "Your highness wouldn''t be so heartless to her. It''s just that we can''t turn a blind eye to this matter. Luo Yun ¡­ She''s unbearable. "


    After returning to the manor, Gu Qingli changed into a red gauze gown and untied her hair. She tied 3000 strands of black hair into a strand and impressively looked like Li Yue once again.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked her up and down, "You''re going to meet Luo Yun just like that? Don''t forget, her hatred for Li Yue has never disappeared. "


    "No, before I meet Luo Yun, I will go see someone else."


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows, his eyes becoming darker. "You''re going to meet him alone?"


    "Otherwise? You can also have the shadow guard follow me without him noticing. " She smiled sweetly as he saw the jealousy in his eyes. "Don''t be so stingy. I wasn''t even this angry when you painted the plum blossom makeup on Gu Qingxiao''s face."


    Xiao Yi Xiu thought of the mosquito bun on her forehead and couldn''t help but smile. "You still have the nerve to say that you''re not angry? He even said something to me that day. However, that wasn''t painted by me. It was drawn by her. She intentionally caused a misunderstanding in order to anger you. "


    Gu Qingli was stunned.

 C123 feigned death

    "Presumably, it was only because Yupi told her about it that she thought of that move." He reached out his arms and pulled her into his embrace as he lovingly whispered into her ear, "You''re not allowed to talk to Xiaoyi Mo or get close to him ¡­ I''m not so sure about his character. "


    "Got it." She was pink from ear lobe to neck, and her voice softened involuntarily.


    Xiaoyi Mo was waiting for the moon to leave Bodhi Temple on the outskirts of Beijing, his heart full of doubt. When he received the note, he even had a big question about the two words, "Li Yue".


    He was surprised to see such a secluded place. Even the two nuns in the abandoned hall had gone to the back to attend the evening class to avoid the suspicion of a man and a woman, leaving him in the guest room.


    However, in the capital, there should not be anyone who dared to frame him in broad daylight.


    "Prince Mu."


    When she looked up and saw Li Yue, she still felt slightly uncomfortable. She could not accept the fact that Li Yue had suddenly become his Gu Qingxiao. Gu Qingruo was especially secretive about it, which made him feel like there was something fishy going on.


    It was absolutely impossible for Li Yue to have been her blood sister when she was treating Gu Qingruo at home.


    However, the eyes behind the red veil were indeed Gu Qingxiao. He looked at Li Yue sitting down and sneered nonchalantly. "You''ve gotten used to pretending to be Li Yue. You''ve already gotten your wish from that phthisic bastard. Why do you still want to act like this?"


    Gu Qingli was slightly surprised, and lightly smiled, "How does Prince Mu know that I''m not True Li Yue?"


    "Humph!" Xiao Yi Mo laughed coldly, "Xiao Yi Xiu might have been sick for a long time, and even used up his knowledge of people. But don''t you think you can hide it from me. When did she have such a brilliant medical skill! "


    Gu Qingli smiled. She thought to herself, "Fifty steps and a hundred steps. If Li Yue really sat in front of me, wouldn''t I recognize her as Gu Qingxiao?"


    "What do you want?"


    "When Prince Mu helped Luo Yun spread the rumor that Li Yue came from a brothel, what was the reason for it?"


    Xiao Yi Mo''s face sank, his expression dark. Even though Gu Qingruo had the same father and mother as Gu Qingxiao and had a deep sisterly relationship with him, he didn''t have a good impression of this proud and spoiled little sister of her.


    His voice instantly turned cold: "Are you trying to settle accounts with This King?"


    "There must be a reason for everything. Prince Mu and Luo Yun are neither family nor friends, so there''s no need to work for her."


    Xiao Yi Mo laughed coldly, "I don''t know if you are the one who is impersonating Li Yue. Since you have a deal with Luo Yun, you can naturally help her. What''s wrong with that?"


    "What kind of deal did Prince Mu make with her?"


    "This is not your business!" He flicked his sleeves and rose to his feet.


    "Why don''t you let me guess? Perhaps, his physical condition with the Emperor is getting worse and worse... Something to do with it? "


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression changed, "Don''t make wild guesses! Just because you are This King''s sister-in-law, you can speak nonsense in front of This King! "


    Just as Gu Qingli was about to speak, she suddenly heard an extremely subtle sound come from the rooftop. Her tone suddenly turned low. "Prince Mu, let me remind you that you saved Gu Qingli on the cruise liner, Luo Yun ¡­"


    "What?" Her voice was too soft that Xiao Yi Mo couldn''t hear her clearly. He could only bow and get closer.


    "She wants to kill me ¡­" Gu Qingli suddenly raised her voice. "Help!"


    There was a messy noise coming from the roof. Someone broke through the roof and jumped down. It was the shocked Luo Yun.


    "What''s going on?" Xiao Yi Mo looked up and saw that Luo Yun had jumped down and she was pointing at him as she landed, "You killed her? "She''s the younger sister of Princess Mu!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu turned around and saw Li Yue lying on the table with her eyes closed. His heart tightened as he quickly took off her veil and probed under her nose. As expected, she was breathless.


    Luo Yun pointed at Li Yue''s ashen and deathly pale face, her hands trembling slightly. "No matter what, she is still the Prime Minister''s daughter. Princess Mo, you ¡­" "It''s hard to explain yourself with this move of yours!"


    Xiao Yi Mo was infuriated. He turned his head to look at her and smiled coldly, "A thief wants to catch a thief. She clearly told me earlier that you wanted to kill her!"


    "Prince, you must be joking. I''ve only just arrived, how can I kill her?" Luo Yun coldly stared at him, clear and orderly.


    "As a medicine girl, you''re good at using poison. She should have been poisoned by your poison before coming out to meet with me ¡­" Look, purplish black blood seeped out of her mouth and nose. This is clearly a symptom of being poisoned! "


    Luo Yun looked again and saw that blood was flowing out of Li Yue''s mouth and nose. She said angrily, "How is that possible!? I wasn''t with her at all before she came! "


    "Then why did you follow her here?"


    Luo Yun was speechless. He couldn''t say that Li Yue had appeared on the same day, and then sneaked out of the mansion, which was why he had followed her. Now, Xiao Yi Mo didn''t believe her words at all.


    "Forget it, it''s meaningless to pursue this matter now. If someone dies here, this king will be tied to you. If you don''t, we can deal with the body first and discuss further."


    Luo Yun turned her face away, as if she didn''t want this to happen.


    Xiao Yi Mo walked to her side, supporting her chin with his hand. His expression suddenly became ambiguous and distant. "Listen to me."


    Luo Yun slapped his hand away, her face pale. "Don''t touch me!"


    He laughed softly, his laughter was also inexplicably ambiguous. "Who was it that night that was drunk? You kept saying to me, Your Highness, Yun''er likes you so much ¡­"


    Luo Yun''s face was burning with shame and anger. "That''s because you''re taking advantage of someone else''s situation ¡­"


    "You''re an unmarried young girl, yet you''re holding a man in your arms and saying that you like him when you''re drunk. How can you be blamed on your lordship for not being able to control himself?"


    Luo Yun could not say a word, and her scarlet face became somewhat pale.


    "This King has also agreed to your request. We''ll trade fireworks, place saltpeter, and add red wine to the wine ¡­"


    "But at this critical moment, you turned the tables and reminded Gu Qingli."


    "I wanted Xiao Yixiu''s life, but you saved him!"


    He cast a sidelong glance at Luo Yun, and laughed coldly, "In the end, our goal is different, and I have already done my best to help you. "Now, as you wish, Gu Qingxiao is dead ¡­" He lowered her head and looked at Li Yue once more. "This duke never felt that she really left the Moon."


    "Then your meaning is ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Mo shook his head slowly. "Forget it. It''s not important. I just advise you to stop dreaming about Xiao Yi Xiu. He is much more ruthless than you think."


    He pointed to the ground and said, "I''ll leave it for you to handle. You''re good at using poison, so you must have a way to make this corpse completely disappear from this world."


    Luo Yun''s face was pale. Without saying a word, she had Li Yue board the carriage and drive to the outskirts of the city to deal with her.


    When the carriage reached the edge of the unmarked cemetery, Luo Yun finally got the "corpse" off the carriage. She gritted her teeth and her face turned red. "Xiaoyi Mo actually told me to do such a thing!"


    Looking at the red dress on the ground, she suddenly became angry. She stretched out her hand to grab it, but when she bent down, her neck tightened. She couldn''t help but open her eyes wide with fear in them.


    The woman in red who was lying on the ground also opened her eyes, which shot out rays of light in all directions. However, his face was still ash-gray, and traces of black blood still remained in his mouth and nose. Under the thin light of the next evening''s sunset, he looked extremely terrifying.


    "You ¡­ "You ¡­" Luo Yun''s throat was tightly gripped as she struggled to utter a few words. Her voice was hoarse, her eyes bulging, and even her breathing became ragged.

 C124 Asking a tiger for its skin

    Gu Qingli loosened her fingers. She had learned this technique from Xiao Yi, it was indeed convenient to use.


    Once Luo Yun was free, she took off her armor and avoided her fingers. Gu Qingli also stood up straight and patted off the dust on her body. She looked at the piles of bones on the cemetery and the half-rotten clothes that had been blown by the wind.


    This place was truly dirty. If Xiao Yixiu saw it, he would probably be bathing in incense for three days.


    Luo Yun''s attack was just like a shadow that followed. Gu Qing Li shook her clothes, and her wide sleeves were like clouds as they stirred up. Her hair fluttered in the night wind, flying up like a waterfall of ink.


    Luo Yun obviously did not expect Gu Qingxiao, a daughter of the Prime Minister''s family, to be so skilled. She took a step back in shock and changed her moves continuously, but was unable to dodge the opponent''s attack. Her opponent was as ethereal as a shadow, sticking close to her without relaxing. When coupled with her terrifying expression, she couldn''t help but shiver and ask in a trembling voice, "Are you a human or a ghost?


    "What do you think?" Gu Qingli smiled strangely. The ancient books she had found in the library of the Mo King''s Manor were really useful. A mere disguise technique coupled with a few simple techniques had already frightened Luo Yun to such an extent.


    Luo Yun gritted her teeth, "Even if you''re a ghost, I''ll make you die again!" The light in her eyes grew longer as her killing intent soared. A short sword appeared in her hand out of thin air, glowing with a dark purple light. The blade was poisonous.


    Gu Qing Li couldn''t help but frown. Luo Yun was so vicious, so he couldn''t blame her for being cruel. She could not help but sneer. She waved her hand and the silver needle dropped down from the sky. In an instant, it weaved a silver net of needle shadows. It was as if needle shadows were attacking Luo Yun from every direction.


    Luo Yun paled, swinging her sword to block. As she retreated, she tumbled a few steps, but was still pierced by a few silver needles. It was just that she was proficient in acupuncture points and meridians, so she did her best to avoid the silver needles only entering her flesh. Following that, her body went numb and she had already been controlled.


    Gu Qingli waved her sleeve and retrieved all the silver needles. She grabbed Luo Yun, climbed onto the carriage, and tossed him into the carriage. When she had been treated like this by Luo Yun earlier, she had immediately let Luo Yun have a taste of her reportage.


    When he got into the carriage, he was shocked to find that there was an extra person inside. His clothes were flowing like the clouds, and he looked like the beginning of snow. His black hair fell softly on his shoulders, and a pair of cold phoenix eyes gazed at Gu Qing Li.


    Why did you come?" "Gu Qingli felt her heart warm up as she looked outside. This was the unmarked cemetery. She had already thought that it was impossible for this germaphobe to follow her here. Just the rotten stench from such a long distance away was enough to make one feel nauseous.


    "Of course I''m looking at you ¡ª where''s that red dress of yours?" Xiao Yi Xiu unnoticeably frowned. Although they were in the wilderness, it wasn''t appropriate for him to take off his outer robes. How could he allow others to see his woman?


    "Dirty ¡­" And it''s also useful. " Gu Qing Li parted the curtain of the carriage to show him, revealing a half-rotten female corpse.


    Xiao Yixiu understood what she meant. If someone from the Prime Minister''s Estate were to discover Gu Qingxiao''s disappearance in the future, they could definitely push the matter to Luo Yun. The witness who witnessed Gu Qingxiao''s death would be Xiao Yimo. Although the two of them seemed to be intimate with each other, they did not have a relationship after all. In a situation where their interests diverged, it was nothing to sell each other out.


    He quickly took off his outer garment and draped it over Gu Qingli''s body. She pushed him against her. "It''s already summer, I''m not cold."


    His eyes darkened. "Could it be that it''s convenient for you to walk around in your clothes?"


    Gu Qingli lowered her head to look, but she didn''t feel that anything was amiss. She neither exposed her shoulders nor her back. However, the outer garment carrying his body temperature was still draped over him, carrying a faint fragrance. She lifted her face, her long, narrow eyes curved in a smile, the tail of her eyes revealing an enchanting charm.


    Xiao Yixiu subconsciously pulled her into his embrace and lowered his head.


    She thought that it must be a gentle kiss, but when she thought about Luo Yun who was still lying in the carriage, she felt a little embarrassed and tilted her face. In the end, he extended her hand and stopped her jaw, unceremoniously wiping her face with a handkerchief: "An expression of a poisoned corpse ¡­" I can''t get my mouth off. "


    Gu Qing Li stiffened, her charming eyes frozen in place as she glared hatefully at the unruly man. The dried blood on her nose and lips had been wiped away, but the pill that could disguise her face required special medicinal ingredients to cleanse it. She could only temporarily maintain Gu Qingxiao''s appearance.


    The body of the horse carriage began to turn and move. It was obvious that there was a driver outside at some point. The shadow guards of the manor appeared and disappeared like ghosts. Gu Qingli didn''t find it strange at all.


    "Prince ¡­" Luo Yun''s weak voice rang out, and her eyes were filled with fear.


    Xiao Yixiu finally sat up straight and looked down at her. His expression was indifferent, his eyes gentle and distant, just like when Luo Yun first met him.


    "Yun''er, this is the last time this duke will speak to you this courteously. You probably don''t remember what you said last time, but This King did not forget. This is already the third time. Your kindness to me, Luo Qingyun and Liu Yanyu has been completely erased by you. "


    "No, my lord! "Listen to Yun''er ¡­"


    Gu Qingli suddenly gave a spurious smile, "Listening to you detailing the relationship between you and Xiao Yi Mo? "Still no need."


    Luo Yun''s face was ashen as she said in a trembling voice, "You''ve been holding your breath and faking your death, how could you ¡­"


    "When one breathes his or her last breath, it is not certain that his or her meridians will stop circulating. This is an ancient secret art. You can only blame yourself for not inspecting it carefully. "


    Luo Yun closed his eyes as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. He knew that it was useless to say anything now.


    Gu Qing Li had set up a trap to swindle her to her death. He hadn''t expected that she and Xiao Yi Mo had an unspeakable relationship. Even though they were exchanging insults, they didn''t fall out in the end.


    However, this outcome was already sufficient. Luo Yun obviously wouldn''t be able to deal with Xiao Yi Mo, so she could at most use Xiao Yi Mo''s blade to kill Luo Yun. At the very least, Gu Qing Li now knew the secret between the two of them, and knew Luo Yun''s plans.


    "Li Yue was born in a brothel. This was a scheme she had set up with Xiao Yi Mo. She had agreed to Xiaoyi Mo''s conditions and allowed him to spread rumours around the capital. For some reason, the two of them had come to a conclusion ¡­ Cough, using this relationship, Luo Yun had Xiao Yi Mo switch the fireworks and the yellow wine, setting up the explosion. What''s laughable is that the two of them did not work together. In the end, they had a disagreement and lost. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "The two of them didn''t split up in the end. She wanted to use Xiao Yi Mo to kill Qing Li, but Xiao Yi Mo''s plan was to kill me. He did not expect Luo Yun to disrupt his plan at the critical moment. "


    "What is the meaning of Xiao Yi Mo''s final reminder?"


    "There might be two reasons. First, he''s reminiscing about old friends." Xiao Yi Xiu glanced at Gu Qing Li and saw a small flame burning in her heart. He gritted his teeth and pinched her body.


    Of course, the pinching wasn''t painful. If it was too heavy, her heart would ache.


    "Second, in the future, if this suspicion is placed on him, he can just use his words to remind me that he has noticed something wrong ¡­" For someone who had the intention to ignite half of a pleasure boat, how could he suddenly change sides? "


    Xiao Yixiu looked at Luo Yun with a hint of pity. "From the beginning to the end, you are just his pawn. Once the matter is settled, he will place all the blame on you." Even if Li Yue faked her death, if you listened to him obediently and took care of the corpses on your own, in the future, when the Prime Minister''s House investigated, it would all be because you were jealous and wanted to kill someone. "You are not qualified to be a tiger for its skin."

 C125 Inheritance

    When Luo Yun heard his words, he felt a chill crawl up his soles. She suddenly realized that he was right. If they tried to find any clues, all the evidence would be pointed at her.


    "What condition did you agree to, Xiao Yi Mo?"


    Luo Yun only hoped that her disgust towards herself would lessen a little as she hurriedly said, "He''s always been blinded by me. Once I get on the carriage and take him somewhere, it will still take a long time to get off. I don''t know who that person is, but she occasionally answers a few questions, and from the sound of it, her voice isn''t that young anymore. "


    "What''s wrong with the man?"


    "It should be a sign of metal poisoning. I have prescribed some medicine and should be able to treat it slowly. But I told them that this is a chronic poison and that they must first find the source of the poison. Otherwise, it would be impossible to solve the problem completely by taking medicine no matter how hard they tried. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li looked at each other and simultaneously thought of the emperor''s weakening body. Etiology... Can they find out?


    "Leave. This king will let you go. Go back to Godly Doctor Valley and never appear in the capital again, and even more so, don''t let this king see you again." Xiao Yi Xiu cleared Luo Yun''s acupoints, "Leaving you alive is already a way out. The Mo King''s Manor is no longer a place for you to go."


    Luo Yun bit her lower lip and her face was streaked with tears. Without a word, she jumped off the carriage and left.


    Gu Qingli knitted her brows slightly. "You''re not afraid of her creating any more trouble by leaving her with a chance of survival?"


    "She might be able to escape the capital alive."


    Gu Qing Li was enlightened: "You used a knife to kill someone again! "Xiaoyi Mo clearly knows that she knows so many secrets, and now she wants to escape from the capital. I''m afraid that she will be silenced ¡­"


    "If she can really return to the Valley of the Godly Doctor alive, then it can also be considered as me giving her father an explanation." He thought back to that stormy night in the Valley of the Godly Doctor. If it wasn''t for Luo Yun''s plea, Luo Qingyun really would not have extended a helping hand. That day with Gu Qingli might not have lasted long.


    He extended his arms and pulled Gu Qing Li into her embrace, the gentleness in his eyes slowly draining away. "If it weren''t for Luo Yun, I wouldn''t have lived to see you and given her a chance to live."


    Gu Qingli couldn''t find her bearings due to his gentle attacks, so she just let out a soft moan.


    His gentleness lasted for a moment before it disappeared. His face was filled with disgust as he said, "Quickly wash off that face of yours. Gu Qingxiao''s face is really ugly. It''s not pleasing to the eye no matter what."


    Gu Qingli laughed out loud. She pulled his face up and forced him to look at her. The more he didn''t want to, the more she laughed. Finally, she couldn''t hold back her laughter anymore.


    Gu Qingxiao''s skin was like jade, and her starry eyes were filled with longing. No matter what, she could still be considered a beauty. Yet, he said that she was ugly. She was clearly disdaining this person in her heart.


    With great difficulty, he pushed away the face that Xiao Yixiu despised, and brought up the emperor''s illness again.


    Gu Qing Li sat up straight and pondered for a while. In fact, she had already guessed this matter as early as the birthday celebration. Back then, when the imperial pharmacy had been stolen, and when the medical staff mentioned the "stone honeycomb" medicine, she had already guessed that it was alum. The empress had long poisoned the emperor with alum, so very few doctors would have realized that alum was poisonous, considering the medical standards at that time.


    Alum can be detoxified, can dissolve phlegm, if before the emperor has a slight disease, use alum as an auxiliary medicine for a long time to take a lot of uninterrupted, then sooner or later it is lead poisoning. Luo Yun was able to determine that the Emperor was poisoned by metal, but she was not certain that it was alum. Then, would he be able to continue taking poison?


    "Don''t you want to save the Emperor?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s handsome face was tense as he said coldly, "According to what you said, the lead in the alum isn''t high. Taking it for years can only kill you in a short period of time. Don''t worry."


    Gu Qingli was slightly surprised. In her memories, he didn''t seem to have any deep feelings for the Emperor. Imperial Concubine Lan had adopted him with such a strong sense of purpose that she didn''t hesitate to poison him in the end. His hatred for her naturally had a reason, but the emperor was her father after all. Why didn''t he have any kinship?


    He pursed his lips, seemingly recalling something, and then said slowly, "The world thinks that I''m the adopted son of Imperial Concubine Lan, but no one really knows where I come from."


    "Yes, why did she adopt you?" Gu Qingli didn''t know about this at all. Even though it was in the secret file of the Announcement Flower Pavilion, there wasn''t a single detail regarding this matter.


    "Actually, I was originally of royal bloodline, and royal father''s biological son ¡­"


    Gu Qingli was slightly surprised. She once thought he was Imperial Concubine Lan''s adopted son, not a real prince. Now it seemed that her guess was wrong.


    Twenty-three years ago, the Emperor''s blood brother, Wiping King Ruo Lin, passed away at an early age. Among his widows was a beauty whose name shook the capital, Qingyun. In the name of mourning, the emperor coming to the palace to pay his respects was indeed an unparalleled honor for a prince. However, no one knew that the emperor''s intention was not to drink; his goal was only to kill Qing Yun.


    On the day of the sacrifice, the Emperor was lucky to have a chance. To him, it was just a casual affair, but poor Qingyun was pregnant. This matter could not be covered up no matter what. She treated the child in her womb as the descendant of the Wake King.


    Although only she herself knew of this matter, she still felt that she had no face to see anyone. When she was sad, she wanted to commit suicide, but was saved by someone, and they all thought that she was too depressed and wanted to die for her husband, so they repeatedly advised her to bear with it for the sake of her husband.


    When the Emperor learned of this, he knew in his heart that as long as the descendant of the Wake King was born, he would be brought into the palace to adopt him and raise him in the name of a prince. Everyone thought that the Emperor''s affection was deep, and that it was for the grace of the Wake King.


    When the child was born, he was carried to the palace, where he was raised under the name of Lan Fei, who had yet to have a child. There was no wall that did not let the wind pass through it. It was only ten months since the birth of the baby, and it was already ten months since the death of King Yi. Who would not be suspicious? Imperial Concubine Lan was well aware of this, but she also knew that by protecting this child, she would be able to preserve her own position. Indeed, her mother was able to rely on her wealth to be promoted to Imperial Concubine.


    As for Qingyun, he killed himself the day his child was carried into the palace.


    Whether it was someone who knew his place or someone who had guessed his identity, the prince, who had been branded with a disgrace, tacitly refused to mention his background.


    At the beginning, Imperial Concubine Lan had some true feelings for this child due to the glory he brought to her. However, when her son was born, her selfishness became apparent. To the outside, she was still the mother of the gentle and refined, and the distinction between the two brothers was exposed in all its nuances.


    When the emperor was facing this prince, he couldn''t help but think of the most unerasable stain in his life, especially Xiao Yixiu''s face, which looked more and more like his mother''s. All this reminded him of the crimes he had committed.


    Thus, it was obvious that she had been cold to him since she was young. She didn''t even want to spare him a glance.

 C126 The strongest opponent

    Only now did Gu Qingli understand why Xiao Yixiu''s background was so complicated. It was no wonder he was ostracized by the princes, and why so many people valued him so much. Obviously, after the princes understood that he was of the royal family, they all regarded him as a rival in a bidding war. However, on the other hand, they all looked at him with strange gazes because they despised his origin.


    "How do you know this matter?"


    Xiao Yixiu turned his face away, as if he was trying to cover the discomfort with the coldness.


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt an indescribable pain in her heart. She hugged him tightly and softly said, "Don''t think about it if you don''t want to. Let''s just forget about it."


    Xiao Yi Xiu took in a deep breath and turned around to look at her, his gaze softening as he smiled, "It''s been more than twenty years, what else is there that I can''t see?" There were always survivors among the people back then. If I wanted to find the truth, I would naturally be able to find some clues. However, this life isn''t the biggest brand in my heart. "


    His face gradually darkened. "I''ve always suspected that my birth mother''s death was not a suicide."


    Gu Qingli raised her long eyebrows, revealing a shocked expression.


    "If she really wanted to die when she was pregnant, it was for the sake of the Day of Martyrdom; but would she kill herself after giving birth to me, or would she protect this secret? Very few would seek death after passing through the gates of hell. Furthermore, she was determined to give birth to me.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but nod. No matter what, motherhood originated from birth. Since Qing Yun was forced to give birth to him, it was impossible for him to not worry about his son. He was looking for death just like that.


    If she really didn''t have any feelings for her child, and she had no feelings for living, then she would have committed suicide again and again during her pregnancy. No matter how hard the emperor defended her, he wouldn''t be able to stop a girl''s determination to die.


    Only the Emperor... After she gave birth to a prince, the Emperor wanted to eliminate all those who knew the secrets of this world. Thus, no matter how suspicious the others were, they could only place their suspicions deep in their stomachs.


    Gu Qingli shivered. If that was the case, how could Xiao Yixiu have any feelings for the Emperor?


    "Don''t worry, he''s been serving the throne for dozens of years, so he won''t be so easily planned out." Xiao Yixiu looked out into the distance. The streets of the capital city were bustling with noise and excitement during the day, and now only the lights were left. The crowded streets were covered in silver moonlight, and occasionally some of the warm orange lights would shine.


    Gu Qingli nodded. She didn''t care about the person on the throne, unless it was someone that Xiao Yixiu wanted.


    "I''m so hungry. It seems like I haven''t eaten yet." Gu Qing Li swallowed her saliva. She wanted to jump off the carriage, but the lights were still dim. All she could see were the open restaurants and roadside stalls.


    Xiao Yi Xiu pulled her back, his face twitching slightly. "Can I get out of the car with my clothes on?"


    Gu Qingli sized him up before laughing nonstop. As a king who valued his image so highly, of course he wouldn''t go down there and lose face.


    "Who told you to follow me personally?"


    "You still have the nerve to say that? Fortunately, I have been following you personally. Otherwise, you would have gone out to the streets to eat, would you? " Just the thought of her disheveled appearance being seen infuriated him to the point of internal injury.


    "Then wait for me." She pulled at her coat. "It''s a little long."


    She jumped out of the car, while Xiao Yixiu patiently waited.


    Unexpectedly, she quickly got into the car, carrying a steaming bowl. It turned out to be wontons bought by the roadside.


    "You even bought their bowls?"


    "Yeah." She picked up a wonton without a care, blew it for a long time, and brought it to his lips.


    Xiao Yixiu''s expression was somewhat unreadable, as if he was resisting.


    "Your obsession with cleanliness will not change even after a thousand years."


    Under Gu Qing Li''s starlight eyes, he forced himself to take a bite, his face appearing as though he had swallowed a mouthful of sand.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t stop laughing and put half of his wonton into her mouth.


    His eyes rippled, as if it wasn''t so hard to swallow. When the second wonton was brought to his lips, he easily bit it in half.


    "You''ve never eaten a roadside stall in your life." Gu Qingli mumbled as she ate.


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. "Have you forgotten what I''ve said? I''ve met with worse environments and swallowed worse food when I was personally fighting on the battlefield in the past?"


    "Oh, right." Gu Qingli grew curious. "How did you manage to overcome your obsession with cleanliness back then?"


    "At that time, the thought of surviving is even more important. If you survive, you can defeat your strongest opponent."


    "You are a War God, but you actually have an opponent that can force you into a difficult situation? Or perhaps, an opponent who can give birth to thoughts of winning? "


    "Only one." His thoughts seemed to sink into distant memories. Then, he chuckled, "In the end, I still lost."


    "He must be very strong as well."


    His smile gradually faded. "He''s not the strongest opponent."


    "Hmm?" She looked at him in confusion.


    "The current East Abyss seems to be one of the most powerful empires on the continent, but in reality, it is already suffering from internal and external troubles. Furthermore, its greatest enemy does not come from external oppressiveness."


    The empress was anxious to consolidate her position as Crown Prince, while Imperial Concubine Lan and Imperial Concubine Ling remained on guard. The King of Yan and the King of Mu had secretly formed a private party, and the entire East Abyss, under the effects of the luster and prosperity that was like a mirror, surged silently.


    His strongest opponent was the chaotic battle in the East Abyss, a bloody war for storage.


    She thought for a while and realized that she had almost finished her bowl of wontons.


    "Eh? Why do I feel that something''s wrong? You always bite half of it. Let me eat the rest."


    He smiled slyly. "You just discovered it?" This was precisely the motivation for him to overcome his obsession with cleanliness.


    "No wonder you ate so happily. You must be happy to see me eat your saliva, right?"


    "Yeah."


    Without waiting for Gu Qing Li to protest, his clear and handsome face had already been suppressed. He kissed her soft lips and felt no pressure at all.


    "Your Highness, Princess, the carriage has stopped in front of the Duke''s Mansion for a long time. Are you two going to get off?" Suifeng couldn''t stand it any longer and pulled open the curtain of the carriage to protest. How could a noble person like him do such a thing as a coachman ¡­ Wait, what did he see?


    Four snowy gazes shot towards him, practically wanting to freeze him on the spot.


    Suifeng froze on the spot, his eyes almost popping out when he heard a clear and cold voice filled with killing intent, "Have you seen enough?"


    "Ugh ¡­" No no... Ah, no, Your Highness, Princess, you ¡­ "Continue..." He lowered the carriage curtain with the wind and slipped into the prince''s mansion in a flustered manner, until he met Jin Shu in the Windy Pavilion.


    "A fire? Or is someone chasing after him? "


    Suifeng laughed dryly twice, turning his head to look back, only then did he gently stroke his chest, "I was almost silenced by Your Highness."


    "Your Highness? Kill your mouth? " Jinshu frowned.


    "I saw the prince and the princess ¡­" "That ¡­" He made a puzzling gesture.


    Jinshu was confused.


    "The two of them were actually hugging each other ¡­" He glanced at his forefinger, and finally understood a bit.


    Her face darkened, and without a word, she turned around and left.


    "Ai ¡­" "I said, little Jin Shu, don''t look at me like that ¡­" Suifeng looked at her back and vaguely understood something. She rubbed his head and sighed. With just that little bit of thought of hers, it was better to keep it as soon as possible. Even if there was no wangfei, it still wouldn''t be her turn.

 C127 Return to the Palace

    In the spring, as many as thirty-five officials were involved in the investigation, they were all demoted, stripped of their nobility, fined, and even sent out.


    To everyone''s surprise, the Minister of Rites'' Assistant Minister, Jia Shangzhong, was not involved in the incident. He, who was supposed to be at the heart of the case, was only given a salary of half a year due to his incompetence in supervision and ignorance.


    A layer of frost covered Xiao Yi Xiu''s face as he exited the secret room. It wasn''t until he saw Gu Qing Li that he relaxed slightly.


    Gu Qingli was also very surprised when she heard the verdict in the Spring Festival case. However, after this case ended, the one who benefited the most was the king, Xiao Yiyan. Because of this, Xiao Yiyan had established his prestige in the court and made a name for himself.


    "No wonder Gabriella never came to see the king."


    "Not only that," Xiao Yi said with a frown, "Jia Shang Zhong was originally the assistant minister of the Ministry of Rites, but now he has only been punished with a single salary. Compared to the scoldings of the exiled, bribed, expatriate, and the head of the department, he has been completely freed from his duties. "The position of the Minister of Rites is still hanging in the air. It seems like ¡­"


    "He wants to be promoted?"


    "Protect him, it must be Xiao Yijin''s doing. He can''t do that for no reason at all. From the moment the blame was laid on Liu Zhengyan, the trap had been laid. Liu Zhengyan''s departure not only discouraged the Ling family, but it also paved a path for Jia Shang Zhong to step onto the stage. Following Mrs Liu to turn the tables, Xin Maowen was convicted. At that time, it was not clear where all that evidence came from, but now, it is clear. "


    "It was the Yan King''s men who did something inside. They caused the Ling and Xin Clans to bite each other, causing both of them to suffer."


    "That''s right, to fight back with the Xin family, to let Ah Yan thoroughly investigate the Spring Ode case and try to pull it back, all the relevant officials fell, only Jia Shang remained standing ¡ª according to my eyes in the court, he was indeed not involved in the Spring Ode case, and in this case, he was able to leave all the evidence behind for others to do and wash himself clean."


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath, "It''s not a good thing if the Rites Department falls into the Lan family''s hands."


    Xiao Yi Xiu said calmly, "There''s no rush. Jia Shang Zhong hasn''t fallen, but that doesn''t mean he will definitely be able to take the position of Minister. The position of Minister of Rites is aimed at more than one faction."


    "How long have you not been in court?"


    All of a sudden, Gu Qing Li changed the topic. Xiao Yi Xiu was startled. After his illness, he had retracted his edge. He had been hiding behind the scenes for so many years, hoping that he would not fall into the eyes of others, lest he become the target of public criticism again.


    "It''s time for you to return to the court."


    Xiao Yi Xiu pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "Isn''t that eye-catching again?"


    "In the eyes of the masses, you are still the sickly and blind King Mo. You must be forced to participate in the negotiation once more. On the one hand, someone is forcing you into court. On the other hand, you are in a bad mood and you are ill... "He''s just a casual prince who has nothing to do with corpse food. At a crucial moment, it''s enough to just follow behind and play a little ball."


    "What do you mean? What kind of excuse do you think I should use to return to the imperial court?"


    "It definitely won''t be that easy for Shang Guan to get to the top. At the very least, he has been involved in the Spring Festival case. Even if he isn''t an accomplice, there''s still the possibility of redemption. At a time like this, if someone could help him ¡­ This person had to be someone who could speak well in front of the Emperor. And no matter how unloved you are, you still have a certain level of influence within the imperial court. You are also your royal father''s biological son. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Qing Li, if you were to participate in politics, I''m afraid that many men would have to stand on the sidelines."


    Gu Qingli smiled sweetly. "Why aren''t you loving your family''s Bi Ruo?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head with a smile. "First, it''s obvious. Secondly, it doesn''t suit my personality at all. On the contrary, it makes people suspicious."


    Gu Qingli pouted. "Do you want me to be the matchmaker as well?"


    Xiao Yixiu embraced her and laughed lowly, "Who told you to be the most trusted and beloved woman in my life?"


    Gu Qingli''s ears started to boil, and her body softened as he held her tightly.


    "Come on, stop it. You want to coax me into a daze with just a single word, and you even help tie strings with other women ¡­" "Hmph, if you dare touch her, I won''t forgive you."


    "When did you see me with another woman?" Apart from her, all the other women were nothing in his eyes, and he could not help but want to wipe his hands. This was a disease, but he didn''t want to treat it, so he was willing to go through with it.


    Gabrielle was in her own room, bored out of her mind. Her situation was pretty much the same as Gu Qingli''s all those years ago. Although her freedom wasn''t restricted, her range of movement was limited to the Prince''s Mansion, and she stayed in her own Moon Parasol Pavilion all day long.


    When Gu Qing left to look at her, she looked somewhat thin. Her face was pale and she didn''t seem to be having a good time.


    "Princess?" Gabriella was surprised.


    "Recently, you''ve been feeling very uncomfortable being ignored by the prince, haven''t you?"


    "No, I dare not."


    "Do you dare or not?"


    Gabriella bit her lower lip. With a hidden bitterness in her eyes, she said: "It''s normal for the prince to pamper the new concubine." Back when she had just entered the manor, she had also been pampered for a few days.


    The news on Gabriella''s side was strictly sealed. Other than the servant girl beside her, everyone else in the mansion was very cautious of them. This was a rule that had been imposed on Xiao Yixiu since the incident with the black cat. As a result, she was completely unaware of the disappearance of her wife, including her new wife. All she knew was that the Prime Minister''s three daughters, Gu Qingxiao, were Li Yue, who had married into the palace during her pregnancy.


    Gu Qingli lightly patted Jia Bi Ruo''s shoulder. "Don''t be like this. Men are always disgusted by the new. He not only treats you, but me as well." Qing Xiao was doted on, but because she was just pregnant, it was an opportunity. "


    Gabrielle looked at her in confusion.


    "Qingxiao is my younger sister. I know her personality better than anyone else. She has been pampered since childhood and has a domineering temperament. "In this case, she is quite spoiled and has started a dispute with the prince. The prince has been feeling quite annoyed these past two days."


    Gabriella was startled and looked at her doubtfully. She subconsciously savored the words she had just said.


    "Qing Xiao returned to the Prime Minister''s Estate in a fit of rage. Even I was angered." Gu Qingli sighed lightly. "I wanted to persuade him, but he turned into ashes." "Oh, right. I heard about your father a while ago. Your highness is extremely concerned about him."


    The doubt in Gabriella''s eyes deepened: "Your Royal Highness is also concerned about this?"


    "When Prince Chen came to the mansion, he mentioned this to him. I heard him say once that he didn''t look at the buddhist side, so Minister Jia could be considered a relative no matter what ¡­" Prince Chen said he understood. "


    From the beginning to the end, wasn''t it all because of the Yan Emperor''s secret plans to escape? It was the same with all the informants she received from home. However, she was, after all, a woman from her room, and she had to be on guard step by step within the palace. It was impossible for the news to be as unimpeded as it was outside.


    "You should know how close the king and brother Chen are."


    Gu Qing Li''s parting words deepened the doubts in Jia Bi Ruo''s heart.

 C128 paraphrase flower

    Why did Xiao Yixiu protect Jia Shang Zhong? Was it for her? What did Gu Qingli want to do now? To her? Or was he hinting that she should go to Xiaoyi Xiu?


    While Gabriella was lost in her thoughts, Yun-er said a few words softly. She had clearly heard everything that the princess had said after she had arrived on the porch.


    "There is no need for the wangfei to show goodwill to the wangfei. She came because she wanted to use you to separate the prince and her sister''s feelings. "I''ve heard that even though wangfei is the second daughter in line at the Prime Minister''s Estate, she wasn''t born of the same mother as Eldest Miss and Third Miss. After her birth mother died, her position within the Residence of Prime Minister was lower than that of a concubine."


    Of course, Jia Bi Ruo knew what was going on. She looked at Yun''er suspiciously as she smiled. "Do you still not understand, madam? She has been neglected by the king all these years. I hope you can help her out with what she can''t do." Actually, this was what the madame wanted as well. If that Gu side concubine gave birth to half a girl, the madame wouldn''t be able to find a place to stay. Since the Prince still has some feelings for you, why don''t you go and find him? "


    Yun''er''s explanation was something that even Gabriella understood, but this Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart was even deeper than the needle at the bottom of the sea. Could she really pull it off? She sighed lightly, changed her clothes according to Yun''er''s words, put on some makeup, and walked towards Feng Zhixuan.


    Yun''er''s suggestion was that Gu Qing Li was proud and aloof, while Gu Qing Xiao was domineering and domineering. In order for Jia Bi Bi to maintain her image, she had to be different from them in order to win Xiao Yi Xiu''s favor.


    When he was upset, what he needed the most was naturally a Flower of Interpretation.


    Xiao Yixiu''s room was lit up by the red tulle lights. Actually, he was already rather impatient from waiting, but he still looked gentle and distant. His voice was so gentle that it made people''s hearts beat faster. "Bi Ruo, why are you here so late?"


    Gabriella lowered her head and walked closer. She dared to look up at him quietly. Her eyes were full of resentment, but it disappeared in a blink of an eye. It turned into helplessness, "Royal Highness, I haven''t seen you for a long time."


    "Yeah." He was waiting for her to speak.


    "My father''s matter, was it the prince who mentioned it to Prince Chen, that changed the situation?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was startled, and then smiled faintly. "You came over because of this? I even thought that you were missing This King.


    "Of course ¡­ And because I missed you, I didn''t dare to say it. "


    "Why?"


    Gabriella sighed, "I have been thinking about you for ten years, but you have more women than me. Li Yue... "No, Imperial Concubine Gu and Your Highness are newly wedded. If I were to forcefully interfere, wouldn''t I be feeling jealous?"


    Xiao Yixiu sighed, "Speaking of which, the two Gu sisters are of higher social background than you, but they don''t understand such simple logic. As a prince, how can I be like a humble household with only one concubine in my entire life? "


    "Although I am only the daughter of the assistant minister, and I was born in a concubine, my father is from the Ministry of Rites. He is in charge of the etiquette in the world. He has been well-mannered since he was young."


    She leisurely stepped forward to help Xiaoyi take off his clothes. With a gentle and demure expression and a considerate manner, his originally solemn expression disappeared. With a gentle smile, she gently brushed her hair. "You''re still the same."


    "It is the prince who treats me better. "Prince Chen is dealing with the matter of spring. I''m afraid if I bring him to the Crown Prince''s side, it will affect his career. I didn''t dare to say too much. I didn''t expect you to mention it to him in private ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu weighed her chin and said with an intoxicating, gentle smile, "Ever since you recounted the events from ten years ago, I have been unable to let go and often reminiscing about those years. Actually, This King has already become hazy on those matters, but to have been remembered in his heart by someone else for ten years without forgetting the original intention ¡­ This King is not a plant, so how can I not be moved? "


    Seeing his gaze, Gabriella suddenly felt a little lost, as if his eyes were spinning and luring her deep into a deep abyss. She seemed to want to jump in without hesitation.


    His voice was close and distant, as if the topic of conversation had returned to spring. "You know your father is innocent, but it is just a simple action, what does it matter? Moreover, being virtuous does not avoid family. If there''s a chance, helping him will only be helping This King. "


    She could feel her movements becoming slower and slower, her eyelids becoming more and more heavy. The sticky and heavy feeling of drowsiness caused her to involuntarily soften into Xiao Yixiu''s embrace. The only thing she could not coordinate with was her slow and accelerated heartbeat, which grew increasingly heavy and intense.


    The last thing he heard was, "..." If your father were promoted to the post of Minister, who would he recommend? Bi Ruo, has your heart always only had this king? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at the reclining Jia Bi Ru and muttered to himself, "I need to change the bedding again."


    Gu Qing Li''s figure flashed out from behind the screen, his face full of disdain. "So this was how you and those secondary wives loved each other. No wonder Xin Ziyao was pregnant. You knew it was fake at the first possible moment."


    Xiao Yixiu hugged her and laughed. "As long as the food in your stomach isn''t fake."


    Gu Qing Li shyly pushed him. "Go, there''s that Gabriella lying here. What are you trying to do?"


    "Didn''t she fall asleep? "Don''t worry, not only will this Lily''s Night Fragrance cause one to fall into a deep sleep, it will also give birth to strange illusions within the dreamland. After a person is awake, they will be convinced that the illusions within the dreamland have already happened."


    "Spices can actually have such a miraculous effect?" Do you have the formula? "


    "This is the secret fragrance of the palace. Even in the palace, those who know of it are extremely rare. All I have obtained are some leftover spices and antidotes." He took out a brocade sack from his sleeve and handed it to Gu Qingli. "There''s not much left. It would be a good thing if you could come up with a formula."


    Gu Qingli poured out a few spices and carefully sniffed them. She thoughtfully nodded, "This fragrance is actually similar to the Frosty Food Disperse. It can give people endless pleasure, as if they''re in a fairyland."


    "Alright, I think that you''re the one indulging yourself now. With just a little bit of spice, you can forget about your husband." Xiao Yi Xiu was a little angry from embarrassment. He picked up Gu Qing Li, who was still savoring the spices, and carried him towards the beauty bed.


    Gu Qingli turned pale with fright as she struggled in his embrace, "No, in front of Jia Bi Ruo ¡­" I don''t want... "Ugh ¡­"


    "Then let''s go to the Wind Spirit Pavilion." He kissed her and whispered in her ear.


    "No way!"


    "That won''t do, that won''t do. Where do you want to go?" The space between his eyebrows tightened.


    "You ¡­ "Along the way to the Wind Spirit Pavilion, I wonder how many people can see you, especially your shadow guards!" Just thinking about it made her so embarrassed that she wanted to find a place to drill herself. How would she meet people in the future?


    "Alright, Feng Che Xuan has plenty of rooms." He gave in gloomily. Why did they do such a covert thing when they were clearly an honest couple? They always felt like they were having an affair.

 C129 Secret room visitors(1)

    Until Gu Qing Li was carried onto the soft bed, she was still muttering, "Xiao Yi Xiu, am I hallucinating now? What if I suddenly find out that everything between us is just that lily night smell... But what do we do? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu paused for a second. He was annoyed and amused at the same time. "Do you think that the incense can create a complete illusion world for you to see tomorrow?"


    "That''s hard to say. Perhaps this dream of mine took an extremely long time to complete my entire life ¡­" She continued to mutter until he took a punitive bite and hissed, "Pain! "Xiao Yi Xiu, do you have a tendency to abuse him?"


    He chuckled lowly, "You''re still not awake from a bite, and you still dare to call this an illusion?"


    She smiled tenderly. "That''s right, I keep feeling like I''ve had a long dream. Otherwise ¡­ There will be you. " She looked at him dreamily, her long, narrow, phoenix-like eyes filled with affection.


    Xiao Yi Xiu embraced her and sighed softly, "Actually, I don''t want anything with you. But I can''t help myself in the martial arts world. As long as I''m alive and I''m Xiao Yi Xiu, no one can let me safely grow old ¡­"


    "A man''s wealth is his own fault. Besides, you are the most dazzling War God in the East Abyss. As long as you survive for a single breath, anyone who ascends to that position will regard you as a thorn in their side." "Since they won''t let us be at peace, we might as well take their place."


    "You always knew what I was thinking?"


    Gu Qingli looked at him with a hint of pride and smiled, "You''re my man, do you think I don''t know anything about you other than marrying you?"


    He looked at her with a smile and a doting look in his eyes. How could the woman he had set his eyes on be weak?


    "Maybe I can help you a little."


    He was startled and raised his eyebrows. There was doubt in his eyes.


    She couldn''t help but feel a little pleased with herself. After all, he couldn''t be counted as a trump card. She also had a secret that he didn''t know about, such as the Xuanhua Restaurant.


    When Xiao Yixiu heard of the Xuanhua Pavilion''s secret file, the astonishment in his eyes made Gu Qingli feel quite satisfied.


    "In the future, I will spare some time to run Xuanhua Tower. Right now, they are relying on Xin Yingning to maintain their business, and Warm Fragrance will only listen to my orders because she is restricted by me. This kind of connection is not reliable enough, I need to take care of it myself, otherwise, if Xin Yingning or the crown prince were to find out about this Warm Fragrance line, it''s very likely that they will be able to dispose of her."


    "But you have to be careful. I know you''re smart, but Xin Yingning is not stupid. His kind of cunning old fox isn''t something that Xiao Yibei, a prince of heaven, can compare to."


    "That''s why I have to manage it myself. For this organization, the Xuanhua Restaurant has been replaced with something that can make me feel at ease. Furthermore, I need your help to make it bigger."


    Not only was Xuanhua Tower a moneymaking business, it was also the source of all the secrets within the kingdom. It could be said that controlling it was an underground force that far surpassed the Star Moon Gambling Workshop.


    Feng Che Xuan''s secret chamber only had a circumference of twenty to thirty feet. Besides the long table in the middle, there were actually seven to eight chairs around it. The first time Gu Qing had entered, she had been surprised by the usage of the secret chamber''s space and the lighting and ventilation system. Although it was located between two rooms, it didn''t look any different from the outside.


    The light was projected in through the skylight of the neighboring room, and then reflected back into the secret room through the mirror. The light was not very strong during the day, but it was ventilated by the eight ventilation ducts built into the walls and leading to the corridor.


    Even so, the circulation of air was not so smooth after all. Therefore, for a long time, there was a three-legged plum flower incense burner on the incense table.


    As the guests entered the secret chamber one by one, all of them stared at the princess with wide eyes and an expression of disbelief.


    He was the oldest, with the oldest qualifications. With a bedraggled expression and a dignified beard, he seemed to have an iron-blooded, steel-like personality: "Your highness, we shouldn''t be asking about your family matters, but this general believes that a woman shouldn''t be involved in men''s affairs. Moreover, too many things are involved in the secret chamber meeting, so no matter how much you love your consort, she will ¡­"


    Gu Qingli patiently listened until this point, before slowly passing a glass of wine to him. She smiled faintly and said, "General He, Gu Qingli is a woman, and may not be worthy of your eyes, but she''s still a princess. I hope you can show me this goblet of wine."


    She spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly with a calm expression. She did not put on any airs of arrogance. However, her tone of voice carried a sense of arrogance. He Zhenjun hesitated for a moment before he reached out to grab the Glazed Cane.


    A slight cracking sound could be heard. The undamaged glass bottle in his hand suddenly shattered into thousands of pieces. Blood colored wine flowed all over the table.


    He Zhenkun was stupefied. He had been enlisted in the army all year round, and his palm was as thick as a cocoon. He had not been cut, but this unforeseen event had obviously confused him.


    "General He, I know you can fight well and hate evil, but you must know that sometimes it''s better to twist one''s fingers to refine fine steel. Otherwise, with your personality, how could you have become a spy under Ling Pu? "Since you decided to let He Yanyu go to the Sunset Kingdom to spy on them, you have already admitted that there are some things that only a woman can accomplish."


    He Zhenkun glared at Qin Wentian. This time, his anger was directed at Xiao Yixiu. He obviously didn''t want to speak of his daughter''s humiliating experience to anyone, but the king had actually told his wife about it?


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu smirked like a cool breeze. "General He, you''re overthinking things. I never divulge anyone''s secrets. The wangfei deduced all this herself."


    He Zhenjun was stunned for a moment, then he heard Gu Qingli laugh, "Including General He''s identity, I guessed it myself. If there''s any misunderstanding, please forgive me."


    Her eyes turned to the second person, the Minister of Rites, Lin Zhihan. He didn''t seem hostile as he bowed courteously. "I heard that Liuxin was moved in time and that avoiding the crown prince''s scouting was wangfei''s plan. This official doesn''t dare accept."


    She chuckled. "Vice Minister Lin''s corpse is hidden at the bottom of the well. Jin Xi Ran is colluding with the crown prince to frame him. This case has not been resolved yet." She turned the glass in her cup and placed it in front of Lin Zhihan.


    Lin Zhihan was stunned. He suddenly raised his head and looked into her eyes. The more he looked, the more familiar he found his. He cried out involuntarily, "You are ¡­"


    "Shh!" Gu Qingli put her index finger to her lips and gave him a knowing look.


    Lin Zhihan nodded and took Liu Li. With a relieved smile, he finished the wine in one gulp. At first he had been plotted against and had to turn to King Mo, but then he had no regrets. Even his father-in-law had consented to his decision, and Liu Xin''s matters were still not handled well enough for him to take her back to the palace.

 C130 Secret room visitors(2)

    The third person was Lu Linghui, the vice commander of the capital''s army. He wore a dark mask, revealing only a pair of bright, shining eyes.


    He rarely attended parties in the secret chamber, and it could be said that for most people, he was also an invisible person who only had a single line of communication with Xiao Yi Xiu. He hadn''t thought that the reason he would be summoned this time was to introduce this wangfei.


    This was not the first time he had met Gu Qingli. Although he had seen her methods before, he still had some reservations towards her. However, he had always kept a low profile and remained silent.


    The fourth person was not secretive and often appeared in the King''s Manor. A heroic looking man in an armor uniform seemed to have just come down from the battlefield and never lacked the aura of an ordinary warrior, but in reality, he had already been far away from the battlefield for many years. Ever since the year that Xiao Yixiu left office, he had been sent back to the capital for dereliction of duty. He could only remain as a military officer in the capital and train his long-range archers in the Imperial Guard.


    This man was known as a godly archer of the military. His archery skills were unrivalled, and his name was Shi Chen. When he took Gu Qing Li''s glass, he looked down at the cup and smiled. Gu Qing Li watched the wine cup disappear into a pile of fragments in his palm.


    Although it was also shattered, it wasn''t the method that Gu Qing Li had used on He Zhen Kun just now. It was also a threatening warning. Shi Chen had used his martial arts to protect her, but all he wanted was to warn her. In a man''s world, sometimes, martial arts were emphasized ¨C direct, simple, and brutal.


    Gu Qingli also gave a faint smile. Her ring was embedded with a diamond. Earlier, when she was playing with the glass beaker, she had used her exquisite strength to destroy it to the verge of shattering, before handing it over to He Zhenkun. She had calculated that the general had always been rough, had great strength, and it was impossible for him to be as exquisite and light as her.


    This move of Shi Chen''s clearly showed that he had crushed the thick glazed roof. Normal girls would not have such strength.


    She calmly looked at the cocoon in Shi Chen''s mouth, "Commander Shi should be good at riding and shooting, but unfortunately this secret chamber is too small. If there''s a chance, we can spar for a bit."


    Shi Chen almost burst into laughter. Even Lin Zhihan frowned slightly, "Princess, these martial arts skills are not suitable for you."


    The expressions on the faces of the others changed as well. Gu Qing Li was clear that conquering this group of people wasn''t something that could be suppressed with just the status of a wangfei.


    Gu Qingli smiled and didn''t answer. She continued to pour more wine and toast him. A handsome and reserved man received the toast. He looked very young, and was both silent and gentle. He didn''t expect that he would not obediently accept the cup. He suddenly waved his sleeve and a tornado of air rushed towards her. It was as if there was an invisible hand that was trying to snatch the glass cup from her.


    Gu Qing Li knew that she was not as strong as these martial artists when she was young in terms of internal force cultivation. She changed the power of her internal force and turned the cup in the center of the vortex.


    She saw that the man''s mouth revealed a hint of clear contempt, and it was obvious that he was mocking her for her flashy and unrealistic move. Although it appeared that she was relieved, it actually exposed her shallow inner strength weakness. She pursed her lips and smiled, a silver light flashing at the bottom of her sleeve, waiting for the opponent to sense it. She waved her sleeve to block, but how could she catch the silver needles?


    Seeing that the full cup of wine was about to fall to the ground, Gu Qingli''s bright white palm had already arrived in front of him. As she turned the cup over, she calmly held the glass in her palm and smiled sweetly: "If General Rong is weak, why don''t you let this wangfei do it for you?"


    In the middle of the forest, Rong Zi Feng was holding her hand in front of his eyes. Suddenly, his face turned red, and he couldn''t even speak.


    Even though he was just like everyone else, he was filled with hostility and disbelief towards the bewitching princess, but he was also an unmarried young man. He thought that he had never been close to a woman, and he had only ever shown his prowess on the battlefield, where war horses were galloping, but who would have thought that he would end up in the hands of this beautiful woman who looked like an orchid.


    However, at this moment, Xiao Yi Xiu coughed lightly, breaking the tense yet delicate atmosphere.


    In a flustered and embarrassed manner, Rong Zi Feng stretched out his untouched hand to receive the wine cup. He inadvertently shook it, spilling half of the wine cup onto his chest.


    Gu Qingli sneered. Although it was not malicious, it caused Rong Zifeng to sweat profusely. He really wanted to find a hole to drill into. Actually, the person she was laughing at was Xiao Yixiu, who was fine with everything, so she didn''t pay attention to Rong Zifeng''s embarrassment at all.


    When the sixth goblet of wine was raised, Gu Qingli was like a bow full of strings, ready to face another wave of force. She could tell that most of the people who had followed Xiao Yi Xiu were martial generals of all ranks. Even back then, they had fought with him on the battlefield and had always been loyal to him, never willing to betray him.


    However, this was also a weakness of his in the imperial court. These people were either not implicated because of their lower positions, or were sent back to the capital to report after being implicated by him. In fact, they had limited manpower and an awkward position. As far as he was concerned, the civil officials in the court were all divided among the Xin, Ling, and Lan families. No wonder he would fight over a mere assistant minister like Lin Zhihan.


    Unexpectedly, as Gu Qingli was thinking this, the person sitting opposite to her easily accepted her toast and nodded slightly. "Imperial history''s Han Yifei greets the wangfei."


    The man was about thirty years old. She was gentle, well-mannered, and didn''t look aggressive at all. However, Gu Qingli could see the deep and reserved expression in his modest and respectful eyes. In his confused attitude, he hid her reservations about her "nature remains to be determined." She was similar to Lu Linghui, but more difficult to understand and more profound.


    She wasn''t too unfamiliar with this type of behavior. She knew that he followed the same route as Xiao Yixiu ¨C the underworld. He didn''t refute her, didn''t reject her, and didn''t mean that he would accept her; he just used an even sharper, invisible blade to dissect the person he needed to know.


    This kind of person would suddenly let you fall into his trap.


    Therefore, the most frightening thing was that no one had ever seen a sword soldier fight since the ancient times. This was a contest between civil officials.


    The seventh person was dressed in a black robe. His skin was white and he had a handsome face. He looked like a man of leisure. Judging by his appearance, it was impossible to tell whether he was a civil or military man.


    Gu Qingli had noticed that there was a cocoon between his fingers and the tiger''s mouth at the corner of the table, but the scholarly style of her wide sleeves was similar to that of a scholar, and they did not have any official air about them.

 C131 Secret room visitors(3)

    When Xiao Yixiu told her about the identity of the person they were meeting, he didn''t mention it either. She wanted to identify the person on his list as well as guess his identity.


    Compared to the other six, he had smiles in his eyes and a calm expression, as if Gu Qingli''s status did not obstruct him at all. He did not care if she appeared in this secret chamber or not.


    "This person ¡­ Prince Yi? "


    The entire room was silent for a moment. It was as if the fall of her hair could cause a bit of alarm. Then, the man in front of Gu Qingli smiled gently, "Although you''re the Prime Minister''s daughter, you actually don''t recognize all of the royal family, right?"


    In the feudal era, women could not leave their parents'' house until they passed through two doors. When they entered the palace, they could not leave their parents'' side. The people they saw and knew could only be from a small circle.


    Prince Yi, however, had a special status. He had been sent to his own fiefdom since young, and had never returned to the capital even once in more than ten years.


    According to the secret records of Xuanhua Restaurant, Prince Yi and King Yi, Xiao Lingfei, were the same mother and brother. They were three years old and could recite poetry, were six years old and could shoot tigers, were talented and outstanding, had once been doted on by the previous emperor and even, when he was eight years old, almost became a crown prince. But that same year, the late emperor suddenly passed away. The emperor, as the eldest son of the emperor, was rapidly supported by the political parties in the imperial court. One reason was that he was the only adult prince.


    At one time, Prince Yi, who had the most potential to become Crown Prince, was young, but he actually had the support of a former royal party.


    The first thing the emperor did after he ascended the throne to the throne was to welcome the former crown prince. With the excuse that Prince Yi was disrespectful during the funeral, the Emperor gave him a feudal fiefdom and a title. He sent him to the distant northern border and never summoned him back to the capital.


    More than twenty years had passed, and an idle prince like Prince Yi had long since escaped the attentions of the courtiers and clansmen. However, how did he return to the capital, and why he appeared in the Mo Residence, was a big question.


    Prince Yi, as the late emperor''s youngest son, was actually only ten years older than Xiao Yixiu. He still looked young and handsome, and was elegant and graceful.


    He smiled, "Prince Yi ¡­ Is there any reason for your guess to be so bold? "


    "Firstly, the ages match; secondly, the bearing matches, although he does not resemble a scholar or a military general, his bearing is not something that an ordinary person would have; thirdly, the person my prince values but guesses about must have an important position. Since he is not an official, he must be a relative of the royal family, and can be on par with the prince; fourthly ¡­ No matter how displeased they were with me, no matter how disrespectful they were, their eyes did not dare to show the slightest bit of arrogance. Only Prince Yi, you are not only disrespectful to me, but you are also very casual when you look at me. This is not contempt, but because your status is above us. In the present day and age, aside from the Emperor, the only princes who are able to surpass the princes and princes are naturally the few uncles and uncles. "


    Prince Yi raised his head and laughed, clapping his hands together. "Very good. Xiu''er, this wangfei has chosen well, with good taste. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s smile remained indifferent, but a trace of love appeared in his eyes. "Speaking of which, this wangfei was chosen by my royal father."


    Prince Yi raised his eyebrows, suspicion in his eyes.


    "It took me a year to get a good look at her. Even in the court, there are not many people that I need to spend so much time to see through. "


    Gu Qingli smiled lightly and sat down next to Xiao Yi Xiu. Han Yi Fei said, "In the past few days, the Yan Emperor has mentioned to the Emperor that Prince Mo is slightly recovered, or that he can return to the court to discuss matters. I wonder what his intentions are?"


    "Not only him, but a portion of the Yanzhou University members mentioned this matter in public or in secret. However, Minister of Rites, Jia Shangzhong, did not participate in this. It is very strange." Isn''t he the King of Yan''s man? "


    "Perhaps it is because Xiao Yijin has determined that this king will not live for long." Xiao Yi Xiu smiled faintly. "Then whether he participates in the imperial government or not, we won''t be able to threaten him."


    He thought of that night when Gabrielle had woken up and saw him lying on his side in his clothes. He had quickly folded a bloody handkerchief and coughed a few times.


    At that time, the expression in Gabriella''s eyes was very complicated, but the deepest part of it was a flash of doubt.


    Xiao Yijin definitely cared a lot about whether Li Yue cured the poison in his body. From the looks of it, his idea was much better than Luo Qingyun''s prescription.


    "But, is he not afraid of Prince Mo saying something that would harm him?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head with a chuckle. "Xiao Yi Jin is counting on me to support Jia Shang Shang wholeheartedly in the court and push him to the throne. This is the same reason why royal father summoned sixth uncle back to the capital.


    Gu Qingli was somewhat surprised. So Prince Yi hadn''t returned to the capital on his own, but rather had been recalled by the Emperor. Even an emperor at a high position would need an arm''s worth of help?


    She thought for a moment. The reason why the Emperor summoned Prince Yi was because Prince Yi had been in the northern border for more than twenty years, and the prestige of the imperial court had long since waned. The supporters of the former emperor''s faction had either died of old age or died of old age, and the emperor''s foundation was strong, so he had long since stopped being wary of Prince Yi.


    She smiled coldly. This was the Emperor''s wishful thinking. He was afraid that there were not many things in this world that he could do as he pleased.


    "Right now, Royal Father''s thoughts are hard to understand. He seems to be getting more and more dissatisfied with Xiao Yi Bei, but he also refuses the proposal of the crippled crown prince, who is from the Sunset King''s Party. The Queen Mother faced the abyss, not even sparing to lay her hands on him. It was most likely due to her deducing his intentions ¡­ It was only a matter of time before the crown prince would be crippled. The reason why he didn''t want to do it so early was because he still had concerns. As long as there was a crown prince, the goal of the other princes would still be the crown prince. However, if the crown prince was crippled, the new crown prince would immediately become the target of public criticism. After all, royal father has gradually grown older, and his body is no longer as healthy as it was before. "


    Prince Yi, Xiao Lingxi, nodded his head. "Although I was not in the capital for the past twenty years, I know quite a bit about the situation here." "With royal brother''s suspicious personality, if he''s not secretly measuring, then he''s trying to protect someone ¡­"


    "Protect who?" He Zhenjun raised his eyebrows, his eyes were full of confusion.


    Han Yifei explained, "Like what Prince Mo said, if he had a new owner in mind, this prince might be his target."


    He Zhenkun pondered. "But if the crown prince is crippled, it would be inevitable for him to establish a new crown prince. With the emperor''s age, it would be impossible for him to wait another ten to twenty years to establish a new crown prince. And since the various princes have become adults, how can they not covet the position? "


    Shi Chen shook his head, "The candidate to be the crown prince is the most outstanding one among all the princes. He should be able to convince all the other ministers to submit to him. This is the true way to choose a crown prince. The Crown Prince has attracted many objections. That is because he is unkind, unwise and heartless, and not someone who is coveted by the other princes. "


    Han Yifei smiled faintly, "According to Commander Shi''s words, who is the true leader?"

 C132 Secret room visitors(4)

    "It used to be Prince Mo, but now ¡­"


    "Since there is no one amongst the princes who is fit to serve, then it is more likely that the candidate in the Emperor''s heart is wavering. In terms of battle achievements, Prince Mo was beneath the King of Yan; in terms of power and intelligence, King Mu was not inferior to the King of Yan; the Queen had decided to support the King of Chen''s position; this spring incident was to help him establish his might, and it was likely that there would be more activities in the future. She had long since thought that the crown prince might not be able to stand up straight and would be looking for an escape route for herself. "


    The empress''s move was the best. If the emperor died, the crown prince would succeed to the throne, and she would take sole control of the power; if the emperor did not die, Xiao Yiyan would become the legitimate son, giving him an advantage over the other princes. If there were a few more opportunities to achieve merits like the one in the Spring Festival, Xiao Yiyan''s popularity would rise immediately.


    "Actually, I think there is another possibility." Gu Qingli''s voice was particularly loud amongst the group of men. All eyes were on her.


    "No one is willing to give the throne to the Emperor. Even the Emperor is no exception." She said softly, "This year has just passed the Year of Destiny. It is fine to say that he is not young, but it is also possible that he can remain in power for a dozen or twenty years. When the court officials and princes all wanted to lay their hands on the crown prince''s throne, did they ever think about who would be the greatest threat to a reigning monarch in the imperial court? The other princes? Is it the Empress, Imperial Concubine Lan, or Imperial Concubine Ling? "


    She lightly smiled. "It''s not that. It''s the emperor himself!"


    His single sentence caused everyone to be frightened, and their expressions were all different.


    "What does the Emperor do when he feels his throne is threatened?" She looked at Xiao Yi Xiu and said, "Actually, you already know very well that you have done a great job." Imperial Concubine Lan had taken action against you. With the Emperor''s planning skills and deep intelligence, how could he not know about it? Even if they didn''t know it previously, they would have realized it later on! Why did he acquiesce to this act? "Because you have won a higher voice in the court than the Emperor himself!"


    "The battle for the throne has never been just between brothers, or uncles, or even between father and son, it has always been similarly heartless!"


    She sighed, "All these years, have you ever wondered why there wasn''t a single doctor in the entire forbidden garden who could suppress the poison in your body? Why was Luo Qingyun so adamant to not help at all? He was afraid that she would be dragged into a dispute with the imperial family. Even if he had the medical skills to heal you, she would not be exposed! Perhaps everyone thought that it wasn''t just Imperial Concubine Lan who stopped them, but the Empress and Imperial Concubine Ling as well ¡­ However, very few people would think that, since the imperial physicians are unwilling to help, the ones who actually listen to orders are those who can rule the entire world. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu was silent. Actually, he had thought about all of this in his dreams countless times in the middle of the night. However, he still had a vague kinship towards the person who held the imperial power in his hands and was at the pinnacle of the world. If all of this could be cut off, then what was there for him to linger around?


    The secret chamber became so quiet that even the friction of her clothes could shake one''s eardrums. More than half of the people here had already started to hold a whole new level of respect for the wangfei. For some people, being able to conquer others with just a few words was definitely not a myth.


    "It''s not like the Emperor didn''t know that the crown prince had mediocre talent from the very beginning and had never surpassed anyone. He was the eldest son of the crown prince. It sounded reasonable, but what about the truth? He had only placed the crown prince at the heart of the struggle, causing more people to feel unwilling to accept the crown prince''s mediocrity and be moved by his misdeeds ¡­ You say that this is an opportunity for the emperor to see the talents of the princes and princes, but it is also an opportunity for everyone to focus on the crown prince.


    "If it wasn''t for the fact that I was the eldest son and Yi Xiu, my royal brother would have gone to bed at night and wouldn''t be able to eat and drink. He is afraid that he won''t be able to live for long. After all, there aren''t many people who would be willing to serve as Crown Prince for dozens of years."


    Xiao Yi Xiu said slowly, "Thus, this time, I shall gather everyone to discuss how I should deal with the matters of the imperial court. I hope everyone present will do their best to oppose me in the throne room, with the exception of Imperial Uncle Sixteenth." After Prince Yi had returned to the capital in a low voice, he had only been managing the residence the Emperor had given him. He had never returned to the imperial court.


    "..." Available... What the Prince needs is not support, but opposition? " He Zhenkun was the most baffled. He had fought bravely on the battlefield, but his scheming was lacking.


    "That''s right, it''s an objection. At the very least, we must put aside our relationship with you, your highness." Han Yifei nodded in agreement.


    Rong Zifeng laughed, "There are a lot of people in the court who are trying to force the prince to join the government, it is not our place to join in on the fun. Now that the King of Yan had made his move, the number of people who wanted to support him was definitely not small. Other than those who supported him back then, there were naturally a few more ¡­ A power that we do not know about. "


    "At a time like this, the Emperor really needs a puppet that can make him feel at ease, one that can replace the crown prince as the target of public criticism. Only by doing so can he make up his mind to cripple the crown prince and thus conceal his intentions."


    Xiao Yixiu smiled gently at first, but then his black pupils darkened as he stared at Gu Qingli, "It seems like I''m the perfect puppet for you."


    Gu Qingli smiled until she felt a bit guilty. "I didn''t say anything ¡­"


    After the meeting in the secret chamber, everyone departed from the secret chamber. The strongest part of the secret passage was that there were a total of eight different exits. Everyone would leave through different exits, and no matter who followed one of them, they would not implicate the others, and it would be difficult to connect them.


    Gu Qing Li wanted to escape from Xiao Yi Xiu''s sight, but he didn''t hesitate to grab hold of her and sit down on his lap.


    The faint smile made Gu Qingli feel guilty. She laughed dryly a few times. "It''s dark in this secret room, so there''s no wind in the room. Let''s go out and talk first ¡­"


    "The best thing about this place is that no matter how loud you shout, no one outside will hear you."


    Gu Qing Li''s entire body was instantly scalded with embarrassment. As she resisted his assaults, she could not help but hear his embarrassing words. She complained in a low voice, "You''re too shameless."


    "We''re husband and wife, why should we be ashamed?" When he thought about how the two of them had been secretly having an affair recently because of Gabriella, he felt a little unhappy and snorted, "I''m not very happy with you lately. I''ll punish you well today."


    He casually pushed her onto the long table. The cold table made her feel uncomfortable. She murmured, "It''s too hard. It''s uncomfortable."


    Helplessly, he picked her up and carried her back to the rosewood bench. He had been too weak to sit for long, so the benches were not only finely carved and spacious and comfortable, but also covered with a soft tapestry that made it easy for him to recline and lie down at any moment.


    Gu Qingli''s face turned even redder. No matter how spacious or comfortable the bench was, it wouldn''t be enough for two people to lie down flat. He actually wanted to play with such difficulty? Before she could refuse, his long, soft hand had already touched her shoulder, and he leaned over to kiss her.


    She couldn''t do anything but bury her face in his chest in embarrassment and shyly protest a few words. Gu Qing Li, who had remained calm when meeting the officials a moment ago, had already disappeared, leaving behind this gentle and shy little girl in his arms.

 C133 court(1)

    Xiao Yi Xiu''s tall and graceful figure was reflected in the bronze mirror. He straightened his collar and turned to look at Gu Qing Li, who was looking at him unblinkingly. "What, what''s wrong?"


    "The color isn''t right." Gu Qingli furrowed her delicate eyebrows. "No matter how you look at it, I don''t think this is your color."


    Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but laugh. He touched the top of her head and said lovingly, "Idiot, I''m going to the court now."


    The court uniforms in the East China Sea were dark. The third rank officials and princes were all wearing black court uniforms. The royal family was dressed in black, with long, curvy robes, embroidered with golden lines, and embroidered with clouds and sea serpents. Xiao Yi Xiu had black hair and wore a jade pearl crown on his head. He wore a black robe with eight serpents. Beneath his feet was a lagoon, which gave him a cold and dignified appearance.


    "When you ascend to the throne one day, you can change your uniform to white." Only Xiao Yi Xiu, whose clothes were as white as snow and untainted by a speck of dust, seemed normal to Gu Qing Li.


    "..." "It seems like there''s no white cloth on the uniform. Is it because they''re afraid of dirt?"


    "It should be that very few people can wear your aura out." Gu Qingli was somewhat smug. Of course, her man was the most elegant and refined in the world.


    "So I''ll skip it." He smiled as she boarded the carriage and looked back for a long time. Gu Qingli kept leaning on the door until her figure became smaller, until she could no longer see the door to the manor.


    The atmosphere in the throne room was solemn and solemn, and it didn''t seem any different from usual. It was just that the slender figure strolling leisurely on the red carpet cast a long reflection.


    "Why is he here?" Some of the court officials exchanged glances and exchanged words.


    Even the crown prince, Xiao Yi Bei, was astonished and looked at that person with hostility.


    After all, in the past few days, after the imperial court had discussed the matter, there were many people who wanted King Mo to return to the imperial court to discuss the matter. However, everyone thought that when it came down to it, how could King Mo, who seemed extremely weak, return to the imperial court? Thus, the theory of opposition was actually more than the person who agreed to it.


    Those who opposed it were not necessarily being disrespectful to King Mo. They just felt that it would be too cruel to force a sick person into politics.


    Even the few who thought that the Emperor might be tempted by the Yan King''s suggestion thought that the Emperor must have seen a sick man who had left and was gasping for breath every step of the way.


    However, when he really stood where he used to be, that elegant and elegant manner of his was still the same as before. He had only restrained the sharp aura of that battle on the battlefield and removed the last bit of that young man''s immaturity.


    Therefore, when the emperor announced that King Mo had returned to the imperial court to discuss politics, the slight commotion in the crowd was like a quiet undercurrent silently flowing.


    However, this was not the greatest surprise. There was a second uninvited guest in the imperial court ¡ª Prince Yi.


    More than half of the courtiers had never seen this legendary Prince Yi, and less than half of the people who had seen him in the past were alarmed by the sudden transformation of an eight-year-old into a mature, deep, smiling man.


    What was the Emperor planning to do? Sensitive people have been alarmed that another wave is brewing in the direction of the storm.


    Sure enough, the first thing that came to mind was the Minister of Rites'' letter that had been hanging in the air for a long time.


    There were only a few fans and supporters who disagreed with him, especially the princes and the royal families. On the other hand, under Prince Chen''s eyebrows, there was a pair of unfathomable eyes. He slowly looked around and exchanged a look with Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Ever since Gu Qing Li had left, there had been an additional layer of blurry space between them. Even though it was as narrow as a line, it was difficult to cross it. However, Xiao Yiyan seemed to have grown up quickly after the spring case, and his youthful heroic spirit and innocent smile were no longer visible in the court.


    Xiao Yixiu''s smile was reserved and gentle, and his demeanor was graceful as ever. However, no one could see the depth of his smile.


    "Reporting to my royal brother, my younger brother believes that it is time for you to be promoted to the position of assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites and Rites. Moreover, he was familiar with the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Rites, so naturally, it was most suitable for him to be promoted. As for the other candidates, it''s not that they aren''t outstanding, but that they are not qualified to be appointed by other positions. "


    The throne room was silent for a moment. Everyone was considering their words. Although there were many objections, Prince Yi had recently been recalled by the Emperor, so they didn''t know the Emperor''s intentions. The astute and astute people all thought that they should test the Emperor''s attitude towards him before deciding on his decision.


    Prince Li, on the other hand, took a step forward. Without even looking at his younger brother, he said confidently, "Prince Yi''s words are reasonable, but I''m afraid he has lived in the borders for a long time. He doesn''t know that in the spring case this June, Kaiser Shang Zhong was sentenced to a year''s imprisonment for his dereliction of his duty as an official. Although he is an upright and unyielding official, who can say that he is not guilty of dereliction of duty? "


    Xiao Lingfei chuckled softly, "I''m afraid Prince Li is not clear about this. I''ve already been back in the capital for more than half a month. Even when I was far away at the border, I''ve been back in the capital for quite some time already."


    Xiao Lingbin finally looked him in the eye. "Then you actually think that you can improve yourself before you''ve passed the test for too long?" Isn''t that a joke? "


    Xiao Lingfei said calmly: "Advancing does not necessarily mean that you have absolute trust in him, and it is not like you are pushing him into a supreme position. The higher you go, the more you will feel. In the spring of March, when the Ministry of Rites was written by Liu Zhengyan and he was only appointed as assistant minister, he was responsible and only implicated, although he was guilty of dereliction of duty. As a subordinate, he couldn''t interfere too much with the subtle actions of a direct superior. "Liu Zhengyan is now in the process of being executed, and Jia Shangzhong was only in charge of the administration of the court at the end of May. How could he have known that Liu had been in charge for the past three months?"


    Xiao Lingbin froze as a chill went up his spine. He was the one who most could not understand the Emperor''s intention of summoning Prince Yi back to the capital, and at the moment he was the one with the most dissent in his mind. As the Emperor''s closest brother, he could not understand the Emperor''s intentions, and he had a faint feeling that Prince Yi had been recalled, as if to take his place.


    The emperor, on the other hand, maintained his composure. He did not show any signs of joy or anger, nor did he have any objections. He only slowly turned his gaze towards the faces of the court and officials of the Wang Family, not missing a single one.


    "Imperial Father, this son believes that being virtuous is not avoiding family. He has been an assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites for eight years. He has been strict in his actions and has done his duty. Like Prince Yi, this case is not sufficient to determine Kaiser Kaiser''s character. Looking at his past achievements, he truly is capable of becoming the President. As for whether or not he is willing to support him, it will all depend on whether or not royal father is willing to give him a chance. "


    After Xiao Yi Xiu finished his long sentence, he seemed to have lost all his strength. He panted slightly before taking out his handkerchief and covering his mouth as he coughed lightly. Then, he retreated back to his seat.


    The court officials kept clamoring. Those who were emotional and courageous spoke so loudly that even the king could hear them, "Indeed, people do not avoid marriage. It is clear that they are selfish ¡­"


    However, the current Xiao Yixiu seemed to be sick, and was a little different from before. He coughed lightly, and his face seemed to become even paler, his jade-like soft lines had turned a little cold and hard, and his voice also became a little weaker, "My son has been ill for many years, and even the imperial physician has asserted that it has only been three to five years. Now, four years have passed, but I still do not know how long it will take for me to return ¡­ If we are to talk about selfishness, we can only hope that royal father can fortify the situation forever.

 C134 court(2)

    These words were vague and inexplicable, suddenly silencing the uproar. Xiao Yixiu seemed to be reminding the court officials unconsciously that it was the emperor who wanted to promote Jia Shang Zhong? He just ¡­ You want the Emperor''s intentions to be repaid?


    Today, there were two princes in the throne room who spoke with great authority and their words were consistent as they embraced Jia Shang Zhong. Could it be that this was the intention of the Emperor?


    Who did the Emperor want to promote? Why did he have to go through so many twists and turns? Could it be because the opposition a few days ago was too loud, that even the Emperor couldn''t help but waver?


    The Emperor had deliberately recalled King Yi and King Mo just to promote a distinguished guest, he had made a big fuss over nothing ¡­ Many people couldn''t help but turn to look at the King of Yan, Xiao Yijin. They began to think about how they had bestowed upon him during the birthday celebration.


    The emperor seemed to be waiting for this moment when the officials were all silent. In the end, it was time for him to show up on the ice. He first stared deeply at Xiao Yixiu, as a vague thought flashed through his mind that allowing him to return to the imperial court this time might be a mistake.


    Xiao Yijin had already been at odds with the emperor for many days when he suggested they restore the former emperor. In the end, it was this brotherly friendship that had made him make up his mind. He wanted to see how Xiao Yijin would slowly fall into his trap after making this wrong move.


    After all, the poisoning incident four years ago that seemed to have only been known by the heavens and the earth, and only the Lan Imperial Concubine and her son knew about it, could not be hidden from the resourceful Emperor.


    Xiao Yixiu had returned. How could he easily let Xiao Yijin use him and turn him into a chess piece that he could easily use and shake off? Perhaps everyone thought that with Xiao Yixiu''s impending death, no matter how many chances he was given, he wouldn''t be able to create any big waves. Xiao Yijin wasn''t the only one who thought that, but the emperor never did.


    Ever since the child was ten years old, there was something hidden in his eyes that even adults wouldn''t be able to understand. The Emperor had always thought that he was someone who would cause a thousand ripples even in death. He would not let himself walk the world for nothing.


    "The words of my beloved officials make sense. However, I can only choose one side to listen to. You have been in the government for many years, but you have been fooled by many things, and perhaps the onlookers know better. "King Yi has not heard of the imperial government for a long time, so it is impossible for him to be like King Mo who does not avoid his friends. His words are very pertinent, and I am determined to promote Minister of Rites, Jia Shang Zhong."


    Jia Shang Zhong was surprised and his hands started trembling. He nodded his head in disbelief.


    Xiao Yi Jin looked at Xiao Yi Xiu with a playful expression. There was an almost imperceptible smile on his face, and he knew that Xiao Yi Xiu wouldn''t help him.


    Xiao Yixiu was helping him, so he must have thought that with his help, it wouldn''t be difficult for his to win over him. But in reality, Gabriella was born from a concubine, while Jiazhong was born from a concubine ¡­


    They continued to play along with the court officials. There was a flood that had broken down the dam, caused the collapse of the houses along the river to prevent the people from living in peace. A drought that had caused no harvest had to be guarded against a plague of locusts that would follow ¡­


    The flood was a matter of the Ministry of Industry and Industry. The emperor needed to send out orders and send people to deal with it. However, the Minister of Public Works, Bai Wanqing, had an unsightly expression on his face. It was as if the Emperor''s answer had displeased him, and he dared not to speak out in anger.


    Xiao Lingfei noticed Bai Wanqing''s displeasure and asked with a gentle smile, "Sir Bai, what do you have against the emperor''s decree?"


    Bai Wanqing took a deep breath and looked at the emperor, until the emperor said with slight suspicion and displeasure, "It''s fine if you speak frankly."


    The original Weir of the Water Ministry had been sent back to his hometown by the Emperor for fear of Ding, and his hometown was far away in Sophora, in the northeast. Even if he were to return now, by the time he reached the place where the water was, it would have been of no use." It just so happens that in the case of Chunxi, the former Water Ministry teacher was just demoted because of the bribery of his nephew, and the new teacher, Cheng Xiang, is not very familiar with the River Cofferdam Project, so the Emperor decreed that he should handle this matter alone, is that really possible?


    The Emperor looked at him with a deep gaze, as if considering his suggestion, and then nodded his head. "It is indeed a problem. However, there are probably none in the Imperial court who are proficient in water conservancy river cofferdam projects. Who can recommend them? "


    In the beginning of the dynasty, however, the emperor paid little attention to the allocation of civil engineering projects and paid no attention to the development of water conservancy projects. The allocation of funds was small, the responsibility was heavy, and the Ministry of Water became a dangerous and undesirable business, which no one wanted.


    If he succeeded, he would not be able to get much out of the situation, and he might not be able to win the favor of the emperor.


    The Emperor looked around and obviously understood the reason why there was no response. He lowered his eyes, looked very tired, sighed and said, "How about this, King Mo has been ignoring the government for a long time, and has been doing nothing for the past few days. I will appoint you as the envoy to supervise the Water Division and invite you to the Chiyue to cure the water, and deal with the people who were affected by the water."


    Xiao Yi Jin was gloating as he glanced over. There were quite a few people who had the same thoughts as him.


    In fact, even the emperor himself was secretly relieved. He felt that he was wise and wise, flinging his big brother around. Chi Yue was thousands of miles south of the capital. With the addition of the treatment of the flood and the blocking of the river banks, he was afraid that he would not be able to return to the capital within two to three months. By the time he returned, he was afraid that the sky and earth had already changed. Moreover, with his weak body, how long could he delay them?


    "Yes, son." Xiao Yi Xiu knew that he wasn''t particularly good at water conservancy. The emperor was obviously trying to move him out of the capital, but he remained calm and collected. There wasn''t the slightest trace of displeasure in his clear, cold eyes.


    The emperor''s fist was like a piece of cotton, boring, and his body was truly tired. He waved his hand and wanted to retreat.


    "Father, I have something to inform you."


    The courtiers and officials were all thinking in their hearts, this Prince Mo really did stir up trouble. After so many years of not discussing the imperial court, once he returned to the throne room, there were many things he wanted to enlighten them.


    "Your son has heard a rumour recently ¡­"


    The emperor''s brows creased. What rumors were circulating in the throne room? Could it be that they wanted to be like Xiao Yi Mo and the entire imperial family''s rumours?


    "They say that a baby boy was born in Xuanhua Restaurant the day before yesterday, giving rise to an omen from the heavens. The son was very angry, and executed the raving comrade-in-arms at that time. However, who would have thought that this matter would actually end up like this? Everyone was talking about the baby boy that was born in Xuanhua Tower ¡­ and it''s not just an ordinary fetus. "


    The expression on the face of the emperor, who was usually calm, suddenly changed. His eyes were filled with anger as he asked, "Who created the rumor? If the Emperor Star descends, it should be above the Forbidden City ¡­ What Xuanhua Pavilion is? " The Emperor''s heart was filled with rage. The birth of a new Emperor Star, didn''t this mean that he would abdicate?


    It would have been fine if he was in the Forbidden City, at least he was a grandchild, but he didn''t have a child recently. The only pregnant Wei Ronghua had only been pregnant for five months, not to mention he was an unfavoured young concubine. Next was his grandchildren. Xiao Yi Mo had a pregnant concubine, but she still hadn''t given birth to one yet; Xiao Yi Xiu''s concubine, Gu Qing Xiao, was even younger; and Xiao Yi Xiu''s concubine, Gu Qing, was only a few wives.

 C135 court(3)

    Even now, the emperor had yet to hold his grandson. But why did this Purple Comet Star fall to the Xuanhua Pavilion?!


    "Xuanhua Restaurant... That''s a good place. " Xiaoyi Mo snickered first.


    Xiao Yi Jin also wanted to laugh, but he was the shadow of the crown prince, so he had to advance with the crown prince on the stage. Thus, he asked innocently, "What kind of a place is that? Seeing the look of understanding on the Third Imperial brother''s face, I believe that he has often set foot in this place and knows it very well.


    The faces of some of the court officials turned pale, while others snickered just like Xiao Yi Mo, trying their best to hold back their laughter ¡­ The most miserable one was none other than Xiao Yi Bei himself. His face was ashen, and he didn''t dare to say a single word.


    However, Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was ugly. Amongst the adult males of the aristocrats in the capital, who didn''t know of Xuanhua Pavilion? Only the emperor himself didn''t know of this place. However, not only did Xiao Yijin pretend to be good, he even purposely defeated him. Xiao Yijin had an ugly expression on his face and was unable to answer.


    The emperor was shrewd, so he knew that it was definitely not a good place when he saw Xiao Yi Mo''s expression. His expression immediately turned ugly as he glared at Xiao Yi Mo, reprimanded him silently with a smile, and then turned to Xiao Yi Xiu, "That baby from Xuanhua Pavilion ¡­ "Who made it?"


    "It''s the head of Xuanhua Pavilion... Cough, a girl of both talent and talent, called Du Ying''s Paradise. " Xiao Yi Xiu''s words were very tactful, but they were unable to do anything about the embarrassed coughs of the court officials.


    The emperor asked sternly, "And who is her husband?"


    His Highness coughed even louder. Those who didn''t know Du Ying, most of them had heard of such a character. When they heard the Emperor ask such a question, many of Du Ying''s regular customers couldn''t help but look at each other. Even though everyone knew that she didn''t sell herself, who knew if she had sold herself to anyone else in the dark? Where did this baby boy come from?


    "She ¡­" It''s an unmarried body. " This time, Xiao Yi Xiu answered very quickly.


    The Emperor found himself asking a stupid question and lost his voice. He no longer needed to secretly confirm what kind of place Xuanhua Pavilion was, and the answer was obvious.


    "But children always have a father. I heard Du Ying gave this child a name, Xiao Ruoshui."


    The emperor could not help but cough as well. "Xiao ¡­" "What a coincidence."


    "It is indeed a coincidence. When I asked around, I found out that the baby''s father is called Xiao Shuofang."


    "Shuofang..." "Shuofang ¡­" The emperor read it twice with a cold expression. "This is absurd. Before leaving the capital, you must investigate thoroughly and eliminate the source of the rumors. As for the baby boy ¡­ A baby is innocent after all, you see. I''m a bit unwell and will be leaving the court! Mo Wang ¡­ "Go back and enter the palace."


    With an indifferent expression, Xiao Yi Xiu received the decree and left the court with the rest of the officials.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was dark as he quickly left. Xiao Yi Jin had an expression that said he was suffering from internal injuries. Xiao Yi Bei''s sleeves were trembling from the force of his hand as ripples appeared on them.


    The only person who didn''t know what was going on was Xiao Yiyan. He swept his gaze across the faces of the royal brothers, before landing his gaze on Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Xiao Yixiu, on the other hand, gave him an indifferent smile.


    Letting out a sigh of relief, he handed the nameplate over and entered the palace. Xiao Yixiu''s footsteps became lighter without any reason, slowing down as he neared the Sky Bearing Hall. He adjusted his clothes that were not messy in the slightest, and entered the Imperial Study.


    Even though he wanted to leave the capital, this task that was not even worth mentioning in the eyes of others was what he wanted. Before he left, he put down a strand of string and ignited a cloud of smoke. Next, someone would use this strand to catch a large fish and ignite a larger cloud of smoke ¡­ And at that time, he was thousands of miles away.


    At the entrance of the imperial study, only the emperor''s closest eunuch was on duty. When he saw him, he respectfully smiled and bowed. This was an astute, experienced person. Even when everyone ignored Xiao Yixiu, he was still respectful to him.


    Xiao Yixiu could see the look he was giving his, and hinted that the Emperor was currently in a bad mood, so he could only give his a warm smile.


    He went in to see the emperor playing with a jade ruyi display piece. From his frequent movements, he could see the annoyance in his heart. With his usually deep and indifferent personality, it was already a rare anger.


    "Father."


    "Where did you hear that?"


    "In reply to father, your son''s mansion happens to be on the same street as the Xuanhua Tower on the Avenue of New Phoenix, west gate. That was a place to sell money, those who could go were either rich or noble, Miss Du Ying''s name shook the capital ¡­ The acrobat in the teaching field. " He thought for a moment and then made a compromise. It didn''t sound that embarrassing.


    The emperor sneered, "Who are you? A courtesan?" In the royal study, he didn''t hide anything.


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded silently.


    "Actually, all of the officials in the court know of that place, right? Including Mo''er and the rest? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu agreed once more.


    The emperor suddenly threw the ruyi in his hand far away in rage, and a priceless artifact shattered into pieces on the ground.


    "Very good, Bei''er is becoming more and more promising. It''s one thing to play with flowers and grass everywhere in the palace, but he''s even running off to the people to embarrass himself?" I was too lazy to care about that little palace maid, Liu Xin, the other time, so I let him do as he pleases. In any case, these maids belonged to the royal family. Most of them came from government officials, so their families were all clean ¡­ But in the end, he killed her! "This is great! His name is going to shake the capital! He actually left a villain in the brothel ¡­"


    Thinking that the child was still a descendant of the royal family, so it wasn''t appropriate to describe him as evil. The Emperor forcefully held himself back.


    "Imperial Father, actually, this son isn''t certain that it was the crown prince who did this, but from that name alone, I can deduce ¡­ It''s just possible. "


    "How can I not know Bei''er''s character?" It''s also possible that it''s definitely him! " The Emperor had nothing to throw, so he slammed the table heavily. The killing intent on his face was instantly concealed. "That child, how is he?"


    "Healthy and lively, a baby boy."


    "You have to take care of this matter. Children can''t be left behind in the countryside, that woman ¡­" The emperor stared at him gloomily. "You understand."


    Xiao Yixiu thought for a moment. "Imperial Father, although that woman''s origin is not pure and she cannot be sealed within the palace, she did not do anything wrong in the first place. After all, she gave birth to an imperial heir, and ¡­"


    The emperor waved his hand and said sternly, "Could it be that we will leave her to sully the royal family''s reputation?"


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t reply, but a piercing chill rose in his heart. He was willing to leave a small thing behind. Was this his usual trick? In other words, it was something that he had always thought of ¡­


    "Actually, even if that woman were to die or disappear, it would be impossible to wipe out this rumor. Because, before this son could report, it had already spread throughout the capital. "This child actually thinks that the child is of lowly birth. Even though he''s of royal blood, he still can''t get involved ¡­"


    "Of course!" The emperor glared at Xiao Yi Xiu. He hadn''t died yet. It was already the turn of Sun Dai to talk about getting involved in the matter?


    "But this baby boy is not an ordinary person. Did royal father forget the rumors this son said? This matter was even more important than the baby''s birth! Could it be that royal father thinks that this son is only telling you that the crown prince may have left his legacy behind, that he left behind a dragon? "

 C136 The desire to love kills him

    The Emperor raised his head. Yes, but more importantly, there are rumors of the descent of the Violet Star.


    "There are two possibilities. The first is that what the scholar said is true, so this baby..." Even if the crown prince were to inherit the throne, this infant will not be able to do so.


    "Of course!" The emperor''s face had darkened to the eve of the storm.


    "Then if royal father keeps his biological mother, in the future, when he has no other choice ¡­ "Useful."


    The emperor''s thoughts changed three times before slowly nodding.


    "Placing the greatest threat in my eyes is better than not being able to control it." Upon seeing him so moved, Xiao Yi Xiu sneered in his heart. He would immediately light up a cloud of smoke. What kind of truth would the Emperor be able to see through the smoke?


    "Secondly, that rumor is purely a rumor. Since it began at the end of Qing Ping, it has its own reasons."


    The Emperor pondered for a long time, and the gloomy expression on his face slowly faded, replacing it was an unfathomable profoundness.


    "If royal father is fine, this son will take his leave first."


    The Emperor nodded and waved his hand. A trace of deep exhaustion flashed through his eyes as he gasped for breath, seeming extremely weak.


    Xiao Yi Xiu hesitated for a moment before he stood still and looked at him, "Royal father seems to be tired easily these days. Would you like to see a famous doctor? "


    "I''m fine. I just need to rest for a while." The Emperor rubbed his glabella, as if he wasn''t worried about his body at all.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was silent. As expected, after Luo Yun entered the palace, she found out that the empress had poisoned him from the shadows and aroused the Emperor''s suspicions. [Then the Crown Prince must be an illegitimate child ¡­] No matter what, he would not kill his own grandson while he was still a baby. After all, he had let him live back then.


    He walked slowly out of the palace, trying to look weaker.


    When Gu Qingli heard that Xiao Yi had gone south to supervise the construction of the water conservancy and flood control construction of the dike, she was shocked at first and then found it laughable. The emperor was treating him like Li Bing, how could he build water conservancy?


    "It''s just that the overseer is mainly about dealing with the people after the flood." The purpose of supervising the construction of a water conservancy project was to prevent the new water conservancy worker from making a profit. The reason was for him to supervise and make important decisions. It was not to expect him to actually build a water conservancy project.


    Gu Qing Li pondered for a moment before saying, "Bring me along."


    "I''m hesitating about this too. I''ll bring you along because I''m afraid no one will be guarding the manor. If I don''t bring you along, we''ll leave for two months ¡­" Xiao Yi Xiu said as he hugged her. His thin lips were rubbing against her ear, and his cold voice sounded soft and gentle.


    "Don''t touch." Gu Qingli slapped the back of his hand with a blush on her face. It was clear that she couldn''t stop him from molesting her. None of us are in the palace, so there aren''t many secrets to be unearthed. As for the secret rooms, your shadow guards will naturally take care of them. "Gabriella can take care of her daily chores, but she is from a large clan, so she can''t do any bad chores."


    "What I''m afraid of is that someone will take advantage of the situation and enter." Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes darkened.


    "You can leave Suifeng in charge."


    "Suifeng?" He shook his head. Suifeng was one of his most trusted aides, but to say that he was meticulous in his actions and was able to change anything in his life was not enough. He could only follow him and carry out some orders.


    "Then let Liu Yanyu take a look."


    "Liu Yanyu?" He was a trustworthy and competent person, but in the end, he was still an outsider. Moreover, Luo Yun ¡­ Xiao Yi Xiu hesitated.


    "As long as you give him a certain amount of authority, he will definitely be able to handle it."


    "Do you really think highly of him?"


    "That''s right, Young Master Liu is a man of good character, easygoing and quick to react ¡­" That person had a gentle appearance and was also very ¡­ "Ugh!" Gu Qingli''s eyes were wide open. Her soft lips were blocked by the wall, making her unable to speak. She almost couldn''t breathe. Then, his lips felt numb from the pain and he took a bite.


    She snickered in her heart. This black-hearted fellow was becoming more and more jealous. From time to time, he would forget about his reservation and let out a sour feeling.


    It was only after much difficulty that Xiao Yi Xiu finally let go of her and thought about Du Ying.


    When Gu Qingli heard that he was going to send Du Ying and her son to the palace, her expression changed. "No!" Although she hadn''t been with Du Ying for long, Du Ying''s character was gentle and pure, and her character was noble and pure. She was very different from those women who lived in the dust, and she didn''t want to put her in prison.


    "I have already protected her in front of royal father. Although she won''t be free after entering the palace, there shouldn''t be much of a problem. "If you can endure it for a while, you can always see the moon."


    "But she must be forced to separate from her child. Since Xiao Yi Bei hurt her to such an extent, he must also separate her and her son. This is too inhumane."


    "If she stays in Xuanhua Pavilion, it would be even more inhuman for the child to not recognize her as her ancestor." Xiao Yi Xiu said indifferently, "Moreover, there is no such thing as a wall without wind. Since her story is spread far and wide, it will be known to others sooner or later. At that time, it will be extremely dangerous."


    Gu Qingli glared at him. "You still have the nerve to say that?" You dare to say that the rumors about the Purple Comet were not made by you? You used her, put her in danger, and forced her into the palace ¡­ Now, you''re saying that it''s for her own good? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled faintly. "You''re a woman as well. How can you not understand a woman''s heart?"


    "I just don''t understand. I also know that as a mother, no matter what, he is unwilling to part with his son."


    "Could it be that she''s willing to be separated from the person she loves forever?"


    "Your lover? "Pfft, you want to talk about that scumbag Xiao Yi Bei?" Gu Qingli couldn''t help but feel that Du Ying should never have feelings for that scum of a man. She remembered Du Ying saying that she only had hatred left in her heart and no longer held any hope for that man.


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed calmly, "Even if she hates it to the point that she wants to devour its flesh and drink its blood, she has to do it herself, because that is the man she wants. You''re not her, you can''t decide what to do for her. Some people, love wants to make them live, some people, love wants to make them die ¡­ It''s better to die by your own hands than by someone else''s. "


    Gu Qingli was silent for a moment before she suddenly shivered, as if she had never truly known this delicate and beautiful woman.


    Xuanhua Tower was as bustling as ever. In this gold selling cave where both elegance and customs coexisted, one would be able to light up the beauties who walked the streets, and one would also be able to light up the elegantly talented and talented women. But from today onwards, no one would be able to make Du Ying sing a song or sing a chant anymore.


    Gu Qingli, who was wearing a veil on her face, stepped into Du Ying''s room. Seeing her gently and affectionately hug the infant, patting him gently while she coaxed him, her heart suddenly felt sore.


    Du Ying raised her head and smiled gently at Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li when she heard their voices.


    Gu Qingli felt that she was even more gentle than before, her face even had a holy light to it. It was obvious that she had just become a mother''s love and benevolence.


    "The Emperor wants you and your mother to enter the palace. He should be able to find a way to give this child a proper birth and recognize him as his ancestor ¡­ "As for you, you will also enter the palace, but ¡­" Gu Qingli couldn''t bear it any longer. How could she say such cruel words to such a loving and benevolent mother?


    Du Ying smiled. "I understand. I can imagine the consequences." She lowered her head and looked deeply at the infant in the crook of her arm. Ever since the child was born, she had hired a wet nurse. She knew that she would be separated from him sooner or later. She might not even be able to see him again.

 C137 Behind a cloud of smoke

    Gu Qing Li found it hard to understand her calmness, and furrowed her brows: "You''re not sad? Or do you not wish to enter the palace? "


    "Actually, I''ve been thinking about these things ever since Miss Li Yue saved me. It took me at least seven months to figure out how to conceive a child in October. "


    Gu Qingli was beginning to understand. Du Ying''s thoughts were definitely not formed in a day. What she lacked was only an opportunity, she might already have a complete set of thoughts. If a woman was thinking every day about that man who abandoned her, that feeling of love and hate would eventually sink deep into her bones. That kind of pain would cause her to do anything that was impossible.


    "What do you want to do?"


    Du Ying looked at Xiao Yi Xiu, her expression fluctuating slightly. She then chuckled, "Prince Mo, I have a presumptuous request."


    "Go ahead."


    "In the future, no matter what happens to Xiao Yi Bei, leave it to me."


    After a moment of silence, Xiao Yi Xiu asked, "Are you sure you won''t regret this?"


    Du Ying slowly shook her head.


    "Alright, This King agrees."


    "Looks like this trip of mine is completely unnecessary." Gu Qingli sighed.


    "No. Lady Li Yue is my benefactor, and also my benefactor. The child is young, so let me pay my respects on his behalf." Du Ying knelt down with the baby in her arms, ignoring Gu Qingli''s attempts to stop her.


    "Nian`er ¡­" Is that his nickname? "


    Du Ying smiled and nodded.


    Gu Qing Li was speechless as she followed Xiao Yi Xiu out of the flower pavilion. For some reason, she felt as if the sky had darkened, and a heavy rain was approaching. It was so heavy that it made it hard for people to breathe.


    Nian''er, Du Ying''s hatred didn''t seem to cover for love. What was she planning to do?


    "Don''t worry, she can still defend her conscience in a place like Xuanhua Pavilion. Naturally, she''s a very decisive and smart person and won''t act recklessly."


    Gu Qingli knew that he would arrange for Du Ying and her son to enter the palace soon, but that was definitely not a good thing. It could be said that Ruo Shui''s origin was roughly his origin. Such a child, in the future ¡­


    An airtight carriage drove into the Imperial City, its interior covered with thick dark curtains so thick that not even light seemed to be able to penetrate.


    After Du Ying entered the palace, she didn''t see the emperor at all. She didn''t even see the empress, Xiao Yi Bei, or the others, and was placed in a dimly lit side hall. Other than some light entering through the tall and narrow windows, she wasn''t even allowed to take a step outside.


    Fortunately, this side chamber was considered elegant and clean, and the space was spacious as well. There were two palace maids that attended to her, but they never dared to speak to her, nor did they answer any of her questions.


    She could only console herself that at least the child was safe.


    After Xiao Ruo Shui entered the palace, she was carried to the Crown Prince''s secondary wife, Jiang Ci, and raised. Jiang Ci had been granted a concubine status at the beginning, his birth wasn''t considered noble, but he was also a palace maid. Although he had long since been disliked by the Crown Prince, his character was dignified, and he didn''t have the delicate aura of a young miss, which was what the Emperor had taken a fancy to.


    Jiang Ci had married the Crown Prince when he was young. He had been unpampered for many years, so he naturally couldn''t have children. Now that he had a child, he was overjoyed. He almost cried tears of joy as he held it in his hands.


    The emperor coldly looked at her excited expression and silently thought in his heart, I hope that there isn''t someone who''s entrusted me with this task, allowing this child to grow up to be like Xiao Yixiu.


    "I give you special privileges. Anyone who wants to get close to this child is allowed to stay out of this door as long as you find it suspicious. All you have to do is raise him safely and healthy. "


    Jiang Ci knelt down to receive his orders.


    The emperor dusted his sleeves and left unconcernedly, as if he did not care about the baby at all. He did not even look at the baby closely.


    Du Ying counted the days in the solitude. Every day she separated from her son seemed to be a long time, but she firmly believed that as long as she didn''t die, she would always wait until the day she could leave.


    If the Emperor wanted to kill her, he definitely wouldn''t go through so much trouble to bring her into the palace before slowly torturing her to death. There were ten thousand ways to make a little girl disappear without a trace.


    Of course, she didn''t expect that Xiao Yi Bei would come and save her. She didn''t even see this heartless man give birth to a child. Him letting her give birth to a child seemed to be the greatest gift she had ever received. If it wasn''t for the fact that this generation''s royal sons were sparse and that Xiao Yi Bei''s group of secondary wives never gave birth to a single child, she probably wouldn''t even have had the chance to give birth to this child.


    Knocking sounded without hurry. Du Ying was in a trance for a long time before she regained her senses. She was sure that someone was knocking on her door.


    Puzzled, she got out of bed and went to open the door. After all, she was a sedentary person. Every day, she spent most of her time lying down, unable to withstand the cold. But wasn''t there supposed to be guards and eunuchs guarding the corridor, preventing her from leaving? Who was knocking on the door?


    The sun had already risen high in the middle of the early summer. It was so bright that even the ground outside the hall had turned white and dazzling. Under the strong light, her eyes were half-closed. She could barely make out the figure''s face at the door.


    It had been a long time since she had seen such a bright light.


    "Are you all right?" An unfamiliar male voice rang out, deep and vigorous, carrying with it a magnetic allure.


    Du Ying raised a hand to cover her face and stepped to the side. That person walked into the room, and only then was she able to look at the man through the gaps of her fingers ¡ª a dark purple brocade robe with a round head of clouds and sea embroidered on it.


    "I... I don''t know you. "


    Du Ying slowly lowered her hand and tilted her head, looking at him with some suspicion.


    She had just gotten off the bed and was dressed in a snow-white robe. Her shoulders were only covered in a jade-green robe, and her face still revealed the pallor of a postpartum woman. Her eyebrows were picturesque, and her almond-shaped eyes were crystal clear.


    The expression of the young man in front of her was a little stiff. His eyes also froze for a moment, as if he was shocked for a moment by her beauty.


    Du Ying wasn''t unfamiliar with this kind of stunning look. What was surprising was that this man in front of her was also so handsome that it exceeded her expectations. Within the palace, there was no doubt that the man with such extravagant clothing and imposing bearing was one of the princes. She softly asked: "Little girl Du Ying, may I ask which prince you are?"


    The gentleness and alertness that she spoke of was beyond Xiao Yimo''s expectations. He was startled for a moment before lightly smiling, "No wonder the crown prince likes you. He has a reason for doing so."


    The Crown Prince had no particular opinions on matters of politics, but he had a good eye for women. The Liu Xin of the past and Du Ying of the present were all unparalleled beauties.


    "This king is King Mu, I came specially today to visit Miss Du Ying."


    "A prisoner, there''s no need for you to worry."


    "Prisoners?" Xiao Yi Mo''s black eyebrows rose, "Who treated you like that? Or are they taking care of it? "


    He turned towards the door and coldly shouted: "Who serves Miss Du everyday?"


    Very soon, a small palace maid hurried over. Seeing that he was somewhat afraid, she lowered her head and said, "This servant greets Prince Mu. This servant and Cai Lian will serve Miss Du together."


    Du Ying softly sighed, "She''s fine, Your Highness misunderstood me."

 C138 Trap(1)

    "Oh?" Xiao Yi Mo raised his eyebrows again. He was only putting on an act. He just needed to wave his hand and let the young palace maid leave.


    "If there''s no freedom here, if I can''t even take half a step out of the door, wouldn''t that be the same as a prison?" Du Ying smiled faintly. "Of course, people like me are detrimental to the dignity of the imperial family. Being able to keep this life intact is already a gift, not to mention that I haven''t actually received any mistreatment these past few days."


    The meaning behind his words was that he was a caged bird.


    "So it''s for this. Actually, I''ve come today for this as well."


    Du Ying froze for a moment, and then swept him with a doubtful gaze, as if sensing something. She lowered her eyes slightly, hoping that she wasn''t being overly concerned.


    "Today, the eldest son of the King of Japan was born, and my royal father celebrated this matter. The palace set up a troupe of actors to listen to Lan Xuan. All of the princesses and concubines went to listen to the drama. This prince has specially come to lure you over. "


    Du Ying was momentarily unable to digest what she had just heard as she asked in bewilderment, "Who''s Mu Lin?"


    "Oh ¡­" That''s Ruoshui, you gave him the name Ruoshui. Was it because the comedian once said that he lacked water for the five elements? "


    Du Ying nodded her head, her doubts deepened.


    Xiao Yi Mo smiled meaningfully for a moment before saying, "Father, please ask Jing Chanzi from the Mizar Monastery to repeat the divination, saying that Mu Lin is a good name."


    Jing Chanzi was talking about water trees, wood against earth, and Xiao Ruo Water against earth. It was said that water was lacking water and there was wood in its name, so it was used to control earth. It was obvious that the Emperor changing this name for the child was suppressing his fate ¡­


    Du Ying didn''t understand this, she only felt that his smile was a bit mysterious and ambiguous, and she faintly felt uncomfortable in her heart: "Then, do I have to be free from today onwards?"


    Xiao Yi Mo smiled and shook his head, "This is not something I can decide. After all, Miss Du has an awkward status. According to father''s wishes ¡­ "But I won''t give you a title."


    All of this was to be expected.


    Du Ying lightly bit her lower lip, not feeling the slightest bit of joy from her temporary freedom.


    "Perhaps Miss Du thinks that the Crown Prince will grant you freedom and fame on the day of his enthronement, but ¡­" What do you think? "


    "I won''t." Du Ying decisively said without thinking. Ever since she was pregnant, Xiao Yi Bei rarely went to see her. He would occasionally meet her, and with great difficulty, he greeted her warmly with a smile. His heart was filled with guilt, more than concern. She was certain that he had long since grown tired of her. If it wasn''t for this child, Xiao Yi Bei would have already completely lost interest in her.


    Xiao Yi Mo didn''t expect her to see it so clearly and answer so decisively. After being surprised, the thought in his heart became even stronger.


    He suddenly changed the subject, "Do you want to be free? Or do you want to be on the top, living a life of luxury and luxury? Or do you want Mu Lin to live a more dignified and dignified life? "


    "You can speak frankly if you want, but to you, a woman like Du Ying is like an ant. No matter who it is in the Xiao clan, as long as you extend your finger, you can easily crush me to death. To be able to keep me alive, it definitely isn''t because I''m the royal grandson''s mother, but because I have other motives."


    Xiao Yi laughed. "Miss Du is not only exceptionally beautiful but also wise. The crown prince is infatuated with your beauty for a moment and it''s a complete waste of the treasure ¡­"


    On the stage, the performers were singing along with the music, mesmerizing the audience. From time to time, they would burst out in cheers, and even the imperial concubines would put down their reservations. Occasionally, they would laugh at each other in surprise, secretly commenting on which flower was the most beautiful and which martial arts student was the most handsome.


    Du Ying stood far away at the periphery, her eyes cold and occasionally flashing with a trace of killing intent. She had no right to squeeze into the crowd and see. This was the imperial city, and even the head eunuchs and palace maids would look at her with cold, arrogant expressions. They would even question where she had come from, since her outfit was neither imperial concubine nor palace maid.


    She backed away, turning slowly.


    The Imperial Consort and the princes were all on the second floor. Xiao Yi and Bei Ben were in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by a few pretty palace maids and a few serving eunuchs.


    Although the Emperor had been treating him coldly lately, and he himself had heard of it, he did not mind.


    After all, he had been scolded by the emperor more than once for his unrestrained nature. So what if the incident with Du Ying had displeased the emperor? He was the eldest son of the emperor, and had been the crown prince for more than ten years. In his heart, he felt some hatred towards Xiao Yi Xiu''s move before he left. He felt that the sickly youth had already sunk half his body into the ground, yet he still dared to provoke him? Using an egg to hit a rock was extremely laughable.


    As soon as Xiao Yi Bei hugged a cute and joyful little palace maid, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a lonely figure far away from the crowd below.


    He sat up straight and slightly leaned his head out of the railing. He saw a slim figure dressed like a butterfly and as weak as a willow. She wore a ceremonial robe with auspicious flowers embroidered on it.


    He was vaguely familiar with this set of clothes. His heart thumped once, but it wasn''t because his heart was beating fast, but because he was inexplicably uneasy.


    Xiao Yi Bei stood up and casually pushed the little palace maid out of his arms.


    The palace maids who were previously laughing and talking softly were all stunned, not knowing what had happened.


    Xiao Yi was a mediocre person who didn''t have much talent. However, there was one good thing about him. He was especially tolerant of beauties and had a good temper. Thus, the favored palace maids by his side could always act presumptuously in front of him. Now that the sun had suddenly turned cold, there was no mercy even in front of them.


    "Your Highness, please accompany this servant for a while longer ¡­" There were even palace maids who took advantage of their pampering to tug on his sleeves in a spoiled manner.


    "Stay here and wait for me!" When Xiao Yi Bei turned around, his eyes were sharp and filled with killing intent. He scared the palace maid into taking a step back.


    "No one is allowed to follow! If royal father asks, say that I ¡­ "Stomach trouble." Xiao Yi Bei hurriedly descended from the Luan Pavilion. His footsteps were hurried as if he were rushing something.


    Xiao Yimo''s figure appeared on the second floor''s stairs, slowly approaching the railing. His lips curled into a strange smile.


    Behind the Luan Pavilion was a row of lower halls, none of the other palaces was luxurious, nor did they have a main hall. They were built into a row of rooms for the imperial concubines to rest in, men and women, separated by a short wall in the middle.


    The light colored robe seemed to flash, disappearing under the cover of the flower trees.


    As she chased him down from the second floor, Xiao Yi, Bei Bei, who was still panting heavily, saw that the corridor''s rows of rooms were blocked by tall flowers and trees, and couldn''t see which one she had entered. He didn''t have enough time to go to the Moon Cave Gate, so he directly leaped over the wall.


    Just as the slim figure was about to step into the doorway, Xiao Yi Bei promptly grabbed hold of Yun Zhong''s robe. However, the woman actually didn''t look back and instead frantically grabbed onto Yun Xiao''s lapel, trying to break free from his control and charge forward.

 C139 Trap(2)

    Xiao Yi Bei used a bit of strength, fearing that if she rushed into the room, she would run into a concubine or a noble wife or daughter who was resting while listening to a play, making her feel even more awkward.


    The woman suddenly let go of him and stopped fighting him. She let him rip her robe off her shoulders, causing her front lapels to split open. Then she rushed straight into the room and even kicked the door shut without any airs.


    The door that was kicked shut slammed into him heavily and quickly, directly smashing into his nose. Not only did it smash open his eyes, it even almost failed to stabilize his body, and he stretched out his arms to try to keep his balance for a while before he could barely keep his head up.


    His anger had reached its peak, and his usual mild temper had turned into a boiling oil over the fire. He kicked the door open with a kick, and rushed in without a trace of politeness, not even with the last shred of apprehension he had for the people inside. After all, the sound of the door slamming shut was quite loud. If there had been a female imperial concubine within, she would have been so terrified that she would have screamed out upon entering the room.


    "Du Ying, what are you playing with me?"


    He angrily flung the torn robe from his hand and used his other hand to cover his aching and numb nose. Only then did the pain gradually recover and spread.


    In addition to the fact that the great windows in the room were closed and the light was dim, he could not make it out clearly at all. He could vaguely make out a beautiful bed with three curved legs, and on it, there seemed to be a person lying diagonally, facing the back of the bed. The person on the bed was covered with an extremely thin layer of silk, and the only thing he could see was the rise and fall of her waist, which made her look like a slender woman.


    What Xiao Yi Bei was thinking was: Why is Du Ying still alive?


    When the Emperor first brought Xiao Mulin into the palace, he went to the Emperor in embarrassment and panic to admit his wrongs. In his experience, all he had to do was cry and admit his wrongs and receive a reprimanding, and everything would be fine.


    In the end, the emperor did not scold him with a scowl nor did he listen in detail. He waved his hand after saying a few words, his eyes extremely cold as he said, "Leave this child to Jiang Ci to raise. Tell the people that Jiang Zheng''s consort gave birth to her eldest grandson. The rest is not allowed to be leaked out!"


    "Then... Where''s Du Ying? "


    The emperor''s anger seemed to have been suppressed below the surface of the ice. He jumped up to his face and sneered: "Are you still thinking about that courtesan?" No matter how elegant she was, she was still a prostitute! "In this world, there will never be another person like him, so just give up on this idea. Not to mention, you are still a storage monarch. Even if you end up becoming a general, you shouldn''t hope to meet that woman again!"


    Xiao Yi Bei''s heart chilled as he recalled Xiao Yi Xiu''s mother ¡ª everyone said that she had sacrificed herself for her husband. However, his mother suspected that her father had silenced her ¡­


    He did not dare to ask again, and no one in the palace dared to mention Du Ying to him.


    But how could she still be alive? Even if royal father''s tone at that time was misleading, Du Ying wouldn''t have strutted around the palace. With his father''s character, even if she was allowed to live, she would have secretly locked her up and never seen the light of day again.


    Moreover, her existence was indeed a big stain on his life. He was actually in favor of royal father''s action of silencing him, but in this aspect, he was never able to be so ruthless.


    "Du Ying!" She lifted off the thin layer of yellow silk, and what she saw was dazzling snow-white skin, a graceful undulating figure, and black hair that had been dissolved.


    He froze there, unable to process his thoughts. He instantly felt that something wasn''t right ¡ª no matter how fast Du Ying''s movements were, she couldn''t take off her body in an instant. Moreover, this woman had so far been completely still, as if she was in deep sleep.


    He stared at this alluring and strange scene for only a moment. What ignited in his heart was not love and passion, but great fear. Subconsciously, he extended his hand to grip the woman''s shoulder, wanting to look at her face.


    The man''s clear and bright laughter instantly sounded. "Imperial Concubine didn''t enter this room? In the woman''s room, it would be inconvenient for Ben Wang to enter. Third Queen Mother, please go in and take a look for Ben Wang''s sake. "


    The fear in Xiao Yi Bei''s heart rose to the extreme. He didn''t have time to clearly see the woman''s face before he abruptly turned around and saw a woman gracefully walking into the palace under the blazing sunset''s sunset.


    When their gazes met, the woman shrieked, as if she was a cat that was being pinched in the throat to threaten its life.


    Following them were the eunuchs and palace maids. The one leading the charge was the Yan King, Xiao Yijin.


    Xiao Yijin''s eyes widened in disbelief, and he muttered, "Am I seeing things? Big brother Crown Prince ¡­ You... "This ¡­"


    Then, as if he suddenly came back to his senses, he hurriedly stepped back and whispered, "Third sister in law, we''ve come the wrong way."


    As expected, Xiao Yijin knew how to react to an opportunity. The eunuchs and palace maids also hesitated to step back, wanting to pretend that they couldn''t see anything. However, the woman who walked in first had her gaze fixated on the beautiful body of the woman on the beauty bed. She seemed to be struck dumb and couldn''t say a word.


    At this moment, Xiao Yi Bei wished he could cover the woman''s eyes. He could already see that it was the princess, Gu Qingruo. She looked smart and intelligent, so how could she be so stupid?


    While his heart was still hanging in the air, he heard a deep male voice that shook him like thunder. "What happened? All of them are in a mess.


    Along with the dignified and slightly lacking breath of the man, a bright yellow dragon robe appeared at the door. The Emperor had his hands behind his back as he slowly walked in.


    No one was able to explain Xiao Yi Bei''s actions. Even though Xiao Yi Jin was at the side, constantly winking with his eyes and praising the heavens, it didn''t make any difference.


    The Emperor saw that Xiao Yi Bei was standing stiffly in front of the bed, and the woman on the bed seemed to have moved her delicate body extremely slowly because of the noise and the movement of his shoulder just now. She turned around to face everyone, her beautiful hands slowly stroking her forehead, and her drooping eyelids slowly opened.


    All of a sudden, she let out a shriek that pierced her eardrums. She grabbed the thin silk that was thrown to the side in a flurry, randomly wrapping it around herself.


    The emperor''s gaze stayed on the woman''s face for a moment before shifting to Xiao Yi Bei''s ashen face. He saw beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he stiffly turned his head to look at the woman.


    Actually, there was no need to look. Despite the high and resounding scream, Xiao Yi Bei was able to discern that it wasn''t Du Ying''s voice, but the Emperor''s new concubine, a sixteen year old Ji Rong Hua.


    There were no ornaments on Ji Rong''s head, the jewelry on his hair and collar were all neatly arranged on the small table next to the beauty bed. Ji Rong''s body was similarly without a single strand of hair, only her black hair was scattered across her chest like silk satin, and her shoulders were faintly discernible, her peerlessly beautiful face was filled with shame, anger, shock, and fear ¡­

 C140 Trap

    The emperor seemed unwilling to look at the two of them any longer, and his gaze continued to move, falling not far from where he stood on the torn fawn-colored robes.


    The palace craftsman had spent years to weave a Sky Silk Cloud Gem. It was as thin as a cicada''s wing and as colorful as a sunset. He had only given one to Ji Rong Hua to make one.


    "Humph!" The only sound issued by the emperor was a sneer, piercing into Xiao Yi Bei''s heart like a sharp icicle.


    Xiao Yi Bei felt his teeth chattering as he kneeled down, "Royal Father ¡­ No... This is not the case. Your son can explain that this is just ¡­ "It''s a misunderstanding ¡­"


    "Get out." The Emperor didn''t even look at him and slightly raised his head.


    Xiao Yijin was stunned for a moment, and then realized that he meant for the rest of them to leave. After all, the untidy one inside was a concubine. He cast a meaningful glance at Gu Qingruo, but her gaze also turned cold. Seeing the eunuchs and maids who had rushed in first, she took the initiative to withdraw.


    The rest of them also understood. They all silently retreated to the side room, and Gu Qingruo finally closed the door.


    When Xiao Yijin looked towards Gu Qingruo, he saw a cold smile flash across her face.


    "Servants, drag these servants away and make up your mind!" Xiao Yijin still had a smile on his face, but his gloomy eyes didn''t have the slightest hesitation. His decisiveness was frightening.


    The several eunuchs and maids who had just left were greatly shocked, and they opened their mouths to beg for forgiveness. However, regardless of whether they were kneeling or struggling, without exception, they were all blocked off by Xiao Yi Jin''s words, "Block their mouths, and do not make any sound. Whoever hears their words will end up with the same result."


    The smile in Gu Qingruo''s eyes froze for a moment, then completely disappeared. What followed next was fear and trembling.


    In the end, she only saw King Yan''s smile spreading. She had never seen someone smile in such an evil and vicious manner ¡­ Even bloodthirsty.


    The emperor slowly walked forward. The profound lance had already entered Xiao Yi Bei''s eyes. He looked up with fear in his eyes. When he looked into the pair of extremely terrifying eyes, an extreme sense of disappointment, disgust, and anger ignited within them. There was also a little bit of killing intent.


    "Father ¡­" Xiao Yi Bei was so terrified that he lost his voice.


    "Go out yourself, don''t say anything, and don''t try to explain anything in front of your mother."


    Xiao Yi Bei''s eyes were wide open. There was a hint of incomprehension within his fear and confusion.


    "This is the only way for you to survive. "If today''s matter were to spread to the court or the people, you would understand."


    "royal father! Your son is innocent! "Your son really was set up by someone. When I saw someone wearing Du Ying''s clothes enter this room earlier ¡­" Feeling extremely terrified, Xiao Yi Bei suddenly regained a bit of his rationality. He looked around, and in that moment, his eyes widened in despair, unable to utter a single word.


    This was only a side room for resting. It was not an open space, not even a bed, not even a wardrobe. In addition to the beauty bed, there were some luxurious decorations on the antique shelves, a long table, four treasures of the study, a zither in the corner, and a musical instrument on the wall. There were also several teapots and saucers, and the first censer of the bronze beast that was smoking.


    He couldn''t even find a place large enough to hide, and the closed doors at the front and back made the room so dark.


    The emperor had obviously already swept through everything and only sneered at him: "Where''s Du Ying? Could it be that you hid her on a pillar? "


    Xiao Yi Bei instinctively looked up. Aside from the wooden beams that crossed the side room, there were no other signs of him being able to fly across the wall. He almost cried.


    At this time, Ji Rong Hua seemed to have recovered his soul, as he rolled down from the beauty bed and knelt beside the emperor while hugging his leg, "Your majesty, you have to avenge your concubine. Your concubine was drugged and confused, then ¡­ "Then somehow, it became like this ¡­"


    "Scram!" The emperor seemed to still have one last bit of kinship with his son, but he wasn''t as forgiving towards his concubine. He raised his foot with a look of disdain and kicked at her heart, not wanting to look at how pale and distorted her beautiful face was.


    "Slut!" In his heart, no matter how shameless his son was, he wouldn''t take the initiative to seduce the imperial concubine. He was sure that this shameless woman had taken the initiative to seduce him.


    At this moment, the Emperor was furious. He wanted to hang her immediately.


    "Father ¡­" Xiao Yijin called out softly from outside.


    The emperor didn''t want to look at the two anymore, so he flicked his sleeves and left without looking back. He then said coldly, "Bei''er, choose a dead end and a path to survive."


    Xiao Yijin saw the door open with a creak. The emperor walked out first, his ashen face maintaining a trace of dignity. The bloodlust in his eyes clearly proclaimed his killing intent.


    Xiao Yi Bei followed behind, scared out of his wits. His eyes were wide open and looked as if they were about to fall at any moment.


    With a pale face, Ji Rong Hua struggled to get up. He wanted to crawl out and explain to the Emperor, but Xiao Yi Jin closed the door quickly and shut her crying voice.


    Gu Qingruo also returned the soul. She forced herself to calm down and said with a trembling voice, "Your majesty ¡­" Gone. "Go and dismiss the rest of the women in the other rooms ¡­" She looked around in panic, but fortunately, every room was empty. The singing was so wonderful that no one seemed tired of watching and wanted to rest.


    "Father, inside... "What should we do?" Xiao Yijin lowered his voice to an extremely low pitch.


    Although Ji Ronghua was quite favored after entering the palace, Xiao Yijin clearly understood the Emperor''s intentions.


    The king looked around coldly and found that there was no one around. He said in a deep voice, "Why is there no one in this yard?"


    Xiao Yi Jin said respectfully, "Those servants did not serve you well. I have dealt with them. No one will ever speak up again."


    The emperor nodded, as if he was very fond of his swift and decisive actions. He said coldly, "I shall leave the one inside to you to deal with. Clean it up."


    "Yes."


    Xiao Yi Bei suddenly shivered again. He shifted his dazed gaze to Xiao Yi Jin, and his eyes suddenly turned blood-red. He rushed forward as if he had gone mad, tightly grabbing onto Xiao Yi Jin''s neck as he yelled, "It''s you! You must have hurt me! Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that you guys came when no one else came? "


    He was caught off guard and almost lost his breath, but he immediately regained his senses. He grabbed onto Xiao Yi Bei''s wrist, hooked him with his foot, and with a turn of his palm, he caught Xiao Yi Jin in a few rounds. He whispered in a gentle yet regretful tone, "Big Brother Crown Prince, I''m sorry, it was really just an accident."


    Xiao Yijin''s voice was so low that only Xiaoyi Bei could hear him. At the same time, he glanced towards Gu Qingruo, who was inspecting the rooms, and sighed inaudibly, "My mufei is not feeling well. The Third Queen''s sister-in-law said she came to rest here. Imperial Father and I were worried, so we came to take a look ¡­"


    As if to confirm his words, Imperial Concubine Lan and two palace maids gracefully turned around at the end of a row of trees. They were all stunned as they looked doubtfully at Xiao Yijin.


    "Your servant greets Your Majesty. This ¡­ "This is ¡­"


    The emperor tried his best to suppress his emotions and said in a calm tone, "It''s fine. I heard that you suddenly became extremely unwell. Jin''er had me come over to take a look. I didn''t expect that I would not see you."


    "Oh." Imperial Concubine Lan was also a shrewd person, so she tactfully replied, "Chenqie was hot before and ate some cold food, so she ¡­" "I had to go to the main room before I came over."

 C141 Trap(4)

    When the emperor saw her gaze drift towards the crown prince, he said indifferently, "The crown prince''s actions are rebellious and disrespectful to his words. I am only reprimanding him."


    He walked out first, and Imperial Concubine Lan followed immediately after. Seeing the situation, Gu Qingruo hurriedly followed behind him. She didn''t notice the strange look in Xiao Yijin''s eyes.


    Xiao Yibei suddenly grabbed onto his collar and shouted angrily, "Tell me, are you or are you not?"


    "The Crown Prince became silly. When I entered the house, I covered everything up for you, and you still didn''t believe me?"


    Xiao Yi Bei recalled that Xiao Yi Jin had indeed taken a step back and said, "Third imperial concubine, we might have walked through the wrong door."


    "Then your meaning is ¡­" It''s Xiao Yi Mo? " Xiao Yi Bei gritted his teeth.


    Xiao Yijin sighed, "I don''t know either, it''s just that ¡­" This is just a guess, maybe I was being overly concerned. " His eyes were full of pity and regret, as if he was extremely sad.


    A violent knocking sound came from the door. Ji Rong Hua should be unable to endure the fear and sorrow in the room, and couldn''t even care less about his untidy clothes.


    Xiao Yijin sighed and let go of Xiao Yibei, patting him on the shoulder. "No matter what, you are still my royal father''s son. From this, you can tell that he still has some kinship with you. "Endure a moment of peace, unlike the other one inside ¡­"


    As he approached the room''s door, he complacently raised his eyebrows and thought of Xiao Yi Mo. Cooperation is not impossible, after the cooperation is over, it is also a good choice. The crown prince might be crippled, but the empress wasn''t. But the legitimate son still had Xiao Yiyan ¡­ Xiao Yimo had actually chosen his foolish princess consort to do this for him.


    At the same time, Gu Qingruo returned to Xiao Yi Mo''s side with a panicked expression. Xiao Yi Mo, who was listening to the joke, frowned for a brief moment, then silently glanced at her before whispering, "Calm down. We''ll talk about this after we return home."


    Gu Qingluo''s heart had been beating so fast that it almost left her throat. However, she was intimidated by the coldness of his gaze. Her heart gradually calmed down and her body cooled down.


    She was glad that her status was different, so that she could live till now.


    He couldn''t help but feel faint regret that he had done such a thing for Xiao Yimo.


    Xiao Yijin, on the other hand, was slowly drawing his saber from the crack of the door. Looking at the blood dripping from the knife''s edge, he blew on it expressionlessly, and only after hearing the wailing and wailing inside slowly fade away did he slowly open the door.


    There was some resistance, but it could not withstand his push. The woman wrapped in yellow silk fell to the ground on her back, her body half curled up as her eyes widened. Her originally beautiful face now had a layer of death in it.


    "What a pity." Xiao Yijin sighed as he shook his head. He didn''t know whether he was regretting his loss for that face or for her fate.


    Someone slowly crawled out from inside. Her hair was a bit messy, and there was still some dust on her dress. Only her delicate and pretty face was not tainted at all. She coldly looked at Xiao Yijin.


    There wasn''t much to offer in the midst of a snowstorm, but there were plenty of people pushing against a wall. After the incident with Xiao Yi Bei, even though the news was sealed tightly, the Emperor still heard about the fact that Xiao Yi Bei had long since spoken to Ji Rong with such flirtatious words. The two of them looked at each other and were in love.


    At this crucial moment, the envoy of the Southern Moon, Jin Xi Ran, entered the palace. He handed over Zhang Yu''s letter, informing Prince Dong Yuan that his elder brother, Jin Xi Yuan, had been murdered.


    When the emperor saw the paper, his eyes blazed with the fire of the netherworld, as if he wanted to burn the paper into ashes.


    However, although Jin Xiran was a prince from a neighboring country, he was still an emissary. No matter what, he could not allow his anger to affect his country''s stature.


    After taking deep breaths, he heard Jin Xiran''s words, "Reporting to Your Majesty, our country has a rare medicine, known as Cold Eating Powder. When the Crown Prince and my royal brother first met, the two of them hated each other for being late. "Then, once, my royal brother took an overdose and said something he wouldn''t go out of line with. He had a dispute with the crown prince, so he had a bad thought and poisoned my royal brother ¡­"


    Jin Xi couldn''t stop crying. "My royal brother has been missing for a long time, and I haven''t been able to find him for a long time, and he turned out to be ¡­"


    "Why did the crown prince and the noble envoy''s royal brother start a dispute?" The Emperor''s tone was light, but his eyes were lowered, and he did his best to not let his anger leak out.


    "I heard it''s for a woman from Star-Moon Gambling Workshop. His name is Yun Yige."


    It was a woman again! The emperor''s vision turned black. What crime did he commit to give birth to such a lecherous eldest son?


    "That girl is extremely beautiful, and her skill is also extraordinary ¡­" "Later on, when I investigated Brother Wang''s death, I went to the Star-Moon Gambling Workshop to investigate. I was almost unable to escape from there."


    If she was ugly, then why did she make them start such an argument? For example, the Emperor had already trusted him somewhat. Xiao Yi Bei was able to do such a thing.


    "Where is the evidence? Your envoy isn''t suing a commoner. "


    "My royal brother''s body was found buried in ice and spices to this day, and it remains undecayed. His Majesty the Emperor can send a coroner to examine it. In fact, the corpse had been blamed by Lin Zhihan, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and had been thrown into the well of his house. It was because Assistant Minister Lin found the floating corpse that he was so frightened. He found out who my brother was and specially found out what happened to him. Later on, this envoy and Vice Minister Lin secretly investigated and found evidence and material evidence. Only then did they find out that it was done by His Highness the Crown Prince. "


    The emperor suddenly opened his eyes, which were radiating bright rays of light. "The crown prince wants to frame the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue? How could it be so easy? Besides, he had no enmity with Lin Zhihan, so why would he want to frame him? Wouldn''t burning the corpse destroy it? "


    "Does His Majesty remember a palace maid called Liu Xin?" Jin Xi asked.


    "Isn''t she dead?" The Emperor had a vague impression and was somewhat angry at this incident, but in the end, Liu Xin died and the matter came to an end.


    "She only faked her death. After she had been rescued by Vice Minister Lin outside of the palace, she was taken in as a concubine and given a different courtyard. As the Crown Prince learned of this matter, he went through the matter again and again, and hated Vice Minister Lin to the bone. "


    The Emperor closed his eyes and was speechless.


    "The reason why I have not returned to my country for a long time is actually not because I am nostalgic for the Eastern Abyss, but because I wanted to investigate the cause of my former brother''s death. He only dared to speak to the king when the truth was revealed and he was full of evidence! "


    Jin Xiran''s words were clear and true. In the investigation, all the witnesses pointed to the crown prince, including the body of Jin Xi Yuan which was preserved with ice and spices. The cause of death was examined by coroner.


    When the resurrected Liu Xin appeared before the emperor, he no longer wanted to interrogate the crown prince.


    At this point, even the envoys from the neighboring countries had been killed. The face of Dongyuan had been completely obliterated. The emperor could not kill the envoy of Nan Yue this time to cover up the truth.


    In order to give the Southern Moon Kingdom an explanation, the Emperor had quickly drawn up the crippled Crown Prince''s edict. The Crown Prince, Xiao Yi Bei, had forbidden and relocated out of the Eastern Palace due to his mischievous personality, mediocre incompetence, and the mistakenly killing of a neighboring ambassador and official.


    As for the crime of mistakenly killing him, it was a compromise gained through repeated negotiations with Jin Xiran.


    Jin Xiran naturally didn''t wish for the situation to escalate further. The Emperor continued his investigation, and even brought the matter to the Southern Kingdom. He knew very well that Jin Xi Yuan''s death was the best thing that could have happened to him. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have dared to do anything like what that Xiao Yi Xiu had done to him.

 C142 Abandoned Crown Prince

    The Snow Palace was located directly to the north of the palace, and there were only two people that were ''imprisoned'' here.


    Saying that they would be imprisoned wasn''t appropriate. After all, they were all dressed in luxurious clothing and served by others. It was just that they would no longer be able to enjoy their freedom. In fact, these two people could not even meet each other because one lived in the main hall and the other in the side hall. There were imperial guards guarding outside the door, making it impossible for them to leave the house.


    When the crippled Crown Prince, Xiao Yi Bei, realized that there were still people next door, he was extremely shocked. He knocked on the wall and wanted to talk to the people in the side hall, but he couldn''t answer. He asked the guards outside, but no one paid any attention to him.


    He went from anger to hysteria, then depression and acceptance of fate. His eyes became empty day by day, and all hope was slowly erased until it dimmed into despair.


    Not even the empress had come to see him. The whole world seemed to have deserted him.


    Just as his heart was turning to dust, the walls of the side chamber suddenly began to ring.


    It had been a long time since someone had spoken to him. He suspected that he was about to lose his ability to speak.


    "Your Highness the Crown Prince."


    What a familiar voice. He was actually at a loss for a moment. Right now, he was in a half-dazed, half-dazed state, and even his memory seemed to have become unclear.


    "Xiao Shuo Fang, do you remember who I am?" The chuckling voice, gentle and calm, made one feel as if it were just a breeze blowing against the ripples on the lake''s surface.


    "Du Ying!" He finally remembered. It was his son''s mother. In any case, she was the only woman who had given him a child, and he couldn''t possibly forget it.


    "They actually put us together?"


    "I asked for it. Xiaoyi Mo is a man of his word."


    All of the blood in Xiao Yi Bei''s body rushed to his head, then froze and turned cold. It really was him ¡ª Xiao Yi Mo!


    "You ¡­ You help him... framing me? " He gritted his teeth.


    Du Ying sighed softly and innocently: "How could I? "If you ascend to the throne, my mother will be worthy of you; I have brought you to such a state, and I am only a prisoner myself, what good will that do me?"


    "Then why did you lead me to that room? And how did he manage to escape? "


    "There''s a secret compartment under the floor of that room. I hid inside until everyone had left." She heaved another long sigh. "I''m not even afraid of death, so what else can threaten me?"


    "Mu... Lin? " Xiao Yi Bei finally remembered the child''s name.


    "If I don''t cooperate, they will kill our children ¡­ In such a huge palace, who would have the power to protect a poor child? Moreover, he is the illogical grandson of our royal family. " Du Ying began to sob.


    Xiao Yi Bei slowly slid down the wall, a trace of hatred burning in his eyes as it grew more and more intense. He wanted to live. Even if he had one last breath left, he wanted his mother to know who had framed him.


    Separated by a wall, Du Ying smiled like a three-month apricot flower, her fingers twined with a strand of black hair. Xiao Yibei was finally going to be entangled with her life and death, and he would never be able to get rid of her again.


    Right now, his fighting spirit must have been ignited. The thought of revenge would ignite his originally hopeless heart. She wanted to see if this fire could turn this palace into a wasteland.


    Inside the main hall of the Sky Bearing Hall, three imperial physicians were standing in front of the emperor, inspecting all kinds of food, medicine, and supplements arranged in front of him. They didn''t even miss tea, wine, hair oil, and scented sachets.


    "Reporting to the Emperor, there''s nothing out of the ordinary about this."


    "Reporting to Your Majesty ¡­ There''s nothing poisonous. "


    "What about you?" The majestic and dark expression of the emperor was still the same as before. Nothing out of the ordinary could be seen on his face. However, the temperature of the room dropped as soon as it became white. The imperial physicians all felt chills running down their spines.


    "When we return to the emperor, even if we can''t find anything wrong with it, it doesn''t mean that everything is normal. This subject has a suggestion. All common items and medicines used by the Emperor are replaced. As for the food and drinks, those were fresh ingredients that were purchased daily in the imperial kitchens. It would be different today compared to yesterday. There was no way to replace them. However, the people in the imperial kitchens could. "There is no need to go all out to deal with them, in order to avoid alerting the enemy. All we need to do is to level the key figures."


    The Emperor finally nodded slowly. Only now did he hear what he said.


    "All of you leave, Chen Zhanyuan will stay."


    Chen Zhenyuan was the last doctor to speak, standing respectfully with his hands hanging at his sides.


    "You think one of them must be poisonous?"


    Chen Zhenyuan frowned. "According to the doctor''s theory, there are three parts to the poison, no medicine and no poison. Moreover, the medicine and the food are also mutually exclusive. Although what the Emperor said may seem normal, it does not mean that there are no problems. The Medicine Book is a summary of the experiences of the previous generations, and the things that the previous generations have not recorded down do not mean that no one else has discovered it. "


    The emperor smiled. "But I believe that your method is inappropriate."


    Chen''s eyes widened in surprise. He thought that if he was allowed to stay, he would want to take his advice.


    "Your method may have eliminated the possibility of us continuing to be poisoned, but we will never find out the real culprit." The emperor heaved a sigh and said slowly, "I originally thought that excluding Xin Maowen, it would be possible to eliminate the poison, but it seems that my guess was wrong. My body has not improved at all, but I''m repeating it over and over again ¡­" So your only method is to treat the symptoms and not the root of the problem. "


    Chen Zhenyuan took a deep breath. "The Emperor wants to find the one who poisoned him?"


    The emperor looked at him. "I can only trust you now. From today onwards, all the members of the Imperial Physician Bureau must report to me if they make any unusual moves, including those two who just left."


    Chen Zhanyuan nodded his head heavily, then walked out after receiving his orders.


    The emperor sneered.


    Chen Zhenyuan did not know that these words had been spoken in private by the emperor to every imperial physician in the Imperial Physician Bureau.


    In the night, a small palace maid was stealthily led into the Phoenix''s Hall, turning her head as she walked, as if someone was chasing after her.


    "What is it? This is the Phoenix Hall, don''t act like a thief! " The palace maid who was leading the way growled.


    The young palace maid was startled. Trembling, she quickened her pace.


    "Is it Nan Xin?" The empress''s voice was dignified and gentle, almost gentle.


    The light from the lamp struck the figure of the person within the room onto the window. The empress was seated gracefully, and the young palace maid kneeling in front of her was trembling as she offered something slowly.


    The empress was silent for a while, and then she heard the sound of something being turned over inside. After a long time, she squeezed out three words from between her teeth, "Ling ¡ª Miaomiao ¡ª Jin!"


    Xiao Yiyan, who was standing in the darkness, had already been staring at the two figures in front of the window for a long time. The distance was too far, he could not hear what was being said inside clearly, but he vaguely felt that something was wrong.


    "Prince Chen!" The palace maid guarding the door smiled flirtatiously at him, wishing she could put her face right in front of his face. However, Xiao Yiyan, who would chat and laugh with her, was no longer in his usual leisurely mood. He didn''t even glance at her as he pushed away her body that was obstructing him intentionally or unintentionally, and went to open the door.

 C143 Relief

    The voice inside abruptly stopped, and the pretty face of the young palace maid turned to look at him with fear. Seeing that it was him, she heaved a sigh of relief.


    "You can go back. It''s not your fault that the dessert was not tasty. Go back and have the imperial chefs serve more snacks."


    In a panic, Nan Xin accepted the order and left, leaving behind the fallen food boxes and scattered pastries. One of them was even broken into two pieces and scattered on the ground.


    "Muhou, did something happen?"


    The empress smiled and shook her head, "The empress was just a little hungry, so she asked the imperial kitchens to send some snacks over. I didn''t expect that the food would be so bad."


    "I always feel that the Queen Mother''s secrets are increasing, as if there are many things that I do not know."


    The empress got up and walked in front of him, saying in a gentle voice with a kind expression, "Imperial Mother doesn''t have any secrets hidden from you. Your eldest brother has already ¡­ "Well, you are my only hope now."


    Xiao Yiyan frowned as he looked at her reddened eyes. He extended a finger and lightly scratched her cheek, feeling the wetness.


    He sighed, "What does mother want me to do? The Spring Festival case was implicated, and not even one of the top officials was able to bring it down. "


    "You are wrong, the purpose of the trial was not to overthrow Shang Shang." The empress''s face was filled with tears, her eyes were red, but her lips curved into a smile. "You''ve done well enough. In the drought in Long Prefecture, even after the relief money sent by the national treasury was given out, it still hadn''t been able to solve the problem of the victims and was afraid that it would cause a plague of locusts later on ¡­ What you need to do now, is to request your own people to help your royal father settle this matter. "


    Xiao Yiyan raised his eyebrows, "Imperial Mother, if this matter is handled well, it is naturally best. However, if it is not ¡­"


    "Long Prefecture is to the north of the capital city, just a few states away. If there is a riot among the affected people, I''m afraid the south is heading towards the capital city, causing the people to feel uneasy."


    Xiao Yi Xiu sighed softly.


    "Yan''er, this is not for mother, nor for anyone. This is for the people of the East Abyss."


    "Got it."


    After Xiao Yiyan left, the empress let out a sigh. Since Xiao Yi Bei had been crippled, she was naturally the one that had suffered the most. However, what she was most afraid of was not this matter, but the fact that she couldn''t push Xiao Yi Yan to the throne.


    Trembling slightly, she smoothed out the piece of paper in her hands, which was covered with crumbs, and slowly rolled it up before placing it on the flickering candle flame.


    Bei''er, bear with it. The Queen Mother won''t be able to save you right now. she thought.


    Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli, who had both been worn out from their journey, finally stepped into the Scarlet Moon Mirror, heading straight for the place most affected by the disaster.


    Only here did he realize that it was more than just a pack of wolves.


    More than ten days had passed since the disaster broke out. The entire area was still flooded with countless houses and farmhouses. Floating on the surface of the water were some random things. From afar, there seemed to be furniture, planks, clothes ¡­ Taking a closer look, there were actually a lot of corpses wrapped in clothes, including cattle, horses, sheep, and other animals.


    They stood on the high ground, unable to speak for a long time. Eventually, they saw the approaching wooden boats that seemed to be fishing for something, searching for something.


    "Hey!" Cheng Dong waved his hand from a distance, trying to attract the attention of those on the boat.


    The boatmen finally heard the noise and raised their eyes. Then, they called for the few light boats nearby to row over.


    When they got closer, they were surprised to find that the people on the boat were all dressed in blue robes. It seemed like they were all from the prefectural yamen.


    "Hey, who are you? What are you doing here?"


    "See if there are any living people or things worth salvaging." "The leader sighed." We are the bailiffs of the state yamen. "


    "What are you all doing with your faces covered with cloth?"


    These people, all of them, covered their faces with a three-cornered cloth. If it weren''t for this special period of time, Cheng Jia almost suspected that they were robbers who pretended to be soap slaves.


    However, Gu Qingli threw Cheng Jiaxi a look of disdain. "Plague often happens after a water disease. They''re just trying to prevent themselves from encountering an epidemic."


    Ah!


    Gu Qingli explained, "A large number of corpses rotted in the water, and the various germs in the soil also dispersed. Not to mention polluting the water source, there might even be people who are alive who can''t bear the hunger and went to eat these rotting corpses ¡­"


    Before this, he did not know much about the affairs of the Water Ministry. As soon as he had taken up his post, before he was familiar with the affairs of the Water Ministry, he had actually encountered a disaster like this. In reality, he was helpless.


    On the boat, Qing Li looked at Gu Qing Li with admiration. "This madam is very insightful. She is truly a learned person."


    Cheng Qi then remembered that he was going to reveal his identity. He then hurriedly said to the officials, "What Madam, there are no rules. This is our Princess Mo''s side consort."


    When Gu Qingli left the house, she had changed into a red veil and followed him out as Li Yue. The only thing that could be done was to say that she was the side concubine.


    "Prince Mo, imperial concubine!" It was obvious that these people knew of the matter, so they quickly bowed in shock.


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "No need to stand on ceremony. Let''s go on a plank and have this prince disembark to accompany you. Let''s go take a look together."


    "This... "How can we do that? The boat is too light, and the prince is too rich ¡­"


    Before he could finish his sentence, Gu Qing Li had already jumped off the boat and landed beside him. He grabbed the plank at the end of the boat and tossed it flat on the slope where they were standing.


    He had no choice but to instruct the other boats to get closer as well. Otherwise, there was not enough space for so many people in one boat.


    However, only Xiao Yi Xiu and Cheng Hao boarded the boat, but ordered the rest of the people to take their carriages and horses to the magistrate court.


    The one leading them was called Guan Qi. He was one of the leaders of this group. He was rowing his boat in fear as he answered the questions of Xiao Yi Xiu and the others.


    The entire Chi Yue Prefecture was located in the middle reaches of the East Abyss''s largest river, the Han River. It was mainly hilly and geomorphic, but there was also a peak on the west side of the mountain. Every year, it could face the calamities of the spring flood and the summer flood.


    The area where the flood occurred was not more than a hundred miles from the foot of Mount Juneau, near the Henan tributary, the Crossing Cloud River.


    This place was supposed to be rich in water sources, rich in land, and rich in specialties. However, due to this unexpected flood season, it often caused people to leave their homes.


    The dam here had been built for the last time by Ding You''s officer, and it had been solid and stable. For three years, except for the time before the spring flood, the villagers had been called to reinforce the dam and prevent the flood from leaking out.


    This year he returned to his hometown, and this job was replaced by others. About three years after the arrival of the Great Flood, the flood control and reinforcement measures were not done well, which caused this year''s spring flood to burst some of the dikes and flood the fields at the Crossing Cloud River and at the foot of the Jun''e Mountain.

 C144 water disease

    After that, the broken dam was simply filled with sandbags and earth. In the summer, after three consecutive days of torrential rain, the blockage was broken again, and even worse, everywhere else began to collapse. The blockage was unstoppable, causing the water to flow for a thousand miles, causing the houses to collapse under the continuous torrential rain and the people to leave.


    They had picked out a few people who were skilled in swimming from the sea. What they had done in the past ten days was to search everywhere in the light boat, including the victims who had fled to the high ground, climbed to the rooftops, and begged for help from the trees. They had also fished for survivors who clung to driftwood in the water.


    "Can we still save the living?"


    "It''s very rare. In the first few days, there were some every day, but even if we saw some corpses on the highlands or rooftops, they were all corpses. The search and rescue team had reduced them to just the few of us."


    "Continue paddling and walk the same path as you did before. This King wants to see the calamity."


    The scope of the flood extended from the Cloud Traversing River upstream to the downstream. The human traffic within a radius of several dozen miles was completely barren, only leaving behind a layer of dead air. Most of the floating corpses had been washed to the lower levels of the river, and there were even piles of corpses, furniture, and a rotten stench coming from some places.


    "Go back, Your Royal Highness. There should be nothing left to see." Guan Qi peeked at them uneasily.


    Gu Qingli suddenly said, "No, drive closer to the Cloud Traversing River and take a look. We''ll take a walk from downstream to upstream."


    Guan Qi widened her eyes in surprise as she stared at Gu Lengfei. She thought to herself, after seeing so many corpses, it''s not enough yet.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was also slightly surprised.


    "Princess, the closer we get to the Cloud Traversing River, the deeper the water. If there''s a storm or something, our little boat won''t be safe." Guan Qi and the others were all familiar with the water, but if anything happened to the noble King Mo and the imperial concubine, they would have to move their heads.


    "It''s fine. This King and Princess are both proficient in swimming." Although Xiao Yixiu didn''t understand Gu Qingli''s intentions, he didn''t hesitate to support her.


    Gu Qing Li''s eyes were bright as she looked at him with a smile. She thought about how he had ignored his illness and jumped into Yu He. It seemed that he had truly been tempted by him from that moment onwards.


    "What do you want to see?" he asked in a low voice.


    Gu Qingli''s expression turned serious again. "I want to see the terrain and how we can control the water because of the benefits."


    Xiao Yixiu raised his eyebrows in surprise. Although she always gave him surprises, even giving him a feeling of mysteriousness, but if she could even cure water, wasn''t that too magical? He decided not to make any more suggestions. He wanted to see what she wanted to do.


    Although Cheng was a water conservator, he didn''t know much about construction projects, nor was he a real weirdo officer. His identity was to take charge of construction and water management, but in reality, he couldn''t do anything about this vast disaster.


    In the distance, Mount Jun was undulating. The two peaks were facing each other. It was said that a couple could not form a mate and could only be named after the word ''Jun'' when they had transformed into one. This mountain was the highest mountain peak in the entire Scarlet Mountain Range. Even in this scorching summer, the mountain peak was still as white as snow that reached into the clouds, never melting.


    "Look at the peaks in the distance. The spring floods here are caused by the melting of the snow and the warm spring sun, causing the water level to rise. The summer floods, in addition to the rising water level, are also related to the continuous torrential rains."


    Guan Qi thought, there''s no need for this, she said. The weirdo had already told Lord Ci Shi.


    "Were the former weirdos mainly trying to build high and sturdy walls?"


    "Of course, the previous weir official was very skilled in water conservancy projects. He had a lot of experience in construction of a dike, and he had a good sense of foresight. He had always been a personal supervisor and never slacked." Guan Qi sighed, "If he had been here this year, things wouldn''t have been so careless. They wouldn''t have caused this wall to collapse!"


    Judging from his tone, this weirdo was very popular among the local people.


    Gu Qingli only smiled faintly, "That''s right. He built a dike and surrounded the river, strengthening it year after year. This allowed you all to eliminate water calamity in three years. The contributions truly aren''t small. However, this year''s flood was so turbulent, and it was also because of him. "


    Guan Qi''s face stiffened, but he did not say a word. Although he didn''t dare refute the secondary wife''s words, his eyes were full of disagreement. For a woman to criticize a water conservancy project is a mistake, not to mention the fact that they respect her.


    However, there was actually one consequence of his treatment, and that is that the higher the flood, the higher the embankment will be built. Over the years, all of you have been strengthening the embankment, and it looks like it will be extremely sturdy, but in reality, once the flood breaks down, the water level will be pushed down from above. Do you think that is a good thing or bad thing?


    Guan Qi was frozen in place, and did not speak for a long time. Qing Fu, who was sitting on a nearby light boat, was also listening intently.


    "Very insightful." Cheng''s praise came from the bottom of his heart.


    Following his tone, his tone changed drastically: "But, Gu Lengfei, do you have any better ideas now?"


    "So, I came to look at the terrain and think about how I could make the water level drop due to the advantage of the environment."


    "Director Li?"


    "For the next few days, we don''t need to do anything. We just need to row this boat and inspect all the surrounding waterways, including the mountain-shaped water potential and the landscape before it was flooded. I need a complete map." For the next few days, we don''t need to do anything, just row this boat and inspect all the waterways around it.


    "Imperial Concubine Gu ¡­" Cheng Xiang couldn''t help but look at Xiao Yi Xiu, was this the prince or the imperial concubine?! He was getting more and more confused.


    "Listen to her." Xiao Yi Xiu''s smile was warm and gentle.


    Cheng Dong was once again flabbergasted, he thought to himself, this prince dotes on his wife too much, can this really work?


    "In particular, I need to understand the local terrain and look at the map before deciding on a plan." Gu Qing Li looked at Xiao Yi Xiu inquiringly, but nodded when he saw him nod. "I''ll come up with a good plan for you before we execute it."


    Guan Qi couldn''t say anything else. His Royal Highness didn''t object, and even though he had a strange expression on his face, he didn''t dare to say anything. What could a mere young man like him do?


    The light boat was drawn to the high ground. They tied the boat to a rock and headed towards the prefecture''s yamen.


    Guan Qi led them through the side door into the court. The first to enter the courtyard was the Guest Hall and the second to enter the side room where Ci Shi took care of business. The second to enter was the courtyard where Ci Shi''s family resided.


    Compared to the desolate scenery of Chi Yue, the Zhu Residence was like a shrine. It took up a wide area, rows upon rows of buildings were lined with sculptures and paintings were painted on.


    Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li looked at each other, having a few thoughts in their minds, but didn''t say anything.

 C145 grain preparation

    Guan Qi brought them to the living room to see Zhu Wei An, but did not expect that he had already been well-dressed and had welcomed them. It was likely that his entourage had already informed them of this.


    "This official pays his respect to Prince Mo!" Zhu Wei An raised the hem of his robe, his face full of smiles.


    Xiao Yi Xiu brushed his sleeves with a gentle smile on his face, "No need for formalities. When This King first arrived, there were many things that were not as clear as what Xuzhi knew. As for the matter of the water hazard, Xuzhi had to put a lot of effort into it. "


    He knew he was just being polite, but he didn''t dare, so he invited them into the living room to have a cup of tea, explaining the flood in detail.


    His explanation was similar to Guan Qi''s, to the point where it was even more detailed. This was because he had not personally set about the task, so it would be better for Guan Qi to have a better understanding of the details.


    Xiao Yixiu had instructed him to find someone to draw up a map for him, and after that, he would arrange lodging and meals for the guests.


    "The guest rooms at the state yamen are really impressive." Gu Qing Li looked up and down, then looked out of the window at the courtyard. She was surrounded by groves of bamboo, and it was very cool here, with the shadows of the trees and the moonlight dancing around. When the wind blew, the rustling of the bamboo branches was gentle and peaceful. It was very artistic.


    At the back of the courtyard was a small lotus pond. The cool breeze carried the fragrance of lotus flowers, and the fresh smell of water and the chirping of frogs made this summer night as cool as water, making it exceptionally comfortable.


    "The summer night here is cooler than Beijing."


    Gu Qingli shook her head. "This is the coolness brought by the continuous torrential rain and the high water level after the flood. The comfort we feel is actually a disaster for the people here."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded thoughtfully.


    "What are you thinking about?" Gu Qingli wrapped her arms around his waist and raised her head to look at him.


    "Do you think this Zhu Wei An is a good official?"


    "Who knows after a glance." Gu Qingli rolled her eyes. "But I keep having the feeling that such a grand and luxurious mansion doesn''t give me a good feeling."


    "Me too."


    "This time, the treasury has allocated a total of five hundred thousand silver taels for disaster relief. In my opinion, the construction of water conservancy, the construction of dykes and dams, and the construction of an island ¡­"


    It might not be enough to determine the livelihood of the citizens. However, within the treasury ¡­ "I''m afraid that there isn''t much money to spare. After all, there is still a drought in the north and the border wars have never stopped ¡­" Xiao Yi Xiu sighed softly.


    The emperor was a deep and resourceful man, and in his youth he had tried to keep things in order, but after he reached middle age he seemed to be more focused on the harem and the calculation of his plans, and his handling of the affairs of state was not as clear as it used to be. He had even condoned some of the courtiers who were on their own and were setting up their own businesses in order to keep the balance of power between them.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was taken aback.


    That''s right, many of the Emperor''s actions were a checks and balances, not suppression. He seemed to know very well that suppressing one faction to the end was undoubtedly promoting the expansion of another faction. After balancing the forces of the other faction, they were even more anxious to cling onto the emperor and obtain the approval of the supreme ruler.


    Then, which faction does this Zhu Wei An belong to?


    "Five hundred thousand... I need a budget, but I still don''t know the price for materials and construction work, so I''ll send someone over tomorrow to ask about the price. "


    "You even know the engineering budget?"


    Gu Qingli smiled. "I naturally know how to use ordinary budget materials, but I really don''t know much about water conservancy projects." After all, she was not a student of architecture. What she knew were the various schools and emergency situations, but they were definitely knowledge that the killers had dabbled in. She did not know about the true art of building a dike.


    "These people are from the Water Ministry. You don''t understand, but there are people from the lower section who do." Those who came with them had knowledge of dam construction.


    Gu Qingli nodded. She did not need to worry about that. Her attention returned to Zhu Wei An: "We should first find out about Zhu Wei An''s background."


    "Don''t worry."


    Gu Qingli was startled. Her watery eyes turned and she lost control of her voice. "You actually brought ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled but didn''t say anything.


    "But where are they hiding?" Gu Qingli couldn''t figure it out. In order to shorten the journey, they abandoned their carriages and followed the official road until the end. The shadow guards had actually followed without a sound. They really were shadows.


    Xiao Yixiu put his index finger to his lips, signaling her not to pursue the matter any further, and blew out the candle.


    As for Gu Qingli, she mumbled to herself even as she got into bed. She was worried that they might not even have any privacy left.


    These shadow guards had appeared mysteriously without her noticing. It was only when Xiao Yixiu''s hand slid under her clothes that she felt the urge to resist. She felt that with several people waiting outside the window, her privacy would not be guaranteed at all. If someone overheard her moaning when she lost control, would she still have the face to meet others?


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Xiu was quite amused by her worries. He pinched her nose and lovingly rebuked, "All day long, I''ve been indulging in wild thoughts. How could they possibly be close enough to hear what''s going on in the house?"


    Gu Qingli''s face immediately turned red.


    After a few days of investigation, Gu Qingli had pretty much figured out the terrain of the mountains and rivers surrounding the Crossing Cloud River. At the same time, Zhu Wei had also almost completed his mission.


    In the matter of the flood, Jovian had been doing his best, without blemish.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had assigned Zhu Wei An with the task of opening up supplies. In addition to the official granary, he had also assigned a portion of the silver grains to buy rice for the disaster.


    In the end, Zhu Wei An came back with a gloomy face. He reported that he had already finished his provisions for the state''s grain depot, and he received very little food.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s face darkened as he asked, "A hundred thousand taels of relief food is worth one stone''s worth of rice, and yet you say it''s like a cup of water and a cart of firewood?!"


    Zhu Wei An smiled bitterly, "Your highness, even a hundred thousand stones could only save a desperate situation, and then there was a long period of calamity that has yet to be solved. This rice is far more than one stone in a row!


    "Could it be that the price of your Chi Yue rice has skyrocketed?" After a moment of pondering, Xiao Yixiu immediately understood. "Someone''s hoarding secrets?"


    Zhu Wei An sighed.


    After a moment of silence, Xiao Yixiu replied, "Hand over the names of all the merchants and gentry who have gathered these treasures, and then gather them."


    Zhu Wei An said carefully, "My lord, I''m afraid Yi Qin''s identity ¡­" "It''s not good to press him too hard."


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled faintly and replied, "Just do it."


    Jovian looked at him blankly, as if the task was extremely difficult.


    Gu Qingli smiled. "Prince, why are you making things difficult for Zhu Chi?" Then she said to Zhu Wei An, "You don''t need to use your official identity to forcefully gather them. You only say that a godly doctor has arrived in the capital to cure all the illnesses and bring their families over. This trip is for the treatment of illnesses and nothing else."


    "Heal..." Sick? " Jovian didn''t quite believe his ears.

 C146 sky-high medical fee(1)

    Gu Qingli nodded.


    After Zhu Wei An left, Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her and smiled, "Are you planning to collect a sky-high diagnosis fee?"


    "No, I only accept rice noodles."


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head with a smile. "You have more than just seven orifices, don''t you?"


    Gu Qingli asked, "Does Your Highness think that a forced method would be better?"


    "Naturally, your method is better." He wasn''t stupid. Even if her method didn''t work too well, she could still use his method after failure. If her method could solve all problems, that would be even better. But now, if she was questioned, wouldn''t that just be looking for trouble? If she kicked him out of bed tonight, that would be bad.


    Not to mention the families of the female family members, there weren''t many merchants and gentry who had arrived for the first time.


    Zhu Wei An followed Xiao Yixiu''s instructions and was not allowed to force anything. Although each of the families had posted a notice, from the looks of the carriages and horses in front of the yamen, he knew that there wouldn''t be many people present in his large living room.


    The only reason why some of them came was because they were curious. First, they wanted to see the prince, and second, they wanted to see the so-called ''Ghost Doctor''.


    Although the citizens did not fight with the officials, these people were well-known and influential in the local area, and were not ordinary merchants. Zhu Wei''an, this thorny history, was unexpectedly unable to suppress it, and after listening to their whispers and discussions about the gathering with ridicule, he could only let out a light sigh.


    However, when Xiao Yi Xiu appeared on the stage, the entire hall was silent.


    They all stared at the man in white who was slowly walking in. His gentle and distant face unknowingly carried a terrifying noble aura, causing the noisy merchants to instantly quiet down.


    Everyone was thinking in their hearts that, as expected of the War God whose name shook the East Mountain Range back then. Even after the final battle, he was seriously ill. Even now, when he saw the real person, he still felt inexplicably shaken.


    Following him was a woman dressed in a fire like suit. Her face was covered by a red veil, and the only exposed gaze was proud and aloof. Everywhere it swept past, everyone couldn''t help but shiver, and unexpectedly felt an intangible biting cold killing intent.


    With a flash of killing intent, the woman slowly stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with the man. Her red and white radiance reflected off of her, making her seem like a person who hadn''t been seen in a long time.


    Zhu Wei An immediately stood up and bowed. All the merchants then paid their respects, realizing that this woman in red was the ''Ghost Doctor'' that Zhu Wei An mentioned, and also the Consort Mo Wang.


    A girl could actually treat a patient in public? All the merchants and gentry revealed expressions of distrust. Some of them had already lost their interest and decided to find an excuse to leave.


    Gu Qingli didn''t mind. She walked forward and pointed at an old woman who was half leaning on the sedan chair. "This old lady has been bedridden for at least seven or eight years. But her mouth is crooked and her body is paralyzed. Is she suffering from a stroke?"


    Next to the old woman was a local gentleman. He tried his best to cover the contempt in his eyes as he said in a perfunctory manner, "My mother insisted on coming over to take a look, so I brought the old man out for a stroll. From the perspective of the concubine, after having suffered a stroke for so many years, will you be able to regain your limbs and stand up again? "


    Gu Qingli could tell that he did not trust her, but she gave him a faint smile. "The madame''s illness is not something that can be solved easily. She has been paralyzed for many years, so her muscles are naturally weak. However, in the blink of an eye, it is possible for her to make her limbs feel normal. "


    She calmly spread out a silver needle bag on the table, and a silver needle flashed at the tip of her finger. Just as everyone was wondering how she was going to use the needle, they saw a cold flash of light, as if a needle net was descending from the sky, covering half of the old woman''s body.


    The squire was caught off guard and jumped up in fright. He pointed at her and angrily said, "You ¡­. What are you trying to do to my mother? "


    Gu Qingli smiled. If she wanted to do something to those present, could it be that she had to be wary of them? The squire''s face was full of anger as she forgot her identity. At the moment his face turned pale as he saw her calm and mocking eyes. She restrained her anger and said: "Although Imperial Concubine Gu is a member of the royal family but you can''t disregard life!"


    "This is making too much money and reading too little?" Is this how people explained their lives? " Gu Qingli waved her hand as she talked. Half of the old woman''s body was twitching on the spot the tip of her finger pointed at. Her fingers even curled up slightly.


    "This ¡­?" The squire''s eyes widened in shock.


    The silver needles that were quivering at the tip of her tail had disappeared one by one, and the old woman was trembling as she moved her originally limp feet, trying her best to sit up straight. Her wrist, which was twitching a moment ago, could already be slowly lifted, and even she was staring at her own hand in disbelief.


    "Mother!" The squire half knelt in front of her in shock, supporting her body. What was even more inconceivable was that the old woman''s slanted eyes had already opened normally, and her crooked mouth had become much more straight.


    "How amazing!"


    Accompanying the exclamations of surprise, Gu Qing Li walked to another sedan, which was also occupied by an old man. His eyes were closed, and his face was haggard.


    She extended her finger to check the old man''s breath, and then connected her wrist with a vein. Without saying a word, she extended her palm and struck out in quick succession, and like a lightning bolt, the silver needle pierced into the old man''s body.


    With the previous example, this Shang Jia did not shout in surprise, but the doubt and distrust on his face did not decrease, and he only stared at the old man''s face. Actually, the reason he brought his father here was purely because he wanted to embarrass the Ghost Doctor so that she would know the difficulties and retreat.


    His father had been in a coma for nearly a year, and before that, he had suffered from an unspeakable illness. People would wail and bawl all day, and the pain would be endless. How many of the local doctors and nominees had tried to find a cure for him?


    While waiting for the needle to be pulled out, Gu Qingli took a brush and ink and wrote a prescription, carefully drying it before pulling out the silver needle.


    Sure enough, the eyelids of the old man who had been unconscious for a long time twitched as he slowly opened his eyes!


    A short and shocking cry exploded in the living room, and Gu Qing Li''s gaze slowly turned respectful.


    "I can''t guarantee that he will live to a hundred years old, and I can''t make him completely normal again, but just follow the instructions. After three months of continuous consumption, his movements will be normal, and his thoughts will be weakened and delayed by a year of slumber. However, he won''t fall unconscious again."


    "Gu Xiangfei is so strong!"


    The following gazes were filled with anticipation, hoping to see her marvelous medical skills.


    Gu Qingli put away the silver needle bag, looked around with a solemn expression, and said, "All of you are born into travelling trades, and occasionally, there are some who are not, and are considered to be from wealthy families. What you are most concerned about must be the benefits. At the same time, this wife had just tested her medical skills and only confirmed her skills. However, to this wife, there were no benefits whatsoever. "


    "What benefits does Consort Gu want?" After talking for half a day, Gu Beiyue wanted nothing more than money. The shrewd merchants all had an expression of understanding. They looked at each other tacitly, thinking that this secondary wife really loved money.

 C147 sky-high medical fee(2)

    "Imperial Concubine Gu can name a price. I, Deng, have a thin family property. As long as you are willing to help me save my beloved concubine, I''ll let you have as much as you want."


    Gu Qing Li pursed her lips and smiled, looking at him first. This man was in the silk business, his name was Deng Shengchuan, and he had 35 branches in the whole of Dongyuan Country. Of all the people present, he was clearly the true heavyweight. The rest were only little gentlemen.


    He looked to be in his early thirties, with a handsome face and an extraordinary bearing, but in reality, he was over forty years old. His eyes were filled with the cunning eyes of a businessman, and when he mentioned his beloved concubine, there was a touch of tenderness in his eyes.


    "What kind of illness does Boss Deng''s beloved concubine suffer from?" Gu Qingli hadn''t seen anyone, so she couldn''t tell if they were terminally ill or not.


    Deng Shengchuan frowned and sighed: "For no reason at all, I passed out. My face is dark and thin, and I occasionally twitched. There''s only about a month until the day he talks about. "


    Gu Qingli smiled. "I can''t guarantee that I''ll be able to cure Boss Deng since my wife hasn''t seen the patient, but I can promise Boss Deng that if I can''t, I''ll pay a hundred silver taels. If you can cure... The price that this side of the concubine offers is not low. "


    "Tell me about it?"


    Gu Qingli only extended a single finger.


    "A thousand taels of silver?" Deng Shengchuan smiled, "No problem."


    "Thousand Stone White Rice."


    Deng Shengchuan''s face changed, and his eyes met with the eyes of the crowd. He could see from the eyes of several merchants that they were opposed to the idea.


    "This... Deng is a cloth merchant, not a grain merchant, where does he get a thousand stones of white rice? Moreover, Gu Beifei clearly knows what season it is. Even if I''m rich, where did I get a thousand stone white rice from? "


    "This matter is Boss Deng''s business, I don''t care." Gu Qingli chuckled and then casually said, "As for whether or not you''re willing to pay the price, that''s Boss Deng''s choice."


    She looked around and pointed at a squire wearing a black silk robe. "This ¡­"


    The squire was not young anymore and looked extremely thin. He spoke weakly as he panted, "surnamed Zhou, you opened a small grain village here, and we still have several hundred stone''s worth of rice noodles in stock. If Imperial Concubine Gu can save my life, I''m willing to donate five hundred stone."


    Gu Qingli smiled. "Alright!" She knew that 500 stones was nothing to a grain merchant, but now that this surnamed Zhou had started, there would definitely be people following her.


    She continued to take her pulse, apply her needle, prescribe her medicine, and the only thing she said was to ask about the condition of Lord Zhou''s illness.


    "Come back to me in three months."


    Squire Zhou''s eyes widened. "Is that all?"


    Gu Qingli said, "Don''t tell me you don''t feel that your stuffy chest has improved?" The chest pain from the earlier cough had disappeared? However, if you really think that the recipe given by our wife has miraculous effects, and if you think that the formula given by her is effective, you can use five hundred stone rations to exchange for a second prescription three months from now to completely cure your illness. "


    The smile in her eyes was obvious. This famine was bound to continue into the coming spring. What was needed was not just the immediate outcome.


    Squadron Leader Zhou was dumbstruck, but after taking a few deep breaths and walking a few steps, he actually felt relaxed and relaxed. He then blurted out, "As expected, Godly Doctor!"


    Everyone saw that the squire was barely lifted off the palanquin. He was so far from the main entrance that he almost gasped for breath as he walked to and fro in the living room. He actually looked like a healthy person.


    He gritted his teeth, "Alright, I promise you!"


    More and more people agreed to Gu Qing Li''s conditions, all she wanted was food, and although these people might not all be stocking up on food, at least they all had some wealth, and if they agreed to her conditions, they could then find a way to buy more.


    In any case, Gu Qingli wanted to take care of Chi Yue''s long term local livelihood, not just right now. If she could get the food that appeared, she could solve the current problem. Then, she could continue to get more food, and she could solve the problem at the end of the day.


    After a while, the seven to eight merchants had all agreed to Gu Qing Li''s conditions. Even the sons of the two old men from before had agreed to donate 200 stones. After all, they had all received a favor from her.


    However, he had actually received a total of 1000 stones. As for the rest, he had signed a IOU and was only able to go to the nearby prefectures to purchase them in the future. The current crisis had yet to be resolved.


    The guests dispersed one by one. Gu Qing Li shook his arm sourly. After all, it took a lot of energy to apply acupuncture with luck.


    Zhu Wei An had never had a chance to speak, he could only watch from beginning to end with his mouth agape. Only after sending off the guests did he exclaim, "Imperial Concubine Gu''s medical skills are indeed godly!"


    Gu Qing Li looked at Xiao Yi Xiu, but he didn''t say anything. He just smiled and looked at her lovingly, until she blinked and said in a slightly depressed voice, "1000 stones ¡­" It''s never enough to help. "


    One thousand stones was equal to fifty thousand catties. For a relief operation, twenty catties per person could provide relief for two thousand five hundred people. However, how could tens of thousands of victims be able to do that? As for twenty catties of rice, that was only the equivalent of twenty days of adults.


    Zhu Wei An said carefully, "Today, except for Deng Shengchuan, the rest of the people who arrived were no more than ordinary rich merchants and gentry. The ones who were truly amassed here were the biggest grain merchant, Shi Zhenfeng, and the president of the Crimson Yue Chamber of Commerce, You Chenguang."


    "They''re not here?" As expected, it wasn''t that easy to get to the scene. Even if Xiao Yixiu was a prince and they followed the rules of the shopping mall to do their own business and didn''t violate the laws of the country, why should they show him respect?


    Zhu Wei An sighed. If Deng Shengchuan didn''t have a request to ask for due to his beloved concubine, he wouldn''t have come here just in case. The rest of the little squire merchants had only reluctantly arrived because they could not afford to offend him.


    Gu Qing Li followed behind Xiao Yi Xiu as they walked along the dike of a small river south of the prefecture city.


    The river was clear and shallow, the banks of the river overhanging the banks, the lotus petals rising to the sky, the lotus petals blooming. The summer wind brought the fragrance to the tip of one''s nose, penetrating the heart.


    "This water can nourish and destroy all things. "Look, once it roars, even the sky and earth will change color, let alone humans."


    Gu Qingli said, "Are you worrying about repairing the dam and building the dike?"


    Xiao Yixiu glanced at her with a smile in his eyes. "You''ve been working on this matter for the past few days. Don''t tell me you already have a plan?"


    Water and medicine are the same." The so-called bloodline desired to pass through, the essence energy desired to do so. In terms of balance? The Canon of Void says: The blood is in the body, the river is in the earth, and the cold is in the ditch, and the qi in the body is in the body. Although I am not proficient in water conservancy, it is still possible for me to apply medical science to water conservancy.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stopped and listened to her theory of healing water with surprise. He couldn''t help but ask, "It''s so fresh and sounds quite reasonable. But even though the reason is the same, what should we do about it?"


    Gu Qingli bit her lower lip and smiled at him. "You always have so many secrets. This time, I''ll keep some to myself and reveal them later."

 C148 great gift

    Before he came here, he had been as heavy as lead ¡ª although he was an accomplished scholar and a wise man, he was not an all-round talent after all. He did not understand much about water conservancy and construction of dikes.


    This was the reason why the Emperor had sent him here as a relief.


    Five hundred thousand silver taels were for disaster relief. There was no food, nor was there any weir officials. In fact, the Emperor was betting that his trip this time would be a disaster and he would suffer a crushing defeat.


    This seemingly watertight Zhu Wei An was actually not as simple as he appeared to be. If his guess was correct, someone would hope that he would fail this time, causing the people to resent him. This would cause his already weak position in the imperial court to plummet.


    He was able to cure disasters, not water, not water, and not all the problems that would follow the floods ¡­


    "Tell me, what better way do you have to deal with the local merchants?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu came back to his senses and smiled mysteriously at her. She remembered what he had said before. It was clear that he was confident, so even if she couldn''t raise enough food for the disaster today, he would have another way.


    "Do you know who Shi Zhenfeng and You Chenguang are?"


    "Hmm? Isn''t it just two merchants? "


    Even if he was as wealthy as Deng Shengchuan, he was still just a businessman. Back then, it was an era where literature was light for merchants, and merchants who were wealthy did not dare to fight against officials.


    "That''s right. You also know that if you don''t fight with the officials, then where did they get the guts to not participate in this gathering?"


    "Zhu Wei''an didn''t use his status as a state official to suppress them. This was what I wanted as well."


    "No, it''s human nature to be attached to authority. Even if no one had given the order to suppress him, as long as he says that he''s summoned by the imperial edict, who would dare not come? Even though it''s not illegal to be here, you still aren''t giving me, the King Mo, any face. "A mere merchant dares to look down on the dignity of the imperial family?"


    "Maybe it''s Zhu Wei An ¡­" Gu Qingli quickly recovered. Zhu Wei couldn''t solve the water problem, so she was forced to report it to the Imperial Court. What she should do now was to cooperate with Xiaoyi Xiu''s efforts in summoning the squire. If it was Juvien who intervened, then there was obviously something wrong with the man.


    Xiao Yi Xiu heaved a sigh of relief. "You Chen Guang is one of Xiao Yi Mo''s men. Do you understand?"


    "I don''t understand!" He is a prince, why would he befriend the head of the merchant guild? "


    "Naturally, it is to control the Scarlet Mountain Range of Money and Lifeline. The people who truly befriend him are the Minister of Public Relations, Ling Yuanzhang, and Imperial Concubine Ling''s eldest brother." "Government merchants colluding with each other, making profits as officials, and doing business with each other. They are just making mutual use of each other."


    "But how could Xiao Yi Mo, as a prince, be short on money?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. "Then what do you think Imperial Concubine Lan opened the gambling den for?" To form a personal relationship with the officials of the imperial court, to sever relations and build a foundation in the imperial court, what kind of relationship does that require money? "


    "They are actually using natural disasters to amass wealth. If this kind of person is placed on the throne, how can the people of the world live a good life?"


    "Then what are you going to do?"


    He leisurely said, "If they don''t come to see me, I can go see them. The day after tomorrow is the full moon of Shi Zhenfeng''s youngest son.


    The Crimson Yue''s Shi Family was brimming with joy and congratulating guests. Deng Shengchuan was the only one who brought two unfamiliar guests, and most of them were very impressed. When Shi Zhenfeng saw them, he was also startled.


    After Shi Zhenfeng finished greeting the guests, Deng Shengchuan led the two guests into the guest hall in the backyard. Only then did he realize that the two in front of him were the King and his wife.


    Shocked, Shi Zhenfeng quickly lifted his clothes and bowed before inviting them to sit.


    Gu Qingli saw Shi Zhenfeng''s fear and trepidation, and realized that even the most wealthy merchant would not dare to be arrogant in front of someone like the prince. He didn''t come to the meeting that day, and I''m afraid he didn''t...


    "I heard that Boss Shi''s granary has accumulated two-thirds of Chi Yue''s rice grains. This King has come to make a small deal with you."


    Shi Zhenfeng''s expression changed. He was not surprised that King Mo would know that he had hoarded two-thirds of Chi Yue''s grain. Instead, he was shocked that King Mo wanted to do business with him.


    How could Shang Jia not understand the ways of the world when he was doing this? When the emperor sent a prince to supervise the treatment of water, he was already deeply disturbed. Now, he took the initiative to come and discuss business with him ¡­ The more Shi Zhenfeng thought about it, the more he felt that something was amiss. His face gradually paled.


    "Don''t be afraid." Xiao Yi Xiu smiled warmly. "Since I said I was doing business, I won''t force you."


    Shi Zhenfeng looked at him tapping his fingers on the table. His face was turning paler and paler, and even his hands were trembling. That''s right, he was a traitor regardless of everything. He had to spend more than half of his family''s wealth to stock up so much food. If this King Mo forced him to collect food, wouldn''t that mean he would go bankrupt?


    "Firstly, I can let you take the morning light and replace it with the position of the president of the Crimson Yue Guild. Secondly, although This King is unable to afford the food that you have hoarded, This King can provide you with a way to make money.


    Shi Zhenfeng''s eyes widened and his trembling hands stopped. He was staring at his with a strange look in his eyes. It wasn''t that he didn''t want to be the president of a trading union, but he was still a step away from knowing You Chenguang''s background.


    As for the path of making money, he didn''t believe that a prince knew how to do business.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t care about his expression of distrust. He continued to smile elegantly and said, "In the west of the Scarlet Mountain Range, there is a Monarch''s Ascension Mountain. You should know that."


    Shi Zhenfeng nodded. Could there be treasures in that broken mountain? If it wasn''t for the snow on the mountain all year round and the snow melting into the river of Han, Chi Yue wouldn''t have been flooded by the flood all year round.


    "There is an inconspicuous peak in Jun''e Mountain called ''Mirror Platform Peak''. Beneath the peak is a fine iron vein that even the locals do not know about."


    At this point, Shi Zhenfeng stood up, his eyes were almost glowing with excitement. Everyone knew the price of Refined Iron. Whether it was crafting tools or weapons, it was considered a rarity. However, not to mention that Refined Iron was extremely rare in the Eastern Abyss, even if they were excavated and refined it would still require official approval.


    "Prince, you really can ¡­"


    "From time to time, the war between the East Abyss and the Northern Chu started. Weapons are an essential part of the war, and refined iron has naturally been in short supply for a long time. That mine would allow you to mine for at least a hundred years."


    Xiao Yi Xiu also slowly stood up. As he walked past Shi Yan, he lightly patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Shi Zhen Feng, you''re probably not the type of person who values what you see."


    After they left the Shi Residence, Gu Qingli asked softly, "Are you really sure you can hand over the mining rights to him? "However, the vein of fine iron has always been controlled by the imperial government. This is a matter for the Ministry of Industry. This ¡­"


    "Otherwise, why would I have to take on the heavy responsibility of controlling the water and building a dike, knowing full well that I might fail?"


    Gu Qingli suddenly understood. "You''re trying to win over the Minister of Industry, Bai Wanqing!"


    Controlling water and disaster relief is the starting point, Bai Wanqing is the middle point, taking him down, and then handing over mining rights to Shi Zhenfeng is the finishing point, but this starting point is on Shi Zhenfeng, so they are connected head to toe.

 C149 Recruitment

    "The center?"


    "Shi Zhenfeng''s occupation of the iron mine meant that he controlled the biggest production resource of the East Abyss, and he was also the biggest grain merchant. "If the army changes, I will have all the supplies."


    Gu Qingli looked at him, speechless. Every step he took was ten steps, and he was talking about someone like Xiao Yi Xiu. He could actually do so many things just for a disaster.


    "How long did you know about that mine, and how long did you plan it?"


    "Actually, the matter of the mines was all thanks to you. If it wasn''t for the intelligence report from your brothel, where would the planning have come from? Zhu Wei An was a spy from the Scarlet Mountain Range, so he had long discovered the mine veins in the mountain. The commoners that he found were ignorant and did not know what it was. He hid it from Xiao Yijin and did not report it to him. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu sighed deeply. If it wasn''t for Xiao Yi Jin not being able to capture Bai Wanqing, he wouldn''t have been able to interfere in this mine.


    Bai Wanqing was a loyal and loyal person; he valued righteousness and talent highly; he didn''t want to be swayed by temptation, and he didn''t have any weaknesses. In addition, Imperial Concubine Lan probably never wanted to use the pawn in the Ministry of Industry, so Xiao Yi couldn''t think of any good methods to deal with Bai Wanqing at the moment.


    It was the construction of the water conservancy and dam overseer that gave Xiaoyi a chance to repair the dam after the flood. As long as Bai Wanqing could see his talent, he would be able to go from admiration to obedience.


    Not far from the state yamen, there was a long case of relief for the victims. The rows of soap slaves were maintaining order on both sides of the street, and behind the porridge shop was a mountain of rice bags.


    "Everyone has five bowls of rice and a bowl of porridge. Take your time, everyone has..." The Sapphins shouted.


    "Wait, we can''t let the rice go white." Red shadows like fire emerged from behind the porridge shop.


    "This meter can be taken as a person''s leader, not as an individual''s leader. All men who have reached the age of over sixteen and have yet to reach the age of sixty will be required to register their household registration, name, and residence here."


    No one knew the identity of this woman. Being driven by hunger, the victims did not have much fear towards her. Someone then stared at her suspiciously, "What are you doing? Is it possible that we need to grab some strong men to join the army? "


    Gu Qingli looked at the man who was so skinny that his back was bent and shook her head with a smile. "Chiyue only has floods and no war. It was only a cup of water and a cup of water to cure the disaster. In order to cure the illness, they had to build dams, draw water, and build canals. What they needed was a large amount of labor. All of you are from the Scarlet Mountain Range, are you not willing to contribute to your hometown? "


    "Ai!" Someone then sighed, "Every year, when a dike is built to block the leakage, the result is still the same!"


    "Look at the vast expanse of water, it''s not feasible to build it now, is it?"


    Gu Qingli said, "Whether it can work or not will be known once we build it. If you want the rice, then you have to work hard. If you want the rice, then leave now. The Shangguan family doesn''t raise idle people."


    "Of course!" They were so hungry that they would do anything to make them go, especially since the reason they built the dike was to protect their family.


    "I won''t let all of you do it for free. Anyone who participates in the construction of the dike will be brought home with two kilograms of white rice per day!"


    The victims were in an uproar. They were so excited that they almost rushed up to recommend themselves.


    Gu Qing Li settled the problem of manpower for the construction and then went back to work on the budget for the construction project. Five hundred thousand silver taels for disaster relief. They had already settled the issue of food and construction fees without making a single move. It could be said that they had saved a fortune for the treasury.


    She returned to her residence proudly, but didn''t see Xiaoyi Xiu. Confused, she listened to Cheng Jian say that he was invited to leave by the president of the merchant guild, You Chenguang.


    This You Chenguang didn''t come when he was invited, but now he is walking in the opposite direction. What is he planning?


    Gu Qingli had only thought of this at random, so she and Cheng started to make a budget and a list of the materials needed for the construction of the dike.


    With the help of Cheng''s invitation and the recent investigation, it all happened very quickly. After that, she had to go to Deng Shengchuan''s house to continue acupuncture for his beloved concubine.


    Deng Shengchuan''s mansion was located in the most bustling place in the center of the city. It was covered with pink walls, black tiles, and a large number of Zhu Mengqi''s households. The courtyard occupied an extremely wide area, and one could tell that it was no ordinary merchant''s house.


    His beloved concubine was waiting in the embroidery building. Although it had been a bit better these days, she still did not leave her home. When Gu Qing Li went upstairs, she met Deng Shengchuan rushing out. The person on the other side greeted him, but seeing his unstable expression, he seemed to have something to say, so he stopped and stared at him.


    Deng Shengchuan hesitated for a long time and finally sighed: "Madam Gu, is there something you should say?"


    "Go ahead."


    "I heard that you were invited by President You to have a banquet at the Embroidery Restaurant. I''m afraid that among them ¡­" There''s something fishy going on. "


    "Oh?" Gu Qingli raised an eyebrow. "Is this brocade pavilion a place where crouching tigers and hidden dragons are hidden?"


    "Not really."


    "Then ¡­" Hearing this beautiful name, could it be a brothel? Gu Qingli looked at him suspiciously.


    "The brocade pavilion is a place to listen to music and watch plays."


    It was similar to Xuanhua Restaurant. It was probably a place to raise courtesans or enjoy the music and dancing of silk and bamboo.


    "I heard that President You specially selected a few women to give to the prince and offered to donate two hundred thousand taels of snow silver as a relief ¡­"


    "Oh, that''s a good thing."


    Deng Shengchuan opened his mouth and then sighed. On the surface, it seemed like a good thing, but that person called You Chenguang ¡­ How could he do anything as good as it looked? Furthermore, the secondary wife looked calm and collected. She looked very generous and didn''t mind the return of the girls from the Palace. As expected, she was the daughter of the Prime Minister and possessed a noble demeanor.


    "Boss Deng, can you help me do something?"


    "Sure, please give me your instructions."


    "Find out the names, places, families, etc of those women. Find out."


    "Yes." Deng Shengchuan thought to himself, as expected of a woman, her gaze was only focused on the jealousy of the crowd and she did not notice the abnormality in You Chenguang''s actions.


    Gu Qingli walked all the way into Deng Shengchuan''s beloved concubine''s room, wondering about the origins of those women.


    His beloved concubine, Yanzhu, was weakly lying on her bed. When she saw him, she smiled and opened her eyes.


    At this age, being Deng Shengchuan''s daughter was enough. Men were indeed the same. No matter how old they were, they would always like young and beautiful girls. Their fresh faces would never grow tired of them.


    Gu Qingli realized that she was actually eating vinegar. She quickly suppressed the thought and walked up quickly. After saying a few words, she started to give her acupuncture.


    "Thank you, Imperial Concubine Gu."


    In truth, Ya Zhu rarely spoke. Perhaps it was because she was originally weak.


    "I''m fine." Gu Qingli wasn''t treating her sickness for free, so she didn''t need to be so grateful.


    "After hearing what my master said to you, I feel a bit uneasy. Perhaps the secondary concubine doesn''t mind the beauties sent by Guild Master You anymore, I heard that they are all from the brocade pavilion, and their origins are low. I don''t think the secondary concubine needs to care ¡­ A girl needed to be gentle and magnanimous, but a man was the sky. If a woman in a dust cloud displeased the king ¡­ Actually, the gains weren''t even worth the losses. However, those with noble backgrounds are the real trouble. "


    Gu Qingli furrowed her brows. She had the nagging feeling that Ya Zhu had something to do with what he had said.

 C150 mountain opening

    Ya Zhu could tell from between her eyebrows that she was displeased. Her face was slightly red as she hurriedly said: "I am not speaking up for a woman outside, I am only grateful for the favor of the secondary wife. I will say a few words.


    Gu Qingli smiled slightly, "I''m sorry, but this consort just so happens to be a very intolerant and unbecoming person."


    After applying the needles, she coldly withdrew all the needles. Suddenly, she asked seemingly unintentionally, "You were also redeemed from the brocade pavilion, right?"


    Ya Zhu''s face stiffened, unable to respond.


    Gu Qingli understood and left with a smile.


    She felt that Deng Shengchuan himself should be more careful.


    When they returned to the magistrate court, Gu Qingli saw that there were a few more slim and beautiful women in her small courtyard. They were all in light and thin clothes, with a Celestial Dress on the ground, and did not look like they came from a brothel.


    Of course, Du Ying didn''t look like one either, the word ''frivolous'' didn''t necessarily appear on the face of the elegant courtesan.


    Gu Qingli found this funny. She looked at the group of women surrounding Xiao Yi and mumbling to him. He had a faint, distant smile on his face the entire time. Occasionally, he would speak to them, neither cold nor warm.


    "Your Highness."


    The moment Gu Qingli opened her mouth, the other girls immediately noticed her. Perhaps they had been instructed to do so by You Chenguang, but they all quickly kneeled down and saluted her. "This humble one greets Imperial Concubine Gu."


    "These ladies ¡­" Your highness intends to bring all of them back to the capital? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled but didn''t answer. "No one serves you here. It''s good to have a few people who know what''s good for you."


    She was actually quite happy about it! Gu Qingli knew he didn''t like these girls, so she bit her lower lip and smiled at him, "Our prince is handsome and has a good temper. She likes to take them back one by one, but who would have thought that she would come out to cure the flood and bring back a bunch of peaches."


    "A man does not flirt with a young man, not to mention a talent like the prince." The woman was dressed in a long dress with roses sprinkled on it. She was gorgeous, and her eyes contained a hint of provocation. Even among this group of mediocre and commonplace fans, her temperament was still luxurious, completely unlike that of an ordinary courtesan.


    Gu Qingli''s gaze swept over to see the woman raise her hand and place it on Xiao Yixiu''s shoulder. Her chin rested lightly on the back of her hand and her smile was as wide as Gu Qingruo''s, making her feel somehow annoyed.


    No matter what, Gu Qing Ruo Ruo was still the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister, and was also known as the Capital Master. Although she was domineering, she naturally had the right to be arrogant. But this woman, at most, was just a courtesan sent by You Chenguang, how could she put on such a posture?


    Gu Qingli could faintly feel that something was wrong with this woman. She calmly smiled and replied, "So, you were tempted when you saw your highness?"


    The girl had a sweet smile on her face. "That''s right. All the girls in the world like a scholar or hero."


    "Then is our prince a genius or a hero?"


    "All of them." The woman smiled leisurely. "Your Highness is a famous War God in the East China Sea. I have always admired him ever since he was a child. "Moreover, he is an accomplished scholar and an elegant and unrestrained man. Truly a sight to behold ¡­"


    However, she seemed to have a deeper meaning to Xiao Yixiu''s warm, smiling eyes. She endured her discomfort and smiled, "I didn''t see that a girl from the Red Moon who comes from an Embroidery Restaurant would actually know about the War God of the East Continent. You are truly knowledgeable."


    The woman''s face stiffened for a moment before smiling, "That''s because His Highness'' name is known throughout the world, who doesn''t know of it?"


    Gu Qingli nodded. She didn''t pay any more attention to her and arranged a living quarters for the girls. The courtyard in the house was large enough for a row of rooms at the side.


    However, when these women gathered together, they quickly stopped putting Gu Qing Li, the secondary wife, in their eyes.


    Gu Qingli was too busy calculating the dam construction, dredging up the waterway, and thinking about how to divert the water. These things could only be discussed with Cheng Dian. Although Cheng was inexperienced, she had some knowledge of water conservancy and plotting, so she was surprised and amazed by many of her suggestions.


    They rowed the light boat to the bottom of the Cloud-Traversing River. Gu Qingli looked at the lofty peaks of the Jun E Mountain and couldn''t help sighing softly.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Gu Qingli pointed into the distance. "Now that the water is clogged up, we don''t know when it''ll dry up and the summer rains. Who knows when another seven days and seven nights will come? In order to build a dike, you have to first let the vast amount of water leak out, but do you know what to do? "


    Cheng Wang nodded subconsciously, then shook his head. He naturally knew that he had to let this water run away first. Money, budget, and plans were all in their infancy now. Gu Qingli had even basically solved the problem of disaster relief with her manpower. But building a dike can''t let the laborers flow down the river to build it? Although the water level had dropped a lot since the continuous torrential rain, and most of the rooftop houses were already exposed, there was still no roof on the high ground.


    "The mountain is the one blocking the river. We have to break down the mountain and take the road. First, we have to split up and dig."


    The mountains are so steep that even if you choose to dig in the lowest recess, the sheer scale of the project is unthinkable. If it was that easy, there was no need for the current torrential rivers to converge. There was no other way.


    "Open the mountain!"


    Cheng Qi was shocked as he glared at Gu Qing Li. All this time, Gu Vice Concubine Gu had left him with the unfathomable impression that he couldn''t even see her face, but he was well aware that she was the capital''s famous Ghost Doctor, Li Yue. It''s just that a woman with outstanding medical skills isn''t related to water conservancy, right?


    It was only when they gathered at the foot of the mountain that he understood the method that Gu Qingli had used to open the mountain.


    Under Gu Qingli''s command, they set up a fire stove, put in some firewood and started burning it. Then they used tiles to guide the flames to crash against the cliff wall. From afar, it looked like a fire dragon charging straight into a cave.


    Fortunately, the firewood was collected on the spot. The fire dragons continued to burn more and more until they heard the loud, deafening crackling of the rocks. Cheng Jian quivered in fear. He felt like the rocks were about to crack and the earth was about to shatter.


    As Gu Qingli evacuated the nearby crowd, she instructed them to pour the water they''d taken beforehand onto the boiling red rocks.


    Suddenly, the rocks began to contract and crack.


    Cheng Jian and the other victims of the disaster were all dumbstruck. The mountain walls began to crack and expand rapidly, and some of the rocks even began to crack in front of them.


    "Gu Vice Concubine, you''re so strong!" He had already changed his skepticism from being skeptical to being completely subservient to someone else. At first, he didn''t believe in a woman''s character at all, but since Xiao Yixiu had asked her to handle the water conservancy project, he had no choice but to bite the bullet.


    Over the next few days, the rocks split open first, and the laborers began to carve the mountain with chisels and shovels.


    Seven days later, the water level dropped, and the worst part of the disaster began to show through the muddy black soil. The victims were so excited that they began to cheer, as if they had already found their way to their homes.

 C151 Colour

    Gu Qingli pointed at the houses on the ground. "Actually, there are a lot that can be lived in. There are some small families that have built their brick houses that are very sturdy and practical. As long as the tidewater recedes, they can still live in."


    Cheng Hao nodded: "That''s true."


    "Post-disaster reconstruction is also very important. For so many victims, it is actually very dangerous for them to live in grass sheds built by the government."


    "It can''t be that you''ll even have to take care of post-disaster reconstruction, right?"


    "Since you want to do it, you have to do it to the end. This matter is also under consideration, but there is no money in the budget. First, find someone to count the houses, see if you can find the old owners, see if there are any ownerless houses, and if there is an household register in the government, you should be able to do it. Then, we will count the number of victims and register them according to their registration. This matter shall be left to Zhu Wei An so that he, Shi Cheng, will have nothing better to do. "


    Gu Qingli sneered. It was about time Zhu Wei An got him busy, or else he''d be thinking about something else.


    When he returned to the magistrate court, he suddenly saw the flowers and plants all over the courtyard. A fragrant wind wafted towards him. He hadn''t noticed for a few days that the courtyard had been made into a flower garden.


    Gu Qing Li sucked in a breath of cold air.


    He had been living in this courtyard as well. He had been living in a side room at the corner of the courtyard, so he didn''t seem to be used to it at first glance.


    When he looked up, he was stunned to find that the multi-colored bead curtain had been removed from the door of his room. There was a beautiful woman leaning against the door, and her body was emitting a fragrance that was even further away than the fragrance of flowers.


    "Congratulations." Gu Qing Li''s lips curved up into a smile as he looked mischievously at Cheng Kai.


    Cheng Qi was twenty-two. He had studied hard for a long time and had never gotten married before, so he had never seen many girls of his own age before. When he suddenly saw this scene, he was so shocked that his hands and feet turned cold and his face turned pale.


    Gu Qingli felt like laughing in her heart, but her face remained cold as she said, "Very good, Cheng Lang. It''s only your first time leaving the capital to take a girl back, so your parents will definitely be happy."


    Cheng Qi swallowed his breath, and said in a low voice with an aggrieved expression, "Gu Lengfei, I''m just a small doctor. I don''t have the life of a prince, so I won''t be able to take it."


    Gu Qingli said in a low voice, "What good is there in this side of the consort helping you?"


    Cheng Wang had a bitter look on his face, but he knew it was of no value to her and couldn''t answer.


    Gu Qing Li raised his head slightly and chuckled, "Your uncle is the Minister of Industry. Don''t think that you''ve never told him about it. As long as the people outside don''t know about it, this wife is very clear about it."


    Cheng Kai''s expression changed as he stared at her in shock.


    In order to nurture such a scholar, he had no choice but to sell his only daughter, who was also Bai Wanqing''s older sister, to a wealthy family. Later on, because she was clever and delicate, and did things diligently, he became the concubine of that young master and gave birth to Cheng Kai, that bastard, which gave his some status.


    In order not to embarrass him, Cheng''s mother let people know that he had a sister who was a concubine. She had never acknowledged him, so almost no one in the court knew about it.


    Cheng Wang had not expected that his first husband would encounter such a disaster. He was even worried that his uncle''s glorious name would be ruined, and even more so, didn''t dare to admit to his relationship with Bai Wanqing. He didn''t expect that the prince and the imperial concubine would actually know about this ¡­


    "Master Cheng!" Before he could finish his thought, the woman had already walked towards him, her embroidered handkerchief half-covering her red lips giving off a fragrant wind that made him dizzy.


    "Don''t ¡­" Don''t come over here, it''s the hardest thing for me to get away from this beauty. "I don''t dare to say that." Cheng Qi wiped his sweat, "I don''t know this lady. Did I go through the wrong door?"


    The woman was stunned for a moment before she smiled, "No, Boss You let me take care of Cheng Lang."


    Cheng Dong sneezed loudly, and took a step back. His eyes were filled with fear: "Don''t ¡­" Don''t come near me, Achoo! "


    Gu Qing Li was laughing so hard that her stomach hurt. She walked up and said, "Cheng Lang, the girl who was sent to your house last time, what happened?"


    Cheng Qi was stunned. He looked at her in confusion.


    "You really don''t have enough compassion for the fairer sex. Later on, that girl cried at me, and even let me see all the wounds on her body ¡­" Tsk tsk, you really know how to play. What kind of whip marks, candle marks, knife scars ¡­ There''s no need to talk about bruises. Even though she''s just a girl from Xuanhua Pavilion and not some girl from a noble family, you should still restrain yourself a little ¡­ "Hey, that girl, where are you going?"


    The woman''s face turned pale. She didn''t finish listening, but turned and hurried into the room that Gu Qing Li had arranged for them.


    Cheng Wang wanted to cry, but had no tears. What kind of side concubine was this, just listen to these words, he was not married yet. If word of this got out, which young miss in the capital would dare to marry him?


    "Imperial Concubine Gu ¡­"


    "How do you think we should repay you for solving such a big problem?"


    Cheng''s tears were about to fall, as he stared at her in grievance: "You want me to never get married again, don''t you?"


    "As long as you can say a few more words to your uncle, do you need to worry about getting married?"


    With a serious expression, he said, "Gu Shaoyang fei, although my uncle is just a mere imperial edict, he will not be attached to the nobility, and he will not participate in the struggle for power. I will not be able to help you with this kind of thing."


    Gu Qing Li sighed inwardly. At the same time, he felt that Bai Wanqing was indeed interesting. It was no wonder that Xiao Yixiu wanted to rope him in. Xiao Yixiu must be a resolute person that would never take advantage of him.


    "Master Bai, you are so honest. Why did you break the record and get promoted?"


    "My uncle thinks that my ability is enough. If the concubine thinks that this is a stain on his character, then I can hand in my resignation and I won''t ruin his reputation," Cheng Qi said with a sullen look on his face.


    "He thinks you''re good enough? "Alright, you can propose the remaining water calamity plans and hand them to the king tomorrow so he can have a look."


    Cheng was flabbergasted, and once again, he found that this Imperial Concubine Gu was not someone to be trifled with.


    "If you can''t write it, you don''t need to convince your uncle to do anything. You just need to recommend him to the Prince." Gu Qingli smiled, shaking him off and stepping into her own guest room.


    Picking up the five-colored bead curtain, Gu Qing Li lowered his eyebrows. Like Cheng Xun, he felt extremely uncomfortable with the rich fragrance of the powder.


    After entering the inner room, she could hear the delicate sound of laughter through the six screens. Her face darkened and she instantly felt uncomfortable. How could Xiao Yi Xiu let those girls into the room? His obsession with cleanliness would never tolerate another woman sleeping in his bed.


    Gu Qingli stepped over the screen and saw a few beautiful women sitting or lying down. Their clothes were not elegant, the most outrageous one wore a light veil, and even the mandarin duck apron could be seen clearly.

 C152 The Prime Ministers daughter

    Gu Qingli swept her gaze across the room and realized that she didn''t have the most gorgeous beauty like last time, Xin Ning. She sneered: "Who let you in?"


    "Naturally, it is the Prince." The other girls on the bed also laughed.


    "What about him? Wouldn''t it be a waste of the beauty''s grace to let all of you stay here empty-handed? " Gu Qingli stared at her, vaguely remembering that her name was Wen''er.


    "Oh ¡­" Wen`er glanced at Gu Qing Li, and her tone seemed to have dragged it a long way. "Your highness, naturally he''s in Xinning''s room. He just finished drinking with us sisters, so he got a little drunk. Xin Ning helped him up ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li looked coldly at Wen''er. There seemed to be endless possibilities in his words, but it was very likely that there was nothing at all. He was purposely trying to make her lose her composure. This little trick was not even in her eyes.


    "Since the prince is not here, you can all leave." "Before you leave, clean up this place, including the smell you left behind."


    The girls were stunned.


    Gu Qingli continued to point at the bed. "Change all the bedding and bedsheets. Even the mosquito nets must be new."


    Wen''er suddenly laughed. "You must be joking, Madame Gu?"


    "I''m very tired today, so I''m not in the mood to joke with you. If anything inside the house doesn''t change completely within two hours, all of you should change into men''s clothes and go to the river to work with Cheng Kung."


    Wen''er''s eyes suddenly opened so wide that it seemed as if her eyeballs were about to fall out.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t be bothered with them and turned to leave.


    Xin Ning''s room door was ajar. Although Gu Qing Li had assigned three rooms for them, and the six girls were supposed to be divided into one and two people, Xin Ning''s position was clearly different. She lived alone in one room, allowing the other three to squeeze in.


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath and pushed the door open. She didn''t smell the strong scent of makeup. Instead, it had a faint fragrance. She looked around and saw two vases placed in the middle of the living room. There were all kinds of flowers, and the fragrance was coming from them.


    This room also had an inner chamber. Gu Qingli sneered and pushed open the similarly unlocked inner chamber.


    At this time, it was already dusk. The last rays of the setting sun fell upon the house, illuminating everything within with incomparable clarity.


    There was no screen, so Gu Qingli could clearly see two people lying on the bed. The weather was hot and stuffy, and neither of them had anything on them. The woman on the outside had bare arms, elegant hibiscus embroidered on her corset, and her skin was whiter than snow. The man inside had his back facing inward, but his clothes were snow-white, and his black hair was scattered about by the pillow. He looked like Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Gu Qing abruptly descended, and even his footsteps slowed down.


    When the woman heard the voice, she turned around and sat up. She was not surprised at all. She gave a faint smile that was extremely charming and charming. It was Xin Ning.


    "You''re really something." Gu Qingli stared at her, unable to figure out her identity.


    This woman had an elegant demeanor. She had thought that her background was extraordinary, but when she did something so shameless, she didn''t seem ashamed at all. She was clearly not a lady from a noble family. For someone like Gu Qingxiao, even if she was shameless, she would still have a limit. How could he be as shameless as her?


    "Get out of the way!" Gu Qingli pushed casually, but didn''t use much strength.


    Xin Ning suddenly raised her arm and twisted it. She made her move in a soft and quick manner. She was actually quite agile.


    Gu Qingli was caught off guard and almost fell for her trick. She suddenly turned around, and the fire in her heart flared up. Fine, since this woman had some skills, she didn''t plan on showing any mercy. Turning around, she ruthlessly struck out. Her attacks were sharp and merciless.


    Xin Ning clearly didn''t expect that the usually delicate and weak Imperial Concubine Gu would actually be this skilled. She was so shocked that she blocked the attack and was forced to retreat step by step.


    After a dozen moves, Gu Qing Li subdued her and tied her up on the bed with a thin sheet. He kicked her along the way: "I didn''t see that you actually know some martial arts. Who taught you this?"


    Xin Ning lightly spat out a mouthful of blood. She only smiled a little, but then closed her mouth and didn''t answer. She then looked at the bed.


    Gu Qingli glanced at the bed, then walked over and grabbed the man''s shoulder. Even if he was in a deep sleep, it was impossible for him to be sleeping like this.


    Without any resistance, he turned over on his back and lay there motionless. His expression was calm, and his eyes were slightly closed.


    Gu Qingli''s face suddenly turned ashen, and her hands began to tremble ¡ª no matter what, she couldn''t recognize her man. Regardless of whether he was tricked or not, her face was without a doubt that of Xiaoyi Xiu!


    Gritting her teeth, she reached out her hand to test his breath, then swept it across his face.


    Xin Ning suddenly smiled. "Don''t try anymore. Even if he didn''t want to, what should have happened has already happened. If he touches me, he must marry me!"


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath and sneered, "So what if I touch you?" "What is your identity? Don''t tell me he has to redeem a prostitute to marry her?"


    Her face was calm, but her heart was filled with anger. Even she found it difficult to remain calm in the face of such a situation.


    Xin Ning said slowly, "Do you know who I am?"


    Gu Qingli didn''t ask. She only looked at her quietly, knowing that she would say it herself.


    "My surname is Ling, Ling Xinning, and I''m Ling YuanZhang''s daughter."


    Gu Qingli''s heart shook. As expected! Her background was different from those girls. But why would the daughter of the Minister of the Civil Service come so far to such a place? Furthermore, with her skill, he didn''t seem like a miss at all.


    "Don''t worry about why I''m here. Don''t blame me for my skill. I''m the real Fourth Miss of the Ling family. If you don''t believe me, you can send someone back to the capital to find out." This sort of thing cannot be faked, because when the time comes, one will have to change the Geng PSA and the betrothal gift. "


    Ling Xinning struggled to get up and moved her bound wrist, "Are you still not going to untie me? "Even if you are the Third Miss of the Prime Minister, you won''t be much more noble than me. Imperial Concubine Ling is my aunt."


    Gu Qingli looked at her proud and provocative smile, and her anger skyrocketed. Suddenly, she raised her hand and slapped Ling Xinning, causing her cheeks to swell up.


    Stunned, Ling Xinning''s face suddenly changed as she angrily said, "You dare to hit me!"


    "How about hitting you?" Gu Qingli said coldly, "You think I can''t beat you because you''re Ling Yuanzhang''s daughter and Imperial Concubine Ling''s niece? Prime Minister Gu''s daughter can''t beat you, but I''m acting as the wife of Prince Mo! When you seduced my husband, disregarding status, dignity, and honor, did you ever think that what you have lost is your parents'' face? "


    Ling Xinning''s face alternated between green and red, and she could not answer. She fiercely bit her lower lip, and her eyes looked like they were about to spit fire.


    Suddenly, a sound came from the bed. The two of them looked over and saw that Xiao Yixiu was moving. They slowly opened their eyes and looked around, then propped themselves up.


    "Qing Li?" His voice was a little hoarse, and the doubt in his eyes deepened. "This King... "Where is this place?"


    His gaze then landed on Ling Xinning, and held his forehead while saying, "This is ¡­ What was going on? This King did... "What?"


    Gu Qingli bit her lip, suddenly not wanting to tell him anything. She turned and ran out.


    Cheng Xi almost ran into Gu Qing Li, who was running like a madman. He cried out in alarm: "Gu Wei Fei, where are you going?"


    His red clothes flew in the air like a cloud, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared.

 C153 Argument

    Shaking his head, he wanted to return to his room, but when he lifted his eyes, he saw Xiao Yi Xiu appear in the courtyard. His white clothes were like snow, and his expression was cold, as if he was deep in thought.


    "Your Highness? Where are you going... Or did you just come back from somewhere? "


    It was only now that Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to have noticed him. He raised his eyes to look at him and said calmly, "Oh, nothing."


    Seeing his tall and straight back entering the house, he shook his head and touched his nose. Suddenly, he heard a loud bang from inside the house, as if something heavy had fallen onto the ground. He could not help but be shocked, instinctively rushing in without caring about the formalities.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stood in the room with his six screens on the floor. The women in the room all stood up with frightened faces.


    "Who let you in?" Xiao Yixiu''s voice was slow and cold, different from his usual gentle and courteous estrangement from these girls. It was obvious that he was somewhat angry.


    He didn''t mind keeping up the facade, but that didn''t mean they''d make it.


    "We... I''m just waiting here for the prince to come back. " Wen''er''s aura had long weakened. She was not as provocative as she was in front of Gu Qing Li.


    "We were all sent by President You to serve the king. If we don''t serve him well, then President You will blame us ¡­" She looked pitiful.


    "This King is very tired right now. I don''t need all of you to attend to me. Get out!" The last two words emphasized on his tone, carrying with it a bit of a fiendish aura. He really didn''t like people sleeping casually on his bed with Gu Qing Li. This had already crossed his bottom line.


    A few women hurriedly tidied up their dresses and rushed out.


    Cheng Kai also hurriedly left, but he bumped into Gu Qing Li who had returned.


    Her emotions seemed to have been adjusted to the point where even though her eyes were still as cold as ice, her steps were calm and normal. When he saw the group of women running in all directions, he was stunned.


    Gu Qingli stepped into the room and saw that the fallen screen had broken the table and chair. The room was a mess, but the scent of the makeup hadn''t dispersed. What bothered her the most was the messy bed.


    Xiao Yixiu stood there with his hands behind his back, looking quite displeased.


    Gu Qingli didn''t even spare him a glance as she raised her voice. "Cheng Wang!"


    "Yes, Imperial Concubine Gu." "Yes," Cheng said through the door.


    "Have Zhu Wei An send a few Qing Li''s people to capture those people in the house and take them to the river bank to live with the victims. Tomorrow, we will dig a ditch and build a canal. We can''t slack off!" Whoever dares to resist will be beaten to thirty heads! " She paused for a moment, then coldly said: "Except Ling Xinning."


    Cheng Jian stood there, thinking that he had misheard. A bunch of weak girls who only knew how to act coquettishly and flirt with others, capture them to build a dike? What kind of slap was this, Imperial Concubine Gu?


    Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to have calmed down a little. He looked at her and asked, "Why do you have to go through all this trouble?"


    Gu Qingli suddenly glared at him. "Of course you have to speak up for them. They''re all extremely charming and alluring, just like jade. How can you bear for them to pick up a shovel with their tender and white hands?"


    "What happened to you?" Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her in shock.


    "What''s wrong with me? I have to ask you! I can tolerate the women in the Prince''s Mansion because they are of clean birth, but these women ¡ª "She pointed to the door," They clearly came from the brocade pavilion, so you should know that they are not decent people! You dare to touch these mediocre and vulgar powder, you ¡­ "Aren''t you afraid of getting dirty!?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her in silence.


    "Alright, I know that you like freshness. You like these twenty-eight beauties. Perhaps their fox like skills are truly outstanding. You should bring them all back to Beijing!"


    "Can you reason with me?" Xiao Yi Xiu felt that she wasn''t someone who would burst out in anger upon seeing such a small matter.


    "I am just unreasonable!" I am the daughter of my parents in the Prime Minister''s Estate, and I have never been wronged in the slightest! How touching was your speech in front of the emperor, and how did you say that you''d marry her if not for me? I''ve only been married to you for less than two months, yet you ¡­ "


    For the past two days, the courtyard had been filled with the aura of rain and mountains, and the most frightening thing was the invitation.


    Ever since the five women were dragged away crying with the victims, Imperial Concubine Gu ordered people to clean up a separate room. It had been two days since she last spoke to King Mo.


    As for King Mo''s room, it had been completely changed from inside to outside, while King Mo himself lingered in Ling Xinning''s room every day. It was common for two people to pair up and go together to Wumiguang''s place, seemingly discussing the matter of recruiting silver food for the disaster.


    You Chenguang uncharacteristically cooperated and even agreed to donate money.


    Gu Qingli was still leading the way to the dam to start construction. After the explosions at the lowest peaks of Mount Jun E, the dam was in the process of being built.


    Cheng Hao carefully studied the new map many times and asked Gu Qing Li in confusion, "It''s really possible?"


    "This is called a rolling dam. It is used to raise the water level upstream and stop the accumulation of mud and sand. Storing water levels are high and leaking water is low. When the water level reaches a certain level, it will leak out from the downstream. "


    "Then where should I leak it to?"


    "This is our next project ¡ª to divert, to drain, to divert the river and to irrigate the farmland."


    Cheng Xiang felt like prostrating himself on all fours. "Imperial Consort Gu, Prime Minister Gu has such a woman. This is something to be proud of ¡­"


    However, Gu Qingli didn''t seem to be willing to listen to her words. She only gave a cold snort, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.


    She looked up at the dam. A few slender men in men''s clothing were shoveling gravel to fill the hole, and even their legs were trembling.


    "How are you doing?"


    Cheng Ji followed her gaze and could not help but laugh, "Gu Lengfei, you''ve made things difficult for them. How could they do this when their hands only know how to play the zither and embroider? These past few days, their hands have all been wounded.


    Gu Qingli''s eyes darkened as she said coldly, "Does Cheng Lang Zhong think that they''ve been wronged?"


    "Ah?" "No, of course not. It''s just that ¡­" Cheng Jijun''s face turned red, looking a little embarrassed. In the end, he was still a young man, so he had some tender feelings for the fairer sex.


    Gu Qingli nodded. "Since Cheng Lang Zhong has pleaded for them to be his concubine, then I''ll let you off the hook. As long as you marry them all and make them your concubines, I''ll give you this face."


    Cheng Qi''s face turned from red to white, and he tightly pursed his lips, not daring to say another word.


    Gu Qingli looked at his shy and frightened expression and found it funny, so she didn''t pursue the matter. She walked up the embankment alone. All the supervisors had recognized her, so they respectfully bowed along the way. Some people even advised her to leave. After all, the embankment was muddy and dangerous, and the construction site was not clean.


    Gu Qingli didn''t care. She floated to the women''s side as if she hadn''t touched the ground. She laughed a few times as she saw them slip away with shovels in their hands, the dirt on their faces and the mud on their pants disappearing completely.


    Those girls all turned their heads, looking at her as if they had seen a ghost. Their eyes were filled with terror. However, Xiao Yixiu had treated them as if they were separated. It seemed that he was gentle and amiable, thinking that they were princes who could easily catch them. He hadn''t expected that he would ignore what Gu Qing Li had done to them.

 C154 release Wenser

    Gu Qingli looked down at them and asked coldly, "How are you doing here?"


    "Gu Vice Concubine, I ¡­ "I know I was wrong, I beg you to be magnanimous ¡­" Wen''er threw down her shovel and, ignoring the mud and dirt on the dike, knelt down in front of her and wept bitterly.


    Although their birth wasn''t that noble, they still lived luxurious lives. Every day, they would learn how to play the zither, paint, and draw, how to please men, and how to make themselves more beautiful and attractive ¡­ Where did he experience such bitterness?


    Gu Qingli smiled. "What, are you feeling wronged? In fact, building a dike here was pretty good. It was good for future generations. There was also food and shelter. The most important thing was to clean it ¡­ Don''t think that this place is dirty when you''re kneeling in the mud. Compared to your brocade pavilion, this place is much cleaner and cleaner.


    Some of the victims nearby heard this and laughed out loud. Recently, they had become very familiar with this concubine Gu who was responsible for building water conservancy. In addition to being respectful and grateful, they also felt admiration for her.


    "Do your job well. Seeing that you have not committed any major crimes, I will grant you your freedom once the Crossing Cloud River embankment is completed." Gu Qing Li smirked. It was just some heavy work, how could they not die?


    With a pale face, Wen Er suddenly chased after her.


    "Gu ¡­" Consort Gu, there''s something ¡­ I want to tell you. "


    Gu Qing Li turned around and looked at her.


    Wen''er bit her lower lip and looked up: "We have all been sent here, why is Ling Xinning excluded?"


    Gu Qingli''s gaze swept across her body, her gaze cold. "What do you want to know?"


    "I know that it''s not because the Prince views her in a new light, but because her identity is different from us. "That''s right, she''s not from the brocade pavilion, and President You told us that she was the young miss of the Zhang Family, the Minister of the Civil Service, but we''ve been with her for a while, and always felt that she was very mysterious. She doesn''t seem like a simple rich young lady."


    "Oh?" Gu Qing Li raised her eyebrows. Wen''er was quite meticulous, but this clue was worthless. Even Wen''er had her suspicions.


    Wen''er''s voice suddenly became softer: "She often meets Boss Deng''s beloved concubine in private and seems to be very close friends. But that Fang Yanzhu was previously an entertainer of the theater team, so why would a scholar interact with a playwright? And her accent doesn''t have the accent of Beijing, so I always feel... "I''m not sure about her background."


    Gu Qingli lightly knitted her brows and nodded.


    "President You once told me after drinking a little, that Ling Xinning is actually Minister Ling''s illegitimate daughter outside ¡­ So she was not raised in the Shang Shu Manor. "


    "But she does seem to have a good upbringing. She doesn''t look like a small family."


    "Fang Yanzhu didn''t look like her either. She looked like a lady from a noble family with no aura of the world, and she was extremely skilled in both beauty and calligraphy. Otherwise, Boss Deng would not have doted on her so much."


    "Hmm?" Gu Qingli began to think. If there was a place where they could train these flower-like girls, teach them martial arts, and talent so that they would look elegant and outstanding, what was their goal?


    Wen''er broke her train of thought. "Actually, there are many strange things about Fang Yanzhu, such as her inexplicable illness."


    "You know quite a lot."


    "The brocade pavilion is filled with both fish and dragons. The Scarlet Mountain Range is so big. Regardless of whether they are wealthy merchants or officials, that is where they often go. President You even love to set the gathering place for Shang Jia there. Sometimes, we can sing and drink together and hear everything. "


    Gu Qingli didn''t say anything. There was something she had never mentioned before, that Fang Yaju wasn''t actually suffering from a strange illness, but from poison.


    On one hand, she didn''t want to care too much about other people''s family matters, and on the other hand, she had seen Deng Shengchuan''s concubine in the days she had been in and out of the city. Deng Shengchuan''s wife was a submissive woman, and his concubine was a concubine who had served him as his mistress.


    Deng Shengchuan was not a woman, yet he had taken in a concubine by himself. However, Fang Yanzhu was indeed very attractive. During her illness, Gu Qing Li had seen her beauty before, and her haggard appearance was mysterious and elegant. If Wen''er hadn''t told her, she wouldn''t have thought that Fang Yaju was from a small family, at least, she wouldn''t have thought that she was from a smart family.


    "Madam Gu, you have to be careful of Ling Xinning."


    Gu Qing Li came back to his senses. He looked at Wen Er''s fawning expression and nodded indifferently. After thinking for a while, he said, "Alright, from tomorrow onwards, you can return to the brocade pavilion. I don''t want anyone to know about what happened today."


    "Yes, yes." Wen''er nodded her head with a joyful look on her face.


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "Wait, let them go with you." Otherwise, she would have to release Wen''er alone, which would arouse suspicion. In any case, there were quite a few of them on the dike, and even three bundles wouldn''t be enough to hold a single labourer.


    "If you need anything in the future, just tell me."


    "Yes."


    "This side of the consort will go find you. Don''t let Zhu Wei An suspect you."


    Wen''er immediately nodded.


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath and walked down the embankment. She saw that Cheng Lu had been splashed with mud at some point and was in an extremely sorry state, but he was still commanding the overseer.


    "Cheng Lang, this outfit really is elegant and eye-catching."


    Cheng Wang was originally considered to be an elegant and refined young master, but now, he was more or less like a disaster victim. He was even teased by her, so he pouted and wiped his face: "Just now, when I went down to see the results of the dam''s construction, I was like this when I fell in the water. Luckily it was picked up early, otherwise it would have died. "


    His hands were also covered in mud. Even his face had suffered greatly, and was mottled. Gu Qingli laughed loudly. "Can''t you swim?"


    "I really don''t know how to." "My hometown is in Longzhou, where the water sources are scarce. There are often droughts there, so how can there be many rivers that can learn to swim?"


    "Oh, Longzhou seems to be in a drought." In the same country, there were two areas. One area was dry and had no harvests, while the other area was flooded. Born in this era, natural disasters were truly insurmountable. Gu Qingli sighed.


    "That''s right, that''s right. I heard that the king sent Prince Chen to save the king. He probably went there soon after we left ¡­"


    Gu Qing''s brows furrowed. She actually didn''t know.


    "I only learned about it yesterday. It was news from the capital. The king did not intend to tell me about it ¡­" Cheng Wang suddenly remembered that Mo Wang and she were still in the middle of the cold war, and subconsciously covered his mouth.


    Gu Qingli smiled. "You don''t need to be so nervous."


    "Imperial Consort Gu and Prince ¡­ Actually, we should still have a good chat and not let others have the opportunity to take advantage of it. "


    Gu Qingli looked at him. He really was a good man, with a face like a gentleman''s. He never suspected that others were up to no good. She found this simple and honest personality very pleasing. Apart from being too young and inexperienced, she found everything else to be quite good, and it didn''t have the bearing of a rich young master.

 C155 Buy clothes(1)

    By the time he returned to the courtyard, it was already dusk. Xiao Yixiu had also just returned, and they had only just met for a few days, so naturally they would not have dinner together.


    Ling Xinning followed behind him like a shadow. When she saw Gu Qing Li, she even laughed, "Madam Gu, why do you look like a disaster victim?"


    It was the same thing she''d said when she teased him.


    Gu Qingli lowered her head to look. There was a lot of mud on her scarlet skirt train, too. Who knew when it was. She didn''t mind it herself, but after hearing this, her expression couldn''t help but darken.


    Before she could say anything, Cheng Jian asked, "Miss Ling, can you help me with something?"


    He spoke very politely with a sincere expression on his face. Ling Xinning was startled for a moment, but it was not good for her to lower her face. She faintly smiled: "Sure, what do you want?"


    "I''m unfamiliar with this place, look at my clothes ¡­ Just like the victims, can I trouble you to take me to the streets and find a clothing store to buy some clothes? "


    Ling Xinning''s face twitched, "Cheng Lang came all the way here, could it be that this is the only change?"


    "It''s fine if you have the few girls that President You sent to help with the ointment, but they''ve also disappeared in the past few days. This state''s yamen authorities don''t seem to have enough people ¡­" My clothes were just washed yesterday and haven''t dried yet. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu said warmly, "Miss Ling, please help him."


    Ling Xinning bit her lower lip, but had no choice but to gently smile and say: "Alright." She secretly cursed under her breath. Could it be that there was no one else in the state yamen who wanted to drag her in? It was clearly Imperial Concubine Gu''s scheme to have her stay with Xiao Yi Xiu less.


    Gu Qingli blinked and looked at their backs. Putting Ling Xinning''s identity aside, the two of them were a perfect match. Could it be that Cheng Qi was treating her a little ¡­


    "Does it look good?" It wasn''t until their figures disappeared from sight that Xiao Yi Xiu finally spoke up.


    Gu Qingli turned towards him, cold as ice. "Not good, I didn''t match it with you."


    However, the smile in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes gradually widened. He walked over slowly, lightly clasping her hand and said, "Have you had your fill of anger for the past few days?"


    "Why should I be angry?" She turned her face to the side and looked at him coldly.


    Xiao Yixiu lifted his other hand and lifted her lower jaw, his gaze gentle. "You look even better when you''re angry."


    Before she could say anything, the last sentence had already made her want to say it all. "But it''s not even as beautiful as your appearance as the victims, haha!"


    "Xiao Yi Xiu!" She gritted her teeth.


    "Why aren''t you bathing and changing your clothes? Come out and have a meal with me."


    "I''m not eating anymore. You must be full of energy."


    He bent down and whispered, "How could I bear to make you angry? "Be good and go quickly. When they come back later, we will have to continue the cold war."


    Gu Qingli wanted to roll her face, but she eventually couldn''t help but chuckle. She snorted heavily, "So now I can''t be exposed to the light. Do I still have to avoid your new love?"


    "Of course, newbies enter through the door while the old ones leave through the pavilion."


    Gu Qing Li bit her lower lip and pinched the center of his palm. "When we get back to the capital, I''ll pay you back in the old account."


    "Hiss ¡­" "What a ruthless heart." His eyes were aggrieved as he opened his palm, revealing a red crescent-shaped fingernail.


    "Serves you right." Gu Qingli showed no mercy as she quickly entered the house.


    Cheng Qi and Ling Xinning walked along the street without leaving each other. There was always a gap of one person between the two of them, which made them feel extremely awkward.


    "Cheng Lang ¡­" In front of them was a clothing shop. Even the clothing shop at the center of the Crimson Yue State was not as good as the capital city, and because it was dusk, this most prosperous street started to close for the night. For clothing shops like the clothing shop, which did not do business at night, even the boss began to pack up his clothes.


    "Oh, it''s about to close. What a pity. Why don''t we come back tomorrow?"


    Ling Xinning felt anger rising in her heart. Could it be that this Cheng was here to amuse her? Seeing that Cheng Qu was about to turn around and leave, she quickly stepped forward and said to the clothing store owner, "Wait, we need to go in and pick out a few sets of clothes."


    The shop owner was in a hurry to close the door, but after taking a closer look and seeing Ling Xinning''s luxurious clothes and elegant demeanor, like a lady from a rich family, he put down the door board in his hand and squeezed out a smile, "After you, Miss."


    Cheng Wang had no choice but to slowly turn around. When the boss saw his muddy appearance, he assumed that there was a laborer there. He made a face and wanted to stop him.


    "It''s this young master who wants to buy it. You have to get him to come in and try."


    "This won''t do. Look at his muddy clothes. After he''s tried out my clothing, how can I sell it if I get even a little wet?"


    Cheng Jian was overjoyed. "Not bad, not bad at all. We should change the day."


    Ling Xinning could not help but glare at him gloomily. "Could it be that you plan to ¡­ Is it indecent? "


    Cheng Di was at a loss for words, he was not good at lying, so his face immediately turned red, but luckily, his face was covered by mud.


    "Quickly go in and give it a try. At most, you can just buy everything you''ve tried."


    When the boss heard this, he immediately became spirited. He thought to himself, "Could this dull boy be the lover of this young miss Jin?" Looking at this, could it be that Miss and her servant had to say something about a relationship? Or maybe they went out on a date and the man accidentally fell into a quagmire ¡­ He had already begun to unleash his ability to write whatever he wanted.


    Cheng Qi was startled, "Buy them all? "This ¡­" He suddenly remembered something very important. Today, when he was sliding down the dam, he almost failed to get up. On the way, he seemed to have lost his purse.


    He quickly searched his entire body with a bitter expression on his face. "Miss Ling, I really can''t buy it this time. My purse ¡­"


    Ling Xinning was so angry that she almost fainted. She raised her face and fiercely stared at him. There were people who ate kingly food in this world, and there were people who bought Overlord Robe?


    She repeatedly took in a deep breath to restrain her anger. Finally, she took off her purse and threw it on the counter. She said coldly, "Go and try. I will give you the money."


    Cheng Xian immediately broke into a smile. "Indeed, this is Minister Ling''s daughter. This is the aura of spending a lot of money ¡­"


    "If you continue with your nonsense, I''ll throw a thousand gold at your head!" Ling Xinning clenched her teeth and raised her purse.


    Cheng Qi grabbed the clothes the owner handed him and ran to the back of the fitting room.


    "Well, how is it?"


    "Bring me a few more sets."


    The owner''s face darkened again, "Are you going to buy it or not? What you tried can''t be sold. "


    "Didn''t the girl outside throw her purse at your chest? It''s big enough to buy a few, as you can see. "


    The boss took a look and his expression eased a little, but his tone was still not good. "That''s right, but if you try too much and this lady doesn''t give it to you, I can''t snatch the money from a girl."


    "If she doesn''t pay, then go to the prefecture''s yamen tomorrow and ask for it. Say that this Miss Ling owes you something, Lord Ci Shi will definitely pay for it."


    Ling Xinning was in a bad mood. Standing outside the clothing store, she could not hear how Cheng Qi was going to cheat her.

 C156 Buy clothes(2)

    When dusk fell on the whole street, lanterns were lit under the porch of the night shop. Ling Xinning began to feel impatient, and the mosquitoes during the summer night began to wreak havoc. She stomped into the shop.


    "Cheng Lang, why are you dawdling around even more than a woman, haven''t you recovered yet?" Her tone had already begun to lose its politeness. In any case, as the daughter of the Office''s President, she did not need to be polite to a mere teacher. She had spent her good upbringing on Xiao Yixiu.


    At this time, Cheng Dong slowly walked out. It was unknown what he was using to wipe his face, the mud had almost been wiped clean, and he was wearing a curvy robe, which was embroidered with an azure green bamboo, and a round and gentle jade pendant was hanging around his waist.


    "This is it?" Ling Xinning looked at it for a moment and then took out some crushed silver from her purse.


    "Miss, a total of twenty-three taels of fifty-six taels of silver. Look at how much you''ve bought, wipe off all the rest. Twenty three taels ¡­"


    "What?" Chi Yue''s clothes are more expensive than the capital? " Ling Xinning stared at Cheng Ling, and did not feel that his clothes were anything special or luxurious.


    "There are six of them, plus a belt and a pair of shoes."


    Ling Xinning cast her gaze at Cheng Wang, and even had the urge to kill.


    Cheng smiled at her without shame, and walked to the state office with his boss''s packed clothes in high spirits.


    "Miss Ling, you are the young miss of the Shang Shu Family, I am just a teacher appointed to this poverty-stricken place the first time I am appointed, alas ¡­ You won''t let me pay you back, will you? "


    Ling Xinning almost fainted.


    The dam had been built to the very last one. There were a total of eight dams in the design. The eighth dam was located at the most upstream. Only a few builders were left.


    Gu Qingli walked to the deepest part of the dike and looked up. The dam was rolling like a goose''s wings, and the torrential water was rushing down the dike. The white waves were like beads of jade, but it slowed down when they reached the downstream.


    Before her, on the lowest embankment, a clear river gurgled over the ridge, and as the curtain poured down, it began to rush, with a roar, toward the cut of the mountain path.


    "How is it, did you get back together with the Prince last night?" Cheng Kai''s voice rang in his ears.


    Gu Qingli suddenly turned around and couldn''t help laughing. Although it seemed like he didn''t know anything, she knew in her heart that sshe had already taken her and Xiao Yi Xiu''s cold war to heart. Last night, he had found an opportunity to help Ling Xin Ning.


    She swept her long hair and smiled as she shook her head. "There is no misunderstanding between us. Minister Cheng is considerate. Many thanks."


    Cheng Qi saw that she didn''t want to talk anymore, so he didn''t ask any more questions. He walked around her and headed upstream.


    "Imperial Concubine Gu ¡­ "Gu ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li looked towards the source of the voice and saw Deng Shengchuan gasping for breath. He was sweating profusely as he ran over, followed by a few panting servants. He was actually not running as fast as them.


    "Boss Deng, what''s going on?"


    "Please ¡­" "Quickly come to my house and take a look ¡­" He finally managed to catch his breath, "For some reason, my beloved concubine''s condition has been repeating itself. Suddenly, her face darkened and she fainted!"


    "How is this possible?" Gu Qing raised his eyebrows. It was obvious that the last time Fang Yanzhu had her pulse checked, the poison had already disappeared. As long as she added a little more nourishment, she would be completely recovered.


    However, Deng Shengchuan was in a state of panic, and apparently, he could not get any answers out of her, so she could only follow him down the embankment.


    Amongst the merchants, Deng Shengchuan agreed to her conditions at the beginning. He didn''t even bargain with her and immediately sent people to other counties to buy grain and then shipped it back. He kept his word. For this reason, Gu Qingli couldn''t just ignore Fang Ya and Zhu.


    Fang Yanzhu was lying quietly on the bed, her face ashen. Deng Shengchuan paced back and forth, and Gu Qingli was so disturbed by him that her pulse couldn''t even calm down. She could only sweep him with her eyes: "Boss Deng, can I trouble you to go out for a bit? "Since you are here, I will call for you if I need you."


    Deng Shengchuan knew that he didn''t know anything and that he was in too much of a mess to help so he could only step back.


    Fang Yaju''s pulse was very disorderly, completely different from the previous signs of poisoning. However, looking at her complexion and hearing that there was indeed something wrong, Gu Qingli knitted her brows and remained silent. She then bent over to touch the wrist on the inside of her bed.


    Just as she touched the soft sleeve, Fang Yaju''s eyes suddenly opened and she flipped her wrist upwards. Gu Qingli immediately felt a sharp pain on her fingertip and abruptly retracted it. She saw a drop of blood seeping out from her fingertip.


    Fang Yanzhu suddenly rolled over from the bed, dodging one of Gu Qing Li''s attacks. She then rolled further inside the bed, but was unable to avoid her second attack. With a clench, she let go of her left shoulder, letting out a cry of pain.


    Gu Qingli didn''t hold back at all. She swiftly removed her other arm before she had time to squeeze out the blood on her fingertip.


    "It''s too late." Fang Yanzhu suddenly smiled dryly. There was something strange about her expression.


    Gu Qingli ignored her and continued squeezing the blood from her fingertips. She quickly ripped a sheet and tied the top of her arm tightly.


    "What are you trying to do by framing me with your own life?" Gu Qing Li shouted.


    Deng Shengchuan had heard the commotion outside and was stunned when he rushed in.


    "Don''t come near me, Shengchuan." Fang Yanzhu''s voice was getting weaker and weaker.


    "What is going on?" Deng Shengchuan was drenched in cold sweat.


    Fang Yanzhu said softly, "The poison in your body cannot be cured. It is just like the poison in my body. I know that you''re the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, and your medical skills are marvelous, but you should also know that there''s always some poison in this world that cannot be cured. "


    "Who are you?!"


    "I can''t tell you this, or my whole family will die." Fang Yanzhu smiled desolately and shook her head. "When I first married Shengchuan, I went against my orders. In the end, they still found me ¡­." I... I wasn''t poisoned later on, I was counterattacked by the Gu in my body. Have you heard of a Gu Master? "


    Gu Qingli was startled, "A Gu? To use blood as the raw material to nourish the Gu worm? "


    Fang Yaju nodded her head slowly, "Before you came here, someone already gave me a death order to poison you. I wasn''t willing ¡­ I am not kind, I know you are the King Mo''s second wife, if you die, the Deng family will suffer ¡­ Thus, they activated the Gu in my body and caused me to fall into a coma.


    "But you still attacked me in the end!"


    Fang Yanzhu nodded her head slowly, "I have no other choice. While you are giving me medical treatment, they give me an order once again, but I still reject them ¡­ But this time ¡­ "They directly threatened me with Shengchuan''s life ¡­"

 C157 Fangyazhu

    "Why have you never told me this?! What kind of special status do you have? " Deng Shengchuan almost collapsed as his eyes turned red.


    Fang Yaju suddenly looked pained as she raised the hand Gu Qing had used to connect the veins. Lifting her sleeve, her snow-white arm gradually revealed a hint of green, and then her skin started to churn as if something was about to break out of her body.


    "That''s right ¡­" "This ¡­" In her perfectly fine hand was a porcelain bottle. She pointed it at her wrist.


    Gu Qingli stared unblinkingly as a black thread-like worm pierced her skin and into a porcelain bottle.


    Fang Yanzhu quickly sealed the bottle with a cork and passed it to her. "You ¡­" Promise me one thing. "


    "What is it?"


    "Promise me you''ll let go of Shengchuan and the Deng family, and I''ll give this to you."


    Gu Qingli said coldly, "You already said that there''s no cure for the poison in my body. Why do you want me to save his life after scheming so much?"


    "I... I told you about your poison... No, but you take this... By nurturing it within your body, you will become a Gu ¡­ "An item like that won''t die for a while."


    "But if the ''they'' you mentioned were to activate this Gu, wouldn''t I still die?"


    Fang Yanzhu shook her head: "They... They can''t guess that I''m going to give you this... With the Gu, the Gu dies, the person dies, I ¡­ "As long as I disappear, they''ll think I ran away ¡­"


    Gu Qingli was stunned for a moment. "Then why did you insist on using the poison method on me in order to force me to protect Deng Shengchuan?"


    "You ¡­ You showed signs of being poisoned, and they believed that I had done something to you... "Moreover, I don''t have the capital to negotiate with you. The only way is to give you a life, and then you will agree to my conditions ¡­"


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath, feeling neither sympathy nor anger in her heart. She said coldly, "I don''t like being threatened."


    A trace of a strange smile appeared on Fang Yaju''s face. "You ¡­" You will agree. This poison will act up in a quarter of an hour ¡­ You... Even if you have the Heavenly Medicine Technique, you still can''t gather all of the medicinal ingredients in an instant ¡­ If you die, your Prince ¡­ "It will be very sad ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li''s heart thumped as he extended his hand after some hesitation.


    The moment she touched the porcelain bottle, Gu Qingli suddenly asked, "You''re not afraid that I''ll break my promise and still investigate Deng Shengchuan''s crimes?"


    Fang Yanzhu sighed, "Then I also... There was no other way ¡­ I''m going to die... "We can only take a gamble. Do you understand that a woman gives her all to the man she loves?"


    "Yanzhu!" The veins on Deng Shengchuan''s forehead were popping out and his face was pale. He no longer cared about asking as he rushed forward with the intention of hugging Fang Yanzhu.


    "Don''t touch her!" Gu Qingli suddenly stretched out her arm to stop him, forcing him to retreat a few steps. Fang Yanzhu, who was on the bed, had already begun to slowly soften and collapse. Her entire body gradually turned into a ball, and even her face became blurry.


    "Please ¡­" This was the last sound she could make. It was impossible to tell where it came from.


    Fang Yanzhu hadn''t had the chance to tell her anything related to her origins. Perhaps she couldn''t tell her where she came from. Like the sci-fi movies that Gu Qingli had seen in her previous life, she had collapsed, disintegrated, dissolved, and liquefied again, finally disappearing.


    Deng Shengchuan''s body swayed and fell to the ground with a thud.


    Gu Qingli was also lost in thought for a moment. She lowered her head and opened the bottle in her hand, watching as the black streak drilled into the bloodstain on her fingertip.


    However, a feeling as cold as ice flowed through his body, and soon returned to normal.


    Gu Qingli didn''t have time to think about it. She looked back at Deng Shengchuan and saw that his entire person seemed to have been extracted from his soul. His expression was extremely frightening and his eyes were so red that it seemed as if blood was about to drip out.


    "Boss Deng? "Deng ¡­"


    Deng Shengchuan suddenly raised his head and looked at her with a mournful look on his face, "Tell me, why did you do this? "Why?"


    Gu Qingli took in a deep breath. She knew that Deng Shengchuan had lost control of his emotions at that moment, but if he were to act recklessly, he could only fail to live up to the sacrifice that Fang Yanzhu had made for him.


    She slowly said: "Boss Deng, you must calm down. You must remember, Fang Yanzhu did not commit suicide, she was killed by someone, and right now, you must act as if you do not know everything about her. Today, I came to diagnose her illness, but she poisoned me, then escaped and disappeared."


    Deng Shengchuan was obviously irrational at the moment. He had forgotten about her respect for etiquette. He looked at her and sneered, "It''s easy to say. Now that someone you like is dead, you should calm down and let me see!"


    Gu Qingli saw the tears rolling down his face, and the hatred and sorrow intertwined. She couldn''t help but sigh lightly: "If you continued to grieve so much that you lost control and said everything, then she''ll have died in vain. Why do you think she died? If she were to kill me, the Mo Residence would not spare you. If she did not kill me, the power behind her would kill you. She was stuck in the middle and had no choice but to gamble with this kind of decisive method. "Boss Deng, live well. Remember what I said. I won''t let her die in vain."


    Deng Shengchuan ignored her and just sat there motionlessly, tears flowing down his face. He pressed his palm to the ground and slowly closed it, the tip of his finger almost digging into the ground.


    Gu Qingli''s usually cold heart couldn''t help but soften as a sour feeling rose in her chest. No matter how bizarre Fang Yanzhu''s identity was, her marriage to Deng Shengchuan must have been done from the bottom of her heart, which was why she had betrayed her organization. In the end, the reason why he was found and then forced to self-destruct was all for him ¡­


    "Boss Deng, you think about it yourself. With your intelligence, you should know what you have to do." Gu Qing Li slowly walked out. She wasn''t worried about Deng Shengchuan. He was a rational and intelligent person who could make the family business as large as thirty-five branch families in the country. After his grief passed, when he woke up, he would definitely know what to do.


    On the other hand, she was the one who wasn''t dead yet, and she didn''t know what the Gu worm in her body was. She needed to go back and carefully feel the changes in its body, and first understand how to deal with it.


    She wasn''t willing to be like Fang Yanzhu, become a Gu Master for life, and place a ticking time bomb in her body.


    Gu Qing Li walked with a heavy heart, deep in thought. Suddenly, a figure jumped out from the bottom of her heart.


    How could she have forgotten Ling Xinning? Wen`er''s words floated in her mind as she slowly connected the dots.


    Ling Xinning had been friends with Fang Yanzhu before, and they were both quite mysterious.


    In fact, Fang Yaju had once warned her that a girl born into a rich family would be even more difficult to deal with than those beauties. In fact, she was specifically referring to Ling Xinning ¡­ Then, what about forcing Fang Yanzhu and even forcing her to do it ¡­ Could it be Ling Xinning?!


    Then they must be from the same organization.


    Gu Qing Li had a vague guess in his mind. Wasn''t her past life a very special status?

 C158 The History of Ling Xinning

    Five hundred thousand taels of silver for disaster relief. He didn''t say too much, he said too little. After Cheng''s personal budget, he had to review each item and seal them, then hand them over to Xiaoyi Xiu for trial.


    In addition to the 200,000 pieces of Snowflake Silver that You Chenguang donated, the materials needed to repair the dike, as well as the manpower, there were about half of the remaining balance that could be used to rebuild the house after the disaster. Apart from the houses and courtyards that could still be used after they surfaced, there should be plenty of money left over.


    He had spent the last few days with Zhu Wei''an and You Chenguang. In addition to occasionally going to the embankment to check on the situation, most of them were planning the resettlement of the victims. Instead, he had drifted away from Shi Zhenfeng and Deng Shengchuan.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked up as the carriage passed by. Chi Yue was one of the most luxurious buildings in the world. There were red paint paintings on the outside and auspicious beasts lining his back. The glazed roof tiles shone with a brilliant light.


    A shadow flashed by the empty handrail upstairs.


    He seemed to have watched it for a very long time, until the carriage passed the pavilion and he could no longer see it clearly.


    "Prince, what are you looking at?" Ling Xinning''s gentle voice sounded. Recently, she had been inseparable from Xiao Yi, and even went to the Chamber of Commerce to discuss things with the merchants.


    "This King is thinking about why you, the dignified daughter of the Minister, would mingle with those ladies of the brocade pavilion."


    Ling Xinning closed her eyes and sighed after a while, "Perhaps to Your Highness, there are many unsolved mysteries on my body. I did not mention them, but in fact, I did not hide them from you on purpose. "Actually, it''s not easy to look back."


    Xiao Yi Xiu kept looking at her, her eyes calm. Ling Xinning knew that he was just waiting for her to confess.


    She gave a small, bitter smile. Her thoughts were somewhat vague, so she began to narrate the story of her life.


    In fact, Ling Xinning was just Ling Yuanzhang''s illegitimate daughter when she was under the title of Assassin.


    In the past, when Ling YuanZhang had left for office, he had coincidentally sent his wife to die. He had gotten to know Ling Xinning''s mother, the daughter of a merchant from a small family called Jade. Originally, Ling Xinning''s mother had made the house. Although it was considered a high level, she was still from an innocent background. The bad news was that when Ling Yuanzhang had sent the news back to the capital to report it to Ling Pu, he had met with opposition.


    Ling Pu discussed the marriage with Ling Yuan, and also planned to move him back to the capital. As a result, Ling Xinning''s mother could not possibly take him in as a wife or at most a concubine. Although her mother was born into a small family, she was very stubborn and did not want to be a concubine. Yet she refused.


    Ling Yuanzhang quickly returned to the capital and gradually forgot about this girl. However, he did not expect that she was born with a hidden knot and gave birth to Ling Xinning.


    At that time, the woman who got pregnant first was about to be dipped in a pig cage, and her parents couldn''t accept this. In order to keep this secret and protect the family''s honor, her father had secretly sent the child away with the intention of hiding this matter and casually married her off. In the end, there was an unexpected fire. Other than Ling Xinning, who had been sent off, not a single one of them survived.


    "Then how did you know about your background?"


    "My mother was powerless to resist. She secretly wrote a blood book and put it in my cradle. "She even left a mark on my body ¡­" "Ling Xinning rolled up her sleeves. On her snow-white arms, there was a flower shaped mark." "This is the golden hairpin my parents gave my mother when they were having fun together. She used it to burn this imprint on my body."


    Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but raise his eyebrows slowly. At that time, she was still in her infancy, and her mother really was ruthless.


    "Then who did you grow up with?"


    Ling Xinning blinked and said, "I followed my adoptive parents for a short while and was then kidnapped and sold off. After selling a few moves, I met with President You and was kind enough to redeem me as a maidservant. "After a few years, when I had a lot of trust in him, I finally dared to show him my personal blood letter and ask him to help me find my father."


    "So you''re saying that Minister Ling did recognize you?"


    "There''s Jin Chai and the Book of Blood, and my mother and I look exactly the same. How could he not recognize them?" Ling Xinning sighed, "So what if I do? Madam Ling will not let me go back to the Ling Residence in the capital. As someone born in the Shu Family, if I say that I have some use for her, it will be ¡­"


    Her eyes dimmed.


    "When Ling Yuanzhang learned that this king was here to provide relief, he intentionally sent you here through You Chenguang as a present?"


    Ling Xinning pursed her lips and did not say anything, her face somewhat pale.


    "Then what is your purpose? Don''t tell me that you were used by Xiao Yimo to curry favor with me. Although he does not necessarily take you, his cousin, seriously, he would not necessarily express goodwill to Ben Wang. "


    Ling Xinning suddenly raised her head, with a hint of coldness on her pale face: "Just because they planned everything so well doesn''t mean that I want to be with them. My birth father can use me as a gift and use me as he pleases, so how can I not use them? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled calmly. "So you want to get the better of me before you get the better of me and use me to kill people?"


    Ling Xinning trembled as cold sweat slid down her forehead, "No ¡­ "I ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s smile was faint and distant, but he suddenly shot out like lightning, grabbing her by the throat and coldly saying, "You are a very good chess piece, just that you aren''t obedient enough." You set up a trap for the side concubine to misunderstand Ben Wang and build a dam on her own. At the same time, you try to rope in You Chenguang and Ben Wang''s relationship... What is your plan? "


    Ling Xin bit her lower lip and remained silent with a pale face.


    The water level rose again and again due to the torrential rain, but it could no longer reach beyond the dam. Some of the shunting went from the dam to the artificial channel at the foot of the June Mountain. The channel under the dam led to the irrigation of the farmland, and some of the worrying floods were immediately and successfully resolved.


    The state''s yamen was packed with merchants and gentry, all of whom were present, drinking cups and talking joyously, including Zhu Wei''an, and praising King Mo and his concubine for their meritorious governance.


    It wasn''t until the end of the banquet that he stood up with a smile and raised his glass. He announced that he would return to the capital in three days'' time, and the rest of the matters would be decided by Shui Li and Li Zhongli.


    Zhu Wei An was shocked, "Although the water calamity has already been decided, the reconstruction has not been completed yet. Why did the prince leave just like that?"


    "This King has left the capital for more than two months. It''s about time to return. "Cheng Lang is young and capable. His plan for reconstruction has been set, and his budget has been cleared. It will be fine as long as we have him and Zhu Chi to handle it together."


    "But ¡­" He still seemed to be trying to get her to stay.


    You Chenguang also showed an extremely reluctant expression, repeatedly urging Xiao Yi Xiu to stay a while longer.


    Shi Zhenfeng seemed to have drank too much at this time. He propped himself up from the table and sneered, "Your highness, this one will also toast to you."


    You Chenguang stopped him, "Boss Shi drank too much."


    Shi Zhenfeng pushed him away and said, "We drink too much wine, that''s why we have so much. But your highness ¡­" His cup was filled with water ¡­ This is too... You''re not giving me any face at all. Now that the prince was about to leave, he emptied his goblet... It can be said that Shi Zhenfeng has helped Chi Yue to become a host. "


    "Boss Shi, you''re really drunk." You Chenguang frowned, but his expression seemed as if he was deliberately trying to dishonor Xiao Yixiu as he signaled for someone to pull him down.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at him coldly, but didn''t say a word.


    Just as Shi Zhenfeng was drunk and was about to leave the room, he heard a crisp sound of a wine cup shattering. The entire room was silent.

 C159 homecoming(1)

    He raised his trembling hand and pointed at Xiao Yi Xiu, "My prince, even though you are a noble prince, your secondary wife caused my beloved concubine to go missing, so how are we going to settle this debt?"


    The news of Deng Shengchuan''s beloved concubine, Fang Yanzhu, disappearing had already spread throughout the Chamber of Commerce, but no one knew that it had something to do with Gu Qingli.


    "Ever since Madame Gu helped treat my beloved concubine, she''s been missing. Doesn''t this have anything to do with Madame Gu?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu frowned, but before he could say anything, the curtain in the living room lifted as Gu Qing Li walked in.


    "Deng Shengchuan, this side of the concubine was kind enough to treat your beloved concubine, but I don''t know what made Fang Yanzhu lose her mind. As for her not returning to the Deng Mansion later on, what does this have to do with my wife? " Gu Qingli raised her slender fingers. There was a red mark on the tip of her finger, indicating that it was a new injury.


    "Ya Zhu is a weak girl, how could she do such a thing? Besides, even if she wanted to harm you, she wouldn''t leave such a small wound on your fingertip! I, Deng Shengchuan, don''t need anything. As long as you return Ya Zhu to me ¡­ "You ¡­"


    "What''s going on? All of you have gone mad today! " Zhu Wei An slapped the table and stood up. "This is too outrageous!"


    You Chenguang kept trying to smooth things over, but it seemed like he wouldn''t be able to continue fighting. On the other side, it seemed like he was borrowing the alcohol to make a ruckus again. The scene was a mess.


    "Men, take them down first!" Zhu Wei An''s face darkened, and he ordered the magistrate to drag Shi Zhenfeng and Deng Shengchuan down first.


    These two were famous figures in the region, so he could not be careless. However, the scene before him was indeed difficult to deal with, so he could only use force to suppress them. Fortunately, King Mo returned to the capital three days later. As long as the two of them were locked up for three days, it would not be too late to make amends in the future.


    After sending off the banquet, Xiao Yi Xiu called Cheng Hao over. He looked much darker and skinnier than when he came here. With a warm smile on his face, he said, "You''ve been doing quite well. Have you worked hard?"


    "No!" The one who is truly tired is Imperial Concubine Gu. " Cheng Qi looked outside and asked carefully, "My lord, you have not..." "Make up?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled but didn''t say anything.


    "It was all Miss Ling''s doing. Prince, you must not fall into her trap."


    "Do your own thing, Cheng Wang, and leave the rest of the Chi Yue to you. Don''t disappoint your uncle."


    Cheng Wan nodded, it was just some follow-up work, he thought he was more than qualified.


    Xiao Yi Xiu got on the carriage early in the morning, waving goodbye to the passersby. Zhu Wei An''s face was full of courtesy, but Cheng Wang looked around. When he saw that Gu Qing Li had arrived late, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    Gu Qing Li glanced at him with a smile in his eyes. This Cheng Wang looked young and immature, but in reality, he was full of zeal and admiration for her.


    "That... And Miss Ling? It''s been a few days. " Cheng Kai lowered his voice, afraid that he would be overheard.


    "You''re so gossipy, are you interested in her?" Gu Qingli also laughed softly.


    "What is gossip?" "I don''t like her at all. If I want to like her, I have to be as wise and knowledgeable as the side concubine."


    Then, as if noticing his slip of tongue, he covered his mouth and widened his eyes, his face immediately turning red.


    Gu Qingli smiled as she waved at him, then stepped into the carriage.


    The wheels slowly rolled away from the state.


    Gu Qingli let out a sigh of relief and pointed at the bottom of the carriage with the sole of her shoe. She glanced at Xiao Yixiu and said, "If you don''t let her out, he''ll suffocate to death if the air in the bottom of the carriage isn''t enough."


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed. He pressed something and it clicked. At the bottom of the carriage, Ling Xin Ning was curled up in a ball with her mouth stuffed into her mouth. She narrowed her eyes as if she was not used to the light. He leaned over and pulled her out, the car door closing.


    Ling Xinning struggled to put on a face of anger, but was unable to say anything.


    "Don''t be in such a hurry. After we pass through the boundary of the Scarlet Mountain Range, I''ll give you your freedom." Xiao Yi Xiu smiled leisurely. "I know you have a lot of questions, but the alliance that you''ve mentioned will not be cancelled."


    Doubt arose in Ling Xinning''s eyes as she finally calmed down. She moved her body, trying to lean comfortably against Xiao Yi Xiu''s legs.


    "Sit over there!" Gu Qing Li suddenly glared at Xiao Yi Xiu.


    He was slightly startled, then broke into laughter. He got up and sat next to Gu Qingli, then wrapped her arm around her slender waist.


    Gu Qingli unwillingly turned around and tried to push him away, but she was held even tighter.


    "You know that I don''t have anything to do with her, but you''re still jealous of me?" Xiao Yixiu laughed in a low voice beside her ear. The breath he let out was gentle and cool, causing her ears to turn red for no reason, and his gaze to soften.


    "That''s hard to say ¡­"


    Ling Xinning suddenly protested, her eyes filled with anxiety.


    Gu Qingli took off the cloth in her mouth and said, "What do you want to say? Don''t expect to scream for help. "


    Ling Xinning panted for a while before glaring at her: "Gu Lengfei, since when did you know the truth?"


    "From the moment I saw the man on the bed, my anger rose up and I lost my mind in an instant, but ¡­" She looked back at Xiao Yixiu, and felt his fingers tighten around her waist as she smiled at him. "I know very well that the man I married isn''t that kind of person, so even if he really was lying on the bed, he must have been tricked by you."


    "Then I reached out and touched his face, and I saw that it was only a cold human mask, and that you were using his absence to set up such a trap, and that once I lost my mind, a misunderstanding would occur. In order to make you feel like you''ve fallen into a trap, of course I have to be very cooperative and angry. "


    Xiao Yixiu smiled and continued, "When she was angry at me, she hinted that I was the apple of her parents'' eye when they were at the Prime Minister''s Residence. This King naturally knows that it was a play by her, so it''s best to cooperate with her. "


    "What''s wrong with that?" Ling Xinning was stunned.


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled but didn''t answer. Only he knew clearly that Gu Qingli had never been the apple of her eyes. Her birth mother had died early, but her birth father had treated her like a family pet. He had raised her indifferently and casually and had never cared about her existence.


    "Then why didn''t you expose him earlier and instead pretended to be a villain?"


    Gu Qingli said coldly, "In Chi Yue''s place, if they didn''t pretend that they had fallen into a trap, what else would Zhu Wei An and You Chenguang do? Who can predict?"


    Ling Xinning fell silent.


    "Don''t forget the deal you made with This King. If you leave Chi Yue, whatever tricks you want to play in front of This King, you will die without a sound at any time."


    Ling Xinning lowered her head, and said: "Don''t worry, I won''t forget. Although Ling Yuanzhang gave birth to me, he never did his duty of a day as a father. After recognizing me, it was only because I had some value that he threw me at the Crimson Yue ¡­ He wants me to separate from you all, infiltrate your palace, and gain your trust. "


    She raised her face and bit her lower lip, "My birth mother died. After giving me away, she ¡­ "He committed suicide."


    Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li couldn''t help but look at each other. Why was his background so similar to Xiao Yi Xiu''s?


    "I know they won''t let you go. When we return to the capital, an inescapable net will be waiting for you ¡­" Ling Xinning stared at Xiao Yixiu, "You will not regret your deal with me. As long as Ling Yuanzhang''s family is destroyed, I want all of his children to have a taste of a fate as tragic as mine ¡­"

 C160 Synonyms

    After returning to the capital, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t waste any time as he went back to report to the imperial court.


    In the imperial court, Xiao Yiyan, who was similarly worn out from the journey, was serving in Beijing at about the same time as he did. During the droughts in Longzhou, Xiao Yiyan had accomplished a great service for the disaster. In fact, Xiao Yixiu had already learned from Chi Yue that this was the reason why he was rushing back to the capital, fearing that there would be some unforeseen event. The other reason was that he had learned that the Princess of Lan Xunxi was about to arrive. It was rumored that she had come precisely for the sake of marriage.


    After the two of them finished narrating their duties, the emperor''s expression was one of serenity. It was obvious that he was comforted by this. Actually, long before they arrived at the capital, Long Zhou and Chi Yue both had news that they were rushing back, he had already thought of that in his heart.


    The emperor''s stern face revealed a rare trace of a smile. He especially rewarded the two of them, giving them rewards without distinction. The court officials looked at the two of them with different thoughts.


    After retreating from the imperial court, Xiao Yi Xiu walked slowly on his own. Suddenly, he heard Xiao Yi Yan call out to him from behind, "Fifth brother."


    He turned around and looked at the haggard Xiao Yi Yan. The look in his eyes had long since left many traces of his vicissitudes. It was as if the few months of estrangement had changed this younger brother of his.


    He nodded his head indifferently. It had been a long time since he had heard Xiao Yiyan call him this.


    Xiao Yiyan did not seem to know what to do, and after hesitating for a moment he said: "Fifth Brother, going to Chi Yue will be very hard, right? The calamity there is far more serious than in the Longzhou region. Actually, royal father''s bestowal is a bit unfair ¡­ " The water treatment was nothing compared to the drought, and it was an extremely difficult challenge for Xiao Yixiu, who was not proficient in water conservancy at all.


    For the Crimson Yue to have such a successful conclusion, it was obvious that the Emperor was extremely surprised.


    "You and I are probably not people who care about these things."


    Xiao Yiyan nodded, and said hesitantly: "We ¡­ "Can you go back to the past?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu stood still and looked at him for a long time. He then smiled, "A Yan, you know that you''re part of the imperial family and you''ve never had any true brotherly feelings. Every prince has been doomed since they were adults.


    He turned around and left. He heard Xiao Yiyan say from behind, "Fifth brother, I''m not really going to go to the rescue, maybe you don''t believe me, no one will believe me. But I really don''t want to take the path that my mother laid for me."


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t look back, nor did he stop. He just smiled in a gentle and pitying manner. Ah Yan is such a silly child. With a mother like that, how can he walk his own path in this life?


    The dark tide of the feud lurked and surged, and every day the court was as breathtaking as the battlefields of the Golden Steel Horse.


    On the fifth day after Chi Yue''s return to the capital, Xiao Yi Xiu was standing in the imperial court and felt the strange atmosphere.


    "Reporting to your majesty, there''s an urgent message from Chi Yue. He''s invited ¡­" At the last moment of the construction of the dike, he was swept into the huge wave and never was again ¡­ "Fishing it."


    "What?" The emperor''s eyes were filled with shock.


    Xiao Yixiu looked over. The person who spoke was the Minister of Industry, Bai Wanqing. His eyes were red, and the grief in them was like a tidal wave as they confronted him.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart gradually grew cold, but he remained silent. Before this, he had just met Bai Wanqing in private and had a pleasant conversation with him. He had even felt that Bai Wanqing, who had always been unwilling to participate in the war between the imperial court and the imperial court, had relaxed his tone and had leaned towards him.


    But how did this accident happen? Why on earth? From the look in Bai Wanqing''s eyes, he had a feeling that the situation had developed to the point where he could control everything.


    "This matter was caused by Cheng Qu''s own mistake. He overtook the river bank in rainy weather and didn''t have any security measures in place. That''s why he was involved ¡­"


    The Emperor also sighed a few words, and gave Cheng the promised reward behind him in a neutral manner. Bai Wanqing, on his behalf, respectfully thanked Emperor Long on his behalf.


    "Minister Bai... Minister Bai, take care. "


    Bai Wanqing suddenly turned around and stared coldly at Xiao Yi Xiu. A trace of malevolence appeared on her normally stern and serious face.


    "Professor Bai, can you elaborate on Cheng''s invitation?"


    "Say what?" Bai Wanqing''s voice was low but cold and piercing, "Your Highness, don''t you know why you''re doing this? He is only a substitute for the prince. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu was silent.


    "Your highness must have heard the news beforehand and returned to the capital early, right? Chi Yue''s connections were complicated. They did not wish for the disaster relief to succeed, and since the prince had seized the limelight, it naturally attracted the envy of many. With that tone, it was inevitable that it would fall on Cheng Xun, and the one who took action was treating Cheng Wang as his own. However, he ¡­ So young, and yet so the victim of your struggle. "


    "Minister Bai, please listen to what I have to say..."


    "This official does not want to hear about it. Although Bai Wanqing is only a second-rate Shang, he does not have the heart to climb up the ranks of the noble clans. I only hope that the struggle for the position of Emperor of the Xiao Dynasty will not involve this official anymore."


    Xiao Yi Xiu watched Bai Wanqing''s departing back as he sighed inwardly. The faint sense of unease he felt grew stronger. He had a feeling that things would not be so simple, that Cheng Xun would not be the first victim at the right time.


    As expected, the next day, another storm arose.


    This time, it was actually a joint letter from the Crimson Yue Chamber of Commerce, accusing King Mo, Xiao Yixiu, of using water treatment as an excuse for disaster relief, inviting him along with a water manager, bullying the country gentry, and using his authority to force others into submission. Not only did he embezzle and restrain corruption, he even forcefully collected disaster funds, making a total of ten counts.


    This written proclamation was delivered by Scarlet Yue Sting Zuvian. It was sent by Qin Bi to the Emperor through a Chinese calligraphy order. It was written in a clear and well-documented manner.


    The emperor''s face darkened as he looked at the memorial in front of him, one word at a time.


    "Mo Wang, take a look at this memorial."


    Xiao Yi Xiu picked up the memorial, but remained silent after he finished reading it.


    "Say it yourself. Explain it clearly to me one by one."


    "Father, this son cannot explain himself clearly."


    The king raised his eyebrows and said coldly, "Is it difficult to explain? The evidence is indisputable and there is no way to explain it?"


    Xiao Yixiu smirked, but only a smile appeared on his face. "Since the evidence is conclusive, we''ll wait until the evidence is in the court."


    "Mo King!" Even as a prince, you should understand that national laws do not favor personal feelings. You should have some explanation for this matter! "


    "Since it''s a joint application, let''s wait until it reaches the capital." Xiao Yi Xiu closed the memorial and said indifferently, "It''s just a piece of paper. So what if all the signatures of the merchants are gathered here? Who heard what they said? What about the evidence? Just those two hundred thousand silver bills from You Chenguang? "


    Qin Bi raised his feminine voice and said: "Zhu Wei An said that he will arrive in the capital soon. He will personally come to the imperial court to bring the Crimson Yue Chamber of Commerce to join the leading merchants and present their evidence."


    "Very well, then let''s wait." Whether it was fortune or misfortune was unavoidable. Xiao Yi Xiu looked calmly at Bai Wanqing with a gaze filled with hatred.


    Bai Wanqing hated him, and he could understand, but Cheng was suspicious of his death.


    After returning to the manor, Xiao Yixiu naturally couldn''t avoid Gu Qingli''s gaze as if he had something weighing on his mind. He could only tell his the news of Cheng''s death and the matter regarding the letter.

 C161 Gu organ(1)

    "Cheng Jian died?" Gu Qingli couldn''t believe it. How could such a bright and youthful smile disappear just like that? She had a sore nose and felt that Cheng''s death had something to do with her.


    "Bai Wanqing thinks that he was implicated by us and is now full of hatred towards me."


    "Impossible." Gu Qingli said flatly, "This is not anger, this is estrangement. How did they find out about Cheng Wan Qing''s identity, and guess that you wanted to rope in Bai Wanqing, causing all of you to go against your wishes ¡­ "


    Her expression suddenly changed: "We neglected Ling Xinning!"


    Ling Xinning lived in a stormy place, and there were always shadow guards watching over her, so she was not free. Seeing that Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li had both walked in, he couldn''t help but be stunned. He asked calmly, "What''s the matter? Did you remember me?"


    "Did you reveal Cheng Wang''s identity to someone?"


    "What''s Cheng Wang''s identity?" Ling Xinning''s eyes were filled with doubt, "Is that the blackmailing guy?" In her mind, the only impression she had of Cheng was that he had knocked on the money for six sets of clothes.


    Gu Qing Li and Xiao Yi Xiu looked at each other. They didn''t think that she was faking it. "Cheng Jian is Bai Wanqing''s nephew. When he was overseeing work on the Cloud Traversing River, he fell into the dam and was swept into the river."


    "Who is Bai Wanqing?" Although Ling Xinning was also a scholar, she had never grown up in the capital. She was not clear about the situation in the imperial court and even Bai Wanqing was not aware of it.


    Gu Qingli''s heart relaxed, but then she became at a loss again. "If it wasn''t you, who else could it be?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu briefly explained the relationship between Bai Wanqing''s position and Cheng Wang''s, and Ling Xinning finally understood a little, "Bai Wanqing is the target of all the forces trying to fight for, and now that Cheng Qi is dead, it would be very difficult for you to fight for Bai Wanqing."


    "If it''s not you, then it must be those guys, but Cheng Wang shouldn''t casually reveal his relationship with Bai Wanqing."


    Ling Xinning frowned. "That''s hard to say. Cheng Wang doesn''t seem to be very shrewd ¡­"


    Gu Qingli said, "Actually, we should investigate just who we met and what we did."


    Ling Xinning nodded, "And I think, you all know that Cheng Xiang is Bai Wanqing''s nephew, so you all want to rope him in. Then, if the other party really kills Cheng Wang, even though it destroyed your relationship with Bai Wanqing, he himself wouldn''t get much benefit, maybe ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded slowly. "That''s right." He then looked at her with a faint smile. "Miss Ling, it''s up to you whether or not we can destroy our marriage."


    Ling Xinning pursed her lips as a trace of hatred flashed across her eyes.


    Gu Qingli finally let out a sigh of relief as the two of them walked out of the rainstorm. She said in a low voice, "Really ¡­" How much confidence do you have to knock them down? "


    "It won''t be that easy to overthrow Xiaoyi Mo. However, with Ling Xinning as a chess piece, Ling Yuanzhan will probably... To be betrayed by one''s own daughter may not feel good. "


    "This Ling Xinning is really cruel, even her father can sell."


    Xiao Yixiu smiled calmly, "Being involved in the war between the imperial government and the imperial government, kinship is only a matter of making use of and not using it."


    Gu Qingli suddenly grabbed his hand, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "Xiao Yi Xiu, what would you do if Jiang Shan and I let you choose one of us one day?"


    "There won''t be that day." He lifted his hand and caressed her face. His fingertips rested on the red veil. Returning to the prince''s mansion, in order to conceal her identity, Gu Qing Li still wore the red clothes of Li Yue, and Ling Xin Ning still treated her as a secondary wife.


    "And if there is?" She stubbornly wanted to know what the result would be.


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows slowly, "I want you too. If I give up on all of this, how can I protect you? "


    Gu Qingli was silent.


    The midnight moonlight shone on the bed, and two pairs of shoes lay neatly side by side.


    The muslin curtain began to move slightly, and the fragrance filled the air. Gu Qing Li slipped past Xiao Yi Xiu''s body and got out of bed.


    She sat alone on the stone block under the moonlight. She closed her eyes and guided the flow of air through her body. Her breathing became more rapid as sweat began to seep out from her forehead.


    In her previous life, she hadn''t practiced inner force before Xiao Yi had taught her how to breathe and cultivate. However, she was extremely familiar with the meridian movement of the human body. It was easy to learn it.


    Gu Qing Li''s forehead was covered in beads of sweat, and his long and curvy eyebrows were furrowed. He seemed to be suffering from a pain that came from between his eyebrows. Her patience gradually increased until she bit her lower lip and bled. Finally, she couldn''t hold it anymore and let out a low cry of pain.


    She suddenly opened her eyes and saw a black gas condensing around her fingertip. However, she could not force it out of her body so easily. She wanted to see what it was.


    She only knew that it was a slender black Gu. When it came out from Fang Yanzhu''s fingertip, she did not see it clearly, but when it entered her body, she did not see it clearly. If she did not find out, it would be very difficult for her to find a way to cure it.


    She only knew that when the Gu worm was in her body, if she did not provoke it, it would be as if it did not exist. She would not be in pain, nor would she feel it, but once she moved against it, and even had thoughts of harming it, it was as if it had telepathic senses, causing her extreme pain.


    "Qing Li, what are you doing?"


    Xiao Yixiu''s voice suddenly rang out from behind him. Gu Qing Li shuddered and regained his senses. The black Qi condensed at the tip of his fingers dissipated in a flash. His body spasmed as he cried out in pain.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was shocked and rushed forward to hug her. He looked down to see her face as she tried to resist the pain. He suppressed his anger and asked, "What have you hidden from me?"


    Gu Qingli wanted to speak, but she felt cold all over, as if she had fallen into an icehouse. Even her teeth were chattering loudly.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t understand what was happening, but seeing her change in expression, his face turned pale and started to tremble uncontrollably. He stopped asking questions and hurriedly carried her back to her room.


    The cold energy in Gu Qing Li''s body gradually dispersed, and the pain returned. She trembled and spasmed as she bit her lower lip, causing Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart to clench tightly.


    "Qing Li, Qing Li!"


    The pain in Gu Qingli''s body finally subsided bit by bit. It was as if the Gu worm in her body had sensed that her killing intent had faded away.


    "How is Qing Li?"


    Gu Qing Li opened his eyes slightly, and upon seeing the concern and heartache on his face, his heartstrings trembled as tears began to flow.


    "Xiao Yi Xiu ¡­" "Yi Xiu ¡­" She threw her arms around him, and fear rose in her.


    "What''s wrong? What exactly are you hiding from me? "


    "I might... I''m going to die. "


    "Nonsense!" What exactly happened? "


    She took a deep breath and slowly regained her senses. She lightly shook her head and said, "I''m fine. I just had a nightmare."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s face darkened, "Qing Li! Do you think I''m stupid enough to believe your excuse? Or is it that we don''t even have this much trust between us? "


    "I ¡­"


    "Or do you think I''m incapable of helping you? So you''re just hiding it from me? "


    "Don''t worry, I can take care of it myself. For the time being, there won''t be any danger to my life."


    Xiao Yi Xiu pursed his lips, but didn''t say anything.


    "Xiao Yi Xiu ¡­"

 C162 Guilty(1)

    She gently held his hand, but he shook her off. Her eyes were distant from him, as if she were a thousand miles away. "I don''t think you loved me at all, or how could you not know that my heart hurts even more when you are in pain?"


    Gu Qingli licked the blood that was drying up on her lower lip. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she lowered her head. "I didn''t mean to hide it from you. I was afraid you''d worry about me."


    She had to tell him what happened before Fang Yaju''s death with a sad and sorrowful expression, "You are currently surrounded by enemies. Not only am I unable to help you, but saying something like this makes you worry. How can I bear to do that? "Don''t worry, I really won''t be in danger for the time being. As long as I don''t think of touching it, it will obediently lie in hibernating in my body. There won''t be any accidents."


    "You actually ¡­" Hide from me until now? " Xiao Yixiu restrained his emotions and hugged her again. His soft lips brushed against her forehead, the tip of his nose, and then slid down to her lips.


    "No matter how big the problem is, I will face it with you." He let go of her and went out.


    Gu Qing Li saw a group of people appear outside the window like a phantom. Xiao Yi Xiu muttered a few words in a low voice, and they disappeared without a trace, as if they had never existed.


    When he walked in, there was a gentle smile on his face, "Don''t worry, I will investigate Fang Yanzhu''s background thoroughly and find the person who drugged her."


    "I''m afraid it won''t be that easy. Fang Yanzhu, as a Gu Master, has never been able to get rid of this pain ¡­" Gu Qingli sighed and shook her head. "Things that even I can''t do anything about, it''s hard to believe that there''s anyone else in this world that can solve them."


    "Heaven never bars one''s way."


    She knew this was just a word of relief, but she still forced a smile and nodded. "Yes."


    Six days later, Zhu Wei An brought the members of the Crimson Yue Chamber of Commerce to the capital. During the morning assembly, he summoned the Emperor and entered the throne room one after another.


    Xiao Yixiu, on the other hand, had a tranquil expression on his face. He didn''t even spare a glance at the various merchants and merchants that filed into the chamber of commerce. Instead, he quietly listened to Qin Bi Bin list out the top ten crimes on behalf of Zhu Wei An.


    The emperor was also silent.


    "Where''s your evidence?"


    Zhu Wei An kneeled on the ground and said, "This humble subject has brought the elite merchants of the Crimson Moon Merchant Guild. They are all witnesses. "As for the evidence, aside from the 200,000 banknotes that Prince Mo had obtained from the President of the Mo family, there were also the notes that he had forced the merchants to write, totaling more than a thousand stone grains in total."


    You Chenguang took a step forward and prostrated, "This commoner, You Chenguang, pays his respects to Your Majesty."


    The emperor lightly nodded his head, "You are the president of the Crimson Yue Association?"


    "Yes."


    "What do you have to say?"


    "As the president of the merchant guild, I dare not say anything else. I am slightly proficient in the way of business, including the prices of the surrounding states and counties of the Chi Yue Province."


    The Emperor frowned as he didn''t understand what was the use of saying all this in the throne room.


    "This is the price list of all sorts of materials and labor for the past three months, from the Crimson Yue and all the neighboring prefectures and counties."


    Zhu Wei''an also took out an account book from his sleeve. "After King Mo left Chiyue, this book contained all the materials for building the dikes, the labor price budget and the detailed account report."


    Qin Bi''s slender eyes flashed as he slowly took the books from the duo''s hands. He glanced at Xiao Yi Xiu with a smile that was not a smile. Then, he handed both books over to the Emperor.


    At this moment, the Emperor naturally understood the meaning behind their words. He roughly looked through it, and his face was extremely gloomy. He threw away two books and said, "Qin Bi, take it and carefully read through. After that, report it to me."


    Zhu Wei An''s face was calm, and You Chenguang was smiling. Both of them knew that the Emperor was just going through the motions. You Chen Guang''s price list is simple and detailed, corresponding to the disaster books, clear, there is no need to recount.


    "We are already clear about your petition for appeal. Since we have all the evidence and evidence, we will naturally be able to distinguish them. "I''ll leave the court today, and wait ¡­"


    "Imperial Father, since we''ve travelled thousands of miles to come to the throne room, why don''t we listen to what they have to say?" Everyone thought that Xiao Yi Xiu had gone crazy for actually making such a request.


    For a moment, the entire hall was as silent as a fallen leaf that could be heard. All eyes stared at him in unison. Some were shocked, some were disdainful, some were mocking him, and some were even occasionally sympathetic and doubtful.


    The emperor said with a dark expression, "I have heard clearly the statements of Zhu Wei An and You Chen Guang."


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled slightly and said, "If it''s only their two statements, then why do we need the Crimson Moon Merchant Guild to come forward and testify?"


    The Emperor was stunned, and his gaze descended upon the remaining merchants.


    For the sake of fearing that Xiao Yi Xiu would argue with him, the Chamber of Commerce had come to a great number of places. Other than You Chenguang, there were also six other merchant and squire, all reputable figures of the Scarlet Mountain Range.


    "Alright, I might as well listen more."


    Deng Shengchuan went up first to pay his respects. His expression was haggard and his eyes were a little gloomy, but his words were clear and orderly: "This humble one is the Grand Manager of the Heaven''s Satin Village, Deng Shengchuan. Greetings, Your Majesty."


    As the richest man in the country, he was also famous in the silk branch of the capital. Although not everyone knew him, many officials in the imperial court had heard of his name. After hearing his name, they exchanged glances with different expressions.


    "Reporting to Your Majesty, the list and account books in Lord Zhenshui''s hands are true, but they were merely traps they set for Prince Mo. Ever since Prince Mo stepped into the Scarlet Mountain Range to provide relief, this inescapable net has been set up. "


    "Deng Shengchuan, what nonsense are you spouting?" You Chenguang was shocked as he glared at him.


    Deng Shengchuan ignored him and lightly said, "Everyone knows that I, Deng the Great, am the richest man in the Chi Yue territory, and Shi Zhenfeng is the largest grain merchant in Chi Yue. So why did the Prince force me to go overboard and hand over the money so that he can hand over the most? With two hundred thousand taels of snow silver, who wouldn''t feel heartache to take it out? The funds allocated by the treasury are only 500,000 yuan, may I ask President You, what kind of business do you run? How much assets does your bank have? If you were to easily ask for two hundred thousand silver taels, aren''t you afraid that the banks would break down their banks? "


    You Chenguang was Chi Yue''s biggest money manager, so he was naturally rich. However, he was not like Deng Shengchuan, who would do business in all the states of the East China Sea. Thus, his wealth was not as good as Deng Shengchuan''s. He had around three or four hundred thousand yuan in assets, but assets and current money were two different things. He could easily raise this two hundred thousand yuan easily, if there had been a large customer who had gone to the bank to withdraw the money, he would not have been able to withdraw the money.


    You Chenguang was stunned, unable to answer.


    Shi Zhenfeng was the second one to walk up, smiling coldly as he explained the situation of You Chenfeng''s assets, then he said indifferently, "Even if you don''t care about these 200,000 banknotes, even if Prince Mo had placed a knife on your neck, you would still need a month or two to collect it. How can you take it out so easily?"


    Deng Shengchuan said, "That''s right. As the president of the association, not only does he have his own bank, he also has a hand in other businesses. Thus, it is not surprising for him to be familiar with the prices of the neighboring prefectures. The price of all the materials used to build the dam had been investigated and accounted for by the people of Zhujian Shi. The price of all the materials used to build the dam had been calculated and accounted for by Cheng Lang. "The prince is only responsible for assigning tasks, supervising construction, and collecting disaster."

 C163 Guilty(2)

    Shi Zhenfeng said, "That''s right. We, the merchants, write down the promissory notes. We are all willing to do good deeds for our fellow villagers."


    At this moment, another squire stepped forward and said, "The two hundred stones this subject has donated are due to the miraculous hands of Princess Mo''s Imperial Concubine Godly Doctor, as well as the many years of medical treatment for my mother''s illness.


    Following that, a few merchants came forward one after another. Their explanations were similar to that of the squire, and the situation suddenly reversed.


    Zhu Wei An and You Chen Guang''s faces were pale white, and You Chen Guang pointed at them angrily: "You two ¡­. You petty people, before you entered the capital, you were so sure of yourself. Just what kind of benefits did you receive ¡­ Or was it forced by others to change their words at the last minute? "


    Shi Zhenfeng laughed, "I do. Isn''t it because of you and Zhu Ci Shi, forcing us good citizens to work together to frame Prince Mo?"


    At this moment, someone rushed to the palace, dressed in the garb of a personal guard. Judging from his title, he was probably the leader of the personal guards, but he was not aware of what was going on inside. He only claimed that he came under the orders of the Minister of the Civil Service, Ling Yuanzhang, to collect evidence and present it to the emperor for his personal inspection.


    The two hundred thousand banknotes as well as the promissory notes from the various merchants were all there.


    However, it was already too late when he delivered the letter. The Emperor only glanced at it once, and the rise and fall of his chest had yet to be settled. He no longer looked at it a second time.


    "On the day that I left Chi Yue, I clearly transferred these accounts a few days before I left. The banknotes and promissory notes should have been in the hands of Zhu Chi Shi, but why did they end up in my mansion? It''s a little strange, could it be that they''ve grown legs and followed me for a thousand miles?"


    Zhu Wei An''s face was still pale and unsightly, but he was relatively calm. "Your highness is joking. I''ve never seen such officials before. Is it really that strange to say that the delivery is in your hands?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded, "That''s right. Whoever finds it will be considered as his. However, since this king has yet to be convicted, why does Minister Ling want to go ahead and search this prince''s manor? "


    "This official has the responsibility of investigating a hundred officials. Even if it were Your Highness, since you are an official of the court, you would not be an exception."


    I am a prince, and Minister Ling is only a third-grade official. No matter what, he has to have an imperial decree. If any third-grade officials from the imperial court were to come to my mansion and search, what''s the use of being subservient to the rules of the imperial court?


    Ling Yuanzhang could not answer.


    Qin Bi gave a sharp laugh, "Prince Mo, please do not talk about this and that. Minister Ling might have overstepped his boundaries, but you should at least explain the two hundred thousand taels of silver banknotes and the indebtedness of the food, right?"


    Since Zhu Wei An had said that he hadn''t seen it before and had indeed found it in the Residence of Mo King, Xiao Yi Xiu was speechless.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was still smiling calmly, "The token is ridiculous. I can''t explain it clearly, shouldn''t Minister Ling be the one to explain it? He sent his men to search for it. There was no imperial edict, and it was also unverified. There must be something that he suspects in his heart, or he might have gotten it from somewhere. "


    Ling Yuanzhang was quite calm as he said, "Zhu Chi mentioned this to this official before he entered the capital. I am the one who should decide the business, but if King Mo hears any news, I''m afraid he will transfer the stolen money ¡­"


    "Wait a minute, does Minister Ling think that this is stolen money?"


    Ling Yuanzhang glanced at him indifferently, his eyes full of the meaning of this.


    "What does royal father think?" Xiao Yi Xiu looked towards the person in the throne room who was supposed to be in charge of everything but had not said a word since the beginning.


    The emperor''s face was unfathomably dark, as if he was just watching a play in silence. He didn''t say anything about anyone who sang brilliantly or sang as far as he could.


    "Since the truth has not been revealed, it is premature to say that the stolen money is stolen. However, Ling Deities'' actions were indeed inappropriate. Could it be that if we think that King Mo is a prince, we will side with him and go against the laws of the country? " The Emperor''s voice was cold and calm, but it intimidated everyone into not daring to speak.


    "Alright, Mo King, it''s about time you explain. These banknotes that are in arrears and whether they are stolen or not actually depends on their origins and uses. At most, the words of the merchants of the Crimson Yue Chamber of Commerce can only prove that you didn''t use your tyranny to collect them, but these things were always found in your house. You have already left for the capital to report on your work, so no matter what, it doesn''t make sense for you to bring back the funds for the disaster relief. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded his head. "That''s right. Actually, none of these merchants here can prove my innocence. However, I have also said that only Minister Ling knows about this matter." Since he was unwilling to speak frankly, he could only find a convincing witness to speak in his place. book token, may I trouble you to go outside the hall and request for This King''s witness. "


    He had always been an eunuch, and had only been an attendant of the Emperor. He had been favored by the Emperor to be promoted to the rank of High Scholar, but in the end, he was still an eunuch. When Xiao Yixiu called him up, he still treated him as a lowly eunuch, and disdain could be seen in his eyes.


    He took a deep breath and controlled his temper as he walked out of the hall with his head held high. Following this, a young woman turned around.


    The officials and court officials were all staring at the woman slowly walking over on the red felt. She was dressed in an apricot-colored wide sleeved immortal dress, and her gait was graceful, neither servile nor overbearing. Even while walking on the golden hall, she did not lose the bearing of a lady, and they were all wondering who she was.


    Only Ling Yuanzhang''s expression changed slightly. He had not expected her to be here.


    Ling XinNing knelt down, her cherry lips slightly parted, her canine teeth slightly parted. She spoke without looking sideways: "This subject''s daughter Ling Xinning greets the Emperor. May the Emperor live forever."


    The emperor felt that she looked unfamiliar as well. With a slight smile, he said, "Stand up. "Whose lady is this? I feel that she is very unfamiliar with."


    "This subject''s daughter, Ling Xinning, is a concubine born of the four daughters of the Minister of Public Administration, Ling Yuanzhang."


    The emperor''s inquiring gaze landed on Ling Yuanzhang.


    Ling Yuanzhang''s face turned ugly, but he could not deny it. He had no choice but to admit it.


    "This subject''s been staying at Prince Mo''s mansion for the past few days. Today, the Ministry of Public Affairs sent someone to the mansion to search for 200,000 silver notes and 1,000 stone bills. This subject''s only here to seek justice for Prince Mo."


    "Fair?"


    "This subject knows best where these notes are coming from. Because she was born into a concubine, her birth mother had been born into a poor family and had passed away earlier. She had never grown up beside her father since she was a child. Three months ago, when he heard that King Mo had entered Chi Yue to provide assistance, his father entrusted his daughter to the president of the Chi Yue Chamber of Commerce, You Chenguang, and told him to treat his daughter as if she was ¡­ as a gift to King Mo. " Ling Xinning''s voice was slightly lowered and her eyes seemed sad.


    "Xinning! Do you know what you''re talking about? " Ling Yuanzhang said sternly.


    Ling Xinning, on the other hand, softly nodded in grievance, and said: "Don''t tell me that father thinks that what my daughter said was half a lie? Is it a glorious matter for you to be treated as a gift? "


    The emperor waved his hand, "Ling Yuanzhang, shut up."


    Ling Xinning continued: "Originally, this subject believed that as long as I could please King Mo, I would be able to marry into the palace as a concubine. Perhaps this is Father''s thought of becoming a dragon and a phoenix, but in reality, it isn''t strange at all. However, this subject absolutely did not expect that Father would want more than that. He had Zhu Chi to secretly bring these silver notes and promissory notes back to the capital and hide them in the Prince''s Mansion. "

 C164 Guilty(3)

    "King Mo, do you know where you hid the note?"


    "The prince naturally doesn''t know, only my father knows. I have hidden them in the study room of the prince''s mansion. There is a secret compartment in his desk that has been locked up and placed in the secret compartment."


    The Emperor stared at her for a while before saying indifferently, "He really trusts you when you''ve just arrived."


    Ling Xinning smiled slightly: "It''s hard for a man to hide his secret from a woman he likes. If I have intentions and he has no intentions, I can always find out."


    The emperor raised the center of his brows and looked at Xiao Yi Xiu with indifference.


    Xiao Yixiu, on the other hand, wore a faint smile on his face. It was as if he didn''t care about anything, but at the same time, it was as if everything had been planned out by him.


    Ling Yuanzhang''s face was pale to the point that it was unsightly. She looked at Ling Xinning as if he wanted to tear her to pieces.


    "Minister Ling, can I ask you a small question?"


    Xiaoyi Xiu said gently. Ling YuanZhang was too angry to speak out, so he could only clasp his hands and say, "This official knows what to say."


    "When did this Guard Captain leave for my manor?" He was actually asking about the captain of the imperial guards, but his gaze was focused on Ling Yuanzhang.


    It was impossible for Ling Yuanzhang to leave during the early morning assembly, so the order given must be before he entered the throne room.


    "Let''s set off at almost five o''clock." The Guard Captain replied nervously. There was no way this matter could be faked. After all, he was not the only one who was taken on a search.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at the copper leakage teapot and smiled, "It''s already a quarter to one, and the evidence of Minister Ling has already been presented to the throne room a moment ago. That is to say, they have only been there for three-quarters of an hour. It would take about an hour to travel from the palace to the Mo King''s Manor and back again. Royal father, this Guard Captain must be very generous with his rewards, his efficiency is too high, the Prince Mo Residence might not be big, but it is not small either. They have three to four hundred mu of land, but they actually completed the search within fifteen minutes, isn''t that a god''s speed? "


    The Guard Captain did not look too good either, sneaking a glance at Ling Yuanzhang.


    Ling Yuanzhang did not expect him to be so fierce. He had only estimated the time to make himself speechless.


    Xiao Yi Xiu sighed softly, "Minister Ling, I still have another witness. Would you like to hear his testimony?"


    "You ¡­" Ling Yuanzhang gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, if there''s anything you want to say, just say it out loud. Please make the decision, Your Majesty."


    "The written order. This King''s witness has almost reached the outside of the hall. Please lead the way."


    Having been ordered by him, Qin Bi did not have a temper. He walked out with a sullen face.


    When he entered, Qin Bi''s face could no longer be described as smelly. It was simply extremely bizarre. However, when the officials cast their gazes at the person behind him, they all became as strange as he was.


    "This... Impossible, Cheng Wang? " Bai Wanqing was the first to cry out in alarm.


    The young man behind Qin Bi was dressed in a dirty and tattered white robe. His face was haggard and emaciated. There were many wounds on his face and body. Some parts of his body had faint traces of blood, as if he had just been released from prison.


    "As expected of Cheng Lang, he did not disappoint me."


    Cheng Qi looked up, but didn''t reply. He stared straight at Xiao Yi Xiu, and his eyes suddenly turned red. He kneeled down, choking with sobs. "This humble subject, Cheng, greets the Emperor. Long live our Emperor."


    "This... "Dear Cheng, is it really you?"


    Cheng Dong nodded his head, then raised his eyes and stared at Zhu Wei An: "Zhu Chi, thanks to you, Cheng Qi is still alive, are you disappointed?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed and said, "Cheng Lang, actually, you don''t need to be so angry. Instead, you should be grateful to Zhu Chi. If not for him wanting to keep you alive, ten of you would probably have been swept under the dam and wouldn''t be able to find your way back. "


    "That''s right, I should be grateful to you. I have been in charge of overseeing the construction of the dam, and I know better than anyone the quality of the work. I know better than anyone that it would not have been possible for a gap to suddenly appear after the construction was completed.


    "Cheng Langzhong is overthinking it. A small hole has been opened in the dam. Clearly, it is a problem of construction quality ¡­" Zhu Wei An forced a smile. "Thank you, Minister Cheng, for your good fortune. I''m happy for you ¡­"


    Cheng Qi said expressionlessly, "Oh, and what''s even more coincidental is that when I was sent down the Cloud River towards Mount Jun, I was actually saved by someone who knew how to swim, and was even able to eat and serve me well." However, since we saved each other, why did you restrict my freedom? Always using all sorts of methods to persuade me not to leave? "


    Before Jovian and You Chenguang could explain, Cheng sneered, "Actually, if you think about it carefully, you will understand that Lord Thorn left that gap for me, the landlubber, when he knew that I had to inspect the quality of the construction himself. And I am very grateful to the people of President You who saved me in time. When King Mo is found guilty in the capital, I will be free and grateful to you. It''s just that you all didn''t expect that the shadow guards from Prince Mo''s Mansion would be able to find me before you. "


    "However, what you did not think of was that before I fell into the water, it was already known that the list of water conservancy project prices that Jupiter had sent to investigate was fake. Are you trying to profit from this or are you planning to frame King Mo? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu coughed a few times at the right time. He looked sickly and weak, but his eyes were clear and calm. Compared to him, Ling Yuanzhang was feeling guilty and panicked. He tried to speak up for himself several times but was stopped by the sharp gaze of the emperor.


    "Zhu Wei An, You Chenguang, what else do you have to say?" The Emperor finally spoke. His reprimanding tone and his attitude of calling him by name had already expressed his intentions. Upon hearing his words, the two men frantically kneeled down.


    They were not the only ones with unsightly expressions on their faces. Xiao Yi Mo''s gaze was already like the clouds pressing down on his head as he tightly pursed his lips to restrain himself. He did not open his mouth to speak up for Ling Yuanzhang. He was obviously trying to get rid of himself. Seeing the situation turn sour, he had already decided to abandon his car to protect his commander.


    Xiao Yixiu''s calm eyes swept across his face as if he was smiling at him without a care in the world. The look in his eyes made him unable to vent any of the hatred in his heart. He could only grit his teeth and grit his teeth so hard that his jaw turned white.


    "My Lord, why did you collude with Chi Yue to assassinate Shi Zuvian and the president of the merchant guild, You Chenguang, to frame King Mo?"


    "This humble subject dares not!" Ling Yuanzhang kneeled down.


    "You don''t dare? If it was someone else, then it would be fine; Ling Xin would rather be your own daughter. Her words are reasonable, and the many merchants of the Crimson Moon Merchant Guild are testifying together, what other excuses do you have? "


    "This humble subject ¡­"


    Deng Shengchuan suddenly pointed at Zhu Wei An and You Chenguang and said, "They have colluded with the government and monopolized the Chi Yue economy. No one in the Chamber of Commerce dares to oppose them. If it weren''t for the Shang Jing Saint, how would we small merchants dare to become enemies with them? It was always their will. And King Mo rescued thousands of Chiyue''s victims, and has made a name for himself in Chiyue. As long as you casually find someone to ask, you will find out about it in the streets. "

 C165 Guilty(4)

    Zhu Wei An did not dare to raise his head and said with a tremble, "These ¡­" "These are all things that Minister Ling ordered this humble subject to do ¡­"


    "That''s right!" You Chenguang is a merchant, how could he understand the intricacies of this, he only knows to do as Master Shang Shu says. "


    Ling Yuanzhang was besieged on all sides. In the face of the betrayal of his loved ones, he looked to Xiao Yi Mo for help.


    Xiao Yi Mo suddenly took a step forward and said, "Minister Ling has framed the Fifth Emperor, and he is sinister in his heart. He deserves to be punished!"


    Ling Yuanzhang stared at him with wide eyes, as if he had not expected this nephew of his who was trying to prop him up would betray him at this moment.


    "Minister Ling, why don''t you plead guilty?" Xiao Yi Mo stared at him with burning eyes.


    Ling Yuanzhang instantly understood what he meant. If he were to reveal the mastermind behind this, it would undoubtedly end his escape path. As a prince, no matter how heinous the crime was, Xiao Yi Mo wouldn''t die. On the contrary, he wouldn''t be able to protect Xiao Yun after he was convicted. Meanwhile, General Zhaowei, Ling Long, had been transferred to the northern border, where far away water could not save fire.


    The only thing he could do now was to take down this crime. With his identity as the current Xiao Yi Mo, he would still be able to help him reduce his crimes. As long as the Ling family could keep the big tree, Xiao Yi Mo, from falling, there would be a day when they would be able to rise again.


    "Yes, because I was at odds with Prince Mo''s political opinions in the past, I was only worried that the matter of the relief operation would raise the hearts of his people. In the future ¡­ "One day, I will be at a disadvantage ¡­"


    You Chenguang said with a trembling voice, "Not only that, Minister Ling has been in control of Chi Yue''s economy for a long time. The chairman of this merchant guild is actually just a puppet in front of the stage, but the benefits are all coming from the Ling family behind the scenes. He had a lot to do with the Juventus... "He was afraid that King Mo might accidentally investigate his financial account during Chi Yue''s disaster ¡­"


    "Shut up!" Ling Yuanzhang wished he could slap him so hard that he could not speak.


    "You embezzled money yourself, but now you''re blaming King Mo!" Amongst the crowd of officials, it was unknown who started it, but low discussions started, and all sorts of eyes looked at them.


    "Men, escort Ling Yuanzhang, Zhu Wei An, and You Chenguang down to the Ministry of Justice''s prison. They are to be interrogated by the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice. Prince, this matter shall be left to you. "


    Xiao Lingbin accepted the order without even looking at Ling Yuanzhang. Instead, he shot a cold glance at Xiao Yi Mo, giving him a warning.


    This glance caused Xiao Yi Mo to shiver, and he immediately understood in his heart that his royal father knew everything. The reason he didn''t continue to interrogate him in the throne room was because he was afraid of implicating him and damaging the imperial family''s reputation.


    "Withdraw!"


    As the court officials withdrew one by one, Xiao Yi Mo squeezed out a few words from the gaps between his teeth, "Fifth royal brother, how dare you!"


    However, Xiao Yixiu was coughing so much that he couldn''t even catch his breath. The handkerchief covering his mouth was quickly covered in blood, making him look especially innocent.


    Xiao Yijin looked at Xiao Yi Mo with a smile that was not a smile, "Third Imperial Brother, it''s really a mistake for you to go against a weak person who''s about to die."


    Xiao Yi Mo glared at him. "Weak and about to die? Sooner or later, you will also die in his hands. With an ashen face, he flicked his sleeves and quickly left.


    "Fifth royal brother, congratulations!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled at him with a hint of weakness in his voice. "I should be thanking the Sixth Prince for his help."


    Xiao Yijin was stunned as he watched him leave. His heart suddenly turned cold and his hair stood on end. What did he know?


    After Xiao Yi Xiu got on the horse carriage, he was about to pull up the curtain when he saw Bai Wanqing running towards him while gasping for breath.


    "That... Prince Mo, this official would like to invite you ¡­ I wonder if it would be nice if you could condescend to stay here for a while? " Bai Wanqing was a little hesitant. In his entire life, he had never climbed up to become an aristocrat, so he always felt a little awkward about it.


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled, "There''s no need. If there''s a chance, Minister Bai can go to the Residence of Mo and take a seat, but now is not the time."


    Cheng Qi met his meaningful gaze and nodded.


    As soon as Xiao Yi Xiu stepped into Feng Zhixuan, a red shadow suddenly pounced on him with a fragrant wind, causing him to take a step back.


    "Xiao Yi Xiu, are you alright?" Are you alright? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as he pushed Gu Qing Li back a little. "I had something to do. I was almost knocked over by you."


    He then wrapped his arm around her waist and chuckled. "Are you that worried about me?"


    "The situation today is actually very uncertain, you''re that confident. If Cheng Wang hadn''t been found and rushed to testify, with just Ling Xinning, would you really be confident?"


    "Isn''t there also Deng Shengchuan and the others." Xiao Yixiu pulled her into the room.


    "Merchants have great profits, who can guarantee that they won''t turn the tables before the battle?"


    "They won''t." Xiao Yi Xiu paused for a while with a serious face. Since something had happened to You Chenguang, it was about time for the president of the Crimson Moon Merchant Guild to be replaced. With his promise to Shi Zhenfeng, he definitely could not renege on his promise.


    Gu Qingli knew he wanted Shi Zhenfeng to be the president of the company, so she was puzzled. "Deng Shengchuan is rich, so he helped us a lot. Why didn''t you push him up?"


    "I have always felt that Deng Shengchuan is suspicious, and his beloved concubine''s origins are unknown."


    "But Fang Yanzhu died, and she died because of me."


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head, "Think about it, Deng Shengchuan is just an ordinary merchant. How important is his status? Fang Yanzhu was clearly a well-trained assassin or spy. What was her motive for approaching Deng Shengchuan? "If it was an assassin who took the money and got along with him for so long, ten Deng Shengchuan would also be dead. If it was a spy, what could he get from a merchant?"


    Gu Qingli lowered her head and thought for a moment before saying, "Ling Xinning might know."


    "Ling Xinning has already left. She only made a deal with me. I helped her take down Ling Yuanzhang, avenged her birth mother, and she pleaded guilty for me. She doesn''t owe me anything in this matter."


    He paused, "Firstly, Deng Shengchuan''s silk-house in the capital had a close relationship with the Star-Moon Gambling Workshop, which I knew from the beginning. Secondly, he was the richest man in Chi Yue, but he was not able to become the head of the Commercial Union, which is abnormal with his astuteness and skill. Thirdly, he was the only one of my first few wealthy merchants in Chi Yue who participated in the gathering. He may not look like an outsider, but he was a wealthy merchant. "Today, I gave Xiao Yijin a little try, but he just froze there. From his expression, I''m guessing that Deng Shengchuan and Xiao Yijin have an extremely close cooperation relationship."


    "Even the merchants are so complicated." Gu Qingli sighed lightly.


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed, "Who is not complicated in their dispute over the imperial power? Even you are not a simple little girl. "


    "Now that Chi Yue has created such a storm and also overturned Ling Yuanzhang, I''m afraid the emperor is going to be afraid of you this time."


    "That won''t happen. The matter with Ling Xinning made him think that I liked beauty and was careless." At this time, in the eyes of the Emperor, he was no different from Xiao Yi Bei. He was infatuated with beauties and married one after another, although not as powerful as Xiao Yi Bei, he was at least a mediocre person who was obsessed with women and couldn''t bear to use them much.

 C166 Sad to leave

    "You''re right. Of all the princes, aside from Xiao Yi Bei, you''re the most prosperous one." If those few people from Xin Ziyao''s group were still around, then the Mo King''s Manor would simply be a cluster of flowers.


    "Where am I flourishing? I''ve never touched a woman but you. " Speaking of which, he had been busy with matters of the court and had a heavy heart. He took off the red veil on her face and said, "Can you not be like this in the house all day? It would be troublesome even if I wanted to kiss you."


    He reached over and pecked her cherry red lips. Seeing her blushing face, he became even more intoxicated. He deepened the kiss, pestering her and refusing to let go.


    "You ¡­" She protested vaguely, and was quickly stopped again, unable to speak.


    A sudden knock on the door interrupted the charming atmosphere in the room. With a blush on her face, Gu Qingli tidied up her clothes and opened the door.


    Liu Yanyu was standing outside the door. When she saw his, her eyes widened in disbelief. Following which, her gaze slid down her face and he stood there stiffly.


    "What''s wrong, Mister Liu?" Gu Qingli subconsciously stroked her face. Could it be that there was something on her face?


    Liu Yanyu seemed to come back to his senses and forced a smile, "It''s fine."


    Lowering his head, he turned and left.


    Gu Qing Li was lost in confusion. Xiao Yi Xiu had appeared behind her at some point. He put his arm around her shoulders and looked at her back, saying lightly, "He likes you."


    "Huh?" She thought about it for a moment. Although Liu Yanyu had never stated it clearly, his words and actions seemed to express this intention everywhere. But so what? She never seemed to have done anything to make him misunderstand.


    Xiao Yi Xiu pulled her face closer to him and caressed her face with his fingertips before chuckling, "You''re so silly. He likes Li Yue, not Princess Mo, but your clothes ¡­" He''s already found out who you are. "


    Gu Qingli covered her mouth. She had forgotten about that. She was wearing the same clothes as Li Yue, but the red veil had just been torn off by Xiao Yi Xiu.


    "I have to explain it to him."


    She had just taken a step when she was stopped by Xiao Yixiu. His face was frosty as he stared at her and asked, "How do you want to explain this? You promised to accompany him back to Divine Doctor Valley, and now you want to fulfill your promise? "


    "You even know about this?" Gu Qing Li was a bit embarrassed and rebuked, "You''ve been having the shadow guards watch me all day, haven''t you?"


    "Of course not, otherwise I would have discovered long ago that you are Li Yue. Don''t change the subject, do you want to leave with Liu Yanyu? "


    "Of course not! At that time, she had only agreed to his request to spar with Valley Master Luo. Although she had agreed, she had not said when. When everything in the capital has settled down and you''re no longer busy, you''ll accompany me there, okay? "


    Xiao Yixiu''s cold face loosened slightly. Looking at her expectant gaze, he pinched her tender cheeks, "Okay. But you must answer a question. Back then, you were only there to spar with Luo Yun and not to avoid me? "


    Gu Qingli rolled her eyes and laughed dryly, "No ¡­" How could this happen? "


    Xiao Yixiu fixed her jaw, and lightly bit her lips in a punitive manner, "Go and explain it to him, be careful."


    "Stingy."


    Gu Qing Li used a voice that only he could hear to whisper as he flew away from Qin Lie''s side. He then asked, "What are you talking about?"


    Gu Qingli forced out a smile. After walking around the Moon Ripple Pavilion, she couldn''t find Liu Yanyu. It was as if she had said that he had never returned to the yard after he had gone to find the prince.


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment before returning to Xiaoyao''s garden.


    Looking into the distance, the garden was still full of flowers and flowers, and even the fragrance of herbs was still wafting in the air. She had gone to Chi Yue for three months and had neglected to take care of him when she returned. It must have been all thanks to Liu Yanyu.


    She had a complicated feeling in her heart as she slowed down her pace and approached the wooden house.


    The wooden table and chairs inside the house, which had originally been destroyed in the fire, were completely repaired. A person stood in the spotless room, supporting the table with a somewhat absent-minded expression.


    "Mister Liu."


    Liu Yanyu suddenly turned around. His light green clothes accentuated his pale, jade-like face, giving him a sense of loneliness and sadness.


    When he saw Gu Qingli, his gaze flickered for a moment before it dimmed. Subconsciously avoiding her face, he said softly, "What is the reason for your visit?"


    "Sir Liu, you''ve actually guessed it. That''s right, I am Li Yue."


    Liu Yanyu''s face turned even paler and he remained silent.


    "The reason why I didn''t tell you was because ¡­ "It''s not that I''m hiding it from you, it''s just that Xiao Yixiu and I were suspicious of each other, wary of each other, and even hurt each other. I appeared as Li Yue, but I just wanted to get rid of him, so naturally we couldn''t let him know."


    She sighed and told him everything that had happened after their wedding night. At this point in time, there was nothing left for her to hide. Liu Yanyu was a modest gentleman who would never casually reveal her identity or do anything that would harm her.


    Liu Yanyu looked at her in disbelief, as if he had heard a fantasy.


    "So, that side concubine who married into the palace was actually only a fake Li Yue? Your sister Gu Qingxiao? "


    Gu Qingli nodded.


    Liu Yanyu once again fell silent. No matter how bizarre the truth was, it couldn''t change the fact that she was Princess Mo.


    The girl he secretly admired had finally entered the embrace of another, and he would never have another chance.


    "If you promise me, the promise that you will go to the Valley of the Godly Doctor, then ¡­ "Let the wind blow." he asked slowly. In fact, even if she did go, what could she do?


    "I... "He''ll go, but I won''t go alone. Xiao Yi Xiu said he will stay with me."


    Liu Yanyu wanted to laugh out loud, but Xiao Yi Xiu would accompany her. Was that his intention? She knew that he was only inviting her for a drink, but...


    He only gave a faint smile and said in a soft voice, "Among the princes, there are dragons and phoenixes. I will bless you."


    "Young master Liu ¡­" Gu Qingli was speechless. She didn''t know how to comfort him, but she knew it was all for naught.


    "Yun''er has already been back in the Valley of the Godly Doctor for a long time, so it''s about time for me to go back as well." He regained some of his composure and tried to look less desolate.


    "Mister Liu ¡­" "Take care."


    Liu Yanyu nodded and silently walked past her. Perhaps they might meet again in the future, but all they could do was nod and smile.


    Gu Qing Li stood silently at the door of the wooden house for an unknown period of time. A cold wind brushed against her cheeks, lifting her hair to float slightly messy beside her cheeks. A warm hand lifted it behind her ear.


    She suddenly recovered from her shock and saw Xiao Yi Xiu standing in front of her. His clothes were white like snow and his posture was straight. There was a trace of pity in his eyes.


    "He''s gone?"


    "Mm, I don''t think he''ll ever return to the Palace again. Would you be sad if you lost this good friend of yours? "


    "I won''t lose this friend of mine. We don''t necessarily have to see each other every day, even if we know each other. Yet you, with a face filled with disappointment, want to go and take him back? "


    Gu Qingli sneered, "What a strong smell of vinegar. This is the medicine garden, not the vinegar workshop."


    Xiao Yixiu looked at her with a smile that was not a smile. "You are the one who blossomed all over the place and provoked the butterflies."


    "Xiao Yi Xiu!"


    Without waiting for Gu Qing Li''s scowl, he had already picked her up by the waist and ignored her struggles to refuse as he walked out of the medicine garden.

 C167 amalgamation

    The case of Ling Yuanzhang, which was tried by the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice''s Three Divisions, was decided to be exiled for three thousand miles, seized power, and had no family inheritance. It was actually the same as the former Minister of Rites, Liu Zhengyan.


    The case was handled personally by the Minister of Justice, Xiao Lingbin. Even though the Supreme Court had been entrusted by the Ling family over and over again, they were still unable to do anything. Furthermore, there was also the Imperial Censor-in-Chief Xin Jian who added fuel to the fire. He could not wait for this large and flourishing tree to lose its branches bit by bit. In the end, only Imperial Concubine Ling and Xiao Yi Mo were left.


    Xiao Yixiu was very clear that although this matter had shocked the emperor, he was very happy to see it happen. The Ling Family had grown up in the past few years, so how could the emperor ignore them?


    The case only gave the emperor an opportunity to suppress the Ling family.


    At this point, Xiao Yi Mo''s arrogant attitude had been reduced by half. Even Imperial Concubine Ling had been restrained in the palace. Currently, the Ling family only had General Zhaowei, Ling Long, who was in charge of the expedition. However, he had the strength and military power, so it was not easy for him to be on the passive side for the time being.


    Chi-Yue had a new history of assassins, recommended by Prince Yi. As for the Minister of Industry, Bai Wanqing, he had approved the mining rights to the fine iron mine in Jun''e Mountain and had handed it over to the Scarlet Moon Merchant Jia Zhenfeng.


    Not long after, Shi Zhenfeng was recommended by Shi Mingjian, who was also a famous businessman in the Chamber of Commerce. He was selected to be the president of the Chamber of Commerce.


    The palace, on the other hand, was extremely busy. It was busy receiving the Princess of the West, Lan Xun.


    Princess Lan Xun was also known as the envoy of the East Abyss, and was considered a friendly friend between the two countries. However, in reality, everyone was well aware that this was only in name of honor, and was secretly here for the sake of marriage.


    Originally, the marriage of two nations only required one side to send an envoy to represent the king and negotiate with the other. However, this Princess Orchon was clearly not ordinary.


    It was said that she was the apple of Emperor Xi Lin''s eye, doting on her like a precious pearl. Normally, she would hold it in her palm for fear of blowing it too much, making it sound like she was afraid of melting. Once the Eastern Abyss had proposed marriage, the Western Emperor was in an extremely difficult situation. Since he couldn''t refuse the Princess'' birth mother and favorite concubine, the Lan family, to act coquettishly, he could only come up with a compromise for the Princess to personally come to the Eastern Abyss to "inspect" and decide on her marriage partner.


    Back then, when the crippled Crown Prince Xiao Yibei heard that her name was spread far and wide, he had already rejected the marriage before even seeing anyone. The Emperor could only find an excuse to delay the marriage, causing the Princess to be unable to make her move that time.


    This time, the princess was in person. It must be the king''s decision. Everyone thought it must be the king, Xiao Yiyan. After all, he was the only son of the Emperor, and he had completed all the previous cases of mischief in the spring, as well as the disaster in Longzhou.


    The palace had set up a grand banquet for the princess, welcoming her to the palace. Even Princess Mu Qing Ruo, who hadn''t danced for a long time, would offer a dance to welcome her.


    Surprisingly, he did not appoint Xiao Yiyan as the candidate for the marriage alliance. Instead, he looked over all the princes and princes and smiled warmly, "Since the Western Paradise has let the princess personally come to our Eastern Abyss to select a prince for your marriage alliance, then you must perform well, and not let the Western Paradise be so laughing and generous."


    Xiao Yi Mo couldn''t help but ask, "Selection?" royal father''s meaning is? "


    "After the princess came to the Eastern Abyss, the few of you had to accompany her every day so that they could get to know each other better."


    Xiao Yijin''s eyes showed signs of being moved, "Could it be that the marriage proposal is not decided by father, but by the princess herself?"


    The Emperor nodded his head, "Since the king of the Western Kingdom dotes so much on this daughter, this is the only way. I''ve heard that she has an unyielding personality and she is unwilling to marry him, so the king has no choice but to do this to her. It''s not good to force things, but if a good thing turns into a bad thing, it''s better to fulfill the princess'' wish. "


    To think that there would be someone who defied the wishes of their parents and wanted to personally choose a husband! This Princess Xi Lin was truly rebellious and willful. Even if this action was not offensive, it was still very outrageous.


    Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin immediately felt that the princess'' unorthodox actions were a great opportunity. Once someone joined forces with the West, would that mean that their power would be greatly increased, and that they would even have the qualifications to become the next overlord?


    Xiao Yi Mo remained expressionless as he said, "Imperial Father, since that''s the case, I don''t need to accompany you. After all, the main wife of our family already has no right to marry the princess anymore." He knew that since the Emperor had summoned him here, he wanted to let them compete fairly, but he still wanted to test him.


    As expected, the emperor''s smile turned cold. "Since I''ve summoned you here, I''ll let you entertain me well. Princess Xi Lin was very strange. It was unknown what kind of man she would like. It was best to have more candidates. If she has taken a fancy to you, Zhen will allow you to reduce Gu Qingruo to a secondary wife and welcome the princess as your main wife! "


    With these words, the four princes'' expressions changed.


    Xiao Yijin felt that his two older brothers, who already had two main wives, were actually competing with him; Xiao Yiyan felt that this was very absurd; Xiao Yimo was naturally secretly delighted in his heart, but he tried his best to restrain his joy; the most complicated was Xiao Yixiu.


    Of course, he did not want to participate, and he would not allow Qing Li to become his secondary concubine. However, this was also an excellent opportunity to rope in the Western Paradise.


    After a while, the Empress''s hair had already turned half white, and she was now very different from her usual graceful, elegant, and noble demeanor.


    He was stunned for a moment. He could not say the words that were originally coiled around his tongue. He knew that his mother had placed all her hopes on him, and even his father had leaned towards him, but he was unwilling.


    It was not his wish to marry a delicate princess he had never met.


    "Yan''er." The empress''s face brimmed with joy as she looked at him. "Princess Lan Xun will arrive in the capital in a few days. You must prepare yourself and accompany her every day. You must make her happy."


    "Imperial Mother, this is very difficult." Even though it was hard to say, Xiao Yiyan still clenched his teeth and said it out loud.


    "What''s so hard about trying to please a girl? Don''t think that just because you are a prince that the other party is a princess, that he doesn''t feel wronged. "Moreover, this princess is known for her beauty. I''ve heard that she is as beautiful as a fairy ¡­"


    "Your son doesn''t like it either."


    The empress''s face darkened as she stared at him coldly, not speaking for a long time.


    For some inexplicable reason, Xiao Yi Yan felt his heart clogged up. He didn''t understand why his former loving mother had become like this.


    "To the same place as mother." The empress was not angry as expected, nor did she reprimand him in the slightest. She just stood up and let him follow behind.


    The further north they went, the closer they got to the Snow Cleaving Palace. Xiao Yiyan''s suspicions had settled, and he was gradually beginning to understand his mother''s intentions.


    The Snow Palace was the coldest, most desolate palace in the north of the palace. The winter winds were sharp, and the withered grass was long. The desolate scene would make people unable to believe that this was actually a palace in the imperial palace.


    As soon as the main door of the main hall was opened, it revealed a yard of wild grass that was floating in the air. The guards at the corridor had already withdrawn quite a bit, after all, there were only two people who did not pose much of a threat, so there was no need for such a grand display of power.

 C168 Princesss arrival

    "Greetings, Empress. Greetings, Your Highness." The guards and palace maids fell to their knees in panic.


    The empress waved her hand and said coldly, "I''m only here to take a look at Bei''er. There''s no need to put on such a show of resistance."


    The guards didn''t dare to say anything and could only retreat.


    The queen did not knock, but only went down the hall and gently opened the window that faced the veranda.


    Xiao Yiyan stood at the window and looked inside. After searching for a long time, he finally saw the curled up figure of Xiao Yi Bei from a corner of the room.


    Heavens, how was this still that elegant and elegant elder brother of his? The noble aura of the Eastern Palace disciples from the past had completely vanished. Those blank eyes, worn out clothes, and a face full of stubble, all of this made him look completely different from a prince.


    The empress covered her face and sobbed softly.


    "Too... "Elder Brother Huang ¡­" Xiao Yiyan didn''t know what to say.


    Xiao Yi Bei heard the voice, but didn''t show any excitement as he threw himself in front of the window to have a deep relationship with his brother. He only indifferently glanced at him, then continued to look forward with a lifeless and empty gaze, as if there was something in the air that he was interested in.


    "Imperial Mother, how can you ¡­ Can you watch him become like this? " After all, he was the blood brother of a mother and kin. Even if he wasn''t particularly close before, Xiao Yiyan still felt that it was unbearable.


    "He has already become like this, but it''s not what the Queen wants." The empress looked desolately at Xiao Yiyan. "Do you think your mother''s heart won''t ache when she sees him like this?"


    "But ¡­" At the very least, you can ask royal father to send two more palace maids to take care of him, wash his face, and fix his condition. "


    "That''s not what he needs." There was a calmness in the queen''s bleakness, and she stared at him.


    "Why didn''t the Queen Mother find a way to have someone take care of him more? Because the Queen wants you to see him in such a miserable state today. She wants you to remember how he was framed and turned into this! "If you don''t rise up, your mother will be as miserable as he is sooner or later. She might not even be able to get as far as he is now!"


    "No mother, you didn''t do anything wrong."


    The empress said sternly, "Did you think your brother did something wrong? He was a bit of a lustful person, but he wasn''t so shameless as to be incestuous and incestuous! Do you think that when your royal father completely sealed off this matter, your mother would not be able to find out the truth behind Bei''er''s crippled and imprisonment? When had he ever touched Ji Rong Hua? Yet, he, the dignified crown prince, was in such a state as well, not to mention that unlucky Ji Renhua! "Yan''er, you''re in the center of power, and you''re also caught in the vortex of power. If you don''t harm others, you''ll be hurt by others!"


    Naturally, Xiao Yiyan had also heard of that matter from the empress before. He also felt that it was inconceivable. Now that he heard the empress''s words, he felt even worse and kept silent.


    "Yan''er, if you don''t want to be framed one day like Bei''er and end up in a miserable state like this, you better listen to your mother and get married to Princess Xi Lin!"


    When Xiao Yi Xiu returned to the manor, he was also somewhat preoccupied with his own matters.


    Seeing the situation, Gu Qingli asked, but he didn''t conceal anything, speaking directly about Princess Lan Xun''s marriage.


    Gu Qingli was also extremely shocked. The Emperor had actually made the Fourth Prince compete. Didn''t this mean that Xiao Yixiu could also be selected by Princess Lan Xun?


    "If the princess falls for you, will I be reduced to a secondary concubine, and she will be righteous?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu used silence to answer her question.


    "That''s good. Hurry up and curry favor with that whatever princess. You will become the greatest contributor to the eternal restoration of the East Abyss."


    "Stop messing around, how could I possibly marry that princess? I''m currently thinking of ways to deal with this matter and not meet with the princess."


    He knew that he was speaking the truth, so he forced a smile. "What is there to say? We''ll deal with it when the enemy comes, and water will flood the earth. If you cough a few more times, could it be that the princess will definitely marry someone like you, who is crippled and has tuberculosis?"


    "Who knows what''s on the young lady''s mind." Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "But I''ll try to get her and Ah Yan together."


    "But isn''t that exactly what the empress wants?"


    "That is a matter for the future. We can only take one step at a time. From the looks of it, Ah Yan has a higher chance of winning. Furthermore, if he were to marry the princess, it would not be too disadvantageous to me.


    Gu Qing Li nodded and sighed.


    Three days later, the Princess of the West, Lan Xun, arrived at the Eastern Abyss. Temporarily staying at the Cheng Yang Inn in Beijing.


    At the beginning of the day, there was only the envoy of the Southern Moon. At this point, he had long since left the inn, and only Princess Lan Xun was staying in.


    A Six Paths Flower Cover Fragrance Carriage stopped at the Cheng Yang Inn. There were waves of shouts from the front and back as the guards marched in a grandiose array to the end of the long street. There were at least two to three hundred guards.


    A princess with such grandeur was already far superior to the envoy of the Southern Moon.


    A soldier respectfully lifted up the curtain of the carriage and saw a slender, dainty, and silky yellow embroidered foot step out. On the foot of the foot was embroidered a gentle, playful, and mischievous duck.


    She was followed by a pale blue fairy dress, with a cloud of elixirs, light and light, winding around the feet of the carriage.


    The surrounding passersby all looked over in curiosity. Although they did not know who this person was, they knew that all those who entered the inn were important guests of the emissary. However, looking at such a luxurious scene and such expensive dress, it was strange that this envoy was actually a woman.


    Finally, the woman in the carriage was helped off the carriage by a servant girl.


    It was only a 15 or 16 year old girl. Her beautiful oval face had a pair of bright black eyes that were intelligent and mischievous. She was curiously looking around.


    "This, I presume, is Princess Lan Xun?"


    Not far away, a youth holding a jujube red horse was stopped outside the guards. After seeing the girl, he took a few steps forward.


    In the blink of an eye, the young girl wearing the Fairy Guarding Dress looked at him, the curiosity in her eyes growing even stronger.


    The young man in front of her was wearing a golden brocade robe with bright peach blossom eyes. His eyes, which had originally been fluttering in the wind, now had a trace of worldly wisdom and calmness. His thin lips curved into a faint curve as he laughed in a distant and polite manner.


    "You are?"


    "I am the seventh prince of the Eastern Abyss, the Chen-Emperor Xiao Yiyan. I have come under the order of the Imperial Princess to welcome you." He actually came alone and did not reveal his identity. No wonder he was blocked by the guards of the western border.


    The girl smiled, revealing her white teeth, looking friendly and lively, "Oh! Get Prince Chen over here quickly. "That''s right, this princess is the envoy from the west, Yan Lanxun.


    Xiao Yiyan nodded, but only had one thought passing through his mind. What Heavenly Immortal appearance? It was indeed an exaggeration. It was not as famous as meeting him in person. This thought quickly dispersed with the wind. He walked past the guards and made a gesture of invitation. He led the way and entered the inn.


    He did not say that he had only come under the orders of his mother. The Emperor did not know that he had come alone to greet Princess Orchid Xunxi.


    Swallow Phoenix Xunxun looked left and right, his face full of excitement. It was as if he were extremely curious about everything in the Eastern Abyss, causing her heart to be overjoyed.

 C169 Bazaar Meeting

    Xiao Yiyan gave a brief explanation and gave some guidance along the way. Afterwards, he had the officials of the inn to settle her down one by one, including the two hundred plus guards. There weren''t that many rooms in the inn. After all, there were very few envoys with over two hundred guards. He then suggested that the eighty guards should be left behind, and the rest should be arranged at a nearby inn.


    "No way!" "They were ordered to protect me, so how could they stay away from me? It''s fine if they don''t have that many rooms. Just let the three of them have one. Since they''re already used to it, there are ten people living in a tent along the way. "


    "Captain Lin, go and arrange something for the three of them."


    "Yes, Your Majesty." Yanlan raised her voice to give the order, and a handsome man in a silver grey leather armor responded. There seemed to be some dissatisfaction in his eyes, but he didn''t refute her and went down to arrange the residences of the imperial guards and the men on duty.


    "Your Highness, can you bring me around?" "Looking at the vast natural resources of the eastern abyss, the capital city is bustling with life. It is completely different from my western scenery, everything is really fresh."


    The smile on Xiao Yiyan''s face froze. After rubbing his face with great difficulty, he silently nodded his head. The princess had so much energy. She had travelled thousands of miles to Dongyuan Capital City, but she was still in high spirits as she strolled along the streets.


    He imagined the scene when he was shopping outside and was extremely annoyed.


    On the main street, Xiao Yi and Gu Qing Li were shopping.


    Originally, they didn''t have this sort of leisure time, but Gu Qing Li believed that since Princess Lan Xun wanted to make Xiao Yi happy for her, it was necessary for them to meet each other and give her a new gift.


    However, after strolling through three streets, they still hadn''t found a new and precious gift. Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but feel annoyed.


    Gu Qingli gave him a nudge and laughed. "It''s the same for men. They''re all depressed when they go shopping with women."


    "I''m not depressed. If I were to accompany you, it wouldn''t be a problem to stroll around for a long time. But now, I''m buying a present for a Princess Xi Lin that I''ve never met." "Say it, you don''t know what she looks like, what her personality is, or what she likes. Just blindly buy it according to your own thoughts ¡­"


    "Then what can you expect Prince Chen to buy for her?"


    "That''s true, Ah Yan really doesn''t want to marry ¡­ "Hey, what are you doing?"


    They were walking on the busiest commercial street, the bustling crowd almost touching each other. In the middle of it, a young man agilely moved through the crowd, and when he approached them, he brushed past Gu Qing Li like a loach and bumped into her.


    Gu Qingli almost staggered from the impact. Fortunately, her kung fu was good and her balance was good. She only needed to twist her body slightly to stabilize herself before turning back to look.


    "Halt!" Xiao Yi Xiu also turned around and shouted.


    "Forget it, he was knocked over by someone. It shouldn''t be intentional." Gu Qing Li was alert and alert, but when she felt that her valuables and purse were with her, she didn''t mind.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression was as cold as ice. He let go of her and quickly leaped up, landing on the back of the young man. His fingertips touched the back of his shoulder as he suddenly felt a rebound.


    The youth suddenly spun around and waved his palm like a blade as he attacked. He actually had some skill.


    Xiao Yi raised his eyebrows. He didn''t even know anything about this little bit of cat fighting, but he couldn''t afford to cause a ruckus in the streets. If this situation were to get out of hand, it would inevitably get into the ears of others, and he wouldn''t be able to hide his recovery from others.


    The silver light faded in the blink of an eye, and within ten moves, it had forced back the youth. Gu Qing Li''s entire body was numb, and he was completely unaware of what had happened to him. He lost his balance and fell to the ground, struggling a few times before being able to get up.


    Gu Qingli looked down at his raised face and couldn''t help but be surprised.


    This youth was dressed in dark brown cloth, and he looked no different from any other ordinary kid. However, he had a pair of clear and bright eyes, and his long eyelashes flickered like two rows of small brushes. His snow-white, delicate face carried seventy percent arrogance and thirty percent hostility.


    No matter how he looked at it, this person didn''t seem like an impudent youth. Rather, he seemed more like a royal child who was casually travelling. The noble and aloof aura that he emitted was definitely not something that an ordinary family could cultivate.


    "Why aren''t you helping me up?" The youth''s entire body went limp and numb. He pressed his hand to the ground with a look of disdain, feeling powerless to stand up on his own.


    When Gu Qingli heard his arrogant tone, a faint smile appeared on her face. She looked down at him mockingly. She really didn''t understand where he had come from. She was already in such a sorry state, yet her face was still filled with haughtiness.


    "I''m sorry, but men and women shouldn''t be too intimate with each other. It''s better if young master gets up by himself." Gu Qingli simply stood there leisurely with her arms crossed. She had the look of someone who didn''t mind the commotion, but wanted to see how arrogant he was and how he would stand up on his own.


    The youth''s face stiffened as his gaze flashed across her face, but he stubbornly refused to beg.


    He tried for a long time but couldn''t. He bit his lower lip and glared at Xiao Yixiu. "Help me up."


    Xiao Yixiu had never been done in by anyone in his entire life. His eyes twitched, but after some thought, he still went forward to help him up.


    However, even after he stood up, he still couldn''t stand still. His legs felt like thousands of needles were stabbing into them. The pain was excruciating. He let out a soft cry as he fell into Xiao Yi Xiu''s arms.


    Instinctively, Xiao Yixiu embraced her body. Suddenly, he felt something strange in his embrace: it was soft and slender, and there was even a light, elegant fragrance coming from his nose. He subconsciously let go of his hand and took a step back.


    The youth lost the support and couldn''t keep his body steady. He fell down again and again, but this time he fell heavily into the air. It was so painful that he gasped for breath, and his pair of bright eyes instantly became watery, as if he was about to cry at any time.


    Even so, he did not utter a word of pleading, and his tone was still domineering: "Do you know who I am? You actually dare to treat me like this, sooner or later you will not even be able to cry! "


    Gu Qing Li couldn''t help but laugh. He leaned close to Xiao Yi Xiu and whispered, "You''re too bad."


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked innocent. "I didn''t do it on purpose. Men and women shouldn''t be so intimate with each other."


    Gu Qingli''s smile froze. She turned to look at him, then looked at the teenager on the ground. "You said he''s ¡­ "A woman?"


    "You can smell women, but there''s no mistaking it." Xiao Yi Xiu lightly shook his sleeves. "Young lady''s house is so fierce. You''d better be careful not to get married in the future."


    The youth''s expression instantly turned awkward and angry. He glared hatefully at Gu Qingli and asked, "What did you do to me?"


    Gu Qingli''s face darkened as she sneered, "Didn''t you say you had a pretty big mouth? You should think of a way to stand up yourself."


    Gu Qingli hadn''t gone to help him because she thought she was a man. She didn''t expect him to be a girl disguised as a woman. As a woman, she didn''t hesitate to fall into Xiao Yi Xiu''s arms. Her jealousy intensified, and her impression of the young girl became even worse.


    "It was you who used such a vile method to make me fall. How did I offend you?"


    At first, Xiao Yi Xiu had treated her as a man and thought that she was deliberately eating Gu Qing Li''s tofu. Of course, he wasn''t happy, but now that he knew she was a woman, his expression softened a lot as he said to Gu Qing Li, "Forget it."

 C170 Guest House Meet

    Gu Qingli snorted. "Who told her to sound so annoying?"


    The young girl gritted her teeth as she lowered her head to search her leg, but she couldn''t find anything.


    "If you randomly touch again, be careful that your leg is crippled." Gu Qing Li bent down, not even bothering to look at her hands. She only saw her slender fingers nimbly flying as she patted the girl''s leg a few times. A few silver lights appeared between her fingers before disappearing in a flash.


    The girl suddenly felt the numbness between her legs disappear as she jumped up. Without saying a word of thanks, she raised her overbearing face and fiercely glared at Gu Qing Li: "The quality of the people from Dongyuan City is really poor, they would even secretly shoot and injure people!"


    Xiao Yixiu gripped Gu Qingli''s arm and said indifferently, "Forget it, she''s already suffered a lot from you."


    "When did you become so tolerant? Is it because she''s a beautiful woman? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "Didn''t you notice what she said?"


    "Hmm?" Gu Qingli had only wanted to teach her a little lesson, but she hadn''t paid attention.


    "She said the quality of the people of Dongyuan is really bad."


    "She''s not from Dongyuan?" Only then did Gu Qingli come back to her senses. She carefully thought about it, the Princess of Western Paradise had just arrived at the capital. Could it be that ¡­


    "Is it possible that she is someone of Princess Lan Xun''s side?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu sighed softly. "I''m afraid that I have already offended the people of the Western Tribes without the princess'' favorable impression of me."


    The two of them no longer had the mood to wander around. They casually bought a gift and hurried towards the inn.


    Before they even entered the door, they saw Xiao Yiyan come out with a red horse. His face was full of joy and sadness, and his pair of peach blossom eyes were filled with a desolate indifference. Gu Qingli felt his heart ache.


    Could it be that the happy and affectionate youth would never come back? He thought of the variety of flowers that he had casually brought out as a gift to his Heavenly Yellow Stones. It was as if he was still learning from yesterday''s incident.


    In just half a year, he had changed a person so much.


    "Have you seen the princess?" Xiao Yi Xiu walked up to him.


    Xiao Yiyan raised his head and looked at them in surprise.


    "Fifth brother and fifth sister have come as well." It was as if he couldn''t find anything to say. After a while, he thought of something and said, "Oh, an agreement with the princess that I would go to the Western Sea to hunt tomorrow would require me to inform the Third and Sixth Imperial Brothers. I''ll be leaving first."


    "Wait a minute, Yan. Is there nothing else we can say? "


    Xiao Yiyan met Xiao Yixiu''s gaze and forced a smile. "Nope, Fifth Brother went in to meet the princess, it''s only right for you to hold a welcoming reception for her." "Princess should go to the palace later to meet with her father and mother. There will be a feast in the palace at night, so I must hurry and inform ¡­


    "Since there''s a feast at night, why bother to go over and notify everyone? The Sixth Prince''s residence is far away as well. Since we''re wasting four hours, why don''t we talk about it during the feast at night?"


    Xiao Yiyan had nothing to say as he lowered his eyes.


    "Let''s go see the princess together."


    "I''ve just seen him ¡­"


    Gu Qingli handed over a purple sandalwood box and smiled faintly. "Your highness, this is a gift I have prepared for you. How can I come empty-handed to welcome the princess?"


    Xiao Yiyan''s expression froze for a moment before he received the wooden box and opened it. Inside was a branch of the Tender Butterfly Flower Steps, which caused his expression to become even more unsightly.


    After a long while, he finally raised his head to look at Gu Qing Li. "Did the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law choose him?"


    "Yeah, you don''t like it?"


    "Having a love affair with a beautiful lady has a good meaning." Xiao Yiyan sneered, and slowly closed his eyes, "But there''s still one more sentence, do you know of the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law? Rong Huayan came to welcome you, unwillingly seeking to please you, is that really okay? "


    Gu Qingli didn''t expect him to speak in such a harsh tone. She stared blankly for a moment before sighing, "You''re the one who''s determined to get your marriage engagement with the West. Imperial Mother also hopes that you''ll be the one to get the princess'' hand in marriage ¡­"


    "So Fifth Sister thinks the same?" Xiao Yiyan closed the box with a clap, while a dark expression emerged on his handsome face.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s tone rose a little. "Ah Yan! You''ve grown up, so don''t be so willful. "


    In the past, when he looked at Xiao Yiyan, his eyes were filled with a doting expression, but now they were even more solemn.


    Xiao Yiyan suddenly handed the box over to Xiao Yixiu, and said indifferently and respectfully, "Since it''s a gift personally chosen by the Fifth Emperor''s sister-in-law, then leave it to Fifth Brother to welcome you. With fifth brother''s character and looks, why would he worry about not winning the favor of the princess? At that time, Princess Orchid Xunxi will be the principal concubine. Wouldn''t that mean that everyone would be overjoyed? "


    Without looking back, he jumped on his horse and galloped it down the road without even giving them a chance to explain.


    Gu Qingli stared at the back of Xiao Yiyan''s back, dumbstruck. Then she forced a smile, "Did we do something wrong? "The person who wants to marry him and the princess is too impatient and doesn''t respect his wishes at all ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s handsome face became serious and he took a deep breath, "No, he''s the son of the imperial family. He doesn''t know his identity. Actually, he has no way out. Even if he can avoid the marriage alliance with the West, he won''t be able to avoid another marriage in the future. "


    "Just like how I was betrothed to you?"


    Xiao Yixiu looked at her silently.


    "That''s right. If it wasn''t for me at that time, even if it was a cat or dog, as long as it was Gu Chaoran''s daughter, you would have married his back then." Gu Qingli''s tone had already started to sound bad.


    "Yes." Xiao Yi Xiu''s answer was clear and cold.


    Gu Qingli''s mood had also been ignited. Her face darkened as she was about to leave, but she was held back by him. She leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Even if I married that many, I only want you. I won''t touch anyone else."


    Gu Qingli''s face was burning hot, and her heart was a little weak. However, her anger could not be completely dispelled as she harrumphed, "That''s because of your obsession with cleanliness." If Princess Lan Xun really has taken a fancy to you and wants you to divorce me, I''m afraid that you will also follow the imperial orders. "


    Xiao Yixiu smiled coquettishly and said softly, "Before, I could have agreed to anything without you. But now, with you, even if the sky is about to fall, I won''t stop marrying and marrying."


    "Hmph, liar."


    "Do you not want me to love a beauty more?"


    Xiaoyi Xiu held onto Gu Qing Li''s waist as they both walked into the inn, heading towards the princess'' residence.


    Princess Orchon was standing in the middle of the hall, while there was actually a person seated in the upper seat of the hall. It seemed as if the two of them were talking.


    There were two West Descending Palace maids guarding the door. They stopped them in their tracks without a trace of politeness and said: "Who are you, inform the princess before you decide whether or not you want to receive us."


    The two of them looked at each other from far away. Xiao Yi Xiu looked at the two palace maids and scanned them back and forth. The royal family gave birth to an imposing aura. The clear and cold gaze caused them to involuntarily shiver.


    "I am the fifth prince of Dongyuan City. King Mo, Xiao Yi Xiu, has come with an imperial concubine. Is this kind of report enough?"


    No matter how noble of a status Princess Lan Xun had in the west, she was only an envoy when she came to the East Abyss. Since she could enter this place through a relay house, they should know that she was a noble of the East Abyss.

 C171 Princess Orchid(1)

    His voice was not loud, but it was as cool as a sword. It pierced straight into the room, and the two people in the hall instantly turned around.


    The man in the middle of the hall jumped out of his chair and turned his face to the side, as if trying to make out his face.


    Wearing the blue lotus dress that retained her immortality, Princess Lan Xun appeared somewhat flustered. She raised her voice and said, "I request that Your Highness be my guest."


    Following her, he quickly walked over and reprimanded the two palace maids, "How can you be so rude to Prince Mo when you are being so disrespectful?"


    Naturally, Xiao Yi Xiu wouldn''t fuss over this with the two palace maids. He smiled indifferently as he walked in with Gu Qing Li.


    "You must be Princess Mo?"


    Princess Lan Xun''s charming eyes sized up Gu Qingli from head to toe. Her smile was welcoming, and she seemed intelligent and cute. She didn''t have the rumoured domineering feeling at all.


    Gu Qing felt a sense of familiarity. Smiling, he replied, "That''s right. Her highness is known for her beauty and her extraordinary bearing."


    He might look like a celestial, but he wasn''t wronged by looking at how amiable and amiable Xiao Yiyan was.


    However, Xiao Yixiu''s gaze fell upon another person in the hall. Strictly speaking, that person was a young girl dressed in a brown cotton dress. Although her features were beautiful and dazzling, her arrogance made people unconsciously feel pressured.


    "Where did we not meet in life? We actually met again so soon." Xiao Yi Xiu looked at him with a faint smile.


    The cloth-clothed girl was also stunned for a long time before she regained her senses. "You are ¡­" Eastern Abyss King Mo? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her, then looked at Princess Lan Xun. "I didn''t expect you to be so kind to a normal person."


    "Ah?" "This ¡­" Princess Lan Xun bit her lower lip, seeming to be deep in thought.


    The cloth-clothed girl kneeled down and said, "This humble servant is disrespectful. I did not know that you two were noble people of Dongyuan City and had offended you. Please punish me."


    "What''s wrong? You''ve seen it before? What happened? " Princess Lan Xun had a face full of doubt.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t reply to her words. He continued to stare at the cloth-clothed girl and said, "The identity of this lady is so strange."


    Only then did Princess Lan Xun recover her wits. She took his words from before and said, "This girl is this princess'' servant girl. Previously, she was just wiping her chair ¡­ Cough cough, the two of you must have seen wrongly. "


    "Oh, she doesn''t even have a cloth in her hands. I wonder what she''s going to use to wipe it?" Gu Qingli raised a smile and noticed some clues.


    "Take your sleeves!" The cloth-clothed girl raised her sleeve.


    "Princess has such a special hobby. Could it be that the servants in your country are all like this?"


    "This is our trip to the west." The young girl choked on Gu Qingli''s words without any trace of politeness, as if she was particularly displeased with her.


    However, Xiao Yixiu only pursed his lips into a smile, staring at her without saying a word. Seeing her hair stand on end, he subconsciously lowered his head. His upright posture, however, seemed stubborn and unruly.


    "Alright, alright. Get up, Jingyuan."


    Jing Yuan stood up. Her legs seemed to be a little unsteady, and she almost fell down again. Fortunately, Princess Lan Xun helped him up.


    Jingyuan rubbed his knees, looking tired.


    "Since it is a palace maid by the princess''s side, Miss Jingyuan shouldn''t mind that it was just a small misunderstanding, right?"


    Jing Yuan raised her head to meet Xiao Yixiu''s elegant gaze. His handsome face finally looked a little more gentle. "Mmm." It was obvious that she was still feeling a bit reluctant.


    Jing Yuan only stood far behind the princess to serve her. In the silence, she would occasionally raise his head to look at them, listening to their conversation. From start to finish, her face didn''t have much of an expression.


    "Tonight''s grand feast was performed by the best talent in the Dongyuan Imperial Palace. Amongst the dancers, the most famous one was my ''Awakening From the Sleeve'' technique, set up for the princess."


    "The people of Dongyuan City are truly hospitable. It is difficult to refuse such a grand favor. When the time comes, this princess will definitely be there."


    The three of them chatted for a while more before Gu Qingli took out the violet sandalwood box and pushed it in front of Princess Lan Xun. "This is a gift from Prince Chen on behalf of the princess."


    Princess Lan Xun froze on the spot, blinking in confusion. "He ¡­" This princess has just met him, and we were just strolling around the streets. "


    He had even wandered around the streets?!


    Gu Qingli was a bit speechless, but she quickly smiled, "He secretly bought this on the streets. After hesitating for a while, he still didn''t have the courage to give it to the princess, so when she meets us, she asked this wangfei to pass this gift to the princess. I hope you don''t mind."


    Princess Lan Xun opened the violet sandalwood box, and her eyes began to shine. It was as if she was incomparably happy, only missing the opportunity to put it on her head.


    Seeing that her eyes were shining, Gu Qingli lightly smiled. She got up and stood by the princess'' side, helping her pick up the butterflies and flowers with each step she took. She wanted to help her get a hairpin up.


    However, Princess Lan Xun hurriedly stood up and lightly waved her hand in front of her. "No, no, how could I possibly ask for the favor of an imperial concubine ¡­" I... This princess will do it herself. "


    "Seeing that the princess likes it so much, this wangfei just wants to give it a try for you."


    "No need!" Princess Lan Xun seemed to be a bit nervous, but she realized that her refusal was a bit stiff. With a sweet smile, she said, "Wait until this princess takes it back to the room and tries again in the dressing mirror. This place ¡­ "It''s not convenient."


    "Sure." Gu Qingli took a step and placed it in the palm of her hand. Seeing her incomparably happy expression, she smiled again before taking her leave.


    Princess Lan Xun appeared to know that etiquette was required and that she was generous and decent. She only waved goodbye after sending them to the entrance of the inn.


    "Humph!" After the two had left, Jing Yuan gave a heavy snort from behind Princess Lan Xun.


    "What is it? "You don''t like it?" Princess Lan Xun looked somewhat uneasy.


    Jing Yuan took the trot and turned it between her fingers, staring at it.


    The exquisite process of pinching silk, the exquisite technique of making jade, made this step look expensive, not to mention that the butterfly wing was covered with a string of round and flawless Zhupunnan beads. It was hard not to like such a precious and magnificent gift.


    But Jingyuan only sneered, "Is it nice to watch? "It suits you quite well."


    She raised her hand and very casually placed the hairpin on Princess Lan Xun''s temple.


    The Princess of Lan Xun raised her delicate eyebrows. "You seem very unhappy. Even if this stance isn''t very popular, its shape is absolutely beautiful. Its craftsmanship is exquisite, and it''s expensive. You shouldn''t be so disdainful of it."


    Jingyuan said, "Do you know what they were saying when I bumped into them today?"


    "Hmm?"


    "I am clothed in cloth and they treat me as a commoner. I can hear them speaking without restraint ¡­ "In his anger, he went and bumped into them, and in the end, he was unceremoniously teased by them."


    When she thought of that miserable scene, Jing Yuan was filled with endless resentment, while Princess Lan Xun was both surprised and amused at the same time. Her petite hand covered her alluring red lips as she tried her best to restrain her laughter.


    Jing Yuan, however, did not notice her expression. She recounted what she had seen on the street, and then she said, "Later on, when I found out that they were Mo King and Princess, I wasn''t that angry. After all, people who were born with nobility were a little arrogant.


    "Then ¡­"

 C172 Princess Orchid(2)

    "But that''s not what I''m angry about. They''re discussing to buy a present for King Chen. So ¡­" It turned out that King Chen had no intention of marrying into the West. Since he had no intentions of doing so, then why did the East Abyss send this official to the West to deliver a letter that would allow the generations of the Kingdom of Eternal Rest to form an alliance with the West? That peaceful letter was equivalent to the letter Dongyuan wrote for Xi Lin, but in the end, the one who wanted to marry was unwilling? This is too bullying! "


    Princess Lan Xun frowned and thought for a long time before saying, "But, marrying Duke Chen seems to only be a wishful thinking for Empress Dongyuan. Although Dongyuan''s emissary went to my west to express this wish, in the end, she didn''t say it explicitly. I heard that His Majesty wants us to choose one of the four adult princes to accompany him if he comes to the Eastern Abyss? "


    "Speaking of which, it''s even more infuriating. It''s fine if King Chen doesn''t want it, but King Mo doesn''t want it either!" Why did he choose gifts for his brother with the zeal of a princess? [Isn''t this marriage a hot topic? You want to give it to King Chen as soon as possible?]


    "This... Are you thinking too much? "


    "Definitely not! Look at the way he and the princess loved each other! He certainly would not give up his western-facing consort to be Prince Consort. "


    Princess Lan Xun blinked, and her bright eyes curved into the shape of a crescent moon. She seemed to want to laugh again, but upon being fiercely glared at by Jing Yuan, the crescent moon instantly disappeared, her face as silent as a cicada.


    The interior and exterior of the Sky Bearing Hall were brightly lit, while inside the hall, silk and bamboo twirled around the ears. The beautiful and limpid palace ladies shuttled back and forth like willow trees as they passed by Princess Lan Xun on the flowing water platform.


    The minstrel''s song was so beautiful that it made people''s eyes dazzle.


    "The song and dance style of Dongyuan is really different from the style of my Western Paradise." Princess Lan Xun smiled as she praised him.


    The Emperor and Empress sat on the throne. Upon hearing the praise of Princess Lan Xun, they both respectfully and courteously returned a smile.


    Beside and across the princess sat four adult princes. There were also underage princes and princesses who sat on the lower seat of honor. They were all well-mannered and well-mannered.


    Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin were all talking to Princess Lan Xun. Only Xiao Yi Xiu, who had arrived late, was accompanied by his first wife, Gu Qing Li. This made the emperor''s gaze darken.


    It wouldn''t be a problem for him to set up a new position, but knowing what the occasion was tonight, it was against the emperor''s original intention to brazenly bring the first wife over.


    But... Forget it, the Emperor thought to himself. He''s just a sick, weak body. If the princess really set her eyes on him, he wouldn''t be able to agree to a marriage.


    Today, Xiao Yixiu had brought Gu Qing Li to show off his love for her. Although Xiao Yi Mo wasn''t willing to bring his first wife Gu Qingruo out, the emperor had designated Gu Qing Ruo to dance with. Princess Lan Xun had to meet that talented girl whose name could shake the entire capital.


    It was as if the Emperor was the same as her, unwilling to allow Princess Lan Xun to seduce Xiao Yi. She thought, it should be related to the previous case of Chi Yue, Ling YuanZhang''s incident.


    The only ones left were Xiao Yijin and Xiao Yiyan, the unmarried ones. The empress was still a bit nervous, but compared to Xiao Yijin, who had achieved great military merits, Xiao Yiyan seemed to be too young, and wasn''t confident in his victory.


    "Prince Mo, Princess Mo." Princess Lan Xun greeted her with a polite smile, as if she didn''t mind that Xiao Yixiu had arrived late with her main wife.


    Xiao Yixiu also returned the greeting with a smile on his face. At the same time, he caught a glimpse of Jing Yuan behind her. He returned the gesture with a gentle smile.


    Jing Yuan was stunned for a moment. She pursed her lips and felt a strange unease in her heart, as if something had been seen through. She panicked and subconsciously shifted her gaze, but there was a faint smile on her face from Gu Qing Li.


    From her point of view, this smile was clearly a bit mocking. It made her feel like a nameless flame had been ignited. She slightly raised her delicate chin and coldly looked at him.


    Gu Qing Li didn''t want to argue with her anymore, but he was somewhat unhappy with her hostility towards him. He turned his face away and said in a low voice to Xiao Yi Xiu, "She''s glaring at me. She''s not very satisfied with me."


    Xiao Yixiu steeped the tea Gu without batting an eyelid, lowered his eyes, and said to the bowl of tea, "Forget it, I''m just a spoiled child."


    Gu Qingli lightly pouted. "But she''s staring at you. She doesn''t like you, does she?"


    "Do you think everyone is as blind as you are and like a person suffering from consumption?" As he spoke to here, Xiao Yixiu seemed to recall that he had to cough a few times out of habit. He took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and covered his lips, coughing so hard that even the hot tea in the tea Gu splattered onto the back of his slender white hands.


    Xiao Yijin suspended his passionate gaze on Princess Lan Xun as he looked at Xiao Yi with disdain and ridicule, and a trace of a cold smile appeared on his face.


    Xiao Yixiu put down the handkerchief that was covered in dark red blood. Gu Qingli saw that his lips were stained with blood. She raised his satin handkerchief and dabbed at it, causing him to give a small smile. Her eyes were filled with tender affection and boundless love.


    Jing Yuan looked at the scene. Although he couldn''t hear the whispers, she was still stunned for a moment. There was a faint sense of disappointment in his heart. What ability did that arrogant and annoying Princess Mo have to be able to firmly bind this man''s heart?


    He was well aware that the next best dance was none other than Gu Qingruo''s move from her sleeve. At this moment, the empress had introduced the move to Princess Lan Xun, saying that the one performing the dance was the move from the sleeves of the capital''s number one talent, Gu Qingruo.


    As for Xiao Yiyan, from beginning to end, other than modestly and courteously greeting Princess Lan Xun when he first entered the hall, he hadn''t even taken the initiative to speak to her. He didn''t even make eye contact with her, as if he was wholeheartedly immersed in singing and dancing.


    In front of him, other than Princess Lan Xun and Jingyuan, there was also Gu Qingli.


    It was understandable that King Mo had deep feelings for his princess, but this king ¡ª he was also staring at her? Jing Yuan was confused.


    The pair of eyes that should have been filled with emotions and smiles, completely devoid of any romantic feelings, only sadness and sadness.


    "Yan''er, why are you so rude? Why don''t you toast to the princess?" The empress reminded her in a reserved yet gentle manner. It was obvious that she was dissatisfied with Xiao Yiyan''s coldness and silence.


    At this moment, all the cardinals and palace ladies entered in a line. They were all surrounded by colorful lanterns, colorful clothes, and all kinds of slim and beautiful palace maids. Gu Qingruo was in full dress.


    Gu Qingruo was wearing a moon-white, flawless dress, with snow-white silk covering her shoulders. She was wearing a rainbow-colored, gradually changing immortal dress, and her water sleeves were torn to shreds as she danced around the capital. Her elegant figure, as well as the shadow of her sleeves, instantly attracted the attention of almost everyone present.


    As Princess Lan Xun was admiring Xiao Yiyan, she raised her glass and made a toast to her.


    Princess Lan Xun had no choice but to turn around and raise her cup, barely touching her lower lip. Without the slightest of care, she immediately cast her gaze towards that stunning move from her sleeve.

 C173 Princess Orchid(3)

    Huan Yiyan seemed to understand the situation as he completed his mother''s orders, quietly put down his cup, and quietly asked the emperor to leave the hall ahead of time under the sullen gaze of the empress. The reason was that he suddenly felt unwell, and was afraid that if he did not rest well, he would delay the great event of accompanying the princess out of the parade and hunting tomorrow.


    The Empress gritted her teeth, but she could not reprimand him too much in such an occasion. She listened to the Emperor''s words of understanding, telling him to rest well, and not miss tomorrow''s hunt. If there was a knife in her eyes, she would definitely cut two holes in her beloved child.


    Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, Gu Qingruo''s movements became more and more hurried. Her movements were so beautiful that they resembled the blossoming of summer flowers, and her movements were like the blossoming of a lotus.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yiyan''s eyes were hazy, and his expression was gloomy. He silently walked out of the side door of the hall.


    Under the shadow of the tree, two figures, one big and one small, were looking into the hall in a daze.


    When Xiao Yiyan saw them, he walked closer and stopped in surprise. Only then did he realize that it was Fu Gouyu and the Ninth Prince Xiao Yimin, who had not shown up in any bustling environment.


    "Min''er, Fu Gouyu, what are you two doing here?"


    A hint of panic flashed through Fu Gouyu''s eyes. She subconsciously hugged Xiao Yi Mi tightly in her embrace and said softly, "Min''er heard that Princess Mu''s name had left her sleeve and wanted to come to the capital to take a look. I ¡­ I had to bring him. We... We''re only going to look out and we''re going to go back. "


    "Since the mosquitoes and bugs are causing trouble outside during the summer night, why don''t Fu Gongyu bring him in?"


    "No, Min''er, let''s go back."


    Xiao Yi was only twelve years old, but he looked whiter and thinner than his peers. However, his pair of large, black eyes were bright and clear, not like he had been suffering from a long illness since he was young. He looked back at the hall with reluctance, obviously unwilling to leave.


    Xiao Yi Yan looked at Xiao Yi Min again. In fact, Fu Yu was probably frightened by the child''s illness when he was six years old, and anyone who felt a headache would feel extremely nervous, as if they were on guard outside the city walls. Xiao Yi Yan never let Xiao Yi Min out of the Zi Ling Palace, so Xiao Yi Yan rarely saw this young brother of his.


    "Fu Gongyu, I don''t see anything wrong with that. You might be too worried about his health, so you should let him out for some fresh air sometimes. For example, entertaining Princess Xi Lin tonight, you should let him have a look ¡­"


    "No no no, we ¡­" We''ll go back right now! " Fu Gongyu seemed to become even more flustered. She hugged Xiao Yi Min tightly, and despite his reluctance, left hurriedly along the dark path of the palace.


    Xiao Yiyan was just about to remind them to pick up the lights and leave, but when he remembered that Fu Yu''s gaze towards his contained not only panic but also wariness and hostility, he couldn''t help but sigh lightly. He shook his head in puzzlement and stopped thinking about it.


    In fact, Fu Ge was a gentle and charming Southern Beauty. Although her appearance was not second to none in the palace, her delicate and refined temperament was inexplicably lovable. This kind of woman would give men a strong desire to protect her, as if she was a weak and fragile mountain palace in the wind that could be destroyed at any time.


    However, such a delicate, delicate, and even somewhat cowardly character was exactly what Xiao Yiyan didn''t like.


    Unknowingly, his thoughts were in a mess as he arrived at the imperial garden. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, and looked around. Around him were all kinds of flower trees, and not a single thread of light from the palace lanterns could be seen.


    Xia Feng gently caressed his skin, giving him a slight feeling of coolness. He casually found a long stone bench and sat down.


    He carelessly brushed away a few petals that fell to his side, then lazily laid down, letting the blue slate''s coolness wash away a trace of the summer heat from his body.


    "Hey, aren''t you going to look at that move? What are you doing here by yourself?"


    Xiao Yiyan had just closed her eyes when he heard the sound. He suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the young girl in front of his with surprise.


    Dressed in a light purple brocade palace attire, the lily dress was covered in fragmented flowers. Under the moonlight, it was hard to see her clearly. One could only see that she was extremely elegant and had a bit of an intimidating aura. She seemed too capricious and willful.


    "Who are you?" He had never seen this type of palace uniform before, and this young lady was also very unfamiliar.


    Even though the moonlight was hazy, one could still see the new appearance of her face. She was as pretty as a painting, and even though she was only a palace maid, she still couldn''t cover up her exceptional charm and charm.


    "I am Princess Xi Lin ¡­" The close-quarters palace maid, Jing Yuan.


    "Oh ¡­" Xiao Yiyan let out a long sigh and was inwardly surprised. Could it be that the palace maids from the west had no manners? They knew that he was a prince, yet they still called him ''hey''.


    "Who are you?" Jing Yuan asked.


    "You ¡­ Don''t know who I am? " Xiao Yiyan suddenly didn''t want to reveal her identity. This little palace maid''s face wasn''t repulsive, and his words seemed a bit interesting. If he were to speak out about his identity, then he might scare her to the point of losing color.


    Jingyuan shook his head. In fact, she was certain that this Prince Chen had spent the entire night peeking at Princess Mo, and there was no one else in his eyes. Otherwise, how could he not remember her after standing behind Princess Lan Xun for so long?


    Xiao Yi Xiu remembered that his posture was quite indecent and sat up. He gave her half of the seat before patting the stone bench. "I''m just one of the ¡­ It''s just a young eunuch. "


    Jing Yuan sat down beside him and looked at him curiously, "You liar, your clothes are so luxurious and your bearing is so extraordinary, how can you be a eunuch?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked down. Luckily, he wasn''t wearing the Eight Python Court uniform today. Instead, he was wearing an ordinary suit with the patterns of the sea and clouds. This was also due to his deliberate negligence. He smiled faintly and said, "Hmm, eunuchs have posts as well. I am a ¡­ "This is just a small official."


    "Oh, the biggest one among the officials is called the Medallion. But you''re so young, don''t tell me you have the Medallion?"


    "Ugh ¡­" The singing and dancing in the hall are so beautiful, why did you come out? " He said something to the right.


    "Does it look good? I didn''t pay attention to it. What sort of move from the sleeve that could move the capital, in my opinion, was only mediocre. "The dignified Princess Mu is also learning how to dance as an acrobat in the teaching field. She has disgraced her identity." Jingyuan''s smooth cherry red lips had a hint of disdain.


    Xiao Yiyan couldn''t help but laugh. That''s right, he didn''t understand why so many people were so amazed by Gu Qingruo''s technique of leaving her sleeve.


    "Where is your clan''s Princess Lan Xun?" I can see that she was amazed by what she saw. "


    Jingyuan pouted, "Too little."


    And then he realized that it was too disrespectful to describe his princess like this. He changed the subject: "We don''t like each other, but we can''t stop others from liking her. There will always be people to admire her. That''s why her name is in the capital, right?"


    "Yeah, three..." Back then, Prince Mu was surprised that she was hired to return home because she waved the capital''s master around. "

 C174 Princess Orchid(4)

    "From what you''ve said, Prince Mu and his consort are already very fond of each other?"


    Xiao Yi Yan was startled, but he did not have the habit of talking behind his back, so he only smiled. King Mu and Princess Mu were like that, but how could they be called love and affection? Especially after Yan Yu was born, as the sole beloved grandson of his royal grandson, it made Xiao Yi Mo even more proud. His attitude towards his second concubine, He Yi Yu, had long since changed, and he treated Gu Qing Ruo as a nobody.


    Jing Yuan looked at his expression and understood what was going on. She smiled and said, "It''s nothing, I just saw Prince Mo and his wife loving each other so much that I thought the princes of the Eastern Abyss would choose to marry them. Unlike me, a prince of the Western Paradise, who would marry a woman he did not love in order to pacify his subjects or marry his neighbors."


    "This is indeed the case with the royal family''s marriage. Even the affection between them is incomparably cold, let alone the matter of the prince''s marriage? Who can be like Prince Mo, who can marry a congenial princess? "


    "Since Prince Mo managed to get this marriage, it must not be easy."


    "That''s not the case. At first, he was also ordered to marry her. He looked down on her and even ignored her for a long time ¡­" Xiao Yiyan seemed to be immersed in his memories.


    He suddenly thought of the private matters that belonged to fifth brother. How could he casually tell this to a palace maid in the Western Paradise? Then he stopped.


    "Then why did they get along with each other so harmoniously?"


    This little palace maid was obviously not sensible and completely ignored everyone''s expressions, wanting to get to the bottom of this.


    Xiao Yiyan said indifferently: "I am a lowly person, how would I know about the secrets of the Imperial Family? Miss Jingyuan''s curiosity is just too great. "


    Seeing him keep silent, Jing Yuan could not help but sneer in her heart. It must be that Princess Mo was so scheming that she had managed to win his favor by some tricks, causing him to be bewitched.


    She changed the subject and said, "I was staying inside. I could only stand far away in the corner. Actually, I couldn''t see anything clearly. Thinking that the imperial garden would be charming on a moonlit summer night, he wandered here. He never expected to get lost.


    "I''ll send you back to the Sky Bearing Hall later."


    "Yes." Jing Yuan held her chin and sighed.


    "So young, why are you sighing? Do you have something on your mind?"


    "I''m worried about my princess. Of the four adult princes of Dongyuan City, two of them have a main wife while the other two ¡­ I wonder what kind of person your majesty is ¡­" "What if you choose someone that my princess doesn''t like?"


    "Your Majesty, you''re implying that we should let the princess get along with the four princes for a while and let her choose among herself?" I faintly heard that as long as the princess has set her eyes on her, even if it''s someone with a main wife, she could be demoted to a secondary wife and the princess could be welcomed back to the residence. "


    "Destroying someone''s marriage isn''t a good thing. Even if I get what I want, I still feel uneasy."


    "That''s true, then who did your princess pick?"


    "I am only a palace maid. No matter how intimate I am, the princess might not tell you about this kind of worry in her heart, right?" Jingyuan smiled sweetly, revealing a few fine teeth. She looked quite cute, but it was diluting her previous aggressive aura.


    Xiao Yiyan also smiled. "But you''re actually quite worried for her."


    "Yeah, she said today that the Emissary of Dongyuan had hinted that the person the Emperor wanted to propose to is King Chen. However, she only realized that it was different when she arrived at the East Peak." When he went out with her today, he was always absent-minded. Apparently, he was more perfunctory than attentive. It was like he didn''t want to marry her. "


    "She ¡­" You can tell? "


    Jing Yuan curled her lips, "You look to be in low spirits, but you still want people to not be able to see it?"


    Xiao Yiyan was silent.


    Judging from Jingyuan''s tone, Princess Lan Xun definitely wouldn''t take away someone''s beloved. If that was the case, then Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Xiu definitely wouldn''t be among the candidates.


    And the princess felt that when he accompanied her for a while, his mood had waned and he was not sincere at all. In that case, she had to choose ¡­ However, Xiao Yijin''s character would probably harm Princess Lan Xun, wouldn''t it?


    He suddenly let out a soft sigh. Even he himself was too preoccupied with his own flaws, so how could he have the leisure to care about others?


    "What are you sighing about?"


    "Princess Lan Xun must have followed orders to come to the Eastern Abyss and marry a man she isn''t familiar with."


    Jingyuan and Qingling''s eyes swept across his face before they finally answered, "Of course! Who knew what character and temperament the brothers of the Xiao family had? Perhaps they were all mediocre popinjays, or perhaps they were ruthless and sinister people ¡­ "Men are afraid to enter the wrong path, while women are afraid to marry the wrong man. Isn''t it normal for her to be unwilling?"


    "At such a young age, don''t look so worried for our country. Your princess has her own choice, it''s not up to you to worry about."


    Feeling that this little palace maid''s frown was a little cute, Xiao Yiyan smiled faintly as he stood up, then flipped his sleeve, holding a complete Falling Flower Palm. It was indeed Hibiscus Mutabilis, the one on the branch.


    "If I give it to you, my mood might improve." He did not play this trick for a long time, and it was no longer as leisurely as it was before when he was teasing girls. Today, in order to comfort this little palace maid, he casually revealed a hand.


    Jing Yuan''s eyes were wide open, her face full of envy. She looked at Jing Yuan from head to toe, and asked in surprise, "Where did you come from? "Let me see you transform into another flower."


    "Too much food is tasteless. This sort of small trick, it''s sufficient to play it once. If you continue to play it like this, it''ll be seen through. Then, it''ll become boring." Xiao Yiyan put the flower in her palm and turned to leave.


    "Wait, you ¡­ Was there something on his mind when he was alone here? "


    "What worries can a eunuch have?"


    Xiao Yiyan paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed coldly at himself: "If there is, then it''s possible that no one will ever like it, haha!"


    He left the imperial garden without looking back, ignoring Jingyuan''s call from behind.


    Jingyuan turned his head to look at his back, and for some reason, he felt a little lonely. At his age, he should be a young man with a red face. Furthermore, as a descendant of the royal family, he should be a dragon among men. Could it be that the hidden bitterness in his eyes was all for that Princess Mo?


    Thinking of this, she hated Princess Mo even more.


    When Jingyuan hurried back to the princess'' side, the banquet was already coming to an end. The princess stood up to bid farewell to the empress and the princes, so naturally no one paid any attention to the arrival or departure of a young palace maid.


    Xiao Yijin followed closely behind Princess Lan Xun. He said in an attentive manner, "Princess, it''s already late in the night. For the sake of safety, how about you let Little Wang send you back to the inn?"


    Princess Lan Xun turned her head and smiled sweetly. "Could it be that the security of your Dongyuan capital is not good?"


    Xiao Yijin''s expression froze for a moment, and then he said with a smile, "The princess is joking, but no matter how nice the security is, accidents can happen in a place. After all, the princess'' identity is extraordinary."


    "Since security is good, why should we send them off?" Princess Lan Xun had always been polite with her words, and she was quick and witty, but her quick and amiable tone carried a sharpness that could not be ignored. Her refusal left one at a loss for words.


    When Xiao Yi Mo saw the awkward smile on Xiao Yi Jin''s face after he was rejected, he sneered in his heart and slowed down his pace.


    He knew that he had an imperial concubine, so overzealous actions would only make him look down on himself. As he was thinking this, Gu Qingluo followed him.

 C175 Princess Orchid(5)

    She had changed out of her neon dancing dress. Her hair was tied up high, and she looked elegant. She walked beside Xiaoyi Mo with graceful steps. The man was handsome, and the woman was elegant. They were truly a match made in heaven.


    Jing Yuan landed behind Princess Lan Xun. As sshe turned her head, he saw that there was still a distance of one person between Xiao Yi Mo and Gu Qing Ruo, and the two of them looked at each other with respect as cold as ice. She curiously rolled her eyes and bowed towards Gu Qing Ruo. When I see you dancing throughout the banquet with the grace of a celestial being, I am very envious. "


    Gu Qingruo lifted her eyes and saw the palace maid by Princess Lan Xun''s side. A trace of disdain flashed through her eyes, but she still knew that she couldn''t offend an esteemed guest from the west. She maintained her noble demeanor and smiled reservedly. "You''re too kind."


    "Your servant was born with a love for music and dancing. I wonder if Princess Mu would be interested in giving me some pointers?"


    The disdain in Gu Qingruo''s heart deepened as she thought to herself, This little palace maid is so tyrannical. Has the princess never taught her etiquette before? A lowly palace maid should never have spoken to the noble princess while pestering her. How could she talk about giving advice? Could it be that her dance was casual and everyone had the right to watch it?


    She was at a loss as to how to respond when she saw Xiaoyi Mo approaching her with a smile on his face. His words were very courteous as he replied, "No matter how small the problem is, I won''t make things difficult for myself. However, this lady was someone close to Princess Lan Xun, and she was instructing her on such matters ¡­ The princess had practiced martial arts for ten years for this dance. If the lady wanted to learn, she would have to teach her for at least ten days or eight days. Can the princess agree to it? "


    Gu Qingruo was overjoyed. She wanted to maintain her grace and change the topic, but when she heard Jing Yuan she said, "This is nothing. There''s more than one servant serving the princess. When this servant reports to the princess, she''ll definitely agree."


    Gu Qingruo''s heart was immediately set ablaze, and she couldn''t help but glare at Xiao Yi Mo.


    Xiao Yi Mo was also slightly disappointed in his heart. His idea wasn''t actually to refuse, but rather to think that the person who liked to dance this time was Princess Lan Xun herself.


    He spent the entire banquet paying attention to the princess. Her eyes were filled with fascination as she stared at Gu Qingruo''s dance, her admiration overflowing. This young palace maid, however, had only waited for a short while before she ran off, not returning to the princess'' side until she was done with her dance. So this conversation must have been done by the princess.


    But who would have thought ¡­ This little palace maid actually planned to come alone. However, this was not a problem. Seeing how intimate this little palace maid was with Princess Lan Xun, it was likely that she was a trusted aide of the princess and was most likely here to test him.


    Xiao Yi Mo calmly calculated, politely replying to Jingyuan. Gu Qing Ruo held back her anger and glared at him, but she didn''t dare to do anything. She could only grit her teeth and silently grit her teeth, her eyes bloodshot.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li were walking very quickly. They didn''t pay attention to the rest of them at all as they got into the carriage and headed back to the mansion.


    "Prince Chen has left his seat early. It seems like we have helped him for nothing."


    "Forget it, let nature take its course. This princess Lan Xun might be a real child, but she''s not necessarily as naive and ignorant as the rumors say. In my opinion, it''s the complete opposite. She''s very scheming, and also very considerate."


    "Hmm?"


    "Do you really think that the amiable and charming girl is the real Princess Lan Xun?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu definitely wasn''t baseless when he spoke. Since he was so sure, then Princess Lan Xun must be lying.


    Gu Qing''s brows furrowed as he thought about it carefully. After going through all of the details in his heart, he suddenly became alarmed. "You''re saying ¡­ That Jingyuan is the real princess? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu pinched her cheek with a smile that wasn''t a smile and said lovingly, "You, it''s only now that I understand."


    Gu Qingli sighed lightly and shook her head. "As expected, as long as you grow up in the Imperial Family, even if you''re a dainty luan or jade phoenix, you won''t be able to grow up willfully."


    "That''s right. The reason she came to Dongyuan City to reconcile with our marriage was actually because she was very alert. That''s why she used her palace maid status to observe from the sidelines. Only then could she truly see the faces of us princes."


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment and then giggled. "Now I''m relieved. No matter what, Princess Lan Xun doesn''t like you. The two of us made her look bad on the streets, and she already hates it to the bone."


    Xiao Yi Xiu kissed her with a soft smile, his eyes filled with tender affection. Only his Qing Li would treat him as a precious treasure, fearing that someone would snatch him away.


    In fact, was he really that good?


    Leaning out of the carriage''s window, he turned around to look. The fake Princess Lan Xun was currently stepping onto the carriage, and the carriage''s surroundings were heavily guarded. The two hundred guards lined up in front of the Imperial Palace, not allowing anyone near.


    Xiao Yijin''s eyes widened in the face of such a scene. He looked on helplessly as the princess turned her head back to smile at him and bid him farewell. His face was filled with anger and frustration.


    The hunting party had gathered in the outer city of the imperial city. Princess Lan Xun rode on the Luan, and Jing Yuan rode in the same carriage as her. The four princes and Gu Qing Li rode on horseback, clad in riding clothes.


    "Wait!" The brown horse galloped over the snow.


    Through the dust on the horse''s hooves, it was obvious that the person riding the horse was a woman. The blue riding suit was gorgeous and noble, with a trace of anger between her eyebrows.


    The brown horse stopped, and the woman seemed to be in a hurry. Her face was covered with sweat, and the tip of her nose was covered with sweat. The summer sun shone so brightly that her thin clothes were stuck to her body, outlining the fine curves of the dragon.


    "Princess Mu?!" Princess Lan Xun blurted out.


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression immediately darkened, but he had no choice but to maintain the demeanor of a prince. He smiled as gently as he could, "Esteemed wangfei, we already said that the heat would be difficult to endure. Your skin is tender and can''t be exposed to the sun. Why are you here again?"


    "Although the sun is blazing, Princess Lan Xun is an esteemed guest. How can she be neglectful?" "So what if I''m sunning myself for the princess? I''m not that delicate." Gu Qingruo smiled magnanimously.


    "But you can''t ride or hunt ¡­"


    "I recall that I promised Miss Jingyuan that I would guide her in her music and dance. This is a good opportunity. Moreover, the west sea is facing the river, and the river wind is blowing gently, making it cool and pleasant. Prince, didn''t you say that you guys would often go there for the summer? "


    Xiao Yi Mo''s originally handsome face was warped, and his eyes were so cold that they seemed about to freeze.


    Gu Qingruo acted as if she hadn''t seen it, smiling as she welcomed the princess. Hearing her laugh, she replied, "More people. Besides, this princess is extremely fond of that dance last night. If the wangfei is free, please give me some pointers."


    "Of course!"


    The hunting party set off in a grandiose manner, their treasured banners fluttering, their personal guard iron and silver spear guards flanking them. Princess Lan Xun''s two hundred plus guards were still by her side, making it impossible for anyone to get close and speak to her.


    The four princes and horses were leading the way, and they all looked very heroic and valiant. The many dragons among the people, as well as the phoenixes among the people, attracted the countless young ladies on the roadside, competing for fruit and flowers. Their cheers were like a tide.


    Amidst the cheers of the various kings, there were also the excited shouts of the "War God of Dongyuan".


    "War God? Who are they calling? " Princess Lan Xun curiously turned her face to the side and asked.


    She was facing Xiao Yiyan, who looked at the princess and replied: "It''s my fifth brother, King Xiao Yixiu."


    Princess Lan Xun and Jing Yuan simultaneously turned to look at Xiao Yi Xiu. He and Gu Qing Li were currently in the middle of their plan, but there was still an arm''s length between them. He even reached out to brush Gu Qing''s hair, but the gentleness in his eyes could almost be seen.

 C176 hunting(1)

    "Is he really a wargod?" In her eyes, Prince Mo was merely a man who would occasionally cough a few times. He was too good-looking and elegant.


    "Yes." My fifth brother has never attempted to lose when he was on the battlefield. Even Crown Prince Bei Chu and the renowned Four Seas, Helian Yu, lost to him. " Xiao Yiyan smiled as boundless admiration flashed through his eyes. Even though he was his half-brother, he was the same as many other people in Dongyuan City; he had treated Xiao Yixiu as a god since he was young.


    Jing Yuan quietly sized up Xiao Yi Xiu. He didn''t seem to care about the fanaticism of the women on the roadside, nor did she pay attention to Xiao Yi Yan''s praise for him.


    She had naturally heard of the name of the War God of the Eastern Abyss, but that fake Princess Lan Xun was only her personal little palace maid, so she had never heard of these major matters of the imperial court.


    Before coming to the Eastern Abyss, she had heard a lot about War God and held endless expectations for him. But after arriving here, all she saw was a weak and sickly body, and even when they were fighting in the market, he seemed to be powerless to resist.


    The love between him and the Princess had long since dispelled the fantasy in her heart. Although it was a bit of a pity, at least they could be considered to have a good relationship. However, that wangfei of his ¡­ How annoying.


    "Oh, oh ¡­" Prince Helian actually lost to him as well! " Princess Lan Xun had an expression of amazement, but her eyes were clearly vacant. Clearly, she also didn''t know who Helian Yu was.


    Although Gu Qing Li and Xiao Yi Xiu were looking at each other with an amorous look, they could still hear the conversation. Gu Qing Li was even more certain that this Princess Lan Xun was a fake.


    As the Princess of the West, how could she not know anything about the world''s situation? Helian Yu was also young and famous. He hadn''t seen any opponents during his ten years on the battlefield, and the only defeat in his life was when he fought against Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Along the way, it was unknown what crazed woman''s flower had been thrown aside, smashing into the carriage window and falling into Jingyuan''s arms. She subconsciously lowered her head to pick it up, and inadvertently thought of the flower that Xiao Yi Yan had given her in the Imperial Garden last night.


    She had originally thought that his valiant and charming appearance today would surely attract his attention, but he still seemed distracted, sneaking glances at Gu Qingli from time to time while leisurely dealing with the fake Princess Lan Xun for the rest of the time. He seemed to have completely forgotten about the little palace maid Jing Yuan who had chatted with him under the moon last night.


    In her entire life, she had never been ignored by someone like this. Even if she didn''t have the identity of Princess Xi Lin, her beauty was still one of the top beauties in the entire Bai Yue Country. Her beauty was renowned throughout the world.


    Jing Yuan chewed on her lower lip and shook the flowers. Instinctively, she felt a little disgusted with Princess Mo. It didn''t matter if she was bewitched by the War God of the East Abyss. King Chen was her uncle, so why was he peeking at her with an infatuation?


    After walking through the streets and onto the official road outside the city, the horses began to speed up and arrived at the western sea in four hours.


    The West Sea had already reached the outskirts of the capital. On the banks of the Yuhuai River that surrounded the capital, it was called the sea, but in reality, it was not the sea, but a sea of grass and forests. The river was rustling, and the green land beside the reeds was filled with vitality.


    The Xiao Imperial Family circled the entire green area, turning it into a hunting ground for the imperial family. Not far from the entrance, there was a palace.


    The hunting party entered the western hunting grounds and dismounted only when they were outside the palace. The guards pulled up the yellow curtains and set up camp. They surrounded the palace to protect it.


    Princess Lan Xun took a deep breath and gazed into the distance with a face full of joy. The sea of grass was trimmed and tended, and although it was lush and verdant it filled the sky, it was neat and soft and covered with bits and pieces of wildflowers.


    In the distance, there were trees and reeds growing close to the river bank. Occasionally, there would be the cry of a crane.


    Further to the west, there was a huge tree that reached into the sky. Behind the tree, there was a faint green mountain, and it looked like it was moving up and down like a beauty''s brow.


    "This place is really beautiful!"


    On the other hand, Jing Yuan only glanced at her surroundings, not showing any particular joy or joy. She was so calm that she didn''t seem like a small palace maid at all.


    This was also the first time Gu Qingli had come here. She raised her head to take a look, and was amazed at the vast expanse of land and the pleasant scenery here. She had originally thought that the imperial family was only a hunting ground, and that they would be able to surround a hundred acres of land. Who would have thought that they would be unable to see the end of it?


    Before she was married, Xiao Yi Mo had brought her here as a prince more than once. She had pointed into the distance and explained things to Princess Lan Xun, who happened to admire her move from her sleeve. The two chatted happily, and they had unconsciously walked far away.


    "Don''t leave the palace. Once you pass that palace wall, you won''t be safe over there in the sea of grass." Xiao Yi Mo raised his voice as he warned Nie Li, feeling slightly annoyed in his heart.


    He was under the orders of his Imperial Father and was the head of the Fourth Prince. He had taken on the responsibility of arranging the hunting grounds, so he was unable to split his heart to accompany Princess Orchid, but he had no choice but to pay attention at all times.


    Only now did he understand that the Emperor''s seemingly trusting and valuing him was actually distracting him. After all, a person''s energy was limited. Since he had to command and arrange everything, how could he have the energy to pay attention to the princess?


    "Princess, Little Wang can accompany you to take a look. Although the outside of the palace wall isn''t as safe as inside the wall, but the large ferocious beasts are all surrounded by a barbed-wire fence in the jungle, so it shouldn''t be too big of a problem to only walk around the sea of grass and by the stream. Occasionally, there would be a few domesticated small animals like deer."


    "Ah?" It''s okay, this princess brought guards, they will protect you well. Captain Lin, is it? "


    The leader of the Western Garrison, Lin Lisheng, took a step forward and respectfully acknowledged the order. The leader of the Western Garrison, Lin Lisheng, stepped forward and respectfully acknowledged the order.


    Xiao Yijin was dumbstruck. When he saw Captain Lin''s cold expression, he couldn''t help but feel depressed.


    When Xiao Yi Mo saw this, he gloated while lowering his head and forcing a smile.


    "Hey, Prince Chen, are you free?" Princess Lan Xun suddenly waved at Xiao Yiyan.


    Xiao Yiyan was just about to take advantage of the opportunity to settle down and slip away, but he didn''t expect that Princess Lan Xun would stop his. He couldn''t help but close his eyes and helplessly walk forward. "Princess, what can I do for you?"


    "How could I dare? I just want someone to accompany me. His Majesty, the Emperor of Dongyuan, has asked the four princes to accompany me. As the host, it''s only natural that there will be someone to lead the way."


    "Princess Mu is very familiar with this place ¡­"


    The princess had always appeared amiable and lively, and had even occasionally been na?ve and innocent. However, at this moment, her face suddenly darkened, interrupting his words. "Could it be that this princess came to the Eastern Abyss to be engaged to Princess Mu?"


    Xiao Yiyan widened his eyes in shock.


    Even Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin couldn''t help but raise their heads to stare at Princess Lan Xun at the same time.


    The meaning behind her words, could it be that she was hinting ¡­ The one she wanted to marry was only Xiao Yiyan?


    Xiao Yi Xiu said slowly, "Ah Yan, accompany the princess and take good care of her safety."


    Xiao Yiyan raised an eyebrow and lowered his eyelids, but swept a glance at Gu Qingli.


    She was looking at Xiao Yi Xiu, her lips curled up into a faint smile. It was a gentle yet intoxicating smile, and her eyes were as clear as the stars. Xiao Yiyan had never seen Gu Qingli act like this before.

 C177 hunting(2)

    He resolutely turned around and walked towards Princess Lan Xun. A bitter feeling rose in his heart, then surged to the tip of his nose. It was so sour that he almost couldn''t suppress it.


    Gu Qingli, who was like a frosty moon, melted into a pool of spring water upon seeing Xiao Yixiu. This was something he would never be able to do. Even when Yue Ye had left Mo King''s Manor with him and wanted to roam the world, her eyes had always been cold and gloomy.


    Her riding technique seemed pretty good, and Gu Qingruo felt somewhat reluctant to follow her. After all, it wasn''t easy to learn how to ride a horse, so how could she be considered as someone that was familiar with it? She carefully controlled the reins of her horse, afraid that the horse might throw her off.


    Fortunately, outside, Princess Lan Xun slowed down. She turned around and waved at Xiao Yi Yan from afar. "Prince Chen, please take good care of this princess'' palace maid Jing Yuan."


    Silent source? This Name... They seemed to be familiar with each other? Xiao Yiyan had no idea what was going on with Princess Lan Xun. He had said that she wanted him to accompany her, but in the end, she told him to spend time with a little palace maid?


    A needle mark quickly appeared on his forehead. He raised his head and discovered that the young palace maid was coldly staring at him, seeming to be dissatisfied.


    "Huh ¡­" This little palace maid ¡­ Where have I seen it?


    "Quiet ¡­" Origin? "Last night ¡­"


    "Yes, young eunuch."


    Xiao Yiyan couldn''t help but feel a bit embarrassed. He casually told a lie, but he didn''t want the palace maid to feel too pressured and restricted when chatting with him. He didn''t expect her lie to be beautifully exposed after just one night.


    Jing Yuan giggled. "Forget it, I''m not going to argue with you. Look at the guards protecting the princess, you''re the only one protecting me, so you have to be careful of my safety."


    Perhaps because the person he was facing wasn''t a princess, Xiao Yiyan felt at ease.


    In the past, he was the best at flirting, but now he had no interest in it anymore. However, this little palace maid was a little different from the others. She dared to pick on him.


    Therefore, he only smiled leisurely: "This duke is the dignified Eastern Yuan Kingdom King, and not your guard. If you encounter any danger, This King thinks that you should flatten his horse and flee, allowing you to fend off the danger with your body. After all, compared to a mere palace maid, how can your status compare to This King''s? "


    "What did you say?" Jing Yuan raised his delicate eyebrows, his sharp eyes were filled with a trace of chill. However, he soon realized that there was a hint of ridicule in his eyes, she was just teasing him on purpose, and his eyebrows slowly flattened as she snorted.


    Xiao Yiyan instantly lost his train of thought and stared at her stupidly. Her glance just now had been sharp and domineering. Back when his father had been alive, he had met Gu Qingli and met his in the same way when they had provoked his. She hadn''t been weak in the slightest and had fought back domineeringly.


    Jing Yuan was a little uncomfortable under his stare. She gradually panicked under the intense gaze. She felt shy and twisted the reins in her hand. She coughed lightly, "Prince Chen, what are you staring at this servant for?"


    Xiao Yiyan snapped out of his daze and looked at her again. He didn''t have the charm of Gu Qingli at all. He couldn''t help but mock himself in his heart.


    Princess Lan Xun listened to Gu Qingruo explain which stream outside the palace was called, and which flower was the name of the flower on the grass. From time to time, she would jump with joy and smile.


    Then the two of them dismounted in the middle of the field. Gu Qingluo taught the princess how to jump off her horse''s sleeves.


    Unexpectedly, this Princess Lan Xun''s dancing posture was like the return of a swallow dancing in the wind. She seemed to be very gifted when she imitated Gu Qingruo''s dance.


    "Your Highness'' jump was really good, if the princes saw it, they would have been shocked."


    "What''s so great about that, music and dancing are just for entertainment. As someone with a high position, as long as he is happy, he can make people sing and dance. Why would he want to dance by himself?" Only the lowdown jumps to show others... Ah! Esteemed wangfei, I''m sorry, didn''t I say I was talking to you, really ¡­ Princess Lan Xun covered her mouth as she looked at Gu Qingruo with both unease and guilt.


    At first, Gu Qingruo was angry, but then she remembered that this Princess Xi Lin was well-known for her unruly ways. What was she supposed to do with those insulting words? She had to endure it no matter what.


    She took a deep breath and gave a shallow smile, "Of course I know that the princess is not talking about me. Isn''t Your Highness also jumping? If you are looking down on me, how would you learn it?"


    Princess Lan Xun let out a sigh and changed the topic. "Look, Prince Chen and Jingyuan are having a very pleasant conversation."


    Gu Qing Ruo looked back and realized that Xiao Yi Yan and Jing Yuan had already fallen far behind them. She looked into the distance in surprise and saw that the two of them had dismounted and were walking slowly side by side, holding the reins of their horses.


    "Princess... I''m afraid there''s something wrong with that, right? " Gu Qingruo knitted her brows. She had been hoping to get the two of them together, but from the princess'' words, it seemed like ¡­


    "What''s wrong?" Princess Lan Xun looked at her with a puzzled expression.


    "Oh ¡­" It''s nothing. I thought the Princess wanted Prince Chen to stay with her because she was a little ¡­ Since the princess had revealed the matter of the marriage alliance, she must also be thinking of choosing one of the four princes. Who knows ¡­ "Seems like it suits the princess more?"


    Princess Lan Xun calmed down and stared into Gu Qingruo''s eyes, making her panic. She suddenly felt that this seemingly innocent and straightforward princess wasn''t as simple as she seemed.


    On the other hand, the Princess of Lan Xun laughed. "Jingyuan is this princess'' favorite palace maid. Although her status isn''t high, this princess will still choose a good match for her."


    "Heh ¡­" "But ¡­" Gu Qing gave a few laughs, thinking that the princess was overthinking things. No matter which prince she married, her palace maid wouldn''t turn into a phoenix and become Xiao Yiyan''s main wife, right?


    Seeing that she actually doted on this palace maid, and perhaps he really did treat Jingyuan as a sister, Xiao Yiyan really didn''t have a chance.


    Gu Qingruo rolled her eyes and looked inside the palace walls. "Actually, of the four princes, my prince is already married ¡­"


    "I, the princess, do not mind. The emperor has once hinted to me that as long as the princess sees it, I can betroth even those who already have a main wife."


    Gu Qingluo almost vomited a mouthful of blood. She did everything she could to get close to the princess and find out what was going on. She was afraid that the princess would have this kind of thought, so she decided to take a fancy to Xiao Yi Mo and didn''t want to become her wife.


    However, no matter what she did, she couldn''t compare to the princess of a neighboring country. Furthermore, she was well aware of Xiao Yi Mo''s intentions, if he really was chosen by the princess, Xiao Yi Mo would definitely find an honorable reason to divorce her.


    Gu Qingruo calmed herself down and thought for a moment. She smiled and said, "Since it''s because the princess doesn''t mind, then I''ll say it."


    "Hmm?" Princess Lan Xun looked at her in astonishment.


    "Prince Mo is the War God of the East Continent, his name is well-known throughout the four seas, and he is an expert in martial arts. As for his character and appearance ¡­ I have also seen the princess before. Her demeanor is extraordinary and her bearing is extraordinary.


    Princess Orchon wrinkled her curvy eyebrows, seeming to be greatly distressed. A moment later, he said, "Prince Mo is famous, but I have considered it. But ¡­ But it''s fine if he has an official wife, but seeing how he and an official wife seem to have no doubts about their love, if I force my way in, it''ll be hard for me to beat the both of them up, sigh ¡­ "

 C178 hunting(3)

    "What does it matter?" As long as the princess likes it, how can I be afraid that royal father would not grant her wish? " Gu Qingruo''s face was filled with anxiety.


    "This princess knows that it won''t be difficult for the emperor to agree, but if you want King Mo to give up on his wangfei, then ¡­"


    "That won''t be difficult." Gu Qingruo sneered, "The princess is really pure and kind. Do you think that Princess Mo truly loves King Mo?" She is my blood sister, how can I not know her water nature? The night royal father betrothed her to King Mo, do you know what she did? "


    Princess Lan Xun blinked.


    "She actually shamelessly ran to the Mu King''s manor and seduced my prince ¡­" Gu Qingruo bit her lower lip. She still kept that matter in her heart when she thought of it.


    She would never be able to forget that in the days when Xiao Yimo had been cold to her, he had stayed out the entire night. During the day, someone had seen him with Gu Qing.


    That shameless b * tch had secretly seduced Xiao Yimo and allowed him to reunite with his old friend. Gu Qingruo would first let her have a taste of being abandoned!


    Princess Lan Xun looked at Gu Qingruo with an astonished expression, as if she were listening to a heavenly book.


    "That''s right, before she was married and sent to the Prince''s Mansion, the one she secretly fell in love with as a young girl was my Prince." Gu Qingruo''s eyes were filled with sadness, but also hatred.


    "This princess doesn''t understand. She likes King Mu, but she married King Mo?"


    "Just because he is the War God of the East Abyss, she felt a sense of nostalgia ¡­ Or maybe it''s not love at all. " Gu Qingruo raised an eyebrow and swept a profound gaze at Princess Lan Xun. That innocent and confused expression on her face was really like that of an inexperienced foolish princess.


    "She knew of King Mo''s popularity in Dongyuan and deeply understood how much her father valued and doted upon him. Thus, not only did she agree to this emotionless marriage, she even went to great lengths to make King Mo happy so that he would believe that she was sincere."


    Princess Lan Xun''s brow tightened even more, and she seemed to be lost in thought.


    Seeing the way Prince Mo was coughing out blood, it seemed like he had some hidden illness. Towards such a patient, even if he had a handsome appearance and was a noble prince, there shouldn''t be many women who would sincerely admire him.


    Such a fake love, what was there to envy?


    "But ¡­" But King Mo seems to be infected? "


    "He''s a prince. As long as he''s highly rewarded, how could the famous doctors in the world not flock to him? Furthermore, you are young and healthy. It won''t be long before you recover from this minor ailment. " Gu Qingruo could only bet that she didn''t know that Xiao Yixiu had been in bed for so many years.


    "This princess will think about it again." Princess Lan Xun''s expression was solemn, as if she was truly considering this matter.


    Gu Qingruo sneered in her heart. This was even better. If Princess Lan Xun were to marry Xiao Yi Xiu, not only would Gu Qing Li be divorced, Princess Lan Xun would quickly become a charming widow. She would be matched with that sickly and short-lived King Mo.


    "Princess ¡­" On the other side, Jingyuan was already calling out to him. She was riding her horse over with Xiao Yiyan.


    "Jingyuan, is the scenery nice?"


    "Not bad. It depends on who''s with him." Jing Yuan turned her head to look at Xiao Yi Yan with a smile that wasn''t a smile. "If you were with a little eunuch, even if it''s the Jade Lake Immortal Realm, it would still be a little lacking."


    Xiao Yiyan''s face twitched imperceptibly as he tried his best to speak calmly, "With a lowly status like that of a eunuch, he naturally doesn''t have the qualifications to enjoy the scenery with Princess Lan Xun."


    Jing Yuan laughed out loud. "I don''t care about this, don''t worry about being a eunuch. That will disappoint father and mother."


    Xiao Yiyan looked as if he couldn''t take it anymore, and turned her horse, saying: "I am not feeling well, please forgive me, Princess. I have to go back now."


    Princess Lan Xun''s eyes were wide open as she looked at Xiao Yi Yan riding on his horse, then at the smiling Jing Yuan who was trembling like a flower. She carefully asked, "Jing Yuan, what did you talk about? Prince Chen didn''t seem happy. "


    "I''m fine." Quiet And Steadfast''s eyes were curved, and they seemed to be filled with sparkling crystal light.


    "Okay, let''s go back."


    The three of them rode towards the palace, followed by the guards of the western border.


    Returning to the palace, Princess Lan Xun sized up the sleeping quarters. They were carved with dragons and painted with phoenixes and flowers. Although they were slightly smaller in size compared to the imperial palace, they were clean and refreshing.


    "This place is pretty good. I''m tired after four hours on the way. Take a rest, Princess." After asking a few questions and not being able to hear any answers, she turned her head in wonder.


    Jing Yuan was sitting in a leisurely chair covered in soft satin felt. She was in a daze, as if he hadn''t heard her at all.


    "Princess!" Princess Lan Xun slightly raised her voice and roared in her ear.


    "This is too scary!" Jing Yuan jumped up, anger could be seen on her beautiful face. She whispered into her ear, "You little girl, you want to scare me to death?"


    "Ai ai ¡­" Pain! I''m worried about the princess! "


    If that scene were to be seen by the people from the Xiao Dynasty, it was likely that all of them would stare until their eyeballs fell out.


    This beautiful, lively, and straightforward Princess Lan Xun was actually a fake. And that Jingyuan who would often shadow her was the real princess.


    (The following two names and roles will switch)


    "Alright. On the way here, I''ve been covered in dust. Bring some water for me to wash up." Princess Zhilan curled her lips. After instructing the fake princess, she was the real source of tranquility.


    "This servant won''t go."


    "Yo, has the princess gotten addicted?"


    Jing Yuan curled her lips. "Princess, seeing this servant''s attire, we''ll go out to fetch water bowls. It would be too inappropriate if the people from Dongyuan city were to see it."


    "Makes sense, I''ll let you steal a round of laziness. But don''t count on secretly going to the grass sea with Lin Lisheng for a nighttime stroll. "


    "Huh?" Jing Yuan''s little face fell. "This servant will go get some water, okay?"


    Princess Lan Xun also did not really want Jingyuan, dressed in brocade robes, to come in and out as a servant. She could just tease him for a bit, but someone else had already brought water in.


    Jing Yuan chattered on to report everything she had learned from Princess Mu today.


    She wiped her face and hands, then sat down in front of the dressing table and began to unload the hairpin one by one. She then opened a delicate porcelain box, and lit the milky white balsam paste with her delicate fingertips.


    When Jing Yuan saw that she was no longer in the mood to talk, she felt that her words were somewhat boring. She looked at the self-pitying Eunuch Lan Xun and said, "Princess looks really good."


    "What''s the use of looking good? Look at these princes of Dongyuan City. Their thoughts aren''t on this princess."


    Hm? So it wasn''t that the princess didn''t react, it was just that she was unhappy. Jing Yuan pondered over her thoughts, and then asked, "Who is the princess talking about? "Your servant, look. The eyes of King Mu and King Yan have never left them ¡­"


    "The one who their eyes never left is you, not this princess." Princess Lan Xun stopped and turned to look at her mockingly.

 C179 hunting(4)

    "What''s the difference?" Jing Yuan raised her eyebrows. "Didn''t they think that I was a princess?"


    Princess Lan Xun pointed at her forehead and scolded, "I said you''re stupid, but you really are a stupid girl. This princess has suddenly rebelled against you and swapped identities with you. What do you think you''re trying to test out?" Of course, it all depended on their sincerity! What they like is not this princess, but this identity. That is to say, regardless of their appearance or character, even if it''s a sow, as long as it carries the identity of a princess, they will still rush to pay attention to it! "


    "But ¡­" However, the princess is after all here to make a marriage alliance, their goal is also to marry the princess, aren''t I supposed to please you? Could it be that you want the dignified Prince of Dongyuan to please a palace maid? "If that''s the case, I''m afraid you will have to say that this person is just addicted to your beauty."


    Princess Lan Xun glared at her. "So your intelligence can only be that of a palace maid. If you were to become the Princess of the West District, I''m afraid you would even sell your intelligence to your enemies."


    Jing Yuan pouted, looking pitiful. "How am I wrong? As a prince, if I have to try my best to curry favor with a palace maid, then what else can I do other than for the sake of her beauty?"


    Princess Lan Xun''s expression calmed down. Of course she knew that there was no reason for her to be so attentive. The saying of adultery or theft was the reason why she planned to use her status as a palace maid to approach these princes equally.


    He didn''t expect that he wouldn''t need to waste a few months of her time. She had gotten to know Xiao Yi Xiu on her first day in the Eastern Abyss. Following that, she had seen through Xiao Yi Mo and then had a private chat with Xiao Yi Yan.


    Her lips curled up in a cold smile, "That Mu Wang''s character is the worst. He clearly has an extremely charming principal wife whose beauty is renowned in the capital, and she even has a fawning look on her face. What he wants is only my Western powers. As for the Yan King, although he did not have an official wife, his overly courteous appearance caused others to feel somewhat disgusted for no reason. This princess had heard in the country that he and Mo Wang Yuan were raised by the same mother. However, after Mo Wang had gotten sick for no reason, she recommended him to be the commander of the imperial army, taking over the Wind Knight Army and making meritorious military service. "Look at his contemptuous expression ¡­"


    "Princess, how do you know so much?" Jingyuan exclaimed.


    Princess Lan Xun rolled her eyes. "All you know is rouge pollen and embroidery. Even if you have some free time, all you think about is how to sneak off to find your Big Brother Lin. Why would you care about anything else?"


    Jing Yuan was scolded by her until she pursed her lips, stomping her feet in a spoiled manner, "Princess, you always bully this servant!"


    "Where did I bully you from?" To be honest, this princess is actually rather envious of you. " Princess Lan Xun gave a light sigh. "A maid like you is neither a rich man nor a beauty of a kingdom. Your Big Brother Lin truly cares for you." If it is like this princess, perhaps everyone would be envious of her, but all they see are lies. "


    "It can''t be. Princess, you can see how good King Mo is. He never tried to please you by being too courteous. In his eyes, there''s only the wangfei ¡­"


    "But the princess is not sincere to him."


    Jing Yuan had told her about Gu Qingruo''s words, so she had taken it to heart.


    Jing Yuan smacked her lips in regret. "Exactly. But Princess, you can only choose one of the four princes. According to you, King Mu and King Yan are no longer among the candidates. You can only choose between King Mo and King Chen. "


    He muttered to himself, "In truth, Imperial Father once said that this princess was bound to marry the War God. However, later on, according to the information of the country''s spies, not only was he ill, but he had also lost his power within the imperial court, so marrying him would be a choice on his part."


    "Ah?" Excluding another one? Princess, don''t you only have one candidate left? "


    "Imperial Mother''s wish is for this princess to marry to the Mortal King. Not only is he outstanding, he''s also the legitimate son, but ¡­"


    "But? If you can''t even rule out King Chen, you''ll have to marry an underage prince ¡­ "Ouch!" Jing Yuan covered her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "Your servant saw eighth prince Xiao Yi Ling at the banquet earlier. She''s only thirteen. Princess, you ¡­"


    Princess Lan Xun had a face full of omen of the eve of a storm. Her gaze wished that she could cut her into pieces and fire her.


    Jing Yuan laughed dryly.


    "It''s good that you''re the king. His heart is not with me." Princess Lan Xun could only bitterly throw down these words, then she pulled on her clothes and lay down on the bed.


    "That Mo King''s heart isn''t with the princess. Whoever you like, just go and snatch it."


    Princess Lan Xun picked up the pillow and threw it at Jingyuan.


    The next morning, when the sun rose and the sky was bright, the Fourth Prince and Gu Qing Li were both dressed in hunting gear and riding their horses to the palace''s exit.


    Princess Lan Xun had changed into her hunting attire. It was a bright and tender cherry grass color, with brows like the crescent moon, eyes like the autumn water, and beautiful thin lips curved into a harmless smile. Her expression was very pleasing.


    Jingyuan followed closely behind her, wearing a lilac sleeved tight riding suit. Beneath the same coloured pants was a pair of embroidered riding boots, and although her clothes weren''t gaudy, it couldn''t hide her heavenly beauty.


    However, in today''s occasion, no matter how beautiful she was, she wouldn''t be able to attract much attention. All the princes focused their attention on Princess Lan Xun. The only one who didn''t look at Princess Lan Xun, Xiao Yi Xiu, was still staring at his wangfei.


    Gu Qingruo had changed into a riding dress with two rows of roses embroidered on the front of her dress. The tight cuffs were covered with golden threads, making them look dignified and dignified.


    Gu Qingli was wearing a bright red hunting suit, which was as fierce as fire. Her elegance and elegance made the crowd''s vision darken in an instant.


    "Princess, let''s go?" Xiao Yijin smiled and made a gesture of "please", looking elegant and unrestrained.


    Princess Lan Xun''s cold eyes swept over the Gu sisters, not paying any attention to what he had said.


    Jing Yuan coughed lightly, which brought her back to reality. "Our princess is a guest and Prince Yan is the host. Please lead the way first."


    "Alright." Xiao Yijin replied gracefully. He didn''t seem to notice that this palace maid seemed to be making a ruckus in order to seize the throne.


    The eight cavalrymen rode in the middle, surrounded by the guards from the western and eastern regions. Some had quivers on their backs, others had bows on their backs, and some were walking eagles and taming dogs. With great momentum, they sped towards the hunting grounds.


    Not far from the forest was a large hunting ground. The guards had long driven the beasts to the center of the clearing. Hundreds of beasts were galloping and galloping towards them.


    Gu Qingli glanced over, and when she saw that it was a member of the Fierce Tiger Wolf tribe, the 100 beasts roared and ran, and she more or less had an earth-shaking feeling. She thought to herself, if I entered the encirclement of beasts alone, I''m afraid I wouldn''t be able to execute much of my martial arts even if I had to do it all by myself.


    She subconsciously looked at Xiao Yixiu, who seemed to sense the tremor in her heart. Smiling, he reached out his hand to hold hers, and clasped her delicate little hand in his.


    "Well?"


    Gu Qing Li''s gaze swept past him. He felt the peace and stability in his palm, and immediately calmed down. He gave him a gentle smile, and his bright eyes were shockingly bright.


    "Don''t worry."


    His voice dropped. "Can you ride?"


    Gu Qingli smiled. "No need to worry."

 C180 hunting(5)

    In her previous life, she had learned a lot about cold weapons, such as long and short knives and daggers, as well as some small hidden weapons and darts. She didn''t spend much time on the practice of shooting, but her long term shooting training made her accuracy very high. Although she didn''t have a gun in this era, she would think of a way to finish it by herself.


    She stretched out her hand and a compound crossbow appeared. She took a bowstring and loaded it with arrows. She pulled on the lookout mountain with her hook and put the arrow into the slot.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her in surprise. He knew what she was doing, but he didn''t expect her to be designing this crossbow.


    Of course, he had seen crossbows before, and there were no lack of crossbows on the battlefield. However, he had seen crossbows, ballista beds, and even the smallest crossbow needed a strong arm to move it.


    There were also countless skilled craftsmen who spent great effort in order to reduce the weight of the crossbows to the point where even ordinary soldiers could freely swing them. However, the end result was that the crossbows'' power would be greatly reduced and their range would become closer.


    He had never thought that someone would already be able to make such a delicate and light crossbow. Furthermore, Gu Qing Li was still loading arrows. This small and exquisite crossbow could actually fill up five arrows.


    "Is this really okay?"


    "En, it is easier than a bow. The accuracy is also fine, but there are always some flaws in shooting crossbows. Firstly, it is more complex to produce, and secondly, there aren''t many arrows. Furthermore, the range is closer than a strong composite bow." Gu Qing Li set the arrow back in place and squinted at the sight before smiling at him.


    "What is this?" After landing behind the hunting team, Xiao Yi Mo noticed the crossbow in Gu Qing Li''s hand.


    "Arm crossbow."


    "You have such a light crossbow? Even rabbits can''t hit it, right? " Xiao Yi Mo ridiculed him.


    Gu Qingli swept him a cold glance. "My crossbow doesn''t shoot rabbits." She clamped the horse''s belly tightly and moved forward, feeling both disgust and disgust at the sound of Xiaoyi Mo''s laughter behind her.


    Gu Qingruo, who was running alongside Jingyuan, turned her head just in time to see Xiaoyi Mo smile wantonly at Gu Qingli''s back. There was actually a hint of admiration in her eyes.


    The hatred in her heart suddenly ignited as she involuntarily bit her lower lip.


    "Esteemed wangfei, don''t be angry. I''ll help you tease her." Jing Yuan could see the jealousy in Gu Qingruo''s heart as she whispered to her.


    Gu Qingruo turned around and smiled elegantly at her. With a single move of her hands, she gracefully walked into the house of a noble lady. She gently said, "Many thanks to the princess, but she''s still my younger sister. Forget it."


    Jing Yuan''s face was full of righteousness, and she said angrily, "Can Sister Ye really do this? To seduce your brother-in-law in public is too shameless. " Clearly, she had also seen the smile on Xiao Yimo''s face as she chatted with Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qingruo didn''t make a sound. She only lowered her head, looking even more wronged and meek. However, she was sneering in her heart. She had already meticulously prepared using sabers to kill people. She had been waiting for this foolish princess to step in step after step.


    Princess Lan Xun glanced at Gu Qing Li from the corner of her eyes before landing on the compound crossbow in her hands.


    After entering the hunting grounds, the guards helped the princes to put on their buckles, and handed them their bows and arrows. Even Gu Qingruo took out a willow bamboo bow and tested its accuracy.


    Jing Yuan was also a light bow like her, and Princess Lan Xun held a wooden bow in her hand. It made people involuntarily glance at her a few times.


    Xiao Yijin''s gaze was only following the fake princess, Jing Yuan, and didn''t notice this. However, Xiao Yiyan noticed it. After all, Princess Lan Xun had always been on the same level as him, and she even teased him from time to time.


    "Why do you use such a heavy bow?" With caution in his heart, he did not directly ask why a palace maid would use such a precious bow.


    "Oh ¡­" Princess Lan Xun lowered her head to glance at it. "This was originally a princess'' bow, but after arriving in the Eastern Abyss, she might not be able to handle the situation. She felt her body weak and weak, so she switched bows with this servant."


    "Hmm, can you move it?" Xiao Yiyan questioned.


    Princess Lan Xun smiled but didn''t say anything. She suddenly drew her bow and nocked an arrow, shooting far away. With a whoosh, she shot the first arrow of the hunt!


    And their distance from the nearest wild beast was only five hundred to six hundred feet, while her arrow was aimed at a deer at the very front, penetrating its body with shocking precision, and had a range that was almost at the limit of an arrow.


    This time, everyone''s eyes were focused on the young palace maid. Even Xiao Yijin, who hadn''t paid attention to her, couldn''t help but take a glance at her. He discovered that the palace maid next to the princess was also stunning.


    Princess Lan Xun glanced at Xiao Yiyan with some complacency, and saw astonishment and admiration flowing through Xiao Yiyan''s eyes.


    However, very quickly, another arrow was shot from behind, followed by a series of consecutive shots. Within the five beads, three prey had fallen: a deer, a deer, and a rabbit.


    Princess Lan Xun didn''t expect someone to steal her limelight. Her face instantly paled as she lifted her gaze to the source of the sound. She saw Gu Qing Li calmly and unperturbedly lift up a mountain and continue to shoot arrows.


    Gu Qingli knew that she couldn''t practice archery in one day, but she was very accurate. She was very confident in herself.


    The guards had long since moved their horses forward to pick up the prey and count them. The three arrows that Gu Qingli had shot had already passed through their bodies. It was clear how powerful the crossbows were.


    "How far can your crossbow reach?" Xiao Yi Mo asked in shock.


    Gu Qingli just smiled and didn''t answer.


    "Who made it?"


    Gu Qing Li cast a sidelong glance at him and smiled. "Prince Mu is too concerned about this. Why don''t you go and see if Big Sis has hit any prey?"


    Gu Qingruo stood at the front, her face green. She held onto Liu Zhu''s bow, unwilling to look back. How could she still have the mood to shoot?


    Since Xiao Yi Mo couldn''t get an answer from him, he naturally left as well. The eight of them finally began to pull apart, making it easier for them to shoot.


    "This crossbow is not bad. If we can mass-produce it, it will be useful in war."


    Gu Qing Li looked at Xiao Yi Xiu''s thoughtful expression and laughed. "It''s not easy to make the crossbow, and the cost is too high. I don''t have the time to slowly fill the quiver for you on the battlefield."


    "That''s right, this is indeed a weak point of the crossbow." Xiao Yi Xiu sighed softly.


    "But I can improve it on the bed of crossbows and crossbows, so that the large crossbows can be fired continuously."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes lit up, but a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes. "Qing Li, we are husband and wife. We should have loved each other without a doubt. "Not to mention that the things that you know are all books that the Prime Minister''s Estate learned. If Gu Zhaoran is so knowledgeable, I''m afraid that the Xiao Dynasty has already changed their surname."


    Gu Qingli pursed her lips and smiled at him, then said softly, "I fell from the sky. You caught me accidentally."


    Xiao Yi Xiu knew that she was still unwilling to say it out loud, so he could only smile and shake his head. She definitely wouldn''t hide anything that could be said. Since she didn''t say anything, there must be a reason.


    "It''s good that you managed to catch it. I''m glad that you fell from the sky into my bosom and didn''t fall to anyone else." It didn''t matter where she came from, as long as he held her tightly in his arms.


    Gu Qingli quietly smiled, her eyes filled with drunkenness.

 C181 hunting(6)

    Among the guards, they could only see eight handsome horses galloping back and forth. Arrows were shooting towards their prey like raindrops. Even Gu Qingruo''s willow bamboo bow was occasionally hunted.


    Even though she was just a daughter of a noble family, she wasn''t good at riding or hunting, but at least she knew how to hunt. She didn''t expect that the fake princess beside her was even worse than her.


    Gu Qingruo stole a glance at her in her spare time, feeling astonished in her heart. Could it be that the imperial family in the west was relatively conservative, only teaching etiquette to princesses with golden branches and jade leaves and never allowing her to practice archery?


    However, that personal palace maid, Jing Yuan, had released her arrows without a wasted effort. She had hit the target repeatedly, and her archery skills were beyond expectations.


    With this thought in mind, Gu Qingruo''s gaze turned to look for Jingyuan, only to discover that she was already moving further and further away, almost reaching the edge of the group of guards. The one closest to her was Gu Qingli.


    When did Gu Qingli start shooting solo from the group? It seemed that not even Xiao Yi Xiu had noticed.


    Xiao Yi pulled out his wooden bow and shot arrow after arrow in succession. His prey had long surpassed the number of princes and Jingyuan.


    He felt a few bright eyes on him, and, realizing that he had overdone himself, he bent down and drew the arrow from the quiver. This time he drew only one and deliberately missed with a weak hand.


    A few traces of fatigue appeared on his face, and he finally averted his gaze.


    After Xiao Yixiu relaxed, he took a casual glance and discovered that Gu Qingli had disappeared!


    Gu Qingli had originally been at the edge of the guards'' line of sight. Whether intentionally or not, Princess true Orchid Xunli had repeatedly approached her, pressing down on her horse several times, affecting her vision and shooting.


    Gu Qingli furrowed her brows slightly, thinking to herself, this Princess Lan Xun was indeed very tyrannical. She realized that she had been outdone in shooting techniques, so she used this kind of inferior method to steal my limelight. Isn''t this a bit too childish?


    However, it was unknown whether those Western Protectors had been ordered by Princess Lan Xun, or whether they had remembered their duty to protect her, but from beginning to end, there had been twenty or thirty of them that followed behind her, pushing Gu Qingli further and further away from the main team.


    After passing through a sparse patch of forest, Gu Qingli found that she had broken away from the main hunting team. She entered a fork in the road and was split in half.


    The fork in the road was actually quite wide. It should have been a path that had been opened for a horse before. However, Gu Qing Li didn''t know the path to the west sea and couldn''t help but hesitate. Now, when she heard the sound of hooves not far from her and seemed to be getting closer, she simply tied the reins and waited where she was, hoping that someone would come and find her.


    Finally, the sound of horses'' hooves could be heard and more people came out of the forest in a semicircle.


    Gu Qing Li looked back and sneered.


    In this battle, she completely understood that Princess Orchon had intentionally pushed her to the very edge of the hunting squadron, isolating her.


    He hadn''t expected that this princess wasn''t only arrogant and proud, but scheming as well.


    As expected, one of the guards was the captain of the squadron, Lin Lisheng.


    Behind him, a handsome horse slowly galloped out. The faintly smiling Princess Lan Xun, with her hands on the reins, still faintly raised her beautiful little face, carrying a haughty and arrogant expression. Her ordinary hunting attire could not conceal her aloof and arrogant aura.


    "Princess Mo, how come we''re on the wrong path?"


    Gu Qingli smiled at her. "Why is Princess Lan Xun following me in the wrong on purpose?"


    The smile on Princess Lan Xun''s face suddenly froze, and her eyes were filled with shock. "How did you know ¡­"


    "The imperial aura of the princess is not something that can be achieved overnight. Even if she was clad in cloth, it would not be concealed."


    Princess Lan Xun''s frozen smile slowly unsealed, and a disdainful ridicule replaced the corner of her lips. "You still have a bit of foresight, so what about it?" What are you planning by not exposing me? "


    "What does the princess think I can do?"


    Princess Lan Xun sneered. With a turn of her eyes, Lin Lisheng immediately understood. With a wave of his hand, all the guards from the west were forced to follow her.


    Both sides of Gu Qing Li were covered with shade, and on the other side of the path was blocked by the guards of the western guards. Her horse snorted, raising its front hooves and letting out a furious roar, but had no choice but to retreat.


    "What bad idea do you have? It''s not important. In any case, I don''t want to hear a single word that comes from your mouth."


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath. She knew that Gu Qingruo had gotten closer to them in the past few days, so she didn''t know how many times she had been distorted in front of Princess Lan Xun, but she was so proud and aloof that she wasn''t willing to defend herself. Not to mention that the princess had her own prejudices against her. Ever since they had met in the market, she had never shown her any kind expression.


    She laughed softly, turned her horse around in disdain, and galloped towards the only fork in the road.


    After all, she was just a Western Princess. She would leave after the marriage alliance. She had no interest in fawning over this unruly Princess.


    The sounds of horses galloping could be heard behind him. Apparently, the guards of the western border were also chasing after them.


    Gu Qingli didn''t mind. After all, they were in the Western Sea, the imperial manor of the East Abyss. Could it be that they would openly harm an imperial concubine like her in the territory of the East Abyss?


    Gradually, she realized that something was wrong. The path gradually became narrower, and the dense forest around her covered even more the sky. It was impossible for a horse to enter the forest. Not only that, but the ground was still rising higher and higher, and she thought that she had already ridden her horse to the top of a mountain, or at least to the hills.


    Suddenly, the area in front of them widened, as if they had reached the summit. The dense forest gradually thinned out, as if they could see the flat summit above.


    Sure enough, Gu Qingli discovered that something she was worried about had happened. This peak had been artificially sliced into a relatively flat and broad stone platform, but there was no way out. Not far away was a dense valley.


    The horse refused to come forward. Helplessly, she reined herself off the horse and approached the edge of the cliff. Halfway down the mountain, she saw a waterfall of jade falling down into the pool.


    "What do you want?" Gu Qingli suddenly turned around and moved away from the edge of the cliff.


    Although this was not a tall mountain, it was still around four to five hundred meters deep. She had only practiced Qi for a few months, so she knew that her qinggong could not allow her to jump off a cliff without dying.


    "How is it, Princess Mo? Do you want to jump down yourself, or do you want us to throw you down? " Princess Lan Xun was all smiles as a shiny black whip appeared out of nowhere in her hand. She swung it through the air, the tip of the whip emitting a crisp sound.


    Gu Qingli sneered, "I''ve never been coerced, and I don''t love seeking death. "If you want to throw me down and show some ability, don''t just sit on the horse and clamor, bully a single girl like me with your numbers, is that the tradition of the Western Beings?"


    Lin Lisheng''s handsome face flushed red. He was obviously a little embarrassed by her words, but due to the princess'' order, he only pursed his lips and firmly stared at Gu Qingli without backing down.


    "Good!" The last time I was harmed by your crafty scheme in the market, you think I''ll still be caught off guard this time? " Princess Lan Xun swung her whip and jumped off her horse, landing lightly in front of Gu Qing Li with a twist. This skill of hers was truly extraordinary.


    Gu Qingli''s heart trembled slightly. This Princess Lan Xun really wasn''t weak at all. She couldn''t help but stop underestimating her opponent and meet them with the wrong palm.


    Princess Lan Xun didn''t put down the whip in her hand. She made the shadow of the whip dance like a hundred flying flowers. It twined around Gu Qing Li''s surroundings, and the oncoming whip wind carried a sharp momentum as it mercilessly lashed out.

 C182 hunting(7)

    Gu Qingli had only used her palms against her opponent, but her lightness techniques were still inferior to Princess Lan Xun. She could only rely on her dexterous and flexible movements to dodge, unable to approach Princess Lan Xun no matter what.


    Although the princess had taken advantage of the opportunity to obtain a weapon, Gu Qingli didn''t want to tell her to put down her whip and face the enemy fairly.


    With Gu Qing Li''s cold and proud personality, even if he was at a disadvantage, how could he lower his head to anyone? Moreover, she was not afraid of this delicate princess. Her weapon had not been used yet, and she had not lost.


    Gu Qing gazed at the gap between the shadows of the whip. He touched the edge of the arrow''s sleeve with his palm and a few rays of silver light appeared on his fingertip.


    Princess Orchon had suffered this loss before, so she had not seen it clearly at the time. However, at this moment, she was on guard, and the bright sunlight on the summit of the mountain was dazzlingly bright. With a glance, she discovered it.


    So it was a concealed weapon. No wonder it was activated last time! Princess Lan Xun couldn''t help but look down on these despicable tricks of the concealed weapon. With a cold smile, she tightened her whip shadows and whipped them towards Gu Qing Li from all directions.


    Unexpectedly, when Gu Qingli''s silver needle left her hand, it unexpectedly passed through the shadow of the whip through every opening, as if it had overlooked the vibration of the whip, as if it were swimming in the sea.


    Although it only brushed past his right wrist and was thrown to the ground, it became numb in the end. The movement of the dancing whip slowed down and could take advantage of this opportunity.


    At this moment, Gu Qingli''s needle net descended from the sky. It was as if a silver spring day had descended with a gentle and fine breeze and drizzling rain, gently and meticulously enveloping Princess Lan Xun!


    Princess Lan Xun''s heart went cold. Only then did she understand that Gu Qing Li had been concealing his strength just for this fatal blow, to take her down.


    Lin Lisheng was the closest. With a loud shout, he jumped up from his horse and brandished his sword like a shadow that could not be touched by water, covering the top of her head.


    Princess Lan Xun cared not for the numbness on her wrist, and used all her strength to protect her chest.


    Even so, they were still unable to block the rain-thin silver needles. The tingling continued to come from her body, some of which had been slapped away by the wind of Princess Lan Xun''s palm, some of which had even scratched her flesh, but in the end, a few had still entered her body.


    Only now did Princess Lan Xun realize that the itch in the market was nothing at all. It was just the softness of a needle touching her acupoints, and nothing compared to the silver needles that entered her body like mud into the sea. They posed no threat at all.


    Princess Lan Xun''s face was pale. She subconsciously retracted her whip and quickly retreated, slapping at the place where her body had been pierced by the silver needles. However, she found nothing.


    The soldiers of the western border, on the other hand, were anxious to protect their master. They dismounted their horses and moved forward, surrounding Gu Qing Li. Under Lin Lisheng''s command, they attacked him bit by bit.


    Although Gu Qingli''s silver needles were powerful, they could not last forever. After the hundreds of silver needles lit up, cries of pain could be heard and guards fell one after another. However, she was forced to slowly retreat until she reached the edge of the cliff.


    When Princess Lan Xun raised her eyes, she realized that Gu Qing Li was already suspended in the air behind her and involuntarily cried out, "Stop going forward! Get back, get back! "


    Lin Li Sheng and the guards heard her words and quickly withdrew their attacks. However, there was still two people who had no time to retreat. Their swords and sabers were already in front of Gu Qing Li. They watched as she took a step into the air before falling down the mountain.


    Princess Lan Xun had no time to think about the silver needles on her body. She swung her whip and rushed forward, only having enough time to throw the end of the whip a foot off the cliff.


    In the blink of an eye, the clouds began to change. A slender white jade hand reached out and firmly gripped the end of the whip, but the falling force was only eased by this. On the contrary, even Princess Lan Xun couldn''t help but involuntarily move towards the edge of the cliff.


    Lin Liesheng and the other guards had already been ordered by Princess Lan Xun to retreat, including the two who hadn''t made it in time. Now, they had to retreat as well, unable to react in time.


    An enormous force came from below the whip. With a swing, it brought Princess Orchid out of the cliff!


    Ah!" A mournful cry rang out, and the faces of all the guards changed color.


    Lin Lisheng rushed to the edge of the cliff, his face pale. He saw the platform sticking out, and below it were lush green trees, and below them the deafening gush of a waterfall.


    "Princess!" Princess Mo! " Lin Lisheng felt his whole body go cold, and his body start to tremble.


    On the side, there was a pine tree with twisted branches that extended to the edge of the mountain rock. The noble Princess Lan Xun was currently falling on top of a pine branch that was not that thick, and her body was mostly on the outside. With a shake of her body, she could break the pine branch and fall down at any time.


    As for her collar, Gu Qingli was holding it in her hands while standing close to the rock wall. Her mouth was covered as she stared at Gu Qingli with eyes as bright as autumn water, her eyes filled with both anger and shock.


    "Shh!" "Don''t move recklessly, or the noble Princess Lan Xun would very likely turn into a lump of meat." Gu Qing Li giggled beside her ear, her voice so soft it could barely be heard.


    "Also, don''t expect me to shout for help. If I get scared, with my hands shaking, you might fall down. Look at the scenery below, or do you want to take a bath?"


    Princess Lan Xun stared at her with fierce eyes, and only after a long while did she slowly and unhurriedly nod her head.


    Gu Qingli let go of her hand and pulled over a mountain vine that was hanging down from the cliff edge. She tested its toughness and threw it around Princess Orchon''s body twice, so that part of her weight would hang from the mountain vine and she wouldn''t fall head first.


    After doing all this, Gu Qingli was still worried as she climbed up a mountain vine with one hand and grabbed Princess Lan Xun''s collar with the other. She looked at her with a smile that was not a smile.


    Princess Lan Xun knew that her current appearance was not at all elegant. She was half sitting on a pine branch with green leaves wrapped around her waist. If she were to be carried like this by Gu Qing Li, she would be in a miserable state.


    "Princess, are you still not convinced?" Gu Qingli''s smile widened.


    Princess Lan Xun sneered. "Did this princess lose to you?" Why did he have to submit? If I hadn''t been soft-hearted and swung the whip out to save you, I wouldn''t have ended up in such a state. "


    Gu Qingli smiled. "Only when there''s a reason can there be a result. If it wasn''t for the princess forcing me to the edge of the cliff, how could I have fallen to such a state?"


    Princess Lan Xun was at a loss for words.


    Suddenly, Gu Qingli''s smile faded as she indifferently said, "Since the princess led me down this path, I can clearly see what she''s thinking." "But I still want to determine the princess'' true nature before deliberately falling down the cliff ¡­"


    "What?" You did it on purpose? " Princess Lan Xun''s eyes blazed with fury as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.


    Gu Qingli slowly said, "Princess, you dare to say that you didn''t do it on purpose?" From the day I arrived here, the princess has sent her guards to thoroughly understand the roads and terrain of the western sea. She then started to plan out the place where the main hunting team would be squeezed out and when she would let me walk alone onto the side road ¡­ So much so that what kind of formation the guards are in can force me to walk this path of no return. "


    "Humph!" Princess Lan Xun''s eyes were filled with contempt, but she tacitly agreed.


    "All I want to know now is why the princess hates me so much. "You even want to force me to a dead end?"


    "When did I force you to die? "I just want to fight you to the death with me. I don''t believe that you can make me fall for it the way you did last time."


    "In fact, the princess has already fallen into his trap."

 C183 hunting(8)

    Princess Lan Xun was startled, and then she thought of those needles that had disappeared into her body without a trace, and subconsciously lowered her head to feel for them.


    "Don''t move, this place isn''t too safe. If you move too fast, you might fall down."


    The princess gritted her teeth and looked at her. "Don''t expect this princess to bow her head and beg for mercy. If you have the ability, push this princess down!"


    Gu Qingli laughed lightly, "Princess, ah, Princess, if I push you down now and find another reason to save you, do you think your death will have anything to do with me? "Even if it''s your guards, they wouldn''t dare to rattle on and testify, right?"


    Princess Lan Xun was once again speechless.


    "You hate me. It''s just Gu Qingruo saying something in front of you, right?"


    "A person that even his own sister feels that his character is not very good, what kind of good impression do I have of you?"


    "A person who even looks down on his own sister and talks nonsense to his own sister in front of outsiders, Princess, you actually believed her words. This doesn''t match your intelligence."


    Princess Lan Xun blinked in disbelief. She was actually at a loss for words.


    "However, the princess doesn''t look like a righteous person, because Gu Qingruo said a few words to me and you hate me so much, right?"


    Princess Lan Xun tightly pursed her lips, not saying another word.


    "Why don''t you let me guess why the princess hates me so much?"


    Princess Lan Xun''s expression changed. Suddenly, she heard an indistinct call from the top of the shore. It was most likely a futile call for her. But they could hear the roar of the waterfall, and could not hear what they were saying.


    Just as she opened her mouth to reply, Gu Qing Li held her mouth and whispered into her ear, "Princess, you must have a good impression of Prince Chen, that''s why you hate me, right?"


    Princess Lan Xun''s expression instantly changed. She suddenly lowered her head and took a bite from her hand.


    Gu Qingli took back her hand in pain, her eyebrows knitted in anger. "A dignified princess of a nation, she''s actually going to bite someone?"


    "The great Prince Mo''s wife is trying to seduce your little uncle."


    Gu Qingli stared blankly for a moment before feeling amused and angry at the same time. "Who told you that I''m trying to seduce King Chen?"


    Princess Lan Xun''s face was expressionless as she remained silent.


    Gu Qingli carefully sized up the princess. Actually, this Princess Xi Lin really did look like a fairy with a bit of intelligence. Perhaps she was just moved by Gu Qing Ruo''s trap after meeting her for the first time and worrying about the gains and losses.


    "I have never seduced the king, believe it or not. Now that you''ve harmed me once and saved me once, I''ve dragged you down the cliff and saved you once, we''re even. Call for help if you agree, or I''ll throw you here and go up myself. "


    Princess Lan Xun gazed up the cliff. Not only was the cliff precipitous, but the protruding platform was also impossible to climb. She sneered, "The people up there are all this princess'' men. Even if you can fly, you should go up and give it a try."


    Gu Qing Li couldn''t help but laugh and shake his head. It seemed that Princess Lan Xun really wouldn''t give up until she reached the bottom of the Yellow River.


    She released her hand, then glanced at Princess Lan Xun. "Princess, just hang here and enjoy yourself."


    Then, she took out something from her bosom. It seemed to be a folding piece of fine steel, and after she unpacked it a few times, she shook it open and held onto the bottom end of the chain. After that, she swung it a few times towards the cliff wall and firmly embedded it with a clanging sound.


    Gu Qingli pulled at it to test its weight, then slowly climbed up. She had hired a skilled craftsman to create the steel claws after designing them. In the past, when she was a killer, she needed to carry around life saving and assassination equipment. There was always the risk of life. After arriving here, she had used her limited conditions to design and create all sorts of items, just in case they were needed.


    Princess Lanxun stared in shock at Gu Qingli as she quickly climbed up. She then drew her dagger and inserted it into the mountain wall to stabilize her body. She then pulled out her steel claw and threw it upwards.


    It was only a few hundred feet from the top of the cliff after all. Gu Qing Li threw out his final steel claw, which had already firmly gripped the edge of the cliff. He looked down and smiled at Princess Lan Xun. "The wind is cool on the mountain below. How does it feel?"


    Her voice was not high, and the sound of wind whistled past Lan Xun''s ears. It was impossible for him to hear what she said clearly. He only felt that her eyes were filled with schadenfreude, and couldn''t help but clench her teeth.


    In the midst of her laughter, Gu Qingli climbed to the top with the rope in her hands. She rolled over and landed firmly on the edge of the platform.


    There were more than a hundred people on the platform, all of them anxious. They couldn''t help but be stunned when they saw Gu Qingli tumbling up the cliff.


    The four princes, the fake princess Jing Yuan and Gu Qingruo were at the front, followed by the guards from the west and Dong Yuan. Half of them were missing, most likely sent down the cliff to look for them.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was the first to dismount. His white robes fluttered like clouds as he flew to Gu Qing Li''s side. Before she could clearly see his expression, he had already pulled her into his embrace. You... "You scared me to death!"


    Gu Qingli was held by him until she couldn''t breathe. She pushed him a little and found that his face was as pale as paper. Her complexion was the same as when she first saw him, and even the edge of her lips had lost its color.


    Her heart trembled with a bit of heartache.


    Then his hand brushed against her cheek, as if he could see every hair on her body, tracing the outline of her body. His voice was slightly hoarse. "Don''t you think I''ll worry about you?"


    Xiao Yixiu was well aware of her, and based on that little trick of Princess Lan Xun''s, it shouldn''t have been beneath her words that she purposely fell into her trap. In the end, he had reached the top of the cliff and disappeared without a trace. After listening to Lin Lisheng''s deathly explanation, his heart was in a state of turmoil, and he even felt like he was going to stop breathing in an instant.


    How could she put herself in danger without worrying about him? Moreover, there was an unknown Gu in her body when it would activate.


    "I''m fine, I''m really fine." Her voice was soft as she patted his back.


    "Stop showing your affection here. Princess Mo Wangfei?" Xiao Yi Mo''s face turned green. He was assigned the responsibility of hunting by the Emperor, but he didn''t expect it to be a bottomless pit.


    Now that the princess had disappeared, what could he use to explain himself to the emperor and how could he explain himself to the west?


    Lin Liesheng''s face was pale as well as he trembled and said, "Princess ¡­" "The princess fell off the cliff ¡­"


    Gu Qingli looked around and found that the Western Protectors had ashen faces, while the fake princess, Jingyuan, had tears on her face. Even her makeup was in tears. Apparently, after discovering that the princess had gone missing and finding her way here, she had already confessed everything.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was lost in his thoughts. His gaze turned serious as he looked at Gu Qing Li. He knew her personality, so he didn''t press her.


    Gu Qingli thought about it for a moment, then looked at Jingyuan and said, "What does Princess Lan Xun want to do? You should have known this a long time ago?"


    Jing Yuan''s face was a little pale, her previously lively and pretty face was now filled with fear, as she helplessly nodded her head, "The princess, she ¡­" She''s not a mean person, she''s just... "I just don''t like Princess Mo. I wanted to tease you a little, but who would''ve thought ¡­"


    "Fortunately, she doesn''t have any ill intentions. If she had even a little bad intentions, then this wangfei would have been reduced to nothing." Gu Qingli looked at her mockingly.


    Jing Yuan did not dare to refute. Biting her lower lip, her eyes reddened and she whimpered in grievance.

 C184 hunting(9)

    Xiao Yijin anxiously approached Gu Qingli, "How did you manage to climb up? After we landed, did we really not see Princess Lan Xun? "


    Gu Qingli looked at him coldly, feeling disgusted by his hospitality. "Even if I do see him, is there a reason for me to save the princess when my own safety is at stake?"


    Xiao Yi Jin locked his eyebrows and didn''t ask any further. However, looking at his uneasy expression, it was obvious that he was worried about Princess Xin''s falling off the cliff.


    Gu Qingli looked at Xiao Yiyan. He was the one who had been tempted by Princess Lan Xun, but apart from furrowing his brows and staring at her, she had quietly breathed a sigh of relief the moment he saw her. All the concerned gazes seemed to fall on her.


    Facing his worried and affectionate gaze, Gu Qing''s sharp eyebrows couldn''t help but shiver, and deliberately lowered his eyelids to avoid his gaze. He said to Lin Lisheng, "Captain Lin, find some ropes and form something that''s about a hundred feet long and stronger."


    "What?" Lin Liesheng came to life as a glittering light flickered in his eyes.


    "The princess should still be alive, probably hanging on some pine branch. But if you''re a bit late, that''s hard to say. " Gu Qingli''s tone was light ridicule, but it didn''t carry much malice. It was just the ease of a prank.


    How could he have the heart to argue with her? He quickly ordered the guards to make long strips of all sorts of ropes and cloth, while Xiao Yimo ordered the Dongyuan guards to find ropes and tie them together.


    "Since the princess is still alive, why didn''t you say so earlier? You have been up here for so long, are you deliberately making fun of the princess'' safety? " Gu Qingruo raised her voice, reprimanding her righteously.


    Gu Qingli found it funny. She was the one who set the fire, adding firewood and adding fuel to the fire. Now she wanted to blame it on someone else? She leisurely looked at Gu Qingruo. "Eldest sister is really anxious to have Princess Lan Xun come up?" As for the reason why Princess and I are in such a mess, elder sister should be very clear about it, right? "


    Gu Qingruo''s expression changed drastically, and she became speechless. Once Princess Lan Xun spoke the truth, the fourth prince, including Xiao Yi Mo, would absolutely not give her any face.


    Without waiting for Gu Qingruo to think, Lin Lisheng had the guards release the rope he had tied from the cliff. After swaying a few times, he bent down and shouted towards the valley below.


    Princess Lan Xun had already fallen close to the source of the waterfall. The rumbling sound of the water affected her hearing, so she definitely couldn''t clearly hear what they were calling out to, and her voice would be completely drowned out by the sound of the water. Gu Qingli had already known this when she and Gu Qingli had heard the call.


    The guards tried again and again, but there was no movement from the other side of the rope.


    Lin Li Sheng looked at Gu Qing Li with a pale face: "Princess Mo, you ¡­ You said that the princess is down there, is that true? "


    Gu Qing raised his brows. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly understood. The pine branches that Princess Lan Xun resided in were caved in below the platform. Just before, for her safety, Gu Qing Li had wrapped some vines around her body in order to increase her stability. This had thus restricted her range of movement, so she was probably just a bit short of the rope, so she wouldn''t be able to reach it.


    She shook her head with a smile and said, "If you try to force the rope a few more times, I''m afraid she won''t be able to hold on."


    Xiao Yiyan suddenly said, "There''s no need to waste any more time. The princess will be in danger if she waits a little longer below. I will be leaving first." Only now did he open his mouth to speak. All his attention had been focused on Gu Qingli, as if he had completely forgotten the existence of the princess.


    "Alright, but remember to bring the princess up safely."


    Xiao Yiyan silently glanced at her. His eyes were deep and gloomy, as if they couldn''t reflect the depths of his emotions.


    He walked over and held the rope to test its solidity, while Lillishan ordered two more men to hold the other end of the rope and watch him slide slowly down.


    Princess Lan Xun was suspended in midair, not above or below. She had heard the call from above, and had tried her best to gather her Qi to respond. However, her inner strength was not very deep, and her voice was completely concealed by the waterfall.


    Then she saw a long rope swaying in the distance and tried to reach out to grab it, but when she touched it with her fingertips, the rope went away again, and she could not bear the weight of the pine branches beneath her and began to crack.


    She looked down. Although it was not a very deep valley, when the waterfall washed over her, it was as if the water in the bottom of the valley was falling down, causing her to feel dizzy. Her heart couldn''t help but shiver. She gritted her teeth as she watched the rope swing towards her again. She reached out to grab it, but it was tightly bound by the mountain vines. She was just a little bit away from reaching it.


    The pine branches on her body let out a ravaging sound again. Princess Lan Xun was on the verge of tears. She couldn''t help but begin to hate Gu Qing Li for coming here. The tightly bound Mountain Rattan was no longer trying to reduce her risk factor, but instead increasing the difficulty of her climbing up.


    Finally, a pine branch as thick as an arm was completely broken. The remaining pine branches could no longer bear the weight of a person, and the sound of cracking began to rise and fall like fried beans.


    She couldn''t help but cry out in alarm. She subconsciously grabbed onto the vine, no longer in the mood to look at the rope that was only inches away.


    Right now, she had no support beneath her body, so she was completely hanging on to the Mountain Vine in the air. She didn''t know how strong the Mountain Vine was, and she was afraid that after bearing her entire weight, the Mountain Vine would sooner or later break. After all, she was only a fifteen-year-old girl who lived like a prince and had always been pampered by the clouds. When had she ever encountered such a dangerous situation? She immediately cried out.


    "Princess, don''t be afraid."


    Suddenly, a voice rang out not far above her head. Princess Lan Xun looked up in shock. Her teary eyes saw a figure tightly grabbing onto a rope and climbing down.


    She became even more wronged. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she spoke, completely disregarding her image. In fact, her crying voice was even tinged with a sense of arrogance and anger. "Why did you only come down now? This princess is about to die!"


    That slender and vigorous figure finally reached almost the same level as her, but stopped and said in a teasing voice, "A dignified princess in such a situation, do you still dare to call this prince a eunuch in the future?"


    When Princess Lan Xun heard this voice, her heart suddenly trembled. She hurriedly moved her hands to wipe away her tears, not caring about the green and the dark gray color of her hands that were stained with the leaves of the mountain rattan juice, making her beautiful little face look like a kitten''s.


    With her eyes slightly open, she was able to clearly see that the person in front of her was actually Xiao Yiyan.


    They had originally thought that it would definitely be Lin Lisheng or a guard from the West. Who would have thought that this unprecedented situation would actually be seen by him ¡­ Princess Lan Xun was extremely ashamed and angry. She instantly tossed the fear to the back of her mind. She wished that she could hide her entire body and not let him see her.


    "Princess, do you want to continue hanging here, or do you want to go up?" Seeing her feline face, the mockery in Xiao Yiyan''s eyes deepened, and his peachy eyes revealed traces of a smile that captivated the heart.


    "Of course ¡­ "Up, of course." Princess Lan Xun lowered her head to take another look, and the fear grew even stronger. She obediently extended her hand out without the slightest bit of sharpness, placing it on the palm of Xiao Yiyan''s hand.

 C185 hunting(10)

    His hands were long and strong, and his fingernails were well-cut and neat. When he held her, he just so happened to wrap her soft and delicate hand around his palm. It was warm and safe.


    Princess Lan Xun''s heart trembled for no reason, and she felt her heartbeat quicken.


    Previously, she had only had a slight favorable impression of him and had only been inclined towards him after being measured repeatedly within the fourth prince. That was a rational choice. However, at this moment, she felt an inexplicable sense of panic and softness, as if her heart was throbbing irrationally.


    How could Xiao Yiyan have known that her thoughts were surging like a tide? He only focused on pulling her closer, pulling out the dagger at his waist and slowly cutting the mountain vines on her body.


    "It''s all Princess Mo''s fault. If she didn''t throw me down here, if she didn''t wrap the Mountain Vine around me ¡­" I already have the rope. "


    Xiao Yi Yan''s hand paused for a moment, lifting his head to look at her. With a cold expression, he said, "If she had not wrapped the vine around your body, you would have already fallen down when the pine branches broke. How could I have been able to save you?"


    Princess Lan Xun thought about it and felt that what he had said was the true reason, but she still refused to admit it. She bit her lips until they turned white.


    "Looking back, if you did not lure her to the edge of this cliff and force her to fight with you, would you have fallen down?"


    "In order to save her, I threw out the whip in order for her to catch me. That''s why I brought her down!"


    Xiao Yiyan said indifferently: "Without you, how could there be any results? If you frame her, she will bring you down; if you save her, she will also save you. "


    Princess Lan Xun opened her mouth, and an unexplainable feeling of grievance welled up in her heart. The sour tears once again welled up in her eyes, and she angrily said, "You only know how to help her! This princess knows that no matter what happens, you will always stand by her side and speak up for her because you have a crush on her! "


    He exerted force with his hand, and with the tip of his dagger, the mountain vines were torn apart. Princess Orchon instantly lost her weight, and let out an earth-shattering scream that reverberated below the cliff. The guards, who originally couldn''t hear her cry, vaguely heard the scream and tried to stick their heads out, but were unable to see the situation below the cliff.


    Xiao Yiyan''s arm timely wrapped around Princess Lan Xun''s slender waist, pulling her into his embrace and drawing her closer to him.


    Princess Lan Xun was still in a state of shock. She felt that her entire body was drenched in sweat. The light summer clothes were all stuck to her body, outlining her incomparably beautiful figure.


    Xiao Yiyan put away his dagger. His expression was cold and his entire body emitted a cold aura.


    And when Princess Lan Xun realized how close she was to him, so close that even her breath flowed in and out of her nose, how could her soft bosom be so enchanting when pressed against his chest?


    However, from this ambiguous distance, Princess Lan Xun could feel Xiao Yiyan''s cold and icy aura. There was not a trace of nervousness or nervousness in his eyes, nor was there even a hint of shyness and distress.


    Xiao Yiyan lightly pulled on the rope tied around his waist, indicating that he should pull them up as the rope slowly began to move.


    Princess Lan Xun''s heart seemed to be stuffed with something, like she wanted to cry, but at the same time, she also wanted to be angry. However, she knew very well that his indifference and neglect towards her was all because of Gu Qingli. For some inexplicable reason, she started to vent her anger on Gu Qing Li, thinking that he was just a fox spirit. As expected, he was just as annoying as Gu Qing Ruo had said.


    "Little Tai... "Prince Chen, you don''t want to talk to me anymore?"


    Xiao Yiyan didn''t reply. He raised his head and looked at the rope moving slowly, as if he didn''t hear what she said.


    "You ¡­ You want to protect her like this just because I said something to her? "Don''t forget the status gap between you two ¡­"


    "This King knows, there is no need for Princess''s reminder." Xiao Yiyan had always been a well-bred person, and was especially warm and considerate to beauties. Such harsh words were already his limit.


    "Good ¡­" You... This princess is here to get along with you, are you sure you don''t want to get married? "


    Xiao Yiyan swept her gaze from top to bottom with a cold gaze, revealing a strange expression. "You can choose anyone you want if you want to marry me, it''s not like you have to be this king. Both the Three Sovereigns and the Six Emperor Brothers wish for it, but it doesn''t matter who you choose. "


    Princess Lan Xun''s face was pale. She glared at him and said, "Are these the words in your heart?"


    "This King will not agree to a marriage alliance. You can choose any one of my royal brothers." "If it really doesn''t satisfy the princess, then this king will have two royal brothers. Although they are a bit young, they look as though they are the same age as the princess ¡­"


    Princess Lan Xun''s eyes went black and she almost fainted. She came to the marriage alliance with a heart full of unwillingness, but she thought that all of the princes of the Xiao family were after her like birds of a feather. She didn''t expect that before she even confessed, they would be rejected. Putting aside her identity as a princess, she was also one of the most beautiful women in the Western Paradise. When had she ever received such humiliation?


    "Good, good!" Xiao Yiyan, this is what you said. If you don''t want to marry me, I won''t force you! "


    Xiao Yiyan pursed his lips and didn''t say anything. Seeing that the rope was about to reach the top, he felt relieved. He could finally let go of this delicate and arrogant Princess Xi Lin.


    The guards at the top of the hall frantically tried to pull them up. Princess Lan Xun hung in the air for a long time, her legs turning weak. When they touched the ground, she almost fell down.


    Princess Lan Xun ignored her and once again wiped away the tears that had inadvertently leaked out of her eyes. She completely did not notice the astonished and forced smile that everyone had thrown at her.


    "Princess, are you alright?" Jingyuan asked pitifully.


    Princess Lan Xun''s clothes were stained with dirt, and a few were torn. Her face was smeared beyond recognition, making people want to laugh. However, when compared with Jing Yuan, they discovered that her bearing was completely different. When Princess Lan Xun was in such a sorry state, her eyes were still filled with haughtiness, looking down upon everyone. Jing Yuan, on the other hand, was just a na?ve and naive young lady with no sense of royalty at all.


    "What can happen? "Go back and make people laugh."


    Jing Yuan pouted, supporting Princess Lan Xun as she mounted the horse.


    Gu Qingli shook her head as she looked at Princess Lan Xun''s arrogant attitude. She turned to Xiao Yiyan and asked, "Is Prince Chen doing well?"


    "I''m fine." Xiao Yiyan lowered his head and patted off the dust on his clothes. As he climbed upwards, the bottom of his clothes were grinded by the rocks, causing some damage. A bit of dust had even appeared on his face. And the princess did not even formally express her gratitude, truly lacking the etiquette that a princess of a country should have.


    Gu Qingli pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Xiaoyan, gesturing for him to wipe her face. He accepted the silk handkerchief. It was a high-quality satin cloth, snow-white and soft, without any embroidery. Of course, Gu Qingli had no way of embroidery.


    Xiao Yiyan froze for a moment, but still silently wiped her face, and then casually put it into his bosom.

 C186 Bonfire Dinner(1)

    Gu Qing Li didn''t mind. He mounted his horse and headed back with Xiao Yi Xiu. Finally, the day''s hunt ended unhappily.


    The guards returned to the palace, counted the prey, skinned and washed them before taking them to the kitchen to deal with them. At night, there would be a bonfire dinner. Everyone was tired as well. After cleaning and changing their clothes, they could only wait for the sky to turn dark. However, their moods were different.


    As Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin recalled how they had flattered and flattered the fake princess these past few days, they couldn''t help but be filled with anger. However, they couldn''t recall whether or not they had accidentally left a bad impression on the real princess.


    They obviously didn''t expect that this Princess of the West District, who had been brought up in the palace and was supposed to not be familiar with the affairs of the world, would actually come up with such a plan. Needless to say, the reason why the princess disguised herself as a palace maid was so that she could observe their character from the sidelines. While they were taking care of the fake princess, how could they have the spare time to care about what a young palace maid thought and did?


    Princess Lan Xun returned to the hall, and angrily rushed to the dressing table to sit down. When she suddenly saw herself in the bronze mirror, her mouth couldn''t help but gape wide open. This is this princess? "


    "Yeah." Jingyuan forced a smile. On the way back, it was unknown how many guards were laughing to the point of internal injuries, but the princess herself did not know.


    "Stupid girl, you actually never reminded me of that?" The moment she thought of the handkerchief that Gu Qing Li had given to Xiao Yiyan, the nameless fury in her heart began to burn fiercely. Not only did it fill her heart with fury, it also caused her to feel an unfamiliar and astringent feeling, a little bit of pain, and also a little bit of desolation.


    Jing Yuan cried out in grievance, "This cannot be blamed on this servant. The princess'' eyes never left Prince Chen. When this servant wanted to remind you, you turned around and ran away. This servant''s riding skills cannot keep up."


    "Never mind, he''s already seen this kind of ugly look, so when it''s good, he doesn''t look at it too much." Princess Lan Xun was listless, her hair had been disbanded, and her clothes were loose as she bathed.


    The scented cypress bath barrel steamed with water and was slightly warm and fragrant. The floating petals were like fish swimming in water, occasionally sticking to the smooth snow-white skin of Princess Lan Xun. She lifted the water and poured it over her, seemingly filled with boundless worry.


    "Princess, are you longing for spring?" Jingyuan wiped her back with a cloth as he carefully observed her profile.


    "Stupid girl, what are you saying?" Princess Lan Xun lifted up a handful of water and poured it over Jing Yuan, half wetting him. She felt that this was the only way to quell her hatred.


    Jingyuan pursed her lips and made a crying face, "Princess, do you think this servant has as much clothes as you do and can change them back and forth? This hunting suit is wet, there will be no hunting suit replacement tomorrow! "


    "Serves him right! I''ll punish you so that you won''t be able to go to the hunting grounds tomorrow! "


    Jingyuan stuck out his tongue, "It''s fine if this servant doesn''t want to, but ¡­" Without Jingyuan serving her from the front and back, Princess Lan Xun would feel that the other palace maids were not good enough and understand her thoughts.


    With one hand, the princess pinched Jingyuan''s fair and delicate face. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Stupid girl, you only care about watching this princess have fun, and you don''t think of a solution!"


    Jing Yuan cried out in pain and struggled free from Princess Lan Xun''s clutches. Rubbing her blushing cheeks, she said with grievance, "Princess, if you touched a wall at Prince Chen''s place, you will use this servant to vent your anger! "Speaking of which, if this Prince Chen doesn''t like you, then a forcefully twisted melon isn''t sweet. You can''t use this move against me to deal with him ¡­"


    "Then what should we do?" Princess Lan Xun had an expression of annoyance. Today, he had already made it clear that he would never agree to a marriage alliance. With such a refusal, if he made her warm face stick to his cold butt, she would not be able to do it no matter what.


    As the princess of the Western Paradise, she had always been doted on and held by others as if they were precious pearls. Even her imperial parents treated her like a treasure.


    "Princess, let me see. It''s not like you really like this Chen-King, you''ve just never been rejected before. You just feel indignant." "Jingyuan slowly analyzed, stealing glances at her from time to time." "As for this Duke Chen, he probably doesn''t care much for those who throw themselves into his arms. Why don''t you just leave him in the dark ¡­"


    But Princess Orchon only bit her lower lip in annoyance, seeming to be deep in thought.


    "Eh, Princess?" Jing Yuan waved her five fingers in front of her.


    Princess Lan Xun slapped her hand away, and the temperature of her face instantly dropped. With a cold expression, she said, "This princess knows what to do. Didn''t he care about her ¡­? "Let''s see what he does."


    Jing Yuan''s eyes widened, not understanding what the princess, who was filled with all sorts of weird things, was trying to do.


    It was surrounded by spiky bamboo fences and iron fences. In the center of the clearing, a large pit had been dug, and the bottom was covered with firewood, and on top of it, a wooden frame had been placed in the shape of a figure. Flames were burning with blue flame seedlings, and long strings of iron strung across the fur to clean the prey. The clean abdominal cavity had been filled with some salted viscera, wild fungus, bamboo shoots, lotus roots, and so on.


    Oil and cumin aroma mixed with the spread out, the original wild flavor of the aroma of the taste awaken the sense of taste. However, the princes who hated eating fine dishes in the imperial kitchens didn''t seem to care much. They simply sat around the princess, watching the imperial guards sing and dance merrily as they chatted with her.


    As for the fake princess, Jingyuan, it seemed as if she had disappeared into thin air. No one cared about her existence, so she found a gap to secretly set up the inner circle of the bonfire and quietly ran to the outer circle.


    The imperial guards from the western border and the eastern region were all sitting together. Although this was an entertainment, they did not dare to relax their vigilance.


    Lin Liesheng stood at the edge with a grim expression, patrolling the perimeter of the palace. After all, the palace was different from the imperial palace. Its outer defenses were weaker, but in reality, it was more dangerous.


    "Lin ¡­" Jingyuan called out softly, waving at him.


    Lin Liesheng looked into the distance and saw that half of Jingyuan''s figure had disappeared into the night. She deliberately stood at a place where the bonfire could not reach and the hazy light of the fire illuminated half of her face. Only a slim figure could vaguely make out that it was a woman.


    Lin Lisheng''s face stiffened. After a moment of hesitation, he walked over.


    "Let''s go over there." Jingyuan pointed to the area where the guards were squatting and roasting around the small bonfire in groups of three or five, looking pleased with themselves.


    "No, this is a temporary residence. Pay attention to your safety."


    "This is the Eastern Abyss. Could it be that their responsibility for safety lies elsewhere?" Jingyuan pursed his lips.


    "Just like this day or night, if something were to happen to the princess, even if Dong Yuan were to take responsibility, would he be able to save the princess'' life? The West will not go to war with the East Abyss just because of that. It will just seek a generous compensation, and us lowly people will have to pay with our lives. "


    Jing Yuan looked at the cold expression on his face and sighed.


    "You, as the princess'' personal palace maid, don''t always allow her to cause trouble. You should advise her a little."


    "Can I still stop the princess'' thoughts?" Jing Yuan felt so wronged that she wanted to cry. How could she possibly hear the advice of a young palace maid like her, willful as Princess Lan Xun? Well, the princess was probably mulling over something again.


    "Don''t casually believe that Princess Mu. I keep having the feeling that she harbors malicious intentions." Lin Lisheng pointed at Gu Qingruo, who was standing in the middle of the bonfire and chatting closely with Princess Lan Xun.

 C187 Bonfire Dinner(2)

    Jing Yuan recalled the words that Gu Qingruo had said to her. Biting her lower lip, she began to ponder over Lin Lisheng''s suggestion.


    The bonfire illuminated half of the sky, and the pipa''s intense and resounding sound rang out, followed by Hu Qin''s melodious and distant voice. It was completely different from the gentle and beautiful wind and bamboo music of the palace; it contained an inexplicable ability to move one''s heart.


    Following them, a palace maid dressed in a narrow sleeveless dress came forward to the music, singing and dancing around the bonfire. Her dancing style was different from that of the palace dancers. It was filled with a primitive enthusiasm and tension, attracting glances from others as their blood boiled as the alcohol reached their throats.


    Lin Lisheng''s gaze followed the dance as it turned and gradually dimmed. He was a little puzzled. "When we left, did we have this many palace maids with us?"


    Jing Yuan looked at it and answered, "She''s a palace maid. She''s usually not only in charge of the palace, but she also helps the hunters clean up the grasslands."


    "A bunch of scouring palace maids, they are actually so skilled at dancing, not any worse than you."


    Jing Yuan pouted. "Are you praising them, or do you dislike me?"


    Lin Lisheng''s gaze turned even deeper as he said solemnly, "Don''t you think that''s strange? Their movements are completely different from the gentle and beautiful movements of the palace dances, and their music also carries a bit of wildness. "


    "This is the temporary residence. Although it belongs to the capital, it is still very far from the capital, okay?" Geographically, this is the border with Zhongzhou, perhaps with a stronger style. "


    "Even if this is the style of the Zhongzhou dance, why do you think that this group of female court ladies with such outstanding dances should be willing to do rough labor in the palace?"


    Jing Yuan said impatiently, "Brother Lin, why are you always staring at her dancing?"


    Lin Liesheng suddenly strode forward and waved his arms as he said, "Western Garrison, listen up!"


    The guards at the western border quickly responded in unison. Even the guards who were not on duty tonight and were surrounding the bonfire immediately stood up. They stood in a well-trained formation, and under Lin Lisheng''s command, they surrounded the center of the bonfire.


    Before the princes could recover from their shock, the situation took a turn for the worse. The group of gigolo dancers and musicians took out their bright short blades from under their skirts and pounced on them!


    Jingyuan was so shocked that he fell into a daze. As he rushed forward, he called out to the princess.


    No one was allowed to carry weapons at the bonfire party, other than the guards on duty, most of them were unarmed, and this group of female palace maids who performed the dancing were surprisingly powerful. Seeing the guards fall one after the other, blood and flames shot up into the sky together, and arrows painted with resin shot out of nowhere.


    The four princes carried a weapon with them, and they weren''t weak either. Gu Qingruo''s beautiful face had already turned pale, and her entire body was trembling as she pulled Princess Lan Xun to the back to hide.


    When Princess Lan Xun saw such a chaotic and bloody change, she was not the least bit shocked or fearful. With a swish, she lashed out with her long whip and charged forward. She did have some skill, and even though she was flogged by the whip, she did not seem to be at a disadvantage at all.


    He couldn''t even squeeze himself into the fray, so he had no choice but to retreat. His gaze, however, had been following the princess from beginning to end in anxiety, and he had unintentionally discovered that Gu Qingluo was moving in and out of the crowd, gradually moving out of the battle.


    Gu Qingruo was a delicate lady from a noble family. Because of her lithe figure and good flexibility from childhood, she avoided the crowd and the frontal assault. She stamped her feet as she muttered vexedly, her eyes filled with fear and anger.


    Jingyuan had always had a good impression of Gu Qingruo, so he felt protective towards her. He walked over from the shadows and patted her lightly on the shoulder. "Princess Mu ¡­"


    Gu Qingruo was startled and pushed out with her hand. Fear filled her eyes, as if she was afraid.


    Jing Yuan was also startled by her sudden shock and attack. She quickly retreated, dodging the push, and instinctively twisted Gu Qingruo''s arm behind her, reminding her of her actions, "Princess Mu, it''s a servant, Jing Yuan!" With that, she quickly let go of Jing Yuan and hurriedly said, "Princess Mu, it''s a servant!"


    Gu Qingruo was scared out of her wits. She stared at the starlight and the firelight for a while before her body went limp. She fell and sat on the grass.


    Jing Yuan didn''t think that this Princess Mu would be so weak and useless. She frowned and squatted beside her, saying, "You don''t have to be afraid. We''re outside of the attack range."


    Gu Qingruo calmed herself down and looked left and right. After confirming that the location should be safe, she patted her chest and glared fiercely at Jingyuan. "You slave girl, you scared this wangfei to death!"


    Jingyuan was stunned. Although her status had changed from a princess to a palace maid, Gu Qingruo''s gentle words from before, like a lady from a noble family, had completely disappeared. The gaze she used to look at her was filled with undisguised disdain and disdain.


    Gu Qingruo didn''t notice Jingyuan''s change in mood. She nervously stared at everyone in the battle, shifting her gaze from Xiao Yimo to Gu Qingli, standing there motionlessly.


    Jing Yuan looked around in bewilderment. She couldn''t see any concern in Gu Qing Ruo''s tense expression, but it was strange and hard to describe.


    Gu Qingli attacked with her empty palm, but she didn''t take the initiative to attack. She mostly dodged and occasionally counterattacked with close range attacks. Most of the time, she just stood in front of Xiao Yi as if she was protecting him.


    At the first incident, Gu Qingli suddenly stood up and stopped the two dancers who had been recently attacked. No one paid attention to what she was doing, they only saw the two women rolling around on the ground, the sounds of fighting mixed with their wails and wails, as though they were in extreme pain. Gu Qingli ignored them and listened attentively to everything that was happening around them.


    As for Xiao Yixiu, he calmly sat in his own seat. He neither dodged nor retaliated against any attacks, as if he was extremely weak. Strangely, no one was able to attack within three feet of him. He remained cold and quiet as he sat with his hands under his sleeves. If one looked carefully, they would feel the wind around his sleeves move, as if he was changing his hands occasionally.


    His vision and hearing did not miss a single movement within a radius of several dozen meters. The battle between every pair was well within his chest, and according to his calculations, if there were no accidents, the assassination should end within an hour. The other party''s archers had already been ambushed in the distance, and the pine resin fire arrows could only occasionally shoot over.


    If the number of these fire arrows was astonishing, the damage would be far greater than that of those Hu Pai dancers and musicians. Not only were the pine resin and sulfur on the arrows burning intensely, they would also occasionally explode in midair.


    However, it was strange. Ever since the Fire Arrow had shot out, apart from the dense rain of fire at the very beginning, everything else had been scattered. Soon, the movements of the hidden archer had become smaller and smaller, and the scattered fire arrows were no longer a threat.


    As for the people around the bonfire, because of Lin Lisheng''s alertness, they had taken the initiative to gain the upper hand.

 C188 Bonfire Dinner(3)

    Gu Qing Li''s fingers were flashing with silver needles from time to time. However, the night was hazy and the flames were dancing in the air. No one had noticed the movements of her hidden weapons.


    Only when Princess Lan Xun happened to have her back to the enemy did she suddenly realize that an enemy''s move had missed her by a hair''s breadth. The blade had missed her and fell to the ground.


    Princess Lan Xun was startled. She thought to herself, why is she secretly helping me? Then, he recalled that he was an honored guest from the west, after all. If something went wrong, no one would be able to bear the responsibility. When she thought of this, she immediately felt relieved. She only gave Gu Qing Li a cold look, not much gratitude.


    Naturally, Gu Qingli didn''t miss her cold, arrogant expression. She smiled inwardly and didn''t bother with her. Thinking of the cliff''s edge, she hurriedly rushed forward, swinging her whip in an attempt to restrain herself. She understood that although this headstrong and headstrong princess had a bad temper and looked down on others, she was actually not a sinister person.


    Although the dancers and musicians who had launched the surprise attack were powerful, and the princes were all experts, coupled with the fact that the number of guards were several times that of their own, the assassins were finally all taken down.


    Gu Qingli looked at the two dancers tumbling in front of her. In the end, they were forced to the ground by the four bodyguards as well.


    "Dead!" Suddenly, cries of alarm rang out, followed by a series of similar shouts. The dancers and musicians who were caught committed suicide without exception, looking exactly the same. Their eyes were all rolling up and their faces distorted.


    "What''s going on?" Even though he wasn''t hit by the arrow, a small piece of his skin was suddenly burned by the flames from the arrow. Seeing that all the clues had been cut off, he couldn''t help but feel the rage in his heart, causing him to straighten the sword in his hand. Facing the dead prisoner in front of him, he slashed several times with his sword, causing the corpse to be badly mutilated.


    "Third Imperial Brother, this hunt and the safety of the palace guards were all arranged by you. Something like this happened ¡­" On the other hand, Xiao Yijin didn''t really mind the fact that all the assassins had died. His body was completely fine, and when he saw Xiao Yimo''s embarrassment and anger, he actually started to gloat in his heart.


    The defenses of the palace guards were too low. A random person had snuck into the palace and nearly injured Princess Lan Xun ¡­ When these matters were reported to royal father, there was no way that Xiao Yi Mo would not be held responsible. The anger of Xiao Yi Jin was gone, and he was secretly happy that he had encountered this assassination attempt.


    As the assassins died one by one, everyone''s attention was focused on the two dancers in front of Gu Qing Li.


    They were the only ones left alive.


    They were still tenaciously twisting their bodies, but if one looked closely, they would see that they were not struggling, but were convulsing in twisted pain. Their faces and bodies were twisted into incredible angles, and their eyes were rolling up, looking somewhat similar to those of the assassins who had died, but since everyone else was dead, why couldn''t either of them commit suicide?


    Princess Lan Xun walked over and glanced at the two men''s twisted expressions before turning her face away in disgust. Suddenly, she remembered that they had been knocked down by Gu Qing Li. She stared at them and said, "Did you do something to them?"


    Gu Qingli lightly said, "I just beat them." Could it be that I have to show mercy when they try to kill me? "


    "Then how did they become like this?" Princess Lan Xun didn''t believe him.


    Gu Qingli smiled and replied with a question, "The princess'' tone sounds like she''s questioning me for them. Could it be that the princess knows them?"


    "..." Of course not, don''t slander people. "


    "Isn''t that good enough?" Gu Qingli took a step forward, bent down, and quickly patted one of the women a few times. Seeing that she had strangely calmed down, she looked at Gu Qingli with a dull expression, no longer twisting her body.


    No one noticed that when the woman''s eyes turned white, there were a few black lines moving within them. With her quietness, it was as if the lines drilled into her eyes and quickly disappeared.


    As if he had found a precious treasure, Xiao Yi Mo walked over quickly and shouted at the woman, "Who are you? Who sent you here to assassinate them? "


    The woman suddenly laughed in a weird way. She was drooling. Although her body was still motionless, it seemed as if she had gone into a daze.


    "What is this?" Xiao Yimo hurriedly looked at the other woman. Gu Qingli was doing the same to calm her down.


    However, that girl''s situation was exactly the same. She seemed to be in a daze, and only knew how to laugh foolishly.


    "What did you do to them?" Xiao Yimo glared furiously at Gu Qingli.


    "I only used a unique method to point out their hidden acupoints. I can control their bodies, but it will not affect their intelligence." "Gu Qingli was calm and composed, not even looking at him." Looking at their expressions, it should be the poison in their bodies acting up. As for what it is, we should take them back to the palace and ask the imperial physicians to identify it. "


    Xiao Yi Mo gritted his teeth as he looked at her, but he couldn''t find a loophole in her words. He only patted it a few times, but it really did look like it was the same as poking a acupoint.


    "Take it!" Xiao Yi Mo suddenly thought of something and said, "Quickly, go over there and search. See if there are any survivors from the fire arrowheads!"


    At the same time, he asked in surprise, "Are there guards there tonight?" He remembered that when he had assigned night guards for the night shift, the jungle was not part of their range. After all, they were outside of the steel wire, so what they needed to guard against was the wild beasts. How could they have thought of such a large-scale assassination?


    "Reporting to Prince Mu, you haven''t arranged for any guards to stand guard over there." The guard captain of the palace and the personal guard captain of the Dongyuan Imperial Guard that accompanied him replied in surprise.


    That... Who had handled the archers for them? Upon thinking of this question, Xiao Yi Mo''s expression gradually turned even uglier. Could it be that there was a third force in this palace? Even though it seemed like he had helped them, he couldn''t be sure that they were friends and not enemies.


    Not long after, the guards that had been sent to bring out some corpses came out one after another. They were all in different states from the dancers. They were all injured to the point of death. Only a few of them had even killed themselves.


    On his forehead, without exception, was the word "Dark Pavilion".


    The influence of the martial arts world, Dark Pavilion.


    The famous number one organization in the martial arts world was like a dragon that could not be seen, and no one knew the details of the Dark Pavilion.


    The only method they had was to leave these two words on the foreheads of the people they killed. As time passed, the expressions of the people in the martial world changed and they called the hidden powers the "Dark Pavilion".


    Xiao Yi Mo''s entire body trembled. Even his fingertips were trembling.


    It was just a hunt, yet it had attracted an unexpected assassination, and even attracted the Dark Pavilion?!

 C189 Bonfire Dinner(4)

    "Will... Drag all of these corpses down, carefully... Check! They had to find a coroner for an autopsy. "Also, these two people need to be held in private and under close guard!" Xiao Yi Mo''s voice was trembling as he spoke, seemingly disjointed.


    Afterwards all the corpses were sent to the guard of the village. Although they were dead, there were still countless clues on them. They had to wait for the coroner to examine them before they could be disposed of.


    The two surviving dancers were locked up and heavily guarded.


    Xiao Yi Mo repeatedly apologized to Princess Lan Xun, while Xiao Yi Jin took the opportunity to comfort her. However, Princess Lan Xun''s expression still didn''t look too good.


    After all, so many unforeseen events had happened in succession during the hunt. It was simply too difficult to make her smile happily.


    "Is there such danger everywhere in Dongyuan?"


    Princess Lan Xun''s question made the two feel somewhat awkward. If they had to explain, perhaps she didn''t believe it.


    However, she continued with her next sentence, causing the two of them to be stunned on the spot: "This princess wants to return to the west side to report to royal father, we can make peace with one another, the prince consort must follow this princess back to the west side. With Dong Yuan in such danger, I''m afraid that if I stay here for a few more days, my life will be in danger!"


    She lifted her proud and arrogant face, not even glancing at them as she walked towards the palace. Jing Yuan glanced at the two princes with sympathy before hurriedly following.


    The dying bonfire shone its flickering light on a few faces, and suddenly, a chuckle could be heard.


    Xiao Yiyan''s eyes curved into crescent moons ashe smiled. While shaking his head, she smiled and followed them towards the palace.


    The marriage alliance was definitely a good thing, but what they were counting on was the marriage alliance to strengthen their foundation in the East Abyss. If they were to change their marriage alliance and become Prince Consort of the West, then although it would be beneficial to their harmonious relationship, it would not benefit them at all.


    How could a Prince Consort contend for the position of the King of the East?


    Finally, everyone dispersed. Xiao Yi Xiu walked back while holding Gu Qing Li''s hand. He had a faint smile on his face, as if he hadn''t expected this.


    "Princess''s move has ruined everyone."


    "I heard that when she came from the west, she was always domineering and dainty. She was really willful."


    "You think the Emperor will agree?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head with a smile, "That''s hard to say. Giving up a useless prince in exchange for peace between the two countries is not a difficult matter. The King of the West Riding could agree to the marriage of a princess that was loved by all, so how could he not hold the thought of sacrifice in his heart? The children of the royal family, in times of need, have the duty of sacrificing their lives for the community. "


    Then he continued, "But I don''t think that the princess will really raise this condition with royal father. This is just a pretense that she is deliberately making things difficult for them."


    "So that they will know the difficulties and retreat?" Gu Qingli quickly turned around and started reciting. This Princess Lan Xun didn''t only know how to be willful, but she also had her own intelligence. She had long seen through the natures of Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin.


    "Tonight''s assassin ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu''s expression instantly turned grave as he shook his head. He wasn''t sure either, but he could tell that Gu Qing Li had done something to the two dancers.


    The starlight and the light from the bonfire shone on her slender white fingers that were as sharp as bamboo shoots. It was gentle and clean, without anything out of the ordinary, but he had seen it with his own eyes.


    "They were poisoned by your poison?"


    Gu Qingli nodded. There was a layer of faint gloom between her brows. This was also the first time she had discovered that the Gu within her body could harm someone. She had accidentally detected this when she had attacked her opponent.


    She had the intention to attack her opponent, so the Gu worm could sense her voice. The moment her fingertips touched the enemy''s body, it pierced through her finger and bit the enemy before swiftly returning to her body.


    "From the looks of it, a Gu Master might not be a bad thing. As long as it doesn''t backfire, it seems to be very advantageous."


    Gu Qingli forced a smile on his face. She knew that his calm and gentle smile was just to comfort her.


    "Alright, don''t worry. I''ve been poisoned by many poisons from my previous body, and I can''t get any results by interviewing all the famous doctors in the world. If I gave up earlier, I wouldn''t have had the chance to meet you." He stroked her cheeks with a smile as he bent over to kiss her. He said gently, "I won''t give up on you either. No matter what."


    Gu Qing Li pursed her lips and smiled, then walked slowly in his embrace, thinking about the dead dancers. A blurry image gradually became clearer, forming a complete meridian. If she was a Gu Master, then the Gu she planted might be different from those dancers who died, but it would definitely be similar.


    They all died together. It seemed like they were a group of suicidal suicide soldiers, which was hard to figure out. However, she was more inclined to them dying under the hands of the people controlling the Gu. Someone saw the defeat and stealthily manipulated the Gu in their bodies, causing them to die. Gu Qingli had given the two dancers another Gu, restraining them from erupting ¡­


    "This is bad!" Gu Qing Li raised his head to look at Xiao Yi Xiu. "Those two dancers are in danger!"


    "Shh!" Xiao Yi Xiu swept his gaze across her before lowering his voice. "There''s no need to worry."


    Gu Qing Li was slightly startled, but then understood. How could he not think of what she could think of? The two dancers had already been heavily guarded by Xiao Yi Mo''s orders, not to mention his shadow guards.


    "How do you keep them from talking?"


    "Silver needles. After my silver needles enter the blood vessels, they will follow the meridians and travel with the blood vessels. They will control the minds of people, making them unable to speak or express themselves properly for a period of time." If they used the silver needles at close range, they could also kill themselves ¡ª but not like when they controlled the Gu, causing death from a distance.


    "Tonight, if that person was smart, he would not have made a move. On the other hand ¡­" I wish he''d do something. "


    "What kind of power is the Dark Pavilion?" It was just a small palace in the outskirts of the capital, and there was more than one group of people gathered here. It was truly worrisome.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t reply, but stroked her hair thoughtfully.


    The power of this assassin was extremely rare, it was as though they were treated differently. Could it be that this was another power besides the power of the power that was being fought for?


    Gu Qing Li could clearly see that Xiao Yi Mo, Xiao Yi Jin, and Xiao Yi Yan were facing the same danger. When she was free, she would look around her in order to determine the situation. At that time, the three of them, including Xiao Yi Xiu, had also been attacked by assassins. If this force did not come from the Imperial Palace, then who could it be targeting?


    He could also not be a person from the west. It was very clear that Princess Orchid Xunxi had also been attacked ¡­ Could it be Dongyuan''s political enemy? If any of the princes were to fall into an accident, the unrest in the Eastern Abyss was one aspect. If they injured Princess Orchid, it would also affect the friendship between the Western Cliff and the Eastern Abyss.


    Gu Qingli discovered that she was getting more and more confused. It looked like it wasn''t the same simple matter as the fight for the crown prince''s throne.

 C190 removing silver needle(1)

    The moon was high in the sky. Xiao Yiyan sat on the bed tiredly. Actually, he had already washed up. It was just that an accident happened during the day hunt, and there was also the assassination at the bonfire party at night. In fact, his mind could not calm down for even a moment.


    Even when he was bathing, he would sit in the tub in a daze, thinking about how Gu Qing Li looked like when he fell off the cliff and climbed back up.


    Actually, he didn''t know why such a delicate Prime Minister Thousand Gold and Queen Mo would have such great skill. Just by relying on their unique steel claws, they were able to climb onto the platform.


    He had been too far away from the bonfire. At one point, he had wanted to rush forward to protect Gu Qing Li, but when he focused his attention to check, he discovered that not only did she not need his protection, she was even leisurely protecting Xiao Yi Xiu who was sitting quietly.


    She had always been standing in front of Xiao Yi, careful not to let any of the assassins get close and not even glancing at him.


    Xiao Yi Yan felt slightly sad. He laughed at himself. If he still didn''t know where he was, it would only be a self-inflicted injury.


    For example, even if he was lying flat on the bed in his clothes, he still wouldn''t be able to sleep.


    A light, rhythmic knock on the door sounded out. Xiao Yiyan jumped up from the bed, and sat for a moment in surprise before going to open the door. Even though it was late at night, there were guards at the entrance of the palace. No one reported him to anyone, so who in the world was this person?


    When he opened the door, he was stunned once again. Under the hazy moonlight, a tall and slender figure was standing alone in front of the door. The white clothes flowed with a mercury-like luster.


    "Five ¡­" "Brother." Xiao Yiyan''s voice was somewhat hesitant, as if he was no longer used to being called so intimately.


    "Let''s go in." Xiao Yi Xiu stepped through the doorway and brushed past him.


    Xiao Yiyan''s body stiffened slightly. He could smell the fragrance of new sophora flowers floating on Xiao Yixiu''s body, as well as a faint scent ¡­ Only Gu Qingli could smell it. His heart suddenly sank heavily. It was cool and a little painful.


    Xiao Yixiu lit a red candle and looked at him from the side of the table.


    Xiao Yiyan helplessly closed the door and sat across from him. He suddenly thought of the competition that took place under the lantern that year. The two brothers were extremely close to each other.


    "Fifth brother, why aren''t you sleeping this late? Is there something you need from me?"


    "Princess Lan Xun''s body has a few silver needles. The reason I came to find you was for this matter."


    "What?" Silver needles? "Where did it come from?" Xiao Yiyan wasn''t clear about the fact that Gu Qing Li was Li Yue, but his eyes were wide open in confusion.


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. "Don''t worry about where she''s from. I just want to tell you that the silver needles will be flowing in her body after twelve hours. They will follow her meridians and slowly penetrate her internal organs, all the way to her life."


    "..." How could this be? " Xiao Yiyan stood up, his face slightly pale. He thought back to Princess Lan Xun''s journey to Dongyuan City and couldn''t figure out when she fell for his trick.


    If the princess was in trouble, wouldn''t the whole of the Eastern Abyss be at loggerheads?


    "Don''t worry." Xiao Yi Xiu lightly patted his arm. "I''m here to teach you how to take out the silver needles. Otherwise, why would you come here so late in the night?"


    "Fifth brother, you ¡­" Just how many secrets are there? "


    "Not much."


    "Including the fact that you want to get your hands on the storage?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t shocked that he could see through his thoughts. After all, everyone was wary of him, including his royal father. However, he was somewhat uncomfortable with this young brother speaking so bluntly and with a hint of ridicule in his tone. He then remained silent and did not reply.


    "Actually that''s good too." After Xiao Yiyan''s mood calmed down, he sat back down and said indifferently: "There is no one more suitable to sit in this seat than you. "You will eventually become an enlightened ruler who will bring me good fortune."


    "That''s not what we''re talking about right now."


    "Un, since you know the way to take out the silver needles, why didn''t you tell me instead of going yourself?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu said, "I''m not suitable."


    "I''m not suitable either."


    "No, I am sick and I am no longer lucky. You understand. However, taking out a silver needle is to use inner force to guide it and force it out. "


    Xiao Yi Yan was somewhat able to understand why that wasn''t the case, so he nodded his head, "But Third and Sixth Imperial Brothers are also fine with it."


    "You want them to express their goodwill in front of Princess Lan Xun and gain the opportunity to form an alliance?"


    Xiao Yiyan didn''t say anything. In fact, he did not care about who would marry the princess, but he knew what his fifth brother was worried about. If the princess were to be married to either one of those two, it would break the balance between them.


    "So you gave me this chance?" Xiao Yiyan smiled bitterly. Actually, it would be better for him to curry favor with the princess by himself.


    "I won''t go, I have Qing Li." It was clear that Xiao Yixiu had seen through his thoughts.


    Xiao Yiyan lowered his eyes in disappointment. At least Gu Qingli hadn''t chosen the wrong person. Fifth brother didn''t love beauties more than mountains and rivers, he wouldn''t be like Third Imperial Brother and fall in love with Princess Bo. He couldn''t even forget his main wife.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stood up and held Xiao Yi Yan''s hand. He pressed it onto Xiao Yi Yan''s body as he slowly explained along the meridians. Although Gu Qingli wasn''t very proficient in medicine, she had also taught him this way. His memory was amazing, so she naturally wouldn''t forget it.


    Xiao Yiyan tried to pull back his hand several times, but he resisted the urge and silently remembered.


    After waiting for Xiao Yi Xiu to finish his explanation, Xiao Yi Yan retracted his hand and glared at him. "Fifth brother, are you sure I can only use this method to retrieve the silver needles?"


    "Yes."


    Xiao Yiyan gritted his teeth, "You couldn''t have done that on purpose, right? Have someone secretly injure the princess with silver needles and teach me... This method of yours, although luck is not difficult to use to help her arrange needles, but after feeling through her entire body ¡­ "You ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu smiled wryly. This wasn''t what he was thinking of, but rather, Gu Qingli was doing it on her own, trying her best to get Xiao Yiyan and the Princess together. Now that the silver needle was in the princess'' body, the matter of retrieving it was extremely urgent, and no one in the palace could help.


    Gu Qingli wasn''t willing to make a move. Gu Qingruo didn''t know martial arts, while that young palace maid from Jingyuan seemed to have very limited martial arts. The guards from the west were all men ¡­ Actually, Gu Qing Li had already made his blood boil when he was teaching Xiao Yi Xiu, and he almost couldn''t control himself. He knew that this method wasn''t suitable for men and women, but he had no other choice, so he could only pinch Gu Qing Li''s nose and gnash his teeth. He was so angry that he didn''t know whether to laugh or cry when she smiled mischievously at him.


    "Fifth brother, you''re too much!" Xiao Yiyan''s face first turned completely red, then turned green, as he resolutely refused.


    "Then let Princess Lan Xun die in front of you. Let this ruin the relationship between the two countries." Xiao Yi Xiu laughed lightly and left. He looked as if it had nothing to do with him.


    "This will do you no good at all!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu paused for a moment and then laughed without turning his head, "It really wasn''t me who did it and I didn''t send anyone to do it. I just happen to know how to remove it." If you don''t attack, there''s nothing I can do. "


    Xiao Yiyan slumped heavily on the bed, covering his face, determined not to think about it.


    Princess Lan Xun didn''t belong to him, so even if something really happened, he wouldn''t be the only one to worry about the consequences ¡­ No, that''s not right. An innocent girl died so miserably because of the difference between men and women. How could it have nothing to do with him?


    Princess Lan Xun was unruly and unruly, and she was a schemer as well. It was good for her to suffer a little ¡­ But this was not what made her suffer, it was what would take her life.

 C191 removing silver needle(2)

    Xiao Yiyan rolled and rolled, constantly having new thoughts before he overthrew himself. He was conflicted and conflicted, and even when he fell asleep, he still didn''t know what to do.


    The summer dawn had always come earlier, and when the bright red sunrise broke over the eastern pasture horizon, the chirping of the birds had woken Hsiao Yiyan.


    In truth, he had only slept for two or four hours. However, when he saw the golden rays of light leaping outside the window, he suddenly recalled that it was only seven to six hours before Princess Lan Xun''s illness broke out.


    He suddenly jumped up in alarm, randomly brushed and washed himself, and then hurriedly walked to Princess Orchid Xunxi''s sleeping quarters.


    "Hey, good morning, Prince Chen!" That little girl Jingyuan was actually quite likable. Her smile was sweet, her etiquette was thoughtful, and her personality was also open and cheerful.


    "Where''s the princess?"


    "Oh, combing inside ¡­"


    Without waiting for Jingyuan to finish speaking, Xiao Yiyan pushed open the door to the hall in a hurry. He knew that as long as he thought about it, he wouldn''t have the courage to come anymore. Even if he was given a few more hours, he still wouldn''t be able to make a decision.


    Jing Yuan was stunned, she had actually forgotten to stop them.


    Princess Lan Xun wore a moon-white robe and sat upright in front of the dressing table. She combed a head of black hair that hung down like the clouds, and her plain and plain appearance made her seem even more like a fairy.


    She saw the intruding Xiao Yiyan through the mirror. His hand was holding the toothbrush in his hair, but he didn''t turn around. Holding his breath, he focused his attention on the approaching youth, feeling a little puzzled and anxious.


    "Princess Lan Xun."


    Only now did Princess Lan Xun let out a breath and softly say, "Prince Chen, you seem to be very impolite." Although her voice was soft, it was not gentle in the slightest. There was an air of arrogance and a faint coldness that prevented people from walking thousands of miles away.


    The way she looked, he looked a bit like the Gu Qingli who''d refused him. When Xiao Yiyan saw this, his mind went blank for a moment.


    "Prince Chen?"


    "Huh?" When Xiao Yi Yan came back to his senses, he realized that all his courage had disappeared. He turned around and was about to leave.


    Jing Yuan stood at the door, watching them. She didn''t understand why they were suddenly going back and forth, as if there was something she couldn''t wait for. In the end, she just saw the princess turn around and walk away.


    However, Princess Lan Xun''s face sank. "Xiao Yiyan! You came early in the morning and even disregarded etiquette to barge into her daughter''s room, yet you wanted to leave without even having a word? "


    Xiao Yiyan took a deep breath, and just ashe reached the door, she stopped, listening to her continue: "You are the dignified prince of Dongyuan, why are you so unresponsible? Since there''s an urgent matter, we should at least say it out loud. "


    His mind was filled with countless thoughts. Finally, he steeled himself and quickly closed the two doors. He slammed Jingyuan outside and bolted the door.


    "Ah?" Prince Chen, what are you doing? Open door... "Princess!" Jing Yuan was caught off guard and the door almost slammed into her nose. She touched the tip of her nose that was swept by the strong wind and knocked on the door in panic.


    "What are you going to do to our princess? "Prince Chen, you can''t ¡­"


    From within came the crashing of messy tables and chairs, the sound of people falling to the ground, and Princess Lan Xun''s short exclamations of surprise. Afterwards, everything quieted down.


    Inside the room, Princess Lan Xun was pressed to the point that she laid flat on the bed, staring at the beautiful autumn waves in her eyes. Inside the room, Princess Lan Xun was pressed to the point that she laid flat on the bed, staring at the beautiful autumn waves in her eyes.


    "What are you doing?" Her voice was not loud, nor did she cry out for help. Other than her bashful face, she seemed rather calm.


    Xiao Yiyan stood in front of the bed. He originally had some hesitations, but Princess Lan Xun''s calmness actually calmed her down. He was thinking that he had a clear conscience, and that he didn''t need to explain anything to anyone.


    "What do you think This King will do to you?" Xiao Yiyan snappily reached out his hand and pressed it between her breasts.


    Princess Lan Xun''s face paled. Her calmness was based on her self-confidence that Xiao Yiyan wouldn''t do anything to her. She didn''t expect him to actually be rude to her.


    "Did you get hit by a silver needle here?"


    "You ¡­ How do you know? "


    "Here... Here... And this ¡­ All of them? "


    Princess Lan Xun was even more astonished. "How did you know?"


    Xiao Yi Yan was about to answer, but Jing Yuan knocked on his door loudly, "Prince Chen, open the door, don''t think about doing anything to my princess. If you continue like this, your servant will call for someone!"


    "Let her go."


    Princess Lan Xun thought it over, then raised her voice and said, "Jingyuan, this princess is fine. Go out and guard the door well, don''t let anyone break in."


    Jing Yuan stayed in a daze for a while before she responded with an "oh" and left the hall with a look of confusion.


    "Princess Lan Xun, what this duke has done to you next might be a bit rude, but it definitely isn''t because I want to take advantage of you. The silver needles on your body for twelve hours ¡­ That''s not right. The night has passed and there are only less than eight hours left before it will break out. It will follow the reverse flow of your meridians and enter your internal organs, causing you to die with a heart-wrenching pain. "


    Princess Lan Xun''s face became even paler. She stared fixedly at him for a while, then asked, "So you came because you wanted to help me remove the danger and force the silver needles out of my body?"


    Xiao Yiyan nodded.


    "Who sent you? Who taught you how to force out silver needles? "


    Last night, Princess Lan Xun had already attempted to force the silver needles out by luck. Although those needles had drilled into her skin and disappeared without a trace, to the point that they no longer felt pain, allowing those who practiced martial arts to understand that they would definitely not stay in her body peacefully. But with her pride, she definitely wouldn''t humbly ask Gu Qing Li to leave.


    Xiao Yiyan''s expression was somewhat ugly, but he spoke honestly: "Fifth brother taught this king. He has been afflicted with an illness for many years, and he can''t get lucky anymore. He can only ¡­ Close your eyes and bear with it. "


    Princess Lan Xun''s heart surged with joy. Her heart thumped, and she lightly pursed her lips. She did not respond, nor did she refuse. She slowly closed her eyes.


    Xiao Yiyan looked at her blushing face, and unconsciously, his face also began to burn as the temperature gradually rose. After calming himself down, he helped Princess Lan Xun up. He sat cross-legged behind her, his palm pressed against her skin. Only a thin layer of clothes remained as he slowly began to move.


    Princess Lan Xun''s skin moved along his palm and began to tremble. She could even feel the temperature of his palm rise as a yang energy flowed through the acupuncture points like a fish swimming through her meridians, slowly pushing forward.


    "Who put these silver needles in your body?"


    Her entire body was burning hot, her thoughts sunk into chaos, as if a lone boat was floating on a boundless sea. Although it was calm and undisturbed, the gentle sea could flip Ye Qingzhou over at any time. "Wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuu ¡­"


    Amidst her nervousness and absent-mindedness, she heard the question and almost blurted out Gu Qing Li''s name. Fortunately, he was able to grasp the last bit of his reason, and before he could say anything, it changed into: "It was a sneak attack. I didn''t see it clearly."


    "Oh." Xiao Yiyan did not continue asking, and the doubt in his heart deepened. However, he had always deeply admired Xiao Yixiu and had no doubts about who he was.


    A thousand ripples actually stirred in Princess Lan Xun''s heart.

 C192 removing silver needle(3)

    It was actually King Mo who asked him to come ¡­ Princess Mo intentionally left the silver needles inside her body so that Prince Chen could take them out for her? If that was the case, forcing her to fall from the cliff or something like that, it would only be to lure her into a trap.


    It was to the extent that he was purposely tricked by her to the point that he had no choice but to fight her in a decisive battle ¡­ Just a design? And his goal was to make Xiao Yiyan and her a pair?


    Princess Lan Xun felt somewhat fearful in her heart. There was actually no anger due to embarrassment, nor was there hatred due to being tricked. She was only uneasy, confused, and somewhat embarrassed. There was something that even she herself did not know quietly sprouting.


    Xiao Yiyan gradually calmed down. Even though there was only a thin summer shirt separating his palm from the girl''s delicate and smooth skin, the distracting thoughts in his heart had settled down. He could only try his best to force the silver needles in her body out of his body bit by bit.


    On the other hand, it was also a crucial moment. The silver needles were like fish swimming in the water when they moved with the blood, but when they pierced through the skin, the pain was unbearable. They slowly pierced through the veins and broke through the body, the pain was incomparable to when they entered the body.


    As the young woman''s heart was in turmoil, Princess Lan Xun suddenly felt a sharp pain slowly stab into her flesh. She couldn''t help but shriek out, "Ah!" The sound was extremely mournful as it penetrated through the door to the inner and outer rooms, startling Jingyuan to the point that he jumped up in fright.


    "Princess... Princess, what happened to you? " She panicked and wanted to knock on the door again, but she held herself back.


    "No ¡­." "It''s fine." Not to mention that there was more than one silver needle twitching in her body, as if it was being bitten by a insect. Her skin was almost split inch by inch, yet her wound could not be seen.


    She opened her eyes through the cold sweat that was rolling down her forehead. She saw that her arms and body were slightly moving up and down along her meridian channels, as if something was about to break out of her body.


    "Does it hurt? Just bear with it. " Xiao Yiyan''s voice was as gentle as water, slowly calming her boiling emotions.


    However, the pain was still uncontrollable. She sobbed in a low voice, her heart filled with hatred towards Gu Qing Li. She couldn''t wait to be seized and given a good beating. The previously wavering gratitude disappeared, and he cursed in his heart.


    Actually, Gu Qingli was using this as a pretext to teach the princess a lesson. This princess didn''t have an evil heart, but she had a domineering personality. Gu Qingli felt that he should defeat her spirit in order for her to be compatible with Xiao Yiyan.


    Five silver needles simultaneously flew out of Princess Lan Xun''s body, bringing with them bits and pieces of dark-red blood, and fell with a "ding" sound onto the ground.


    Her whole body had gone limp, and her clothes were drenched in cold sweat. However, when she looked down, she could see that there were only five more tiny blood spots on her clothes. It didn''t hurt much.


    Xiao Yiyan subconsciously embraced her soft, supple body. He could feel a faint, faint fragrance coming from the slender and delicate girl, but he could not help but recall the faint medicinal fragrance coming from Gu Qingli.


    He laid the princess on the bed, got up, and adjusted his breathing. When he opened his eyes, he saw a faint pink flush rise up on her pale face, and fine beads of sweat on her forehead.


    It was a rare sight to see such a pitiful side of a proud and cold princess.


    However, Xiao Yiyan didn''t seem to understand how to care for a woman. He only glanced at Princess Lan Xun, whose clothes were tightly stuck to her delicate body, and then turned his head and said indifferently, "Princess, take good care of yourself. Today''s matter is just a nightmare and you''ve woken up."


    "You ¡­ What did you say? " Princess Lan Xun sat up, and her flushed, hot face instantly turned deathly white.


    He wanted her to treat it as a nightmare? He ¡­ When she thought of the person who had carried her just now and whose hands had almost traveled through her entire body, yet was actually able to speak in such a calm manner, Princess Lan Xun''s vision turned black, and a wave of sweetness nearly rose to her throat.


    However, Xiaoyan neither explained nor comforted her. When she recovered from her choking anger, he had already disappeared from the chamber, replaced by Jingyuan who had rushed in, and Lin Liesheng, who was standing outside the chamber, looking concerned and at a loss.


    "What happened? "Prince Chen, what did you do to our princess?" As the Guard Captain of the Western Garrison, he was not afraid of this Prince of Dongyuan in the slightest, and only wanted to protect his princess.


    "This King will not do despicable things. If you are worried, go in and ask the princess yourself." Xiao Yixiu easily evaded Lin Lisheng''s air grab, but didn''t retaliate. Disdain to explain himself, he left without a word.


    "Forest..." Brother Lin, stop chasing.


    Bewildered, Lin Lisheng rubbed his nose and had to stand under the porch.


    "Princess, what did Prince Chen do to you?" Jing Yuan carefully half knelt in front of the bed, only to see the princess''s pale white robe wet with sweat, sticking to her slender waist. Although there were five obvious blood spots on the white shirt, it was still very small and didn''t look like a wound, it was more like a mosquito bite.


    "He ¡­ He helped me take out the five silver needles in my body. "


    "Ah?" It was Princess Mo Fei who shot into her body? " Jing Yuan was extremely surprised. "Does he know how to take it out?"


    "King Mo taught him. He even told him to come over and drive out the silver needles for me."


    "This... What exactly does this couple mean? " After a few thoughts passed through Jingyuan''s mind, he came back to reality, "Aiyo, Princess Mo, don''t tell me you didn''t do it on purpose. Do you want to match the two of you?"


    Princess Lan Xun silently nodded her head.


    "The princess should be happy!"


    "What''s there to be happy about? He made me a nightmare and forgot about it! " Princess Lan Xun''s tears gushed out of her eyes and fell down.


    Jing Yuan anxiously wiped the handkerchief away for Princess Lan Xun. She had been a servant of the princess since she was young. She had always been the only one who bullied and disdained others. When had she ever been rejected by a man? Not to mention in this situation.


    "Ugh ¡­" Jing Yuan secretly sized up Princess Lan Xun. Her handkerchief was drenched from crying, but her tears still gushed out like a dam that had been breached. Was she really sad? [Tsk! Tsk! Look at the princess'' wet clothes. Did she just get humiliated by the king?]


    The more Jingyuan thought about it, the more certain he became. He couldn''t help but begin to let his imagination run wild. The princess was not only a little bit interested in the Kingdom of Chen. Otherwise, how could she allow herself to be taken advantage of? However, the king had left without mercy. No wonder the princess couldn''t accept it.


    After Jing Yuan had coaxed Princess Lan Xun into lying down, she quietly left the palace hall.


    Lin Lisheng was pacing up and down with an irritated look on his face. When he saw Jingyuan come out, he grabbed her and asked, "Is the princess alright?"


    "I''m fine!" Jing Yuan smirked. "But we still need to cure her heart disease. I''m afraid only Prince Chen can cure the princess'' disease."


    "Hmm?" Lin Lisheng''s eyes widened.


    As the two were speaking, they saw a palace maid walk over. She said that she had come under the orders of King Mu to seek advice from the princess and that she would return to the palace at any time. Thus, he gave up on hunting and could not carry on any further.


    "This... "Your servant can''t make the decision, so I have to ask the princess."


    Jingyuan hesitantly pushed open the door and entered the hall. Princess Lan Xun was still lying on the bed, her entire body covered in a thin blanket. Her heaving and sobbing proved that she was still sad.

 C193 Return Attacks

    Jing Yuan could only ask carefully, "Princess, King Mu sent someone to seek her opinion, when ¡­" Return to the palace? "


    "I''m not going back to the palace, I''m going straight to the inn." Princess Lan Xun''s voice was still sobbing, but her thoughts were very clear.


    "This... That''s not right, right? Although I am not staying in the Imperial Palace, it would be too impolite to return from hunting in the Western Sea and not pay respects to the Emperor Queen of the Eastern Abyss if you do not stay in the Imperial Palace. " Jingyuan''s thoughts were very thoughtful.


    Princess Lan Xun thrashed a few more times before finally lifting up the thin blanket, revealing her small, wet face. Her face was covered with sweat or tears, and after a moment of absent-mindedness, she said, "That''s right, this princess is going to the Imperial Palace first to meet Emperor Dongyuan."


    Jing Yuan was glad that the princess had finally thought things through, and hurried back to the palace to help the palace maid change her clothes and wash her face.


    When Princess Lan Xun arrived at the entrance of the palace, the rest of the people were already fully prepared. Their gazes naturally gathered on the belated princess.


    Princess Lan Xun wore light makeup to cover her swollen eyes, but her expression remained calm and serene. It seemed as if nothing had happened.


    "Princess... Why are your eyes so swollen? " Gu Qingruo was the first to notice the change.


    Princess Lan Xun slightly lowered her eyes and indifferently said, "The soil and water cannot stand it. Yesterday, something like that happened again. At night, sleep is not good."


    "Oh." Gu Qingruo''s face was full of sympathy. "I''ll teach the princess a few tricks later. The edema will be gone very soon."


    Princess Lan Xun forced a smile, sat in the carriage, and said no more.


    The carriage slowly moved forward, and in the middle of the hunting squad was a carriage which had been modified to become a prison carriage. Those two demented dancers were imprisoned inside, only falling behind the carriage of the woman. They were being watched very closely.


    It was only a few hours'' journey, and since they were on such close watch, there shouldn''t be too much trouble.


    There was still a few miles to go before they reached the official road.


    As the hunting party passed through the narrowest part of the road, people began to rush out from both sides of the road. They attacked the guards from both sides with swords in their hands. The team was slowed down because of this.


    The princes were not alarmed. The surprise attack formation was still not as impressive as it was last night. There were only thirty to fifty people present. Moreover, these people seemed to be very lax. They only dared to fight on the periphery while simultaneously retreating as if they were ready to escape at any moment.


    A portion of the guards, under the command of Xiao Yi Mo, strictly guarded the carriage, avoiding the attack. They continued forward, leaving behind a portion of the guards to pester them.


    They had not even gone half a mile when they heard a loud bang. The ground beneath the carriage suddenly exploded, causing it to almost fall apart, except that the front part of the carriage was being pulled forward while the front part was screaming. The rear part of the carriage actually fell off the ground, and with a loud bang, it fell into a dark pit.


    This was clearly a trap that had been designed beforehand. They would first split up their forces and then detonate the gunpowder in the preset pit, causing the carriage to collapse.


    The entire ceremonial procession finally broke into a disarray and panicked. The western guards were the first to surround Princess Lan Xun''s carriage, preparing for battle. No one dared to jump into the deep pit to investigate.


    The Dongyuan guards had surrounded the four princes and were looking around, waiting for an unexpected turn of events. They also didn''t dare to give chase.


    After the rest of the guards exchanged blows with the enemy for a while, they realized that they had started to retreat. Many smoke bombs were thrown on the ground, making them cough.


    "Don''t chase after a desperate enemy!" As soon as Xiao Yi Mo gave the order, the guards could only rush over in panic and gather with them.


    After the smoke cleared, there was nothing left behind but the ground, and not even the enemies that had attacked them.


    "Truly useless! To think that you''re all from the capital''s Royal Guard Battalion, a bunch of useless bums! And not even an assassin can be left behind! " Xiao Yi Mo scolded sternly.


    Although the guards were reprimanded, no one dared to make a sound.


    Only Xiao Yijin''s expression darkened. He couldn''t hang on any longer. As the commander of the imperial camp, the personal guards of the capital city were all under his command and training. Of course, he knew which of his subordinates were available, so before the hunt, he had complied with his father''s arrangements and sent a few squads of his men to protect the hunting party.


    At the same time, Xiao Yi Jin had a plan in mind. Although he was led by Xiao Yi Mo this time and had to listen to all of King Mu''s orders, in truth, if anything happened, he would be the first to know and could secretly dispatch these guards. For example, the corpses that had been sent to the memorial hall last night, or the two dancers in the prison cart today ¡­ He knew the situation inside even better than Xiao Yi Mo did.


    However, Xiao Yijin was even more clear on his plan after encountering such an accident on the way back ¡ª he wasn''t just superficial cursing at the imperial guards, but he was going to blame it all on Xiao Yijin, the commander.


    If it weren''t for the commander in chief of the imperial guards who neglected training and management, how could the guards of the capital city be so useless?


    Understanding this, Xiao Yijin slightly sneered, "Third Royal Brother''s words are wrong. The imperial guards camp of the capital had always been the best of the best. If there was something wrong with the plan, it would be unreasonable. If you don''t sleep well, then it''s strange that your bed isn''t soft enough. There''s no reason in the world. "


    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was heavy as he said, "If you don''t feel good about sleeping, it must have something to do with the bed being not soft enough. If you don''t believe me, then try and get some sleep while lying on a rock. "


    Xiao Yijin wanted to retort, but Princess Lan Xun already said impatiently, "Alright, by the time you two come up with a question as to whether the bed is soft enough, the person who fell into the pit has already disappeared."


    Both of them were on guard as they shut their mouths at the same time. Only then did they realize that a guard had already jumped into the dark pit to search for them. They all turned to look at Xiao Yiyan, and it was he who sent the guards down.


    Xiao Yiyan didn''t even look at them. He only calmly commanded them, then watched as the guards slowly walked up, their faces covered in dirt.


    "No one is here ¡­"


    "The person is gone. There''s only a puddle of blood in the carriage. I don''t know whose it was."


    "There is a very narrow passageway at that end. Only a single person is allowed to walk through it. Someone is already following the passageway and going in after them."


    Xiao Yiyan sighed lightly. He didn''t say anything, but his expression already explained everything. Too late, the dancers had been rescued.


    Sure enough, after the guards that were chasing after him returned, not a single one of them didn''t dejectedly answer, "They didn''t catch up ¡­ It leads to a shrubbery half a mile away. It''s the place where the assassin jumped out to ambush us. "


    Another guard reported, "It seems like those who tried to kidnap us were not the same as those who tried to assassinate us last night. Their methods are very different."


    Of course, it was not the same path. Last night, the goal of those people was to trade lives for their lives and attack them without any discrimination. However, these people today were obviously just bluffing with the intention of snatching the two dancers away.


    "Let''s return to the palace." Xiao Yiyan looked at the two of them, who were still frowning.


    "Return!" Xiao Yi Mo restrained his anger. With a dark expression, he glanced at Xiao Yi Yan and ordered him to return.


    After returning to the Imperial Palace on time, the various princes and princesses of Orchid Star City entered the palace to report to the Emperor.


    The Emperor was surprised and puzzled that the ten-day journey had been abruptly reduced to two days. However, what shocked him even more was what had happened during the hunt.

 C194 matrimonial transformation

    After the Emperor listened to all of his experiences, he sized up Princess Orchid Star again and again. He couldn''t help but form a deep doubt between his brows. It was beyond his expectations for a princess like her to have such a center of gravity.


    Rumors had it that the princess had been spoiled and spoiled until she grew up. She was unruly and unruly, which was why Xiao Yi Bei had rejected her marriage. In the eyes of the Emperor, no matter how delicate and ill-tempered a neighboring princess was, as long as she agreed to marry into the Eastern Abyss, even if she didn''t submit obediently? A princess far away from home, no matter how precious she was, she didn''t have the right to be arrogant. But a scheming princess was different.


    This involuntarily caused the Emperor to doubt the sincerity of the marriage alliance coming from the west.


    She even mentioned the Princess''s angry request that Prince Consort should accompany her back to the West.


    Did this mean that the original intention of the princess was to kidnap a prince from Dongyuan city as a hostage? Countercontrol Dongyuan?


    When Princess Lan Xun realized that the Emperor was sizing her up without batting an eyelid, her heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm and composed. Her hands were folded on her knees, and she looked like a noble princess with a great deal of etiquette.


    In the Emperor''s heart, the matter of the assassin and the robbery of the prison cart wasn''t as important as the matter of the marriage between the princess.


    After all, no matter how bizarre an assassin was and no matter how mysterious their background was, it was impossible to escape the Eastern Abyss.


    However, the princess'' character had a direct impact on the control of the marriage alliance.


    "Princess Lan Xun has received quite a bit of shock from coming to my Eastsea City, and I am very uneasy in my heart. We can only blame our own sons for not taking good care of the princess and causing her such a fright. "


    In the end, the Emperor was a cunning old fox. He had never once mentioned that Princess Orchon had disguised herself and the ladies of the palace in order to change her identity. Instead, he had gently and benevolently comforted her.


    Princess Lan Xun felt slightly uneasy. Looking at the Emperor''s expression, it seemed that he only regarded her as the mischievous and mischievous behavior of a little girl, full of tolerance.


    Thus, when the Emperor asked her with a gentle smile, "Is it a joke or a serious consideration that the princess is going to recruit Prince Consort back to the West?"


    The more casual the Emperor''s tone was and the more he indulged her, the more Princess Lan Xun felt that she was being a little too pampered. She straightened her posture and replied, "To say that it''s just a joke is not complete. It depends on which prince your majesty wishes to match for Lan Xi."


    "Oh? Different people have different things to do with each other? " The Emperor raised his eyebrows with interest.


    Princess Lan Xun didn''t look at the princes, but instead smiled and said, "Mm. Although Lan Xun is a woman, he admires heroes all his life. If my husband is able to make Lan Xun look up in admiration, then everything can be discussed. If they couldn''t, then it was naturally lower ¡­ "The Emperor understands that even in the outside world, one must find a husband to have a higher status in order to marry their daughter. As for marrying into his family, the conditions are naturally much lower."


    This sentence almost made all the princes want to vomit blood. Even Xiao Yixiu, who had always been indifferent to the news about Mount Tai, looked at Gu Qingli subconsciously, using her eyes to express how ridiculous this princess was for being so arrogant and arrogant.


    It was one thing for the four princes to choose from in front of her, but to actually want to compare their strength? Since they all came from the same background, and they were both noble princes of Dongyuan, then the meaning behind her words was naturally that her talent and character were of high quality.


    The emperor frowned as well. He could be considered to have experienced Princess Xi Lin''s arrogance, but he still said with a smile, "According to the princess'' wishes, who is the true hero in your heart?"


    "The War God of the Eastern Abyss is so illustrious in name that even Lan Xunyuan in the west has heard of it like thunder. Naturally, it is his heart that is born ¡­" Princess Lan Xun lowered her head in shame, her elegance and grace unmatched.


    This time, even the emperor was on the verge of spitting blood. She had chosen a sickly person who was about to die, or was it to steal his beloved? What did this mean?


    Only Gu Qingli remained calm and collected. She gave a shallow smile as she silently looked at Princess Orchon. She knew that the few silver needles had caused her to hate herself even more. However, this was not the most important reason. It was definitely because Xiao Yiyan had bluntly refused her, which caused her hatred to burn even hotter than before.


    Naturally, Xiao Yixiu knew that Princess Lan Xun wouldn''t truly want to choose him, but he was more or less worried that Gu Qing Li wouldn''t be happy with her decision. He raised his eyebrows slightly, but didn''t expect to see a smiling Gu Qing Li.


    "This... "Princess Lan Xun, Xiu''er has a main wife. If it''s a princess ¡­"


    "Didn''t the emperor promise Lan Xun that as long as he has his eyes on any prince, even if there''s a main imperial concubine, he can make her his side concubine?" Princess Orchon blinked her moving eyes. The autumn waves flowed forward, seeming to be filled with love.


    "In the end, this isn''t too big ¡­" The Emperor didn''t expect that she would say what he had hinted to her in front of the princes. He really wanted to spurt a mouthful of blood onto the dragon case.


    "Is Your Majesty in a very difficult situation?" "That Lan Xun takes a step back and is willing to be a secondary concubine."


    The emperor was even more flabbergasted. He didn''t know what kind of evil had befallen the princess. However, since the princess had already said so, he would be unable to back down even more. Could it be that she would have to retreat to such a state?


    Xiao Yijin couldn''t help but say, "Princess Lan Xun possesses a priceless body, there''s no reason for you to be so condescending ¡­"


    "Prince Yan is right. Qing Li is not an ungrateful person. Since my prince has received so much love from the princess, I shall accept it on his behalf and lower him to the position of secondary wife."


    "Princess Mo!" Do you know what you''re saying? " Xiao Yi Mo also couldn''t bear to watch and his eyes were filled with anger.


    "The marriage between the East Abyss and the West will be fixed in a hundred years. This is beneficial to the relationship between the two countries. If someone blocks it, wouldn''t that be intentionally destroying the harmony between the two countries to provoke and create trouble?" Gu Qingli didn''t wait for them to say anything and had already taken the lead by buttoning down one of her hats, as if she was worried that someone would object.


    Following that, she smiled, "Although I am a woman, I know that it is the duty of the nation. How can a mere main wife not give in for the nation''s grand scheme?"


    Princess Lan Xun''s smile, which was filled with shame and emotion, was finally knocked off. Her pale little face and tightly pursed cherry lips, all showed that her mood was absolutely not the happy one she had hoped for.


    She glared fiercely at Gu Qing Li, but didn''t expect herself to be rebelled against by the army. Innumerable grievances surged up in her heart, and her hot and sour eyes reddened slightly. She felt that she should vent her resentment on Xiao Yi Yan.


    If he hadn''t refused to marry her, how would she have thought of such a plan to oppose him? He knew that Gu Qingli''s gaze had been on him all day long, so he should''ve been the one to get the most excited.


    As expected, Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li were calm and composed, but Xiao Yi Yan''s expression changed. He stared at Gu Qing Li without saying a word, until she calmly expressed his wish to submit to the princess. No matter how important a marriage is, there is no way that it would sacrifice the harmonious marriage of another! "


    "Yan''er, sit down." The emperor''s dignified gaze swept over it, and the smile he had on his face when facing Princess Orchon vanished.


    "Father, when you proposed the marriage to your fifth brother, it was to win over the hearts of your subjects. Now that you have agreed to the marriage agreement in the West''s Edge, it is because of the relationship between the two countries. If there is an even more important matter that is forced in the future, will you make the princess your secondary wife and allow your fifth brother to marry another woman? As a prince and a princess, the only meaning of marriage is politics? "


    He suddenly laughed coldly and looked at Gu Qing Li. "Fifth royal concubine, I wonder how deep your affection for my fifth imperial brother actually is?" In the future, would they still be able to completely subdue him? "If I had known earlier that you were so righteous, I would have ¡­"


    He finally could not continue. Back then ¡­ Back then, she wasn''t willing to leave with him. Could it be that today would be different?


    "Yan''er, you are too outrageous! Are you free to interfere in this matter? "


    "Father, this son does not agree!"


    The emperor''s gaze was cold as he said coldly, "You don''t need to agree to this."


    "Good, very good!" Xiao Yiyan looked around. Apart from Gu Qing Li''s polite and magnanimous smile disappearing, which implied that she was still a bit worried about him, the rest of them seemed to only be watching a lousy scene in shock.


    "You are all good princes and good subjects of the Xiao Clan. Only I ¡­ "That''s unnecessary." Suddenly, he felt extremely disgusted with the pressure and the freedom he felt in the palace. He flicked his sleeves and left.


    "Xiao Yiyan!" Disregarding his modesty, Princess Lan Xun jumped up and gave chase.


    "This... What kind of thing is this? " The emperor slammed the table and stood up with a furious expression. What is such a disgraceful princess up to?


    "Someone, quickly stop the princess ¡­" He couldn''t hurt her, so he could only try to persuade her gently. As for King Chen ¡­ Dispatching the personal guards of the imperial camp to bring him back, if there is any resistance, they would suppress him by force! "


    "Father, your son shall take his leave." The remaining people felt something was wrong, so they quickly got up and left.


    "Ridiculous, too absurd!" The emperor was still in a rage.

 C195 Private trial(1)

    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but laugh when they left the palace.


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "You shouldn''t have forced them into this state by pretending."


    Gu Qingli laughed, "Seeing the stalemate between them, if we don''t push them from behind, I''m afraid the outcome will be even more unpredictable."


    "When did you become as willful and childish as Princess Lan Xun?" He shook his head with a slight smile and stroked her face lovingly.


    "If I don''t push you, Princess Orchon, with her reckless personality, will really marry you for the sake of forcing Prince Chen." "Then what should I do?" Gu Qing Li''s expression was full of protest, pouting dissatisfaction.


    Xiao Yi looked at her with a smile, "Am I not going to resist?"


    "This sort of thing is not something that you can resist."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s smile vanished as he said, "As long as it''s something that I don''t want to do, no one in this world can force me, including Imperial Father."


    "Then when you first married me, you weren''t the slightest bit unwilling?"


    "Back then, I didn''t have you. But now, I have you." He gently pulled her into his arms and looked at the street outside through the window, slowly saying, "This princess doesn''t understand Ah Yan at all. This kind of coercion would only allow him to walk far away."


    "Where are we going?" Gu Qingli suddenly realized that the route of the carriage had deviated from the way back to the Mo King''s Manor.


    "To see two people."


    Gu Qingli''s gaze shifted as she instantly thought of the two dancers she''d kidnapped. No wonder those people had only kidnapped two dancers, she had always been thinking, with that organization''s decisive and decisive style, they should have ambushed people on both sides of the road and directly fired at them, turning the two dancers in the carriage into sieves, in order to prevent future troubles.


    There was no need for such meticulous planning. He had placed so many people in order to rob the prisoners.


    She couldn''t help but laugh as she shook her head. She thought that Xiao Yi Xiu would try to interrogate two other dancers, but it seemed that she had underestimated his methods.


    The carriage stopped in front of the entrance to the Xuanhua Tower. The two of them got off the carriage and entered the building. After the warm fragrance led them into the secret room, they stayed outside.


    He discovered that it had only been a few months since he had started building such a huge project. On top of the original foundation, there was a secret passage that led to another direction. With every step he took, he would touch some of the walls, making it seem as if there were no traces at all.


    "There are many traps here, not in the original tunnels. I have already set up more than forty traps in the secret passage. Even if we let someone accidentally enter or discover us, we absolutely cannot end up safe and sound. "


    "These... were all built in these few months? " Gu Qingli was amazed at the vastness of these projects. The establishment of an Emperor''s underground palace usually took years, yet he only needed a few months to set up so many traps.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked back and smiled at her. Holding her slender waist, he said, "Don''t move too far away from me. I don''t want to accidentally trigger the traps."


    Gu Qingli had only controlled the restaurant in the past, but had never truly operated it. Ever since Xiao Yixiu had taken over, the entire pavilion had begun to function, including the circulation of money and the expansion and application of information.


    Actually, he was the one behind the whole thing, obstructing the Empress'' line of sight.


    "Where does this secret passageway lead to?"


    "We''ll know when we get there."


    The torches on both sides of the narrow and dark path rippled in the wind they passed. After walking for about an hour, they finally reached the end of the path. They saw a huge, dark, heavy iron gate. There were no knobs, no rivets, and there was nothing they could do about it.


    Xiao Yixiu pressed the door a few times, and seven circular columns appeared on the door. He held them in a strange order and turned them three times before the columns withdrew again. Then, the door moved back with a heavy weight, revealing a brightly lit path.


    He continued along this path and soon turned into a hall. It seemed like a simple arrangement, but there were ten patrolling guards standing there. They were dressed in black and had a normal face that people would forget just by looking at them.


    "Greetings to the prince and princess." The patrolling guards bowed.


    Gu Qingli immediately recognized them as the shadow guards of the palace. She exclaimed, "So your shadow guards are all here?"


    "No, they are only part of it. They are not the ones you''ve seen."


    "This ¡­" Gu Qingli didn''t think that she was blind, but these shadow guards'' appearances were beyond her expectations. They were so ordinary that it was difficult to remember them with just a few glances. "Where did you find so many people with blurred faces to train them?"


    "You don''t know what a disguise technique is?" Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but laugh.


    Gu Qingli smiled coyly. She''d forgotten about that.


    The shadow guard opposite her looked at her with a smile, but his face was expressionless. It could be seen that he was wearing a mask.


    Gu Qingli suddenly became curious. "Can you guys take off your masks and let me see? When I see your faces in the future, I''ll be able to recognize them."


    The shadow guards hesitated. Xiao Yi Xiu smiled and shook his head. "He''s really childish." He then ordered them to remove the human skin mask.


    When the ten or so shadow guards took off their masks, Gu Qingli was surprised to discover that they weren''t all men. There were actually four or five young women mixed in with them.


    One of the shadow guards pressed his hand against the wall and paused for a moment. Then, he moved aside a hidden door and revealed a secret passage that led to another room.


    Gu Qing Li followed behind Xiao Yi Xiu as the hidden door silently closed behind them. She suddenly whispered, "Your personal shadow guards also have women?"


    "Yes." He caught her meaning and looked at her with a half-smile.


    Her face suddenly turned red as she glared at him. "Then, on our wedding night, are there any women peeping outside?"


    "Isn''t that called peeping ¡­ They''re just here to protect me. "


    "Then when you bathe, they will also ''stay close'' to protect you?"


    Xiao Yixiu stopped and looked at her. The smile in his eyes grew wider and wider until it finally overflowed with joy. He couldn''t help but pull her into his arms and laugh. He smiled until her cheeks were red, his ears were burning, and his heart was a little sore.


    "Xiao Yi Xiu!" What''s so funny? "


    "Qing Li, let me ask you this seriously. If I''ve really had other women before, if I really had a female shadow guard outside while I was bathing ¡­" Would you mind? "


    Gu Qingli suddenly pushed him away. Her red face looked as if it would bleed at any time, and her eyes were filled with faint emotions.


    "When I married you, I already had a secondary wife."


    "Humph!" Gu Qing Li turned to leave, but he held her from behind.


    He laid his chin gently on her shoulder and whispered, "Don''t run away. Tell me the truth."


    Gu Qingli calmed her breath for a long time before furiously saying, "When I was with you, I didn''t know where you were ¡­" But after you know me, if there''s another woman, I''ll never forgive you. As for the shadow guard ¡­ I don''t want anyone to see you... "Yours ¡­"

 C196 controlling Gu(1)

    "How tyrannical." "But I like it."


    "What about your female shadow guards?"


    He smiled and shook his head. "There are no women in the shadow guard that I protect at close range. They are all people from the ''Dark Pavilion''."


    "Dark Pavilion?!" Gu Qing Li''s shock overcame her jealousy. She suddenly turned around and looked at him with wide eyes.


    How many more secrets did he have that she did not know? No wonder the people from the Dark Pavilion could enter and leave the palace so easily without a trace. No wonder those people who had intercepted them on their way back to the palace knew the speed of their journey like the back of their hand ¡­


    "Xiao Yi Xiu, there are too many things that I don''t even know about."


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled silently, bent his head and lightly kissed her lips, "I''ll tell you whatever you want to know." "Actually, there''s nothing to hide from you. It''s just that you didn''t ¡ª that''s all."


    Gu Qingli thought about it for a moment and felt relieved. He didn''t hide it from her on purpose, but she didn''t go into details to explain everything to her. After all, during the four years that he had been bedridden, he had been secretly plotting for the fight for the throne. As for how many hidden forces and chess pieces she had set up, perhaps even three days wouldn''t be enough to fully explain everything to her.


    There were only a few dozen steps before they reached the end of the secret passageway. In the secret chamber at the other end, two dancers'' gazes were dull as they were shackled to the wall.


    "The Gu in your body, can it really suppress the original Gu worms in their bodies?"


    Gu Qingli nodded with a serious expression, walked forward, and pressed their acupoints and meridians. Soon, more than ten silver needles shot out from their bodies, and landed with a ding.


    She was proficient at controlling needles, and it was simple and agile as well. She just lightly pushed the needles along the meridians and pressed them into a few acupoints. It was completely not as complicated as what Xiao Yixiu had taught Xiao Yiyan.


    Xiao Yixiu lowered his eyebrows slightly, "The technique you want me to teach Ah Yan ¡­" It doesn''t seem to be that simple? "


    Gu Qingli turned around and smiled sweetly, "Firstly, I am proficient in making mistakes, and Duke Chen can''t operate as freely as this. Secondly, my internal energy is more profound than his, and my attainments are extraordinary ¡­"


    "Third, you deliberately lied to him, in order to create an ambiguous atmosphere between him and the princess."


    Gu Qingli giggled. "Don''t break it."


    "This move of yours is probably the opposite."


    "I think it''s very effective for the princess ¡­"


    Just as he was about to say something, the two dancers slowly woke up, their eyes turning bright and clear. When they saw them clearly, one of their faces changed as if trying to get lucky. The other looked around in fear and asked in a trembling voice, "Where is this?"


    When Gu Qingli faced them, her expression turned frosty. "Don''t try to move the Gu worms in your body in vain."


    She slowly stretched out her left arm and rolled up her sleeves with her right hand. In the blink of an eye, a black streak shot out from her arm like an arrow, extending all the way up to her fingertip.


    "A Gu Master!" The dancer who''d been trying her luck suddenly went limp and looked at her with a deathly pale face.


    "Should not have... You... How did you become a Gu? Isn''t it supposed to be Fang Yanzhu? "


    Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli looked at each other and saw a strange look in each other''s eyes. He lightly tapped his hands with both palms, and a secret passageway immediately appeared on the walls of the secret chamber. Two shadow guards walked in and respectfully asked, "Your Highness, what are your orders?"


    "Take her away." Xiao Yi Xiu pointed at one of them.


    As she passed by, Gu Qingli once again sealed a silver needle inside her body. The woman''s head drooped limply, as if she had fallen into a deep slumber.


    Xiao Yixiu sat down beside the long table in the secret room and took Gu Qing Li into his arms. Startled, she struggled a few times, feeling that the intimacy of interrogating a prisoner was inappropriate, but then she was locked up by him and couldn''t get out.


    "Tell me everything you know, especially the organization behind you."


    The dancer''s face was still ashen, unable to trigger the Gu worm within her body to commit suicide. It seemed that she did not really want to die, but after hesitating for a moment she still cautiously asked, "I said, can you let me go?"


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "I''ll give you a way out."


    The dancer pursed her lips and slowly shook her head.


    "Not enough?" Gu Qingli slightly furrowed her brows. "What else do you want?"


    She didn''t want to be a thorn in the side of someone who would sell him for a living. What she could not do, she did not want to easily promise.


    "If you don''t kill me, someone will. As long as I leave this secret room, I will not have more than three days to live. My master will not leave behind any traitors, and he will make me die a graveless death.


    It sounded like her master''s methods were not something that a normal person could endure.


    "That''s fine. If you don''t mind your freedom, you can stay in this secret chamber until you feel safe."


    The dancer let out a breath of relief, as if being a prisoner in this secret chamber was the safest thing in the world. She nodded and said, "Princess Mo, come over here."


    Gu Qing Li hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. Under her gaze, he drew closer and lowered his head.


    The dancer''s eyes suddenly glowed red, her lips curved in a strange smile. Her red lips parted, and a golden dot of light shot out, quickly shooting towards Gu Qing Li''s snow-white neck!


    The tip of his finger moved, and somehow, a silver needle that had been picked up from the ground came out and penetrated that golden spot. The needle did not stop there, and the entire thing sank into the dancers'' cheeks, leaving only the end of the needle quivering. The golden spot that had been penetrated was actually a living creature!


    Gu Qing Li was prepared for this. Although she didn''t have the time to use her silver needles like Xiao Yi Xiu, her body moved three feet horizontally and displayed the silver needles on her fingertips, aiming them at the dancer''s neck.


    On the dancers'' snow-white face, a thin stream of blood flowed down from the tip of the silver needle. Her eyes were filled with terror as they rolled to the point where the whites of her eyes were completely exposed.


    At this point, Xiaoyi Xiu had already arrived behind Gu Qing Li like a gust of wind, pulling her back a few steps and hugging her tightly.


    I''m fine." Gu Qing Li looked carefully, what was nailed to the dancing girl''s face was a small golden beetle, about the size of a fly, its thin, transparent gold wings were moving at high speeds, its entire body looked round like a pearl, it had eight legs and two curled antennae, it was a type of bug that she had never seen before.


    "Take... Take it away! " The dancers were extremely ugly.


    "This is your own fault, you can''t live on. What, if you let it out, you''ll be even more afraid of it than we are? " Gu Qingli suddenly took a step forward and was about to reach for the silver needle when her wrist suddenly tightened and was grabbed by Xiao Yixiu.


    The head of the little gold bug suddenly exploded open. A mere little bug actually opened its mouth that was as wide as the body of a person, and suddenly leaped forward, biting onto the snow-white face of the dancer.


    Gu Qingli watched helplessly as the lively and fragrant woman in front of her opened her eyes in terror. The spot where she had been bitten off turned black and quickly spread throughout her body.

 C197 controlling Gu(2)

    It was as if all the water in his body had evaporated, and his blood essence had been sucked out of him. Even his wrists and ankles had shrunk to a size even smaller than the shackles, and then his limbs slipped out of the shackles, and he fell to the ground, curled up into a ball.


    "This is bad!" As Gu Qingli cried out in alarm, she saw the little golden bug struggling its way out of the silver needle. It circled at high speed in the air of the secret room and then swooped down towards her.


    She flicked out a few silver needles from her fingertips, but the golden bug was surprisingly fast. It flapped its wings to dodge her attack and continued to circle towards her.


    Xiao Yi Xiu flicked his sleeve and flicked his fingertips. The golden bug rolled a few times in the air before landing on the ground with its stomach facing the sky. It struggled a few times before it stopped moving.


    "You killed it?"


    "Nope." Xiao Yixiu was sure that his grip on his inner force was accurate, even a fly wouldn''t die from the shock.


    Gu Qingli wanted to lean over and see, but he pulled her behind him and sternly said, "Haven''t you had enough of it?"


    "It''s only an insect. Do you think it still has intelligence?"


    "That''s a Gu worm, the last one left by the other Gu, do you think that it has no intelligence?"


    Gu Qing Li froze. When she thought of the black streak on her body, a chill slowly rose up her back. She gently reached out and held Xiao Yi Xiu''s hand.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stared gravely at the Gu worm and took a few silver needles from Gu Qing Li.


    Sure enough, after a long period of silence, the little golden insect seemed to be struggling to turn over. However, like an ordinary beetle, it was unable to turn over its body.


    Suddenly, it soared into the sky. It didn''t even turn its body around as it flew up into the air. It even did a somersault and charged forward once more. It even went around Xiao Yixiu and headed straight for Gu Qing Li!


    This time, Gu Qing Li was absolutely convinced that it had intelligence. It had attacked him three times to avoid Xiao Yi Xiu!


    If she didn''t have a special aura, then the Gu worm believed her cultivation was weaker than Xiao Yi Xiu''s, making her easier to deal with. If it was the latter, then how high was the Golden Gu''s IQ?


    Xiao Yi Xiu struck out with his sleeve wind attack again. Who knew that the golden flames on Little Worm''s body intensified, and as if it was on fire, it actually shot towards him at a crooked angle?


    His heart sank, he actually felt that this Gu worm was like a human, dodging, actually knowing how to face the strong.


    The silver needle stuck between his fingers shot out, but this time it did not pierce through it like the last time. Instead, it was pierced through by the second needle, nailing it to the ground.


    "It... It knows how to dodge, it''s evolving! "


    Gu Qingli felt that these Gu had already surpassed her knowledge, and all the skin on her body began to bulge. Her medical skills were outstanding, and her poison arts were also superior to ordinary people. However, Gu worms were one of the more mysterious and difficult types of poison. She had never seen such a terrifying Gu before.


    The third and fourth needles pierced its body, forming a net that held it down.


    He took out a small bottle from his sleeve, filled it with needles and Gu worms, and quickly stuffed it in.


    "This way... Will it die? " Before Gu Qingli could finish her sentence, she saw the bottle filled with cork wood. It was trembling, as if it had been heavily resisted by the Gu worms.


    "I can''t do anything even if I die. This thing might be even more dangerous to keep."


    "Give it to me."


    Xiao Yixiu shook his head in worry.


    Gu Qingli sighed lightly and smiled, "Can it be even more dangerous than the one in my body? Rest assured, I have seen its IQ, so I will not be hurt so easily. "


    Seeing that he was still shaking his head with eyes full of worry, his heart warmed up and gently said, "No matter how intelligent it is, it is still a bug. It can''t pierce through this porcelain bottle to hurt me."


    Xiao Yi Xiu lowered his head to feel the trembling of his palm, and was sure that the Gu worm didn''t possess such power, so he placed it on her palm without hesitation.


    Gu Qingli carefully took out a silk sachet and put it away.


    Xiao Yixiu clapped and the shadow guard brought another dancer in.


    When she saw the deformed body on the ground, her face turned pale.


    "Please let me go, I don''t want to die, I don''t want to ¡­"


    Gu Qingli no longer believed in their honesty. She could only glare coldly at her for a moment before allowing the shadow guard to drag her to the wall and lock her up. Only then did she slowly walk over.


    "Did you see her death? Do you know how she died? "


    "I know, it''s the Golden Gu." The dancer answered with a trembling voice.


    "What is a Golden Gu? What kind of organization is behind you? "


    The dancers trembled, their gaze somewhat sluggish as they hesitated, as if they were thinking of something.


    Gu Qing raised his hand and a silver needle pierced through his body. She did not know what method she used to activate it, but the dancers suddenly opened their eyes wide and screamed hysterically. Their entire bodies were struggling and twisting and the extreme pain was unbearable to her.


    "I... Spare me ¡­ "I said ¡­" This dancer''s will was clearly not as strong as before, and she completely gave up struggling.


    Gu Qing Li pressed her palm against her body, and the silver needles stopped flowing in her meridians. The intense pain was instantly relieved, turning into a sharp light pain. The dancer''s head was covered in cold sweat, but before the silver needles could come out of her body, the pain slowly subsided.


    "Then... "That thing ¡­" She looked down at her body with lingering fear, not knowing where the silver needles had gone to.


    "As you say, when you finish speaking, you will naturally take out the silver needles."


    The dancer took a deep breath and said, "My name is Zhou Qianxi, I''ve been sold to the East Sun since I was five ¡­"


    "Dong Yang?" Dong Yang was far away in the northern border. It was clearly a cold and bitter place. The traffickers had gone through so much trouble to sell their children, but they still sold them to a prosperous place. Could it be that Dong Yang had some wealthy merchant that wanted to buy her?


    Zhou Qianxi, on the other hand, didn''t understand the confusion that flitted through her eyes. She looked at him blankly before continuing her narration.


    It turned out that she wasn''t the only one being sold to the East Sun. There were also many girls of appropriate age. They were all good-looking and seemed to be intelligent children. What shocked her was that there was even the daughter of a wealthy family.


    It seemed like this peddler was not only abducting and robbing lost girls on the street, but even the rich and powerful young mistresses could do the same.


    A five-year-old child was not sensible. Under the threat of corporal punishment and hunger, she was willing to do anything.


    At first they were just involved in some inhumane training that sounded very difficult, but then they were taught manners, and they were taught music and painting, and it sounded like they were going to be trained as courtesans for the entertainment of the upper classes.


    After that, their physical training was not just a matter of hard work. They also added martial arts teachings as well as a few assassination skills.


    "Assassin?" Gu Qingli blurted out. She wasn''t a stranger to these things. In her past life, she had been a golden killer trained by non-humans.


    Zhou Qianxi sighed, "We have a lot of missions, so we only kill a few." In total, we have even brought together elegant courtesans, assassins, and spies together. "


    Gu Qing Li nodded in understanding. Sure enough, Fang Yanzhu and Ling Xin Ning were not ordinary women.

 C198 controlling Gu(3)

    Other than these, they also learned poison techniques and Gu arts. Due to their different talents, they were given different degrees of use. For example, the lady who had just died could control the Golden Gu.


    Amongst the Gu techniques they learned, the Golden Gu was ranked second, and naturally it was also exceptionally terrifying. But there were a total of five Gu, and after each Gu was formed, they would choose one of their own. They were all intelligent Gu worms, and it would not be excessive to say that they had a portion of intelligence.


    "Is she a Gu?" Gu Qing Li looked at the shriveled green corpse in the corner.


    "She''s not, she can control a Golden Gu, and when necessary, she can order the Gu to attack others, including forcing her companions to commit suicide. But she isn''t a Gu, so if she is bitten by the Golden Gu, she will quickly die."


    "That Gu Master... You won''t die? " Gu Qingli didn''t quite understand. She had clearly seen Fang Yanzhu die after the Gu left his body.


    This is to say that the person controlling the Gu worm, a Gu, as the name implies, uses the body as a container to raise the Gu, and can control the Gu worm to a large degree. But their master seemed to betray them because he was afraid that the Gu Master would have too much destructive power, so they trained a few other people to control the Gu worms. "When the Gu Master betrayed them, they could make the Gu in the Gu Master''s body devour its master.


    Gu Qing Li''s heart chilled. Their master was truly thoughtful and meticulous. Those who could control things could not raise Gu, and those who could raise Gu could be manipulated by others.


    Xiao Yixiu asked, "Was it because she manipulated all the people who committed suicide that they died that night due to the insect poison?"


    Zhou Qianxi shook her head, her eyes were filled with fear, "It''s not her, she controlled the Golden Gu, and everyone died from the Mysterious Insect Gu. The Mysterious Gu is ranked first among all the Gu we''ve learned."


    Gu Qingli noticed her frightened eyes staring at herself and couldn''t help feeling a little confused. She trembled as she said, "You mean ¡­" Is my body the Profound Gu? "The venom of those who died ¡­"


    "Yes, it''s all the offspring of the mother Gu in your body. That night, I didn''t see anyone who could control the profound Gu. Maybe they changed their appearances and are right by your side. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li looked at each other, the chilliness rising. This was in accordance with their guesses. There were still people controlling the Profound Gu in the palace, and it was also possible that they were among the people they served.


    "However, there are no men who learn Gu arts. The male musicians and the archers of the flamethrowers are part of the organization. "


    From the sound of it, they were being supported by a huge and well-organized group of the martial world, which was probably no smaller than the Dark Pavilion.


    Zhou Qianxi had not killed many people, and in her memory, the most important person was the former assassin from Dongyang State. A small portion of them were all local officials, both civil and military. And to win over the local wealthy merchants, to seize the secrets of the court and so on.


    Their duties to each other were confidential, and they did not inform each other except in the same batch, but it was expected that the rest of the party would be similar to hers. During her actions, some of her partners were eliminated one after another. The so-called elimination meant death.


    "Then who is the mastermind behind all of this?"


    Zhou Qianxi''s expression was a little dazed. She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then said, "The people training us are the four instructors. Above them, there are also the people who are in contact with the higher-ups ¡­" We do not know who the so-called master is. "


    Gu Qingli sucked in a breath of cold air. "Then do your instructors know who the master is?"


    "I''ve never told them, but I have a feeling that they don''t know either."


    They asked a few more questions, but Zhou Qianxi was the only one who knew what was going on. She knew very little about their organization, even about the archers who attacked them at the same time that night, and if they didn''t have the chance to work together at the same time, she wouldn''t even know them.


    As for the matter of suicide after failure, the organization had never had such a secret order. This was the first time she encountered such a large-scale mission, and after failure, all of them were silenced.


    "Based on what you said, they were actually silenced. They are not deathsworn, just like Zhou Qianxi, they are not fearless of death."


    "If they were Death Soldiers, they wouldn''t have all been trained by women."


    Compared to men, women were actually easier to neglect in all aspects, lower people''s vigilance, more convenient to listen in on news, and more convenient to be spies. On the other hand, it was also easier to be emotional, Fang Yanzhu for example.


    They walked out of the secret room and instructed the film guards to give Zhou Qianxi a certain amount of freedom. She didn''t have to neglect her daily life, but she had to be strictly guarded.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had also instructed her not to talk to Zhou Qianxi, and not to strike up a conversation.


    "You''re afraid that one of them will contact Zhou Qianxi?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "But people always have feelings. A woman like Zhou Qianxi is always trained to bewitch people. It''s not impossible for someone to be confused by her words." "Let them supervise each other. It''s better not to talk to Zhou Qianxi too much."


    "Guess who Zhou Qianxi''s master is?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression gradually turned serious as he lightly shook his head. He wasn''t sure, but he knew that this was a power other than the fourth prince. Moreover ¡­ They were rushing towards the throne.


    The situation in the imperial government had actually become more and more complicated.


    By the time he returned to the Residence of the Prince of Mo, it was already dusk.


    The duke of Suifeng was waiting for him at the Feng Zhixuan''s entrance, so he hurried over, "Your Royal Highness, Duke Chen has been waiting in the secret room for a long time."


    Xiao Yi was slightly surprised. He had actually escaped from Princess Lan Xun and come here?


    Gu Qingli was about to follow Xiao Yixiu inside when Suifeng stopped his. "Esteemed wangfei, Prince Chen said he only sees your highness and doesn''t see you."


    "You even pointed out that you won''t see this wangfei?" Gu Qingli widened her eyes in surprise.


    Suifeng spread out his arms with a very innocent look on his face.


    Xiaoyi Xiu patted Gu Qing Li''s palm in consolation, then stepped into the reception room and pressed the button.


    Xiao Yiyan casually sat on the edge of the bed with a dazed look on his face as he stared ahead, seemingly lost in thought.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked over at him. The darkness was empty and the only light in the room was a half-lit oil lamp. It was cold and gloomy like Xiao Yi Yan''s face. There was no trace of his previous youthful vigor.


    "Yan."


    "Fifth brother, you''re back." Xiao Yiyan wanted to stand up, but was held back by his shoulder and sat back down. He casually lifted up the hem of his robe and sat down on the side.


    "Princess Lan Xun is very difficult to deal with?"


    Xiao Yiyan pursed his lips and looked at him sternly: "I understand fifth brother''s good intentions, but with fifth brother''s wisdom, you should understand. If you don''t want it, no matter how many good intentions others impose on you, you won''t be able to accept it. Whether or not Princess Lan Xun was good or bad had nothing to do with whether or not I liked her. I don''t care if you and your fifth sister-in-law ¡­ "No matter what you do, you won''t be able to change my mind."


    When he mentioned Gu Qing Li, he felt an uncontrollable pain in his chest. The feeling of spasms made him unable to bend his waist.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stared blankly at him for a moment before sighing, "Maybe I was just being a little troublesome."


    "I came today to bid farewell to fifth brother."


    "What?" For the first time, Xiao Yixiu was visibly moved, and he suddenly sat up straight.


    Xiao Yiyan looked into the darkness, quietly thinking about his mother''s pressure on him today, as well as his father''s questioning and Princess Lan Xun''s pursuit ¡­

 C199 Leave East Abyss

    Although Princess Lan Xun seemed to be fooling around with no reason, it was actually only because the delicate princess couldn''t say anything. She was using some self-righteous method to force Xiao Yiyan to lower his head, but who knew that she would push him further and further away.


    "I''m leaving the Eastern Abyss. This place... I mean the palace, and everyone else. "


    "Ah Yan, if it''s because of Princess Lan Xun''s matter, Fifth Brother should apologize to you. You shouldn''t have forcefully arranged the match without respecting your wishes."


    Xiao Yiyan shook his head, "Imperial Father and Imperial Mother are both happy to see this happen. If Princess Lan Xun really mentions this matter, I won''t be able to resist. If he stayed in the East Abyss, he would inevitably marry her ¡­ "Fifth brother, you can''t change anything now."


    Xiao Yi Xiu was stunned and didn''t know what to say.


    Gu Qing Li had used her method to force Princess Lan Xun to face his intentions. He was afraid that the unruly Princess would really disregard everything and force the marriage.


    "I only came to give you this."


    It was only then that Xiao Yi Xiu realized that there was an exquisite rosewood box carved into the ground beside Xiao Yi Yan. He was slightly puzzled by what he saw and took it over with the intention of opening it.


    "Fifth brother, wait for me to leave before opening it."


    "Hmm?"


    "If you''ll allow me, I''d like to speak to the Fifth Emperor''s wife alone."


    After a moment of silence, Xiao Yi Xiu nodded his head. "I''ll let her in."


    Not long after he left, Gu Qingli walked in and looked at him in surprise, "Prince Chen, you''re leaving the East Abyss?"


    Xiao Yi Yan raised his head to look at her and smiled, "I''m going to leave the Eastern Abyss. In the future, I won''t be the Xiao family''s prince, and no one will know who I am. Can''t you put down these restrictions and call me Ah Yan like fifth brother?"


    Gu Qing Li hesitated slightly before calling out, "Ah Yan."


    "We have never been on equal terms since the beginning. You always called me ''Prince Chen'' respectfully. I always called you ''Fifth royal sister-in-law'' according to the rules of being young and old ¡­" Xiao Yiyan smiled bitterly, "But I don''t like that title. I want to call you Qing Li."


    Gu Qingli frowned slightly. She had always liked Xiao Yiyan''s personality, but she always felt that he was somewhat childish.


    After being rejected, he had grown up at an astonishing speed. In a short year, he had lost the youthful aura that she used to think he had, but he still could not return to the innocence and brightness that he had once captivated other people.


    It''s hard to measure the gains and losses.


    If the price of growing up was losing the sunlight that filled his eyes, she would rather he still be that innocent youth who smiled, had his eyes curved up like peaches, and liked to pick up beauties whenever he saw them.


    "Qing Li."


    Unknowingly, Xiao Yiyan had already stood up and was right in front of her.


    Gu Qingli was startled. She felt an ambiguous aura flowing between them. And his hand was already reaching out to take hold of him.


    "Yan, I''ve always treated you as my younger brother."


    "Little brother?" Xiao Yiyan suddenly laughed and shook his head. "A younger brother who''s three years older than you?"


    "It has nothing to do with age." Gu Qingli couldn''t explain that before she transmigrated, she was older than him, not to mention that the growth of an assassin and the growth of a wealthy prince without any trials and hardships were two completely different lives.


    Such a difference in experience was bound to cause the difference in their mental age to drop by too much.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Xiu was different. Ever since he was young, he had lived in a complicated and unprotected palace.


    If his talent was mediocre and not enviable, and if the heavens were jealous of such a talent, he might have already died in the palace in silence if not for the fact that he repeatedly made himself stronger. His mental age had also long since surpassed his actual age in complicated and unpredictable battles, in the power of the campaign on the battlefield.


    Only a man like him could give Gu Qingli a sense of security and conquer her heart.


    These words couldn''t be explained to Xiao Yiyan, but Gu Qingli sensed her so-called "fulfillment", which actually gave him endless trouble.


    She was deeply disturbed, and let him hold her hand as she looked at him, "Yan, I hope that you will be happy. Princess Lan Xun may seem crafty and unruly, but in reality, she is intelligent and kind-hearted.


    "So you should sacrifice my happiness, regardless of my will? Qing Li, when you married into the Prince Mo''s mansion, did you also harbor the thought of self-sacrifice? "


    Gu Qingli was dumbfounded.


    "So, even if you know that the person he loves is Li Yue, and you were forced to stay by his side just because you were like her, you can still pretend that you don''t care and continue this erroneous marriage with him?"


    Gu Qing Li raised his gaze, recalling that he did not know his true identity.


    She was silent for a moment before sighing lightly, "Ah Yan, I tricked you in the past, and I tricked him as well. I was Li Yue, and Li Yue was Gu Qing Li. He couldn''t tell because... We are the same person. "


    Xiao Yiyan suddenly lost all color in his face. He released her and retreated a few steps. His eyes were filled with shock and sorrow.


    He finally understood where he had failed.


    "You ¡­ "What about that Li Yue who married him and became his side wife?"


    "My third sister, Gu Qingxiao? She was a fake. Even though Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t think that I was Li Yue, he felt that the fake Li Yue was different from me. That was the reason why he was so regretful on the night of their marriage and chased me back ¡­ Ah Yan, at that time, he was very suspicious of me. He was always worried that I, like the women around him, had ulterior motives towards him and would not treat me well. But he loved her, and he put all his heart into her. How could I not feel it? You... It''s too late. "


    Gu Qingli couldn''t bear to tell the truth. Even if Xiao Yiyan didn''t arrive that late, she would only fall in love with a man like Xiao Yixiu.


    A girl like her had her eyes on the top of her head. If it wasn''t for a man stronger than her, how could she have submitted?


    Xiao Yiyan walked out of the secret room dejectedly.


    Gu Qingli watched his back and couldn''t bear it anymore as she called out softly, "Ah Yan ¡­" If you do not like the princess, we can think of a way to prevent you from leaving the Eastern Abyss. "


    "No, I want to leave the Eastern Abyss even more. It has nothing to do with the princess." He walked slowly, but with determination.


    He thought that he would never want to return to this sad place again.


    Imperial Father only thought of him as a tool for marriage. Imperial Mother only hoped for him to ascend the throne and seize power. The only person among her bros who was on good terms with him became his rival in love ¡­ He could no longer face the woman he loved the most.


    He felt suffocated and oppressed, especially when he thought about how the former crown prince of Snowfall Palace, Xiao Yibei, who seemed to have gone insane. He felt that being born into the royal family was a kind of sorrow that crushed him.


    After Xiao Yiyan left the Mo King''s Manor, Xiao Yi Xiu entered the secret chamber. He saw Gu Qing Li staring blankly at him with a helpless look on his face. He sighed and embraced her, "Qing Li, don''t blame yourself. He has his own choices."


    "I always felt that I was the one who forced him away. I wasn''t the one who thought that I was smart enough to try to get him and the princess together. How could it be like this?"


    "I think that he is not someone who left just to escape the marriage. There are more reasons why he wants to leave."


    Xiao Yixiu thought of the sandalwood box. With a frown, he placed it on the table and opened it. Suddenly, his pupils dilated, and the yellow seal of Tian Huang lying quietly inside was clearly reflected in his eyes.


    "This ¡­"


    Surprised, Gu Qingli picked up the seal. The ancient seal carved beneath it said "Xiao Yiyan", and she couldn''t help feeling somewhat lost.

 C200 Princess Ao Jiao

    Xiao Yiyan had given her a similar seal. The upper part of the seal was oval in shape, carved with phoenixes and melodies. The phoenix carved on this seal was flying phoenixes, making it look like a pair.


    "He ¡­ "What do you mean, giving this to me?"


    If Xiao Yiyan wanted to grant her and Xiao Yi Xiu''s wish to give her a paired seal, it shouldn''t have his name engraved on it.


    When Xiao Yiyan gifted it to her, she could vaguely guess his intentions. Now that she saw this yellow seal made of Tian Tian, she couldn''t help but think of the time when he carved that seal and wanted to compare it with his.


    The bitterness in her heart had unknowingly deepened, and her eyes had become wet without her realizing it.


    "It''s not what you think." Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head heavily. "Xiao Yi Bei''s been crippled. His seal is the only seal that the Xin Family has left." The reason why he gave me this was not because he had given up on you, but because he wanted me to control this square seal and arrange for all the businesses and dark factions under the Xin family to take over. "


    Gu Qingli looked at him in surprise.


    Xiao Yiyan did not just want to withdraw from the struggle for the throne, he also wanted to help Xiao Yixiu?


    "Prince, wangfei, there is someone outside the mansion seeking an audience. He has a temper and his tone of voice is very arrogant." Suifeng reported to the outside.


    "Who is it?" Xiao Yi Xiu pulled Gu Qing Li out.


    Wind Following Sword shrugged, "A girl ¡­ Oh, that''s not right. She has a group of guards behind her ¡­" "It seems to be quite grand and impressive."


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but hold her forehead.


    Princess Lan Xun? She couldn''t catch up to Xiao Yiyan, so why would she chase all the way to the Mo King''s Manor to capture him?


    The worst thing was that this Princess Lan Xun was still trying to make a name for herself. Was she trying to tear down Prince Mo''s estate?


    "Invite her in, but her bodyguards must stay outside of the Feng Qingxuan, otherwise let her return."


    "Oh!" He dragged a long sigh with him as he walked out with a smile on his face.


    "Jin Shu, Yu Ying, look at the tea."


    Ever since she moved to the Feng Che Xuan, Yu Ying had also moved here. The original courtyard only had a janitor and servant left.


    However, her jade-like face was clearly somewhat haggard, and the peerless aura in her eyes had also diminished a bit. It was as if in the evening, the little princess, who was high above the clouds, had fallen to the ground and had no choice but to stand in a place that did not belong to her.


    "Princess, why have you come to the Mo Residence?" Gu Qingli smiled indifferently, neither servile nor overbearing, as she made a gesture of welcome.


    Princess Lan Xun sat across from Gu Qing Li. Even though she looked so dispirited and in a bad mood, she did not lose her status as a princess. She sat up straight, her cold, disdainful gaze not even pausing on Gu Qing Li''s face.


    "Before this princess came to the Eastern Abyss, she heard of the name of the War God and became curious. She just wanted to see it for herself ¡­ I didn''t expect to be less famous than you. " Princess Lan Xun''s gaze swept over Xiao Yi''s face.


    Xiao Yi Xiu understood what she was thinking, but he only smiled coldly and disinterestedly, not minding that she was being rude to him in the least.


    "This princess heard that Prince Mo has been sick for more than four years, so naturally, his body was much weaker than before. It''s just that I didn''t expect his aura to have long since withered away. He would even hide behind a woman in the face of trouble." Even up to the night of the hunt, when the bonfire was being held, she still hadn''t given up on secretly observing Xiao Yi Xiu.


    The scene of Gu Qingli standing in front of him protecting him had left her utterly disappointed.


    "That''s why when this princess said that I wanted to marry King Mo, it wasn''t my original intention."


    Gu Qingli smiled. "Oh? "So what?"


    "Actually, what this princess doesn''t understand the most is you, wangfei." Princess Lan Xun stared at her, full of suspicion. "This princess has never seen a woman like you. She looks extremely simple, but in reality, it''s impossible for one to understand her in the slightest."


    "According to what Princess Mu''s wife said, you should be a woman who only knows how to show respect to others, a woman who doesn''t care about her heart. You might even disregard your own shame and steal someone else''s husband ¡­"


    "Gu Qingruo told you this." Gu Qingli broke into a laugh. "She also said that I originally loved King Mu. I was shameless on my wedding night and wanted to seduce him into failing, so I threw myself into King Mo''s arms instead. "She also said that even if I were to marry into the Prince Mo''s estate, I would still not be able to defend my path of a woman. Even King Chen attempted to seduce me ¡­"


    Princess Lan Xun''s face reddened, and she pursed her lips in silence. She did not understand why she could speak so calmly in front of Prince Mo, much less how she could speak in such a relaxed manner.


    "Then, does the princess still believe these words?"


    Princess Lan Xun slightly lowered her eyelids. After a moment of thought, she said, "Perhaps you aren''t as detestable as she says you are. I shouldn''t have only believed her words." But when you agreed to my marriage to King Mo in the royal study, it was a trap, waiting for me to jump into it myself. You predicted that King Chen would be angered by this, that he would care about you and not want to hurt you, and that I would make him sad and let him know the consequences of offending me. Your move of retreating to advance makes his impression of me even worse, and he doesn''t want to see me again ¡­ "


    "Wait a minute, Princess, have you never reflected on yourself?" Gu Qing Li looked at her with a smile. "I gave you a chance, and even made my prince teach you. How to take out the silver needles in your body so that you could keep him here, but what did you do?" In front of him, you are forever superior and arrogant. You like to use the words'' Western Paradise ''to suppress him, and you even used the words'' hurt me ''to provoke him ¡­ Is this how you like someone? "


    "I''m sorry, Princess Lan Xun. Even I don''t think you like Prince Chen very much. You may never have been tempted by any man in your life, and you don''t know how to express it, but you should know that liking is a kind of giving, not a kind of coercion and extortion. Emotion should be the planting of a seed, daily sunshine rain dew, meticulous care, wait for it to grow up. But you? You sow this seed and you pluck it every day, angry that it doesn''t grow, but you never water it. Do you know that would be counterproductive? If you give it what you need, it will grow as you wish. If you go and pull it out, you will only kill it. "


    Princess Lan Xun opened her mouth and constantly blinked her beautiful almond-shaped eyes. Her eyes revealed an even deeper confusion.


    "Also, no matter how strong a woman is, she will have a gentle side to the man she loves. When you saw me protecting King Mo, you thought that he would only hide behind that woman. However, I have also given him my back, so I have no doubt that he will be able to protect me during critical moments. " Gu Qingli smiled lightly and shook her head, "You didn''t even see what sort of person King Mo is before you easily gave him a definition. Just like how you don''t even know what kind of person I am, first you listen to Gu Qingruo''s words. "It is the same for you. You have never understood his heart. You don''t know what he needs. You like him like this. Thin and powerless. How can you move him?"


    Princess Lan Xun''s delicate cherry lips pursed. She was wronged and angry, but she also seemed to be forcefully suppressing it. Beneath her long eyelashes, there was a sparkle of water, as if tears could fall at any moment, but with a sniff of her nose, she pressurized the layer of water.


    "I want to chase after him. I don''t believe that I won''t be able to chase him back in this lifetime!"


    Gu Qingli smiled, "You have to be able to catch up to him no matter who you want to catch up to. Regardless of whether it''s going back to the west or the east, you can''t just tie him up and bring him back."


    Princess Orchon glared at her. "I will not be looked down upon by you. I will definitely be able to recover his heart." This princess was born with nothing that I cannot learn. This princess must be even gentler than you! "


    She turned and walked away.


    "Hey, Princess, do you know where he went?"


    "Ugh ¡­"

 C201 Princess leaves

    Gu Qingli walked up and told her where Xiao Yiyan had gone.


    "If you can catch him and bring him back, then ask him to come back to the East Abyss to visit us."


    The princess nodded her head, then lightly bit her lower lip. Suddenly, she raised her head and asked, "Do you not hate this princess?"


    Gu Qingli smiled and shook her head. "But if you can change your delicate temperament, then you''ll be even cuter."


    Princess Lan Xun didn''t seem to appreciate her kindness and curled her lips. "Who wants you to praise being cute?" This princess doesn''t care. "


    However, when she turned around, her eyes lit up and her heart softened a little.


    "Princess Mo, thank you for not liking him!"


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but laugh. This princess really couldn''t change her habit of never lowering her head. Even though she was grateful to others, her words were still as awkward as before. He hoped that she would be able to bring out something called "gentleness" when she met Xiao Yiyan.


    Xiao Yi Xiu embraced him from behind as he chuckled, "This Princess Lan Xun is even gentler than you. How come I have never seen your gentle side?"


    Gu Qing Li''s face suddenly flushed red. She pushed him lightly and said, "It''s not like I said I''m gentle."


    "Like you said, no matter how strong a woman is, she will always have a gentle side to her beloved man. Let This King see your gentleness ¡­"


    "Don''t... "This is the reception hall ¡­" Gu Qingli''s entire body went limp. She had no power to resist, so she could only try to resist in vain. However, he still held her by her waist.


    On the public road outside the capital, a handsome horse was galloping at high speed. The riders on the horse were all dressed in fine clothing, and the bright red color of cinnabar was very eye-catching.


    "Wait ¡­" "King Chen, wait!"


    Xiao Yiyan suddenly turned around, dust flying behind him. The young girl on the horse was flying in the air with bright eyes and white teeth; she was like a beautiful sunset. However, he didn''t want to get away.


    He locked his eyebrows and turned around. He tightly controlled the reins and urged the horses to increase their speed.


    "Don''t even think of avoiding me. Let me tell you, even if it''s the ends of the earth, I, Yan Lanjian, will still follow you!" It was a clear and delicate voice, yet it carried a bit of willfulness with it as it was sworn in.


    Xiao Yiyan''s head hurt even more, so he didn''t say a word.


    Fate was indeed a wondrous thing. When you wanted it, it came rather late; when you didn''t want it, it turned into a wicked thing and kept pestering you ¡­ At this moment, Xiao Yiyan wanted to die.


    In the capital, Prince Chen''s departure and the search by Princess Orchid Xunxi were like a small earthquake that shook the entire imperial palace.


    The Emperor had sent out three thousand soldiers and horses to search for her, but no one could be found throughout the capital ¨C the strange thing was, that Princess Lan Xun had only taken away Jing Yuan, while her entire Western Garrison had only come three days ago to bid him farewell and report the news of her departure.


    This simply caused the Emperor to feel incomparably furious, but Princess Bluesilver''s attack made it so that he no longer had any time to chase after her.


    Other than being enraged, the empress didn''t have to worry too much about persuading him. If Princess Lan Xun really did catch up to Xiao Yiyan, no matter what method she used to move him, she only needed to achieve the goal of marrying Dongyuan into the west.


    The king was helpless. He could only ask Lin Lisheng to bring the news back to the west. He claimed that the princess and king were happy to have a marriage with the west.


    In any case, this matter couldn''t be blamed on the people of Dongyuan city. Who allowed Princess Xiyan to act willfully and recklessly and wreak havoc?


    Lin Lisheng, on the other hand, smiled and accepted the order, indicating that he was willing to lie.


    He had no choice. The princess had eloped with someone else before she even left the pavilion. Was the Western Emperor that proud of his reputation?


    Actually, there was no one who was more shocked and infuriated than the empress.


    Although the princess had taken a fancy to Prince Chen and did not care about everything to chase after him, he had still secretly left the capital. He might even have to leave the East Abyss ¡ª in this crucial moment of strife, hadn''t his move completely wiped away her momentum? She could only rely on the excuse of marriage to maintain the position of the king and send people to get the king back.


    This blow had caused the Queen to almost fall apart. In just a few days, half of her black hair had turned white.


    On the contrary, Imperial Concubine Ling and Imperial Concubine Lan were gloating. It might be a loss to get married, but apart from Prince Chen, who was the biggest obstacle, they were happy about it.


    In Imperial Concubine Lan''s heart, the only person who could stand in front of Xiao Yi Jin was Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Imperial Concubine Ling''s mother family had already shown their dejection. She could only try her best to turn the tide, but it was difficult for her to regain her composure. After Ling Yuanzhang''s case, Xiaoyi Mo had dealt with the matter of the hunt very badly. His position in the Emperor''s heart had been declining, and when he saw Ling Yuanzhang recently, he hadn''t even bothered to glance at him.


    In the end, he found some clues about the bodies of those dancers ¡ª they were assassins that were secretly kept by the former president of the Crimson Yue Association, You Chenguang.


    When Zhu Wei An lost his power and exile and You Chenguang exterminated his entire family, the remnants of their forces wanted to destroy the Xiao Imperial Family in one go. Even if they couldn''t, as long as they killed Princess Lanxun at the party and destroyed their relationship with the West, they would have achieved the goal of provoking the war in the West of the Eastern Abyss.


    As a result, their main target had been Princess Orchid.


    In the end, the Ministry of Justice used this as a way to end this case and cleared out the two remaining members of the Ministry of Justice, Zhu Wei and You. As for Ling Yuanzhang, his crimes had increased, and he had been exiled for twenty years, so he had become a servant of the palace. Within three generations, he could not take any achievements.


    From the looks of it, this matter had been handled fairly, especially with the participation of Xiao Yi Mo.


    However, only Xiao Yi Mo himself knew the reason for this suffering. From the beginning to the end, Xiao Yi Bin and the Prince Yi, Xiao Yi Fei, had only toyed with his participation. They had not allowed him to participate in any important decisions, and had only made him a pathetic bystander.


    Where the evidence had come from was truly strange. Logically speaking, it was completely incomprehensible. Since Ling Yuanzhang and Zhu Wei An had been exiled, how could He Chenguang order so many assassins around again?


    Furthermore, Xiao Yi Mo himself was the clearest in their eyes. He had never raised such a large group of assassins. The evidence against him was simply framing them.


    But there was nothing he could do.


    However, when he went to the palace to visit Imperial Concubine Ling, he allowed his mother to hug him and cry bitterly.


    "Mo''er, what should we do? "Your eldest uncle is like this, while second uncle hasn''t returned to the capital yet. Mufei is currently at a loss ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Mo gritted his teeth. He clearly knew why Ling Yun had yet to return to the capital. This was all part of Prince Li''s plan, and behind him was his father, the Emperor.


    Although the Prime Minister Gu Chaoran had also suggested recalling Ling Long, the Emperor had rejected the request on the ground that there was no general in the court who could replace General Ling.


    Xiao Yi Mo could only hope that Lu Li would return in triumph and use his military exploits to restore the Ling Family''s power.


    "Mufei, don''t worry. There will be a way." Actually, Xiao Yi Mo was well aware of the fact that with the current situation, even Ling Long''s return might not be able to change anything.


    "No." Imperial Concubine Ling slowly stopped crying. The previously arrogant and beautiful face was also filled with fear. "Mufei, your royal father doesn''t like us anymore. He''s deliberately distancing himself from you ¡­ Suppressing you, he... Could it be that he wants to help Xiao Yijin become a senior? "


    Xiao Yi Mo''s hands were trembling, and his legs were a little numb. He had thought about this before.


    "We... Should we think of a way for Xiao Yijin to lead his army and exchange it for second uncle? "


    "I''m afraid your royal father will not agree." Although Imperial Concubine Ling''s intellect was lacking, she still had some understanding of the emperor. she murmured, powerless.


    However, Xiao Yi Mo was deep in thought. As long as he had a goal, he would slowly think of it. It was better than not having a goal and losing his cool.

 C202 Pageant(1)

    The palace''s talent show had been in full swing recently, so the emperor planned to take advantage of it to pick a main wife for Xiao Yijin, as well as a few secondary wives.


    Imperial Concubine Lan didn''t object. After all, Princess Lan Xun had run away. Seeing that the marriage was already over, Xiao Yi Jin was already over twenty years old. The prince should have already gotten married at his age. If it wasn''t for him, she would have had a grandson by now.


    Seeing how the emperor doted on Qing Yu and Mu Lin, Imperial Concubine Lan wanted Xiao Yijin to give birth to a grandson as soon as possible.


    In the previous dynasties, there had been precedents where a certain prince was appointed as the crown prince because the emperor doted on his grandson.


    The Emperor watched from his vantage point as many beautiful young ladies walked past him. In fact, he found this extremely annoying. In recent years, he had actually lost his zeal in certain areas. In addition, the open rivalry between the imperial government and the princes had exhausted his energy. His interest in the talent show was not very high.


    "Dong Yufeng, the second daughter of the justice court''s chief official, Dong Changen ¡ª" The emperor often served Fu Qin in close proximity as she reported in a long voice.


    The emperor''s narrowed eyes slightly opened as he sat up straight.


    When he saw the beautiful girls from the morning and saw that it was the end of the summer, the scorching sun made the emperor''s head spin. He really wanted them to leave immediately.


    The only thing that would perk him up was his identity as the daughter of a justice.


    The emperor looked over carefully. This Dong Yu Feng was good-looking, handsome, and pure. With a glance, one could tell that he was a lady from a noble family, gentle, modest and frugal.


    He asked a few questions, and Dong Yu Feng answered them politely, so he nodded his head in satisfaction, indicating that he should stay.


    "Your Majesty, this ¡­" Is it intended to be Jin''er''s main wife? " Grand Concubine Lan murmured softly beside him.


    The Emperor smiled and nodded.


    Imperial Concubine Lan nodded repeatedly, feeling rather satisfied. The daughter of the prince was of royal lineage and could not be married off. Other than the prime minister and the princess of the Shang Shu family, the daughter of a justice court official was not bad either.


    Gu Zhaoran''s three daughters were all married, and so was the daughter of Jia Shang Zhong. All in all, the Six Paths Alliance had no daughters of their own age. As for Dong Yu Feng, he was also a good choice.


    Only Xiao Yijin glanced at him with a bored expression on his face. He wasn''t interested in the slightest. Other than his identity as the daughter of a justice official, Dong Yu Feng''s personality and looks were not his type. He looked like he was just a person with boring words and mediocre looks.


    After Dong Yu Feng walked down, a graceful woman walked up to him. Her eyebrows were long and slender, her phoenix eyes had a trace of spring in them. Her charming eyes were like silk, and even the smile on her lips captivated the soul.


    "Wu Wei, Minister Cheng Lai Shu and his other two daughters, Cheng Ying."


    The military general was the commander of the imperial army. He didn''t have a high position, but he was managed by Xiao Yijin.


    Xiao Yijin''s eyes suddenly lit up. He was about to whisper to Imperial Concubine Lan that this beauty was clever when she lowered her head and said to the emperor, "Your majesty, this general''s daughter is exceptionally beautiful ¡­"


    "A woman who looks too good. Trouble. Young and good-looking. More trouble." Who knew that the Emperor would casually raise his eyelids with a cold expression. In his heart, he thought of the gorgeous and charming Ji Rong Hua.


    When he was young, he was also interested in beauties, but at his age, no matter how many beauties he had, they were like carp in a river. He could no longer hold his gaze.


    When Xiao Yi Jin heard this, the words that were originally coming out of his mouth withdrew.


    But Imperial Concubine Lan whispered, "This ¡­ chenqie wants to leave it for Xiu''er."


    Xiao Yijin nearly vomited blood. It was left to him again! He really didn''t understand why such a beautiful woman would be bequeathed to a person who could lose at any time.


    The emperor''s expression turned serious. After a long while, he slowly nodded.


    In this regard, his worries and Imperial Concubine Lan''s were the same.


    Before, when so many women entered the Mo King''s Manor, the information they could get was all useless, but the more it was like that, the more he felt that something was wrong. If Xiao Yi Xiu really did not have the power to fight back, then why did so many women get killed one after another, and even Ling YuanZhang died?


    The Emperor could use him to destroy everything for himself, but he had to be wary of a prince even more outstanding than himself.


    Imperial Concubine Lan was even more worried about why he hadn''t died yet. If he had ascended to the throne, the ones who would have died without a burial would have been herself and her son.


    This time, a total of ten Elementary Scholars were retained. Other than Dong Yu Feng being conferred the title of imperial concubine and Jing Zhao Yin''s daughter being conferred the title of imperial concubine, there were three Elementary Scholars who entered Prince Mo''s estate. Two Elementary Scholars entered the palace, but only three Elementary Scholars stayed behind.


    The emperor tiredly alighted from the carriage and slowly walked into Fu Yu''s Zi Su palace.


    Purple, was related to overlords since ancient times. It was a color of honor.


    The Northern Chen was the Coffin of the Star Heaven, and it was said to be the emperor.


    Back then, when he named Xiao Yi Bei Bei Bei, he had the intention of fighting. He didn''t expect Xiao Yi to disappoint the Emperor.


    Therefore, when the Zi Su Palace was established, the Emperor had slowly changed his mind.


    No one paid much attention to the meaning of the word ''Zi Chen''. It was just like no one paid any attention to the mother and son.


    "Min''er!"


    "Father." The ninth son, Xiao Yi, who hadn''t even been conferred the title of emperor, was currently studying the ? East Abyss Law ? seriously. On the table were the ? Records of History ?, the ? Shang Shu ?, and thirteen scriptures.


    In the precious days of Luoyang, such a large number of books were enough to make ordinary scholars envious. However, Xiao Yimin, who was 12 years old, was very tired from looking at it. His eyes were filled with fatigue.


    "Have you finished reading ''Historical Records''?" Facing this young son, the emperor had a rare look of benevolence, gently caressing his heart.


    "Read it once, read it three times, yesterday, I have finished the homework that royal father had arranged for me."


    "Don''t feel bitter. At your age, your fifth royal brother has already finished reading all these books, and is also a martial arts practitioner, a soldier, and a rider ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Min knew that his fifth brother was a genius, but he didn''t want to compare with him. He did not understand why his royal father would use him as a reference if his fifth brother was so outstanding, and why he did not take his fifth brother as a Crown Prince.


    His small face was full of confusion, but he dared not ask any questions. He straightened his back and continued to recite the law.


    "When did the Emperor come?" Fu Gongyu''s gentle voice resounded at the door of the study. Like a feather, it brushed gently, harmless and light.


    "I''ve just finished the show and am feeling dizzy from the sun. I''d like to come over to take a look."


    "Chenqie, go get the iced lily green bean soup for the emperor."


    The Emperor waved his hand and led her to a seat, studying her harmless, delicate face.


    She was not the most beautiful, but always the one that comforted him the most. Just like Nei-er, who was not the most intelligent, but was always the most obedient and hardworking one.


    What he needed was this feeling of being able to control, to rely on him, to respect him, to have unlimited faith in him.


    He had the power to rule the world, and his women only needed to be gentle and affectionate, like the empress, Imperial Concubine Ling, and Imperial Concubine Lan.

 C203 Fu Gongyu

    "Your Majesty, is there anyone this year who is pleased with your pretty daughter? "How many?" Fu Gongyu''s smile was gentle and calm, with a hint of concern.


    She was good at touching the Emperor''s heart with the most mundane things.


    "Three left." The Emperor continued to study her. "Aren''t you angry?"


    "Why should I be angry? You are the Emperor, the sovereign of the world, and everything you do is reasonable and reasonable. "


    "You''re not jealous?"


    Fu Gouyu thought for a moment before lowering her head slightly. Her long eyelashes instantly felt a bit wet. "Hmm, a little bit sad, but chenqie knows that it''s not that the emperor doesn''t like chenqie. Selecting a concubine for a show is the same as handling government affairs in the imperial court. The Emperor''s heart is like the ocean, requiring countless drops of seawater to gather to be called the ocean. How can he only allow a single girl to enter? "


    "My beloved concubine, my harem is like the ocean, but there is only one drop of water in my heart." The emperor gently embraced her as he said, "All these years, the number of beautiful and young girls who have entered the palace is no less than before. This emperor, on the other hand, has been losing more and more of his interest.


    "The Emperor is thinking of Ji Rong Hua?" Fu Gouyu was gentle and obedient, but she was not a brainless beauty who could only follow whimsically. She was still a considerate person. If one were to talk about guessing people''s hearts, perhaps Empress Jia Lan and Imperial Concubine Ling''s three bundles were inferior to her.


    The Emperor was silent.


    Fu Gongyu was silent for a moment before she tugged on the emperor''s sleeve and pulled him to his feet.


    The emperor didn''t understand her meaning. He looked at the table that was bent down and studied it earnestly before standing up and following her into the sleeping quarters.


    "Chenqie was merely a woman who knew that the imperial harem could not be used for political purposes, and at that time, the emperor had always been in a bad mood, so she rarely visited chenqie ¡­" There are some things that chenqie has never known whether she should say or not. "


    "Hmm?"


    "That thing... "The Emperor dealt with it too hastily. This concubine understands the Emperor''s intentions, but has the Emperor ever thought about it? Is it really okay to leave it all to King Yan?"


    "I''m a bit puzzled by the meaning of loving your wife."


    Fu Gouyu mused for a moment before gently shaking her head, "It''s better if chenqie doesn''t say."


    "My beloved concubine, if you don''t dare speak freely in front of me, who else can I trust?"


    Fu Gongyu sighed, "Chenqie wasn''t there, and I don''t know what happened exactly, but from the Emperor''s interminable narration, I know that this matter was always led by Princess Mu, witnessed by the Yan King, and was dealt with with with with full power. But someone else ¡­ He had heard Ji Rong Hua defend himself? Perhaps everyone no longer believed in the crown prince''s character, and even chenqie didn''t dare to defend him. However ¡­ But what about Ji Rong Hua? She is also a person, why did no one listen to her and deal with her? "


    "Love concubine!" The emperor stood up with a ''swoosh''. His complexion looked terrible, and his chest heaved up and down. This matter was related to the prestige of the imperial family, and it also involved the dignity of the Ninth Five Supremes.


    "Your Majesty told chenqie to speak, that''s why chenqie dares to speak ¡­" "If Your Majesty doesn''t like it, chenqie will definitely keep quiet." Fu Gongyu felt a bit sad.


    The emperor thought for a moment and suppressed the anger that was overflowing in his heart. He sat down again and embraced her as he said slowly, "Continue."


    "Chenqie feels that something is amiss. Firstly, it was the Crown Prince''s words; secondly, the location was wrong; thirdly, the time was wrong; at that time, choosing such a place was actually too easy to be seen through. Shouldn''t such things be chosen to be dark and windy, as well as a secluded and safe location? That''s a place where the royal clan can rest, and the chances of it being discovered are too great. "


    Fu Gouyu stole a glance at the emperor and continued, "Although the crown prince likes women, he doesn''t seem to be lacking in manners. He is over twenty years old and has not caused such a thing in the palace since he began his cultivation at the age of fifteen. Even though there was a woman''s heart, she was still a palace maid after all. Or the most outstanding one? "


    The Emperor turned his gaze slowly and began to stare at her.


    "Ji Rong Hua was so lonely that he tried to seduce the crown prince. At that time, she had just entered the palace a little more than a year ago and was favored by the emperor. She shouldn''t have been ignored, right? These are just speculations from a logical point of view. "


    "My beloved concubine, do you think Bei''er could have been falsely accused?"


    Fu Gongyu nodded slightly, "The Yan King was too decisive in his handling of the matter. He did not even give Ji Renhua a chance to speak, perhaps he was trying to figure out how the Emperor was thinking at the time to deal with him. But as a prince, if he truly cared for the Emperor, shouldn''t he first ease the situation and then rationalize the situation? This kind of attitude only added fuel to the fire when it came to handling the political affairs of the imperial court. "In all the dynasties, the Lord would always give an official. It was precisely because he was wary of the Emperor being fooled by a single thought. He acted impulsively, but the King''s actions ¡­"


    The emperor stood up and slowly walked out. His face was even darker and darker than when he first arrived. He didn''t even look at the ninth prince.


    Fu Gongyu looked at his back as he left and sat there quietly. Her delicate and elegant face was still as calm as ever.


    The emperor probably wouldn''t help Xiao Yi Bei overturn the case ¡ª after he gave the order for the Yan King to take care of everything, he actually didn''t plan to give Xiao Yi Bei a path to retreat. Looking back on the past now, even a thorough investigation would only be a covert investigation. The purpose was only to find out the truth behind the adultery scene.


    The Emperor wouldn''t feel pity for Ji Rong Hua. With such a scandal, even if she hadn''t been wronged, whether it was being framed or Xiao Yi Bei molesting her unilaterally, she would still die for the sake of the imperial family''s face. The Emperor was only regretful that he did not hear her dying words.


    The ruins of the Snowfall Palace were the same as always. The empress did not even use her power to deliberately take care of the former crown prince.


    The emperor stood in the courtyard for a while with his hands behind his back. The eunuchs and maids guarding the palace all fell to the ground, not daring to even breathe.


    Cold sweat dripped from their foreheads as they tried to recall whether they had been harsher than the previous crown prince.


    In any case, he was still a prince and was different from the imperial concubines who had been beaten into the palace. He was the flesh and blood of the emperor, and once he thought of it, it was still possible for him to be released. It was just that it was inevitable to be a little more negligent.


    The trees in the yard were shaded, and it was a summer scene, but the grass on the ground was green and desolate.


    The emperor returned to his senses and ignored them. He walked straight towards the main hall of the forbidden area, Xiao Yi and Xiao Yi Bei.


    The doors of the hall were locked from the outside, and the locks were a little green. The windows were upside down and peeped in from the outside, and it was very dimly lit inside. Other than the simple tables and chairs, the empty bookshelves and beds, one could not even see a single person in the hall.


    The Emperor frowned and turned his head to ask, "Where is the Second Prince?"


    The Chief Eunuch of the Snowy Exterminate the Heavens said nervously, "He ¡­" He''s always liked to hide behind his bed, or his shelves these days... "


    He hurried over with the key and went to open the hall door. After trembling for a long time, he was still unable to open it.


    The emperor stared at the key in his hand and noticed that the lock had turned green. He could not help but turn serious. "How long has it been since we opened the door?"


    The eunuch blinked, the muscles on his face twitching. Do Not Match Too... The Second Prince was in contact with him, so he was not allowed to talk to him ¡­ Everything passed from the window... "

 C204 The former crown prince who lost his mind

    After opening the door with great difficulty, the Emperor had just stepped into the doorway when he was stopped by a foul stench.


    "You guys never clean this place?"


    The eunuch trembled, not daring to make a sound.


    The Emperor stared at him coldly. After a long time, he said, "I have never instructed all of you to oppress the Second Prince like this."


    The eunuch fell to his knees with a thump, his face as pale as paper.


    The emperor didn''t say anything else. He covered his nose with his sleeve and walked in while enduring the smell.


    The main hall connected the main hall and the secondary hall to form one, making it easier to guard the people under confinement. The hall was deep and wide, with only one side of the hall open to the south. The windows to the north were all nailed shut to prevent any forbidden person from escaping.


    As a result, the deeper one went, the darker the light became. Sometimes, one would even be able to clearly see the light only when they focused their eyes.


    The emperor went around to the bookshelves, the wardrobe, and the carved bed, but he still could not see anyone. He could not help but say angrily, "Where is he? How did you take care of the Second Prince? "


    The eunuch trembled as he frantically called for the people kneeling outside to come in. He searched everywhere for Xiao Yi Bei, even opening the wardrobe to check.


    In the end, it was a palace maid who screamed from the ground, "Second Prince ¡­" He ¡­ He''s under the bed! "


    The emperor''s head exploded with a buzz. An angry expression appeared on his normally majestic face and his unfathomable monarch''s heart.


    "Second Prince, hurry up and come out. This servant will pull you ¡­" The palace maid probably wanted to show her enthusiasm for Xiao Yi Bei in front of the Emperor, so she extended a hand.


    As a result, a sharp scream rang out, and the palace maid quickly retracted her hand. Her slender wrist was dripping with blood, and a row of teeth marks could be seen on it. She was in so much pain that she was crying.


    "Bei''er!" The Emperor roared angrily. "Go pull him out!"


    A few eunuchs dragged the palace maid away, bravely bowing down carefully.


    It was just that the bed was too short and it was inconvenient for them to lie on the floor and dodge. They were all afraid of being bitten, so they all avoided it.


    The Emperor gritted his teeth and said, "Do you want to be bitten or beheaded?"


    A few eunuchs quivered and crawled in recklessly, quickly dragging Xiao Yi Bei out. Despite the large number of people, there were still two people who were bitten by him, but they did not dare to cry out loud.


    The once noble crown prince of the Eastern Palace was now stooped over, struggling desperately. His hair was disheveled, and his hair was stained with spider webs and cotton. His clothes were dull and tattered, and only the material of his clothes could vaguely be seen.


    Xiao Yi Bei''s eyes were dull and bloodshot. When he saw the Emperor, he suddenly emitted a bright light. He grinned and let out a low howl like a wild beast, as if he would attack the Emperor at any time.


    Because he had just bitten quite a few people, Xiao Yi''s northern white teeth were covered in blood and he felt as if they were devouring blood.


    "Bei''er ¡­." How did you become like this? " The Emperor stayed there.


    Even if he could no longer reclaim the position of crown prince, even if he was already completely disappointed in Xiao Yi Bei, it was impossible for their kinship to be completely gone. When he suddenly saw how his first son had changed since he was born, his heart ached.


    "Hahahahahaha ¡­" I am Queen Jiang... "Who are you?" "Shh!" Xiao Yi Bei''s face tightened as he made a ''shh'' gesture. He whispered, "Someone tried to harm me. Don''t make a sound. The moment you made a sound, they would know where I was hiding ¡­"


    "Bei''er, I am your father. Look carefully."


    Xiao Yi Bei completely ignored him as he muttered to himself, "No, no, no ¡­" "I have to hurry and hide, someone wants to kill me, I can''t let him find me ¡­" He looked around in panic, trying to break free from the restraints of the eunuchs. Even his sleeves were torn off as he struggled.


    The eunuchs did not dare to be overly rude to him. Controlling their emotions became even more difficult. After a while, someone was kicked by him, and he tore off their clothes to escape.


    Although Xiao Yi Bei seemed to be in an abnormal state of mind, he was still a martial artist after all. Even if he didn''t use any moves or dance randomly, his strength was still shockingly great.


    "Someone come ¡­" Someone come! "


    Fortunately, there were a few guards guarding outside the hall. When they heard the command, they rushed in one after the other after hearing the emperor''s call. They finally stopped Xiao Yi Bei and, without caring about his status, pressed him down onto the ground.


    However, Xiao Yi Bei was still doing his best to raise his head. He stared at the emperor with his blood-red eyes and muttered, "Covering his sleeves and working hard ¡­"


    The emperor looked around. He was no longer able to endure the filth, disorder, and stench of the hall. He raised his sleeves to cover his nose and shot a complicated gaze towards Xiao Yi Bei.


    "Don''t hold up your sleeves ¡­" "Be careful. Someone is going to cut your nose off ¡­" Xiao Yi Bei suddenly laughed again. His eyes seemed to be completely empty, but his tears still flowed.


    Seeing that there was nothing more he could ask, the emperor said to the guard, "Do not make things difficult for the second prince, and... Send someone to clean up the place and put more people on guard. As long as he is not allowed to leave his house, he will not be locked here for long periods of time ¡­ As long as he doesn''t hurt anyone, there''s no need to restrain him. "


    All the palace maids were the only ones who could resist.


    The Emperor slowly retreated, and the Chief Eunuch of the Snowy Palace hurriedly followed, not daring to even breathe loudly.


    The Emperor looked at him coldly, and without saying anything, he walked out of the Snow Destroying Hall.


    Outside the palace walls, the Chang Residence waited for a long time with the horsetail whisk in hand. When they saw that the Emperor''s expression was different from before, they felt a chill in their hearts.


    "Go and replace the head eunuch here ¡­ I want to interrogate him personally when he''s locked up in the cell. The rest of the palace maids and eunuchs, replace them all. You can choose your own people. In addition, tell Lu Ling Hui to come and see us. "


    "Lu Linghui?" Fu Qin was stunned. The commander of the imperial army was the King of Yan, if there was something important for him to do, why would he directly go to the vice commander of the imperial camp? Furthermore, the Yan Emperor was a prince, and there was a difference between being close and distant from him ¡­


    The Emperor glanced at him gloomily, the pressure in his eyes obvious.


    Fu Qin shivered, then lowered his head and said: "Yes! "Then the palace maids and eunuchs ¡­"


    "After I finish questioning them, kill them all! Leave none alive!" The emperor paused for a moment. "Don''t make such a big fuss about this. Make sure you don''t make any noise about it."


    To replace so many people, and to remain calm and collected, was an impossible task for Fu Qin.


    He was perturbed in his heart, and he silently raised his gaze to see the Emperor gazing into the distance, unintentionally revealing a killing intent that was like a formless cloud that enveloped his entire body. Instantly, his face went pale.


    The emperor paced back and forth alone to the royal study.


    Along the way, his expression changed countless times, from anger to murderous intent to doubt. Finally, he froze into an unfathomable gloominess, and softly muttered: "Covering one''s sleeves and craving ¡­" "Masked sleeves, craving ¡­"


    He slightly closed his eyes and thought back to when Xiao Yi Bei had gone insane and called himself "Queen Jiang".


    Lu Linghui arrived very quickly. His heroic and handsome face carried a trace of doubt. He knelt on one knee, cupped his fists, and said, "Vice thumbs-up envoy Ling Linghui greets the Emperor."


    "Which battalion are those who were stationed at the Snow Cleaving Hall from?"


    Lu Linghui thought for a moment and said, "They are all from the Winged Tiger Battalion, the subordinates of General Cheng Lie."


    "Cheng Lie ¡­" "Yes." The Emperor nodded slowly. Lu Linghui, you should pay more attention to this person. Is he very close to King Yan? "


    Lu Linghui was stunned for a moment before nodding his head.


    The emperor recalled Imperial Concubine Lan''s words, "This is for Xiu''er." His five fingers curled into a fist, and his knuckles protruded with white and green.


    "Choose some people to replace the original ones and destroy the Snow Palace." If King Yan asks, tell him that the empress asked him to go ¡­ "You don''t have to worry about not being able to explain. We will send another mission to the Winged Tiger Battalion."


    "Yes." Lu Linghui was well aware that he could not ask too much about the royal family''s matters. He respectfully accepted the order and walked out.

 C205 feigning insanity?

    The starless night was filled with dense clouds. The summer wind was fragrant and the air was filled with moisture. It was so hot and humid that a storm could break at any moment.


    Inside the secret passage to the Feng Che Xuan, a tall and straight figure hastily walked out. Although he was wearing a blue robe, it couldn''t conceal the heroic voice between his brows.


    Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli were already sitting quietly, waiting for him to arrive. Upon seeing him arrive, they gave him a seat and said, "The deputy commander came in such a rush. What happened to the camp?"


    "The imperial camp is fine. Something happened in the palace."


    Xiao Yi Xiu was stunned.


    How could Lu Linghui find out about the incident in the palace?


    "It''s something that happened to the Snowfall Palace." Lu Linghui recounted the incident that happened in the Snow Palace this afternoon in detail.


    Although the Winged Tiger Camp was commanded by Cheng Liao, Lu Linghui was the vice commander of the entire imperial camp. Every battalion had his trusted aides, including the guards on duty who had been replaced.


    Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li looked at each other, puzzled.


    "Is Xiao Yi Bei crazy?" "Are you sure?"


    I was lost in thought for a while. When the Empress took Prince Chen to visit him, he was still quite calm. His eyes were glazed, and he didn''t speak to anyone." And then it got worse and worse, dodging and being afraid of the light, always cowering in a dark corner... It''s been a while.


    "The empress often visits him?"


    "I''ve only been there two or three times and it''s always daytime. I just looked through the window and never spoke to him. Except for the first time I cried and cried, the other two times I was calm. "


    "What about Du Ying?" Gu Qingli was more concerned about that beautiful woman.


    "She''s very good, very quiet, and very normal, because the emperor never mentioned doing anything to her. Sometimes she can even talk to palace maids, and she seems to be in a steady mood."


    "Did they communicate with each other?" Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly asked.


    "The two of them?" Lu Linghui opened his eyes wide, then shook his head, "They are separated by a wall, if there''s something you want to say ¡­ I''m afraid the people outside may not be able to hear you clearly. "


    "And you''ve never paid attention to the defense of the exchange of information between the two of them?"


    Lu Linghui was startled by Xiao Yi Xiu''s stern expression, and quickly replied, "The people on guard are mostly subordinates of Prince Yan himself, and I don''t have many trusted aides. If they were to closely monitor the secret communication between the Second Prince and Miss Du, it would definitely attract their attention. Furthermore, the guards on duty are mostly patrolling outside the palace hall, unlike the eunuchs and palace maids, who can be close to them on purpose. "


    "Du Ying won''t do anything."


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "With Xiao Yi Bei''s intelligence, there''s no way he could have come up with the idea of acting crazy and hinting at our royal father."


    "Pretending to be crazy? His Royal Highness thinks that the Second Prince is... Pretending? " Doubt could be seen in Lu Linghui''s eyes.


    Gu Qingli said, "Not only did he pretend to be crazy, she even hinted at the emperor that she was framed." "Legend has it that King Zhou''s Queen Jiang was set up by Daji to death, and the reason for his craving for the position of crown prince was because of King Chu''s concubine, Zheng''er. He was hinting that someone had framed him for the position of crown prince."


    "Wouldn''t it be better for him to explain himself? "What if the Emperor doesn''t understand when he''s pretending to be crazy?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled faintly, "He doesn''t understand? He had safely sat on the throne for thirty years and managed the world in an orderly manner. Do you think that when he faced Xiao Yi Bei, he was only a disorderly father? When Xiao Yibei was awake, he wouldn''t believe a word that was said. It was because he was crazy that he was able to listen to what was being said. "


    Gu Qingli sighed, "It''s very possible that it was the empress who sent the message and set him up to act crazy."


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head, "Qing Li, I know why you have no doubts about Du Ying. You pity her, and she teamed up with Xiao Yi Jin and Xiao Yi Mo to scheme against Xiao Yi Bei, causing him to fall to such a state. You believe that she hates Xiao Yi Bei very much. But don''t you forget that she is a woman. Women are not only fickle, they are also easily trapped. "


    "Du Ying won''t believe him anymore ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his hand to caress her cheek. With a gentle smile, he shook his head and said, "You won''t believe me just because I lied to you time and time again?"


    "That depends on what it is. If you hurt me, once is enough ¡­"


    He laughed, his fingers sliding down to her lips as he shook his head. "You won''t. I''ve lied to you more than once, and I''ve hurt you more than once."


    Gu Qing Li''s face reddened, and she turned her face away in embarrassment. Is he crazy? There was a third person in the room who made such an ambiguous gesture towards her, saying such obvious flirting words.


    Lu Linghui had already revealed an awkward expression, pretending not to see anything as he turned his face to the side.


    "In Xiao Yi Bei''s entire life, he doesn''t have any talent. The only thing he has left is to deceive women. Other than Liu Xin, no other woman that he has set his eyes on has failed once. " Xiao Yi Xiu sighed. "He still has a relationship with Du Ying. Between them, there''s a child."


    "Do you think that Du Ying finally couldn''t bear for him to be trapped forever, so she came up with this kind of plan to help him escape?"


    "Even though mother is very scheming, it doesn''t mean that royal father would go visit Xiao Yi Bei. She should think that royal father has already given up on him, so she didn''t use her own power to specially look after him. Those words of warning I just heard from royal father were only taught to royal father after he had stepped into the palace of the Snow Destruction Hall. "


    "But I feel like the empress knew that Xiao Yi Bei had been imprisoned in Snowfall Palace for such a long time. How could she not know that he was leading a miserable life? As a mother, how could she not feel heartache? Her cold attitude is actually the most abnormal. "


    "Do you really think that there are no problems with the palace maids and eunuchs outside the Snowfall Palace?" Why did royal father completely replace all of them? Even in the harem, the Queen''s power may not be able to cover the sky with one hand. " Xiao Yi Xiu smiled calmly.


    Some things were done in the name of the emperor. Even the empress would not dare to interfere.


    Gu Qing Li pondered for a long time, and couldn''t help but admit that Xiao Yi Xiu''s deduction made sense. However, the biggest question in this matter was why did the emperor suddenly visit Xiao Yi Bei? Could it be that the father and son relationship had suddenly erupted?


    Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to have thought of something as well. It would seem that it was necessary to know what the Emperor did and where he went between the Snow Cleaving Hall.


    "Vice Commander Lu, since the Snow Palace has replaced your men, pay full attention to whether there is any communication between Du Ying and Xiao Yi Bei. In addition, check out his diet and all the daily necessities that he has washed and changed her clothes. "


    "Understood."


    The sky was already as dark as thick ink. The torrential rain seemed to have rained down on the flowers and leaves in the garden, the heavy sound was accompanied by a soft and weak sound. Seeing this torrential rain, as long as he walked a few steps, he would be able to get wet from head to toe.


    Lu Linghui was somewhat embarrassed ahee stood still. When he came, she was in a hurry to report this news, so he had come late without any preparations. In the secret room, the sound and light were well-isolated. He had not expected that he would be entrapped by this torrential rain.

 C206 rain-night accident

    "Lord Lu."


    A spot of light on the path caused him to turn his face away. A slim figure holding a yellow paper umbrella quickly walked over. The faint light from the gas lamp in her hand was particularly eye-catching in the heavy rain.


    "This servant saw that the rain was too heavy, so I brought you an umbrella and prepared a carriage outside with the wind." Jinshu pressed an oil-paper umbrella into his hand.


    "Thank you very much." A trace of gratitude surfaced in Lu Linghui''s heart. Using the light from the lamp to size his up, he discovered that under the hazy light, the outline of the young maid was still very delicate and pretty, with a very clever appearance.


    Because of the need to hide his identity as a spy, Lu Linghui was not as diligent as the other King''s Party members. Occasionally, he would come over, even if it was late at night, he would be careful and avoid being seen by too many people.


    As a result, he was still unable to differentiate between the several maids in the mansion and their names. He could only vaguely remember that they were one of the two most trusted maidservants to Mo Wang.


    "What''s the girl''s name?"


    "Jin Shu."


    Lu Linghui could not find anything else to say, so he just walked on in a hurry. Fortunately, they were at the deepest part of the Prince''s Mansion. Leaving through the back door, they shouldn''t be able to walk too far.


    Suddenly, Jin Shu rushed forward without any warning and threw the wind lantern in her hand onto the ground. She threw away her umbrella and hugged Lu Linghui tightly.


    Lu Linghui, who was preoccupied with his analysis of Xiao Yi Bei''s situation, suddenly jumped in fright. He felt a slim and gentle body thrown into his embrace, with a shirt half wet from the rain pressing against his body and his arms hugging his back. Shocked, he widened his eyes and jumped out of the fire.


    However, it wasn''t anger, but an inexplicable heat on his face. His body was tense. He was completely baffled.


    "Don''t speak, lower your head." Jin Shu''s body was also tense, but she was still trembling. She wasn''t as excited or as hot as he was. The flame in her heart that was difficult to describe burned with fear.


    Lu Linghui straightened his back and silently lowered his head. He buried her face in her heart and smelled the sweet fragrance of osmanthus flowers.


    He realized that even if he was in the Residence of Mo King, he would not be safe.


    The sound of the rain covered all sound until they were very close. Only then did Lu Linghui vaguely notice any movement towards them.


    His hearing was very sharp, and he could tell it was a woman''s light footsteps.


    A woman from the Prince Mo Residence that could cause Jin Shu''s heart to be on guard, was definitely not Princess Mo, nor was she an ordinary maidservant.


    He suddenly thought of Lady Jia, the daughter of the newly appointed Minister of Rites, Jia Shangzhong. He was sent to the palace by Imperial Concubine Lan. Although there was no evidence to confirm his identity, he should be the Yan King Xiao Yijin''s subordinate.


    His identity must not be discovered by Jia Bi Ruo. Otherwise, Xiao Yijin would definitely be the first to use him. If anything happened to him, the entire Imperial Camp would really fall into the hands of the Yan King.


    "Who''s in front?" The girl''s clear and sharp voice carried a sneer. It sounded like she was a teenage girl.


    As if her adultery was exposed, Jin Yu instantly released him and turned around, but she still kept him behind her. She even tried her best to tiptoe to cover his face. Lu Linghui kept her head down, not raising it at all.


    "Jin Shu?" The other person dragged his long tongue, raised the gas lamp in his hand, and sized them up.


    The lamp of the brocade was thrown on the ground, the tung oil paper was burned out of its hole, and in the pouring rain, the weak flame was extinguished after a few winks. The lamp in the woman''s hand became the only source of light.


    The dim light was unclear, but the flames seemed unstable as they danced about, illuminating the brocade Shu''s face from time to time. Under the reflection of the bamboo oil paper, it was a little green in color.


    "Yun''er, it''s so late. What are you doing here?" Jinshu drank with a lack of confidence.


    "Jinshu Sis, it''s so late. What are you doing now?" Yun''er chuckled, her gaze never leaving the tall and straight figure behind Jin Shu''s back, not showing any signs of letting him go.


    "Does this have anything to do with you?" Jin Shu''s voice trembled slightly as she tried her best to show the aura of a maidservant. In any case, she was of a higher rank than Yun-er, and it was not Yun-er''s turn to question her.


    What she was afraid of was that Yun''er would appear here, and then Gabrielle would appear.


    "No, it''s just that in the middle of the night, Jinshu and a man ¡­ Tsk tsk, it would truly be a disgrace to the prince''s household if this were to be spread out. "


    "That''s my business too. Who am I with? It''s up to you to care. I am not married, so even if I have disgraced the royal family, I will not violate the laws of the country. "


    Yun Er smiled coldly. Meeting on a rainy night and not being able to control herself, she would never expect Prince Mo to give her such a shameless act. "A maid like Jin Shu and Yu Ying, who belonged to the same house, would be taken in by their master sooner or later. However, if this happened, the prince would only need to know that they were beaten up and sent to sell their houses at a low price.


    She circled around them and said, "Yo, is this embarrassment or lack of courage? What kind of man are you if you hide behind a woman?"


    Lu Linghui had never been treated with such contempt in his life before. In that moment, anger welled up in his heart. If he wasn''t afraid of causing trouble for Prince Mo, he definitely wouldn''t have let this woman, who clearly had ill intentions, off the hook.


    "Yun''er, let me ask you. This is the back door of the palace, and you''re not here to wait on Madam Jia at this time. Do you want to come out or do something?" Jinshu had slowly calmed down by now, and her voice had a hint of sternness to it.


    Yun''er was stunned and could not answer immediately.


    "Speak, why aren''t you speaking?"


    Yun''er''s gaze shifted to the nearby Xiaoyao''s garden before she spoke up. "Madam Jia is feeling a little cold. I''ll go out and take a look at the medicine garden to see if there''s any medicine to drive the cold away."


    "When did you learn medicine?"


    Yun''er became angry from embarrassment. "I don''t know any medical skills, but I do know about the simplest of medicine, Ge Gen. "Don''t put on airs against me, and wait until tomorrow when I tell the prince how he will punish you for your wanton behavior!


    "Don''t worry about it! "Brother Fu, let''s go." Jin Shu sneered, holding Lu Linghui''s hand as they hurried to the back door.


    Only now did Lu Linghui feel that her small hands were ice-cold. Because half his body was outside the umbrella,he was completely drenched, and his black hair was all over her face. Although her face could not be seen, she was definitely green and pale, and even his lips were trembling.


    After exiting the back door, Jin Shu looked back warily, and confirmed that the light in Yun''er''s hand was getting farther and farther away. She did not follow her again, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her entire body softened, and she almost fell down.


    Fortunately, Lu Linghui helped her up: "Jin Shu, are you alright?"


    "Get into the carriage."


    Not far away, a simple carriage was waiting. It was done well with the wind, and they all chose the least conspicuous carriages, just like the usual shabby carts rented from horse carriages. Hanging on the front of the carts was a shaking glazed lamp, which was the only luxury decoration on the carriages.


    "Thank you."

 C207 New Wife Entering the Mansion(1)

    Jin Shu shook her head, only then did she realize that she was still holding his hand. She hurriedly let go and said in panic, "This servant didn''t mean to offend Lord Lu ¡­"


    "If not for your quick reaction, I would be the one in trouble today." By the light of the lamp, Lu Linghui saw her flushed face and could not help but want to laugh. When she threw himself into his arms and hugged him, she didn''t feel shy at all. Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.


    Lu Linghui got into the car and turned to leave. He grabbed onto her umbrella and shoved it into her hand. Smiling, he said, "It''s raining so heavily. When we go back home, we''ll get sick."


    Jin Shu suddenly felt even more embarrassed. She simply didn''t dare to look at him directly. Mmm mmm, she frantically said, "Anyway, I''m already wet."


    This sentence attracted Lu Linghui''s attention.


    Her umbrella had been thrown long ago, and the two of them had been holding it together. There wasn''t even a dry spot on their bodies. The wet clothes were all over their bodies, especially the light summer clouds.


    Jin Shu probably did not think of this outcome. Holding onto her umbrella, she disappeared from his field of vision, leaving him alone to lift up the carriage''s curtain. As she watched her back, her lips revealed a smile of unknown meaning.


    Just as Yu Ying decided to sleep with the prince and the princess, she saw that the little girl had returned.


    Gu Qingli was startled when the drenched and shivering Jinshu appeared in front of her. Could it be that she fell into the lotus pond in the garden as well?


    Xiao Yixiu only took a glance before retracting his gaze.


    Jin Shu looked a bit out of place. Even though she had raised him from a young age, she still looked a bit annoying. He cleared her throat and looked away.


    Gu Qing Li hastily stood in front of him, instructing Yu Ying to find a cloak to put on the brocade Shu, and to wipe her with a piece of cloth.


    Yu Ying put a cape on Jin Shu, and said softly: "How did you end up like this? At least go bathe and change your clothes. "


    "Come..." "There''s no time. I''m afraid something might happen."


    "Something has happened? "What is it?"


    Only after taking a cup of hot tea from Yu Ying and calming herself down did Jinshi recount what had just happened.


    "Yun-er is really suspicious."


    Gu Qingli said, "Do you think that if you hadn''t run into her, she would have stolen out of the palace in the middle of the night?"


    "At the very least, what are you planning to do? The back door of the Duke''s Mansion is locked, and when Lord Lu came, in order for him to come and go easily, I had moved the people on duty away from them. If Yun''er knew about this, leaving the mansion in this kind of weather, it would be hard for her to be noticed. "


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment. "When did she appear?" Where did I meet you? "


    "To the northeast of the palace garden... Not long after they exited the secret passage, they saw her. "


    Gu Qingli sucked in a breath of cold air and mumbled as she thought, "Could it be ¡­" She''s been looking for a secret passage... "Exit?"


    Ah!" Jinshu subconsciously covered her mouth. "If that''s the case, then fortunately, we didn''t see her as soon as we stepped out of the secret passageway ¡­ But the Duke''s Mansion is only this large. If she were to search it bit by bit ¡­


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "She can''t open the secret passage."


    The exit of the secret passageway could only be opened from the inside. Even if the outside was blasted flat with explosives, nothing could be seen.


    Of all the people who came and went from the estate, there must have been a time when she accidentally noticed something strange. No matter how secretive the secret passage was, there was a chance that someone like her, who had lived in the mansion for a long time, would be able to see it.


    "You have to be more careful in the future."


    Xiao Yi Xiu thought about it and shook his head, "We can''t use the secret passage in the mansion anymore. From now on, we''ll let them go through the outer passageway." "Alright, Jinshu, you may leave."


    After Yu Ying and Jin Mei left together, Gu Qingli then said softly, "The fox tail is about to materialize too." Do you really have to put up with them? "


    "We need solid evidence for everything. If we just rely on our suspicions to decide whether we want to kill them or not, then what''s the difference between us?" Xiao Yi Xiu smiled warmly at her. "Besides, it''s not a bad thing to keep her around. Do you think there''s no one else without her? The more I stirred up suspicion, the more suspicious I became. "In the past, you were the one who dealt with Xin Ziyao and the others. If I had done it, how could I have let them go so calmly?"


    Gu Qingli pouted. "You only know how to use her."


    With a smile, Xiao Yi Xiu hugged her tightly and whispered a few words into her ear. She then nodded slowly.


    After three repeated selections, the beautiful women began to be assigned to each prince''s mansion or remain in the palace to be sealed.


    When Gu Qingli heard that Prince Mo''s residence had actually been allocated three beautiful girls, she felt an inexplicable sense of jealousy. Even though she knew it was nothing, she still resented Xiao Yixiu''s actions, "Why is there only two beautiful girls from the Yan and Mu Families, and only three from the Prince Mo''s residence?"


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression was calm as he calmly said, "You can imagine their intentions."


    He paused for a moment. "This time, everyone is safe ¡­"


    He smiled. That''s good, that''s fair. It looked like that person had never trusted any of them.


    "Perhaps, it might not all be the same as what you imagined, as if I had come to your side."


    Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly glared at her. "Qing Li, tell me the truth. Where did you come from?"


    Gu Qing Li was startled, unable to answer.


    "Are you really Gu Zhaoran''s daughter? Do you know which faction Gu Chaoran belongs to in the court? Do you know why when we princes fought, he didn''t stand on any side? He was most adept at being neutral and silent, to the point where he would rather pretend to be old and demeaning at times ¡­ That''s why he married you to me, and your eldest sister to Xiao Yi Mo. The reason royal father has done this, is to investigate his background, but he is steady on all sides, and will never reveal his thoughts. "


    "Maybe he''s just a fence-sitter. He wants to see the right opportunity to determine the right direction."


    Xiao Yixiu shook his head as he stared at her. "So, that was the biggest question in my mind, but it doesn''t matter anymore." He took her hand and tightened it. "I''ve always felt that there are many unsolved mysteries in you. When will you be able to confess your origins?"


    Gu Qingli lowered her head for a moment before saying softly, "I''m afraid you won''t believe some things even if I say them." But is it so important where I come from? "


    He sighed, "If you don''t want to say it, then forget it. We''ll talk about it on the day you want to say it. But, you promised me one thing, you can come from anywhere, but since you''re here, you can''t leave me as you please. "


    "Yes." Gu Qingli smiled and pressed her face into his arms.


    In just a moment, their sweetness was broken as Windy knocked on the door, his face full of excitement from watching a good show. "To reply your highness'' consort, the three elegant maidens from the palace have been sent to the palace. They''re all concubines the emperor has served to you."


    When Gu Qingli saw the gloating expression on the little person''s face, she glared at him angrily. She grabbed a plate of pastries beside the bed and threw it at him.


    Suifeng swiftly caught it in his hands and said with a smile, "Thank you for your gift, Princess Consort."


    "You''re so happy. Did you reward those three beautiful girls as well?"

 C208 New Wife Entering the Mansion(2)

    "Ah?" That ¡­ "Then I better not, I can''t take it." He laughed along with the wind and withdrew, stuffing the pastries into his mouth to take a bite.


    Gu Qing Li didn''t know whether to laugh or cry as he looked back at Xiao Yi Xiu''s smiling face. He angrily picked up another crystal cake and stuck it in his mouth, "Smile, what''s so funny?"


    However, the smile in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes deepened. He tightened his grip, and pressed a slender and powerful hand against the back of her head, forcing her to get closer.


    Gu Qing Li''s eyes widened. She resisted and wanted to lean back, but she couldn''t resist the pressure from his palm. She stuck closer and closer to his face, and was forced to open her cherry lips, allowing the other half of the crystal cake to enter her mouth.


    She wanted to cry, but there were no tears. If she didn''t eat it, then she would just let the crystal cake cover her face. If she ate it ¡­ Before she could understand what was going on, she felt as if half of the crystal cake had been shoved into her mouth.


    Gu Qingli''s eyes were wide open as she tried to push it away, but the cake stuck her. She could barely catch her breath.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t let her go. He took advantage of the situation and rolled his fingers over her mouth for a while before releasing her.


    Gu Qing Li coughed as he forced himself to calm down, while Xiao Yi Xiu patted his back and stroked his chest. He had a kind and considerate smile on his face.


    She had hardly recovered from the lump in her throat when his lips came up again, and he pecked her gently, with the sweetness of the pastry on the tip of his tongue.


    Gu Qingli felt dizzy, and she forgot about what she was about to say. She was confused by his overbearing and gentle attacks, and her mouth was filled with the sweet fragrance of pastries and his light breath.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t care about whether it was day or day outside, and he didn''t care about the palanquin that was carried by the three palaces. He entered the palace from the side and directly pushed down the imperial concubine, putting down the canopy.


    "Your Highness ¡­" The three ladies have entered. " The wind was blowing cautiously outside. With the previous example, although he was happy to see the jealous jade face of the wangfei, he didn''t really dare to act rashly. If wangfei was truly angered, he''d finish it before she could use up the silver needles.


    Since it was an imperial order, they were conferred the title of ''Madam'' upon entering the palace. However, since they had come directly from the palace, the ceremony of taking in a concubine was forgiven.


    Suifeng couldn''t hear the reply, he was puzzled and waited for a while longer before raising his voice, "Reporting to the prince and the princess, the three ladies are waiting outside."


    The two people inside hadn''t heard it before because of their excitement, but now they heard it faintly. Gu Qingli blushed and looked at the sunlight coming through the thin curtain. She nudged Xiao Yixiu, "Outside ¡­"


    However, his mouth was instantly blocked by sandalwood, and the kiss made him unable to breathe. With great difficulty, he relaxed and said in a low voice, "Focus. At this point, we don''t need to bother with anyone."


    Gu Qing Li''s entire body was scorching hot, and her skin had a light pink tint to it. It made it even more difficult for Xiao Yi Xiu to resist, so he held her tighter.


    When Windy''s voice rang out for the third time, Xiao Yi Xiu''s voice finally rang out from within the room. "Let them wait. I have serious business to attend to."


    Suifeng stared with widened eyes. He did not know what was important, but the Prince''s breathing was slightly ragged, and his voice was hoarse and low ¡­ Why does it sound so wrong? It even seemed like he was angry from getting up?


    Waking up angry?


    He turned his head doubtfully to look at the approaching noon sun. He seemed to be sitting on his lap with the princess in his arms, eating some kind of pastry ¡­ Did he fall asleep eating?


    King Mo''s voice neither loud nor low traveled into the three palanquins in the courtyard. The faces of the three new wives all became stiff.


    They were still young ladies who had yet to leave their rooms, so they did not understand what King Mo''s voice meant. All they could think of was that it was indeed true that King Mo was rumored to be weak.


    This time, it was really unfortunate. After marrying such a sick man, even if he was a prince, his future would be bleak!


    The three new wives waited anxiously until the sun went down and the sound of hunger rose in unison.


    It was so easy to see that the beaded curtain at the door of the prince''s bedroom was lifted, and someone helped the prince out.


    The three new wives were a little nervous, they even sneaked a peek through the gaps of the curtain to see King Mo walking slowly with his black hair tied up with a jade belt, it fell on their shoulders and looked like King Mo was a jade-like man, unparalleled in the world, but then they saw him clenching his sleeves and coughing a few times.


    The person supporting him was a red-clothed female. Her crimson color was like a sunset that fluttered in the air. Only her face could not be seen.


    "The Prince invites the three new wives out of the palanquin and into the dining hall for lunch."


    The three new madams were helped down from the palanquin by their respective concubines. They glared at each other and were forced to leave the dining hall.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was already seated, while Gu Qing Li was seated below him. His gaze was fixed on the three new wives as he sized them up slightly.


    The people who had escorted them to the palace had long since been sent away by Suifeng, so the three new wives could only awkwardly introduce themselves.


    "I am the martial arts general, Cheng Liao, and the other two ladies, Cheng Ying." This new madame was gorgeous, charming, and charming. Her phoenix-like eyes were filled with emotion. It was likely that she stood out amongst the other beautiful ladies.


    It was a great surprise that he was assigned to the Mo King''s Manor. She had thought that with her outstanding looks, she would at least be chosen as the first wife of the Yan King even if she didn''t stay in the palace.


    Remembering what Prince Yan had said to her in private, she couldn''t help but suppress her unwillingness, trying her best to put on a coquettish smile.


    "I am Zhou Zhen, the eldest daughter of the direct line from Jintai County."


    "I am Wu Yu, daughter of the prime minister of the justice courts."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded as his gaze swept past them, his gaze calm and distant. Everyone seemed to be looking at them but didn''t seem to take them seriously. He nodded and instructed them to take their seats, then looked to his side with a gentle expression, "This is Imperial Concubine Gu."


    "This concubine greets the side concubine." The gazes of the three new wives quietly swept past, thinking that this was only the rumored secondary concubine. He had heard that the first wife was a blood sister and that they shared the same heart.


    Although they were all dizzy from hunger, they still did not dare to act presumptuously in such a situation. It was better to first find out the ins and outs of the prince and the imperial concubines when they had just entered the sect.


    On the dining table, he only saw the side concubine frequently serving the dishes to the prince. Cheng Ying''s heart spun as she memorized the dishes that the concubine served and secretly understood the prince''s preferences.


    "The side concubine ate so little." Wu Yu looked clean and generous, more at ease than the other two, and greeted them with a smile.


    Gu Qing Li smiled at her and Xiao Yi Xiu said, "My wife is pregnant and my appetite isn''t that good." "Yuying, has Imperial Concubine Gu''s papaya bird nest stewed yet?"


    Wu Yu''s smile froze for a second.


    Zhou Zhen was rather natural as she continued to lower her head to look at her bowl. She ate slowly and rarely, paying particular attention to her manners. Amongst the three of them, she was of the lowest birth. She seemed to be a little timid and didn''t dare to say much. She didn''t even dare to look at others.


    Cheng Yizhi chuckled, "If I had heard earlier that Imperial Concubine Gu was engaged to a man, I would have estimated that it would be six to seven months after the marriage, right?" Her gaze indistinctly swept over Gu Qing Li''s stomach.


    Gu Qing Li gently caressed his stomach. With a smile in his eyes, he didn''t answer. Even though he knew that her words were sarcastic, there was no point in answering. In any case, the matter of Gu Qingxiao''s fianc¨¦e was well-known throughout the court. She had to give an explanation for this matter.

 C209 New Wife Entering the Mansion(3)

    After having an easy lunch together, Gu Qing Li arranged the residences of the three new wives and had Yu Ying and Jin Shu take them to the Yu Lan Xuan where Xin Zi Yao used to live.


    Jinshu had sent Lu Linghui out a few days ago after the heavy rain, and the chill was still fresh in his ears. He occasionally raised his sleeves to cover his cough as he said to her maidservant Mingzhu in a disdainful manner, "Stay away from her. If you get the cold, then don''t serve me anymore."


    Jin Zhui paused, then replied with a smile that was not a smile, "We are from the Residence of the Mo King, our king has not been in the imperial government for many years, and has not been lacking in the imperial government. With such a small amount of monthly salary, we naturally cannot afford to hire too many servants, nor can we afford to raise too many idle people.


    Wu Yu''s face grew longer, as if he was unhappy.


    Ming Zhu knew that her young miss did not care about her status and was not willing to bicker with her servant. She coldly laughed, "It is the Duke''s Mansion after all. Our Young Miss is an only daughter, and when she was in the Residence, she had five or six maids waiting on her. "


    Jin Shu said coldly, "But you are currently at Prince Mo''s mansion. In our mansion, other than the main wife, side concubine, and four other wives, we have too many free people. Perhaps the prince will be looking after you."


    "You ¡­" Ming Zhu was so angry that her expression changed.


    "Alright, shut up." Cheng Ying''s cold eyes looked at Wu Yu, "We''re all married into the Royal Mansion now. If you can''t control your maidservants, then be careful of causing trouble for yourself."


    Wu Yu pouted but did not say anything, and pulled Ming Zhu to follow behind the brocade lady.


    Cheng Yingzhi followed Yu Ying into the Rain Tide Pavilion. Looking around the courtyard, she was quite satisfied.


    "Who used to live here?" Cheng Yingzhi could also see that the yard was decorated very richly with bright green flowers. As she stepped into the house, she saw that the curtains were slightly moved, and the makeup on the dressing table was neat and clean.


    "This was originally Madam Xin''s residence, but now ¡­" Yu Ying and Jin Shu had different personalities, she was always respectful and humble, and her tone of voice was also much more gentle.


    The expression on Cheng Ying Zhi''s face changed. She was not completely ignorant about the matters of the Mo King''s Manor.


    "Dead, right?" Cheng Ying Zhi''s face turned dark and felt a chill on her body. It was as if a cold wind was blowing from nowhere, causing her to shiver.


    Yu Ying hesitated.


    "How did he die?"


    Amongst the Fourth Wife, Xin Ziyao had died the most miserable death. Not only had she been strangled to death, but she had also been hanged on the spot. Although Yu Ying said some vague words, Cheng Ying Zhi also understood. The more she heard, the more her hair stood on end. She screamed, "No, I don''t want to live here!"


    "This servant can''t decide on this matter." Yu Ying took a step back, "Madam, if you are not satisfied, you can go find a secondary wife or a prince."


    Cheng Yingzhi composed herself. "Where''s your wangfei?"


    Yu Ying smiled. "Our princess is always ill, and no outsiders are welcome." If Madame hadn''t wanted to go ¡­ Let me remind you, our wangfei is suffering from... "Pulmonary tuberculosis.


    Cheng Ying Zhi violently coughed a few times, but was unable to say anything. Suddenly, he thought in his heart, could it be that this concubine was deliberately making things difficult for her? His heart suddenly went cold.


    On the other side, Jin Zhui and Wu Yu entered the Yu Run Xuan where Qin Sang lived. Although the decorations weren''t as extravagant and extravagant as Yu Lan Xuan''s, Qin Sang liked plants, and the garden was filled with all kinds of flowers and trees.


    Wu Yu turned around in satisfaction and said, "The environment is so elegant, who planted so many flowers?"


    "Xing''er has been taking care of this courtyard ever since Madam Qin left."


    Wu Yu asked casually, "Who is Madam Qin?" She was obviously not like Cheng Ying who had come prepared and was clueless about the matters of the Mo King''s Manor.


    Jin Shu gave a strange smile. "Madam Qin? She was once a concubine serving under the prince. She was both beautiful and charming, and liked to tattoo on her body. She was like a wild and thorny rose."


    Wu Yu felt a little uncomfortable, and looked at her coldly: "Then Your Highness should like her a lot right? Why did he leave again? "Where did you go?"


    "Oh ¡­" She ¡­ she strangled Xin Wangfei to death with her own hands. In order to cover up the evidence, she had a rose tattooed on her body ¡­ "


    "Wh ¡­" "What?" Wu Yu trembled and opened his beautiful eyes wide in fear. Strangle Xin Wudao''s wife? Murder?


    Jin Shu was still using a strange yet slow tone to speak with a smile, "Yeah, later on, she was sent to court and sent to prison in the Ministry of Justice ¡­" "Aiyo, this servant doesn''t know what happened next. Madam, you have to ask our prince if you want to know."


    Ah!" Wu Yu covered his face and let out a tragic cry, "She ¡­ She can''t be dead, right?


    "Shouldn''t the death penalty be imposed for murder?" Jinshu tilted her head and pretended to look at her innocently.


    "No, no, no, I don''t want to live here!"


    Wu Yun almost crawled and rolled his way out of the Rain Tower, just in time to run into Cheng Yizhi who was also screaming as he ran out of the Rain Tower.


    Yu Ying followed closely behind. She seemed uneasy yet submissive. She said gently, "Lady Cheng, don''t make things difficult for this servant ¡­"


    Wu Yu looked at Cheng Ying Zhi with a sobbing tone and suddenly rushed forward to grab her hand as if she was his only backer. He said with a trembling voice, "Cheng ¡­" Sister Cheng, I don''t live here, I want to live with you! "


    Cheng Ying turned pale and looked back in shock, shaking his head: "I also can''t stay, then ¡­ ¡­" That Yulan Xuan is Xin ¡­ "The place where Hsin-Sian Fei died ¡­"


    Wu Yu''s crying suddenly stopped, his face turned pale as he stared at her, unable to say a word.


    "Where''s Zhou Zhen?"


    Zhou Zhen asked about the direction of Yu Mu Xuan and then walked over.


    In the past, the other wives lived next to each other. Yu Muxuan was the last courtyard in the row, and although it looked simple, it was very clean. When Zhou Zhen walked in, she saw a maid and a servant cleaning the courtyard until it was bright.


    "Good morning Madam."


    Zhou Zhen nodded at them politely and asked, "What are you guys called? Is she the one in charge of this courtyard? "


    "Yes, Madam. This servant is Jinsi."


    "This little servant is at ease."


    "Did someone live in this courtyard before?" Zhou Zhen stepped into the room, walked around and walked out, frowning slightly.


    Before the makeup stage, there were still unused remnants of rouge and water powder. There were also some seemingly quite expensive jewelry in the dowry.


    "Zhou Zhen, quickly come out!"


    Cheng Ying Zhi and Wu Yu appeared at the entrance of the yard at the same time, each with a defeated look on their face.


    Zhou Zhen looked at them strangely. "What''s the matter, sisters?"


    "This... This... All the courtyards here have died! "


    Cheng Ying Zhi''s lips trembled, her eyes looking at Yu Ying and Jin Shu became a little fearful. What kind of place was this Prince Mo''s mansion? The four courtyards here had all been dead?!


    Yu Ying laughed, "What you two madams said is not right. Yu Muxuan has never died. Although Madam Ling has also died in the past, she committed suicide. Furthermore, she died in the Windy Pavilion, not here."


    Ah!" Wu Yu was the weakest, when he heard that someone had died in King Mo''s own courtyard, his eyes turned white, and he fainted.


    Ming Zhu was unable to support her, and seeing that the two of them were about to fall, Zhou Zhen''s servant, Little Chan, went over to help. Only then did the two of them barely manage to support her.

 C210 New Wife Entering the Mansion(4)

    Cheng Ying said incoherently and told her about the two dead people in the courtyard. Zhou Zhen frowned and thought for a while, "No matter what, my courtyard is still clean. Since Madam Ling did not die here, I will stay here." "If you don''t mind, sister, you can stay with me or with me in the back of the Yu Xiaoxuan. I heard that Lady Yue and Jiang Ji lived in the same courtyard as before, and that they were also sent to the Board of Justice for questioning. They didn''t die in the courtyard."


    "NO!" What''s the difference? "


    Zhou Zhen shook her head helplessly. "Alright then, I''ll stay here. The two sisters will let the Prince arrange another place for you to stay."


    Jin Zhui smiled. "I''m afraid there''s no better place to go. Other than the guest Yue Lianxuan, there''s only the main wife Feng Lingxuan and Lady Jia''s Yue Wuxuan."


    Cheng Ying Zhi''s eyes were about to pop out of their sockets. Seeing these two servants being calm and obedient while hiding a knife within a smile, they were not easy to deal with. She shivered for no reason and felt a tinge of regret over marrying into the Prince''s Mansion.


    Just as he was in a daze, he heard a flirtatious and melodious laugh. "These three younger sisters must be the new wives that just came over from the palace?"


    Cheng Ying and Zhou Zhen looked over and saw a woman in a brocade blue phoenix tail dress walking towards them. She was graceful and charming. She bowed to them with a smile. Behind her was a maid who looked very smart.


    Seeing how well-mannered she was, Cheng Yingzhi and Zhou Zhen could not help but respond with half a salute.


    "This must be Madam Jia?" Zhou Zhen looked her up and down. With such a seductive beauty dressed in luxurious clothing, she was naturally not a servant. From the way she was addressed, it was impossible for her to be the principal concubine lying in bed. The only person she could be referring to was Lady Jia, whom she had never met.


    Gabriella smiled and nodded, "I heard that Yu Yingshu brought her three younger sisters to the courtyard to settle them down. I also came over to get to know them, to see if there is anything I can help with. How to... This sister is not feeling well? "


    She finally noticed Wu Yu who was in the arms of Ming Zhu and Xiao Chan, and couldn''t help but frown, feeling extremely surprised.


    "Scared." Cheng Ying Zhi said in a bad mood.


    "Hmm?" Gabriella''s eyes widened.


    Cheng Ying Zhi pursed his lips, and thought for a while, and still voiced out his grievances. He then said angrily: "Gu Wei, is it on purpose, for you to let us settle down here ¡­ "These courtyards?"


    After thinking for a while, she said, "I entered the house earlier than you. I may not be older than you, but according to the rules, it would not be too much to call myself ''elder sister'', right?"


    Cheng Ying harrumphed and unwillingly nodded her head. If she were to meet the person who held the most goodwill towards her after entering the mansion, she did not want to offend him.


    "Little sister, listen to this big sister. We''ll temporarily settle down at the Rainwater Pavilion tonight." "Death is not your reason for rejecting residence ¡­"


    "What?" Cheng Ying screamed loudly.


    "Shh!" Gabriella put her index finger to her lips.


    Wu Yu fainted originally, but was awakened by Cheng Ying Zhi''s earth-shattering scream and looked around blankly.


    "The side concubine is not only the prince''s most beloved concubine, but also the prince''s only flesh and blood. Whether you go to look for the prince or the side concubine, you are making the side concubine lose face. After all, these three younger sisters are still new to the clan, yet they already have so many requests.


    Wu Yu almost cried out, "I don''t want to... "I''m afraid ¡­"


    Jia Bi Ru smiled calmly. "She''s not as scared as you think. Previously, when the Ling Xinning Miss came to the mansion, even though she lives in the Rainwave Pavilion, she didn''t encounter any problems. "You can stay here for a few days, but the only one in the mansion who can still speak in front of the prince is the wangfei. In a day''s time, I''ll help you find the wangfei and tell her that I''m staying at the Yue Wu Xuan''s place, and that there are two long empty courtyards there. The Yue Tong Xuan and Yue Hua Xuan are arranged neatly, so they should be able to stay here as well."


    "Thank you, sister!" Cheng Ying almost cried from the gratitude.


    "If my three younger sisters have nothing else to do tonight, why don''t you all go to my Moon Parasol Pavilion and have a seat so that I can help cleanse my younger sisters?" Gabriella smiled.


    Seeing that they had completed their mission, Yu Ying and Jin Shu stealthily glanced at each other before leaving.


    On the way back, Jin Shu whispered, "Does Madam Jia plan on winning over the hearts of others?"


    Yu Ying smiled lightly and glanced at her. "Will you tell the wangfei?"


    "Of course."


    However, Yu Ying stopped walking and seemed to be deep in thought.


    "Why?"


    "Madam Jia has been keeping a low profile since she entered the palace. She didn''t even care about the prince''s indifference. Why did she suddenly act as a rafter for such a long time?"


    "Perhaps, I have endured for too long?"


    Yu Ying gently shook her head. "This Lady Cheng ¡­" "It''s said that her father is also a military general in the imperial camp. He''s under the command of the Yan King."


    Jin Zhui covered his mouth and widened his eyes.


    When mentioning the Imperial Camp, she unexpectedly thought of Lu Linghui, that rainy night, that hug ¡­ Her thoughts drifted away until Yu Ying pushed her away and looked at her in bewilderment. "What are you thinking about?"


    Jinshu came back to her senses in panic. "Oh? Oh? I was thinking about Jinsi, and she... "She''s still in Yu Mu Xuan not coming out yet ¡­"


    "There''s no need to worry. She''s just cleaning up. Furthermore, I feel that Madame Zhou doesn''t look too bad. She shouldn''t be making things difficult for her."


    Jin Se was Jin Shu''s cousin. She had not been serving Xiao Yi since she was young, but had only entered the palace a few years ago because of her elder sister. She did things diligently and did not speak much.


    Second Sister had returned to Feng Che Xuan and reported the three new wives'' matters to him.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t see anything out of the ordinary in his eyes. Gu Qingli was as calm as if nothing had happened. "All of you can leave."


    "Ah?" Do you need to arrange for more people to go to the three new wives'' courtyards? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu said, "We can arrange this matter with Suifeng. Yuying, if you have nothing to do, you have to go to the Wind Spirit Pavilion and wait there. Don''t let Madam Jia not see anyone when she goes."


    "Yes."


    Gu Qingli said, "Jinshu, wait a moment. Prince is going to spend the night at Lady Cheng''s place. Tell her to pack it up early and wait for Prince to pass."


    Jin Shu froze for a moment, then immediately said, "Yes."


    After they left, Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression became stern. "Who said I''m going to Mrs. Cheng''s place tonight?"


    "I''ll decide for you." Gu Qingli smiled and hugged him, looking up at him.


    "I''m not going anywhere."


    "I know you''re not interested, but as you used to do with them, you''ve got to get over it. "Furthermore, you should also probe her ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu lowered his head and kissed her, blocking her chattering lips. He kissed her so deeply that she almost suffocated.


    Seeing her panting and blushing like a drunkard, Xiao Yi Xiu sighed. "I don''t want to leave you. Not even for a moment." He gently held her hand and looked at her delicate, jade-like hand. His eyes were filled with pity, afraid that at some point the black line that was about to break free would appear on her arm.


    "Don''t be afraid, if the Gu Master died so easily, Fang Yaju would not have survived past twenty years." Gu Qingli saw through his worries and smiled sweetly.


    "But you''re not Fang Yanzhu. You''ve long since left that mysterious organization."


    "Wouldn''t that be safer? As long as there''s no one to activate it, it might never be a problem."


    Xiao Yi Xiu knew that she was only trying to console him. He shook his head and remained silent.


    "If Cheng Yizhi is one of Xiao Yijin''s men, then Jia Bi Ruoruo will show herself soon. She has been patient for so long, it''s not just to keep pretending."


    Xiao Yi Xiu sighed, his eyes filled with a faint sense of weariness. He was already disgusted by these tricks. Why did these people not let go of his private life when they were fighting over the imperial government? They couldn''t even give him the last bit of peace, especially with Gu Qingli''s current body ¡­ He couldn''t feel at ease at all times.

 C211 A strange night

    On the other hand, Yue Wuxuan enjoyed her dinner happily. The three new wives were moved by Madam Jia''s warm hospitality and temporarily forgot about their worries.


    Only Zhou Zhen did not look happy at all. She did not look sad at all. She was very polite to her, making her look at him in a new light. A young girl from a county magistrate''s family actually had such a quiet bearing. It seemed that the upbringing of her family was very good.


    After leaving the Moon Parasol Pavilion and passing through the Xiaoyao''s garden, the cold autumn night wind blew past. Zhou Zhen looked back into the wooden house and suddenly called out, "Cat!" There''s only one cat! "


    "What cat?" Wu Yu and Cheng Ying turned their heads to look, but all they saw was the darkness in the open cabin. The faint smell of herbs wafted over, but nothing happened.


    "You''re seeing things."


    Zhou Zhen puzzledly asked Little Chan, "Did you see that?"


    Little Chan''s face was pale as she shook her head.


    "My eyes must be playing tricks on me ¡­" "How come there''s someone in front of Yu Lan Xuan?"


    Wu Yu was originally a coward, being scared by Zhou Zhen over and over again. His eyebrows twitched, and he almost cursed out loud.


    But Cheng Ying Zhi trembled, and said with a trembling voice, "Really ¡­" "There''s really someone. It''s a woman."


    "Let''s go take a look."


    Both Yu Run Xuan and Yu Mu Xuan had to pass through the entrance of Yu Lan Xuan''s courtyard. Zhou Zhen was quite bold, walking calmly at the front. Only when they got closer could they see that it was Jin Shu by the wind lamp outside the entrance.


    "Don''t be afraid, it''s Jin Shu."


    It''s that damned girl again! When Cheng Ying thought of how she was scared by Jin Shu during the day, she suddenly became angry. She had a nagging feeling that this maid harbored malicious intentions, and was using the fact that she was someone close to the prince to bully her.


    "What are you doing here?" With a cold expression, Cheng Yingzhi quickly stepped forward.


    In the dead of night, Jin Shu stood alone here. The light from the lamp was dim and mournful, causing her slender figure to elongate, making her look rather eerie.


    "Waiting for Lady Cheng!" "This servant follows Your Highness''s orders and comes to the Rainwave Pavilion to pass a message to Lady Cheng. The prince will come to the Rainwave Pavilion later to spend the night. This servant has already been waiting for a long time, I didn''t expect that the princess would not be in the courtyard."


    "I ¡­" Cheng Ying was at a loss for words. Because they had just arrived, there was no one else at Yulan Xuan''s service. Naturally, no one had informed Jinshu of her whereabouts. It was only her fault that Jinshu was waiting in the wind at night.


    "It''s alright, this servant is just a servant. After all, it''s only right to wait for so long. Madam, there''s no need to tell this servant where you went." "It''s already very late, so I''m afraid that Your Highness will be arriving soon. Madam, do you want to take a bath first ¡­"


    Cheng Ying was startled. Looking at the moon high in the sky, she rushed into the yard with the train in her hand in a panic. "Hui Qiao, prepare some hot water for me to bathe in."


    Jin Shu spoke slowly from behind. "If Madame lets the prince wait for too long, then things will not be good. Our prince does not have much patience."


    Cheng Ying''s heart was in turmoil from the news of her being favoured as soon as she entered the residence. It was unknown if it was joy or surprise, but she felt extremely uneasy. Thus, she did not take Jin Shu''s rudeness to heart.


    When he entered the bathroom, he found that the cedar tub was steaming, and beside it was a small red-mud stove. Both of the stoves had kettles bubbling with steam, causing the entire room to be filled with steaming steam.


    Cheng Ying was stunned for a moment before realizing that all of this was prepared by Jin Zhui.


    For a moment, she could not tell whether she was happy or upset, so she let Hui Qiao serve her as she undressed and took a bath.


    "Young mistress, the servants of the Mo King''s Manor have served you well." Hui Qiao whispered.


    "That girl has a lot of ghost eyes." As Cheng Yingzhi submerged into the hot water, she felt all her pores open up in the fragrance of the flowers and the hot water, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction. In the midst of the haze, she thought of the words Yun''er had written on her palm when she had taken advantage of the time of the cloth.


    To tell the truth, before he saw Yun''er, Cheng Ying Zhi was already shaken. Although she wasn''t willing to enter the palace, after entering, hearing about her ex-husband''s personnel made her shudder inwardly.


    She was just a young lady from the Shangguan family who lived like a prince. She was more attracted to wealth and comfort than to losing her life.


    If he had entered the palace by virtue of his beauty or entered the Yan King Manor, he wouldn''t have to worry about wealth and prosperity in his life. Before she had entered the palace, she had thought gloomily that if Prince Mo were to fall, she would be married off. Just by thinking about it, she would know how she would be in the next half of her life.


    But if he didn''t listen to Yan Wang and Imperial Concubine Lan''s words, forget about the rest of his life, he didn''t even know how long he would live. Not only that, her father was under the direct control of the Yan Emperor, and the authority over the life and death of his family was in his hands.


    Cheng Ying sighed dejectedly. Yun''er had warned him again and again. Was she afraid that if she entered Prince Mo''s Mansion, she would retreat and have ulterior motives?


    At first, she had placed her hopes on the promise of the King of Yan, that if he ascended the throne, she would have a place in the harem. However, when she saw Gabriella, she suddenly felt a chill in her heart ¨C how many pawns did the King of Yan have like her? Did he promise every woman that?


    What about the other ladies who had died in a bizarre manner in the past? Who were they?


    After Cheng Yingzhi finished bathing in a trance, Hui Ying helped her put on a loose and soft robe and headed to the dorm.


    In the midst of the green smoke, the white-clothed Prince Mo leaned against the edge of the bed. He looked a little lazy, with calm eyes and a jade-like face. The light smile on the corner of his lips was intoxicating.


    Cheng Ying was stunned for a moment, and Jin Shu tactfully left, pulling Hui Ying out and closing the door behind her.


    "Prince ¡­" Cheng Ying''s uneasiness deepened. She looked at the two flickering red candles on the candlestick, lighting up the only atmosphere of celebration in the room.


    "Come here." Xiao Yi Xiu patted the empty bed beside him and smiled at her.


    Cheng Ying Zhi bit her lower lip as she walked over, and a fragrant smell wafted into her nose. She immediately felt that the smell was ethereal, and even the man''s face became unreal.


    After an unknown period of time, she felt that Xiao Yixiu''s voice seemed to come from the horizon, "Xiao Yijin asked you to come here. What do you want to know?"


    "I, I ¡­" Do you really want to know if His Highness is really ill and blind? "


    "What else?"


    "Also ¡­" Is Li Yue really the third young mistress of the Gu family? "


    "¡­"


    After all, Cheng Ying Zhi did not know much, and in the midst of her mental confusion, she could not answer anything useful, so she dozed off amidst the fragrant fog.


    Wu Yu who was just a wall away did not have such a good life.


    After that, she returned to the gloomy Yu He Pavilion. Subconsciously, she began to suspect something, and the more she looked around, the more she felt that this courtyard was strange and scary. The more she looked at it, the more she felt that this courtyard was a tall and deep courtyard.


    "Ming Zhu, did you say this place ¡­ "Isn''t that a little bit ¡­" Wu Yu was trembling.


    "Miss, don''t think too much. If it''s time to cause trouble, the neighboring courtyard should be even worse."


    Wu Yu randomly washed up and got on the bed, his vigilant eyes staring outside the window.


    Until she got used to the Moonlight Tree''s shadow and the sound of the wind, she could not hold it in any longer, so she closed her eyes in a daze.

 C212 noonday convulsion(1)

    The sound of the wind seemed to grow louder and louder, like the sound of a sharp wind passing through a canyon, twisting and changing its tone. The window paper whistled as it vibrated, even the panes were compressed to the point of letting out a distorted ping sound.


    Wu Yu suddenly woke up from his stupor. He could tell that the sound of the wind was mixed with the sound of the wind ¡­ The woman''s mournful wails.


    No, to be exact, it was not the sound of the wind at all, but the sound of crying and laughter mixed together with something indistinguishable, as if there were intermittent words.


    "I... Good... Pitiful ¡­ Woo woo ¡­ * I died... "How tragic ¡­"


    Wu Yu felt something pressing on his chest, and his hands and feet seemed numb, unable to move.


    "Ming Zhu!" She struggled with all her might and suddenly let out a loud shout, but she did not hear Ming Zhu''s response as scheduled.


    Wu Yu almost cried. She wanted to move desperately, but her body was numb. She could only shout "Ming Zhu" again and again.


    However, the mournful sound outside the window did not let her go. It was getting closer and closer, to the point that there was the sound of claws scraping against the window pane.


    "Wh ¡­" "Who is it?" Wu said in a trembling voice.


    No one paid any attention to her, and the scrape of the window grew sharper.


    Wu Yu suddenly remembered that when he came back at night, Zhou Zhen had called out to him when she looked at the lonely cabin: "Cat!"


    Maybe the cat was scratching at the window? Suddenly, from somewhere, she felt a surge of strength. With trembling hands, she grabbed the porcelain pillow and slammed it against the window pane.


    With a loud bang, a hole appeared in the window paper, and the porcelain pillow shattered into countless pieces.


    A cold wind blew through the broken window paper. The sound of the wind was getting louder, but the sound of claws scraping against the window was gone.


    Wu Yu was so exhausted that he couldn''t even lift his hands. He could only stare at the window and see a black shadow that was slightly distorted on the window pane. It looked like a tall, thin and pretty woman.


    Wu Yu couldn''t stand the shock, so he let out a short cry, his vision turned black, and he fainted.


    When the sun was rising in the east, even a tiny bit of the morning sunlight could not dispel the coldness of the mist. Condensed droplets of water fell on people''s faces, making their skin shiver.


    Outside of the latrine, a woman had fainted. Her eyelids moved due to the sunlight, and she slowly opened her eyes as she frowned.


    Ah!" She stumbled to her feet, only to realize that she was completely numb from the cold. She lost her balance and fell down again. After much difficulty, she stood up again. When she raised her eyes in panic, it was already dawn.


    Ignoring the mud and dew on her hands, she stumbled into the room and pushed open the door to her bedroom, feeling the warmth only when she opened it.


    "Miss ¡­ "Miss?"


    Wu Yu was shaken awake. When he woke up, he immediately jumped up and started screaming non-stop. His terrified eyes were wide open and bloodshot.


    "What''s the matter, Miss?" Ming Zhu was even more frightened, and couldn''t help but take a few steps back.


    "Ghost ¡­" "Ghost!" Wu Yu pointed at the window. "There''s a ghost ¡ª why is it dawn?"


    "Miss, you ¡­ Don''t scare me! "


    Wu Yu spread out his hands and said in fear: "Why ¡­" How come I can move again? I couldn''t move my hands and feet last night, I... Where did you go? "


    "This servant woke up to go to the toilet, then fainted for no reason ¡­" Ming Zhu rubbed the back of her head. Because she was lying on the ground, the back of her head was still swollen, and there was still some pain from touching it.


    "Someone knocked you out?"


    "Nope." Ming Zhu shook her head. Her memory was very clear. She definitely did not encounter any attacks, nor did she encounter any strange occurrences. She just mysteriously fainted.


    "How is this possible!?" You''re not sick! You have been serving me since I was young, and you are always so lively! " Wu shook her, full of fear.


    Ming Zhu was also trembling as she felt a strange and terrifying feeling. If he had been knocked unconscious, it would not have been the most terrifying thing to do. It was because he had fainted for no reason that everything seemed even more bizarre. All of this did not seem like human actions at all.


    Listening to Wu Yu''s story again, Ming Zhu suddenly turned around, pointing at the window, her face pale.


    The window facing the bed was in perfect condition, and there were no broken pieces of porcelain pillows on the floor. When he looked back, Wu Yu had the porcelain pillow placed on the bed, unharmed.


    "I... "Impossible, I clearly remember!" Wu felt like she was going crazy. She got dressed and got out of bed. She walked around to the window, her hair all disheveled.


    It was early in the morning, and the wailing sounds within the rain-filled courtyard woke everyone up from their stupor.


    Zhou Zhen woke up early and finished washing up. When she heard the sound, he walked over.


    When Cheng Yingzhi woke up, she felt as if her body had been tossed and turned. There was a little pain from last night, but it was not clear. It was as if Xiao Yixiu was hugging her, whispering softly and affectionately.


    She was a little shy, a little lost and frightened. She reached out her hand to touch the empty blanket beside her.


    He opened his eyes and lifted the blanket. Seeing the dark bloodstains on the white silk, Cheng Ying suddenly felt like crying.


    "You''re awake?"


    In panic, Cheng Ying Zhi grabbed the blanket to cover herself up before realizing that Xiao Yi Xiu was already dressed neatly and was sitting in front of the dressing table, looking at her from the start.


    The quality of the white satin clothing was excellent. It gave off a pure and cold aura. His face still had a faint smile, but his eyes did not allow anyone to get close to it. He could not find any trace of that kind of gentle chatter from last night. It was as if the person that was a little crazy and indulgent was not him.


    However, such a Xiao Yi Xiu, with his inky eyebrows and thin, red lips, was especially attractive.


    Cheng Yingzhi was stunned for a while. Suddenly, she thought, this is the person she married. If she is not the rumored dying patient, she should be much better than the King of Yan.


    She sighed to herself and tried to look elegant and shy as she got up.


    It was at this moment that he heard Wu Yu''s screams and cries.


    "What happened?" Cheng Ying''s hairs stood on end, this cry was too mournful.


    "I don''t know. This King will go take a look first. Put on your clothes first and don''t catch a cold." He seemed to glance at her meaningfully and went out.


    Cheng Ying''s face suddenly flushed red.


    Wu Dong''s hair was down and his legs were down. His outer robe was also lightly draped over his body, and he was crying. Ming Zhu also looked a little disheveled, her clothes were stained with mud and dew, as she frantically supported Wu Yu.


    Zhou Zhen was listening to her rambling about what had happened last night, so much so that they hadn''t even noticed when Xiao Yixiu had arrived.


    Jinshu respectfully followed Xiaoyu. When she heard Wu speaking about the sound of claws scratching the window, she interjected, "Is it the sound of human nails or the sound of animal claws?"


    Wu Yu was stunned: "No ¡­" He didn''t know that Zhou Zhen had seen a black cat in the herb garden last night ¡­ "None of us saw it. I was afraid that I would scare myself, but in reality, it was just a cat doing something, so I just used a porcelain pillow to smash it ¡­"


    Cheng Yingzhi also rushed over and listened to the second half of the narration.


    When Jin Shu heard this, she chuckled. "Black cat? "Xin Wei''s concubine once had a black cat, called Black Jade, and died."


    "Dead?" Wu Yu''s hair stood on end.


    Even Cheng Ying Zhi crossed his arms and caressed it, his eyes revealing his fear.

 C213 noonday convulsion(2)

    "It''s dead. Oh, right. I was killed by Yun''er. I skinned it and hung it on the treetop between the Moon Parasol Pavilion and the herb garden ¡­" That Thunderstorm Night, the cat''s blood dropped down one drop, tsk tsk ¡­ "


    "Ah ¡­" Don''t say anymore! " Wu Yu wanted to step forward and cover her mouth.


    "Alright, Jin Shu, stop scaring her." She reached out her hand to touch the window pane, then went into the bedroom to examine the room. "In my opinion, you''re all suspicious of the dark. Ever since we started living here, all you''ve been thinking about is terrifying matters. You''ve had dreams every day."


    "That''s not it, Your Highness!" Wu Yu said in fear, "Is Ming Zhu fainting for no reason fake? She has a bag on the back of her head. "


    "The road is slippery from the dark, and the dew from the night wet the moss on the steps, causing it to slip and fall accidentally." "Otherwise, how can you explain the fact that there are no scratches outside the window and that your porcelain pillow is lying intact on the bed?"


    Wu Yu was tongue-tied.


    "That''s right. Last night, Bi Ruo called someone to tell the imperial concubine that the imperial concubine agreed to repair the Moon Parasol Pavilion and the Moon Birch Pavilion so that the two of you could move there. This King sees, just bear with it for a few more days and it''ll be over.


    "But Your Highness ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s face darkened as he looked at Wu Yu coldly.


    Her heart turned cold and she could no longer speak.


    "Zhou Zhen, you want to move too?"


    Zhou Zhen shook her head. "I''ll stay at Yu Muxuan. Last night, I smelled the faint fragrance of the daisies outside and heard the bamboo leaves rustling in the wind. I feel quiet and comfortable. There''s nothing out of the ordinary."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded as he and Jin Shu walked out of the rain-soaked pavilion.


    Looking at Wu Yu''s appearance, Cheng Ying''s heart was filled with fear. She held her hand and kept comforting him.


    "How about... If Prince does not come tonight, then I will come to accompany you. "


    "Alright." Wu looked at her helplessly.


    Zhou Zhen acted like she was an outsider as she shook her head and walked out of the room.


    After they finished their breakfast, the three of them should have gone to pay their respects to the wangfei, but when they reached the courtyard door, they were stopped by Yu Ying. The three of them smiled and said, "Wangfei is infected and is afraid to pass it on to others. She never sees an outsider, please go back."


    Sounds like she''s dying. The three madams looked at each other. Cheng Yingzhi curled her lips and took the lead to leave the Wind Spirit Pavilion, heading towards the Wind Spirit Pavilion.


    Xiao Yi and Gu Qing Li talked about what happened to Wu Yu last night. Both of them saw the astonishment in each other''s eyes.


    "I haven''t even made my move yet. Who is that fast?" Gu Qing Li couldn''t figure it out, especially when Zhou Zhen mentioned the cat.


    "Strange things happen when they come. The problem isn''t with them, it''s with Gabriella."


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. "Watching tigers fight across the mountains might save us a lot of trouble."


    Xiao Yi Xiu saw that it wasn''t early in the morning, so he hurried to the court. After a short while, he smiled at her gently and said in a voice that only she could hear, "You must have been tired last night. Rest well. I''ll come see you again tonight."


    Cheng Ying''s heart started beating rapidly. Compared to last night''s mood, it was unexpectedly filled with anticipation.


    Gu Qingli was still sitting at the table. She slowly raised her silver chopsticks and tapped them lightly, "Sit."


    Seeing that Xiao Yixiu had left, Cheng Yingzhi''s expression immediately changed to one of pride as she chuckled, "I was a little tired last night, so I won''t stay any longer. Please enjoy yourself."


    Gu Qingli watched her casually turn around, her eyes full of pride and arrogance from her new pet. She only smiled faintly.


    Wu Yu sat there uneasily, listening to Gu Qing Li asking about what had happened last night. He seemed to be indifferent, and couldn''t help feeling angry in his heart. He thought to himself: If it wasn''t for the concubine arranging for me to stay in that haunted courtyard, how would I have met with what happened last night?


    Her scalp tingled at the thought of spending a few more nights in that yard.


    Zhou Zhen, on the other hand, watched attentively as Gu Qing Li removed the red veil from her face and ate her meal gracefully and slowly. She could not help but ask puzzledly, "Why does the secondary wife wear a veil when eating?"


    Gu Qingli paused for a moment before smiling. "I''m already used to it. It''s possible that this side''s concubine isn''t as beautiful as Lady Cheng and feels ashamed to show her face." And then she chuckled.


    Wu Yu heard the faint ridicule in her words and rolled his eyes. He glanced at her bulging stomach and thought that it was only because she was pregnant that she could be so arrogant. She was just a concubine. At this moment, she suddenly remembered that the princess had been ill for a long time. When she heard that the pulmonary tuberculosis was an incurable disease, her heart suddenly chilled.


    He stared at Gu Qing Li in a daze.


    Zhou Zhen spoke a few more words before lightly tugging on Wu Dong''s sleeve. She then got up and said goodbye.


    Xiao Yixiu left for the morning assembly and was led into the palace by Qin Bi.


    Initially, he did not understand. However, Qin Bi did not lure him into the imperial study. Instead, he was walking towards the depths of the palace. Furthermore, he was heading due north, so he had a general idea of what was going on.


    There was a row of buildings that could just barely be called a palace in the north. Although it was early autumn, the atmosphere was already somber, and the golden ginkgo leaves in the yard fluttered in the wind like butterflies.


    The knee-high grass had been cleared at the emperor''s command, and only the moss-green of the stone showed that it was a place where there were few traces of human life.


    "Prince Mo, the emperor is waiting for you inside."


    Qin Bi stood at the entrance of the palace without moving. His eyes were filled with a sinister light and his smile was not a smile.


    Xiao Yixiu walked past the guards and eunuchs on duty and lightly pushed the door of the main hall.


    There was still a strange smell in the hall, but it was much better than the last time the emperor had come. The windows were open for ventilation and were neatly tidied up.


    However, the light in the large hall was still dim, and Xiao Yi Xiu almost didn''t notice that the Emperor was sitting at the window.


    "Father."


    In front of him, there was a carefree chair placed in the middle of the great hall. Xiao Yi Bei was half lying on the chair, his hands and feet firmly tied to the chair''s north side and the chair''s legs. From time to time, he would smile, revealing dense white teeth.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her for a while before replying softly, "That''s too ¡­" Second Imperial Brother? "


    In reality, Xiao Yi Bei had already been cleaned up, but he was extremely skinny. His eyes and manner were completely different from those of the past. His long hair was unbound and draped over his shoulders. It was hard to see his handsome appearance back then.


    The emperor''s expression was as dignified as ever, but there were traces of exhaustion in his eyes. Ever since his poison was cured, he seemed to show signs of fatigue.


    "Are you happy that Bei''er has become like this?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was startled and replied, "I am not happy with second royal brother''s appearance." "I just don''t understand why he became like that."


    The Emperor did not answer, but said, "Xiu''er, I have two things I want you to do."


    "I will obey your orders, Imperial Father."

 C214 Fake is true and false(1)

    The emperor stared fixedly at Xiao Yi Bei, then said slowly, "Xin Yingning, the president of the military, was impeached long ago. Her corruption was restrained, and she had the authority to form a clique, but because there wasn''t enough evidence, he was only found to be weak. "I want you to handle this nail. You need to remove it by its roots."


    On the one hand, he had removed his authority as a military attach¨¦. On the other hand, he was wary of the possibility that the Empress''s fall from power might cause him to get into trouble in his defense strategy. On the other hand, he had ended his confusion regarding the allocation of military rations and fodder.


    At the same time, the military command was decided by the Ministry of War, the Prime Minister, and the Central Book Order. Once Xin Yining descended from this position, he would have to face the fact that he could no longer participate in the military command operation.


    It sounds like transferring the Minister of War to the Board of Punishments sounded like a transfer, but in reality, it might have been a trap for the Emperor.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart shook slightly, but his gaze never left Xiao Yi Bei. He didn''t seem to understand, and continued to grimace from time to time.


    The Emperor sighed silently and looked away in disappointment.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked down and saw that Xiao Yi Bei''s hands were still struggling in vain. However, when he heard the news, he stopped for a moment and trembled.


    "The second thing, for Bei''er to become like this, is not my wish. No matter how unkind he is, he is still my biological son ¡­ Your wife, Li Yue, is famous for moving the capital. Her medical skills are like that of a god, why don''t you let her take a look and see if Bei''er still has any hope of being cured? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu paused for a moment and said, "This is not easy."


    The emperor indifferently swept a glance at him. "Could it be that the Li Yue in your residence ¡­ Is it fake? "


    "Royal father has seen her true appearance. Whether she''s real or fake, there should be a judgement." Xiao Yixiu asked the Emperor in a tone that was neither light nor heavy.


    The emperor slightly narrowed his eyes without making a sound. Although Li Yue was Gu Qingxiao, when did the Prime Minister''s daughter have such a high level of medical skills? He was still puzzled.


    "Li Yue is pregnant, so her movements will be inconvenient. Why don''t you bring the second brother back to the Residence of Mo to have a look?"


    Only then did the Emperor understand the meaning behind his words. After thinking for a while, he said, "That''s fine, I can trust you."


    Xiao Yi Bei was lifted up by the guards and carried out of the palace along with his easy-going chair. He even stuffed a piece of cloth in his mouth to prevent him from biting anyone.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t follow. He went to the side hall and stood by the window to look inside.


    Du Ying was as beautiful as ever. Her black hair was piled up in clouds, her skin was snow-white, and she wore an old shirt that had been washed until it was slightly white. She exuded the elegance of the past, but her temperament was still calm and peaceful.


    She sat by the piano peacefully, her fingers moving, the notes flowing away like clouds, as if nothing could affect her beauty and grace.


    "Miss Du."


    Du Ying raised her eyes to look at him and smiled peacefully.


    Xiao Yi Xiu also smiled, "Miss Du is indeed a girl named Zhuge. I hope you won''t regret it."


    Du Ying''s smile froze for a moment, and her eyes dimmed.


    Xiao Yi Xiu leaned his body to sit at the entrance of the carriage, then he looked outside the carriage before turning back to look at Xiao Yi Bei. He smiled and asked, "Second Imperial Brother, do you feel wronged?"


    Xiao Yi Bei blankly roared in a low voice.


    "Actually, you are already very lucky. In the first half of your life, with mother''s help, you paved a smooth path. If it were not for your lack of treasure, I''m afraid no one would have been able to take you down. Was it too early to say the rest of her life? However, your fate seems to have come to an end. Du Ying is an intelligent woman, born in a brothel and trapped in prison, she can still get you a chance to free yourself, and can even help you shake Xiao Yijin''s foundation. But she doesn''t have any more ability to help you regain her position as Crown Prince. "


    Xiao Yi Bei''s gaze rapidly changed, and he suddenly showed his teeth at Qin Lie like a hungry beast.


    "Second Imperial Brother, you don''t have to waste your energy in front of me. You may not know this, but Ah Yan has already left the East Abyss. No one knows where he went. Following that, if Xin Yingning were to fall, you should be able to predict what royal father''s next move would be. "


    Xiao Yi Bei couldn''t help but shiver, and his eyes couldn''t help but reveal a look of fear.


    "Royal Father wants to cripple you, and you can live because you are still his bloodline ¡ª but he will not give you freedom. If you continue to be foolish, he will be a lot more at ease. So when he asked me to bring you back to the manor, he didn''t really want me to find Li Yue to cure you, but to let you fall into an eternal madness. He gave me the chance to deal with you in the name of justice. "


    "Shut up!"


    "Shh!" Second royal brother, don''t get too worked up. This is the main road of the capital. " Xiao Yi Xiu put his index finger to his lips.


    Although Xiao Yi Bei was trembling and his voice was filled with rage and insanity, he suppressed it and said in a low voice, "Xiao Yi Xiu, you ¡­" Just how much do you know? "


    "I know you want to live, and if you want to live better, the only option is to work with me."


    Xiao Yi Bei sneered repeatedly and then said, "What''s the difference between you and Xiao Yi Jin and Xiao Yi Mo? Cooperation with you? "Asking for a favor?"


    As he spoke, he arrived at the entrance of the Mo King''s Manor. Xiao Yi Xiu shook his hand and said, "Let''s talk about our matters later. The Mo King''s Manor is not safe. Remember to maintain a crazed look on your face."


    He slowly walked out of the carriage and ordered someone to carry the unfettered chair into the manor.


    Along the way, Xiao Yi Bei struggled and shouted, causing all sorts of nonsense to attract the attention of the guards and servants in the mansion. They were all extremely astonished; they didn''t expect the overweeningly arrogant former crown prince to become like this.


    The three new wives and Gabriella were watching them from afar. Xiao Yi and Bei Feng were smiling at them with their blood-red eyes. They looked like beasts that were about to devour a human. All of them had a terrified look on their faces.


    Xiao Yi Bei was placed in the side room of Feng Zhixuan.


    Just as Xiao Yixiu tookhiss seat, Gu Qingli followed him in. He was dressed in red, and her slightly protruding lower abdomen was very distinct.


    Xiao Yi Bei stared fixedly at her lower abdomen, his eyes filled with doubt and distrust.


    "Crown Prince, oh, you''re wrong. You should be called Second Prince." Gu Qingli smiled. After the crown prince had been crippled, he didn''t even have a title of throne, so she could only call him the second prince.


    "Who are you?" Xiao Yi Bei was extremely vigilant, subconsciously avoiding her hand that was reaching for his pulse.


    Gu Qingli didn''t pay any attention to him. She continued to extend her hand, and her movements were as quick as lightning as she descended. Although Xiao Yi Bei tried to dodge, his hands and feet were tied up. She quickly opened several acupoints and laid there stiffly, glaring at her.


    "You ¡­ Are you Li Yue or Gu Qingxiao? "


    "Is there any difference?" Gu Qingli indifferently sat beside him and began taking his pulse.


    In fact, she was very clear that Xiao Yi Bei was not sick and his mind was very normal. He was pretending to be vicious and crazy.


    "Yes!" Xiao Yi Bei growled. "You''re not Gu Qing Xiao at all. How could Gu Chaoran have a daughter like you?"


    Gu Qingli''s heart stirred as she stared at him. "Why are you so sure that I''m not Gu Qingxiao?"


    "Hahahaha ¡­" Xiao Yi Bei raised his head and laughed, "Because I understand Gu Chaoran. After so many years, everyone wanted to fight for him, but he was never impartial ¡­ Xiao Yixiu, have you ever thought about what kind of heart he has in marrying Gu Qing Li to you and Gu Qing Ruo to Xiao Yi Mo? You may all think that he is a fence-sitter and try to curry favor with him, but I know that that is not the case! "He is not a prince, nor is he a stranger, nor is he a member of the royal family, nor is he a member of the royal family."


    Xiao Yi Xiu replied quietly, "He''s the same as Prince Li. He''s my father''s trusted aide."


    "No, no, no ¡­" Xiao Yi Bei shook his head. "Mother said that there is a mysterious power backing him ¡­" Even royal father doesn''t know. He used his daughter as a pawn and married you, partly to calm your hearts and partly to get to know you from the side. In his eyes, every daughter is a tool that can be used. If Gu Qingxiao really is Li Yue, how can he let her marry you? "


    A ripple appeared in Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes. He was shocked to discover that Xiao Yi Bei was perhaps not as mediocre and useless as he seemed to be in the eyes of outsiders.


    Perhaps he was not good enough for the title of Crown Prince, but a person who had once been made Crown Prince would never do so just because he was the eldest son.


    "Second Imperial Brother is telling me all this because he wants to cooperate with me?"


    Xiao Yi and Bei Bei calmed down and seemed to be deep in thought.

 C215 Fake is true and false(2)

    "Actually, you already have no way out. When you discussed poisoning him with your mother, did you not expect that the Xin family would collapse one day?"


    Xiao Yi Bei raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion and anger. "I didn''t, I didn''t poison him!" I don''t know about that... I only learned later that Mother poisoned him. "


    He remembered how shocked he had been when he first discovered that the empress had poisoned the emperor''s diet. But the empress looked at him with disdain, saying that the emperor had long had the heart to cripple him. Don''t think that he was still sitting in the position of crown prince, but he was actually just a puppet in the Eastern Palace.


    The emperor didn''t cripple him because he wanted his Eastern Palace to become the target of public criticism. Everyone''s attention was focused on him.


    And in the heart of the Emperor, there was someone else who wanted to help him obtain the position of Emperor.


    After Xiao Yi Bei learned of this, he collapsed in grief and indignation. He did not dare to believe that being in the imperial family, even the last trace of his kinship would be obliterated. royal father was only using him, but mother secretly harmed royal father in order to push him to the throne ¡­ Husband and wife, father and son, brothers, all of them were using this opportunity, scheming and framing.


    He had tacitly consented to the Empress''s poisoning of the Emperor in his repeated torments and reflections, and from then on he no longer believed in human nature.


    So even if Du Ying was pregnant with his child, he didn''t have much of a nostalgia for her.


    "I don''t have any value left now. Xiao Yi Xiu, what are you going to cooperate with me for?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t answer, but took out a yellow stone inscription from his sleeve and held it up, facing Xiao Yi Bei.


    "Ah Yan gave it to you?" Xiao Yi Bei''s face became even paler.


    He suddenly laughed, "I understand, you can''t use this seal to mobilize all of the Xin family''s forces and assets. My mother is a person that even her own son cannot be completely trusted with. I also have one side to this seal, and if it wasn''t for her direct secret order, both sides of the seal would have been useful. "


    "You have no choice."


    Xiao Yi Bei laughed loudly.


    A gentle knock sounded on the door.


    Outside, Suifeng''s urgent voice could be heard. "Madam Wu said you can''t enter ¡­"


    "Let her in."


    Xiao Yi Xiu had just finished speaking when the door was pushed open. Wu Yu stood there with a cute smile on his face.


    Suifeng was flustered and exasperated. Beside him stood Cheng Yingzhi, with a satisfied smile on her face. There was no need to ask, she already knew that after being distracted by Cheng Ying''s trick, his reaction wasn''t slow. Very soon, he came back to her senses and tried to stop her.


    "Your Highness, this is ¡­" Wu Yu walked in curiously and even tried to get closer.


    Xiao Yi Bei suddenly smiled at her. His snow-white teeth shone with a brilliant light, and his eyes contained a primitive hunger. He was like a jackal that had been starved for a long time, causing people to feel terrified.


    Wu Yu was shocked and retreated a few steps with a pale face.


    "Heh heh ¡­" Xiao Yi and Bei Zhen were ready to fight. The droplets of saliva that dripped from their mouths looked even more ferocious.


    Wu Yu asked with a pale face, "About this ¡­" Your Highness, is this a madman? "


    Cheng Ying He also walked in. She was slightly bolder and furrowed her eyebrows as she sized up Xiao Yi Bei. Her eyes flickered as she judged if his abnormality was real or not.


    Gu Qingli hung her eyes on his pulse, remaining calm and collected.


    "Shut up, don''t be rude. This is the Second Prince, Xiao Yi Bei." Xiao Yi Xiu reprimanded him coldly.


    Cheng Ying''s face fell and then asked in confusion: "Isn''t that the crown prince? How to... It became like this? "


    Gu Qing Li answered in place of Xiao Yi, "He is currently delirious, and his memories have disappeared. Perhaps he subconsciously thinks that he is a hungry wild beast, so he is very aggressive ¡­"


    She glanced at Cheng Ying Zhi, "It''s best not to get too close to him. Don''t look at how tied he is, before he lost his mind, his skills were pretty good. If he really wants to break free, I''m afraid this rope won''t be able to tie him up."


    Cheng Yingzhi imperceptibly moved further away, her eyes drooping in thought.


    "The emperor asked His Highness to bring him back to the Mo King Manor so that this side of the imperial concubine could wholeheartedly treat him and see if he could return to normal. Alright, let''s not disturb his rest any longer. This wangfei will also have to open a prescription for the medicine. "


    Cheng Ying Zhi and Wu Yun had no choice but to follow Xiao Yi Xiu out and listen to his orders, "Find someone to guard this place well. Without the instruction of me and the secondary prince, no one is allowed to enter."


    On the hazy autumn night, for the first time, Xiao Yixiu stayed in the rainy pavilion.


    The last two days had been much calmer and there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.


    Since Cheng Ying had entered the palace, she didn''t seem to be disappointed at all to have to face the sleepless night for the first time ever. In fact, when the brocade lady came to tell her that Xiao Yixiu wasn''t coming tonight, she was still sitting upright with a book in her hand. Her eyes were filled with anxiety, but her expression was as calm as she could be.


    Jinshu looked at her furtively as she passed the message.


    Ever since this Lady Cheng had infiltrated the estate, she had been pampered night and night, and her attitude was arrogant. She had never placed her in her eyes, and her words were often sarcastic and unkind. If it weren''t for the fact that she had served Xiao Yi since the palace, she would have already been sold off.


    Recently, the pretty girl seemed to have become more sincere. After being scolded by Cheng Ying, her words became much more restrained than before.


    "You''re still not going out?" Cheng Ying Zhi realized that she was still bowing.


    "Oh ¡­" "Yes."


    The pretty girl seemed to have something on her mind. She then came back to her senses and slowly walked out. She was hesitating and a little unhappy.


    Cheng Ying Zhi gave a look, and Hui Qiao followed him out, "Jin Shu jie-jie, I''ll send you out."


    Hui Ying was different from Cheng Ying, she was a clever girl, diligent, likeable and docile, otherwise she wouldn''t have been favored by the picky and unkind Cheng Ying.


    "Elder sister, do you have something on your mind?"


    "Sigh!" You don''t know, you get scared every night at this hour. "


    "Afraid?" Hui Qiao''s eyes widened as she subconsciously turned around to look at Yu Lanxuan.


    When he first entered the mansion, all sorts of rumors floated in his mind. Wu Yu''s first night''s experience was still fresh in his mind, and when he remembered that Xiao Yi Xiu wouldn''t be here tonight, he couldn''t help but rub his goosebumps. He whispered: "This row of houses ¡­" "Indeed, it gives people goosebumps. How long will it take for the Tung Moon Pavilion to be completed?"


    In order to keep the palace solemn and quiet, the construction work for the Moon Parasol Pavilion and the Moon Birch Pavilion would stop as soon as dusk fell. They were absolutely unwilling to make it in half an hour. At this rate, they would still have to stay in the Rainwave Pavilion for a month.


    "It''s fine here. It''s obvious that Lady Wu is secretly suspicious. What''s happening is in the front yard." Jinshu sighed. The front courtyard she was referring to was naturally Feng Qingxuan.


    "What can happen there?"


    Jin Shu looked around at the crowd, and then quietly moved closer to Hui Qiao. "Don''t tell anyone. If the Prince finds out that I have disrespected the Second Prince, he will definitely reprimand me."


    Something to do with the Second Prince? Hui Qiao nodded her head and opened her eyes wide as she listened to her story.


    "Every night at this time, Rui Zhu should have fried the medicine and sent it over. I have to feed it to the Second Prince for him to take the medicine. "You don''t know how terrifying he is, last night when Yu Ying fed him, he bit her. The back of his hand was dripping with blood, and there''s a thick layer of bandage on it, and she''s still bleeding even now."


    "Huh?"


    "The Second Prince has gone completely mad. When he first arrived, his food was considered to be easy, but he always seems to be very hungry ¡­" "But it''s not normal when it''s night time, especially when the moon is full. He often looks out the window at the moons howling ¡­"

 C216 Fake is true and false(3)

    "Then... Isn''t that the same as wolves? " Hui Qiao heard that only wolves would howl at the moon.


    Jin Shu shivered. "I... I don''t know. Anyway, I fed him medicine the last two nights... They were all very careful and almost got bitten. "


    "Then... I''ll go in your place? "


    "No, no, no, if the side concubines knew about this, wouldn''t they beat me to death?" Jinshu shuddered.


    "Is the side concubine very fierce?"


    Jin Shu pursed her lips and did not answer. She looked at the sky and said, "You should return quickly. I need to hurry ¡­" Every night before the side concubine goes to bed, she goes to see the Second Prince to confirm that I have not finished feeding him the medicine and to see if he has taken a turn for the better. "


    She quickened her pace and hurried away.


    Hui Qiao silently laughed in the night, returning to the Rain Tide Pavilion and telling Cheng Ying Zhi of Jin Shu''s words.


    Cheng Ying looked up at the sky. It was almost mid-autumn, and the moon was getting rounder and rounder. But would the moonlight really excite a crazy person, causing him to be even more confused.


    The next day, when they went to the Windy Pavilion to pay their respects, Cheng Yingzhi paid special attention to the rain on her hands. As expected, it was wrapped in a thick white cloth, looking very haggard and listless.


    Gu Qing Li was still discussing Xiao Yi Xiu''s condition with Xiao Yi Bei, "¡­" There''s no improvement after taking the medicine, so it seems like we have to increase the dosage tonight. "


    "Yes."


    Yu Ying and Jin Shu were talking in a corner when they left. Yu Ying seemed to be complaining, while Jin Zhui kept sighing.


    After the three new wives, Hui Qiao stepped forward to strike up a conversation, but Cheng Ying Zhi did not stop her.


    Wu Yu walked out of the courtyard, snorted, and said: "Sister Cheng, why don''t you care about your maidservants, they are so close to the two girls from Feng Qingxuan."


    Cheng Ying Zhi glanced at her, with a smile that was not a smile, "What, you don''t like to get close with the people around you?"


    "I don''t need it." Wu Yu raised his head with a noble face.


    Zhou Zhen never said much to them. As she walked in silence, he had unknowingly left them behind.


    Not long after returning to the Rain Wave Pavilion, Hui Ying also returned. She mysteriously whispered to Cheng Ying Dao, "Jin Shu was almost bitten again last night. She is becoming more and more afraid of that Second Prince. It can be seen that he has really gone mad."


    Cheng Yingzhi brushed her hair and propped herself up with her chin in annoyance, thinking of the latest mission that Xiao Yijin had given her.


    "Madam, what are you worried about?"


    "Leave a letter tonight to confirm the news that the Second Prince has gone mad ¡­" Can you find a way to approach him in place of Jinshu? "


    "Since we''ve verified that he''s crazy, then why are we still getting close to him?" Hui Qiao asked.


    "It''s better if you''re crazy ¡­" Cheng Ying Zhi looked out of the window with a heavy expression on his face. At this time, the Prince must have gone to Wu Yu''s place again, right? "


    According to his personality, Wu Yu''s freshness should not have passed.


    This was when Jinshu came over. She recently had a very good chat with Hui Qiao.


    "Prince went to Madame Zhou''s place tonight." Jinshu pursed his lips.


    Zhou Zhen had a dignified appearance and an elegant temperament. She was not as pretty as Cheng Ying, nor as pretty as Wu, but she had a scholarly air about him. She looked more like a lady than the two of them. The sort of coldness that did not leave one''s side would sometimes attract the attention of a few men.


    Cheng Ying laughed, "It seems like Wu Yu doesn''t like him much." Her face was one of schadenfreude.


    "Madam, I''ll send you off, Sister Jinshu."


    Cheng Yingzhi nodded. After seeing the two leave the courtyard, she stood up without a sound and walked into the courtyard, calling Xing''er.


    Xing''er was originally Madam Ling''s personal servant. After her new wife entered the mansion, she was assigned to the Rainstorm Pavilion. Usually, Cheng Ying Zhi would treat her very coldly and would not allow her to get close to him. At this moment, he probably felt that Hui Qiao wasn''t here, so he had no choice but to call Xing''er to attend to her.


    "Your Highness won''t come tonight. Follow me to the Moon Parasol Pavilion."


    Xing''er acknowledged and followed behind him.


    A gust of wind came from who knows where when they passed Xiaoyao''s garden. It was cold and mournful, hitting her body. Cheng Ying Zhi subconsciously shivered, then turned to look at the medicine garden.


    A small black shadow flashed past like a ghost.


    Cheng Ying Zhi screamed in fear. When the monster heard the sound of human voices, it ran even faster and disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye.


    "Madam Cheng, what''s wrong?" Xing''er''s voice sounded from behind him.


    Cheng Ying turned his head to look at her in fear, only to discover that Xing''er''s face was deathly pale under the moonlight. Her lips curved up into a strange smile.


    She suddenly felt dizzy and her vision blurred. Unknowingly, she collapsed.


    Xing''er smiled strangely.


    Hui Qiao carefully approached the room that Xiao Yi Bei lived in.


    She put on her brocade dress, lowered her head, and walked slowly, step by step, as if reluctantly.


    Suifeng stood guard under the porch, but didn''t look in Xiao Yixiu''s direction.


    The guard in charge of the room had a solemn expression on his face. He carried a long saber on his waist and his gaze wandered back and forth. However, no one paid any attention to the maid who walked over with the medicine bowl.


    After all, the tray in their hands was filled with a medicine bowl. No one was allowed to lift their head up and walk in the sky, so it was normal for them to carefully lower their head.


    As Hui Qiao entered the room, she wasn''t afraid in her heart.


    The interior of the house was brightly lit, unlike all the other rooms in the manor. It seemed that to dispel the gloomy atmosphere brought by Xiao Yi Bei, huge candles burned in every corner, and glazed wind lamps hung from the ceiling.


    Xiao Yi Bei was still tied to the chair, but his wrist was a little red as if it was caused by a struggle.


    He had been staring out of the window at the jade plate of the full moon, and when she heard Hui Qiao come in, she had turned her gaze to her, and had laughed, and the transparent saliva had dripped from the corners of his mouth, but she was not staring at her with her white teeth and her red eyes, as she had at first seen her.


    Hui Qiao calmed down and put down the tray. She sat on the edge of the chair and looked at him.


    Xiao Yi Bei was originally handsome and elegant, but now he looked like an idiot. How could he have the appearance of a prince?


    "Hey, do you remember who you are?" Hui Qiao asked in a low voice.


    Xiao Yi Bei smiled at her and turned his head to look at her.


    His hair had been neatly combed and he had changed into a clean set of clothes. However, his eyes were still locked onto something.


    "In the past, you were the crown prince of the Eastern Palace. Now that you''ve been tied up like a prisoner all day, are you really willing to accept it? "


    As Hui Qiao spoke slowly, she pulled out a shiny little silver blade from her sleeve. It was two inches long and sharp. It shone brightly on Xiao Yi Bei''s face.


    Xiao Yibei instantly narrowed his eyes. His pupils contracted, and his toes unconsciously curled up. His fingers that were exposed outside his sleeves buckled on the armrest of the Walkabout chair.


    Hui Qiao did not notice his expression of readiness. She held the small silver blade and slowly approached him. However, the moment her body tensed up, she used the edge of the blade to lightly squeeze the rope that bound him.


    What was tied to him was a wet hemp rope, strong and sturdy. It was obviously to prevent him from breaking free, so someone would come to wet the rope every once in a while.


    Xiao Yi Bei slowly relaxed and calmly sized up this unfamiliar servant girl. He had a good memory. He remembered that she was standing with the three beautiful new wives.


    If he guessed correctly, these three new wives weren''t ordinary people. They were either King Yan or King An of the Twilight Zone.


    Of course, there was also the possibility that it was his beloved imperial mother.

 C217 On account

    Xiao Yi Bei revealed a mocking smile. The imperial family''s affection was even thinner than paper. Aside from taking advantage of each other, all the other family members were wary of each other. Judging from this little servant girl''s actions, she must be planning something.


    When the hemp rope had been cut to a point, she stopped and moved on to the other side.


    Xiao Yi Bei was getting more and more curious. Was he trying to get him to break free without anyone discovering that she was the culprit?


    When she had cut off more than half of the rope around Xiao Yi Bei''s ankles, the sound of light footsteps came from outside.


    Judging by the time, it should be Gu Qingli. After her ''pregnancy'', her steps seemed to have become heavier and heavier. In the past, she had been light and silent.


    Hui Qiao stood up somewhat frantically. The silver blade flashed on her fingertip and she put it back into her sleeve, moving quickly. After that, she picked up the medicine bowl and spoonful of soup was placed next to Xiao Yi''s northern lips.


    He saw that the maid''s lips were trembling slightly. It was obvious that she was also nervous. He silently laughed in his heart and very cooperatively took the medicine.


    Gu Qing Li walked in and saw that Hui Ying was still there. She seemed to be stunned for a moment before she spoke with slight dissatisfaction: "Why are you still taking your medicine? It''s so late. "


    Hui Qiao didn''t dare to turn her head, her face still downcast as she vaguely replied.


    Gu Qingli bent down to help connect Xiao Yi and Bei Bei. The wide sleeved, elegant red dress did not cover her waist, but very well covered her bulging abdomen.


    Xiao Yi Bei''s gaze landed as he stared at her abdomen. He was extremely curious as to what exactly was inside. He couldn''t believe that she was really pregnant. She wasn''t the real Gu Qingxiao, so how could this stomach be real?


    When Hui Qiao was giving him the silver spoon, she suddenly used a bit of strength to twist it in his mouth. Her rough action made him feel a little bit painful, and he took a deep breath.


    Xiao Yi Bei straightened up as per expected and glared fiercely at Hui Qiao.


    As if frightened, Hui Qiao subconsciously lifted her sleeve to cover her face, as if she was afraid. Her sleeve brushed against the medicine bowl, and the remaining medicine was poured onto Xiao Yi Bei''s body.


    It was probably because the medicine was still somewhat hot that it angered Xiao Yi Bei. He let out a low roar from his throat, and his eyes abruptly became terrifying. His entire body dived forward, and his strength was so great that even the chair was lifted off the ground.


    Hui Qiao screamed as she staggered backwards, even the bowl and silver spoon in her hand fell to the ground.


    The shattering of the silver spoon and porcelain bowl was sharp and loud, greatly stimulating Xiao Yi Bei''s "condition." As planned, he began to struggle violently, and the howls coming from his mouth were like the howls of wounded beasts.


    Gu Qingli also got up in fright and instinctively shouted, "Jin Shu, Jin Shu, what are you doing? Someone! "The Second Prince wants ¡­"


    Her high-pitched voice was obviously a great shock to Xiao Yi Bei, as he had just gained his freedom. He waved his hand towards Gu Qing Li to push her away, only to see her fall to the ground unavoidably, clutching his lower abdomen while crying out in pain.


    Although Xiao Yi Bei''s expression was crazy and his actions were full of hostility, his heart was clear as he sneered at Gu Qing Li, who had fallen to the ground.


    Sure enough, dark red blood appeared beneath her crimson dress. Accompanied by her pained cries and moans, the flow of blood grew wider and wider.


    Hui Qiao took a quick glance from the bottom of her sleeve, and shouted with a trembling voice: "This servant will go call someone!" He then rushed out with his face covered.


    "Someone, quickly come inside to help Imperial Concubine Gu. The Second Prince has broken free ¡­" Hui Qiao''s voice was slightly hoarse, but at this moment, no one paid attention to whether or not her voice was real or not.


    Taking advantage of the chaos, she melted into the night, shuttled between the flowers and trees, and left the Feng Zhixuan.


    Xiao Yi Bei bent down to attack and grabbed Gu Qing Li, using a voice so soft that only she could hear, "So that''s the case. Is Gu Qing Xiao really dead?"


    Gu Qingli still had time to raise her head slightly before the guards rushed in. She smiled at him, "It has nothing to do with you."


    Her face was covered by a veil, so no one could see the smile on her face. Only Xiao Yi Bei could see the craftiness and coldness in her crescent eyes.


    Naturally, after this chaos, the noble Second Prince was smoothly captured by the guards. He was pressed down on the chair and tied up once again.


    When Jinshu rushed in among the guards, she continued to act "innocent" in a very good way, crying and screaming, denying her fault.


    Suifeng, on the other hand, calmly sent Yu Ying out of the palace to ask the midwives and doctors to send someone else to Yu Muxuan to inform the prince.


    After the chaos, Imperial Concubine Gu was unluckily ''mischievous'' because she had been attacked by the crazed Second Prince during the diagnosis and treatment process ¡­


    The entire Feng Che Xuan was in chaos, including the entire Duke Palaces, they couldn''t be at peace.


    Inside the Yu Mu Xuan, Zhou Zhen opened her eyes when Xiao Yixiu heard the grievous news of the ''concubine miscarriage''. She sat up from the bed with a clear and calm expression and shot a cold glance at the pitch-black door.


    The door was still ajar. The autumn wind blew in from the outside, blowing the green smoke from the incense burner on the table away, bringing with it a light fragrance.


    Zhou Zhen''s lips curled up in a suspicious smile. Her black hair was let loose and she was wearing only a white silk robe. Step by step, she approached the censer like a beautiful ghost in the night.


    She lifted up her bare hands, opened the censer, and took a deep breath. "Is he really sick, or ¡­"


    On the other side of the courtyard, Wu Yu also woke up in a state of shock.


    It had been a few days since he last saw anything out of the ordinary in the yard. Wu Yu''s heart gradually settled down as he almost forgot his first night here as a nightmare.


    But tonight, the sharp sounds of claws could be heard outside the window again, and there were even some moaning female voices, almost close by the ears.


    Wu Yu opened his eyes, perspiring profusely. He stared outside the window in fear and shouted, "Ming Zhu, Ming Zhu!"


    In the darkness, there was a slim figure walking towards her. She was dressed in white and had black hair. Under the moonlight, her face was blurred and blurry. The only thing that could be seen was her silhouette.


    "Ming Zhu!" She stood up and frantically held the pearl, trembling as if she had found a lifeline.


    But those hands were so cold that they didn''t seem human at all. There was even a hint of dryness in them. Sharp nails slowly scraped against her palms.


    Ming Zhu was only a maid. She had to do menial chores like washing and washing, and would never have such long nails.


    "You ¡­ "Who are you?" Wu Yu instinctively felt that something was wrong.


    The figure in front of her slowly leaned over and grinned at Wu. Poirot slid down her shoulder.


    In the moonlight Wu could see a rose tattoo on her shoulder, vivid and vivid, as if it were slowly blooming in the moonlight.


    Jin Shu''s words seemed to ring in her ears. "Madam Qin? She was once a concubine of the prince. She was pretty and pretty, and liked to tattoo on her body. She was like a wild and thorny rose."


    "..." She ¡­ she strangled Xin Wangfei to death with her own hands. In order to cover up the evidence, she had a rose tattooed on her body ¡­ "


    Wu Yu let out an earth-shattering scream and fainted.

 C218 serial sophistry

    The scream reached Hui Ying, who was rushing back to the Rainwave Pavilion. He heard it vaguely, but he was only slightly startled. Instead, he quickened his steps and rushed back.


    "Miss, everything is going well." Hui Qiao rushed in, only to discover that there was no one in the room. She couldn''t help but be startled.


    She worriedly walked around the house a few times, but she couldn''t wait for Cheng Yingzhi to come back.


    The silence and gloominess in the room made Hui Ying shudder. Recalling the sharp screams she had heard just now, she suddenly felt a sense of danger in all directions. This Prince Mo''s mansion was like hell, causing her to feel fear.


    Hui Qiao bit her lower lip, steeled her heart, and slowly walked towards the Rainy Pavilion with the wind lantern in hand.


    Wu''s bedroom was lit, the door was ajar, opened and closed by the autumn wind, and flapped against the doorframe.


    "Lady Wu ¡­" "Wu ¡­" Hui Qiao bravely walked in and suddenly let out a cry and took a few steps back.


    No one knew where Ming Zhu went, half of Wu Yu''s body was hanging by the bed, his eyes were closed tightly, whether he was dead or alive is unknown.


    Hui Qiao stood there for a long time before trembling as she approached. She took a sniff and discovered that she was still alive.


    The window was open but there was still a trace of fragrance in the room. It was extremely light and clear.


    Hui Qiao tried her best to push Wu Dong, but was still unable to wake up.


    "Ming Zhu... "Pearl ¡­" Hui Qiao called out a few times, not daring to stay in the room any longer. She stumbled towards Yu Mu Xuan.


    All she wanted now was to find a living person who could breathe, to ease her fear.


    The door to Zhou Zhen''s inner chamber was closed. Little Chan was on guard duty, sleeping on the bed in the outer chamber. Upon hearing the noise, she put on her clothes and opened the door. She looked at Hui Qiao in surprise. "What are you ¡­"


    "Where is the prince?" For the sake of not being discovered by others along the way, Hui Qiao took a detour far away, so she didn''t know that Xiao Yi Xiu had already rushed towards the Feng Che Xuan at the first possible moment.


    "The prince was called out by the people in the front courtyard to tell them that something had happened to the second prince."


    "Where''s Madame Zhou?"


    "I''m asleep."


    "My family''s young miss is gone, the Rain Pavilion''s Madam Wu ¡­" He didn''t know if he was alive or dead ¡­ I''m so scared, you... Can you call me Madame Zhou? "


    "Slow down, why did your young miss disappear?" Tell me clearly. "


    Hui Ying hurriedly explained, but didn''t mention anything about her leaving. She only vaguely said that after she did things, she went back to her room and disappeared. She wanted to ask Madame Zhou for an idea.


    Little Chan was helpless. She knocked on the door to her room for a long time, but there was no response. The two of them looked at each other suspiciously.


    "Push the door open and enter." Hui Qiao felt that tonight''s matter was getting weirder and weirder. Although she had successfully completed the mission, all of these things revealed a sense of strangeness. She was afraid that she wouldn''t be able to escape.


    Little Chan hesitated for a moment, but was also worried for Zhou Zhen. She pushed open the door and entered, only to see Zhou Zhen peacefully sleeping.


    However, she pushed him for a long time, but Zhou Zhen did not wake up.


    "Madame Zhou ¡­" Could something have happened? " Hui Qiao''s face became more and more unsightly.


    Little Chan thought for a moment. "That''s impossible. Your highness just left for a short while, and no one came in ¡­" Let me accompany you in searching. "


    The two maidservants each carried a wind lamp, and they searched back and forth until they found the Moon Parasol Pavilion.


    Gabrielle had already gone to bed, and was awakened by them. She got up, dressed, and listened to their narration. She frowned. Instinctively, she felt that these three new wives all had their own ulterior motives, and this matter was extremely bizarre. Just how many powers were involved in this matter?


    "Come, let''s go find it together." Gabriella had awakened all of the servants at the Moon Parasol Pavilion. She searched the entire garden, and soon, the entire garden was lit up.


    "Madam, the door to the cabin ¡­" "Open."


    Gabriella looked over, the center of the herb garden was always pitch black, so she couldn''t see anything clearly. However, the door of the wooden house was probably closed at night, and now it was wide open like a huge mouth that could swallow people.


    Everyone carefully carried their wind lamps and walked over. The first one that lit up the interior turned the lamp around and cried out, "There''s someone here!"


    Cheng Ying Zhi and Xing''er fell to the ground, with seven to eight people curled up on the ground.


    They seemed to still be breathing, their chests heaving. After a few times of nudging and not waking up, Gabrielle ordered Yun-er to get some water to pour over their faces.


    As expected, the two of them groaned and slowly woke up.


    "What happened, miss?" Hui Qiao held onto Cheng Ying Zhi worriedly and was on the verge of tears.


    Tonight, she could finally find some peace.


    Cheng Ying originally wanted to go to Gabriella''s place, in case something happened to Hui Qiao, she could clear herself of the responsibility. She didn''t expect to faint so mysteriously on the way. She didn''t feel anything was amiss before.


    Hearing Cheng Ying Zhi and Hui Qiao''s words, Jia Bi Ruo naturally knew that they were not speaking truthfully. However, she did not expose them. After pondering for a moment, she said: "Madam Wu should be fine. Let''s go take a look."


    Cheng Yingzhi lightly covered her dizzy head, still thinking about the whole situation in fear as she followed them into the Rain Tower.


    Yun-er, who was walking in front, stepped into Wu''s bedroom. Suddenly, she screamed, threw her wind lamp on the ground and stumbled out.


    "Die ¡­" "Dead ¡­"


    "Who''s dead?" Gabriella was still calm, so she scolded Yun-er. Then, two other servants went in with lanterns in their hands.


    Everyone gathered at the door, their expressions extremely frightening as they emitted low cries without end.


    Ming Zhu was hanging on a beam in the middle of the bedroom, her body dripping blood. She must have just died.


    Wu Yu maintained a twisted posture with half of his body outside the bed, whether he was dead or alive was unknown.


    "Go in and see Madam Wu." Even though Gabriella''s face didn''t look too good, she could still give out orders.


    On the other hand, Cheng Ying Zhi cried out in alarm and retreated a few steps back. Luckily, Hui Ying held onto him and didn''t fall down.


    An attendant stepped forward and probed with his nose, "Madam Wu is still alive."


    "Wake up."


    Wu Yu was still not awake even after pushing and shaking with all his might, and he was also woken up by the splash of water.


    She slowly opened her eyes. In the middle of the room, blood was dripping from her clothes, and the pearl hanging from the beam had been turned to face her by the cold wind blowing through the window. Her face was blue and her tongue was hanging out.


    Wu Yu let out a short scream and fainted again.


    When he woke up again, his eyes were glazed. Other than remaining fear, he didn''t seem normal at all.


    "Ming Zhu... "Pearl ¡­"


    Wu Yu was crazy, his mouth full of nonsense.


    Cheng Yingzhi was trembling. Even if she wasn''t crazy, she wasn''t too far off.


    However, this was not the worst case scenario. While pacifying Cheng Yingzhi, Gabriella had also sent someone to report to the Feng Zhenxuan, and only then did she hear about the Second Prince''s violent injury and the miscarriage of his concubine.


    After Jin Shu was severely punished and imprisoned, Prince Mo, who was now the most anxious in the entire Prince Mo''s Mansion, seemed to be unable to handle this chain of events.


    He ordered the corpse of Ming Zhu to be put down and frozen. He strictly guarded the Rain Pavilion and did not allow anyone to enter.


    Wu Yu and Cheng Ying were brought back to the Moon Parasol Pavilion by Bi Ruo. They weren''t the ones that Xiao Yi Xiu needed to deal with right now.


    Xiao Yi, who was supposed to be in a bad shape, was sitting opposite Xiao Yi Bei, who had gone crazy. Gu Qing Li, dressed in red, was still sitting upright with her face covered.

 C219 thoroughly investigating the cause of death(1)

    "I knew your stomach was fake." Xiao Yi Bei laughed coldly.


    Gu Qingli also smiled. "You being able to guess that I''m not the real Gu Qingxiao, that''s not surprising."


    "I also know that you''re Gu Qingli ¡­" "But I didn''t know Gu Qingli was Li Yue." Xiao Yibei stared at her.


    Gu Qing Li was startled while Xiao Yi Xiu''s face darkened. "Second Imperial Brother, if there''s no evidence, don''t make wild guesses."


    Xiao Yi Bei looked at him with a smile that was not a smile, "Fifth royal brother, I know a lot more about women than you do. Those eyes, those eyes, I remember them very clearly... "Very good, if you lend me your hand and get rid of that useless fetus in your womb, what should we do next?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu fell silent. Although he didn''t answer, he could be considered to have tacitly confirmed his guess.


    "Let me guess, Gu Qingxiao... Was she dead? Is that fake brocade and the new wife who wants to abort you, one of Xiaoyin''s people? "You want to use this to arouse Gu Zhaoran''s hatred for Xiao Yijin?"


    "Second Imperial Brother, after you stopped being the Crown Prince, you became a lot more thoughtful, huh?" Xiao Yi Xiu smiled faintly.


    Xiao Yi Bei smiled as he shook his head, his eyes filled with desolation. "The days that I was imprisoned in the Snow Cleaving Hall, I''ve always been thinking and thinking about my past, and trying to figure out everyone''s thoughts ¡­" I used to put too much thought into women, so I didn''t think that much. "


    "I''m afraid a lot of them were created by Du Ying?"


    Xiao Yi Bei didn''t deny it and nodded, "That''s right. There are many that she reminded me about, and some that I figured out myself. But do you really think that Gu Zhaoran will care about his daughter? "


    "That''s not important. Gu Zhaoran never intended to support Xiao Yijin in the first place, so this matter was pushed to the side. He did so to give his royal father an explanation so that he wouldn''t be unable to explain where Gu Qingxiao''s baby went to. I could have done it differently, but it would have been more convenient... "Two birds with one stone."


    "I gave you a reason to get rid of that new lady." Xiao Yi Bei snorted disdainfully. Even if he agreed to cooperate, he still wouldn''t be able to show a friendly face to Xiao Yi Xiu. The coldness in his eyes conveyed how disheartened he was towards this world.


    The indifferent smile on his face disappeared. He turned to Gu Qing Li, puzzled. "No, this is not what we expected. Wu Yi''s issue was someone leading us to suspect Cheng Ying."


    Gu Qingli nodded. Too many things had happened that night. Aside from them guiding Hui Qiao to replace Jin Shu, releasing Xiao Yi Bei, causing her to miscarry, and Ming Zhu''s death, the rest were all within their expectations.


    "Wu Yu is with me, father. The person behind the scenes obviously knows this, so he only used her to get rid of Cheng Ying."


    Tonight, after everything that had happened, some people were secretly planning the ghost incident. They repeatedly threatened Wu Yu, but they didn''t do anything to her. Obviously, they were not on the same side as her.


    Afterwards, he used Cheng Ying''s chance to find Gabriella to knock her out and drag her to the cabin. In this period of time, no one could testify for Cheng Ying and confirm that she really had fainted.


    This person wanted to frame Cheng Yingzhi and use them to get rid of Cheng Yingzhi ¡­


    Just as Hui Ying was looking around for Cheng Ying, they added fuel to the fire and hung the dead pearl inside the house, speeding up her collapse and finally driving her crazy.


    But in reality, by the time they found the pearl, the many wounds on her body were already dead.


    Gu Qingli also sighed, "There are a few questions about this matter. First, who would act like a ghost to scare Wu Yu?" Second, who killed Ming Zhu? As things stand, the two should be the same person. Third, Zhou Zhen seems too normal so far, and we haven''t found any clues related to her. Fourth, did Gabrielle know? "Until now, we have only speculated that she was someone from Imperial Concubine Lan, but we haven''t seen her do anything."


    "Especially she towards Cheng Ying Zhi, she doesn''t seem to be too concerned."


    This matter was getting more and more complicated, but at least he helped them settle Wu and Cheng Yingzhi''s problems.


    The next day, with Xiao Yi Xiu as his companion and concubine, Cheng Yingzhi was placed under guard instead of attending court.


    After coronation, Mingzhu died of blood vessels cut by sharp instruments, resulting in excessive blood loss. And being hanged after death had successfully scared the crap out of Wu.


    When Xing''er was called to the private trial, she was trembling with fear.


    Gu Qingli patted her twice to calm her down. In a gentle voice, she asked, "That night, when you and Lady Cheng went to the Moon Parasol Pavilion, what happened?"


    "No, this servant didn''t even go to the Moon Parasol Pavilion with Lady Cheng." That night, Hui Qiao went somewhere. I was doing my own thing in my room when I suddenly smelled a very faint fragrance and fell asleep. When I woke up, I was already in the wooden house. " Xing''er was confused.


    On the matter of Ling Yue-er, Xing''er also put in some effort to join in the confessions.


    Gu Qing Li had understood her personality from that time. Xing''er wasn''t a nimble girl. If she hadn''t instructed her in advance, she wouldn''t have said anything and wouldn''t have known how to react on the spot.


    In other words, when Xing''er didn''t lie, if Cheng Ying Zhi wasn''t lying, then the ''Xing''er'' that accompanied Cheng Ying Zhi to the Moon Parasol Pavilion had already changed.


    "From the beginning to the end, has Zhou Zhen really been sleeping soundly?"


    Xiao Yi lowered his eyebrows and said, "She should have been in a deep sleep after receiving my Soul-Sealing Incense."


    "And when Hui Qiao went there, Little Chan was also sleeping. It seems the most normal for master and servant."


    "Let''s put the two of them aside for now." Xiao Yixiu wasn''t sure if Zhou was real or not, but he would never let down his guard easily.


    On the third day of the imperial court, Xiaoyu entered the palace.


    The emperor''s expression was normal as he asked about the concubine''s miscarriage and comforted Xiao Yi Xiu.


    It was clear that he wasn''t too happy about it.


    Although the emperor was deep and unpredictable, he was not completely indifferent to the matter of kinship. He still had a bit of anticipation towards his unborn grandson, which made him angry and vexed.


    "Have you found out why?"


    "In hindsight, this son found out that someone had disguised themselves as Jinshu and entered the study. They cut the rope binding second royal brother by more than half, allowing him to easily break free and push Li Yue away. This person wants to borrow the hand of the crazed Second Imperial Brother to get rid of the child in the womb. "


    "Who is it?"


    "This son''s new wife is Cheng''s servant girl, Hui Qiao."


    The emperor''s expression turned uglier and uglier. After a while, he said, "The martial arts superintendent Cheng Liefeng..." "Is it Jin`er?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu remained silent.


    "Did Madame Wu, the daughter of the prime minister of the justice courts, also go crazy that night?"


    "Yes, her servant, Ming Zhu, had seven cuts on her body''s most important meridians, causing her to lose too much blood and die. He even hung her by Wu''s bed after she died... Before this, when the Wu Clan sent a ghost into trouble, they were frightened repeatedly, and when they saw Ming Zhu''s corpse again, they went completely mad. "


    The emperor seemed to have some regrets and sighed, "He is also a bitter person... I will properly pacify her mother''s family. You should take care of her for the rest of her life. "


    "Yes." The Mo King''s Manor could no longer afford to raise a lunatic, and no one would harm this lunatic again.


    Xiao Yi Xiu recounted what happened that night in detail, including how Cheng Yingzhi fainted and was found in the wooden house.


    Sure enough, the Emperor sneered, "Who proves that she really fainted? Xing''er said she fainted in her room. There was no evidence for what Mrs. Cheng said. "How do you know that she''s not acting by herself, but she and Hui Qiao actually killed Ming Zhu, hung her up, and then pretended to faint ¡­"

 C220 thoroughly investigating the cause of death(2)

    At the same time as Xiao Yi Xiu returned, a group of soldiers entered the Residence of Mo King. They declared that they would thoroughly investigate Ming Zhu''s death and that everyone involved would be escorted to the Ministry of Justice for questioning.


    He said that Xin Yingning, the president of the Ministry of Justice, would personally give the order and would personally preside over the trial.


    Because the deceased was born in the Prince Mo Residence, the people involved in the case also had special identities. Therefore, the Deputy Minister of Justice, Zhang Rui, personally led the troops to collect the deceased.


    Zhang Rui was a favorite student of Xin Yingning. He was promoted to assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice at such a young age. Naturally, he was promoted by Xin Yingning. Even though he was part of the empress''s faction, he was tactful and didn''t easily offend anyone with a smile on his face.


    With a smile on his face, he cupped his hands in a greeting to Xiao Yi, explaining his purpose of coming here. He also repeatedly requested for Xiao Yi''s forgiveness.


    Xiao Yixiu also wore an official smile on his face as he said a few words of courtesy. Then, he saw a group of soldiers escorting a group of crying women over. Some of them were obedient, some were stern, and some were crying for their highness.


    Other than the crazy Wu Yun, there was also Yu Lan Xuan''s Cheng Ying Zhi, Hui Qiao, Xing''er, Yu Mu Xuan''s Zhou Zhen, Xiao Chan and Rui Zhu, and Yue Wu Xuan''s Jia Bi Ruo, Yun''er and a few servants who had gone out that night to search for and witness Ming Zhu''s death.


    "This is ¡­" Xiao Yixiu also didn''t expect there to be so many people involved.


    "Everyone related to Ming Zhu''s death that night must be invited to the Ministry of Justice for a few questions. It is not difficult, it is just a formality. Prince Mo also knows the rules. There''s no need to make it difficult for this official, right? " Zhang Rui smiled in a very humble manner and bowed repeatedly.


    "Even if Madam Jia was a witness, I still have a few words to ask. Madam Zhou was sleeping at that time, how did she get involved?"


    "The two courtyards are next to each other. If there are any movements, perhaps we might be able to hear about them." Inviting Madame Zhou would only be asking a few questions as a witness. "


    Zhou Zhen, on the other hand, remained calm and said, "Prince, do not worry. I was sleeping in my own room, how could anything happen to me? Since the murder case was committed in the King''s Manor, it should be reasonable for them to cooperate with the Ministry of Justice in their investigation. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded and looked at Zhang Rui. "I, the wangfei, and the wangfei were also in the house that night. Would you like to go with them for questioning?"


    His question was impolite, and his eyes were cold.


    Zhang Rui was stunned for a moment, and then he heard his displeasure. He let out a few hollow laughs. "There''s no need for that. The prince was in the front courtyard with his wife that night, which is quite a distance away from where the incident happened. The princess was unfortunate and had a small birth ¡­" This official is very sad. "


    "What about the Second Prince? Minister Xin did not give any special orders, but the Second Prince is also someone from the Prince''s Mansion.


    Zhang Rui was extremely embarrassed. "The Second Prince has already ¡­" "Cough, cough."


    "Vice Minister Zhang has told Minister Ying that Second Imperial Brother has received treatment in my residence and is currently in quite a good condition."


    "Yes, yes. This official will take his leave." Zhang Rui could only retreat.


    After Xiao Yixiu returned to his room, Gu Qingli came out from behind the curtain and asked softly, "What does Xinying want to do?"


    "It most likely has something to do with Second Imperial Brother."


    "Actually, it would be even more disadvantageous for Xiao Yibei if he were to act rashly right now."


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head lightly, "That''s not what he was thinking. He thought that I would do some harm to Xiao Yi Bei. In his eyes, am I not the same type of person as Xiao Yi Jin and Xiao Yi Mo? "


    When Zhou Zhen was arraigned for the third time, she faced Xin Yingning alone.


    This was the first time she had met this minister of war. He was in his forties and had thick eyebrows on his square face. Just by looking at his appearance, he looked like a queen.


    She saluted respectfully and knelt to hear the inquest, but was given a seat. In any case, she was currently the wife of the Mo King, and no one had ever used a criminal law against her.


    Xin Yining studied her, then said, "Madame was indeed asleep that night? You didn''t hear anything at all? "


    "Yes." Zhou Zhen felt that she had said all that she wanted to say, and there was nothing new about it.


    How could someone who had slept so soundly that night possibly have heard anything?


    Of course, the truth was that she only had her eyes closed, so she could clearly hear every sound.


    "Does Madame think that anyone is suspicious or special since she entered the palace?"


    Zhou really wanted to say, "Anything suspicious? Something special..." The Second Prince was also counted as one? He is not someone from the Palace, and there seems to be something wrong with his actions. With his current state of mind, it is impossible for him to have anything to do with this matter. "


    Xin Yingning''s face sank, "Who let you guess randomly?"


    "Yes, I made a slip of the tongue."


    Xin Yingning thought about it and asked again, "Have you come into contact with the Second Prince?"


    "At a close distance, I only watched it once. I even watched it from afar a few times."


    "It''s said that he was involved with the concubine''s miscarriage?"


    "Lord Xin should be investigating Mingzhu''s case, and not the case of the side concubine, right?"


    "Sharp teeth!" "I''m just concerned about it for a moment."


    "According to Jin Shu, the closer the Second Prince is to the full moon, the more unstable he becomes, especially at night ¡­" That night, the moon was already very full, and it just so happened that Imperial Concubine Gu went to see him while the brocade tree was being fed, that''s why there was an accident. "


    "Even after taking so many pills, you still haven''t recovered?"


    Zhou Zhen nodded. She did not believe that losing one''s mind would improve after taking medicine.


    After Zhou Zhen was brought down, she was released back to the residence. After all, her testimony was the smallest and she did not have any proof of her presence.


    On the other hand, Wu Yu had gone completely crazy. Several famous doctors shook their heads after they saw her. There was nothing useful to prove that. The second person was released to the palace, Rui Zhu was also excluded.


    The third person Xin Yingning asked was Gabriella, who was also sitting across from him, calm and composed, asking and answering questions without missing a beat.


    Xin Yingning looked at her calm face and could not help but shiver. The wives of Prince Mo''s Mansion were becoming more and more difficult to deal with than the last. Apart from those who had gone crazy, the suspicious concubine Li Yue, the newly released Madame Zhou, and the Lady Jia from the Mo Estate were not easy to deal with.


    "What more do you want to ask, Sir Xin?" Gabrielle smiled at him.


    Xin Yingning calmly raised her hand and someone came in. They threw a few things in front of her and then, seeing her frozen smile, said indifferently, "Madam Jia, with your wisdom, you should understand."


    "I don''t understand. Is Master Xin planning on framing me?"


    Xin Yingning smiled slightly, "Madam Jia, you have a serious mind. As the Lady of a Monarch, as well as the daughter of the Minister of Rites, I should be extremely careful in this case and not make any mistakes."


    Gabriella looked at him. Her frozen smile melted into a mocking sneer.


    On the day of the public hearing between the Ministry of Justice and the justice courts, the final suspect was Cheng Yingzhi and Hui Qiji. But for some reason, the public trial was unexpectedly brought forward by a day.

 C221 Public trial I

    When Zhou Zhen, Jia Bi Ruo, and the servant girl in the mansion had finished dictating, Xin Yingning slapped the table and said, "Scoundrel Cheng Ying, where were you that night?"


    "What molester?" I am the wife of the exalted King Mo, and my father is the martial arts general! I am here today only to cooperate with the lord in his investigation, and not as a prisoner! " In the past two days, Cheng Yingzhi had calmed down a little and was no longer panic-stricken.


    Xin Yingning said, "Above the court, all the prisoners are equal. I don''t care if you are the daughter of the Prince''s wife or a general in the martial arts arena, but you are still a suspect."


    "You ¡­"


    "Answer my question!"


    For the past few days, she had not been subjected to any kind of interrogation. Just like Zhou Zhen and Jia Bi Ruo, she had been mentioned and questioned, but they were all very polite. She felt that the situation was not too bad, so she decided to tell them everything that happened that night.


    "You''re lying, because after Xing''er woke up, she was stunned in her room that night. She didn''t even accompany you to the Moon Parasol Pavilion."


    Cheng Ying Zhi was shocked and angry, "Nonsense!"


    Xin Yingning waved her hand and someone lifted Xing''er up. Her words were exactly as she''d said. Seeing her panicked and weak expression, it did not seem like she was faking it.


    "Xing''er!" Who exactly gave you the benefit to speak nonsense here? "


    Xing''er said with a wronged expression, "This servant doesn''t have any!"


    Xin Yingning slapped the table again and coldly said, "This is a court! Lady Cheng, don''t casually interrupt until I''ve asked a question. I''ll ask you this again. If you were to bring Xing''er to the Moon Parasol Pavilion, where did your personal servant, Hui Qiao, go at that time? "


    Cheng Yingzhi opened her mouth, before angrily snorting, "I don''t need to report this matter to you, do I?"


    "What do you think, Hui Qiao?"


    Coincidentally, he was unable to speak.


    "Hui Qiao felt uncomfortable that night and went to bed early. Only then did I get Xing''er to accompany me."


    Hui Ying''s face turned pale as she looked at Cheng Ying Zhi.


    Cheng Ying''s eyes turned and immediately realized that she said something wrong. Sure enough, he heard Xin Yingning say, "That wasn''t what Hui Yingning said. She said she had other needlework to do, so she was busy."


    "This servant did say that, but after she finished half of her needlework, she felt uncomfortable and went to bed early. What my lady said was also the truth."


    "What you two said was not the truth. Don''t forget that there is someone else in the Rainstorm Pavilion." Xin Yingning faintly smiled and waved her hand. She saw that the servant brought in two attendants. They had been arranged to work in the Imperial Palace along with the wind. Usually, they only did cleaning work, not serving in close proximity.


    Their confessions were identical, both saying that they had gathered that night to play cards together, that they were hungry, that she was usually kind and approachable, that she had always been kind to them, and that they had knocked on her door and found her not in her room.


    Then they went to look for Xing''er, only to find that the door was ajar. Xing''er was sitting in a chair, resting at a table. These words matched exactly what Xing''er had said about being stunned.


    They called for a few times but didn''t get a response, so they left. They didn''t expect that Xing''er had been knocked unconscious.


    Of course, Cheng Ying Zhi was not stupid, he realized that the situation was getting worse and worse for him, and refuted: "This cannot prove that I did anything ¡­"


    "Originally, none of these could convict you of anything, but because of this, there was another case involving the miscarriage of an imperial concubine." Xin Yingning raised an eyebrow, "Unfortunately, Prince Mo has reported this matter to an official. He claimed that someone borrowed the Second Prince''s illness to fake the second prince''s order to the imperial concubine."


    Cheng Ying Zhi''s face turned pale, and argued intensely: What does that have to do with me? I was knocked out that night, and I didn''t know anything ¡­ " Her eyes darted around, but she couldn''t see anyone in the courtroom who could help her.


    "With brocade."


    Cheng Ying''s heart froze, he knew that the situation had turned for the worse, and fell on the ground, pale faced, watching Jin Shu being brought into the hall, looking at him with eyes full of ridicule.


    Jin Shu was very clever with her words, stating that Hui Qiao had been especially interested in the Second Prince ever since she had entered the manor. She asked about his condition, including the time Gu Qing Li had taken her diagnosis, and also mentioned that it was not the first time Hui Qiao had offered to help her feed the medicine to the Second Prince. Coincidentally, because she was very afraid of Yu Ying''s hand being bitten, she did not want to get close to the Second Prince, so she agreed to Hui Qiao''s suggestion.


    Jin Shu''s confession was finished, and before Hui Qiao had a chance to defend herself, Xin Yingning had her men take the evidence ¡ª the four ropes that bound Xiao Yi Bei.


    The thick, wet hemp rope was extremely firm. There was even a layer of tough leather inside, making it impossible for him to break free. On the surface of the cut, other than some cracks, there was a clear, sharp, and even cut.


    "I heard that Miss Hui Qiao usually plays very well with small silver knives." Someone had brought a tray with a few small silver knives, sharp and shiny, that had been found in her room.


    "A girl who likes to play with this kind of thing when she has nothing better to do? This hobby is a bit peculiar. "


    "This ¡­" No, my father is a military official, he specializes in throwing knives, I ¡­ "In order to protect me, Hui Ying learned a bit from a young age ¡­" Cheng Ying understood that he could only protect himself by saving Hui Ying.


    She tried to explain as she thought about it, but she kept looking around anxiously. Why isn''t father here yet? Even King Yan didn''t send anyone over ¡­ Don''t you know how difficult it is for her?


    Xin Yingning smiled, "You''re right. Hui Ying is different from other maids. Although she is not an expert in martial arts, she is more than enough to deal with one or two weak girls. Therefore, she used a flying knife to kill Ming Zhu. Each of the knife wounds on Ming Zhu''s body were not very deep, but it was very coincidental. What was wounded were all the important bloodlines in her body, causing her to bleed to death. "


    "No ¡­" "How is this possible!?" That night, Cheng Ying Zhi was too afraid. Although like the others, she saw Ming Zhu''s body covered in blood hanging in the room, but she didn''t think too much about her death. She didn''t know that she lost too much blood, so she hung up the door beam.


    "Lady Cheng, when you first entered the estate, because of your young age and beauty, you thought that you could easily win the favor of the prince." Lady Cheng, when you first entered the estate, because of your young age and beauty, you thought that you could easily win the favor of the prince. "And since the secondary wife is pregnant and is the prince''s most beloved person, your hatred and jealousy combined to give birth to malicious thoughts towards her ¡­"


    "No ¡­" It''s not like that! " Cheng Ying screamed, "Master Xin, why do you need to suffer for a crime that you wish to commit? All you''re saying is... It''s all speculation and no evidence at all! "


    "Basis? Jin Shu is a witness, and the hemp rope and silver knife are material evidence. The wound on Ming Zhu''s corpse was also examined by a coroner, confirming that it was caused by such a thin and sharp knife. " Xin Yingning sneered and threw the small silver knife in front of Hui Qiao.


    "As for Lady Wu, among the three new wives, aside from you, she''s also very beautiful and emotional, so naturally, you want to make a move on her as well ¡­" You used the murder case that happened in the past to scare Lady Wu, then you killed Ming Zhu ¡­ This was the last strike. The reason you did not directly attack Lady Wu is because her status is the same as yours, and she is also the daughter of the prime minister of the justice courts. You feared that killing her would cause too much of a commotion, so you only killed Ming Zhu. "

 C222 Public trial(2)

    In your eyes, the death of a servant girl from a wealthy family may not be a big deal. Moreover, you also have a martial arts backer, the father of a would-be general, who is Prince Yan''s trusted aide. "Because of this, the prince will also give you some face and won''t pursue this matter ¡­"


    "No!" I''m jealous of Wu. Why? I''m not sick! "


    Xin Yingning indifferently said, "You''re a narrow-minded, jealous and vicious person. You''re full of hostility towards all the women in the Prince''s Mansion. What''s so strange about you harming Lady Wu?"


    "Nonsense!" If I deliberately tried to harm him, why would I have to feign unconsciousness? I should be like Zhou Zhen, lying on the bed pretending to be asleep will make it easier to get rid of myself! "


    "No, you really did want to go to the Moon Parasol Pavilion and have Madam Jia act as your time witness and let Hui Qiao bear all of the culprits on her own. But Hui Qiao came back early and didn''t find you. She thought there was an accident and went to find you everywhere ¡­ "You noticed that something was wrong, so you dragged Xing''er, who had fainted earlier, to the wooden house and made up some lies ¡­"


    Hui Qiao suddenly turned her eyes to look at Cheng Ying Zhi: "Miss, is this true?"


    "What''s real?" Don''t you know we didn''t knock the apricot out? Don''t believe his plan of leaving, speak nonsense! " Cheng Ying Zhi was still conscious and knew that he had fallen into a trap.


    Hui Qiao suddenly sneered, and tears fell: "Miss, I have always been serving you, doing everything for you, but you actually thought of this move in order to clear your mind of yourself. You said that you wanted to go to the Moon Parasol Pavilion, but I didn''t understand your intentions yet. In that case, once the incident broke out, all the blame would belong to me alone! "No one can prove that you were the one who told me to do all those things. And with the identity of Princess Mo and the noble general''s daughter, everyone will definitely be willing to protect you. I believe you ¡­"


    "Hui Qiao! "Don''t listen to others ¡­"


    "That''s right, Sir Xin. The young miss was the one who ordered me to use the Second Prince to have Imperial Concubine Gu miscarry. She was the one who ordered me to kill Ming Zhu and then hang her in front of Lady Wu''s bed. She scared the hell out of Madame Wu ¡­"


    Cheng Ying Zhi''s eyes darkened. He knew that he had fallen into a trap today, and pointed at Hui Ying with a trembling finger: "You ¡­ You betrayed me today, and in the future ¡­ I will definitely die a horrible death! "


    "Offenders against the Cheng family, including inciting the servant girl Hui Ying to kill, and miscarriage of a concubine due to jealousy, shall be punished by the punishment!" Xin Yingning ordered expressionlessly.


    After the public trial was over, Xin Yingning retreated to the back of the court and saw that behind the Official of the Supreme Court was the grief-stricken face of Prison Official Wu Changqing.


    "Thank you, lords, for avenging my daughter!" Wu Changqing gnashed his teeth. He was only such a precious daughter, yet she was forced into a frenzy by someone else. The hatred in his heart could be imagined.


    Xin Yingning patted his shoulder sympathetically, "We''re all colleagues, it''s my duty, how can I not do my best?"


    "I didn''t expect that woman to be so vicious, to hate out of jealousy, to do so many cruel things." The justice court''s official, Dong Chang''en, sighed and shook his head.


    "There are many women in the palace, it''s hard to avoid such a thing ¡­" It''s just like when a battle will never end within the harem. " Xin Yingning also sighed, but she didn''t continue speaking.


    In the Monarch''s home, there were many disputes that did not seem to be bloody on the surface, but in reality, they were even more brutal.


    Dong Zhang En''s expression changed. He thought about his own daughter, Dong Yu Feng, who was married to the Duke Yan Mansion, and felt a sudden panic in his heart. He subconsciously felt that something was amiss.


    The prisoners sent by the Ministry of Justice to the prison in the Supreme Court for execution were all kept in their respective cells, their hair and faces disheveled, awaiting their deaths.


    Hui Qiao had her head lowered, her long hair covering her face. She dragged the long iron chain as she was brought to the torture chamber by the guards.


    Wu Changqing sat there and looked at her coldly. The sorrowful expression that was on his face earlier was replaced by a cold and sinister expression.


    "Sir Wu, are you satisfied in the court today?" Hui Qiao slowly raised her head, her face did not have too much sadness, instead there was a trace of eagerness to please.


    Wu Changqing waved his hand and nodded: "Very good, don''t worry. On the day of the execution, I have prepared a substitute for you. Since you have kept your promise, I will naturally leave a way out for you."


    He gradually revealed a trace of a smile, "You''ve suffered a lot these days. After this meal, I''ll have someone bring you out through the secret passage."


    Hui Qiao nodded her head, without a doubt. She sat at the table prepared for her and began to wolf down her food.


    In the days that they were imprisoned and awaiting trial, the prisoners were indeed treated inhumanly. Even her, a maid, found it unbearable to eat and drink as much as they could.


    Wu Changqing looked at her coldly.


    "Wu ¡­" Sir Wu ¡­ "This wine and food is ¡­" Hui Qiao suddenly opened her eyes and covered her lower abdomen, sensing that something was wrong.


    Wu Changqing slowly said: "I only agreed to let you find a substitute to behead him, I did not promise to let you leave this place alive. "Don''t worry, there will still be someone who will bring you out through the secret passageway. It''s just your corpse ¡­"


    Hui Qiao wanted to say something, but the poison acted up very quickly, causing purplish black blood to flow out of her seven orifices and onto the table.


    Wu Changqing did not even look at her as he got up and left.


    On the podium at the outskirts of the capital, the emperor was standing high above, gazing down.


    Below the platform, the majority of the imperial guards were lined up in formation and below the stage. The officers of the various battalions were all leading their own camp guards, constantly changing formation, attacking, defending, and conducting combat exercises under the command of Xiao Yi Jin.


    Even Xiao Yi Jin didn''t expect that the annual military parade would be brought forward to today.


    However, on a whim, the Emperor suddenly requested to be brought forward. He could not imagine that he could claim that he was not ready just because he was half a month ahead of schedule.


    After all, the entire imperial camp was the main force that was protecting the safety of the capital. They had to be on guard at all times, and from time to time, there would even be scouting parties on a small scale.


    The emperor slightly lowered his head to show that he was satisfied, but he didn''t say any words of praise.


    From the bottom of his heart, Xiao Yijin could be said to have commanded the troops in an orderly fashion.


    Ever since Xiao Yi Jin had taken over the army four years ago, although he had maintained his position and carried out the military''s orders fairly well, he was still far off from the army camp that Xiao Yi Xiu had led.


    The emperor sighed in his heart. In terms of strategy and talent, Xiao Yijin wouldn''t be able to match up to Xiao Yi Xiu even in twenty years. As for politics... He narrowed his eyes slightly.


    If Xiao Yi Xiu had become the crown prince, his prestige would have far surpassed his own. He was afraid that the ministers in the imperial court would support him and he would give up the throne.


    The emperor had been just over a hundred years old, and before the poisoning, he had been physically strong and had always thought he could live over a hundred years. If he had such an outstanding Crown Prince who had the hearts of the people, how would he be able to hold his ground for the remaining fifty years?


    He couldn''t. Even though Xiao Yijin''s strategic skills were far inferior to Xiao Yixiu''s, he still felt more secure leaving the commander in charge of the army to him. After all, at present, Xiao Yijin actually did not control the entire imperial camp. Lu Linghui was still the emperor''s own man, so he had the advance military strength review this time.


    "Change formation, left wing of the Winged Tiger Camp ¡­" "The right wing of the Pingxin Battalion has been outflanked and the middle section has been broken through ¡­" Xiao Yijin also went up onto the platform. He looked down with a smile on his face. He felt that the Emperor should be very satisfied with this military parade.

 C223 On the eve of execution(1)

    When he was still several zhang away from the emperor, someone hurried up from the platform and whispered in his ear.


    Xiao Yijin''s expression changed slightly.


    Her trusted aide had whispered to him about the murder of Ming Zhu in the justice courts and the Ministry of Justice. Cheng Yingzhi had been sentenced to death and executed three days later.


    Xiao Yi Jin thought of that charming and passionate girl and had a regretful thought in his heart. However, he was still a little worried ¡ª Cheng Ying Zhi was sentenced to death, which was a thousand miles away from what he had agreed to, so how could Cheng Li be willing to submit to his orders?


    Don''t think that he, the commander of the battalion, was extremely pleased with himself. After all, the entire battalion had once been Xiao Yi Xiu''s old subordinates. When he took over the command, many of the captains had been loyal to Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Although in the past four years, he had gradually replaced some of the unruly generals, it was impossible for them to be completely replaced after all. This way, the guards who were dissatisfied with him would surely retaliate.


    Amongst all the mid-ranked officers, Cheng Liao was one of the first to be subdued by him and was also one of the most loyal to him. Now ¡­


    Xiao Yijin''s mood instantly turned bad.


    After hastily finishing the parade, Xiao Yi Jin knew that trouble had come.


    Cheng Liao came to him after the military parade, and half-asked him about Cheng Ying''s matter.


    Xiao Yi Jin looked around and saw that no one was paying attention to him. With a headache, he caressed his forehead and said, "I never expected this to happen. It''s all because of that Xin Yingning ¡­" What does he want to do with all this? "


    Cheng Liao shouted angrily, "This general doesn''t care what he wants to do! Your highness has promised but failed to do anything to fulfill his promise! Now, I want to sacrifice my daughter''s life!" If I knew the consequences would be like this, how could I have agreed to let my daughter enter the Mo King''s Manor? "


    Xiao Yi Jin frowned and said, "You can''t blame me for this. After all, Royal Father personally ordered it."


    "But if she hadn''t been working for the prince, where would she have come to such an end? Once she enters the Prince Mo''s mansion, as long as she lives a peaceful life, he won''t do anything to her! "


    Xiao Yi Jin''s expression darkened. He was just about to get angry, but he calmed down and said after thinking for a while, "Don''t worry. There''s still three days. Let me think about it."


    "What else do you want? "Your Highness, Hui Qiao has already confessed. My daughter is unable to get rid of her guilt. This matter ¡­"


    "There''s no way to get rid of this accusation, but don''t forget, this king''s father-in-law is a justice court official, where is Yuanyuan being held?"


    "The Supreme Court of the Heavenly Prison ¡­ Your Royal Highness, are you really going to use this move? "


    "There''s no other way." Xiao Yi Jin sighed and shook his head. He was scheming in his mind, thinking of a way to make this a foolproof plan. Even if this matter were to be exposed, he would be able to escape unscathed.


    Cheng Liao still didn''t look well, but he was silent. The fact that the King of Yan was able to reach this step could be said to be very considerate of him. After all, he did not only have this daughter of his.


    After the two of them left, a hand reached to the edge of a foot-long buttonboard at the edge of the stage. With a flip, it jumped onto the stage and sneered as it watched the two''s backs.


    Under the cold moonlight, the Mo King''s Manor was as calm as ever. It was as though the previous incident, which involved both ghosts and murder, had never happened before.


    Wu Yu sat alone in his own room. His hair was loose and his face was cold, but he had a smile on his face and was singing softly. It sounded very scary in the dead of night.


    Two silent figures slowly approached each other. They looked at each other as they looked at her silhouette reflected on the paper in the window.


    "Miss, do you want to go in and see Madam Wu?"


    "Forget it."


    The light shone through the window and onto their faces. It was a bit hazy.


    He could vaguely make out that the delicate and pretty face with the composed and composed expression was Zhou Zhen.


    They were about to turn and leave when the door opened. Wu Man stood there like a ghost with a smile on her face.


    "Madam Wu?"


    Wu Dong ignored her and walked past the two of them as if he was a ghost.


    When Rui Zhu heard the commotion, she rushed out of the room. When she saw them, she was stunned for a moment. "Madame Zhou."


    "Your wife has always been like this, without any signs of improvement?"


    Rui Zhu nodded, "Please forgive this servant for following Lady Wu. I can''t let anything happen to her again." He then hurriedly chased after Wu Yu.


    Zhou Zhen shook her head. "One has been sentenced to death and the other has gone mad ¡­" This Mo King Manor is truly an ominous place. I heard that none of the previous few wives have a good ending. "


    Little Chan laughed, "Maybe Madam Wu is right. It''s not that there''s a problem with the Mo Residence, but that there''s a problem with these courtyards. You see, isn''t it true that Madam Jia and the others are all living well? "


    Zhou Zhen said indifferently, "What''s good about it? The main concubine has pulmonary tuberculosis, incurable disease, the side concubine has a small pregnancy... Tell me, aside from Madam Jia, everyone else is in trouble. How can she be the only one safe and at ease? "


    In the dark of the night, Rui Zhu quickly caught up with Wu Yu and pulled her, whispering: "Madam, let''s go back."


    "I''m not going back, Ming Zhu still hasn''t returned. I have to go look for her." Wu s faint singing finally stopped.


    "Madame, Ming Zhu is dead."


    Wu Dong raised a finger to his lips and looked at her mysteriously: "Shh! Let me tell you... A secret. "


    Rui Zhu looked at her in confusion, listening to her whisper in her ear, "She died for me. She won''t die ¡­ "That''s me."


    Rui Zhu suddenly turned around to look at her, only to see her giggling and singing softly again. Her expression was that of a fool, but her eyes were shining in the night.


    Inside the secret chamber of the Mo King''s Manor, Lu Linghui hurried through the dimly lit secret passage and appeared before Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli.


    "Your Highness, as you have predicted, the Yan King intends to take the place of Cheng Ying."


    Xiao Yixiu smiled faintly, "This woman is actually not that important. However, Cheng Lai is still of some use to Xiao Yijin ¡­" Does he really have to take such a big risk? "


    "Actually, as long as no one interferes with this matter, it wouldn''t be considered a risk. After all, he is in the Heaven Prison at the Supreme Court, and Dong Zhangen''s daughter is currently his principal concubine. "


    "Very good, Xiao Yijin''s move is very good. If Cheng Yingzhi died in the end, there would definitely be a rift between him and Cheng Liao. Most importantly, he did This King a big favor. "


    Lu Linghui nodded and said, "There''s a message from inside the justice courts. Right now, Hui Ying is in prison ¡­" "It''s not me anymore. Everything is going well."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded his head, "Very good, when the two death row prisoners are replaced, this can be done by the same person. I''m telling Wu Changqing to be at ease, nothing will happen to his precious daughter. "


    After Lu Linghui was done with the secret report, he handed an oil-paper umbrella to Gu Qingli. "Please hand over the brocade empress dowager. This was lent to me last time to shelter her from the rain."


    "That''s right, Vice Commander Lu, did you see any unusual movements that night?"


    "Nope."


    After exiting the secret room, Xiao Yixiu went over to look at Xiao Yibei, while Gu Qingli let out a sigh and called Jin Zhui over.

 C224 On the eve of execution(2)

    When Jinshu saw the umbrella, she was somewhat surprised.


    When Gu Qingli passed the umbrella over to her, she noticed that her expression was a bit unnatural. She smiled and said, "What? You didn''t expect him to return the umbrella to you?"


    Jin Shu pursed her lips and said, "No ¡­" "No worries, this servant will retire now."


    "Did you think he would give you the umbrella?"


    "No ¡­." How could this servant dare to trouble Lord Lu with such a small matter? It''s just that this servant didn''t think of it ¡­ He actually knows how to return the umbrella. "


    Gu Qingli looked at her and smiled. "If he doesn''t come looking for you, can''t you go looking for him?"


    Jinshu anxiously said, "Wangfei, don''t take this servant for fun. This ¡­ Your servant has left. " She fled in panic, her face red to the ear.


    Gu Qingli smiled and shook her head. She withdrew her gaze from Jin Shu''s back and casually glanced over it, only to discover that there was a faint shadow of a person flashing past the garden outside the courtyard wall.


    She stopped smiling and threw herself out suspiciously, but saw nothing.


    "Qing Li, Qing Li?"


    Xiao Yixiu called out to Gu Qing Li, but seeing his anxious expression, he hurried over and hugged her. "Where did you go?"


    "I''m fine, why are you so worried?" Gu Qingli smiled comfortingly.


    "What are you doing out so late? I''m worried about you. "


    "It''s nothing. I saw a shadow just now, but I didn''t see it clearly. I didn''t notice anything when I chased after it. Maybe I''m seeing things."


    "Wu Yu is crazy, Cheng Ying Zhi is not around anymore, I need to be quiet for a while." Although Zhou Zhen has yet to reveal her identity, it seems like there has been no reaction. I will get some people to pay more attention to her. "


    Gu Qingli nodded.


    Xiao Yi Xiu held her hand and asked, "Recently, when you were lucky, did you feel any movement from the Gu worm in your body?"


    "No, it''s been very quiet." Gu Qingli raised her head to look at the sky. The clouds had just dispersed from the sky when a bright moon gradually appeared like a jade plate. The moonlight tonight should be pretty good.


    "Come, let me help you try your luck."


    "En!" Gu Qingli sat down on the stone block. Recently, the two of them had been trying their luck and felt the movements of the Gu worms in her body. It could be said that they had gained some of the Gu''s habits.


    However, on a bright moonlight night, it would be especially active. Perhaps it had a special feeling for the moonlight, or perhaps it wanted to collect the moonlight''s essence. At this time, with luck walking through its meridians, it could always feel that it wanted to break out of the body.


    However, they had tried many times and failed to expel it from Gu Qing Li''s body. They were also unable to control it with ease. Only when Gu Qing started killing, would it appear in a flash and transmit the deadly poison from her fingertip, causing the victim to die from the poison.


    Xiaoyi Xiu pressed her palm against Gu Qing Li''s back and slowly closed her eyes. She felt the strand of yang energy enter her body and slowly circulate through her heart, lungs, spleen, liver, and other meridians.


    A black line appeared on Gu Qing Li''s arm, quickly reaching towards her fingertip. She could almost feel the Gu worm reaching out from the fingertip, but it was always lingering at the tip, as if it felt very comfortable and didn''t resist the true energy that was pushing it at all.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s zhen Qi was increasing. He was twisting his body but he didn''t resist. He didn''t dare to force it too much. He was afraid that if he added too much true energy, it would cause a berserk backlash within Gu Qing Li''s body.


    Suddenly, a dot of black spiraled out from her fingertip. It was as if the smoke had condensed but did not dissipate. It became thicker and thicker as it gradually took the shape of a triangular snake head, swaying its body gracefully.


    Tonight, it seemed to be very excited, ready to break out at any time.


    Just as Xiao Yi Xiu was about to use his true energy to force it out of his body, he suddenly saw a black thread piercing through Gu Qing Li''s fingertip, making a shrill sound as it circled around her at a speed that couldn''t be described with words. Even with Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyesight, he was unable to see what it was, and could only barely make out the black bug.


    He did not dare to reach out and grab it. She waved her sleeve and deflected the attack. Gu Qingli opened her eyes and used a free hand to cover its head with a porcelain bottle.


    Both of them were moving at extremely high speeds, especially Xiao Yixiu, whose speed was so fast that even if he didn''t take any action, the black streak had already been wrapped around her white sleeves like a tornado. However, it continued to move along with the wind, brushing past the porcelain bottle and crashing into Gu Qing Li''s arms.


    "Where did he go?" Xiao Yi Xiu exclaimed.


    However, Gu Qingli only felt a light bump on her chest. Following that, the needle-like feeling disappeared after a brief headache.


    She lowered her head in shock and touched her chest. Apparently, there was nothing out of the ordinary.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t have time to ask any further questions as he carried her into the house. He untied her clothes and examined her white skin carefully, but there wasn''t a single scar on her snow-white skin, let alone any trace of a Gu worm.


    "Did you see what it was like?" Gu Qingli''s face was a bit pale, and her fingers felt cold as she held him.


    It feels like ¡­ "Dragon?" He recalled with narrowed eyes and said uncertainly. It was unheard-of for a dragon to be as thin as a thin line, but at the time it did look like an unformed dragon.


    "There are very small horns on its head, but they have not fully grown out yet. It is difficult to see its face clearly, perhaps it is a dragon-shaped worm ¡­ Qing Li, what''s wrong with you? "


    Right at that moment, Gu Qingli was already bent over in pain. She covered her heart with her hands, cold sweat seeping out of her forehead, and her lips were pale without a trace of blood.


    "I ¡­" Her hands had been trembling the entire time, tightly gripping his. Then she saw the dark gas faintly appearing on her face, and suddenly the black thread randomly appeared on her exposed skin. It no longer moved from her arm to her fingertips, but from her neck and chest, appearing as fast as lightning, disappearing in a flash as if it had swam all over her body.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart sank. He instinctively felt that they might have infuriated him. He wanted to retaliate in such a manner, instead of staying safely within her body, he had turned into harming her body.


    "What should we do? Can you let it enter my body? " He held her nervously, but there was nothing he could do.


    No matter how vicious and cruel a person was, he would have a way to deal with him. However, this Gu that did not understand human nature and was half intelligent, he really had no way.


    Gu Qingli was unable to answer him. She had her eyes closed the entire time, and even when her nails tore his arms apart, she was still unable to wake up.


    Xiao Yixiu looked at her in agony, his brow furrowed. His hair was in disarray from the trembling, and there was sweat on his forehead. It was as if he was in hell, but he couldn''t help at all.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed before he felt Gu Qingli gradually awaken from her long hellish nightmare. Her lips were still pale, and sweat dripped down her chin.

 C225 stowaway column

    "I... This is... "What''s wrong?" Her voice was hoarse and cracked, and she was shaking with exhaustion.


    "You''re fine." Xiao Yixiu couldn''t bear to tell her the truth. He was an impossibly clean person, so he lightly wiped the sweat off her forehead and lowered his head to kiss her wet eyelashes. Then, he slid down to his lips.


    After a long while, he finally let go of her and forced a gentle smile, "Earlier, we almost forced it out, but I don''t know what happened to it. As a result, it entered your body again."


    "Are we the ones who angered it?" Gu Qingli asked in a low voice.


    Then she shook her head again, with a hint of confusion and uncertainty in her eyes: "But I think it was called... It felt the call and became restless. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart chilled. He quickly looked around and comforted, "Don''t let your imagination run wild, this is the Prince Mo''s Mansion. There are countless shadow guards outside the Feng Che Hall, who can get close to them?"


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment before slowly nodding. Perhaps it was because they were in too much of a hurry to achieve quick results that they ended up making a fool out of themselves. In the future, they had to slow down a bit and not force this Gu worm any further. Although it didn''t have the wisdom of a human, it had a strong reaction to her emotions because it was in her body. This was probably the reason why they were connected to each other.


    Three days later, the wrongdoer Cheng Ying Zhi and Hui Qiao were taken to the execution ground to make a final decision.


    On the high platform, the two death row prisoners had their heads lowered. Their unkempt black hair covered their faces as they were forcefully pressed onto the platform. They put on the black hood and pressed it onto the opening of the box.


    In the crowd below the execution platform, there were cries and shouts of grief. Cheng Manor''s people were gathered there, and Cheng Liao''s eyes were filled with more anxiety and worry than sadness. From time to time, he would lower his head to comfort a girl who covered her face with his sleeves.


    The executioner raised his sharp machete high, and with a poof, the box''s opening was instantly splattered with blood. The head covered by the black cloth bag tumbled down, falling into the basket.


    Shocked cries rang out from below the stage. Some of the timid ones covered their faces, not daring to look.


    Cheng Liao''s Madam Ru covered her face with her sleeves and screamed before collapsing to the ground. She seemed to have fainted.


    Cheng Liao quickly hugged her, and in his panic, he ordered his family to go and retrieve their heads. A young man in a brocade robe followed a few servants onto the execution platform.


    "Wait."


    With this cold and melodious reprimand, a path was opened up in the crowd.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had a light fur coat and was clad in snow-white robes. He was elegant and graceful. Behind him were Prince Li, Xiao Linbin, and Prince Yi, Xiao Lingfei. A group of guards surrounded and protected them as they slowly stepped onto the execution platform.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked around before glancing at Zhang Rui, the vice minister of the Ministry of Justice, and said with a faint and clear smile, "Vice Minister Zhang, your excellency."


    Zhang Rui instinctively felt a little uneasy. He swallowed his saliva, and hurriedly lifted his official''s robes to bow, "This official greets Prince Mo, Prince Li, and Prince Yi. What has happened for the three of you ¡­ Greeting? In this bloody battlefield of the execution grounds, it was truly ¡­ has the ability to humiliate the three of you. "


    He had a bad feeling about this ¡ª what was it that required the three kings to work for him?


    "This King''s beloved concubine was beheaded. It is only reasonable that This King should have come to collect her corpse. Why is Vice Minister Zhang looking so surprised?"


    Zhang Rui froze, momentarily ignoring the matter.


    In terms of status, she was also the wife of King Mo. Since she had married into the family, her death was also the ghost of the Xiao family. If Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t come, then it was natural that the Cheng family would take her corpse.


    Cheng Liao, who was in the middle of the chaotic crowd, supported Madam Ru and was about to leave, but upon seeing this scene, he turned his head in shock. He couldn''t stay, nor could he leave.


    Madam Ru, who was in his embrace, seemed to have stopped being unconscious. Trembling, she peeked out two pairs of eyes from under her sleeves. Half her face was covered by her sleeves, making her look like an old Cheng Yingzhi.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t even look at them and smiled, "What, Vice Minister Zhang, do you not understand the principle of marrying a husband? She is a member of the Mo King''s Manor, so he can''t possibly let someone else come and collect her corpse, right? "


    Zhang Rui swallowed his saliva and nodded with difficulty. He couldn''t even speak.


    "Yuying, Jinshu, go and help Lady Cheng collect her grave." Even if This King''s woman was wrong when she was alive, it''s not her turn to let those filthy men touch her. " Xiao Yi Xiu Rui''s cold gaze swept over the two servants next to the youth who were trying to collect the corpse; he seemed to have seen through everything.


    The youth in embroidered clothes stood there stiffly and his body slightly trembled. He was Cheng Yizhi''s younger brother, Cheng Shuo Zhi, but he did not dare to discuss marriage with Xiao Yi Xiu. He could only lower his head in front of Xiao Yi Xiu, clasping his hands and saying in a low voice, "This general greets you, Prince Mo, Prince Li and Prince Yi."


    His identity was just a small field officer, how could he dare to say anything? Moreover, Xiao Yi Xiu''s words seemed to imply something ¡ª if the Cheng family really valued Cheng Ying, why would they let two male servants collect the corpse? No matter if one was alive or dead, the body of a rich family''s daughter could not be touched by a lowly man.


    Cold sweat flowed down Cheng Shuo''s back as he realized that he had neglected this point.


    The main reason was that no one had expected Xiao Yi to appear at such an occasion and even ask about Cheng Ying''s death.


    Yu Ying and Jin Shu went over to help straighten the body of the condemned prisoner, laid him flat on the execution platform, and then connected his head from inside the black cloth.


    Cheng Lie and Cheng Shuo watched on helplessly, hoping that the two maidservants would be timid and not reveal the face of the dead, and not take off the black cloth.


    However, how could the servants of Xiao Yi Xiu be the same as the maids of an ordinary family?


    Yuying calmly took off the black cloth hood, took out a comb and carefully combed out the messy hair on the surface of the prisoner.


    Without any warning, Jin Shu exclaimed, suddenly stood up, and said to Xiao Yi Xiu in shock, "My lord, this ¡­ This isn''t our Lady Cheng! "


    Cheng Liao''s heart sank. This time, Madam Ru really fainted in his arms.


    "This... How could this be ¡­ "I can ¡­" Cheng Shuzhi was stuttering.


    Yu Ying glanced at him and said: "If field officer Cheng doesn''t believe me, then let''s see."


    With that, she bent down and used the handkerchief to wipe the stains on the condemned prisoner''s face. Although her entire face was a little untidy, as the elder brother of Cheng Ying Zhi, how could he not tell that she was his younger sister?


    Xiao Yi Xiu, on the other hand, was watching from afar, completely at ease. There was no trace of the "beloved concubine" dying that he had just mentioned, and there was still a sense of respect in his eyes.


    The prisoner''s face was slightly swollen, with a yellowish complexion. He was still a bit old, so how could he be Cheng Ying who had white, greasy skin and an amorous face?


    "Since this is not the beloved concubine of This King, there is no need to collect the corpse. If you have any brotherly feelings for her, you might as well bury her. "But ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu turned to look at Zhang Rui with a smile that was not a smile, "I would like to have one from you, Cheng Ying. It''s fine if you''re alive or dead, right Vice Minister Zhang, you should at least hand it over to This King, right? "


    Zhang Rui could not explain why such a strange situation had occurred at the execution grounds. He stuttered, "This official ¡­" This official does not know... How did this happen? Ah ¡­ Right, this ¡­ Wasn''t this prisoner on death row always in the Supreme Court''s prison? You must ask the Supreme Court for this matter. "


    He finally thought of the way out.


    No matter what, this death row was not something he could do on the execution platform. Someone must have done something in the justice court''s prison. As long as he could prove that it had nothing to do with him, he could get away with it.

 C226 Good Health Verification

    The smile in Xiao Yixiu''s eyes was so cold that he could kill someone, "I''m afraid Vice Minister Zhang won''t be able to stay out of this matter that easily, right? "No matter when this prisoner on death row will be replaced, it is still your responsibility to say that you did not verify his true form before the execution!"


    Prince Li laughed, "I don''t understand either. It has been just a month since I left the Board of Justice, how could something like this happen?" Could it be that I have actually turned over the Board of Justice to Minister Xin? "


    When Zhang Rui saw his smile, goosebumps rose all over his body. He had been under Xiao Ling Bin''s control for many years, so he knew his old superior''s character. Xiao Ling Bin was a smiling tiger. The more he smiled, the more merciless he felt.


    "This official ¡­" I really do not know, but this matter will definitely be verified. Zhang Rui broke out in a cold sweat.


    Xiao Lingbin suddenly said, "That''s right. Since Madam Cheng is not the real person, what about the other person?"


    Zhang Rui looked at the other corpse in shock. He thought, it can''t be that ridiculous. Could it be that someone, a mere servant girl like Hui Qiao, spent time and effort to exchange for her corpse? His neck was stiff, and he didn''t even have the courage to order someone to examine the body.


    Xiao Yixiu gave him a glance, and Yu Ying took off Hui Qiao''s hood. She brushed away her messy hair and answered, "Prince Li is indeed wise, and Hui Ying is also fake."


    Xiao Yixiu looked at Zhang Rui silently, and his trembling became even more intense.


    "This matter will be left to Vice Minister Zhang to verify." Xiao Lingbin purposefully emphasized the words "check your ass" as he smiled even more amiably.


    Xiao Lingfei also smiled, but didn''t deny it. He had only met them on the way here, so he didn''t know what had happened. However, he could tell from the strange scene before him that there was something fishy about this matter. Xiao Yi Xiu knew about it, and perhaps Xiao Ling Bin also knew about it.


    When they were about to get off the execution platform, Xiao Yi Xiu looked back at Cheng Shuo, "Commander Cheng has some free time today. If you''re not on duty, come and collect the corpse."


    His half-smile was clearly saying, "How do you know a dead body is not your sister?"


    Cheng Shuo''s face turned gray as he lowered his head and backed up.


    The three of them left the crowd and gradually walked down the wide street. The people following behind each of them were clearly aware of their extraordinary bearing. Their status must be very high, and those who saw them would immediately give way.


    Xiao Lingfei suddenly spoke up, "Yixiu, judging from the Cheng Family''s expressions, there seems to be something unusual. It''s obvious that they know about it." However, you say that this Madam Cheng was swapped out and even a maid went through so much trouble that she fell out of her bag. What kind of illness is this? "Moreover, wasn''t Hui Qiao the witness of Lady Cheng? The Cheng family should hate her to the bones, and even switched her to someone else ¡­"


    "Although she was switched, that doesn''t mean she''s still alive." Xiao Yi Xiu turned around and looked at him, "Sixteenth Imperial Uncle, before this, I''ve already found Hui Ying''s corpse. Although her face has been scratched beyond recognition, there are still people close to her who can tell who she is by the small traits of her body. "


    Xiao Ling Fei asked coldly, "Did you let her family identify her corpse?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded.


    Xiao Lingfei sighed lightly, "It seems that there is a problem with the verdict in this case. As for the truth, I''m afraid we''ll have to find Lady Cheng first."


    Xiao Lingbin smiled. "Don''t worry. When the water falls, the stone will come out eventually."


    He didn''t seem to be too concerned about this case. After a few laughs, he clasped his hands behind his back and left, leaving Xiao Lingfei and Xiao Yi Xiu behind as they headed towards the Mo King''s Manor.


    "Sixteenth Imperial Uncle intends to follow me back to my estate?" With their status, it wasn''t suitable for them to walk together at the moment. They should be keeping each other at arm''s length.


    Xiao Ling Fei didn''t answer, but walked along with him in silence for a while and then said, "Yi Xiu, you said that Hui Qiao is dead. In order to destroy the body, we should burn her more thoroughly. Why do you need to leave a whole body with only a cut on its face for you to identify?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu gave him a meaningful smile.


    "Did royal brother approve of you doing all this?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t answer, but Xiao Ling Fei understood what was going on.


    Hui Qiao''s body could not be burnt to testify. Someone had used her to testify against Cheng Yingzhi. It was clearly a case of framing, which was why they were able to quickly kill her afterwards. It was so much that they couldn''t wait for her to be executed.


    After all, there were still three days left before the execution. Who could guarantee that a servant who even sold her a master would keep her mouth shut?


    And when Cheng Ying was switched out, it was the key step in this game of chess ¡ª if someone was to blame for this, she would have to live.


    Xiao Lingfei leaned close to Xiao Yixiu and whispered, "To tell you the truth, even the death of a servant girl in your mansion can cause such a huge disturbance. This servant girl ¡­" Was it you who did it? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked back at him with a faint smile on his face.


    From the moment Wu Yu entered the mansion, Xiao Yixiu had already known who was behind her.


    Wu Changqing treated this one daughter as the apple of his eye. She wasn''t assigned as a concubine to the sickly King Mo during the palace selection. However, the Emperor summoned him and told him to send his daughter to the Mo Residence. How could he dare disobey?


    To prevent the pampered Wu Yu from being unable to shoulder this responsibility, Ming Zhu was actually sent to her side to monitor and support her, and not to order her servant girls around. The Emperor had naturally calculated it before, randomly choosing an undisciplined lady to be his spy. Not to mention the fact that it was too easy to reveal his identity, the probability of him completing the mission was also very low.


    As a result, whether it was true or whether Ming Zhu was lying in the middle of it, no one knew. However, it was certain that another power had discovered Ming Zhu''s identity, or perhaps Ming Zhu had discovered the other party''s identity, so she had been silenced.


    Regardless of the reason, Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li had decided to go with the flow and hang Ming Zhu''s body in front of Wu Yu''s bed. The result was that Wu Yu''s tenacious heart had been completely destroyed, causing her to go insane.


    This matter required the detection of a murderer, and Cheng Ying Zhi was the best choice.


    After the Yan King Xiao Yijin had looked at Cheng Yingzhi and failed to choose her to enter into the Prince Yan''s estate, he took the opportunity to visit Imperial Concubine Lan in the palace to secretly pass through Chen Cang with her. He promised that if she ascended to the throne in the future, he would make her the legitimate Crown Prince''s consort.


    In order to achieve this kind of promise, Cheng Ying took the risk and entered the Mo King Manor, becoming the scapegoat for killing Ming Zhu.


    This was only one part of a series of plans. Not only would it be able to drive Cheng Ying out of the palace, it would also be the next step of the chain effect ¨C he would use Cheng Ying''s transfer to the head judge, Xin Yingning.


    Although Xiao Lingfei didn''t guess it to be 100%, he could deduce it to be 60% to 70%.


    He had only gone to the execution grounds once, but from their expressions and conversations, he was able to deduce such an outcome.


    Even to the extent that Xiao Yi Xiu was inwardly shocked.


    "Alright, Uncle Sixteen is returning to the estate." Xiao Lingfei patted Xiao Yixiu''s shoulder. "No matter what you do, I know you have your reasons."


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. "Alright, thank you for your concern, Uncle Sixteenth."


    After the two of them broke up, they walked in the opposite direction. Xiao Yi Xiu walked very far away, and turned back to look at Xiao Lingfei''s back.

 C227 counteract(1)

    Cheng Residence.


    The dark cellar was filled with the fragrance of the wine, mixed with the damp smell of the cellar, creating a pungent smell.


    Although Cheng Yingzhi was a concubine, because she was spoiled by her mother, and because she had a lovely appearance, she was good at pleasing people. She had grown up daintily, and had never lived in such a place before, so she had always been impatient, sometimes crying, sometimes resentful, but she did not dare to act rashly.


    The cellar door was pushed open a little, and someone came slowly down the stairs. A dim light fell on the dark steps.


    Cheng Yingzhi heard some noise from inside, but was too lazy to go out and take a look. She lay down at the foot of the steps and turned to the bottom of the cellar in the left corner, where a bed had been made, with a quilt and a high soft pillow, and everything was arranged according to her boudoir and occupied half the cellar.


    She couldn''t tell what she was feeling, both frightened and angry, and faintly sad.


    In the beginning, she had only wanted to marry the Yan King to become his official wife, but Xiao Yijin''s promise had moved her heart. Furthermore, he was a brave and handsome man, so he had some tricks to deal with girls.


    Xiao Yijin told her that Mo Wang was too weak and sick, and that even if he entered the palace, he wouldn''t be able to humiliate her. However, the truth was that she was no longer innocent, and his greatest worry was that he wouldn''t be able to pass his first night. However, after her first night at the Residence of Mo King, she realized that there was no trace of red on the white satin, and Xiao Yixiu did not point out the truth ¡ª why did he endure when he knew?


    As Cheng Ying Zhi recalled, he was confused and confused. He wasn''t even sure if she had really slept with Xiao Yi that night because his memory was like a fragment, messy yet unclear. However, that charming and gentle feeling remained in the depths of her memories. She was a little reluctant to walk out.


    After that night, Xiao Yi Xiu stayed over with her for a few nights. He had hazy memories of her, but the cold smile on his handsome face was etched into her heart.


    Later on, when Cheng Ying Zhi was escorted to the Ministry of Justice to be interrogated, he subconsciously tried to find a familiar figure in the crowd, but his disappointment went from despair to despair.


    Xiao Yijin didn''t come, and neither did Xiao Yixiu. Both men treated her so mercilessly, so she didn''t know what he really was.


    Cheng Ying Zhi withdrew his senses from the chaos in his mind. As his footsteps got closer, she began to feel that something was wrong.


    The footsteps were leisurely and rhythmic, light and unintentionally concealed. It was obvious that they were not small steps that a woman would take to feed her.


    Cheng Ying Zhi suddenly opened his eyes and quickly sat up on the bed. As he lifted the veil, he saw a white robe embroidered with a snow-white bamboo slowly approaching him.


    She shuddered involuntarily and shrank back into the bed.


    "Why do you have such an expression when you see This King? This King is pleasantly surprised to see Madam Ye. It seems that you have taken good care of her. "


    "Wang... Prince ¡­ My Body... "Confess Sin..."


    "What crime do you know? Because you''re alive? "


    Cheng Yingzhi trembled as she pulled the blanket over her, leaving only half of her face outside. Her originally pair of charming eyes were now filled with fear.


    The veil was lifted and tied with a golden hook. Xiao Yi Xiu''s handsome face had a gentle smile on it as he was just inches away from her.


    "Don''t come near me!" "My lord, I beg of you, a husband and wife are merciful for a hundred days. Even if you are heartless to me, I still do not expect you to save me. I just hope that you will forget about today''s matter and just treat it as you never seeing me before and consider it as the end of fate between us ¡­"


    "This King has never been on good terms with you." Xiao Yi Xiu was still smiling warmly, but his eyes were cold.


    "Then you ¡­" Then what are you doing here? "Ming Zhu wasn''t killed by me, it really wasn''t the case ¡­"


    "This King knows that''s not the case."


    Cheng Ying Zhi was startled for a moment, then suddenly opened his eyes wide: "You know ¡­. Then why did he come here ¡­ Isn''t it because I want to be escorted to the execution grounds? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled calmly, "If you die, what benefits does it bring to this king? Actually, whether you are dead or alive, it is not this king who should care so much about you ¨C but are you willing to lead such a dark life ever since? "


    "¡­"


    "Perhaps, you''re still counting on the illusory promises that Xiao Yijin made to you?" Xiao Yixiu''s gentle smile turned into mockery. "Not to mention that he can no longer protect himself, even if he manages to successfully fight for the storage and one day will be able to ascend to the throne, do you really believe in a man that you can sacrifice yourself to be a spy?"


    Cheng Yingzhi''s face paled bit by bit, and the creases in her hands that were tightly clenched began to loosen as they slid down her body.


    She looked at Xiao Yixiu in a daze.


    No matter what kind of person he was, and what was his purpose for coming here, that sentence undoubtedly pierced the deepest part of Cheng Ying''s heart.


    From the moment she was sentenced to death, Cheng Ying Zhi realized that Xiao Yi Jin didn''t care about her at all. The so-called promise was just a bargaining chip.


    As for whether or not she would be able to make it or not, it all depended on how much Xiao Yi Jin needed her ¨C for example, now that she was a useless child, she might not even be able to keep her life, but he was gone.


    Even though he was later replaced by a prisoner on death row and rescued from the Sky Prison, Cheng Ying Zhi no longer believed in Xiao Yi Jin''s sincerity.


    He was still willing to spare no effort to save her, obviously because her father still had a little bit of value. This point could be seen from how he never came to see her again.


    If he really was like a pearl or a treasure to her, how could he not meet her at the very first moment? The cellar of the Cheng Residence should still be safe.


    "Ever since you entered the palace, I knew that you were one of Xiao Yi Jin''s men, but Wu Yu and Zhou Zhen weren''t on the same side as you. This King also knows that you did not kill Ming Zhu, but this crime must be placed on your head. "


    Cheng Ying Zhi stared at him in shock, "You know everything? Then Wu Yu and Zhou are really people? "


    "It doesn''t seem to have anything to do with you."


    "I just want to know who framed me!" Cheng Ying Zhi jumped onto the bed and grabbed his arm, with an excited look on his face, "Just who caused my imprisonment, and even wanted me to die?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu took off his sleeves from her hands and brushed them away. A trace of disgust flashed across his eyes as he said indifferently, "It was I who hung Ming Zhu''s body in front of Wu Yu''s bed. It was I who had you imprisoned. If not, who do you think would have the guts to come to the Mo King''s Manor to capture him? However, a servant girl dying is nothing in the eyes of a rich and powerful family. "


    What he said was right. In an ordinary family of gluttons, the death of a servant girl was nothing. After covering it up a few times, they would use some money to clear up the government, and then block the family''s influence, so they could be considered to have passed.


    The death of Yu Mingzhu had actually alarmed the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice. It was clear that someone had added fuel to the fire.


    It wasn''t that Cheng Ying Zhi didn''t think about this, but he didn''t think that the one who pushed this matter would be Xiao Yi Xiu and that he would actually confess to it.

 C228 counteract(2)

    "Why would the Prince want to send his concubine to her death?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed coldly, "Cheng Ying Zhi, do you really think you are the wife of the Mo King''s Manor? This King wants to put you to death. Just how high is your status that you need This King to personally act? "


    "Then ¡­"


    "This King only wanted you to go to jail. I didn''t want you to die just because Teacher Hui happened to testify against you. If this king truly wants to put you to death, how can a trick like changing prisoners on the execution ground save you? "


    Seeing his cold smile, Cheng Yingzhi felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse. She felt a chill run down her spine. Both of her hands supported the edge of the bed as she tightly gripped the soft satin mattress.


    "Clever ¡­" Did you kill him? "


    "You ordered her to cut the Second Prince''s rope and cause his wife to miscarry. Do you think she still has a chance of survival?"


    "Then... "Then I ¡­" He really knew everything! Even the matter of her ordering Hui Qiao to impersonate Jin Shu and cause Gu Lengfei''s miscarriage didn''t escape his eyes!


    It turned out that Cheng Ying''s teeth were fighting because he hated her to the bones because of the concubine''s miscarriage. No matter how miserable she was, it wasn''t an injustice for her to be beaten up.


    "But you can live. If you listen to me obediently, you might not be able to become Huan Yijin''s main wife. However, you can live with honor and reason. You don''t have to hide in the cellar and smell the stench of mildew. "


    Cheng Ying Zhi no longer dared to believe his words. These princes, who could be trusted? Xiao Yijin was like that, and Xiao Yixiu was the same.


    However, at this point, she realized that she had no other choice. Even if he had given her outrageous conditions, she had to agree to it.


    It wasn''t until Xiao Yi Xiu had left that Cheng Yingzhi finally raised her head and glared at him, "My prince, I have a question for you. Can you answer it truthfully?"


    "Go ahead."


    "I instructed Hui Qiao to impersonate Jin Shu, causing Gu Luan Fei to miscarry. Did you know about this beforehand?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu seemed to be surprised by her question. He looked at her silently and nodded his head.


    "You ¡­ You are really cruel, even your own ¡­ "Children, all ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu smiled faintly. There was no need to explain things like this to her. After all, it was not appropriate for a woman like her to know too much.


    "This King will tell you one last thing. The more you know, the less safe it is." "Since you still want to live, you can just be a fool." He turned around leisurely and walked out of the cellar, his clothes fluttering in the wind. He looked so ethereal that it was hard to imagine the cold, estranged look in his eyes.


    Cheng Yingzhi laid on the bed, feeling a chill in her heart.


    This man was too terrifying. If he had known that this day would come, he wouldn''t have fooled Xiao Yi Jin.


    All the clues that Zhang Rui had found in the justice courts had been piled up in front of him, causing him to have no choice but to believe the truth ¡ª Yan King Xiao Yijin had bribed a jailer to replace Cheng Yizhi in order to excuse his wife, Cheng Ying.


    In fact, this was no surprise. Cheng Liao''s status in the imperial camp was not low, and in order to win over him, Xiao Yijin''s plan was reasonable. As far as the status of the Yan Emperor was concerned, even if he were to poke a hole in the emperor''s path, he would at most be reprimanded.


    However, this woman was the wife of the Mo King''s Manor. This was a huge problem.


    What King Mo actually thought, whether he wanted her dead or alive, became the crux of the matter.


    If he offended King Mo, then it would be a matter of no end for both sides. Zhang Rui paced back and forth anxiously like an ant on a hot pan.


    General Wu Changqing had walked to his side at some point, and stood quietly by his side.


    Zhang Rui spun around like a headless fly. Just as he was about to run into him, he suddenly raised his head and shouted in anger, "Why are you standing here like a wandering soul? "You gave me a fright!"


    The expression on Wu Changqing''s face was somewhat stiff, but his gaze was heavy with deep meaning: "This lowly one only wishes to help sire share his burdens."


    "You? What can you do for this official? " Zhang Rui sneered. Wu Changqing could not be considered his right-hand man, and his conduct was nothing special, so he did not really like him.


    It was just that Wu Changqing''s only daughter, Wu Yu, had become the Lady Mo Wang. Zhang Rui had recently given him a lot of good looks and tried to rope him in, allowing him to follow him around often. Now that Wu Yu had gone crazy and something had happened to the Mo King Manor, Zhang Rui was no longer interested in showing good will. Naturally, his cold face returned.


    "Great Elder, Prince Mo and Prince Li have ordered you to investigate this case as soon as possible. You must be worried about this matter right now. If the matter regarding King Yan''s rescue is exposed, it would be no different from playing around with your head ¡ª That is a prince, even if he is at fault, he will not die. One day, he will seek revenge, have you thought of the consequences? "


    "Nonsense!"


    "However, if you were to continue hiding this matter, you would not know how much King Mo and Prince Li knew about it. That day, they seemed to have noticed and went to the execution grounds at the same time. Forget about the King of Mo, the Prince is the number one powerful official in the imperial court, the younger brother of the Emperor.


    Zhang Rui suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. He patted his shoulder and sighed. Just as he was about to complain, he suddenly remembered that he was still half a father-in-law of King Mo. No matter what, he couldn''t speak nonsense in front of him.


    His face darkened as he said, "Are you here to spy on me?"


    Wu Changqing smiled, although his smile was still gloomy, but it was the first time since he went mad that he showed some benevolence.


    "I dare not do so, I am thinking, there is only one way to prove that there is another secret in Lady Cheng''s case. "Because the Yan King suspected that there was something fishy, he did not want his subordinate''s daughter to die in grievance, so he tried to save her."


    "You do know how to think! Such bizarre words can still be said! "


    But Wu Changqing said, "Do I really have to say bizarre things? Lord, please think about it carefully. What is the probability of this happening? As a girl from a pavilion, even if she was jealous, how could she have such meticulous plans for openly killing people in the Residence of Mo? It was one thing to be jealous of someone, but why did he have to go through so much trouble to kill Ming Zhu instead of Lady Wu? Do you really believe the words that you said you were afraid to offend the Cheng family? "


    "Go on." Zhang Rui was already beginning to be interested.


    That''s just an excuse to cover it up." It was unreliable to use pearls to intimidate Lady Wu, not to mention meticulous planning. "If she wasn''t crazy and had fallen into a murder case, how could she not have done so thoroughly and killed Lady Wu?


    "Yes!" Zhang Rui now felt more and more justified.


    "Someone killed Ming Zhu and wanted to frame Lady Cheng, which was why Hui Qiao was ordered to give a false statement. "After all, Hui Qiao has been serving Lady Cheng since childhood. If she were to testify, Lady Cheng''s chances of being found guilty are greater ¡­"


    "You mean, who wants Lady Cheng to die?"


    "I''m afraid that this matter is related to the miscarriage of the second prince''s consort!"

 C229 impeachment

    "The more you talk, the more you make this official feel dizzy ¡ª why are you implicating your side in miscarriage?"


    "Then the crime Hui Qiao admitted to was not only to be ordered by Lady Cheng to kill Ming Zhu. The other was to cut open the Second Prince''s rope, causing the concubine to miscarry! Milord, although this matter may seem like it was done by a jealous woman, it''s actually extremely stupid. Think about it, finding someone to impersonate Jinshu is only to abort the side concubine. Since it''s jealousy and hatred, why not do something else and let her die? "


    "That''s not easy, is it?"


    "No, because what Hui Qiao wants to do is not to abort the side concubine, that''s just a coincidence! In fact, Hui Qiao wanted to release the Second Prince! Maybe there is still someone else who helped her with this matter. Ming Zhu was accidentally involved in this and was killed off. Thus, she decided to hang herself by Lady Wu''s bedside to create the false image of Lady Cheng as the culprit! "


    "Release the Second Prince? I heard that he has... "Crazy, what''s the use of letting him go?"


    "It''s useless to others, but it might not be useless to Minister Xin. After all, he''s his nephew."


    "Shut up!" Zhang Rui''s face turned green.


    The words stabbed at Zhang Rui, and his face changed. That''s right, Wu Changqing''s conjecture sounded plausible, but if he were to continue on, then what was involved would be his mentor, who was also his backing.


    Zhang Rui''s hands shook, and he felt a gap in the fog. If the prisoners were changed at the execution ground, why did the Prince order him to investigate the matter and not report it? The presence of Prince Mo could be explained as the service of the corpse of his concubine. Even if there was something fishy about it, it was still reasonable. It was obvious that the appearance of Prince Li was unreasonable.


    Turning to look at Wu Changqing, Zhang Rui saw a bottomless trap in his eyes.


    This was clearly digging a hole for him to jump into! Zhang Rui was not stupid. He quickly figured out his own situation ¡ª should he betray his teacher to protect him, or should he continue to side with Xin Yingning, waiting for them to eradicate him?


    This thought only circulated a few times in his mind before he came to a conclusion.


    The prince was the emperor''s own younger brother. He was the most important minister in the imperial court. When Xiao Lingbin was serving as the head of the Ministry of Justice, he was already a very influential figure in the imperial court, even Prime Minister Gu Chaoran had been his subordinate. Later on, he and Xin Yining were transferred to each other, and he also served as the Military Minister. In fact, he already had the right to take Xin Yining''s participation in the army.


    Sure enough, in less than a month after Xin Yingning took office as the Board of Justice''s president, she had yet to completely sort out the Ministry''s affairs and structure, and had already started taking action against him ¡­


    "Wu Changqing!" Zhang Rui spoke word by word as he glared at him, "Are you trying to help me?"


    Wu Changqing took a step back. His attitude was respectful, but his face was expressionless. "This official is helping you. If a person does not walk a path of survival, even an immortal cannot help."


    Zhang Rui suddenly became discouraged and said dejectedly, "Alright, let''s investigate this thoroughly ¡­" The whereabouts of the President and the people who came and went, are there any suspicions? "


    As long as they obtained the throne room to discuss any case, they would absolutely not be ordinary people.


    For example, the previous case of the Crimson Yue Chamber of Commerce involving Xiao Yixiu suing the prince, and the case of Cheng Ying''s murder that Zhang Rui had investigated, also involved the prince.


    However, Xiao Yi Bei wasn''t the main character.


    When the emperor was in the morning court, he had listened to Zhang Rui''s investigation and found out that this was the evidence against his superior. His face was calm and unperturbed. His usual majesty had been fixed on Zhang Rui''s face as he calmly listened.


    Zhang Rui''s tone was full of helplessness. After all, the highest judicial authority in the dynasty was the Supreme Court official and the Chief Justice of the Ministry of Justice. Even if he told Dong Zhang En about the evidence, based on rank, he had no right to take down the Chief Justice of the Ministry of Justice.


    Xin Yingning''s face turned ashen as she listened to her favorite student incriminating him:


    First,


    Buying the Cheng Residence''s maidservant, Hui Ying, sneaking into Prince Mo''s Residence to release the crippled Crown Prince Xiao Yi Bei.


    Second,


    The act of murder was discovered by Wu''s servant Ming Zhu, killing them to silence them.


    Third,


    Using the name of jealousy as a concealment of the fact, he would then kill Hui Ying to silence her.


    Of course, Zhang Rui would not use his white teeth to impeach him, so there was naturally evidence. The witness was Cheng Ying''s confession. The steward of the Xin Residence admitted that he had been ordered to bribe her family.


    He had received a large amount of silver before he testified. Physical evidence included the corpse of Hui Fu and the corpses of the two prisoners who had stolen the pillars on the court.


    Qin Bi finished reading out the contents of the book. He looked at Xin Yingning with a smile that did not reach his eyes, "Does Minister Xin have any arguments against this matter?"


    Xin Yingning gritted her teeth and said with hatred, "The evidence is so conclusive, and you still want to know what''s wrong with me?"


    He turned to the emperor, "Your majesty, this subject has only asked one question. The second prince has lost his will, and this subject has set his heart on robbing him of his presence. But why?"


    The emperor indifferently glanced at him and said, "I did not say that Zhang Rui impeached all these facts. In the end, there was a Ministry of Justice for investigating cases, and a Supreme Court for legislating. Since you were the head of the Ministry of Justice, you had to be represented by someone else. "As of today, this case shall be thoroughly investigated by Prince Li and shall be heard by the Supreme Court and the Imperial Historians."


    The Emperor did not answer Xin Yingning directly. Instead, he handed the matter over to Prince Li, Dong Changen, and Doctor Yu Shi, Zhang Dancheng. This clearly prevented Xin Yingning from explaining anything to him.


    Xin Yingning''s face twitched. To live to his age and to her level, how could she not understand the meaning behind the Emperor''s move? The Xin family''s tree was about to fall. Once he lost, the empress would no longer have any backup. With the remaining power of the Xin family, it would no longer be possible to cause a storm.


    This matter was probably due to Xiao Yi Bei being crippled and Xiao Yi Yan leaving, leaving the Queen powerless to reverse the situation.


    Xiao Lingbin cupped his hands in greeting and looked at Xin Yining with a cordial smile.


    In mid-October, the case was thoroughly investigated. Xin Yingning attempted to rescue the former Crown Prince, Xiao Yi Bei, which resulted in a chain of murder.


    As for the matter of Cheng Ying He standing in the court and testifying, Dong Chang''en had long suspected that there was something fishy about this case. He wanted justice and truth to be exchanged for a death sentence in order to obtain justice.


    Of course, such a thing could only be said by the officials and commoners of the court. In front of the emperor, it was impossible to pass.


    As a result, after Xin Yingning had stripped the family of her position, Xiao Yijin was still called to the Town Hall to scold him.


    The emperor looked at him coldly, clearly disbelieving the official''s words.


    Cold sweat dripped down Xiao Yi Jin''s collar. He knelt on the ground and didn''t even dare to breathe. The words he had originally wanted to say completely vanished under the Emperor''s long silence. It had already been less than an hour since he was called here. He was just kneeling there. The Emperor did not say a single word, nor did he make him speak. He only stared at him coldly.


    This move was indeed more effective than any forced confession or evidence. Xiao Yijin''s confidence at the beginning and panic later on gradually changed from lacking in confidence to being extremely confused. He didn''t know how much evidence the emperor had on hand.


    Up until now, the previous fight between the five kings had turned into the current Xiao Yi Bei losing his mind, Xiao Yi Yan leaving, and Xiao Yi Mo being suppressed. Xiao Yi Xiu might be the opponent he feared the most, but the poison in his body had yet to heal.

 C230 control

    After an unknown period of time, the emperor finally opened his mouth, "Jin''er, the matters between Bei''er and Ji Rong Hua were all handled by you. Do you still want to defend yourself?"


    Xiao Yi Jin was startled. With wide eyes, he kneeled down in fear and said, "Royal father, royal father ¡­ I have nothing to do with Cheng Ying, really... Saving Cheng Ying is something that I have requested, but not done so. royal father knows that he is your son''s best general in the camp, your son is just ¡­ "


    "You just think she''s innocent? What makes you think she was framed? "


    Xiao Yi Jin broke out in a cold sweat, "Your son ¡­"


    He thought about it and thought about it again and again. He gritted his teeth and said, "This son doesn''t know that she was wronged. It''s just that I can''t do anything about it. Cheng Liao begged so bitterly that I thought it was just a small case... It was just a servant girl, how could this matter be brought to the level of a Ministry of Justice or a justice court hearing? To be honest, even if an ordinary official were to accidentally beat a servant girl to death, it wouldn''t be enough to execute her, would it? Wealthy, wealthy, and a concubine fighting for the favor, which family didn''t have this kind of thing to do? "


    Thus, he decided to take this matter into his own hands. Even if he admitted to his crimes, he would only receive a reprimand for it. Since the Emperor had not questioned him in the throne room, he had given him room to defend himself. As long as he firmly refused to admit to having a relationship with Cheng Ying, he would likely not be charged with anything.


    As for the relationship between him and Cheng Ying Zhi, he never thought that anyone would know about it. Even if Xiao Yi Xiu did know, how could such a thing that would damage a man''s dignity be spread to the ears of others? Just like the matter between Ji Rong Hua and Xiao Yi Bei, the emperor dealt with this matter quietly, and would never let this matter spread to the imperial court.


    The emperor was silent for a long time, as if he really believed his words. He slowly raised his hand and said, "Stand up."


    With his hands on the ground, it took a while for Xiao Yijin to relax his numb meridians. He held onto his numb knees and stood up, staggering to sit down.


    "I know that you took a liking to the Cheng family when you were a female contestant."


    Xiao Yijin was startled again. His legs went soft, and he nearly fell down from his chair.


    "You''re my biological son. How can I not understand your thoughts with just a few quick glances?" The Emperor sneered. "Do you know why I didn''t give her to you?"


    Xiao Yi Jin didn''t dare to say anything. He remained silent.


    "That woman was gorgeous, and lacked in elegance. After she entered the palace, she slipped away in all directions. She was obviously a restless person. Moreover, her birth is not that high, and she is also a concubine, how can she be worthy of you? Even if she was your concubine, it wouldn''t be the best choice. Her father was originally one of your imperial guards, and even if she married you, it wouldn''t be able to raise your prestige in the imperial court. On the other hand, her beauty had already attracted your attention. If she entered the mansion at the same time as Dong Yu Feng, you would definitely spoil her and leave the Dong family in the cold. "Think about it, is I doing this for your sake?"


    Xiao Yi Jin exclaimed. He felt that he had misunderstood the emperor''s purpose in summoning him here. He felt ashamed and uneasy as he lowered his head and said, "This son doesn''t know that royal father has put in a lot of effort. I failed to live up to one of royal father''s expectations. This son is terrified!"


    The emperor said calmly, "Since the ancient times, there has always been a knife in the head. If you still can''t understand this from Bei''er, you can''t be too far away from following in his footsteps."


    "This son does not dare! royal father, please forgive me for not understanding your good intentions. Even though I did intend to deal with the Cheng family''s matter, I did not put her in my heart. In the end, I still understand why you would want to marry her. "


    "Forget it, since the Cheng Clan is still alive, it is her fate. It''s just that it''s not suitable for her to stay at the Residence of Mo King anymore. I''ve already informed Cheng Liao and secretly brought her back to the Cheng family. You should know what I''m going to tell you. "


    Countless thoughts flashed through Xiao Yi Jin''s mind. Since Cheng Ying Zhi was still alive and had been found out to be wronged, he should have returned to the Mo family. However, the emperor had told Xiao Yi Xiu to send her back to her family for two reasons.


    Firstly, the emperor knew that Cheng Yingzhi was a spy for Xiao Yixiu, so he sent her back home unhappily. Secondly, the emperor had already suspected that he was involved with Cheng Ying, so even if there was no evidence, there was no need to make this matter clear.


    The Emperor''s words were a warning to him that he could not hope to have anything to do with Cheng Ying Zhi once she returned home.


    "This son understands!"


    After leaving the Town Hall, Xiao Yijin didn''t feel relaxed at all. He could only ponder over and over what the Emperor was thinking in his heart. He didn''t have a shred of confidence.


    The emperor had chosen the daughter of the justice court''s official wife for him. Even though he knew that he was unhappy, he still gave him an opportunity to woo Dong ChangEn. That''s right, from the Emperor''s point of view, not assigning Cheng Ying to him was correct. This meant that the Emperor had intentionally groomed him, which was why he chose his main wife so carefully.


    But the Emperor took advantage of the incident to make insinuations and warn him, as if his every move had never escaped the emperor''s notice.


    He stared blankly ahead, his steps growing heavier. The position of the Lord of Storage wasn''t that easy to get on, let alone an empty seat. Even if he did get on, it wouldn''t be easy to get on, right?


    This was the first time that Xiao Yi Jin felt that the Emperor''s control was that strong. No wonder Xiao Yi Bei, as the crown prince, didn''t care about getting ahead and was willing to be a rascal. It turned out that living under the omnipresent control of the Emperor in the name of the Lord of Storage was a difficult task.


    After Cheng Ying was brought back to the Cheng Manor by his father and brother, he faced the sky and let out a long sigh of relief. She had finally gotten rid of the mission that could cost her her life. Even if she was carrying the blame, she had still managed to survive.


    However, Cheng Shuo''s face was ashen, and the way Cheng Shuo looked at her was also full of contempt. Even her beloved mother was ignored. She knew that her days would not be easy.


    With a glimmer of hope, she secretly sent someone to deliver a letter to the Yan King Manor, but it was like a mud bull entering the sea. She knew that the Yan King''s so-called affection was just like the marriage fate of a duckweed.


    Cheng Ying Zhi thought of Hui Qiao who had died a horrible death and shivered. Ignoring Cheng Lai''s objection, she quietly sat in a small palanquin and went to the Mo King''s Manor.


    Unexpectedly, the people from the Mo King''s Manor did not stop her and lured her to Feng Zhixuan.


    However, Xiao Yixiu wasn''t there. Gu Qingli was sitting quietly in the room with a row of silver needles placed in front of her, but they weren''t used for embroidery.


    "Greetings, Imperial Concubine Gu."


    Gu Qingli looked up at her and smiled. "Sit." You are no longer the prince''s concubine, so there is no need for you to pay your respects. "


    Cheng Ying made up her mind and told him about the matter between her and Xiao Yijin. She didn''t even deny that she had caused the miscarriage of Imperial Concubine Gu.


    These days, her thoughts were very clear. Since Xiao Yixiu was able to use Ming Zhu''s death to eliminate his and Wu Yu, even turning the whole case white to white and using it to topple Xin Yining, then the biggest mastermind behind the whole thing would definitely be him.


    It was impossible for him to not know what he had asked Hui to do.


    Even if the case was closed, it didn''t mean that he would let her off.


    Sending her back to the Cheng Residence was not a punishment, but a mere undercover agent like her right under his nose.


    Instead of waiting for him to settle his debts after autumn, he might as well come to the mansion and plead guilty, asking for the forgiveness of his concubine.

 C231 Cooperation

    Gu Qing Li quietly listened to Cheng Ying Zhi''s confession, and then kneeled in front of her, chatting with tears and tears. However, her eyes were full of smiles, and she did not speak.


    "I beg of you, third concubine, to forgive me!"


    Gu Qingli reached out to pull her, then smiled. "This matter is already past three years old, there''s no point in mentioning it. You don''t have to panic. If the Prince really wants to punish you, why would he spare your life? "


    "Your highness is magnanimous, but in the end, I still feel that my crimes are grave and sinful. If my wangfei and side concubine don''t forgive me, then I''ll kneel down and not get up." Cheng Yingzhi could only kneel there, not getting up.


    Gu Qingli calmly looked at her, then said, "Do you know why your highness forgave you so generously, and even ordered you to return home?"


    Cheng Ying was startled: "I don''t know."


    "Your father is a general who has served in the army for more than ten years. He has been the general of the royal family for the past ten years. You don''t know, when you go back and tell him, perhaps he will know?"


    Looking at her meaningful gaze, her beautiful eyes rolled twice. She had some understanding in her heart, but her face was gradually turning pale.


    "Go back and tell your father what your wife told him today. He has his points. "Tell him that this side of the consort''s words are exactly what the Prince means."


    Seeing the smile in her eyes, Cheng Ying suddenly shivered. She subconsciously looked down at her flat stomach and wondered: [Was that fetus in her womb real or fake?]


    After sending Cheng Yingzhi off, Gu Qingli returned to the Moon Tung Pavilion.


    At the beginning, the two courtyards were in the process of being tidied up and tidied up. However, due to Wu Kuang''s death, Cheng Ying''s departure caused no one to move out. Zhou Zhen felt that the original residence was not bad and did not want to move.


    Thus, he moved Xiao Yi into the Moon Tung Pavilion. There were guards outside, so the rest of the manor were not allowed to enter.


    Her black hair was neatly combed and tied up with a jade band. She looked clean and dignified, as well as as as elegant and elegant as ever. However, her eyes lacked the previous frivolousness and grandeur, and there was an additional haggard and deathly apathy in her gaze.


    "Second Prince."


    Xiao Yi Bei raised his eyes to look at her and mocked, "You''ve been wearing red clothes all day long, why are you even dressed like Gu Qing Xiao in your own residence?"


    Gu Qing Li looked around and replied, "Could it be that the Second Prince thinks that the Residence of Mo King is a place like an iron bucket and that it is so safe that no wind can pass through? In reality, mercury had permeated every nook and cranny of the city. Even the imperial palace was no longer safe, let alone the Mo King''s Manor. Otherwise, how could the Emperor have been poisoned by his pillow people and gradually weakened? "


    Xiao Yi Bei''s expression changed. She knew quite a lot.


    "Did you come here today to tell me that my uncle has already been beheaded?" Although Xiao Yi Bei had been placed under house arrest and prevented from receiving any information from the outside world, after being imprisoned, he had instead spent all his time thinking about these things, thinking about them much more thoroughly than before.


    "Don''t you feel sad?"


    Xiao Yi Bei coldly said, "What''s there to be sad about? After that, it would definitely be after royal father became a cripple. Until now, no one had been able to guess what he was thinking. It''s just that after so many things have happened, I faintly feel that no one among us is the storage king that he had thought of. No matter if it''s me, Ah Yan, Xiao Yi Mo, or Xiao Yi Jin, they all seem to be unable to enter his eyes. "


    Gu Qingli looked at him in surprise, and once again looked at him in a whole new light. As expected, this man''s mind was solely set on something, and her intelligence would have naturally been sparked. If it had been like this earlier, it would have been so easy for Xiao Yi Mo and his group to take him down.


    As for Xiao Yi Xiu, if my guess is correct, he must be a thorn in my heart." Xiao Yi Bei laughed mockingly, "Apart from his background, his achievements are already enough to frighten father. How could a healthy emperor want to have a son who had more prestige in the court than he did?


    "Xiao Yi Bei, if you had been so clear earlier, I''m afraid you wouldn''t have reached this step."


    Xiao Yi Bei looked at her coldly. "If I had known earlier, I would have died even worse."


    Gu Qingli was silent.


    It was precisely because the former Xiao Yi Bei was a mediocre person who was beautiful that he fell into the trap of those two without any precautions. It was also because his threat was not strong enough, that after crippling the crown prince, they never got rid of him again. Otherwise, the trap he fell into would be even bigger and even deeper, enough to leave him with no hope of turning over his life.


    "You forced my uncle into a dead end, and you still want me to hand over the seal after seeing my Xin family fall into despair?" On the other hand, Xiao Yi Bei was quite clear about her purpose in coming here.


    Gu Qingli said, "A wise man knows what to do. Since you have no hope of making a comeback, how can you sit by idly and watch Xiao Yi Mo and Xiao Yi Jin become complacent? These two people have joined hands to trap you in today''s situation. Could it be that you want to see one of the two of them replace you? "


    "If I am not forced into a corner by them, or if I am driven into a corner by Xiao Yi Xiu, wouldn''t my fate be the same? With Xiao Yi Xiu''s skills, it might be even worse. " "Hmph!" Xiao Yi Bei raised his eyebrows in mockery. As for the other two, I don''t believe they can really sit on that Dragon Throne. Even if you replace me as the crown prince, you will only be the next target of public criticism.


    Gu Qingli also raised an eyebrow. Xiao Yibei had been getting more and more stubborn lately. It seemed like it wouldn''t be a long shot for him to get his cooperation. But now that he had reached such a level, how much value would he have left?


    "Tell Xiao Yi Xiu that I want his two promises."


    Gu Qingli was very surprised. After saying so much, his tone suddenly changed. The request she was about to make must not be simple: "What?"


    "Firstly, I want him to protect my mother. Secondly, he will never hurt Mu Lin."


    Gu Qingli was even more surprised. His request didn''t include saving herself. When did his feelings for Mu Lin become so deep? Or did he think of it as his only bloodline?


    "I can definitely do it without harming Mu Lin, but to protect your mother ¡­" At the moment, I''m afraid it won''t be able to change the emperor''s mind. "


    "As long as she lives, I''m sure Xiao Yixiu can do it.


    "Alright, I''ll agree on his behalf."


    "You?" It was obvious that Xiao Yi Bei didn''t quite believe her words.


    "Her words are my words." Xiao Yi Xiu appeared at the door, walking in with his hands clasped behind his back.


    Gu Qing Li smiled at him, and he held her in his arms. He looked up at Xiao Yi Bei and said, "I''ll let you. You''ll definitely be able to protect mother."


    Xiao Yi Bei heaved a long sigh. "I''m just afraid that she has made enemies for many years. Once she gets down from the back seat, someone will not let her off easily."


    The emperor might not necessarily want to kill the empress, but Imperial Concubine Lan and Imperial Concubine Ling were hard to say. An aloof and exalted empress, even if empty, still had a false name to cover her. However, if an abandoned woman from the Cold Palace was at their mercy, they would do as they pleased.


    Xiao Yi Xiu understood Xiao Yi Bei''s intentions. Even though it seemed like he couldn''t do anything, he still agreed without hesitation.


    After a long time, he finally said, "My seal is at Xuanhua Tower."


    Huyi Xiu and Gu Qing were greatly surprised. They had entered and left Xuanhua Pavilion a hundred times, both openly and covertly. They had never seen a secret compartment where seals could be placed in any secret passageway.


    Xiao Yi Bei took out a strand of Ying Luo from around his neck, and handed it over to Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Naturally, Xiao Yixiu remembered that he had worn it since he was a child. He only knew that he had been doted on by the eldest son when he was born, which was why he had been given this set of banners. Men from wealthy families would often wear these mascots when they were young. However, once they reached adulthood, they wouldn''t wear them anymore, but Xiao Yi Bei never took them off.


    "This ruyi lock is the key. "Go to the Xuanhua Restaurant and find a girl called Wen Xiang. She''ll take you there ¡­" Xiao Yi Bei explained in detail. He didn''t know that Xuanhua Pavilion had been controlled by Gu Qing Li.

 C232 messenger

    Xiao Yixiu took over the Ruyi Sentinel and caressed it before saying, "Second royal brother, do you want to meet someone?"


    "Who?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smacked his palms together before pulling Gu Qing away.


    After a while, someone slowly walked in. There was a slightly shy and fearful expression on his face, and there was a bit of a twinkle in his eyes.


    Xiao Yi Bei looked up and shuddered.


    At the door stood a woman dressed in the feathered dress of the Blue Peacock Palace. The sunlight outside the door fell gently on her side face, coating it with a faint golden light. It made her appear even more elegant and ethereal. However, the moment she saw Xiao Yi Bei, she stopped and the fear on her face deepened.


    "Lianxin?!"


    When Liu Xin heard him call her, she subconsciously took another step back, as if she was very afraid of him.


    Xiao Yi halted his steps and smiled bitterly. "I''m almost at the same level of a prisoner now. Why must you be so afraid of me?"


    Lianxin pursed her lips but didn''t say anything. She only looked at him.


    "Did you come to see me to say something?"


    "Slave ¡­" "Servant ¡­" See too much... "The second prince ¡­"


    Seeing her nervous and fearful appearance, Xiao Yi Bei sighed lightly. "Alright, you can leave now."


    Liu Xin stood there, trying her best to calm the fear in her heart. She secretly sized up Xiao Yi Bei, as if he''d never seen him like this before.


    "Second Prince... You... Are you all right? " After all, she had been served by the empress back then, so she was quite familiar with Xiao Yi Bei.


    Xiao Yi Bei disappointedly waved his hand towards her. Now that she was like this, even if it was Liu Xin who he wanted to get his hands on, he wouldn''t put it in his heart anymore.


    "You ¡­ Take care, actually, your servant ¡­ I never hated you either. "


    Xiao Yi Bei was stunned for a moment.


    "The Second Prince could have been a good ruler. If it weren''t for all these schemes within the palace causing you to feel pressured like a mountain, how could you be so unrestrained and unrestrained?"


    A trace of a ripple appeared in Xiao Yi and Bei Bei''s stagnant heart. Back then, Liu Xin was so understanding and wise that she could move him. That was why he swore to obtain her.


    He just didn''t expect that in order to get close to her, she would have kept her half-truths and complaints in her heart.


    "Second Prince, you have to be a good person, servant ¡­" Your servant has to go. "


    "Lianxin."


    Xiao Yi Bei''s figure flashed as he appeared in front of her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, scaring her. She struggled to shake him off, but how could she let him go?


    "Shh!" Xiao Yi Bei''s index finger was on his lips, and his other hand was on her shoulder. He relaxed a little and said in a soft voice, "Come in, I have something to talk to you about."


    Startled and frightened, Liuxin followed him hesitantly into the house.


    "There are a lot of shadow guards here. I''m talking to you, so don''t look at me ¡­"


    "The Second Prince wishes to ¡­ "What do you want?"


    Xiao Yi Bei''s hand dropped down and grabbed her.


    Liu Xin felt something appearing in her palm. She didn''t dare to look at it, nor did she dare to raise her eyes.


    "I don''t know if I can believe you, but once you came out of the palace, there should have been many good sisters who stayed in the palace to help me ¡­ Give it to Snow Crash Hall''s Miss Du Ying. "


    Liu Xin bit her lips as she slowly withdrew.


    Jin Shu stood far away from the Moon Tung Pavilion, respectfully waiting for Liu Xin. "Miss Liu Xin, Assistant Minister Lin is waiting for you in the front courtyard."


    Liu Xin came back to her senses, nodded, and quickened her pace to follow her out.


    Lin Zhihan''s face showed slight impatience as he paced around the hall.


    Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli were both seated, each holding a cup of tea.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but say, "Vice Minister Lin, Liu Xin is almost here. You shouldn''t be in such a hurry, right?"


    Lin Zhihan sighed, "If it wasn''t to convince her father-in-law and his wife, why would I have to welcome her now?"


    His father-in-law was not easy to deal with, and if Xiao Yixiu didn''t show up and make peace, it would be impossible to bring him home.


    When Liu Xin walked in, Lin Zhihan rushed to her, blocking her from the people in the hall. He was so excited that he just held her hand and looked at her without saying anything.


    "Wait a moment." Xiao Yi Xiu looked at Liu Xin''s hand.


    Liu Xin was stunned. She followed his gaze and lowered her head. Looking at her tightly clenched fist, she subconsciously withdrew it into her sleeve.


    "What did Xiao Yi Bei give you?"


    "Your servant ¡­" Liu Xin obviously wouldn''t lie, but she hesitated.


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. "You were asked to hand it over to Du Ying?"


    Liu Xin lowered her head in silence.


    "It''s fine. You can leave with Vice Minister Lin."


    Lin Zhihan looked doubtful. He wanted to say something, but Liu Xin tugged on his sleeve. The two of them could only bid farewell to Xiao Yi Xiu and leave together.


    "Do you know what he gave Liu Xin?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "Actually, it''s not that important to him anymore. Let him do as he pleases."


    Gu Qing Li wanted to say something, but Xiao Yi Xiu had already changed the subject. "The Crown Prince of the Northern Chu Dynasty, Helian Yu, and Princess, Helian Peng, are about to arrive at the capital city. I have to take responsibility for the reception. You have to be mentally prepared."


    "Huh?" Gu Qingli didn''t come back to her senses for a moment. She only felt that Helian Yu''s name was very familiar.


    "He was the formidable enemy of me during my expedition to the Northern Frontier. The only defeat he suffered in his life was when he lost to me. Because after that battle, the Northern Chu did not seem to be in a good mood and had been defeated many times. Thus, they had no choice but to come to an agreement. "


    Only then did Gu Qingli remember that Helian Yu was often mentioned as a strategic genius even in the East Abyss. Xiao Yixiu''s name of war god was also famous throughout the countries because of that battle.


    "Even if this person is a strategic genius, he isn''t worth mentioning. Just because he lost to you once and his spirit disappears, how is he worthy to be called a formidable opponent?"


    Xiao Yixiu shook his head. "It''s not that I won by luck, but it wasn''t easy either. After that battle, it wasn''t that he lost all his willpower, but that I heavily injured him on the battlefield. After that, the Northern Chu Country''s generals were defeated by me time and time again. Only after that did they calm down for a while. Afterwards, my old illness in the battlefield flared up and I returned to the capital. I didn''t expect that... When Bei Chu found out about my condition and attacked the border again, Xiao Yijin took my place as the commander of the northern army. He was given the title of General Zhenbei to fight against the northern border and made a meritorious military service. "


    Gu Qing Li was shocked, "So he was injured to the point of almost becoming a cripple. So after all these years of giving up, he''s actually just like you, bedridden and unable to go to war?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded gravely.


    "So he did not come with good intentions, and the good ones did not come?"


    "Northern Chu''s previous messenger sent me an urgent report. She said that Helian Yu wanted me to receive the guest. What do you think?"


    "How much did you hurt him?"


    Five years ago, Xiao Yi Xiu had fought Helian Yu single-handedly with his long spear. He had used his internal energy to severely injure him, damage to his meridians, broken bones in many areas, and had fainted from spitting blood. Helian Yu''s willpower was astonishing, even when most of the famous doctors thought that he had a slim chance of survival, but he still tenaciously woke up three months later.


    At that time, all the meridians in Helian Yu''s body were almost completely crippled. He couldn''t completely recover with the help of a doctor. While recuperating from his injuries, he practiced hard on his own. Luck opened up his meridians and finally stood up with astonishing willpower.


    After four years, he had personally dispatched a mission to Dongyuan City. It was obvious that he would not come here with good intentions.


    "Helian Yu was a rare young genius. Before that battle, he and I were invincible. Countless people were curious about our victory or failure in that battle, and many people in the four seas made a huge gamble." Xiao Yi Xiu sighed softly, "I am not certain of my victory. Even in that battle, I won miserably. "Although under similar circumstances, our army was able to overwhelm the Northern Chu with absolute dominance, but at that time, I was also heavily injured by him, which was why I was left with such injuries."


    "Your injuries ¡­ Is everything all right? "


    "Those injuries may be severe, but they''ll heal eventually. However, some injuries are not on the surface. Perhaps ¡­ " He did not continue speaking. Pressing his hand to his heart, his eyes gradually became cold.


    Gu Qingli approached him without a sound and pulled him into her arms. She said softly, "Don''t you have me? I can heal the poison in your body, and also the injuries in your heart."


    Xiao Yi Xiu slowly closed his eyes and pressed his face against her chest. He could smell the light fragrance of her flowers and also the faint fragrance of medicine.

 C233 The arrival of the princess(1)

    The envoys from the Northern Chu arrived in the capital three days later.


    During the morning assembly that day, the Emperor had ordered Xiao Yi Xiu to go to the Cheng Yang Inn to wait for the envoy to present himself.


    The Chenyang Inn was a place where doors were tightly guarded and the imperial guards outside the white walls of the jade-green roof were arranged in a neat and respectful manner. Xiao Yi Xiu, on the other hand, was waiting inside the door with his hands in his sleeves.


    He did not intentionally change his appearance. When he had just left the Imperial Court, his hair was still in a purplish-gold crown, his black robe was fluttering in the wind, and his deep clothes were tied up with a dragon''s head and jade ribbon.


    Compared to the grandeur of Princess Lan Xun''s envoy, the grandeur of the Northern Chu was much smaller. Unexpectedly, it was only the presence of an ordinary diplomatic mission, a trivial entourage of eighty guards hugging each other from both the front and back, and behind them was a carriage with a bronze horned bell hanging from it.


    As for the envoy from the Northern Chu, the Crown Prince Helian Yu, she was riding a magnificent steed. She was riding on the left side of the carriage at a leisurely pace.


    Upon hearing the commotion, Xiao Yi Xiu walked out of the inn. He subconsciously looked down and saw the rut marks left by the horse carriages. He frowned slightly.


    "Prince Xiao Yi Xiu of Dongyuan Palace welcomed Your Highness Helian, the Crown Prince of the Northern Chu. May I ask Your Highness, is your sister here to join you in your mission to Dongyuan City?"


    "It is inconvenient for a woman to show her face along the way. Naturally, it is to sit in a carriage with a woman."


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at the ruts and said slowly, "If your sister wasn''t as light as a swallow, then there would be no one in this carriage."


    At the same time, guests from the Mo King''s Manor had arrived.


    After Suifeng heard the report from the guards at the gate, his expression suddenly changed as he hurried to report to Gu Qingli.


    "Princess, there''s a guest visiting the mansion from outside, and he wants to speak with the Prince."


    "Who is it? "If you know that the Prince has not returned yet, you can just return to him." Gu Qingli put down the acupoint in her hand and looked at the missing markings in the room. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.


    Normally, they would always return to the residence at the right hour of the morning. Where would they find out that they had not returned yet? She thought for a moment. The guests outside the door were obviously not the regular guests of the Mo King Manor. Otherwise, there would be no need to spread the news along with the wind, and someone would have already brought them in.


    She lifted the bead curtain and looked out. She was waiting outside with her body half bent in the wind. Her expression was strange, different from her usual flying body.


    According to his personality, if he wasn''t a regular customer, he would usually have to have two different attitudes. One, he would directly send the guards back, and the other, he would disdainfully return the favor. But this time, it was obvious that there was some uneasiness in the heaviness, as if he was thinking about something unpleasant from the past.


    Usually, when they were in the mansion, they would show off even more than Xiao Yi Xiu. This kind of character was obviously not someone who was used to worrying about the face. If his face also had a heavy and uneasy expression, then this guest would definitely not be an ordinary person.


    "Who are you to not dare to refuse?"


    Wind seemed to hesitate, but in the end, he still said, "The Northern Chu Envoy''s sister, Princess Helian Peng."


    Gu Qing Li suddenly sat up from the couch and thought for a moment. "How do you know it''s her?"


    Suifeng sighed and closed the door.


    Gu Qingli took the red sand plastered on it. The name of the sender was clearly written on it: Princess Helian Shuang of the Northern Chu.


    "Didn''t they say that after they arrived at the capital, the prince would go to the inn to receive them and arrange them as guests?" Why is Princess Helian ¡­ "He went through the door on his own?"


    Just as Suifeng wanted to speak, the sound of a battle could be heard from outside the pavilion. A clear and biting cold female voice rang out, "Xiao Yi Xiu, come out and see this princess!"


    Gu Qing Li frowned and abruptly stood up. In her heart, she was strongly averse to this disrespectful shout.


    Regardless of how noble Helian Xianzi was, he was only the Northern Chu Princess. Hearing the berating tone, Helian Xianzi''s domineering attitude made it clear that no one could disobey his orders. What kind of place was the Mo Residence considered to be a place for people to behave atrociously?


    If the Princess lacked a lesson, could it be the second delicate and pretty Princess Lan Xun? Gu Qingli thought for a while before smoothing out the folds of her clothes and stepping out the door.


    Although Princess Lan Xun was arrogant and willful, she still possessed all the basic etiquette. But this woman who was shouting was simply a barbarian of a country, which made Gu Qing curious. Could it be that the people of the Northern Chu were all so uncivilized?


    Not too far away, a young girl stood with her sword in hand, her long hair tied up in an apricot hat. She wore a silver mail to protect the heart, and outside of her apricot-colored satin trousers was a pair of embroidered riding boots, seemingly quite heroic.


    Gu Qingli only took a few glances to identify the guards. Although they were all light armored and wielding sabers and spears, they were all women. It was obvious they were Princess Helian''s army.


    Gu Qingli sized her up. She had also noticed that someone was looking at her. She looked back at them with her fierce, untamed phoenix eyes that carried a hint of wildness. Although she was good-looking, with her rosy lips and deep eyes and straight nose, she was not a peerless beauty. It was just that she had an exotic charm to her, giving her a wild beauty.


    Because she was alone at home, she did not put on the red silk, but simply wore a light green robe with wide sleeves. Inside, she wore a white scholarly jacket, a lily skirt that was the same color as the moon. She looked fresh and light, with a plain face.


    The girl raised her chin high, and Xiuzhen''s height became even more imposing. "Who are you?" she asked in a condescending tone. What about Xiao Yi Xiu? "


    Gu Qingli lightly smiled, "If this is Princess Helian, then this wangfei will have a whole new level of respect for you ¡­ Could it be that you people from the Northern Chu have always been such guests, going to someone else''s house and replacing the greeting gift with a fist, foot, blade, and sword?"


    Helian Peng was slightly startled. It was obvious that he was not used to her calm and gentle tone. Although it sounded neither impatient nor angry, it carried a sense of majesty and prestige. Her sharp words were not to be refuted.


    "Stop!"


    At Helian Peng''s command, the northern Chu guards all withdrew from the battle and retreated from the battle. The shadow guards of the mansion did not press them and scattered in a flash, disappearing without a trace like a gale.


    This stance caused Helian Shuang''s heart to tremble.


    In reality, although she was arrogant, she did not charge straight into the mansion. Instead, she waited for Xiao Yi to fail and revealed her identity as the Northern Chu''s princess, forcing her way into the mansion. The guards did not dare to be rude to the princesses of the neighboring kingdoms. They hurriedly sent people to inform Xiao Yi Xiu at the imperial palace.


    And after Helian Xiufeng entered the palace, at first he was puzzled as to why this palace seemed to be devoid of people. However, as soon as he arrived at the door of the mansion, he was intercepted by a group of guards who had arrived from who knows where, and more and more of them appeared. Under her observation from all directions, she was actually unable to determine where this group of people had come from. Out of curiosity, she did not stop her subordinates, but rather deliberately tried to see clearly the other party''s background.


    However, even with Helian Peng''s vigilance, he was still unable to pinpoint where these shadow guards came from. He only felt that their gray clothes were as light as smoke. When they came, they disappeared without a trace. Some of them even disappeared into thin air.

 C234 The arrival of the princess(2)

    "This princess does not know either. So it turns out that the way people of the Dongyuan Region treat their guests is to use their sabre, halberd, spear, and other weapons. However, master is unable to avoid them."


    "My prince isn''t in the manor, how can I welcome him?"


    "I heard that when Xiao Yixiu returned from the northern border battle, he was sick all year round and didn''t participate in the political debate. Where was he when he wasn''t in the palace?"


    Gu Qingli swept a glance at her and said, "Princess, you''re not planning on talking to this wangfei in such a tense conversation, are you?" Suifeng, order your subordinate to prepare some tea, and invite the princess into the room so that you do not say that we, the people of Dongyuan City, do not treat our guests badly. "


    She turned around and began to lead the way in a spiraling arc, no longer looking at Helian Xiangrong.


    Helian Shuang let out a heavy snort and followed a few steps behind her. Suddenly, without any warning, she launched a sneak attack with her palm, her fingertips brushing Gu Qing Li''s back.


    Gu Qingli was prepared for this long ago. She raised her hand without looking back, and the silver needle on her fingertip cut through Helian Chenghui''s veins, causing her entire arm to go numb. She couldn''t help but droop down.


    Helian Shuang was both shocked and furious. She said angrily, "Are you the main wife of Xiaoyu Xiu or the secondary wife?"


    "This wangfei was hired by him in three different ways and was welcomed through the main entrance. Princess, what can I do for you?"


    Helian Shuang''s face suddenly turned pale. The next time they met on the battlefield, Jun Wu Yi had a wife and his concubine was on her own.


    She couldn''t help but slow down as the hatred in her heart increased. It had been five years. From an insensible little girl to a slim and graceful young girl, she had trekked thousands of miles to find him. He had actually married someone else!


    Even in the Northern Chu Imperial Palace, she relied on the indulgence of her royal father, her mother''s concubine, and she had always been free and unrestrained. Even Helian Yu Ping had always been kind to her, and according to her thinking, as long as she wanted it, it was natural that she could not give it to anyone else.


    Things were like this, and people were the same. In her opinion, there was no right or wrong, but there was no right or wrong.


    "You think you are worthy of him?" Helian Xianzi sneered. With a flick of her sword, the sword sheath embedded with gold and jade was unsheathed. She had her bodyguards to catch it. She straightened her sword and thrust it towards Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qingli didn''t like Helian Lie''s arrogance and rudeness, but she knew that this matter was related to the relationship between the two countries. There was no need to be too fussy about an envoy from another country, and after all, she couldn''t stay long either.


    However, Helian Shuang was actually someone who kicked her nose in the face. He actually didn''t want to make a move on her. Gu Qing gave a cold laugh, thinking that this princess was probably too used to knowing the limits of the heavens and really thought of him as an expert that was used to the martial arts world.


    She didn''t hold back and turned around to face him, using a series of crafty moves.


    Gu Qing Li had lost to the ancient martial arts cultivators because she had not immersed herself in it long enough and her internal Qi had been lacking, but she had won in a tricky way. In her previous life, she was a gold medal killer and had learned all sorts of practical and convenient ways to kill people.


    After all, Helian Shuang was a princess of a noble family, and her talent was not high. She had never really practiced any martial arts, and her moves were usually useful against other people, but when she truly met a master, she was still inferior.


    When they heard about the professor and princess, they couldn''t help but take a few steps back. Her instructors mostly consisted of the commanders of the imperial guards, and because they were well-received, they often acted humbly, making her feel as if she was the number one female general of the Northern Chu. Therefore, at the age of thirteen, he had arrogantly disguised himself as a man, sneaking into Helian Yu''s army and going to the real battlefield.


    In that battlefield of life and death that was stained with blood and sand, she had witnessed a true war. For the first time in her life, she couldn''t help but feel admiration and yearn for him.


    However, during that war, she was protected by many royal experts. Once she was defeated, all she had to do was protect her and run away, not giving her much experience against her enemies.


    When they were in actual combat, Helian Peng had never seen a killing move like Gu Qing Li''s. He only felt that his opponent was inferior to him, but was able to force him to retreat step by step, unable to fully display his abilities.


    In terms of skill, she was perhaps even slightly stronger than Princess Lan Xun. However, her sword was too short and her whip was too long. When Gu Qingli had been entangled with Princess Lan Xun, it was only because her whip dance had cut through the wind, so she could not get close to her body.


    Helian Peng, however, was unable to swing the sword as easily and as freely as a whip. On the contrary, because of the sharpness and heaviness of the sword, the longer he swung, the more strenuous he felt.


    Gu Qingli was extremely experienced, and she immediately noticed that her weapon was not in her hands. She inwardly laughed at her overestimation of her own strength, and knew that she must forge such a luxurious and sharp heavy sword to be the most powerful, but it was not suitable for a weak girl.


    Gu Qing Li shook her wide sleeve, and used it as a weapon to attack her, bringing with it a gust of wind, which also contained her killing intent.


    As Helian Chui struggled, he caught a glimpse of a cold light flashing through the shadow of the sleeveless sleeve. He immediately became apprehensive, but when he became aware of it, he discovered that Gu Qingli had pulled out a dagger from the bottom of her sleeve, intersecting with her longsword from time to time.


    Helian Peng did not understand the essence of the matter, but Gu Qingli understood that a heavy sword was not easy to grasp. However, Helian Peng always sought sharpness, and if the blade''s edge was too thin and sharp, it would be easy to be defeated. Therefore, she only used the short blade of her dagger to attack Helian Hua''s blade. Usually, she would immediately retreat with a single strike to prevent herself from being broken by a sharp and heavy blow.


    After several dozen clangs, the tip of the heavy sword, which seemed to be glimmering with cold light, became covered with many tiny blades.


    Naturally, the edge of Gu Qingli''s blade was even heavier, but because she had retreated the moment she touched it, the dagger was still largely intact. Because the dagger was light and easy to use, even though the edge was no longer usable, it was not as taxing as Helian Tun''s. Furthermore, the dagger could no longer be used to intimidate people with its sharp edges, causing sweat to appear on their forehead.


    Gu Qingli sneered in her heart as she shot out a hidden attack. The wind on her finger was like silk, repeatedly hitting Helian Lie''s hidden acupoints, causing her arms, waist, and joints to tingle. And this was after all, when she had unprepared herself and had not brought the silver needle with her. Otherwise, she would have knocked out Helian Xiufeng long ago.


    Helian Shuang''s female captain looked anxious. She wanted to step forward to intervene, but her vision blurred. The shadow guards from the Mo King Manor appeared out of nowhere and surrounded them like ghosts, preventing her from moving forward.


    In the midst of the free-for-all, they heard someone clap his hands in approval, as if he was enjoying the show.


    Just as Gu Qingli was about to use her final move to defeat Helian Xiufeng, the black Qi on her fingertips flashed and then retreated. She could sense that the Gu desire in her body was not good for Helian Peng. She hurriedly withdrew her attack, but in the end, it was too late. The Gu worm could not cover her ears as it lightly stung Helian Peng.


    It was strange, however, that Helian Xiufeng only felt a slight stabbing pain in his body before he could no longer feel anything, nor did he feel any symptoms of poisoning.


    Gu Qingli wasn''t very clear about this Gu worm''s habits. She only guessed that perhaps she didn''t have the intention to kill, and the Gu worm wouldn''t use its killing move either. However, this foreign princess came to her doorstep to be rude to him. With her personality, how could she be willing to give in?


    Helian Peng almost fainted from the pain. He inhaled a cold breath and cried out. He used his intact finger to point at Gu Qingli and gnashed his teeth, "Capture that bitch and chop her into pieces!"


    Gu Qingli had already retreated when she heard someone clapping her hands. She raised her head and saw a young man standing opposite the flower bed in front of the Moon Ripple Pavilion. Behind him were numerous guards, standing in a neat and respectful manner.

 C235 Crown Prince of Northern Chu

    The man was in his early twenties, dressed in an auburn-colored brocade robe with narrow sleeves that reached to his knees. Under his robes, the legs of his smoke-colored satin pants were revealed. His skin was strange and white, different from Xiao Yi Xiu''s jade-like face. His eyes were deep and evil, his nose was high, and his facial features were a bit proud. His lines were very strong.


    And at this moment, that pair of deep handsome eyes that carried a nefarious aura, revealed a smile that couldn''t be concealed. Even his stern expression became a bit gentler.


    However, this smile was not directed at Helian Lie. Instead, it was fixed on Gu Qingli.


    Gu Qingli could tell from his clothes that she was the Northern Chu''s crown prince, Helian Yu, who had been severely beaten by Xiao Yi and had been unable to go on a campaign for several years.


    He did not know what kind of experience he had gone through or what treatment he had received from a famous doctor, but it seemed that his recovery was very normal. It was as if his vitality had not been damaged at all.


    "Big brother Crown Prince!" Helian Lie shouted in a half-angry manner, confirming this person''s identity.


    Behind the group of imperial guards, Xiao Yixiu turned around and walked slowly towards them. The gentle smile that he always wore on her face was gone, replaced by an unapproachable coldness.


    As Xiao Yixiu''s gaze swept across him, Helian Lie seemed to have instantly forgotten the pain as he stared at him in a daze. There was still a tear hanging from the corner of his eye, and his eyes were filled with surprise, shock, and admiration.


    Gu Qing Li was feeling slightly dissatisfied with Helian Xiufeng''s infatuated gaze. Xiao Yi Xiu''s gaze had already swept across Helian Chui''s face, as if he was looking at a stranger.


    Following that, he walked to Gu Qing Li''s side and wrapped his arms around her slender waist as he coldly said, "Just now, I heard that someone was extremely rude to this prince''s consort. How dare he act so rudely to my Prince Mo Residence?"


    Helian Peng opened his mouth, from shock to grievance. He rolled his eyes as tears flowed from his eyes, "Xiao Yi Xiu, you ¡­" Don''t you recognize me? "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her again, and his face softened a little. With a smile, he said, "Oh, so this must be Northern Chu''s Princess Helian? "This King doesn''t seem to be familiar with you to the point where you can call him by his name, right?"


    His tone was light, without a hint of anger, and his smile was like a gentle breeze.


    With Gu Qing Li''s understanding of him, his smile definitely wasn''t gentle and respectful. Instead, he had instantly concealed the ice-cold anger within him. What he was best at was to smile sinisterly without making any noise.


    Helian Peng''s face lit up. "You finally remembered me?"


    "This should be the first time this king and princess have met, right?"


    Back then, Helian Peng was not yet an adult, so he had been described as a young child. Back then, when he was rejected, he had mixed into the army and had challenged him to a duel, and at that time, Xiao Yi Xiu had not known how high the heavens were, so he had challenged him to a duel. However, when Xiao Yi Xiu glanced at her frail body and childish face, he couldn''t even be bothered to look at her.


    If she had not been a child, the shot would have left a few clear holes in her.


    Helian Peng was defeated miserably, but he didn''t show any anger or shame. He only stared at Li Yao in shock. His gaze never left Li Yao''s body until he severely injured his unparalleled Big Brother Crown Prince. He had no strength to fight back.


    Because of this, she viewed Xiao Yi Xiu as a god of war. She admired him, but how could she pay attention to the gaze of the petite boy, dressed as a man, when he was only focused on the battlefield and his formidable opponents?


    He knew that he may not remember her, and was about to say something more when Helian Yu came up to her and lifted her up from the ground. He grabbed her arm and twisted it, then it fell back to its original position.


    Helian Peng was in great pain again, but he then stroked his shoulder and gritted his teeth as he said with hatred, "Slut, you ¡­"


    "Even if you, as the sovereign of the princess, call this king as'' despicable ''and'' Princess Consort '', it would still be a crime to be rude and disrespectful. Princess Helian, when you stepped onto the land of the Eastern Abyss, this king should have treated you as an honored guest, but if you continue to be so disrespectful to my wife, forgive this king for being impolite!? "


    Helian Shuang was extremely furious. She opened her mouth to say something, but was reprimanded by Helian Yu, "Let alone being a princess, even an ordinary daughter of a pavilion lady should not be so rude! It''s one thing for you to jump out of the window of the carriage and come to the Prince Mo''s mansion unceremoniously, but you even dared to speak such vulgar words to Princess Mo. Anyone who doesn''t know of this would think that my Northern Chu Royal Family is as lacking in manners as you! "


    Seeing that his smile had disappeared, his eyes looked straight at himself. Then, he bit his lower lip and suppressed the anger in his heart. He said hatefully to Xiao Yi Xiu, "I was just in pain. Please forgive me."


    However, she refused to apologize to Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qing Li didn''t seem to care. Since she had the upper hand, she had suffered humiliation and pain. She smiled sweetly at Xiao Yi Xiu, "It''s time to invite our esteemed guest to take a seat. The tea that Yuying and the rest have prepared may be cold, but those who don''t know it will think that our Mo King''s Manor is unsuitable for entertaining guests."


    With a gentle smile, Xiao Yi Xiu lifted his hand to caress her cheek. "Are you hurt?"


    "No, Princess Helian was just playing around with me. It''s just a spar, how could it hurt me?" Gu Qingli''s beautiful eyes flickered as she smiled at Helian Lie. "Isn''t it, Princess?"


    Helian Xianzi ignored her and followed Helian Yu into the Windy Pavilion.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu slowed his steps and continued hugging Gu Qing Li. He whispered, "Don''t lower yourself to her level."


    Gu Qing turned his face to the side and smiled sweetly at him. She was too lazy to bother with it. She was most adept at dealing with people with attributes such as Helian Xianzi''s. Fighting with that girl from the Goliath was not her style.


    Furthermore, the fact that Xiao Yi Xiu was embracing her in such a soft and gentle manner was actually the greatest blow to Helian Shuang. She could see that although Helian Xiufeng had walked forward proudly, when she looked back, his eyes were red and filled with pain.


    As expected, tea was served under the kitchen long ago. Yu Ying had even caught the hint of the incense burning, and in this slightly cold early winter season, the warm fragrance curled into a green smoke that seeped into the heart and soul, making them feel exceptionally refreshed.


    Xiao Yixiu and Helian Yu exchanged a few pleasantries. The way you came and went was very considerate. It seemed like you were in a state of harmony and couldn''t find any inklings of your mortal enemy on the battlefield.


    Gu Qingli looked at them happily chatting with each other while inwardly ridiculing them for being playwrights. She leaned against Xiao Yixiu, sitting straight and focusing without interrupting.


    Helian Peng sat there for a long time without any emotion. He sipped a few mouthfuls of tea, thinking that he was not used to the tea leaves in the East Mountain Range. He spat lightly and said, "They have a light sour and astringent flavor."


    Jinshu made the best tea dragon group, but the Northern Chu people''s tea was different from the East Abyss. They liked to add salt, scallion, orange peel, sesame seeds and so on into the tea. They ate the tea instead of tasting it.


    The fragrance of the soup of this small dragon group had to be fine. How could it be unsolvable by the Northern Chu people?

 C236 Roaming Bee

    Gu Qingli pursed her lips into a smile and said, "In terms of tea products, those with a heavy aroma are no high-grade, and the tea has a true fragrance that cannot be compared to a dragon musk deer." Princess Helian was not used to drinking it. It was probably because my Dongyuan tea was too light and unpalatable. "Jinshu, go down again to the small species in Jiuzheng Mountain, add black sugar ginger slices to remove the green and astringent air.


    Although Helian Yu was chatting casually with Xiao Yi Xiu, he heard every word that she said. He knew that her words implied that the Northern Chu people were barbarian, that they were vulgar and did not understand the superior quality of the tea ceremony.


    He wasn''t angry, he only cast a sidelong glance at Gu Qingli. He saw that her expression was cold and serene, and there was even a trace of a crafty smile at the corner of her lips.


    "Seventh royal sister, the Northern Chu is located in the cold region. The reason for this is because of the high terrain, the cold weather and the difficult growth of the tea leaves. Green tea and green tea will lose the freshness of the morning tea even if they are brought over, so they can only be traded with tea cakes and tea bricks. Naturally, they can''t be like the people of the Yuan Dynasty, the new tea will be served on the market with nothing to eat, only having a clear mind, who knows why there is no hard part of tea in the cold region. "


    Although Helian Yu was the same as his sister and had a domineering and arrogant aura, his domineering attitude did not make anyone feel that it was unexpected. Instead, it was extremely in line with his rebellious and sharp appearance and temperament. These words came from his mouth, neither haughtily nor arrogantly. Even though he had said that the Northern Chu was located in the cold region and had few resources, he did not feel ashamed of himself. Instead, Gu Qingli felt it was rude to make fun of the crude people of the Northern Chu.


    "Your Highness, you are too modest. Although the weather is chilly and the tea plants are not abundant, the Northern Chu is rich in mines and is known throughout the world for its refined iron grade equipment. Even my Dong Yuan would often trade elite weapons with your country to teach you how to forge weapons."


    Helian Yu slowly revealed a smile. This Princess Mo really knew a lot, she wasn''t like a young miss who was raised in a room.


    Helian Xiufeng, however, did not listen to what they were saying. Her gaze had already been attracted by Xiao Yixiu and was staring at him fixedly. It was as if she wanted to reach out and hook his heart out to see why he did not place her in his eyes.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t respond to her undisguised gaze, as if he hadn''t noticed his existence.


    "Xiao Yi ¡­"


    Just as Helian Peng said those two words, he saw Helian Yu sweep his gaze that was as sharp as a blade. She, as the crown prince''s brother, was too lazy to bother with her. Once her actions exceeded his tolerance limit, just this cold gaze would be enough to cause her heart to turn cold.


    She remembered that her words and actions were detrimental to the body of the Northern Chu, and her spirit shuddered. She changed her words, "Prince Mo, this princess has just arrived at the Eastern Abyss, and is unfamiliar with the place. She only came to visit because she thought of the friendship she had with the prince on the battlefield. "Look at how the embroidery in your house is so beautiful. As the host, Your Highness, you should bring me around the mansion''s garden, right?"


    Although Helian Xiufeng''s tone didn''t change to one of arrogance, his words were still reasonable. Xiao Yixiu finally shifted his gaze to her and nodded his head. "Royal Consort, on behalf of Ben Wang ¡­"


    "Prince Mo, we''re old acquaintances, you should be treating us as guests no matter what, right? We of the Northern Chu do not like to play around with things, and we do not have the traditional male and female guard like you. If you truly want to be courteous, you should not have thrown me over to your princess consort. "


    Xiao Yixiu wanted to say something, but Gu Qingli already said, "Your highness, you''d better accompany Princess Helian to relax and walk around in circles."


    He then asked Helian Yu, "Does His Highness want to go with us?"


    Helian Yu shook his head. "I will not go. The boat ride is tiring, so I am very tired. It''s better for me to just sit down and enjoy the tea recipe from Dongyuan City."


    "Then I''ll accompany Your Highness to sit down and drink some tea."


    Xiao Yi Xiu walked towards Helian Imperial Lord and led Helian Xiufeng out of the great hall. In any case, this was Mo King''s Manor, and in broad daylight, this Savage Princess wouldn''t be able to do much. She could just casually walk around, but there was no harm in that.


    Even so, he called for Wind Following the Wind to keep up and avoid suspicion.


    Helian Peng did not have the habit of being the princess of Lan Xun. Every so often, several hundred guards would surround her. She would directly dismiss all the female guards and slowly move forward.


    The wind of early winter had blown her face a little cold. On her head was a small almond yellow felt hat next to a white fox fur coat, and the long swan feathers on the brim of her hat fluttered with the wind. Her fluffy feathers gently swayed, giving her a bit of heroic spirit.


    Despite Xiao Yi Xiu''s perfunctory attitude, he always appeared to be patient and gentle on the surface. He guided and explained along the way, answering all of Helian Peng''s questions.


    "It has been many years since we parted on the battlefield. Your majesty''s demeanor is still the same as it was in the past ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu finally turned away with surprise in his eyes. "The princess has repeatedly said that she is an old friend of Ben Wang, but Ben Wang really can''t remember when the two armies fought each other to the death in that war. When did the female generals ever mix in with them?"


    Helian Xianzi was dumbstruck. Even the cold wind that blew against his face was colder than what he had said ¡ª he actually didn''t remember her?!


    She remembered being rude when she challenged Xiaoyi. His phoenix eyes were slightly lowered as he looked at her ¡ª she was only thirteen, of course, and the horse she rode was shorter and stouter than an ordinary warhorse. It was inevitable that it was shorter than his line of sight, and more like a child to him.


    Even though Xiao Yi Xiu was surprised that it was a child''s challenge, and a battle of honor and glory between two armies, he still nodded in agreement without a change in his expression and didn''t underestimate his opponent in the slightest.


    The reason why he had been invincible in battle was because he had never looked down on his opponent. However, he did not feel any unexpected challenge from this child. As expected, he easily dealt with the enemy and threw her into the enemy''s army with a silver spear at her collar.


    At that time, Helian Peng was still young, but his appearance also made him more heroic. Li Yixiu didn''t notice that she was dressed as a man, and only disdained to kill with a minor child.


    A glimmer of light flickered within Helian Xianzi''s eyes and the tip of his nose. As he recounted the events of the past, Xiao Yixiu thought deeply before remembering everything. After all, the people of the Northern Chu were brave and battling, they were young and precocious, it was not rare to see young soldiers around thirteen or fourteen years old on the battlefield, so he did not pay them much attention.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu had a slight impression of that youth, with his armor and silver helmet, and his attire that didn''t resemble that of an ordinary little pawn, and his attitude that was vile and arrogant.


    "No wonder there are underage soldiers on the battlefield ¡­ Oh, forgive this king''s mistake, but at that time the princess did not dress up like an ordinary soldier, but rather like a high-ranking officer. With a smile that wasn''t a smile on his face, Xiao Yixiu spoke in a very respectful and thoughtful manner.


    Helian Xianzi was completely unable to hear the light ridicule in his words. He only felt complacent, and somewhat diluted the sadness and anger from the heavy blow he had just received.


    "This princess has never forgotten Your Highness. "At that time, in the midst of an army of thousands of men and horses, we saw His Highness the prince on the battlefield, invincible and invincible, as if a god had descended to the world ¡­" Helian Shuanghui was immersed in his memories, full of yearning as he praised an enemy who had once opposed life and death with her mother''s country. He did not feel at all at odds with her.


    The two gradually walked into the depths of the flower bush, the autumn chrysanthemums still blooming from the frost. In this chrysanthemum garden, there were gold flowers, snow flowers, and deep purple flowers. There were many rare species that were never seen before in the Northern Chu.

 C237 Roaming Bee(2)

    When he heard that Xiao Yi Xiu had mentioned the elegant names of the flowers, such as rouge and snow, purple dragon and snow, red sand and frost, jade phoenix, snow and snow, green water and autumn waves ¡­ And so on.


    The more she listened, the rarer she became. She involuntarily reached out her hand to caress the petals, and a wistful look appeared in her eyes.


    Although these flowers were rare and precious, Xiao Yi Xiu did not think much of them. Seeing that Helian Xiangrong''s eyes were filled with desire, he said, "Princess likes them, you can choose a few and send them to the inn. However, these flowers are not easy to cultivate, so I''m afraid they will be difficult to grow in when you bring them back to the cold lands of the Northern Chu."


    Only then did the light in Helian Xiufeng''s eyes recede. He shook his head and said, "The orange flowers of Huai Nan are orange, while the red flowers of Huaibei are red. These flowers cannot be moved back to the Northern Chu."


    Xiao Yi was slightly surprised. He didn''t expect this domineering and arrogant princess to say such words.


    Just as he was about to change his opinion of her, he saw her extend her hand towards him. She ruthlessly grabbed onto that flying chrysanthemum and snapped it off, then gripped the long stalk of the chrysanthemum with her finger. The smile in her eyes was filled with satisfaction, and with an unintentional cruelty, she twisted the stem of the chrysanthemum and brought the dark, enchanting, alluring, light purple flower closer to her face.


    Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t happy with her carelessly folding flowers. He indifferently turned around and walked forward, but he didn''t see a flapping wasp suddenly shoot out from the yellow stamen in the middle of the flower core.


    The flower was only an inch away from Helian Lie''s face. Not to mention Xiao Yixiu, even Helian Peng himself, could only see a flash of a bee''s shadow. His cheek was in severe pain, and he cried out in pain as he covered his face and curled up his body.


    In a flash, Xiao Yi Xiu turned around and saw that the wasp had flapped its wings a few times after it stung Helian Hua and then fell to the ground, spasmodically dead.


    The bee, most likely dead immediately after being stung with a tail needle, is no exception.


    Helian Shuang groaned as her delicate body trembled unsteadily. In fact, she even fell to the ground, twitching non-stop just like those wasps. The sounds of her cries of pain were incessant and excruciating.


    However, Helian Peng''s pained voice was too loud. She was a princess who had fought in battles before. If she was so pampered, she wouldn''t have been able to mix in with a group of men.


    Xiao Yixiu extended his hand to support his face, only after much difficulty did he manage to pull away the hand that Helian Xianfeng was using to cover his face.


    Even with his usually calm and composed personality, he was still shaken to the point of letting go. He subconsciously straightened his body and moved away from her.


    Half of Helian Peng''s face had already swelled up. His red and swollen face was so bright that it seemed as if his skin would split open at any moment.


    How could ordinary bees be so vicious? Xiao Yixiu quickly lowered his head to look at the bee that had died from spasms upon landing. He did not dare to use his hands to grab it. He put his hands under his sleeves and used the sleeve cloth to pick it up. He turned it over and over in front of his eyes, and he became more and more surprised.


    He was sure that the bees were not of the Central Plains variety, and he had never seen one before in his life. Its body was a jade-like color and it was twice the size of an ordinary bee. Its mouth was long and curved, and there were several stingers on its tail. However, they were clearly broken within Helian Lie''s body.


    "Suifeng, where did this thing come from?"


    The wind saw the sudden change and hurried over. Seeing that the prince''s face was like frost, he also looked at the jade colored bee in surprise, not knowing what to do. He had never seen such a large bee in his life. He even thought that this was just another type of poisonous insect that was very similar to a bee.


    "Prince, are you sure it''s a bee?" Idi asked, puzzled.


    Xiao Yi Xiu pursed his lips and didn''t say anything. Upon closer inspection, he didn''t feel that this was a strange bee. Apart from its body shape and appearance, this insect was actually quite different from a bee. Not to mention the colourful body, the sharp and long mouthpart was not ordinary at all.


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled coldly as he heard someone calling for his master. He turned around and looked back.


    It was a good coincidence that Gabriella and Zhou Zhen were together. Like an autumn garden, they were full of interest. Each of them brought their maidservants, wearing a cloak and a hood. They came in a zigzag way.


    When he saw a woman lying down among the flowers and mud, he couldn''t help but cry out in alarm.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had originally thought it was inconvenient for him to hug Helian Peng. He was currently examining her body, ordering Suifeng to summon some people from the front courtyard. Seeing them, it was rather convenient for him to order his two maidservants to carry the twitching and unconscious Helian Lie to the nearest courtyard.


    The palace''s garden was extremely large, and the closest rooms were coincidentally the three courtyards: Rain Tide Xuan, Rain Tide Xuan, and Rain Mu Xuan.


    The other two courtyards had been abandoned for a long time, so naturally they were brought closer to where Zhou Zhen lived, Yu Mu Xuan.


    Zhou Zhen''s expression was calm and collected as she ordered her daughter to fetch some water and gather the teeth along the way. As she did so, she ordered Little Chan to press down Helian Peng and ease the convulsions by pinching his fingers on people. At the same time, he took out the embroidery silver needle and carefully squeezed the flesh on Helian Peng''s cheek, carefully picking out the hook thorns embedded in the flesh.


    Upon seeing the long, crescent-shaped hook, Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but pay more attention to Zhou Zhen. He felt that she was experienced in handling matters, and her movements were familiar, as if she did this often.


    Zhou Zhen didn''t even raise her head, as she knew that Xiao Yi Xiu was suspicious of him. She hurriedly replied, "When I was young, my family used to have a beehive garden, and my ancestors lived off the beekeeping of small merchants. Only my father was born as a scholar. After taking the imperial examinations, he was released as an official, and his concubine and his mother maintained the beehive in their hometown for the whole year. This includes the beekeepers in the garden, who are always stung. As time goes on, they become more familiar with this place. "


    Zhou Zhen washed the wound with water and used a handkerchief to wrap the juice on Helian Lie''s face. Only then did she have the time to look at Xiao Yi Xiu and say, "If Your Highness is worried, why don''t you go to the outer room and sit down. Although this wasp is poisonous, it can be treated in time."


    Gabriella curiously asked: "This woman''s clothes don''t look like someone from the capital, where did the guest come from?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu paused for a moment. "It''s Northern Chu''s envoy''s sister, Princess Helian."


    The words shocked the two madams for a moment.


    Zhou Zhen frowned and said, "You should be more careful, I''m afraid you will have to find some jade dew to pass on to me ¡­" Although these medicinal herbs can suppress the poison, if the medicinal properties are to be reduced, leaving a scar or two, it will be disadvantageous for the two countries to interact with each other. "


    She then looked at Helian Xianzi''s clothes, which had been stained by the dew of autumn frost, and said, "Your highness, it''s better for you to stay out of my way. I''ll clean up with the princess and change my clothes."


    "Yes." In his heart, Xiao Yi Xiu felt that the wasp''s arrival was bizarre, but in the end he didn''t say anything. He only stood up and left the room, allowing Zhou Zhen and Gabriella to help Helian Shuang change his clothes.


    At this time, Suifeng also went to the front courtyard to call people over. Ping Bai interrupted the lively conversation between Helian Yu and Gu Qingli, and the two of them hurried over.


    Hearing that he had been stung by a wild bee, Helian Yu didn''t pay much attention to him. Even if Xiao Yi Xiu had said that Helian Xiuya was twitching non-stop and was a little muddle-headed, he could only be considered a poisonous wasp. Helian Yu then calmly sat down and spoke to him.


    Gu Qingli wanted to help Zhou Zhen deal with his wounds, but when she went in, she saw Helian Xiufeng''s face was covered with herbs and a handkerchief. Yunzi and Little Chan were helping her change and clean her clothes quickly.

 C238 wild bee

    After Gu Qingli heard about the sting, she rushed to Yuexuan to get the Jade Dew Powder. She walked over to take the handkerchief away and smelled the faint scent of dandelion and horse teeth. She was surprised at how well Zhou Zhen had treated the wound.


    Zhou Zhen explained it again as she had said before, and only then did she nod her head. She used a wet towel to slowly wipe away the grass juice, and then applied the jade dew to it.


    Without any change in expression, Gu Qing Li extended three of his fingers and placed it on Helian Shuang''s wrist. He only felt that his pulse was steady and normal, as if nothing had changed.


    "Perhaps that wild bee was a bit too poisonous, or perhaps the physiques of the Northern Chu people are a bit different ¡­ Although Princess Helian is still unconscious, her pulse is normal. She will wake up very soon. " When Gu Qing left the room and spoke like this, a trace of doubt appeared in his heart.


    At this time, Helian Shuang''s convulsions had gradually stopped. She was only in a deep slumber. It seemed that there was nothing out of the ordinary about her.


    Helian Yu was unable to return to the inn alone, so he simply invited him to the front courtyard to have a meal and rest.


    While holding Gu Qing Li''s hand, Xiaoyi Xiu inadvertently shoved a handkerchief wrapped around the dead bee into Gu Qing Li''s palm. Then he and Helian Yu went to the front courtyard and instructed them to accompany the princess if she woke up.


    Gu Qingli looked around the room and walked to the corner by herself. She spread out her palm and stared at the wasp. The more she looked, the weirder it felt. There were four pairs of membranous wings, four pairs of powdered feet, and the stinging stings on the tail had been cut off. It didn''t look like much, but the mouthparts were unusually sharp. They didn''t look like the chewing and sucking mouthparts of bees.


    What in the world was this?


    Gu Qingli was deep in thought when she heard the inner chamber''s joyous cry. "It''s awake! The princess is awake!"


    Gu Qingli quickly put away the handkerchief and entered the room. When she saw Helian Lie awake, she sat up on the bed. However, the red and swollen half of his face had not completely disappeared yet. He still had the Jade Dew Powder on his face and had a wet handkerchief stuck to it. He did not look too good.


    "What''s wrong with the princess?" As the main concubine, Gu Qingli naturally had to show her concern and concern, but in reality, there was no concern in her eyes. This Savage Princess was not like Princess Lan Xun. Her personality was savage and her heart was kind. Just from her eyes, one could tell her ruthlessness.


    Helian Peng was dazed for a moment. He extended his hand and was about to touch his face. He frowned and said, "It hurts. It''s even a bit cold and numb."


    Zhou Zhen hurriedly stopped her. "This is all normal. Later on, there will be strange itchiness and a piercing pain. But the princess must not extend her hand to caress it in order to avoid damaging her beauty."


    Helian Lie looked at Zhou Zhen in confusion, then looked at Gabriella, "Who are they?"


    Gu Qingli explained the identities of the two madams to her, causing Helian Shuang''s expression to turn even uglier. She didn''t expect Xiao Yi Xiu to have two other wives besides her main wife. They both looked like delicate flowers, so she couldn''t help but feel jealous. Only when she heard that Zhou Zhen had dealt with the bee venom in time to cure her did her expression ease up slightly. At last, she had a good impression of Zhou Zhen.


    However, when Helian Lie lowered his head and saw that he had changed into the attire of a woman from Dongyuan City, his expression changed once more. There was disgust and disgust in his eyes. Whose dress is this? It''s too much trouble, too dark... It''s so ugly! "


    Even Gabriella couldn''t help but frown. She thought that Princess Helian was very rude, kind enough to save her, and even changed her dirty clothes. So far, she hadn''t even heard a word of thanks. If it wasn''t for the great disparity between their statuses, she really wanted to return a few pleasantries.


    Gu Qingli also withdrew the center of her brows. Her face was frosted over, and just as she was about to retort, she heard Zhou Zhen''s reply, "Princess, please forgive me. These clothes belong to me. This concubine was born into a humble family with a humble background. She was unable to enter the eyes of a princess. As the princess was stung by the wasp, she fell unconscious in the flower bush, and her dress was stained with the flower mud and frost dew, so she dared to change into the princess. "Originally, the mansion had a set of luxurious clothing, but I was afraid that the princess would love to be clean and wouldn''t like other people''s clothes. My clothes were newly made, and although it isn''t eye-catching, I have never worn them."


    Zhou Zhen spoke with confidence and assurance. Her expression was as indifferent and dignified as ever. Although she was modest and not inferior, her words were thoughtful, making it hard for people to refute him. Gu Qingli, on the other hand, gave her a look of appreciation.


    It was only then that Helian Peng realized he had fainted and fallen into the mud of flowers, staining his clothes with filth. He also felt that Zhou Zhen was very considerate with her worries. Although he was only a delicate and pretty boy, he had the grace of a lady from a noble family. He was willing to bow his head and submit, which was much more pleasing to the eye than Gu Qing Li''s cold and arrogant attitude.


    "Where is the prince?" Helian Xianzi vented his anger and thought of Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Zhou Zhen said: "Because it is inconvenient to enter a woman''s room, the Prince and Prince Helian are currently waiting in the outer chamber. I am only advising Princess Helian to meditate and recuperate, not to go out for the time being."


    Helian Xianzi frowned. His eyes were filled with a trace of anger. "Why?"


    This time, without waiting for Zhou Zhen''s reply, Gu Qingli had already taken out the Precious Appearance Copper Mirror from the dressing table and placed it before Helian Zhenren. With a smile that was not a smile, she said, "Princess Helian, please examine your jade face."


    He grabbed the copper mirror and threw it with all his might, creating a heaven shaking sound. This caused Helian Yu and Xiao Yixiu, who were in the outer room, to be startled, and without caring about the difference between them, they hurriedly entered the inner room.


    Helian Yu frowned as he stared at the copper mirror that had been smashed into a distorted shape. He asked, "What are you doing?"


    Although Helian Xianzi''s talent was insufficient, he was still a woman who had practiced martial arts since childhood. His strength was truly not small, and it caused a large dent on the teak wood floor of Zhou Zhen''s room. The bouncing of the bronze mirror had also left several shallow marks on the floor.


    Seeing that Xiao Yi Xiu was looking at her, Helian Peng hurriedly stretched out his hand to cover his face, revealing only a pair of narrow phoenix-like eyes, afraid that he would see her unbeautiful side.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was aware of her actions. He smiled like a gentle breeze caressing his face. "Don''t worry Princess, it''s just a small bee sting. It won''t affect your devastatingly beautiful appearance."


    Although his words were polite and there was a hint of praise in his tone, his gaze only swept across her face as he said to Zhou Zhen, "You and Bi Ruo should stay behind and take care of Princess Bi Ru. If there is anything wrong, inform Ben Xing."


    "Yes." Zhou Zhen bowed slightly and lowered her head to her eyes.


    "Princess, you must rest well. You mustn''t let the scars on your face and ruin such a delicate and beautiful appearance," said Xiao Yixiu.


    Helian Shuang was instantly overjoyed. She took it as his concern for her and her eyes instantly reddened. She nodded her head with extreme gentleness. She even lowered her voice to an octave, no longer appearing as domineering and tyrannical as before.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu had already led Gu Qing Li out of the room without waiting for her to explain.


    Helian Yu really didn''t show much care for this little sister. Other than seeing her smash the bronze mirror when she entered the sect and felt that she was a stately princess of a country that was bold and fierce, insulting the family''s members, he had never expressed any concern or greetings regarding the red and swollen discomfort on her face.


    He only thought that if her unhealthy little sister had not broken off their family''s flowers and caused them to sting, ruining his interest in talking with Princess Mo, he might still be in the midst of a conversation with her.

 C239 black cocoon

    In fact, Helian Yu was not someone who was good at flirting with women. Even when he and Gu Qing Li leisurely sat down to drink tea, and chatted about the things that happened in the south, the north, the east and the west, he would mostly lead the conversation.


    However, this guest was very considerate and courteous. Even the domineering and baleful aura coming from the military general had been greatly restrained when they first met. Gu Qingli had no choice but to explain in detail with him.


    In any case, Xiao Yi was the host and represented the nation of Dongyuan. In general, Gu Qing Li advanced and retreated at a moderate pace.


    Helian Yu nodded his head from time to time as he listened. He felt that apart from her outstanding skills, cool and elegant looks, Princess Mo was also speaking in an extraordinary manner. Compared to his sister, who always boasted that she was more talented than a man, she was actually more arrogant.


    However, after the incident with Yu Mu Xuan, Helian Yu no longer had the opportunity to chat with Gu Qing Li alone. Xiao Yi Xiu said that the front courtyard had set up a feast to entertain the guests and to invite Crown Prince Helian to move forward to have a cup of wine with them.


    Helian Yu could not refuse and could be considered to be courteous as he thanked King Mo for his kindness.


    Xiao Yi Xiu turned his body to the side and ordered Suifeng, "The guests who were originally ordered to attend the banquet are to leave. All the ingredients are to be paid for by the Wang Mansion."


    Since he was in a hurry to arrive at the palace, the banquet could only be arranged for the guests at the banquet. Since it was noon, he did not want the palace to be so grand and grand as to only be prepared in one of the famous buildings in the capital.


    Who would have thought that Helian Xianzi would sneak out of the carriage midway and secretly lead a team of her ladies'' army straight into the Prince''s Mansion to provoke them? With this, it was already past noon. If he rushed to the other party''s house and ordered more hot dishes to be served, it would only delay the time. He might as well hold a feast at the palace.


    Moreover, the Emperor might have regarded Helian Yu as a rare and precious guest, but Xiao Yixiu and the Emperor didn''t care about each other. They were completely on the battlefield fighting to the death, and had once wanted to kill each other.


    When Helian Yu was bedridden with injuries and Xiaoyu was poisoned, the two countries had agreed on a treaty to negotiate peace. They could still put aside their differences when they saw each other, and they had already shown extreme benevolence and benevolence when they came to talk to each other courteously. It was absolutely impossible for them to be friendly with each other.


    Helian Yu was arrogant and unruly, a master who looked down on everyone else. The two of them did not like each other, and if it wasn''t for Gu Qing Li''s mediating, the two of them probably would have treated each other as ice.


    When Helian Yu heard that Xiao Yi Xiu had ordered them to withdraw, he casually asked Gu Qingli, "Is that Mo Shang the capital''s most famous restaurant?"


    Gu Qingli agreed before continuing, "If you''re free another day, would it be possible for the wangfei to invite me over to take a seat?"


    Gu Qingli gave a gentle smile, "His Highness the Crown Prince has come from afar and will obey his orders. My Prince will definitely instruct them one day to prepare the most unique wine and food."


    Helian Yu''s eyes turned cold. "I only said that I want the imperial concubine to accompany me. As for the prince, as a pillar of the Dongyuan Dynasty, he''s busy with government affairs. I presume he has no time to accompany me around the clock."


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled and said, "I am roughly aware of the Northern Chu''s feelings, men and women do not guard well against formalities, but this place is the Eastern Abyss, and respects the scholarly and scholarly, paying particular attention to Confucius'' etiquette, so men and women should not be too intimate with each other. Therefore, the words of the crown prince are not suitable in the East Abyss. "


    In the eyes of the people of Dongyuan, it could be said that the Northern Chu was a "Barbarian Country", with its culture still undeveloped, with neither men nor women on guard, with both men and women working and resting together on a daily basis in the country. However, when it came time to travel together, women would often show up to support their families and work together, and although there were few who were involved in the politics discussion, they were not like Dongyuan, who advocated from three sides to four sides, strictly prohibiting men and women from travelling together.


    Helian Yu''s eyes narrowed as a cold light shot out. He was obviously dissatisfied with Xiao Yi Xiu''s words. He turned to look at Gu Qingli. "For a girl like Princess Hua-Yang, if she''s not an ordinary girl, could she be like the delicate girl with the three inch-long golden lotus and be subservient to others?"


    Gu Qingli''s brows knitted, but she didn''t know how to reply.


    She knew that Xiao Yixiu wasn''t a pedant, and these words were just to block Helian Yu''s mouth, to put an end to his thoughts of pestering her. However, Helian Yu had obviously taken it for real and had been staring at him for a long time, asking for an answer.


    Xiao Yixiu also shifted his gaze to his. The color in his eyes had turned dark. It was obvious that he didn''t want her to agree to Helian Yu''s request.


    Gu Qingli thought for a moment and said, "Crown Prince Helian''s understanding might be wrong. The reason I came and went with you all day long was for the sake of a couple''s feelings. Even if it''s about hospitality, it''s to show respect.


    When Helian Yu heard her gentle rejection, he no longer forcefully requested it. A cold smile suffused across his lips. Evidently, he didn''t listen to her gentle explanation.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t care about his feelings. The three of them didn''t talk much after they took the seats. Gu Qingli could sense Helian Yu''s cold indifference, so she didn''t say much.


    During the meal, they only heard the occasional toast and pleasantries, no longer conversing.


    After the meal, Helian Yu thanked the couple for their hospitality and got up to leave. However, he left Helian Xianzi at the Residence of Mo. He only said that she had been infected by bee venom and was afraid that it would be inconvenient for her to take action.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yixiu escorted him out of the inn, all the way to Cheng Yang Inn.


    When Gu Qingli saw the cold-faced crown prince leave, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Actually, she didn''t have any ill feelings towards Helian Yu. She could also understand that he and Xiao Yi Xiu had been natural enemies, and they would not give up until one side was dead. However, this person inexplicably had a good impression of her, which made her wary of him.


    Calming down, Gu Qingli took out the wasp from the handkerchief. She wanted to take a good look at it, but she was surprised when she opened it.


    The wasp that should have been dead, suddenly spat out silk and formed a cocoon inside the handkerchief. In the time it took to eat a meal, a black cocoon had formed and wrapped itself around it.


    The variation of this insect far exceeded Gu Qingli''s knowledge. All the insects she knew that could form cocoons were caterpillars that crawled and crawled. They were similar to green insects and silkworms. When had they ever seen bees that could form their own cocoons?


    They had never heard of a bee that could build a nest, but they had never heard of one that could form a cocoon, and the speed at which the cocoon was forming was simply too fast.


    Gu Qingli''s hand trembled and she almost threw the black cocoon to the ground. She composed herself, took out a small bottle of goat fat and put it into the cocoon, as she was afraid that if she wrapped it up again in the silk cloth, it would produce some sort of mutation. At this point, he was certain that the ''bee'' was definitely an ordinary wild bee. Recalling the simple treatment that Zhou Zhen had used on the bee sting, he was afraid that it would not be so easy.


    Anxious, she turned to head towards Yu Mu Xuan.


    It was not because they were worried about that annoying princess, but because they did not want to provoke a dispute between the two countries.

 C240 Dissension

    She was very worried about that wasp. She was afraid that someone had set it up to single-handedly beat the Helian siblings to come to the Residence of Mo. What''s more, they might even be after Xiao Yi Xiu and her ¡­


    After walking a few steps, Gu Qingli suddenly thought of an even more serious matter. She turned around and called Jin Shu and Yu Ying over, ordering them to arrange everything. She ordered all the servants in the palace to go together and search for the strange looking white wasps in the garden.


    Gu Qing Li hastily rushed to Yu Mu Xuan to see Helian Shuang, Jia Bi Ruo and Zhou Zhen drinking tea in the pavilion in the backyard.


    The three of them had just eaten lunch in the parlour, and because they were worried that Helian Hua was infected by the bee venom, their cheeks swelled up and became difficult to eat. Chu Feng had a very strong taste, and although Helian Xiufeng was not satisfied with his meal, he was satisfied with Zhou Zhen''s kind intentions.


    Gabriella took this into consideration, and arranged tea and fine spots after the meal. She also chose Huai Yang pastries which were fine, soft and easy to melt. They were exquisite in their production and melted immediately in the mouth. Helian Peng had a lot of opinions towards the light meals, but he was very fond of Huai Yang''s light meals, just enough to make up for his hunger.


    When he saw Gu Qingli, Helian Lie''s expression instantly darkened. The pastries that had just been placed into his mouth fell out of his mouth and fell down, falling straight at her. His expression was extremely strange.


    Gu Qingli knew she was choking because of the sweet pastry stuck in her throat. She secretly smiled and pretended to turn her face away, pretending to enjoy the view of the pavilion. Yu Muxuan''s backyard was next to the artificial lake in the garden, overlooking the Linglong stone rockery in the lake. At the bottom of the pavilion, there was a winding bridge that led straight to the entrance of the backyard.


    When Xin Ziyao had entered the mansion, she had thought herself dainty and had chosen the first three courtyards, which were the most scenic ones within the mansion. The reason why she didn''t live in the Rain Muxuan by herself was because she was too close to the water, and couldn''t avoid the mosquitoes and bugs during the summer night.


    When Zhou Zhen entered the pavilion, she was also picked by Cheng Ying Zhi and Wu Zhi, but she felt that the scene in the pavilion was very beautiful and she was actually very satisfied.


    Although Helian Zhenghua was not elegant enough, she had many mountains in the Northern Chu and very few water. She was especially eager for water, and seeing such a small pavilion that was as clear as a mirror and filled with fresh water, she felt that she had won the world and was envious of it.


    As he was engrossed with the delicacies, his interest was disturbed by Gu Qing, and he was almost choked to death by the pastries. Helian Lie''s anger was on the verge of erupting.


    At just the right time, Zhou Zhen handed her a cup of moderate tea to help her circulate her energy.


    With great difficulty, Helian Peng calmed his anger. He looked coldly at Gu Qingli and asked, "Princess, what brings you here?" From their words, she keenly judged that the two wives weren''t in harmony with the wangfei. Gradually, strange thoughts arose in her heart.


    "Of course I''m here to check on the princess'' sting."


    Gu Qingli walked up with a faint smile and sat down next to Helian Xiufeng. However, as if she couldn''t dodge in time, she shifted her seat and only gave Helian Lie a side view.


    It just so happened that this side of her face was the side that had helped her apply the Jade Dew Powder and the wet handkerchief.


    The redness and swelling had really greatly disappeared. The wet handkerchief was changed and still pressed onto her face. This caused Princess Helian, who could originally be considered a beauty, to think that it was somewhat laughable. Gu Qing Li carefully examined her body. He knew that she wouldn''t let him, so he couldn''t lift the handkerchief to examine her closely. He could only judge her from the skin around her.


    He instinctively turned his head back and recalled the embarrassment on his face. He was increasingly angered, thinking that Gu Qingli had ridiculed her appearance, and was gloating while watching from the sidelines. So he subconsciously covered his face and said angrily, "What are you looking at? This princess is only temporarily inconvenience, not disfiguration.


    Gu Qingli originally had good intentions, but she was angered by her misinterpretation. She sneered, "Could it be that Princess thinks that this wangfei likes to see your face swollen into a steamed bun?" If you think that the princess herself always has dregs in her heart, then you suspect that others will laugh at your disfigured face. This wangfei only took a few more glances due to my concern for you being stung in the manor. "


    Helian Peng was already used to running amok. After listening to Gu Qing Li''s retorts, he became even angrier: "There''s no need to trouble the Royal Concubine to pretend to be good! I was afraid that you were the one raising those wild bees in the mansion, and that you were planning to harm them at any time! "


    She had originally wanted to say something out of anger, but her heart suddenly skipped a beat. The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. After all, this was the Prince Mo Residence. As the imperial concubine of Prince Mo, it was not impossible for Gu Qing Li to raise a few poisonous bugs and use them to harm people.


    Gu Qingli saw that the Princess was too brutal to be saved, so she sneered again. She didn''t want to talk to her any longer, so she turned to leave.


    Helian Shuang, however, interpreted her actions as fear, and fled in panic. An evil flame burned within her, and she suddenly stood up, grabbing a cup of green tea in front of her and throwing it at Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qingli had just walked past her, but now she was full of energy. The smell of tea must have permeated her entire body.


    Fortunately, Gu Qing Li''s reaction speed was surprisingly fast. He quickly grabbed the pastries tray on the table and turned it over, blocking most of the tea. The only difference was that a few bone china plates fell to the ground and shattered with a crisp sound. The pastries also tumbled down, all of them covered in dust.


    Helian Hua did not feel that it was a pity about the pastries. From her point of view, Gu Qingli''s actions were full of provocation, purposely preventing her from eating that delicate plate of pastries.


    "As a wangfei, you''re so narrow-minded and narrow-minded. With just a guess, you''ve lost the path of hospitality. I wonder how Xiao Yixiu managed to marry a woman like you!"


    Gu Qingli had never seen such an unreasonable and brutal woman before. She raised the center of her brows, shook a few silver needles out of her hand, and mercilessly drilled into Helian Hua''s body.


    Behind her was an open waterfront pane, where the people of the Northern Lands could not swim, so naturally, she could not choose to jump down from the window. However, the space in front of her was narrow, and she hurriedly knocked over the small table, only avoiding two or three silver needles. In the end, two of them still entered her body through a slight numbing sensation.


    Helian Peng himself did not notice. He only felt a slight pain in his body. He lowered his head to look, but there was nothing unusual about him. She rummaged through her clothes in bewilderment, only to see a few silver needles lying on the floor.


    The silver needle that Gu Qingli used as a hidden weapon was slightly different from an ordinary acupuncture needle. It had been modified by her, and the needle had been twisted at the tip of the tail, leaving only an inch of the needle''s tip.


    Both Gabriella and Zhou Zhen were shocked, and they quickly retreated to the side, anxious to persuade the princess, "Royal Consort, Princess, don''t hurt our relationship because of the verbal conflict. It was just a misunderstanding ¡­"


    "There''s no misunderstanding!" After a quick inspection, Helian Peng felt that he was unharmed and rushed forward again, waving his palm to attack. Although she did not have a sword in her hand, this palm technique was also merciless and each attack was filled with viciousness.

 C241 tease(1)

    Gu Qingli, however, was very relaxed. She scoffed as she attacked, "Princess Helian, you just need to attack. Be careful of the bee venom in your body flowing with your zhenqi and speeding up its circulation ¡­ Try inhaling and see if the three inches below your left arm feel numbness? "If I continue to use my true qi, this numbness and pain will continue to rise towards my heart and turn into a sharp pain ¡­"


    At first, Helian Shuang did not believe him, but after hearing Gu Qing Li''s words, he became somewhat apprehensive and suspiciously jumped backwards. Just as Gu Qing Li had said, the numbness and pain seemed to be rising. He tried using his luck to resist the pain, but it felt like his arm was pierced by thousands of needles. The pain made his whole arm go limp, and the pain increased exponentially. As expected, it went up along his shoulder.


    Helian Peng''s originally porcelain skin appeared even paler and paler. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead as he believed Gu Qingli''s words. No matter how strong and domineering her character was, she could not show off her strength at this moment. After all, if the Bee Poison were to enter one''s heart through the blood, not only would it endanger one''s life, it would also be a disaster.


    She glared angrily at Gu Qingli. Seeing her opponent''s cheerful smile, it must be the antidote that was on her chest. She had also heard Zhou Zhen say that the Jade Dew Powder had been concocted by Gu Qingli, so she should have some medical skills. However, if she were to admit defeat, or even mutter a plea of forgiveness, she definitely could not do so.


    It was a small matter if a country''s princess lost face. Helian Xiangrong would rather die than admit defeat to a love rival. Gritting her teeth, she stared at Gu Qingli. She thought to herself that she was the Northern Chu Princess, Helian Yu''s sister. Gu Qingli, as the first wife of the Mo King, bore the heavy responsibility of entertaining an envoy from another country.


    Gu Qingli smiled as she looked at Helian Peng. In her heart, she was rather impressed by his tenacity.


    She did not know that Helian Peng had never admitted defeat in his entire life. The only thing he was afraid of was Helian Yu. As long as Helian Peng did not cause trouble under his nose, as long as they were born from a different mother, he was too lazy to bother with it.


    Such a domineering princess had never experienced any setbacks in the Northern Chu Country, how could she know how to restrain herself in a foreign land?


    In the end, the two madams standing by her side watched as a stalemate between the two of them. Thus, Gabriella lightly casted a glance at Zhou Zhen, and signaled him with her eyes.


    After hearing that Zhou Zhen had saved her, Helian Xiufeng''s attitude had changed slightly. He was still able to treat these two respectful and condescending wives with a pleasant expression on his face.


    Zhou Zhen then gathered up her courage and stepped forward to gently advise, "Princess Helian, what the princess says is reasonable. As the princess of a nation, you are noble and reserved, magnanimous and forgiving. "No, it hurts my dignity."


    Gabriella pulled Gu Qing Li back and softly whispered, "The wangfei actually cares about the princess too. Otherwise, why would she mention those words?" Following that, he gave Gu Qing Li a pleading look. He hoped that Gu Qing Li would not continue to confront him and not harm the peace between the Mo King''s Residence and the envoy of the Northern Chu Country.


    Gu Qingli had never minded anyone treating her badly. If anyone tried to bully her, she would return it many times over sooner or later. However, she also had a weakness, which was that no one could treat her well. Even though Gabriella''s identity was unknown, she had never committed any evil deeds, had always been submissive to her and never competed for a favor.


    Even so, the two of them did not say anything. In the end, their expressions eased a little. Gu Qingli tried her best to suppress her scornful smile. Helian Shuang pursed her lips and no longer glared at her fiercely.


    Zhou Zhen saw that they had all taken a step back and added, "Since the wangfei has said that the residual poison in the princess'' body has yet to be cleared, why don''t you take a look and see if you need to prescribe some medicine to remove the residual poison?"


    Helian Lie didn''t say anything. He sat down arrogantly and stretched out his wrist, indicating that Gu Qing Li should examine her pulse.


    Gu Qingli felt it was a great honor for her to be treated by such a royal haughty manner. She felt both angry and amused at the same time. She thought about it for a moment, then calmly sat in front of her and extended her finger to connect her pulse.


    Helian Shuang''s pulse was naturally normal. After all, the venom of a bee sting was just a superficial wound. If her entire body was stung, it would truly be troublesome.


    Gu Qingli put on an act for a moment and said, "This detoxification process is a bit complicated, I ask that you cooperate with me, Princess. This wangfei not only has to be lucky enough to expel the poison from your body, but she''ll also have to prescribe some other medicine to clear it. This is a bit inconvenient, so it''s better to move it to Madame Zhou''s bedroom. "


    Helian Peng refused to believe it. He had heard Zhou Zhen say that her bee venom had already been removed, so it should be fine. However, the numbing pain would still require some time. How did Gu Qing Li''s words become so complicated in the blink of an eye? Since it was this serious, why didn''t she say anything before?


    Gu Qingli saw through her doubts and said, "Originally, the poison could be considered to have been removed. This wangfei was planning on cleansing the princess'' body of the remaining poison. That would have been sufficient." Who knew that just now, not only did the princess''s emotions rise up, she even used her zhenqi. Didn''t I say it already? If the zhenqi were to spread the venom like that, it wouldn''t be easy to deal with. Fortunately, it''s still early, so I hope that you can cooperate. "


    Helian Chenghua''s anger filled his heart and he wanted to flare up again, but Gu Qingli added another godly blade. "If we delay it, I''m afraid that even if we can save the princess'' life, with this devastatingly beautiful appearance ¡­" "Zeze, it''s hard to say."


    Helian Shuang did not hear the mockery in her words and started to panic. She no longer dared to hold Qiao Qiao''s hand and said, "Then, immediately leave."


    Gu Qing Li inwardly laughed, and casually went down the pavilion and into Zhou Zhen''s bedroom, but he chased the two ladies out, telling them to guard the door well and not to let anyone disturb them if they got lucky, or else if they went wrong, the both of them would have Qigong deviation.


    Helian Xiufeng was extremely obedient to Gu Qingli, taking off his outer garments. He wore only skin-tight clothing, exposing the snow-white skin on his back. He sat cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed.


    Gu Qingli shot a casual glance at him, her lips curving up in an uncontrollable smile. However, she did not make a sound. Instead, she sized up Helian Lie''s figure.


    However, she really did not like the whiteness of the Northern Chu people. It was very similar to the whiteness of the European people she had met in her previous life, revealing the color of their flesh. They were slightly pale and dazzling, and their skin was not delicate enough.


    After Gu Qingli had finished admiring the painting, she curled her lips and picked up Zhou Zhen''s fine brush. She got drunk on Shi Di and began to paint on Helian Shuang''s back.


    "Princess Mo, what are you doing?" Helian Xiufeng felt that something was wrong, but he didn''t dare open his eyes. He only felt a slight chill on his back, and a moment later, his body began to itch from the sweeping. It was extremely difficult to endure.


    "This is to clear up the meridians. The princess must not act rashly again, lest she breaks her zhenqi." Gu Qing said as he leisurely drew a turtle with a phoenix crown on its head.


    Helian Chenghua could only close his eyes and bear with it.


    Gu Qingli finished her painting and admired herself for a while. She felt that her skill in painting turtles had improved again, so she threw out a brush and a piece of graphite and began to drive the needle for Helian Lie by luck.


    "There will be some pain in the next few moments, please bear with it, Princess."


    Helian Peng snorted. He thought to himself, This princess is someone who has been to the battlefields and participated in the desperate battles ¡­ Before she could finish her thought, she felt as if thousands of needles had pierced into her body. It was as if countless thin blades had cut into her flesh, causing her to tremble and groan in pain.


    Gu Qingli, however, did not care. She continued to use her tyrannical internal force to move the silver needles around Helian Hua''s body. It was so painful that her life was on the line, turning from a groan to a scream.

 C242 tease(2)

    Outside, Zhou Zhen and Gabriella looked at each other and thought that the matter was too exaggerated. The doctor actually cried so miserably, as if he was cut by a thousand knives?


    Just as Xiao Yi Xiu was sending Helian Yu back to his residence and entering the hall, he heard such a shrill scream. Princess Helian''s voice was just like the scream of a townsman slaughtering a pig in a slaughterhouse. He frowned. Just as he was about to ask, Gabriella shushed him and pulled him out, explaining in detail.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi Xiu''s mouth twitched slightly. He knew his wife, Morov. He didn''t even need to ask to know that Gu Qing Li had taken the opportunity to kill him. This despotic princess had suffered greatly.


    Sure enough, one scream after another rang out from the inside, and even he could not help but lightly shake his head.


    Inside, Gu Qingli was struggling so hard that Helian Shuang was drenched in sweat. Even her black hair was stuck to her neck. The people of Northern Chu rarely wore their hair in braids. They were all tied up in braids. This time, they could not help but scream uncontrollably. The braids were also slanted on their heads, looking extremely miserable.


    When Gu Qingli heard Helian Peng''s shout, she was almost satisfied. She smiled and took out the two silver needles. With two soft sounds, the needles were forced out. She reached out her hand and withdrew them.


    Helian Xianzi also heard those two subtle sounds. She secretly asked suspiciously, with a hoarse voice, "What sounds?"


    Gu Qingli remained expressionless. "She forced out two poisonous wasps tail thorns." It''s no wonder that when the poison was first detoxified, the Princess was only lucky enough to cause the blood to flow with poison, so there were still two poisonous thorns remaining. "


    Helian Lie closed his eyes and almost fainted. He weakly laid on Zhou Zhen''s bed, not caring about her dignity or her indecent demeanor anymore.


    Gu Qing Li got up with a refreshed expression and looked for a brush and ink to write a prescription.


    Naturally, she wasn''t being polite with the prescription. It was full of the medicine of tigers and wolves. If she didn''t let this princess He Lian who was made of gold and jade drink it for three days and six nights, she would have learned medicine for nothing.


    However, the preparation of the medicine was very obscure. There was not a single laxative, only two medicinal properties that clashed. Once combined, it would cause endless diarrhea, so that even if she wanted to sleep, she would have to sleep in the latrine.


    Gu Qingli smiled as she thought about it. She wrote the prescription quickly, then handed it to Little Chan, who was waiting outside, and instructed her to go to Yuejian Yuejian to get some medicine and cook it.


    Helian Peng lay on the ground for a long time before he dispiritedly got up. He was so sick that he couldn''t even speak. Gu Qing Li helped her change the handkerchief on her face and applied the Jade Dew Powder. Seeing that the redness and swelling had almost subsided, she knew that it would be fine the next day.


    Gu Qing left the room. Helian Xiangrong also had a good rest. She put on her clothes and followed him out.


    Although her head was pounding from the pain, it did not hurt her vital energy nor her bones. It was only the Qi disorder caused by the silver needles rampaging through her meridians. Once the needles were out, her vital energy was quickly restored. It was just that he had screamed until his throat was hoarse, his hair was disheveled, and his tears had not dried yet. He looked extremely haggard and dispirited.


    Xiao Yixiu saw Helian Shuang, whose hair was askew and half of her face was covered with a hand. She almost did not recognize that this was the overweeningly arrogant Princess Northern Chu.


    Helian Peng was pleasantly surprised by his reaction, but he sensed something was wrong with his puzzled expression. He then saw that Gabriella was lightly coughing to cover her mouth as if she was trying her best to cover up her embarrassment.


    She hurried back to the inner room and took a look at herself in the bronze mirror. Embarrassed and embarrassed, she quickly combed her hair.


    Inside the outer hall, Xiao Yi Xiu looked at Gu Qing Li, who was smiling merrily. He covered his mouth, covered his mouth, and laughed slyly. In the end, she was still an Emissary from the Northern Chu, an esteemed guest of the Dongyuan Kingdom. She was in a peaceful relationship with the two countries, yet you dared to tease her to such an extent ¡­ It''s getting more and more out of hand. Wait till tonight to watch This King give you a good boost. "


    Gu Qingli pursed her lips and retorted in a low voice, "I''ve already seen your heroic style before. It''s nothing more than this, you should just leave it to shake others up."


    Xiao Yi Xiu felt his body heat up from her teasing. He couldn''t help but tighten his arms around her and laugh. "If you''re willing, then tonight I''ll go to the Cheng Yang Inn and entertain Princess Helian properly ¡­"


    Gu Qingli suddenly straightened her body and pushed him away, her beautiful phoenix eyes filled with warning.


    Seeing that she wasn''t provoked at all, a smile appeared on Xiao Yi''s face as if nothing had happened. He raised his head to see Helian Xiufeng, who had already put away his makeup, standing blankly at the threshold between the inner and outer rooms, staring straight at him. His eyes were filled with disappointment, sadness, jealousy, and jealousy ¡­


    "Is Princess Helian''s jade body better? Your brother has returned to the Cheng Yang Inn. Before he left, he left a message for you to rest in this prince''s mansion. After all, the poison that remains in your body has yet to be cleansed and your body is tired. If you find it inconvenient to work here, you can arrange for a bed in the side courtyard for you. "


    Gu Qingli had initially thought that Helian Xiufeng would only ask for it, so she agreed and approached Xiao Yi Xiu. As for Xiao Yi, she was surprised for a moment, then shook her head and rejected, "This princess should return to Cheng Yang Inn first ¡­ As for my visit to your house, in a few days, I will personally pay you a visit to thank you and the two madams. "


    Gu Qingli saw her unfriendly gaze pass by, and knew that she had no feelings of gratitude towards him. Instead, it was filled with hostility, and she couldn''t help but lightly smile, not taking it to heart.


    After a while, when the medicine was ready, it was delivered by Xiao Chan. Helian Shuang quickly drank the medicine and said goodbye to them.


    Helian Shuang covered half of her face with her hands as she sent them to the entrance of the Mo King''s Manor. It was a rare occasion for her to get on the carriage arranged for her. She was escorted by a group of female guards to Cheng Yang Inn.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t personally deliver it like Helian Yu did. He only clapped three times and secretly ordered a group of shadow guards to follow behind him.


    Within Cheng Yang Restaurant, under a pavilion filled with bamboo shadows, Helian Yu was comfortably lying on his back on a bamboo chair, gently rocking back and forth. He felt that this was a rare moment in his life when he was so free. Previously, even during the years when he was recuperating in bed, he had been madly studying the military art. He only hoped that one day he would wash away his previous shame and never slack off.


    When he saw Helian Xiufeng return with his hands covering his face, he was somewhat surprised.


    He turned his face to the side and looked at his little sister. His eyes were filled with the same coldness and fierceness, without any kinship to be seen. He stared at her face as if she was a stranger, "The redness and swelling have receded quite a bit. Princess Mo''s jade dew sure has had a good time."


    The bitterness in his heart grew even more intense. He had originally wanted to find someone to throw a tantrum in order to vent his anger, but he was repelled by the ice-cold look in his eyes. He sobbed a few times, and then recounted the conflict between him and Gu Qingli.


    Helian Yu stared at her for a moment before lightly narrowing his eyes. He suddenly smiled, but his smile contained a bit of ridicule and coldness. "She said that the remaining poison in your body has yet to be cleansed and your blood flow has accelerated. Do you believe his?"


    Helian Peng understood the meaning behind his words and could not help but say, "But I do feel pain ¡­"


    "It would seem that the Bee Poison has not been left in your body to follow the blood to attack your heart. Instead, it has entered your brain." Helian Yu didn''t even bother to look at her. It was Helian Yu''s shame to have such a domineering and tyrannical little sister who only thought of matters with her toes. It was the shame of the Helian Family.


    Previously, he was unable to find a way to vent his anger, but after being mocked repeatedly, his arrogant nature could no longer be concealed. Ignoring the fact that he was facing the crown prince, whom she feared the most, he shouted out, "Big brother Crown Prince thinks I''m stupid, so why don''t you explain how she described the pain in my body?"


    Helian Yu''s eyelids did not move as he coldly said, "I was not there and was unaware of what tricks she had played. However, the thing that stung you was your face. Do you think that the poison is a living fish that is casually swimming in your body and does not follow the normal blood flow? "


    Helian Xiufeng froze upon hearing his words. He felt that this made a lot of sense.

 C243 tease(3)

    "And then she treated you? And it even hurts you to death? "


    Helian Xiufeng gritted his teeth, but his heart began to waver. Could it be that Princess Mo wanted to use this opportunity to deal with him and not force him to cure her poison due to her status?


    When Helian Yu saw her dumbstruck appearance, he felt even angrier. In his disdain, he simply closed his eyes completely. In his heart, the cold and elegant Princess Mo floated up to his.


    Even he was so crafty and deceitful, there was nothing to compare him to. He only thought of Gu Qingli, and then he compared Helian Lie''s image with his own. It was like comparing a floating cloud and mud.


    Seeing that his elder brother was unwilling to pay any more attention to himself, Helian Hua knew that he had most likely been dealt with. He stomped his feet and angrily rushed back to his own residence, instructing as he walked, "Bring some water for me to bathe and change my clothes. This dress of Dongyuan is really awkward, making it so that no one is able to walk."


    The Northern Chu was a close-knit, short-lived, unruly place, and he often wore tight clothes to hunt. His long, wide sleeves and elegant dress almost made her fall a few times.


    In the bathroom, Helian Xiangrui quickly took off his clothes, untied his long hair, stepped into the cedar tub and lay down on his back. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief. He felt extremely comfortable.


    The water in the well was crisp and clean, and inside were the fresh chrysanthemum petals sent from below the Cheng Yang Inn. They floated in the water, exuding a faint fragrance.


    The land of Chu was arid and short of water. Even though she was a noble daughter of the Royal family, it was still difficult for her to use up as much water as Dong Yuan did. She didn''t pay as much attention to bathing. Furthermore, the Northern Chu''s water was often sedimented and filtered. There was always the smell of sand and earth, and the harsh weather would never have flowers blooming. She was surprised that she would be so particular when she took a bath in Dongyuan City.


    The group of female bodyguards and palace maids by Helian Xiangrong''s side were all flowery martial artists that would often travel in martial attire. At this moment, two people stepped forward to help her scrub and bathe. Just as they lifted her long hair, they cried out in alarm, "Princess, this is ¡­"


    "What''s wrong?" Upon hearing her nervous voice, Helian Xianzi immediately realized that it couldn''t be that the poison had spread to his back and caused him to be covered in black air, right?


    That palace maid covered her mouth in embarrassment, not daring to speak for the moment.


    Another palace maid came over to take a look and also exclaimed: "This, this ¡­ What''s going on? "


    Even though they had plenty of imagination, it was hard for them to understand when a turtle had been painted on the princess''s bare back. The turtle on the other hand, was not painted with ink. It melted as soon as it touched water, but was made of fine powder. It was actually quite waterproof, and would not melt even if it was submerged in water.


    "What is going on?" When Helian Peng heard them stammering, but no one was willing to tell the truth, he lost his patience and became angry.


    They immediately got up and went to find a mirror in front of the dressing table. With great difficulty, they found two bronze mirrors, one held behind Helian Lie''s back, the other stood at an angle in front of her, and the two mirrors reflected back at each other, giving a clear picture of the tortoise behind them.


    Helian Lie''s anger surged upwards. He grabbed the bronze mirror held by the palace maid in front of him and smashed it down with a loud bang. For no reason, the neat teak flooring of the inn had also been smashed and the mirror had become distorted.


    The floors of the East Abyss and the copper mirror seemed to have intelligence of their own. When they met this Princess Helian in the future, they would probably be trembling in fear.


    "M ¡­" Princess ¡­ "This ¡­"


    Helian Lie gritted his teeth. Ignoring the noble bearing of a proud daughter of heaven, he scolded Gu Qing Li in the washroom. He used all sorts of vulgar words to scare the two palace maids.


    It was only after he had scolded enough and was tired that Helian Lie realized his voice had become hoarse. He had been screaming in pain and now he was cursing out of anger. It was likely that he wouldn''t be able to speak tomorrow.


    She thought about it again, but found that it was impossible to bring the matter to justice. After all, she was also a daughter, and was a princess of a kingdom. How could she explain to others that she had been stripped of her clothes and painted on her back like a tortoise? Even if this tortoise was still on his back, he couldn''t even call his own brother in to take a look. In a moment, he would wipe it clean with water, so how could he have any evidence that Gu Qingli had done it?


    The more Helian Shuang thought about it, the more furious she became. She slapped the surface of the water, causing water to splash everywhere and even the fragrant petals to become repulsive.


    After waiting for her rage, the two palace maids carefully helped her clean the tortoise. Unavoidably, they were still slapped a few times by her anger. It was all because their hands were too heavy and rubbing them was painful.


    However, if they didn''t rub her waterproof eyebrows hard, they wouldn''t be able to wash them off. The palace maids'' eyes were filled with tears, but they didn''t dare to complain.


    After having taken the most depressing bath of his life, Helian Shuang angrily rushed towards Helian Yu to complain, wanting him to stick his head out for his.


    Helian Yu''s short rest was interrupted twice, and he felt really unhappy in his heart. He then heard Helian Peng fire talk about the tortoise, thought about it, and laughed out loud. His cold expression, which was rarely seen on his face, broke the ice, as he said to Helian Peng, "You said that she used Mei Di to draw a tortoise in your north? That turtle can be washed clean? "


    "When I was bathing and changing my clothes, of course I washed it off!" Helian Shuanghua did not understand why he was paying attention to these things that were out of tune.


    "What a pity, what a pity!"


    "What''s a pity?"


    Helian Yu wanted to laugh in his heart. He thought it was a pity that he couldn''t admire Gu Qing Li''s painting, but he couldn''t say those words bluntly. He only coughed lightly and spoke with a solemn expression, "Naturally, it''s for evidence. After all, it is not easy for you to speak empty words to get me to stand up for you ¡ª you have to report this matter to His Majesty, the Emperor of Dongyuan and let him send someone to verify it. Only then will you be able to persuade him. Not only is he chosen by the emperor for the throne, she is also the prime minister''s direct daughter. He is a lady of a noble family with strict upbringing. If you were to say these words, even if others believe you, they would pursue the matter to the root and ask for the cause. "Then, without going through the Imperial Palace to welcome the guests, you charged into Prince Mo''s Mansion without being married. Your words and actions are unchanging, and you even dared to attack his imperial concubine. Do you think it''s reasonable for you to speak so arrogantly?"


    Helian Peng opened his mouth, and although he had nothing to say, the hatred in his heart grew. He felt that this brother of his was just helping others and didn''t care about himself.


    For a moment, she felt wronged. With tears in her eyes, she said angrily, "Big Brother Crown Prince, are you going to let that woman bully your little sister? No matter how rude I was, it was all because of how I treated Xiao Yi Xiu ¡­ You should also know why I have come to Dongyuan City. I ¡­ "I ¡­"


    Helian Yu knew very well that he viewed Xiao Yi as his greatest enemy. Even though he deeply hated him, he respected him a bit as well. It was the kind of feeling that made it difficult to explain when encountering an enemy.

 C244 Battle Dance

    Helian Yu also understood the reason why Helian Peng wanted to follow him here. Helian Yu knew that his sister had been thinking about Xiaoyi Xiu ever since they met on the battlefield five years ago. After pondering for a while, he felt that if he couldn''t defeat such a formidable opponent, then winning him over would be another way. If the Northern Chu and the East China Sea were to be married, not only would it be beneficial to maintain peace between the two countries, but he would also have more channels to know each other.


    This time, he met Xiao Yixiu in the Eastern Abyss as expected. Unlike the two siblings, he already had a main wife, and the alliance between the two clans had been ruined. However, Helian Peng obviously didn''t think that way. The people whom she couldn''t forget in her heart, even if they married someone else, they would still try to take them back.


    Helian Yu wanted to reprimand her for being ignorant and rude, but on second thought, he thought that this was actually a good opportunity. If he could cause discord between Xiao Yixiu and his wife and force him to leave his wife, wouldn''t that be the biggest benefit?


    He furrowed his brows in thought for a moment and said: "You have no proof in this matter, so if you want to argue with her that there''s no reason, it would instead lead to your intrusion into the Prince''s mansion, making people look down upon you for no reason. You should first be patient, and think of a way when you get the chance. "


    Although Helian Peng felt that his reply dissatisfied with him, in the end, it sounded like it was biased towards him. He sniffled to ease his mood and asked, "Big brother Crown Prince, what plans do you have?"


    Helian Yu said coldly, "Didn''t you say to wait for an opportunity to make a move? I know what you are thinking, so I shall entrust you with your wish. "


    Helian Peng was delighted. He didn''t care about his cold attitude and held his hand in a coquettish manner, "Big Brother Crown Prince dotes on me the most. I must make that woman become Princess Mo!"


    Helian Yu couldn''t bear to see her acting like a spoiled child. He drew back his hand and closed his eyes, saying, "I understand. You can go. Let me think of a way."


    After this vexed little sister left, Helian Yu immediately opened his eyes and ordered some people to come over. He went to the capital to inquire about the places that officials and nobles, as well as the places that members of the imperial family often visited.


    He needed to know the political structure and personnel relations of the Empire of Dongyuan. Knowing himself and knowing his enemy, he had never fought a battle without confidence. If he hadn''t underestimated Xiao Yixiu''s youth that year, he wouldn''t have made such a short-sighted mistake. Until now, he had kept the battle in mind and believed that if he hadn''t underestimated his opponent, he wouldn''t have lost.


    Within the Mo King''s Manor, Xiao Yi was hugging Gu Qing Li as he listened to her talk about how she would tease Helian Xianzi and how she would do anything to stop Helian Hua from dying. He couldn''t help but laugh as he stroked her hair and said, "I knew you wouldn''t let her off so easily.


    Gu Qingli smiled craftily. "I made her take off her clothes and drew a turtle on her back. Did she dare to take it off for others to see?" As long as it was washed away, there would be no proof at all. With this kind of matter, even if she, a young mistress who has yet to leave the pavilion, were to speak of it in front of others! "


    Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but laugh out loud. However, when he thought of Helian Yu, his smile faded a little. This person who had suddenly appeared in the Eastern Abyss was definitely not here for the sake of peace between the two countries ¡­ When the peace between Dongyuan and the Northern Chu was reached after many years of serious injury and sickness, the dispatch of a mission to Dongyuan was bound to raise suspicions.


    The peace treaty was signed by the Northern Chu Emperor after consultation with the officials of the imperial court, but Helian Yu did not participate in it. As the successor of the country, the future Northern Chu Emperor, Helian Yu''s intentions were actually very important. This was a contract that excluded his consent. If he wanted to overturn it one day ¡­


    Seeing that his expression had turned serious, Gu Qing Li asked a few questions before revealing his worries. He then shook his head: "Unlike me, Helian Yu is not only good at fighting, but also a person who loves fighting. Even though I have been fighting since I was a teenager, I have never taken the initiative to invade other countries in order to subdue the enemies of the border and suppress the rebels. However, he was definitely someone who would casually start a battle just for the sake of weighing the benefits. Back then, he was the one who started the war between Dongyuan and Northern Chu. "


    "However, we have already signed the peace treaty, can he still refute his father''s decision?"


    "It''s hard to say." Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head.


    This person was insufferably arrogant. To be defeated by him was a great humiliation, and it was likely that he would not be willing to calm down at this point. Coming to the East Abyss, a peaceful envoy was probably a fake. It was the real thing that was investigating him.


    Thinking about how Dongyuan''s imperial government was now as calm as a mirror, with waves surging in the dark, the struggle for the throne falling apart, the dictatorship of the emperor, and the chaos in the imperial harem, Xiao Yixiu couldn''t help but sigh. If Helian Yu were to find out about this and cause trouble in the East Abyss, he would have to be on his guard.


    "In that case, you should keep an eye on him. He shouldn''t always be alone." Gu Qingli thought for a moment. He seemed to be interested in her. Perhaps this was an opportunity to get close to her.


    "Since he invited me to introduce him to the capital, how about ¡­"


    "No." Xiao Yixiu''s face darkened. "He''s ruthless and merciless. I can''t be at ease with him."


    Gu Qingli carefully sized him up and then smiled. "What are you worried about?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled as he pinched her cheek. "I''m worried about you being with other men."


    As the two joked around, they soon forgot about the Helian siblings.


    The Crown Prince of Northern Chu was personally sent as an envoy, and the palace had a banquet to entertain him. However, due to Helian Lie''s swollen face, the banquet was delayed for three days.


    The banquet was not inferior to the banquet that Princess Lan Xun had last time. What was surprising was that the Northern Chu had also produced an entertainment show, where the Northern Chu''s Princess Helian Shuang and his daughter were both performing a dance.


    This princess, even when attending a royal banquet, was not as gorgeous as the ordinary imperial women, but was dressed in military attire, with her black hair flowing in the wind. She wore a light helmet, soft leather armor, and held a heavy sword embedded with gems in her hands, looking valiant and imposing, causing the face of the previously unmarried King Yan, who had married Princess Lan Xun and Princess Bei Chu, to change slightly.


    The Northern Chu''s dance was filled with the colors of the battlefield. Rather than calling it a dance, it would be more accurate to call it a small military exercise. It was a simple array formation on the battlefield, and the Northern Chu''s female guard was shaking her silver spear to the point that it was splattering everywhere.


    As he continued to look, Helian Xiuzhu''s eyes were filled with a baleful look as she brandished her sword. Although the words of the princes weren''t enough, they could feel the enmity that was pouncing towards her.


    Even the emperor was a little grim. In his heart, he had already cut off all thoughts of marriage with the Northern Chu. In his heart, he thought that not to mention marrying back to Dongyuan, just this body''s baleful aura made people feel that this pair of brother and sister had come with ill intentions.


    At the end of the dance, Helian Lie arrogantly lifted his head and returned to his seat. He looked down at everyone and smiled at Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Separated by countless pairs of burning eyes, Helian Xianzi''s unrestrained actions had attracted everyone''s attention.


    Xiao Yixiu, on the other hand, had a faint smile on his face the entire time. He nodded slightly towards her, neither disrespectful nor showing any particular enthusiasm. Even Gu Qingli, who was standing next to him, gave a meaningful smile back at Helian Peng, causing her expression to change.


    The emperor calmly observed them and said in a lukewarm voice, "Prince Helian and the princess came to Dongyuan City as guests and treated them as distinguished guests. They stayed at the Chengyang Inn, and if there were any inconvenience, you can ask for them. "Prince Mo is treating our guests with all his might ¡­"

 C245 break out of cocoon

    Helian Yu left his seat and cupped his hands, "Your Majesty, the Emperor of Dongyuan, this crown prince has come with his sister to express the sincerity of the peace between the two countries. I also wish to see the local customs and customs of your country, so I plan to stay for a while. At the moment, he did not have anything that he needed, so he lacked a guide to accompany him on his travels. "


    "Oh? For Prince Helian to accompany a King Mo, could it be that he is dissatisfied? " The emperor recalled that Xiao Yi Xiu was his sworn enemy, but Helian Yu had pointed out that he wanted Xiao Yi Xiu to accompany him. What sort of ruckus was this?


    "My little sister is a woman, don''t tell me you should have a woman by your side?"


    Ah!" The emperor came to a realization. "Then ¡­


    He swept a glance around and felt that Gu Qing Li was not a good candidate. He then said, "You can be accompanied by Princess Mu."


    Helian Yu stood there in a daze. He wanted to point out Princess Mo, not the dancing and fragile Princess Mu.


    Fortunately, before he could say anything, Gu Qingli had already said, "Your consort should also be accompanying King Mo to entertain the princess."


    Gu Qingli was smiling at Yan Yan Yan, but the expression on her face had changed due to anger.


    The emperor nodded. "That''s fine too. You and Princess Mu are sisters, so it''s more convenient."


    Although he didn''t know the details, he was keenly aware that this princess was smiling at Xiao Yixiu without avoiding the suspicion of being a man and a woman. There must be some unspeakable reasons behind it, and that it was within reason that Gu Qingli was hostile to her, which was why she changed her orders to become the consort, Gu Qingrou to accompany him.


    After saying this, he felt that there was something wrong with the decree. King Mo and Princess Mu walked together. This identity was quite awkward. Fortunately, Gu Qingli had managed to get away with it. The Emperor thought to himself. Even if the Princess found Gu Qing Li a little inappropriate, Gu Qing Ruo was dignified, dignified, and gentle. She was also an elder sister, so she would definitely restrain herself.


    Gu Qingruo complied, thinking to herself, "I don''t know what the Emperor is planning this time, but she didn''t allow the three brothers to go fight against any Northern Chu Prince Consort. Instead, she prevented Xiao Yi Mo from getting close to Princess Helian." Raising her eyes, she saw that Princess Helian, dressed in male attire, had a darkened face. With a baleful expression, she shifted her gaze from Gu Qing Li to him.


    Gu Qingruo was baffled and could only shiver secretly. She thought to herself, "Why is Princess Helian so murderous? No wonder when the Emperor saw her, he didn''t even bother to form a marriage alliance and wanted her to accompany him."


    She did not know what Helian Xianzi was thinking. These two sisters were like a bunch of small marrows. If they joined forces, they would most likely cause her harm. He then thought of the fact that Princess Mo Fei had extraordinary skills. He was afraid that she was an expert in the field of ''blood sister''. If the two of them were to join forces, who knew how many tricks they would play.


    After the feast had ended, they returned to the Cheng Yang Inn. Helian Shuang anxiously pulled Helian Yu along and said, "Big Brother Crown Prince, this is great. That Emperor Dongyuan allowed that woman to follow him, and that Princess Mu is actually still her elder sister. What do you think we should do?"


    His face darkened as his gaze swept around. Quickly, he reached out his hand to cover her mouth and pulled her into a neighboring room. He coldly said, "The walls have ears. Do you think this is the Northern Chu?"


    He slowly released his hand, and Helian Xiufeng''s voice dropped to a whisper, aggrieved, "You said you''d help me think of a way!"


    "Don''t worry. When the time comes, I''ll lure Gu Qing Li away and let you and Xiao Yi Xiu be alone." Helian Yu was getting impatient. If not for the fact that he wanted to use this useless little sister of his to find out Xiao Yi Xiu''s true identity, he wouldn''t have been able to help but shake her off and ignore her.


    However, now that he thought about it, he almost doubted whether his original plan would succeed or not. How could Xiao Yi Xiu see through her? He could only hope that his dance today would be a match for Xiao Yi Xiu.


    If there was anyone in this world who knew much about Xiao Yi Xiu, then Helian Yu really could be said to be one of them.


    Although he was an opponent on the battlefield, he had never been together with anyone. However, after many years of scouting and judging from his years of life and death battles, he knew that Xiao Yi Xiu definitely didn''t like those delicate and weak ordinary girls. In order to attract Xiao Yi Xiu''s attention from Helian Lie, he had purposely arranged this battle dance.


    Helian Xiufeng was originally not a gentle and beautiful girl. He was an expert at flirting with girls. That valiant and valiant male attire suited her even more.


    It was a pity that although that Battle Dance entered Xiao Yixiu''s eyes, Helian Shuang himself was as Helian Yu had expected. It really didn''t enter Xiao Yixiu''s eyes.


    After the banquet, when Gu Qing Li was praising Helian Lie''s dance, Huan Yixiu commented, "The dance was very fresh and had the air of a woman''s. It was just that the dancers were wrong."


    "What''s wrong?" Gu Qingli didn''t feel that anything was amiss. If it weren''t for Helian Shuang and the other female bodyguards, how could they have danced in such a soft and rigid manner?


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed. "If the one leading the dance was you, it would be perfect."


    Gu Qingli smiled lightly. "Alright. If you like it, you''ll end up like this in the Prince''s Mansion. I''ll show you when I''m free."


    She wasn''t very good at these gentle and beautiful dances of ancient women, but she was good at modern dance, folk dance, and so on and so forth. She also knew some of the fashionable elements from her past life.


    As the couple chatted and joked, they tossed the Helian siblings out of their minds and returned to the house to wash Mu''an''s clothes and sleep.


    After intertwining for a while, Gu Qing Li was about to fall asleep, but he vaguely remembered the black cocoon in the daytime.


    She felt somewhat uneasy. She wanted to get off the bed to search for him, but Xiao Yi Xiu flipped her over and pulled her into his embrace. He muttered, "You''re still sleeping? Your hands are freezing cold."


    Ye Zichen casually placed her hand on his chest, and her breathing gradually returned to normal, but she still managed to fall asleep.


    Gu Qing Li was already sleeping soundly, but he was still hugged tightly. Afraid that the commotion would wake him up, Gu Qing could only rub her face against his chest. Hearing his steady and powerful heartbeat, she fell asleep in the warmth.


    The lights in the courtyards of the Mo King''s Manor were extinguished one after another. However, Yu Muxuan''s dim lights were lit up in a row of dark sculpted buildings.


    Zhou Zhen twirled the wick of the lamp and sat neatly at the table, gazing at the flickering light in the glazed lamp.


    "Still alive?" Little Chan silently walked over. Her hair was unflustered and her clothes were full. The words she spoke were completely brainless and did not resemble her usual respectful attitude towards Zhou Zhen.


    Zhou Zhen slowly opened up his palm. Surprisingly, there was a black cocoon in his palm. It was about the same size as an ordinary cocoon, but it was one size larger.


    Zhou Zhen''s pinch made a very low and strange sound, as if it was singing. It was not something that could be reached.


    Little Chan also began to chant in a low voice. It was in harmony with Zhou Zhen''s rhythm, but they also complemented each other.


    Very soon, the black cocoon began to vibrate slightly, becoming more and more intense as it shook Zhou Zhen''s palm. It then rolled over once and upon closer listening, a thin sound was emitted from the cocoon, as if it was nibbling away at mulberry leaves.


    Following that, a thin hole appeared on the cocoon''s wall. It seemed that the worms inside were trying to break out of the cocoon by biting on its food.


    As the hole got bigger, a moth or butterfly flew out. However, along with the buzzing of its wings, a huge wild bee came out of the cocoon. It was at least three times bigger than an ordinary bee!


    The wasp flapped its wings and flew a few times around the glass lamp. It seemed to have a moth''s habit of rushing into the flame, and it began to repeatedly ram towards the glass lamp.


    Again and again, he was not tired of it, he was not even afraid of the heat on the lampshade.

 C246 Ghost Bee Gu and Monarch Gu

    It was just that the thickness of the glass was not something a wild bee could shatter, so it could only futilely hit it. Judging from its strange physique, it was the same type as the one that stung Helian Shuang. However, it was a lot larger than the previous one.


    "Since this Ghost Bee Gu is able to affect the mind of the victim, Princess Helian will definitely dream of passing on our message tonight."


    Zhou Zhen nodded, but her expression was solemn. "Do not underestimate your opponent."


    Little Chan sneered lightly: "You''re only a brainless princess, and you''re afraid that we won''t be able to control her?"


    "No, I am not worried about her. Instead, I am worried about the Overlord Gu in that person''s body." Zhou Zhen sighed.


    Little Chan also fell silent. After a moment, he said, "Our Gu, could it be that we can''t defeat her Emperor Gu?"


    "I have tried to activate it before, but the Emperor Gu is no ordinary Gu, it is not under my control ¡­ Fang Yanzhu was truly scheming. If she hadn''t killed the person controlling the Gu, how could she have been able to live peacefully for so many years? "


    Little Chan waved her hand: "Fang Yanzhu is already dead, it''s meaningless to mention her anymore. Even if the Monarch Gu doesn''t exist, the Gu artifact must still be destroyed."


    "No!" The Monarch Gu must survive! "


    Little Chan angrily replied, "How am I not aware of this? But when Chi Yue was here, even if I tried my best and almost lost my life, it would only cause her to suffer a backlash! "


    The two of them kept their voices low as they argued intensely under the light for a while. Finally, Zhou Zhen gave in and said, "Alright, I''ll do my best to keep the Monarch Gu alive."


    During the quiet hours of the night, in the Cheng Yang Inn, Helian Shuang slept soundly and rolled about a few times. Her calm face gradually began to distort as cold sweat dripped down her forehead and her forehead was tightly locked, as if she was trapped in a nightmare and unable to wake up.


    One moment she was writhing in pain, the next she looked dazed, as if she was struggling with something and couldn''t wake up.


    Only after much difficulty did Tianfang Ming wake up from his nightmares. He blankly looked around and felt a lingering fear in his heart, as if the dream from last night was real. But when she tried to think back, she couldn''t recall any details. She only remembered that a huge poisonous wasp broke out from the black cocoon and surrounded her, staring at her with its sinister compound eyes ¡­ She could even feel the bee grinning at her like a human.


    Pah pah pah! She looked around and confirmed that she had awoken in the bedroom of the Cheng Yang Inn. The warm early winter sunlight shone through the carved windows, giving off an exceptionally warm feeling. Thus, his beating heart gradually calmed down, leaving the blurry dream from last night behind. He only thought of it as the self-shock of being stung by the wasp.


    "Princess, His Highness the Crown Prince has asked if you are awake. He is waiting for you to come over and share breakfast."


    "Isn''t it still early?" Helian Lie wiped the sweat from his forehead and lazily got out of bed.


    "They say that the carriage of the Mo King and Princess has been waiting outside the inn. Today, they''ve arranged for us to go to the outskirts of the capital to admire the maple leaves."


    "Prince Mo is here?" Why didn''t you say so earlier? " Helian Lie jumped off the bed in panic and quickly washed his face and rinsed his mouth. Facing the mirror, he meticulously dressed up for a long time. It was rare for him to make himself look like a lady.


    In the Northern Chu, she was only willing to wear those complicated and long dresses during festive occasions, but last night at a banquet in the East Abyss, she had changed her mind.


    The people of Dongyuan didn''t like the close-fitting clothing of the Northern Chu. Most of them wore wide gowns and wide sleeves, looking elegant and unrestrained. This was probably related to the slow rhythm of life. As for the court ladies, they were usually elegant and pretty. They rarely had the boldness like her from the northern lands. It was obvious that the imperial concubines and noble women were not used to her rough style.


    In order to avoid being despised by Xiao Yixiu, Helian Peng wanted to dress up like Gu Qingli, so he made people draw a plum make-up between their eyebrows, and from yesterday''s reward, he picked out a long pink dress with rich embroidery and jeweled jade on it. The dress covered half of her head, and the hair on her head was an autumn fragrance, but from beginning to end, she had to roll it up into a bun, put on a butterfly and love bun, waved it around, and brought it to the Flower Hall for a meal.


    Helian Yu was not fond of the others. Although he had ordered people to urge Helian Shuang to eat, he had already started to eat. When he saw her coming over, he looked up and saw a mouthful of sticky lily stalk congee almost choking into his windpipe. He coughed a few times before he managed to catch his breath.


    He was wondering if his little sister had slept last night, or if she had slept soundly, so why did she suddenly turn out to be someone else?


    If you looked closely, apart from the white and deep contours of the people of the East China Sea, the rest seemed to have been returned to their former glory.


    Helian Shuang raised her delicate eyebrows that she had just cultivated and deliberately put on a ladylike manner: "What, are you looking at me like that, Big Brother Crown Prince? After observing the scene at the banquet held in Dongyuan City yesterday, he realized that all of the women in Dongyuan City liked to dress up like this ¡­ Does it look good? "


    "Good ¡­" "Look." Helian Yu did not like to say too much. Moreover, this was his own sister. He could not be bothered to comment any further and just coughed a few times. He finished his breakfast and left.


    He leisurely lifted the hem of his skirt and tried to gracefully ride out of the inn. He saw that Xiao Yixiu and Helian Yu were already riding high on their horses, and Gu Qingli was lifting the curtain of the carriage. It was obvious that they were waiting for her.


    When they saw her current appearance, other than Helian Yu, everyone''s expressions froze.


    Helian Shuanghui only said that his own beauty had shocked them. He proudly raised his head slightly, almost tripping her just now. The damned train of her skirt had climbed onto the carriage.


    Xiao Yi Xiu felt his eyelids twitch a few times as he looked at Helian Yu. "Junior is convinced ¡­" Are you coming with us to the Imperial Mountain to see the maple leaves? "


    Helian Yu''s face twitched. "It should be."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded silently, and didn''t say anything else.


    When he entered the carriage, Helian Tzu saw Princess Mu, who had been dancing with him the night before, sitting inside. He gave her a cold smile.


    When Gu Qingruo saw the clothes she was wearing, she was also stunned and couldn''t recover her senses for a long time.


    Helian Peng finally realized that everyone was looking at him with a strange gaze. He subconsciously lowered his head to look at himself and sized them up. Finally, he discovered that there was something different about them.


    Gu Qingli''s long hair was tied up in a simple braid, coiled up like a maid in a ponytail. She was wearing a fiery red riding dress, with only a circle of blue grass decorations at the top of her dress. Her breeches were stuffed into her little sheepskin boots, neatly and neatly.


    Gu Qingruo was wearing a tight bun with white hair on her chest. Inside was a small apricot jacket, and beneath it were apricot silk pants. She was wearing a pair of pink-soled shoes. It seemed like she was wearing a close-fitting outfit.


    "We are... Where are you going? "


    "¡­" After a long while, Gu Qingruo finally said, "It''s the Misty Mountain in the Imperial Family''s gardens in the outskirts of the capital. The maple leaves at the end of October are the most beautiful there. The color of the autumn frost had become a fiery gold. When the wind blew, it would dance like a butterfly, and then follow the mountain stream down the mountain. "


    Hearing her speak like a poem or a painting, Helian Xianzi yearned to see her, but she still did not understand what it had to do with what she had to do with herself.


    Gu Qingli listened to Gu Qingruo''s gentle and roundabout way, and after a long while, she decided to clarify the matter: "Although that Floating Mountain is an imperial mountain, it is still more than two hundred meters high. In order to maintain the original mountain scenery, we didn''t open up a mountain path without restraint. There are many areas that are hard to climb from to the peak. "


    Helian Peng''s face became more and more stiff as he listened. He was so angry that he almost tore off his long skirt to make it easier for him to climb the mountain.

 C247 Aeolian maple(1)

    He could only blame himself for the fact that in his heart, there was only the word ''reward'' circling around him. He had never thought that even in the Imperial Mountain, it was a mountain, covered in thorny mud and slippery stone steps. She thought of the morning when Helian Yu looked at her with a strange expression on his face. She could not help but inwardly resent Helian Yu for not reminding her.


    However, Helian Yu''s personality was cold and emotionless. He had always been cold and heartless to his brothers and sisters, and he disliked speaking too much with women. That was why she had never been close to him when she was in the Northern Chu.


    "At this time of year, there are also many poetry clubs in the capital that have gathered together at the foot of the mountain to participate in the poetry meet. If one is not a member of an official''s family or a scholar''s family, at the very least, they must be a member of a Humble Class. Amongst them, there are quite a few young masters and mistresses of the Shangguan family that one cannot see, so why don''t I accompany the princess to the poetry gathering?"


    This kind of poetry gathering where the scholarly scholars and noble ladies gathered was mostly separated by genders, but they would always meet from afar. Every season, there would be some such gatherings, and the melody from before was also one of them. Those who were invited were not ordinary people, and the host of the poetry meet was naturally a noble who wanted to recruit talents. There were also guards assigned by the host to guard the place and they were all considered to be very safe.


    "Alright, alright." Helian Xianzi only wanted to dispel the embarrassing state of her long skirt, completely disregarding the fact that he hated the gentle and elegant side of her that he used to be.


    "Then... Is my sister going to accompany Prince Helian on a trip to the Misty Mountain with King Mo? "


    Gu Qingli smiled faintly. "The Emperor has instructed the princess to be accompanied by her female family members. I''m only here to accompany Princess Helian. Naturally, I''ll accompany you to the poetry meet."


    Gu Qingruo smiled as she sized up her body. "It''s not appropriate for us to go to the Poetry Club with younger sister''s body."


    Gu Qingli was dressed in riding attire, not like Gu Qingruo. Although it was convenient for travelling and could only be considered ordinary clothes, she was still barely passable in attending the poetry meet.


    At this moment, Helian Shuanghua happened to be extremely disgusted with Gu Qingli. He swept her with a cold gaze and said, "Princess, you should just go climb the mountain by yourself and look into the distance."


    Gu Qingli smiled lightly and shook her head. She didn''t say anything as she waited for the carriage to arrive at the Imperial Gardens. She got off the carriage and walked to the foot of the mountain.


    She told him about Gu Qingruo''s suggestion, but he didn''t have any objections. He only looked at Helian Yu and said, "I also think her outfit is weird. He clearly said he was going to climb the mountain to look at the maple leaves, but why is he dressed like he was attending a banquet?"


    Helian Yu had always been a man of his words and deeds. Even though he had seen Helian Xiufeng step down from the carriage and lift his skirt with great care, he still showed no mercy. His words carried a mocking tone and his expression was extremely cold.


    Helian Shuang''s face turned green and red at his words. However, she couldn''t do anything about it. She could only twist her body hatefully, wanting to lead Gu Qingruo away so she could leave.


    Gu Qingruo still cared about the imperial etiquette, saying goodbye to Helian Yu and Xiao Yi. Helian Shuang, however, didn''t care about her manners at all and rushed forward furiously.


    Helian Yu was extremely dissatisfied with her sister''s behavior. He heavily snorted, but didn''t say anything. Seeing that Gu Qingli was about to leave, she spoke up, "Princess Mo, please stay here. Last night, the palace promised to accompany your husband on my travels. Where are you going?"


    Gu Qing Li paused in his steps and said, "Your Highness, last night you said that the princess needed the company of a woman ¡­"


    "That''s right, Princess Mu has already left with her, and my Northern Chu''s female guards are still following by her side. We should be safe."


    Hearing his words, Gu Qingli had no choice but to turn around and walk up the mountain with Helian Yu, shoulder to shoulder with Xiaoyu.


    Since this was an imperial garden, the mountain was heavily guarded. Although they did not have many guards with them, they were not worried about their safety.


    Finally, they arrived at the wide valley at the foot of the mountain. Ahead of them was a clear stream that ran between the rocks, and in the middle of the forest was a whole artificial clearing. The outside of the valley was surrounded by yellow curtains, and it was surrounded by guards.


    Although Gu Qingruo didn''t have an invitation, Princess Mu''s status was very impressive. No one dared to stop her and welcomed them in with a kind voice.


    There were tea tables on the ground in the open. Even in the autumn and winter, the grass in the surroundings was still green. The green onions were cut short and flat, allowing people to sit on the ground.


    On the table there are fine spots and light tea wine, men and women sitting in separate, far away, can talk a lot, but not too close to Yi Yi. From what Gu Qingruo had told her, these kinds of poetry club''s tea parties were usually banquets held by noble young masters and mistresses. They had taken a liking to them from afar, and when they went back, they secretly asked the matchmaker to tell them what was right, and it was often easier than being ordered by their parents.


    He told her that the Northern Chu was a much more civilized country, where men and women would meet for a horse race or a bonfire, to get to know each other during a hot dance, or even to talk and laugh at close quarters.


    The two of them had only traveled this short distance, but they had already become very compatible, causing the loathing Helian Xianzi originally felt towards Gu Qingli to lessen quite a bit. He only felt that this Miss Gu was gentle, gentle, dignified, and considerate; he didn''t know how she could have such an arrogant, untactful little sister.


    Taking a closer look, Helian Xianzi saw that it was indeed a group of young masters of noble clans. Their words were like a river that flowed out from their mouths. In the female seats, there were aristocratic women, as well as young mistresses. All of them had their faces covered by their fan, while some of them had their mouths and noses half covered.


    At the foot of the mountain, on the slightly sloping slope, was a clear stream flowing down along the rocks. There were stone steps leading up to the top, and they were covered with golden, honey-colored, or fire-like maple leaves.


    Helian Xiufeng could not help but sigh. He thought to himself, I wonder how much more intoxicating the forest of frost on the mountain is. It''s a pity that I can''t climb the mountain and look at the clear sky.


    She then asked in a low voice, "Why are there so many green grasses at this time of the year?"


    Gu Qingruo smiled, "Princess, look carefully, this vast expanse was set up by the Imperial Family. With another warm house planted with this kind of grass, the spring, summer, autumn and winter will never end. When the leaves turn yellow, then we''ll dig out the grass and move the entire piece here, making the poem even more interesting."


    "This... How much will it cost? " The people of Dongyuan were extravagant after they built a greenhouse to grow grass that was not worth much. One must know that at this time of the Northern Chu Festival, even the horses'' fodder was considered difficult. Many nomadic people had to move around in order to maintain their livelihood.


    However, in the East Abyss, there was no harsh cold. The waters were rich enough to be wasted, and the vegetation was extremely lush. Thus, they did not mind wasting any of it.


    Helian Shuang thought silently. No wonder the Crown Prince''s brother had wanted to go down south to take down the East Abyss. This place was truly a land filled with gold and wealth. Even people were born with exceptional elegance and meticulousness, adding a bit of comfort and comfort to their temperament.


    Finally, someone noticed that there were two unfamiliar women coming over, especially with Helian Hua''s unmarried attire and the meticulous makeup she wore. When paired with her originally heroic and imposing appearance, it made for an unexpected harmony.

 C248 Aeolian maple(2)

    In the end, she did not waste her efforts in dressing up. Her appearance had indeed attracted the attention of many of the Dongyuan Aristocrat Clan''s disciples and talents from the capital.


    Afterwards, those noble madams and children recognized this principal concubine of the Muhuang Kingdom and the direct daughter of the Prime Minister. Their faces were immediately filled with happiness as they came forward to please him.


    Gu Qingruo came from a distinguished background. She was a renowned scholar in the capital, and before she was married, she had an illustrious reputation in the pavilion. After she was married, she became the main wife of Prince Mo. How could she not be surrounded by the crowd? When they heard that the lady beside her was actually the Northern Chu Princess, almost all of the unmarried youths sitting in the opposite area lit up in front of them.


    Although the princess was of noble status and did not dare to be of high status, seeing that she was in the prime of her youth and had such an outstanding appearance, how could these youths not be moved? They were all thinking that if they could win the princess'' favor, it was not as if there would not be a match match between them in this world ¡­


    Besides, most of them were from wealthy families, including the royal family. Even if they were accompanied by a princess, it shouldn''t be a delusion. If it weren''t for the fact that the current emperor didn''t have any suitable princesses, he would have chosen his prince consort from among these young talents.


    As a result, many of the noble young masters and famous black-clothed disciples put in their efforts to seduce the princess, passing their feet across the shallow clear stream in the middle of the male and female seats to narrate their love.


    She lifted her chin with a cold expression and a frosty expression on her face. She did not hesitate to speak to the men who started the conversation, not even to say a single word. On the other hand, when she heard a bunch of flattery from a group of noble ladies that were like flowers, she was a little flattered and even revealed a slight smile from time to time.


    When he was in the Northern Chu Country, Helian Peng was naturally praised and flattered, so he always thought that his intelligence was peerless. However, when he flattered a princess, he saw that she liked men''s clothing, and she was always ready to fight. He had gotten a lot of attention wearing this outfit today, so he was satisfied with the new bootlicking.


    Gu Qingruo also mentioned the night banquet in the palace, Princess Helian''s final round of drumming and dancing. At that time, she had occasionally been lucky enough to enter the palace to accompany the guests, but she had also been observing from a distance. With this mention, she had immediately bragged about that night''s battle dance to the point where there was nothing in the sky, and had even surpassed Gu Qingruo''s technique.


    After Princess Helian had drifted away, she naturally began to grow closer and closer to Gu Qingruo. Her loathing towards her as Gu Qingli''s blood sister had greatly lessened.


    After playing with these handsome men and women for a while, Helian Xianzi had grown up with a love of literature and martial arts, and after he was defeated by Xiao Yi on the battlefield, he became obsessed with martial arts. She was not at all good at the flirtatious side of these talented men and women, and when it was her turn, she raised her phoenix eyes in annoyance.


    However, the scholar with the first half of the couplet was looking at her expectantly, thinking that since she was the Northern Chu princess, her talent must also be extraordinary. If she was lucky enough to fail her, she would admire her more ¡­


    However, he did not expect that the "scholar" whom Helian Xianzi hated the most in his life, would have turbid water with insects, fishy water with fishes, rich rivers and lakes ". After hearing the first half of the unfathomable couplet, he felt a burst of anger in his heart, thinking to himself, this person has produced so many water pairs, could it be that his brain has also entered water?


    However, this was the East Abyss, not the Northern Chu. If she angrily refused, no one would be willing to give her face. Gu Qingruo had been lucky enough to get away from the awkward situation. She gave Gu Qingruo a light kick and whispered in a voice that only she could hear, "The bottom of the tree is the center, the top of the tree is the bottom, the bottom is the wood, the bottom is the wood and the cedar tree is the thick.


    Helian Peng was elated and replied in a fluent manner. The scholar was stunned for a good while, his eyes filled with disappointment.


    Following that, Gu Qingruo helped her out a few more times, causing Helian Xianzi''s name to be immediately admired by everyone.


    As the poetry meet neared its end, Helian Shuang and Gu Qingruo became close friends who could talk about anything. After the poetry meet, the two of them slowly walked along the shallow stream, admiring the imperial gardens.


    The maple leaves on the emperor''s mountain looked on from afar, as if they were dyed with the blood of the mountain. They were fierce, robbing people, yet their eyes were red and fearful.


    Unexpectedly, Helian Xianzi recalled that year in the battlefield covered in yellow sand, a great army fought a great war. Countless soldiers'' blood stained the yellow land, just like the red maple covering the entire mountain ¡ª cruel and beautiful.


    Yellow sand flew in the air as the flames of war raged. Xiao Yi Xiu''s white robes and white horses, with his silver helmet and jade-like face, looked like a meteor piercing through the clouds in the sky. He held a silver spear in his hand, invincible and invincible. He was like a god that not only attracted her full attention, but also roused the morale of her comrades on the battlefield. The enemy was utterly defeated ¡­


    Gu Qingruo was an observant person, so she didn''t need to reveal her feelings to know that she was infatuated with Xiao Yi Xiu. Hence, the topic inadvertently shifted to him. At the same time, she unconsciously brought up the matter of her younger sister.


    After Gu Qing Ruoruo had twisted Gu Qing Li''s body, she had become a woman who had lost her birth mother early on. She had a sinister personality and was good at camouflage, but Xiao Yi Xiu had been fooled and knew nothing about her true nature.


    Helian Chenghui became increasingly furious. She felt that sooner or later, she would have to expose Gu Qingli''s true appearance, especially the matter of her keeping poisonous bees in the manor and harming herself.


    Upon hearing that she had been stung by a bee, Gu Qingruo was taken aback. She questioned him again in detail about what had happened and fell silent.


    Helian Peng felt that it was a bit strange. At the very least, she understood that Gu Qingruo and her sister''s relationship wasn''t very deep. With such painstaking thought, she must have sensed something.


    She patiently waited for Gu Qingruo to ponder over it. After listening to Gu Qingruo ask a few more questions, she finally asked, "Do you think this matter is strange?"


    "Huh?" Gu Ruoyun came back to her senses and smiled sweetly at her, then said, "This matter isn''t simple. Don''t worry princess, I will do my best to investigate this matter for you. As for Gu Qingli''s words, you definitely can''t be careless. Crown Prince Helian''s conjecture is correct. She treated your bee poison purely to punish you. However, I have a different opinion towards the person who poisoned you. I do not think that it''s Gu Qingli. "


    Helian Shuanghui raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at her doubtfully.


    "There are too many powers interweaving with each other in the Residence of Mo. Princess might not understand this, but I hope that you can make use of your status and enter the Residence of Mo to observe the ladies of the Mo King from the shadows."


    "Madame Zhou and Madame Jia? I feel that they are all very kind and humble, completely different from the arrogance of Princess Mo. "


    Gu Qingruo thought to herself, the first to act arrogantly is clearly you, right? To barge into someone''s home and publicly challenge them, and even have ill intentions towards someone else''s husband, any woman would find it hard to be kind towards an intruder like this.


    Of course, it was inconvenient for her to say such words. Instead, she smiled along with Helian Xiufeng''s words, "If Princess feels that Princess Mo is bewitching and bewitching Mo Wang, and is also so arrogant and despotic as to bully and bully others, then the two madams must have suffered a lot of her idleness ¡­ Don''t you think the ladies know more about her than you do? "


    "Of course, but I want to know what that bitch is doing." Helian Shuanghui''s words were filled with anger, and even those vulgar words came out of his mouth.


    Gu Qingruo despised the princess'' vulgarity and lack of manners as she smiled and said, "You know yourself, you know your enemy. A hundred battles are never over, and the princess has always been adept in military tactics. How can she not understand this logic? During the Warring States Era, Su Qin advocated the idea of cooperation. Princess, do you understand the logic behind this? "


    Although Helian Shuang loved to practice martial arts, his goal was not to protect his family and protect his country. Thus, he did not know much about the art of war. He was just looking at the sky from a well and thinking highly of himself.


    And the actual battle was only that one time when he was young. He was merely borrowing Helian Shuangwei''s military prowess to secretly go to the battlefield to watch the show. How could the Northern Chu Emperor allow this daughter of her, who did not know her place, to actually go to war?


    Although Gu Qingruo was not a martial artist, she had a noble background and was well-read in the history of poetry, which meant that she had the reputation of a talented girl. Although she had no actual experience in military strategies, she could speak of Helian Peng easily and repeatedly.

 C249 Aeolian maple(3)

    As the two women were strolling at the foot of the mountain, the three people who were climbing the mountain were enjoying the scenery as well. They explained everything as they climbed and climbed up to the Full Moon Pavilion at the top of the mountain.


    Helian Yu''s eyes were filled with red maple greens. Such a beautiful scenery, with a beautiful woman beside him like jade. The only flaw was that there was a person between the two of them.


    And this person was Helian Yu''s number one enemy, the only person he deeply hated.


    Along the way, he had listened to Gu Qing Li explain the victorious scenes of the Twin Sunsets, the Jade Peak Pavilion, and the Thousand Sunsets. Helian Yu''s mind was thinking of how he could take this Northern Chu, Jiangshan, under his feet, especially this Wise Orchid woman in front of him.


    At the beginning, Helian Yu had watched the scene of Gu Qing Li defeating his sister from the very beginning until the end. He was somewhat interested in her. After which, because she was Xiao Yi Xiu''s woman, she had a strong will to fight, and she involuntarily wanted to snatch the woman who was her life''s greatest enemy.


    After seeing her a few more times, he felt that Gu Qingli had an outstanding demeanor, an elegant demeanor, and an unordinary manner of speech, causing others to fall for him. The cold arrogance on her body that kept others at a distance had actually turned into an extremely attractive attraction. It was to the extent that Helian Yu was gradually unable to differentiate between the reasons for her interest in her and the reason for it.


    On the other side, Xiao Yi Xiu was far away from the Full Moon Pavilion and looked towards the mountain, trying to find Helian Peng''s group. On the other side, Xiao Yi Xiu was far away from the Full Moon Pavilion, and looked towards the mountain, trying to find Helian Peng''s group.


    Helian Yu took advantage of Xiao Yixiu''s momentary absence to say to Gu Qingli, "The wangfei seems to be proficient in the art of Yellow Divergence, and although the wounds from my old days on the battlefield seem to have healed on the surface, but every now and then the pain becomes indescribable. Another day, when the wangfei is free, can you come to the Cheng Yang Inn to check on my pulse?"


    Gu Qingli was startled. Previously, when she had dealt with Helian Lie, Helian Yu must have realized that she was proficient in medicine. However, she didn''t want this matter to be spread widely, making people suspect that she was the same person as Li Yue.


    Just as she was about to tactfully reject, she heard Helian Yu say again, "Your husband, King Mo, has given me all my injuries. The two countries are now on good terms with each other for the sake of peace, don''t you want to make up for the injuries King Mo caused to me back then?"


    He thought for a moment and said, "I can agree to Prince Helian''s request, but I don''t like this matter being made known. If the Crown Prince can do it, then I''ll choose a day to examine him."


    "It''s a deal." Helian Yu''s eyebrows were raised high and he should not reveal himself. This was exactly what he wanted, so naturally, he casually promised.


    When Xiao Yi Xiu walked over, he heard Helian Yu''s last sentence. He lowered his sword-like brows and asked, "What are you guys talking about?"


    Faced with her scrutinizing gaze, Gu Qing Li tried to explain, "Let''s hurry up and go down the mountain. The scenery along the way is enjoyable, but Princess Helian must be feeling stuffy and anxious at the foot of the mountain."


    Helian Yu nodded. He didn''t pay any attention to Xiao Yi Xiu and continued to lead the group. His personal bodyguard naturally followed closely behind.


    Xiao Yixiu and Gu Qingli walked behind his and pinched Gu Qingli''s palm, but she acted as if nothing had happened and didn''t react.


    When he reached the foot of the mountain, he saw Helian Xianfeng waiting impatiently.


    Actually, the poetry meet had just ended and she and Gu Qingruo were strolling around the garden. They didn''t have to wait long, but they were very dissatisfied with the annoying long dress and wanted to return to the inn to change.


    Thus, Xiao Yixiu and his wife sent the Helian siblings to the Cheng Yang Inn before leaving on a horse carriage.


    On their way back, Xiao Yi Xiu pressed Gu Qing Li and Helian Yu for more information, but she just smiled and didn''t answer. She only looked at him with a smile and said, "Are you jealous?"


    "Everyone can see that he has ill intentions towards you," said Xiao Yixiu. "Don''t agree to his invitation to be alone with a girl."


    Gu Qing Li laughed, "Aiyo, so the invincible Prince Mo actually had a time where he wasn''t confident in his own abilities."


    Xiao Yi Xiu gritted his teeth and pinched her cheek. "You''re my main wife. Don''t tell me that I can''t interrogate you when you agree to meet with someone else?"


    Don''t worry, I know what I''m doing. I won''t ask him to be alone with me." Gu Qingli''s cheeks were lightly pinched by him as she spoke in a somewhat vague manner, her eyes filled with a crafty smile.


    She did agree to go to the Cheng Yang Inn to treat Helian Yu''s illness, and she also understood that Helian Yu did not wish for Xiao Yi Xiu to accompany her there. However, the Inn was part of the imperial family, and there were quite a few Dongyuan guards and servants who maintained the place.


    Moreover, although Helian Yu was a gloomy and cold person, he did not seem to be someone who would resort to underhanded methods. After all, he was naturally arrogant and would not commit any despicable acts on Dongyuan''s territory.


    After returning to the palace from the Misty Mountain, Helian Xiangrong came to visit him every day, indicating that he wanted to look for Madame Zhou and Madame Jia.


    If these two madams did not leave, and did not enter, it would not be an excuse to say that they were not in the manor. Helian Xiufeng''s identity was unique, so even Gu Qingli could not prevent her from entering.


    After returning to see Helian Xianzheng, he went to find the two madams and had a chat with them. He then turned to Feng Zhaoxuan, which happened to be at the time when Xiao Yi was leaving for the morning assembly. It was really hard to avoid him.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was getting increasingly annoyed by her infatuation. Usually, he would only order her to be excused with a faint smile on his face.


    Helian Shuang did not care in the slightest. The more he was like this, the happier she felt in her heart. She felt that she just liked his merciless arrogance. It was also because she was used to being ingratiated by others in the Northern Chu Country that she had never been rejected before. The more frustrated she was, the braver she got.


    It wasn''t like Xiao Yi Xiu was the type of person to speak ill of others. In the end, he directly said, "Princess Helian, what do you think is good about this duke? If you say it out loud, This King will definitely change it. "


    Helian Peng was stunned for a long time, then replied affectionately, "In this princess'' heart, you are good anywhere, as long as you say it, it will be nice. As long as it is something you do, it won''t be good either. "If you want me to think you''re bad, you''ll have to change your face, your voice, and all your habits."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s smile was frosted over as he said, "Are you forcing your lordship to change his entire personality?"


    Helian Peng, however, was not stupid. He smiled and said, "There''s no need to change your entire person. You only need to change the wangfei."


    If looks could kill, Xiao Yi Xiu would have already cut Helian Lie into pieces.


    Helian Xiangrong was delayed by a soft knife and it seemed that he was satisfied as he left the Residence of Mo King.


    After getting into the carriage, she found herself alone in the space. The smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by hatred and loss.


    Gu Qingruo had told her that she couldn''t treat Xiao Yixiu with common sense. Gentle and charming methods couldn''t move his heart, but if she acted rudely, it would only make him feel more and more disgusted.


    Helian Lie could only try his best to act calm and proper, and also try his best to appear wise and wise. However, no matter what, he couldn''t attract his attention at all, and even said such hurtful words today. It was all because that slut, Princess Mo, had drugged him with a bewitching drug that he was behaving in such a manner.

 C250 Hundred Gu Emergence

    After his anger had subsided, Helian Xiufeng thought back to when Gu Qingruo had asked her to pay attention to Gabriella and Zhou Zhen. For a moment, he could not find anything out of the ordinary.


    Gabriella was charming and passionate, while Zhou Zhen was elegant and dignified. The two of them should be very easy to get along with. It seemed like they wouldn''t cause any trouble either. If anything was amiss with them, it was the dream they''d had in recent days, and it only got weirder and weirder.


    At first, the wasp in the black cocoon had broken out of the cocoon, but later on, the wasp''s appearance became clearer and clearer, constantly repeating the scene of that day''s sting. There was even someone who seemed to quietly call out to her in her ear.


    Starting from the night before yesterday, the silhouette of a woman vaguely appeared behind the black cocoon. It faintly made Helian Shuang feel that they had met before, and that it was becoming clearer with each passing day.


    According to his previous progress, Helian Shuanghui had no need to be overly suspicious, because this woman would inevitably become more and more clear in her nightmares, until she could see clearly.


    But Helian Xiangrui didn''t like the feeling of waiting, and the nightmare disturbed her, as if the bees could fly to her at any moment and surround her and sting her everywhere.


    In her dream, she subconsciously paid extra attention to the girl, as if her consciousness in her dream could also be controlled. Until today, she had seen a crescent-shaped scar on Zhou Zhen''s wrist. Suddenly, she recalled that in her dream, the woman had also seen a familiar scar on her wrist.


    Returning to the Cheng Yang Inn, the first thing he did in the night was force himself to go to bed, but the doubts in his heart were too deep. Instead, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.


    It was so easy for her to fall asleep. Her dreams began with the black cocoon, but this time they became clearer and larger before her eyes.


    She finally saw the woman behind the cocoon open her palm. The black cocoon was lying on top of her palm, and it was slowly being handed to her. The crescent-shaped scar on her wrist became more and more clear.


    The bee burst out of the cocoon, seemingly a full circle larger than before. Its compound eyes were rolling back and forth, malevolent and terrifying. Especially when it was glaring at someone, it seemed to be speaking in human language.


    Suddenly, it charged forward. Helian Xiufeng subconsciously retreated from the dream, and he heard it whisper in his ear, "Hundred Gu Reappearance, World Slaughterer ¡­"


    Helian Peng woke up from his shock. This was the first time he dreamt of waking up covered in cold sweat after such a short period of time.


    She hugged the blanket and sat there blankly for a long time, certain that the hand in her dream was Zhou Zhen.


    Remembering how he was saved by Zhou Zhen and was able to quickly deal with the matter of the stings, Helian Shuang suddenly became suspicious: Did the poison in her body cure or not? If Gu Qingli had lied to her back then, then her pulse should have been normal. But why did she keep having such strange dreams? It was as if someone were manipulating her dreams.


    She jumped out of bed, ran to the dressing table, and held the bronze mirror. She looked around, but there was nothing wrong with the sting, not even a needle-like wound. On the contrary, he had seen too much. He felt that the moonlight was hazy, and the person in the mirror looked suspicious and a little cold.


    Helian Peng shivered and called for someone to hold the lamp. Immediately, a palace maid hurriedly held the lamp and rubbed her sleepy eyes. She looked at her in confusion. "Princess, what''s wrong?"


    Helian Shuang turned back into the mirror. On the smooth surface of the bronze mirror, only her pale face and eyes showed fear. There were two circles of black shadow under her eyes. Her hair was in disarray at her temples, and her clothes were untidy.


    She touched her face, waved her hand in frustration, and sat back down on the bed. She could not say that she had been haunted by a nightmare, and that the dream was merely a bee that had stung her? If word were to spread out, wouldn''t she, the noble princess of the Northern Chu, be a weak girl that even the bees fear?


    That night, Helian Xianzi did not sleep at all. He only rolled around in his bed, and when he woke up in the morning, the green shadows in his eyes were even more prominent.


    He had long since heard that Gu Qingruo had come to the Cheng Yang Inn to visit, but he hadn''t seen Helian Yu. It was said that he had already seen his guest, but he didn''t know what guests he would meet in the East Plains.


    Upon hearing Gu Qingruo''s words, Helian Peng''s first thought was of Xiao Yi Xiu. He joyfully ordered the palace maid to go to Helian Yu''s side to inquire about the matter. In the end, he came back to report, only having been invited to come check on the crown prince''s pulse. Helian Yu didn''t allow the guards to reveal the identity of the doctor, so she couldn''t find out more.


    As soon as Helian Shuang heard that it was a doctor, he became disinterested. She knew that after her brother returned from the battlefield a few years ago, he was heavily injured and confined to bed, unable to free himself. Later on, other than relying on his own willpower, he trained to open eight extraordinary meridians.


    Even so, Helian Yu still had a small amount of Qi points and meridians that he could not open. It seemed that this did not affect his life, but in reality, it was a huge hindrance to his advancement in martial arts. It even caused him to be stuck at that hurdle with no progress at all.


    Thus, in the days after Helian Yu became at ease, he visited famous doctors everywhere. No matter where he went, he would not give up the opportunity to restore his strength.


    He thought that after several years of stagnation, he was bound to be far inferior to Xiao Yi Xiu, and that he would have no chance to wash away his shame. However, he didn''t know that Xiao Yi Xiu was actually just like him. Xiao Yi couldn''t use any of his inner strength, nor could he cultivate any of his inner strength.


    Gu Qingruo, however, did not know of all this and was curious as to why Helian Yu needed to diagnose an illness when it seemed that his inner strength was extremely high and his spirit was superb. She asked casually, and Helian Xianzi said it out, his face full of mocking sneers, behind her back, she also had no respect for her brother.


    Gu Qingruo keenly sensed this point, but smiled without saying a word, secretly thinking it over in her heart.


    "Princess Helian, actually, since Prince Mo came back from the battlefield, he has had a relapse soon after. He has been bedridden for many years, and even has not been able to enter the imperial court to discuss politics. You ¡­"


    Actually, news of what happened to Xiao Yi Xiu had already spread far and wide within the borders of the Eastern Abyss. It wasn''t as if Helian Xianfeng didn''t know about it. But she only sneered, "Then what does it matter? When the time comes, this princess will bring him back to the Northern Chu and have the genius doctor that treated Big Brother Crown Prince treat him. He will definitely recover even more than before."


    Gu Qingruo was secretly surprised. Only now did she remember that Helian Yu''s injuries back then must have been extremely severe. To be able to recover until now, that genius doctor must not be an ordinary person. He was afraid that with Helian Peng''s interference, Xiao Yi Xiu would be able to recover. Wouldn''t that mean ¡­?


    "Princess, is that genius doctor really that powerful?"


    "Of course."


    "But... Should the princess not have so easily promised that she would be able to cure King Mo? "


    "What do you mean?" Helian Shuanghua was stunned.


    Gu Qingruo smiled, "If a person has a request, it will be extremely hard to obtain." If the Princess were to help him so easily, he would only feel grateful in his heart. However, if the princess were to use this as bait ¡­ Why should I worry about his refusal to give in? "


    Helene frowned at her.


    "If he doesn''t want to be your prince consort in the Northern Chu, why would the princess bother so much for him?"


    "He has a main wife, and with his unbending personality, he definitely won''t be threatened."


    Gu Qingruo didn''t expect Helian Hua to know Xiao Yi so well. She laughed lightly, "It''s true that he has a main wife, but what if he doesn''t? Will there be one less obstacle for you? "Then, let''s see how the princess will lure him back to the Northern Chu, then proceed step by step ¡­"


    "Let that bitch disappear? This princess does want to, but it''s too difficult. " Helian Lie sighed lightly. He did not want to continue.


    It was inconvenient for Gu Qingruo to be so straightforward. Seeing that she had changed the topic, she smiled and casually asked, "Did the princess sleep well? This Cheng Yang Inn is a place where the decorations are lacking and the environment is not quiet enough.


    Helian Peng was startled. He touched his face and suddenly thought of last night''s dream. His heart immediately turned sour and his face darkened.


    Under Gu Qing Ruo''s repeated questioning, Helian Shuang had no choice but to speak out his last few days of dreams.


    The more Gu Qingruo heard, the more she felt that this matter wasn''t as simple as it seemed. Her expression gradually turned cold.

 C251 Old Wound New Healing

    In the courtyard of Cheng Yang Inn, Helian Yu was lying in a carefree Xiang Feizhu chair, quietly staring at Gu Qingli in front of him.


    She was lowering her eyelids, silently taking his pulse, switching from his left hand to his right, saying nothing.


    "Just where did Crown Prince Helian get injured that year?"


    Helian Yu stood up and looked at her with his deep and calm eyes. Then, he extended his hand and began to take off his clothes.


    Gu Qingli''s eyes widened as she tried to get up and leave.


    Before the pulse examination, Helian Yu requested for the environment to be quiet. He said that his injuries did not want anyone to know about it, so he dismissed the matter. Now that he was doing this in this room with the curtains down, she had to wonder.


    "Don''t be afraid, even if there is no third person in this chamber, I will still be in your territory. In this Cheng Yang Inn, what do you think I can do to you? Or are you afraid? " Helian Yu''s movements were graceful and casual, neither too fast nor too slow. It didn''t look like the evil and wretched appearance that she had imagined. However, there was a hint of mockery in her eyes, as if she was making fun of her ability to act like a little girl.


    Gu Qingli gradually calmed down as she watched him strip off her shirt, exposing strong, muscular muscles. Unlike Xiao Yixiu''s well-proportioned, firm, and beautiful body, his muscles were more muscular and his skin was abnormally white.


    However, none of this caught Gu Qingli''s attention. She only stared at a long scar on his chest and abdomen, too shocked to speak.


    Although it had been treated by a famous doctor, the hyperplastic tissue left behind by the deep scars was twisted and hideous. The dark red flesh silently complained about the severe injury from back then. The most terrifying part wasn''t the front part of his chest, but the area behind him. On his back, there was a scar that was almost the same length as the front part of his body.


    It was not hard to imagine that this was a huge wound caused by a sharp weapon piercing through the body before being pulled out. Since such a long and deep wound had pierced the back of the chest, it must have pierced the abdomen, causing the victim''s death.


    However, Helian Yu was actually able to survive. It had to be said to be a miracle.


    "All you see is the trauma. In fact, you can''t even see the marks left by the internal injuries." Helian Yu, on the other hand, smiled warmly. His smile was faint, as if he no longer cared about previous matters in his heart. Only his deep eyes flickered with an imperceptible ruthlessness.


    After the light flashed past, it was replaced by a familiar unyielding ruthlessness. This person was truly very cruel to himself, and when he spoke of the past, he actually did not change his expression at all: "At that time, I was hit by his palm and it imprinted itself on my chest. Three of my ribs were broken, my meridians were severely damaged, and my Qi channels were unable to function properly, so I immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. But when I was hit and fell off my horse, when I was sent flying, the blade in my hand flew out and struck him heavily. "


    Gu Qing Li listened nervously, and subconsciously sucked in a breath of cold air. It was as if he was watching Xiao Yi Xiu''s severe injuries.


    "He brandished his spear and cut through the blade, but he did not expect that my blade was originally two different types of weapons. After falling out of my hand, the blade and hilt separated, and although the blade''s edge was knocked off and did not penetrate his body, the hilt still struck him in a strange curve. "All the inner strength in my hand is placed on the hilt of my blade, causing him to also vomit a large mouthful of blood. Following that, he was actually able to fly straight over from his horse with his spear ¡­"


    Helian Yu paused for a moment. Clearly, he had recalled that tragic scene. Although his expression was cold, the corner of his eyes still twitched.


    "He pierced through my body with his spear and then pulled downwards, piercing through my chest and abdomen, my intestines falling out of my body ¡­"


    Gu Qingli had seen many bloody scenes in her past life, and she had been indifferent to them, but hearing someone narrate her past so calmly and indifferently, she still felt it was a little cruel.


    "Later on, when I returned to the Northern Chu, all my meridians were broken and my wounds were difficult to heal. If it weren''t for the help of a famous doctor, I would not have survived until now."


    Helian Yu spoke very casually, but Gu Qingli knew that in this era, ordinary famed doctors would never be able to treat such heavy injuries. To be able to put the intestines into the abdominal cavity and ensure not to be infected, and also to sew up the wound, her medical skills were astounding. He had to be at the pinnacle of Western medicine in his previous life to be able to do that.


    "However, that doctor''s inner force cultivation is not enough to help me recover. All of my meridians have been damaged, and I have decided to start from the very beginning to study it all by myself ¡­" I''ll slowly open up my meridian with my zhenqi. "


    "You must hate my prince?"


    Helian Yu was startled by Gu Qingli''s question and smiled without any emotion. "We are fighting for our lives on the battlefield, so there is no need to talk about whether we hate him or not, but when we lost that year, we hated each other for our entire lives. In the end, Xiao Yixiu was my greatest rival, and if there was a chance, I would not hesitate to fight him to the death."


    His expression was cold, and his eyes were cold. They were filled with an incredibly domineering killing intent, but there was no hatred. From his point of view, Xiao Yi Xiu was an enemy that he would lose for sure. He only wanted to conquer his past shame and not get revenge in the eyes of ordinary people.


    Gu Qingli took a deep breath, "There are some nameless meridians in His Highness''s body that are stuck at this point, unable to open up smoothly. Although it doesn''t affect the circulation of your true qi, if you fight with others, your cultivation level will no longer increase by an inch." I know how to cultivate by luck and break through my meridians, but I will not teach them for free. "


    Helian Yu stared at her. His cold gaze made a chill run down her spine. This person''s killing intent was too strong. Even in this silent and gloomy moment, he still had a ruthless intent that could not be concealed.


    He suddenly raised his face and laughed loudly into the sky.


    After laughing for a while, he slowly lowered his head. The lines on his face had returned to being cold, hard, and vicious. Even though there was still a trace of a smile on his lips, no one could feel any warmth from it.


    "Princess Mo, what do you want to exchange with me?" Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "I will not accept any conditions related to Xiao Yixiu. If you want to make me compromise, you might as well give up on this idea as soon as possible. Who doesn''t know that Helian Yu has never bowed his head to anyone in his entire life?! "


    Gu Qing Li slowly nodded his head in the end, but a trace of admiration arose in his heart.


    Helian Yu was cold, tyrannical and unapproachable. However, this kind of domineering aura was something that she had deeply experienced in her previous life.


    He would not give up at any time, would not lower his head at any time. He was heartless and indifferent, and only existed for himself. She had once been loyal to her own ruthlessness ¡­


    "Your Highness, I can help you, but I also hope that you can agree to a condition that is related to my Prince."


    Knowing that he would not agree, Helian Yu wanted to reject him immediately. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Tell me about it."


    "Regardless of whether you have the opportunity to fight in the future or whether you are fighting on the battlefield, I hope that you can use fair means."


    "We don''t hold back in war. If we ever have the chance to meet him on the battlefield again, how could it be fair?"


    "The crafty ways of the battlefield are not counted."


    Helian Yu thought for a moment before sneering, "I am even disdainful of using petty tricks to win against him."


    Gu Qingli smiled faintly.

 C252 Suspicious Identity

    After teaching Helian Yu the art of luck and dredging up meridians, Gu Qingli bid farewell to him and left Cheng Yang Inn.


    It just so happened that Gu Qingruo and Helian Xiangrong had finished chatting and the two of them decided to take a stroll together.


    Due to the cold and dry northern Chu, its products were not abundant. Silk fabrics and cotton fabrics were not abundant, so the overall standard of makeup naturally fell. Even if it were as flourishing as the capital of the Northern Chu, or as noble and noble as a princess, Helian Xianzi''s aesthetics was also somewhat problematic.


    Gu Qingruo did not say it out loud, she only said that Helian Xiangrong could try to go with the customs of the country, because the early winter in the East Abyss was not as cold as the Northern Chu, and there was no need to dress up tight and warm, either.


    Remembering the half-dress worn by his concubine during the grand feast in the palace of the Dongyuan Palace, Helian Shuang also felt that it was time to change his dress, so he agreed.


    When they were close to the entrance of Cheng Yang Inn, Gu Qingruo suddenly pulled on Helian Lie and dashed into a cluster of trees.


    Without waiting for Helian Peng to regain her senses, Gu Qingruo covered her mouth and pointed at the main entrance. She saw Helian Yu and Gu Qingli walking together with her, stopping in front of the entrance.


    Gu Qing Li turned his face to the side with a smile. Although he couldn''t make out what she was saying, he could tell from her expression that Helian Yu was not to be seen off.


    Helian Yu''s face broke into a rare smile, and the lines on his face softened. He nodded, watching her leave. After watching her leave, he stayed where he was for a long time, before turning around and leaving.


    "My big brother Crown Prince seems to have some feelings for Gu Qing Li ¡­" "Different?" Helian Lie thought suspiciously. In his memory, Helian Yu was cold and merciless to anyone. He rarely smiled, and even if he did smile, it wouldn''t bring the slightest bit of warmth.


    However, Gu Qingruo softly said, "Once this hour comes out, it can''t be that the famous doctor who received Prince Helian previously was talking about her?"


    "Huh?" Helian Shuang thought for a moment before replying, "She should know some medical skills. Back then when I was being stung by a bee in the Residence of Mo King, she took out some Jade Dew Powder to change my medicine.


    Gu Qingruo didn''t reply. Her expression was extremely solemn as she thought of something.


    She was very clear about Gu Qingxiao''s background. Back then, her third younger sister had disregarded everything to marry into the Prince Mo Residence, and had even swindled them into marrying each other. However, they had never returned to the Prime Minister''s Estate, nor had they ever met in private.


    Gu Qingruo naturally knew that her third sister had never learned any medical skills and was only a fake Ghost Doctor, Li Yue. However, ever since Third Sister married into the Prince Mo Residence, that missing Li Yue had never appeared again. Just where had she gone to? After such a long period of time, she had only pretended to be amnesia. Had Gu Qingxiao really never revealed any flaws in front of Xiao Yi Xiu?


    The more she thought about it, the more her heart sank. Gu Qing Ruo couldn''t help but start thinking about who the real Li Yue was.


    When Li Yue first appeared in the capital, she should have been at the Residence of Mo King; when she disappeared, she was nowhere to be seen, but it was said that Xiao Yixiu''s condition was much better than before. Even though he always claimed that he was weak and couldn''t use his inner force, he could at least go to court as usual.


    The more Gu Qingruo thought about it, the more she felt that something was amiss. She wanted to immediately bid farewell to Helian Xiangrong, but after all, they had just agreed to bring her to see the streets and streets. In the end, she endured it and accompanied her out of the inn.


    The Eastern Abyss was very different from the Northern Chu. The capital city was also more prosperous, but the main reason was that the business was more developed than the Northern Chu. After all, the Dongyuan Water Road was accessible, and the water and land transport were all rather smooth. On the other hand, the Northern Chu Mountain Road was numerous, and it only relied on land transportation, and many of the goods and materials needed to be transported from other places.


    Helian Shuanghui was surprised to see so many kinds of rouge and water powder. He didn''t know that there were more than a dozen kinds of eyebrows, from conch, copper, stoneware to bird''s head, lily, green, green, Trendy, blue ¡­


    In the capital, there were two types of eyebrows that were popular: the former was noble and domineering, while the latter was gentle and pleasant. Gu Qingli first pushed Helian Lie to sit in a powder shop, where the ladies would help her fix her makeup.


    First, she twisted her face into a thin layer of peach blossom powder. Then, she drew her eyebrows and used a fine brush to outline the Smoke Stub that was more suited to her.


    Helian Shuanghui took a look in the mirror and felt very satisfied. He then saw that the girl''s delicate hands had evenly smeared rouge on her face and had ordered rouge. Everything fit her desires, so he bought a large pile of rouge and water powder and loaded it out.


    After exiting the makeup shop, they went to the cloth shop. All the larger cloth shops in the capital had their own clothing business. Gu Qingluo had picked out a large number of popular styles for Helian Xianzi, allowing her to test them for a long time.


    On this day, Helian Xianzi could be said to be in a daze, and even the female bodyguards behind him were dazzled by the sight. In the end, they all carried large and small bags, feeling extremely happy.


    Gu Qingruo was generous and paid for all of the makeup and accessories. Helian Shuang praised her even more. She was just a step away from becoming friends with her.


    Under the effects of the dizziness, Helian Xianzi promised that after returning to the Northern Chu, he would introduce the rouge, powder, and soft silk cloth to the Northern Chu aristocrats, thus trading with them for a long period of time.


    Gu Qingruo seized the opportunity to recommend the shops she had just seen. She had no idea that they were run by the Mu King''s Manor. In exchange for courtesy, Helian Shuanghui also promised to sign a deal with Gu Qingruo on mineral trading and iron smelting technology.


    Although Helian Zhenghua had no talent, her biological mother''s family did not lack in running these businesses. She believed that such transactions benefited each other and promoted good relations between the two countries.


    When Gu Qingruo left, Helian Yu was shocked when he saw the female guards carrying the mountainous pile of goods into the inn.


    After a careful inquiry, he found out that Gu Qing Ruo had obtained some benefits from his sister''s lack of foresight, so he casually promised to help the two countries with their business dealings.


    At first, he was furious, thinking that she did not know what was good for her, and that agreeing to trade was no different from opening up the channels of business between the two countries. In the eyes of the women, these complex and colorful cosmetics were useless except for the aristocratic ladies to divert the fads away, but they had actually allowed a large amount of silver to flow to the Eastern Abyss.


    On the other hand, the mineral resources and iron smelting technology transported from the Northern Chu to the East Abyss would increase the military strength and combat ability of the East Abyss, which was greatly disadvantageous to the Northern Chu. This was not something that a tyrannical princess like Helian Hua could come up with. Even if he told her about it, it would be impossible for her to explain everything to him.


    As for smelting iron and forging techniques, they could not be left to Helian Hua to decide. Even if she promised that as long as she tampered with these techniques after returning to the Eastern Sea Region, she would not be able to transfer first-rate techniques into the East Abyss.


    As for Helian Shuang''s mother clan''s business, she was the one to manage it. It was a waste that she did not have access to the latest forging techniques. At that time, if the situation between the two countries changed, the easily promised agreement by the envoy of Helian Xianzi and Dongyuan would just happen to be evidence of other countries ¡­


    Helian Xianfeng did not know that his brother''s thoughts had already floated to the ends of the earth. He was still excitedly trying on a set of beautiful clothes and painting himself as if he was a succubus. He thought to himself, if this is seen by Prince Mo, how could he not look at him in a different light?

 C253 centrifugal dorsiflexion

    After Gu Qingruo left the Cheng Yang Inn, she hurried back to the clan and explained the doubts in her heart to Yu Bi Ling and Gu Chaoran. She then said, "Third sister has married into the Prince Mo''s Mansion and never returned to the Ning Province. "Although a married woman can take her husband as her husband, there will always be people who come back on New Year''s Eve. Third sister seems to have disappeared. Did something happen at the Mo King''s Manor?"


    Hearing this, Yu Bi Ling panicked a little and said, "I only heard that Prince Mo brought her with him when he went to heal Chi Yue''s water. The two of them must have been very fond of each other, there shouldn''t be ¡­"


    "He was carrying Li Yue, who never took off her veil, but we all know that Third Sister isn''t Li Yue. Who can be sure if that masked woman is Third Sister or not?"


    "Then... Then, should we make use of this opportunity to pay a visit so that we can see Xiao Yu? "


    Gu Chaoran had been silent all this while. He then said, "That''s not appropriate." Since our daughter is already married, if we don''t have any special matters, it would be inappropriate for her to call on us, even if it makes Xiao Yi suspicious. Moreover, the Mo King Manor is his territory, so it would be easy for him to do anything there. Even though it might not cause us any harm, with him there, what can we find out? "


    Yu Bi Ling was an ignorant woman who doted too heavily on her daughter. Hearing her daughter''s words, she couldn''t help but start to panic. "But we can''t just ignore our daughter!"


    "Make an appointment, and tell the girls to return to the Ning Province so we can get together." Gu Chaoran looked at Gu Qingruo and said, "Isn''t your mother''s birthday coming up soon? However, in the name of a family banquet, it just happens that you want to bring the Sunset King back to your house for a reunion. "


    Gu Qingruo was stunned for a moment.


    Upon seeing that she had finally managed to force it on herself, Gu Chaoran said, "What? Why wouldn''t he do as he pleases?"


    "No ¡­." "It''s fine." Gu Qingruo didn''t dare say that she and Xiao Yi Mo already respected each other like ice. If it wasn''t necessary, he would never go to her room. She didn''t even bother to glance at her.


    Ever since the Ling Family had lost its power, Xiao Yimo had spent most of his time managing the imperial government. He had spent a lot of money on it, and this was the reason why Gu Qingruo was so anxious to curry favor with Helian Lie and open up trade channels between the two countries.


    When he was free and staying in the manor, Xiao Yi Mo would often go to his wife, He Yiyu, to tease his eldest son. The Emperor liked his grandsons, and would often let them bring his son to the palace to see him. His heart was moved, because he wanted to cultivate his son to become an outstanding person and gain the Emperor''s favor.


    In the previous dynasty, there had often been cases where a Monarch had stood up and used his father as the ruler because of his grandson. Now, as the eldest grandson of the emperor, as well as the only grandson with the ability to compete, there was still a very high possibility for this to happen.


    She Yiyu was also a considerate person. If she had nothing better to do, she would just go to the mansion and buy a servant girl. In the name of the servants she needed, she would add quite a few beautiful and flirtatious maidservants to her own courtyard.


    After a while, the maids all climbed onto Prince Mu''s bed. All of them became beauties, and Gu Qingruo was so angry that she almost vomited blood.


    Rong Yi Mo also understood that these girls, who were not of high birth, were beautiful and gentle. They were well-behaved and didn''t need to be righteous; they only needed to be sweet and coaxed all day long, and they didn''t even need to raise their concubines with their proper names. How could she be like Eldest Miss Gu, with her noble and noble body, noble and noble, lacking in amorous feelings and bad temperament, and most importantly, unable to give birth to a child?


    If it wasn''t for the fact that Xiao Yi Mo was obstructing Gu Zhaoran''s identity, he would have long since given up on Gu Qingruo.


    However, this time, it gave Gu Qingruo a chance to recover her spirit.


    Upon returning to the manor, Gu Qingruo ignored her exhaustion and first went back to her room to take a look at herself in the mirror. Thinking back to the powder shops and clothing stores she had visited when she took Helian Lie to the streets today, realizing that it had been a long time since she had put on any makeup, she carefully combed her hair, pasted on a piece of silk, and put on some makeup.


    Gu Qingluo was also a well-known beauty in the capital. If not, Xiao Yimo wouldn''t have given up on Qing Li to marry her. This dress depiction made her look like a young and elegant lady of a famous family.


    She was just about to order someone to call Xiao Yi Mo when she turned around in a circle in front of the bronze mirror and asked hesitantly, "Is this wangfei''s body good enough?"


    "Of course it''s good. The beauty of an Imperial Consort''s beauty is much more noble than those seductive foxes in the backyard."


    "Then why does the Prince stay with them all day long?"


    The maidservant was startled, not knowing how to respond.


    The other maidservant cautiously said, "I''m afraid that Prince is already used to eating delicacies and would like to exchange for some porridge and side dishes."


    "Then it''s been so long. Why didn''t I see him remember?" Gu Qingruo sneered. She knew her own limits. Speaking of being noble and good-looking, she knew that she wasn''t inferior to those lowly and despicable girls that He Yiyu bought. But the one that she lost was most likely precisely this noble and reserved character.


    After all, no matter how beautiful she was, she would grow tired of her after watching her for a long time. Furthermore, the maidservants in He Yanyu''s room all had their own strengths and were adept at becoming a demon.


    Gu Qingluo once again examined her appearance. She had walked through the streets today, but she was actually able to identify her shortcomings from Helian Shuang.


    Of course, Helian Peng''s appearance could also be considered outstanding, but Xiao Yixiu didn''t even like her. Even at the imperial palace banquet, Xiao Yimo and Xiao Yijin, who were extremely attentive to Princess Lan Xun, didn''t show any special interest in her.


    With that thought in mind, Gu Qingluo let out a sigh as she changed out of her luxurious clothing and put on a close-fitting undergarment made of a very sparse piece of fabric. She wore a long, thin, green skirt, covering her slim waist, making it look as if it was about to break.


    This seductive and alluring body was completely similar to the ''dishonest'' clothes that Gu Qingruo had looked down on in the past. She had always thought that this wasn''t the clothes of a woman from a good family. However, all the favored maidservants in He Yeyu''s room loved it. Even though the sky was freezing, they would rather wear a thick fur collar and a thick fur cloak. The inside would still be seductive and seductive.


    Just as he put on the clothes, the maidservant who had gone to call for Xiao Yi Mo came back as well.


    Gu Qingruo was shivering slightly from the cold, but when she saw Xiao Yi Mo walk in through the mirror, she immediately straightened her waist and turned around, forcing a smile at him in an extremely flirtatious manner.


    Today, she abandoned her former liking of the crescent moon shaped eyebrows and hooked up a new one. She picked out a new kind of charm and paired it with this unseasonably thin shirt, obviously captivating one''s soul.


    As he walked closer, he placed his hand on Gu Qingruo''s shoulder. The shimmer covering the shimmer was originally loose and open, and the belt around his waist was untied and hanging down. With a light brush of his fingers, the satin cloth that could not be touched fell down along her narrow and beautiful shoulders.


    The maidservants in the room all left with a meaningful glance, closing the door behind them.

 C254 Doubt

    "What, what important matter do you want to tell This King today?" Xiao Yi Mo''s voice was low and hoarse.


    Gu Qingruo gently smiled and placed both of her arms on his shoulders. Her tone was extremely coquettish and flirtatious, "Could it be that your highness is not willing to enter my shop because there''s nothing else?"


    Xiao Yi Mo obviously liked her trying to please him. He wasn''t as prideful and reserved as he was in the past when he was a daughter of the prime minister''s estate. He carried his airs like a saint. He lowered his eyes and saw the beautiful scenery on her chest. It was a thin gauze skirt that was so thin that the skin could be seen. It was faintly discernible, but it also added a tinge that made one''s blood boil.


    "It looks so good wearing it today ¡­" "It doesn''t seem like they were casually dressed up."


    Xiao Yi Mo held her shoulders slowly, and moved to the side, pushing the light green muslin all the way down to her shoulders. Although there was a pot of charcoal burning in the house, Gu Qingruo was still chilled to the point where her skin trembled.


    Xiao Yi Mo suddenly laughed coldly and looked at her without a trace of tenderness. "Speak, don''t pretend to be sentimental. I still don''t know where you are." He wasn''t the sort to hang around in the world of beauties. Even he only had two kinds of beauties that he liked, one of which was useful and could be temporarily coaxed into action; the other was something that posed no threat to him and was wholeheartedly pleasing to him, causing him to become somewhat fond of her as a pet to be kept.


    Gu Qingruo didn''t seem to be part of it. Even if she was tempted by her happiness, what he wanted to know was the little girl in her heart.


    Gu Qingruo''s heart was already on fire, but in order to save his heart, she had no choice but to endure it. She softly said, "Your highness, five days from now it will be my mother''s birthday. Father wants me to bring you home for a reunion.


    "Just for that? Do you really have to dress this way to curry favor with This King? " Xiao Yi Mo raised his eyebrows in disbelief.


    Gu Qingruo bit her lower lip as tears welled up in her eyes, "Your highness, you''ve not been looking at me for so long. I''m not dressed like this because I want you to be with me to settle down, but to make you happy ¡­" Today, I will be accompanying Princess Bei Chu on a stroll in the capital. I have indeed made some trade agreements with her. "


    After listening to her recount it in detail, a smile gradually appeared on his face as a result of his shock. He felt that she had finally done something that comforted him.


    "I didn''t expect you to have this kind of talent in business."


    "Your Royal Highness should know that this is not only a business channel, but also a way for you to collect weapons ¡­"


    "Shh!" Xiao Yi Mo covered her mouth and looked outside. Although they were in his own residence, he still had to be careful of the wall. After this year''s talent show, his residence was also filled with two beautiful girls. Even though he didn''t know where they came from, he guessed that they were probably the Emperor''s or the other princes'' spies.


    He was usually too lazy to flirt with them, but his words and actions were always more cautious.


    "It''s in my room. It''s safe."


    Even she might not be safe, let alone in her courtyard.


    Gu Qingruo had no choice but to lower her voice and explain her plans in detail, nodding her head repeatedly as he listened.


    After this matter was over, Xiaoyi Mo became very happy. He carried her to the bed and hugged her body, which had become ice-cold to tempt him. His soft and smooth skin could be touched by a few bits of muscle.


    Xiao Yimo''s temperature had just risen as he swiftly removed his clothes, pressing her beneath him. His boiling body made her feel slightly cold.


    "Your Highness, I suspect that something has happened to Third Sister."


    "Third sister?" Xiao Yi Mo gnawed on her body with great vigor and repeated his words vaguely. He didn''t understand what she meant at all.


    "Qingxiao, ah, ever since she was married to King Mo, other than returning to the clan and never returning to peace, no one has seen her appear outside the mansion."


    "Isn''t that normal? A woman in a deep room shouldn''t have shown her face to begin with, and those who run towards their parents'' home instead do not abide by the rules." Xiao Yi Mo was a little impatient, his voice seemed to be reprimanding Gu Qing Ruo for her actions and words.


    Gu Qingruo''s face alternated between green and white. However, she knew that Gu Qingxiao was a person who was even bolder than her and would never be willing to become a canary, so she lightly said, "Is Your Highness trying to scold me? If I go to my parents'' home, isn''t it because I want to speak up for you and count on you to rope me into your family? "


    "Did you win her over?" Xiao Yi Mo stopped cultivating on top of her and laughed coldly. How could he not have a relationship with Gu Chaoran when he was so indifferent to her?


    Initially, the old fox always thought that since he had married his most beloved daughter, he would be able to get her help. In the end, no matter if it was the Ling family that met calamity or the crown prince that was deposed, he didn''t put in any effort and continued to watch the princes fight for the throne.


    "But at least, he did not side with King Mo. Don''t you want to think that Gu Qing Li and his third sister would both be married to King Mo? If it wasn''t for my mediation and him trying to run away for you, wouldn''t he have gone over to King Mo''s side? "


    Xiao Yi Mo wasn''t fooled by her words. He knew that not only was that old fox watching from the other side of the river, he was also judging the situation and wouldn''t easily side with anyone. The reason why he hadn''t gone with Xiao Yi Xiu was because he had the same thoughts as everyone else. No matter how powerful a sickly prince was, how could he overturn the Heavens?


    Gu Qingruo kept trying to persuade him, but his attention seemed to be focused on venting. For a while, he was so focused on her that he could only call out to her softly. Every word she spoke was broken in her throat, unable to say anything.


    After waiting for him to calm down, Gu Qingruo finally regained her composure and began to talk about the suspicions she had towards Li Yue''s identity.


    When she turned her head, she saw that his eyes were glowing in the dim light. His face was extremely tense, and it was obvious that he was pondering something, as if he had heard it.


    "Prince?"


    "You''re right. You have to personally pay a visit and invite Xiao Yixiu. That day, you have to make sure he takes Gu Qingli and Gu Qingxiao with him."


    "You suspect Li Yue might be Gu Qing Li?"


    "Now that you mention it, I think of the fact that the two of them resemble eyes the most. If you cover them with that layer of silk, it might not be easy to distinguish them." Actually, there was another thing that came to mind. On the night of Gu Qing Li''s wedding, just when he thought that she had died from severe injuries, she suddenly woke up and from that moment on, she seemed to have become a completely different person.


    "But I know Gu Qingli''s background very well. Where did she learn her medical skills from?" "And later on ¡­" Gu Qingluo couldn''t wrap her head around it.


    As he thought about that night, the Gu Qingli that he saw once more was completely different from the timid, shy, bullied, and unresisting Second Miss of the Prime Minister''s Estate. Even her appearance seemed to become more and more beautiful.


    "Perhaps ¡­" Has her soul been changed long ago? "


    Gu Qingruo widened her eyes in shock. She had never thought of such a bizarre idea before.


    "If this is confirmed, she must be removed. "Gu Qing Li was just a useless person that no one thought much of, but Li Yue, the mysterious Li Yue, could potentially change the fate of Xiao Yi Xiu."

 C255 collusion

    Xiao Yi Mo''s expression was grave as he thought about the great change that had occurred over the past year. Although everyone had overlooked the fact that Xiao Yi Xiu had the qualifications to compete, it was all because of his weak body.


    What if it wasn''t true? Or could it be that under Li Yue''s treatment, Xiao Yi Xiu was already recovering? Although he no longer had military power in his hands, he could still see the end of the princes ¡ª Xiao Yi Bei was crippled, Xiao Yi Yan was missing, the empress and Ling family''s forces had all fallen. He was despised by the emperor because of the matter of Princess Lan Xun, and Xiao Yi Jin had also suffered some setbacks due to Cheng Ying''s matter.


    Didn''t all of these point to the possibility of Xiao Yi Xiu rising up once again?


    "In addition, don''t you think she''s a little interested in Xiao Yixiu and hates Gu Qingli for going to Princess Helian''s place?"


    "Yeah."


    "What do you think Xiao Yi Xiu would do to her if he could encourage her to kill Gu Qing Li?"


    Gu Qingruo sucked in a breath of cold air. She had always hated Gu Qingli deeply and wanted nothing more than to use the most vicious method to take revenge. However, the thought of killing him had never crossed her mind. After being stirred up by Xiao Yi Mo, it actually grew like wild grass in his heart.


    "If Xiao Yixiu is unable to control his emotions, he might do something that would be detrimental to Helian Xiuya ¡ª even if it is not a serious injury, it would still arouse Helian Yu''s anger. What do you think Helian Yu will do? Such a violation of the relationship between the two nations must have caused him to lose all trust in front of royal father. "


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Mo thought for a long time, and even revealed a gloomy smile.


    "Princess Helian is very stupid. I heard that she fought with Gu Qing Li when they first entered the Mo King Manor, but she couldn''t beat her. How can a girl like her be counted on to kill Gu Qing Li?" The more Gu Qingruo suspected Gu Qingli''s identity, the more convinced she became that Xiao Yimo''s deduction was very reasonable.


    "That''s why I need you, This King''s darling." With a teasing smile on his face, Xiao Yi Mo leaned forward to pinch her smooth and exquisite face before kissing it affectionately.


    Gu Qing''s heart softened as he heard Xiao Yixiu''s hypocritical ''darling'' and his eyes turned sour. All of his rationality was cast aside, and he hatefully thought to himself that if he could get rid of Xiao Yixiu as his only obstacle, then Xiao Yixiu would definitely change his mind and treat him differently.


    Then, he thought, if Gu Qing Li really was Li Yue, then the one who caused him to lose his virility after his miscarriage was also her. If he didn''t avenge her, then he wouldn''t be worthy of her!


    When Gu Qingruo was stepping into the Mo King''s Manor, Helian Shuang happened to be ''a guest'' at the Mo Residence and unexpectedly met her on her way to find Gu Qingli.


    "Princess Helian, what a coincidence."


    "You''re looking for Gu Qingli?" Helian Peng''s eyes immediately lit up. With Gu Qing Ruo dragging Gu Qing Li along, naturally Xiao Yi Xiu would have to be alone with her. How could he miss this opportunity?


    Gu Qingruo understood her intentions and nodded with a smile.


    Suifeng couldn''t stand the sight of these two annoying women, so he had long ago moved to the side and pretended not to see them.


    Yurou respectfully led them into the Feng Zhaoxuan, then brought Helian Xiuxiu to the study to look for Xiao Yixiu, while Gu Qingruo went straight to look for Gu Qingli.


    "Madam''s birthday?" Yu Bi Ling didn''t want Gu Qing Li to call her mother, so she had been called ''Madam'' ever since she was a child.


    She naturally couldn''t remember when Yu Bi Ling''s birthday was coming up, but she was still surprised to hear Gu Qing Ruo''s words. She didn''t know when Yu Bi Ling had become so intimate, and now that her birthday was off, she actually called her "dear" to the Ning Province?


    "Let Prince Mo bring Third Sister back with him." Gu Qingruo sipped her tea, lowered her eyes, and quietly sized up Gu Qingli''s expression from under her eyelids.


    Gu Qingli understood. This was because she was suspicious of Gu Qingxiao''s situation and was probing them.


    She calmly smiled and also raised her teacup to take a sip. She thought to herself that she had left Gu Qingxiao alive just in case this day came. After all, if the third young miss of the Prime Minister''s family died without a sound, she probably wouldn''t be able to account for it.


    "Alright, third sister, you were born with a small birth, so you''re not feeling very well. I''ve always kept you from seeing people, but since this is the Madam''s birthday, I and the Prince will definitely bring her back to peace."


    Speaking of which, it had indeed been a long time since she had looked at Gu Qingxiao in the dungeon. The last time he had seen her, her hair had been in disarray, and his face was extremely pale and thin. Gu Qingli had also instructed the guards to treat her a bit more courteously. At the very least, she had to let her eat her fill. Otherwise, how could she show her face when she came out of hell?


    When sending Gu Qingruo out, the two of them simultaneously saw Xiao Yi, who always had a warm expression, come out of his study. With impatience in his eyes, Helian Lie expressionlessly grabbed his arm, acting like she wasn''t very good at it: "Brother Xiao, don''t you want to come with me to Northern Chu? "The one who treated Big Brother Crown Prince ¡­"


    "Princess Helian!" You should pay attention to your status and behavior. "


    Xiao Yixiu pushed away her hand that was tightly holding his arm and cast a cold gaze at her. A smile that lacked warmth was on his face, just like Helian Yu''s. In a way, the two rivals were somewhat alike, dark, cruel, and ruthless, except that one appeared cold and direct, while the other was roundabout and reserved.


    Perhaps it was because he saw Gu Qing Li, but Helian Lie''s expression changed. He couldn''t hold on any longer and looked at Xiao Yi Xiu with eyes full of grievance. "Brother Xiao, I''ll come see you another day. You think about my suggestion carefully."


    "There is no need to consider it further, thank you for your kindness, Princess. "Suifeng, see our guest out."


    "I''m leaving too, Second Sister. Remember." In front of so many people, Gu Qingruo was still very supportive of her sister''s image. She smiled and spoke gently to Gu Qingli, just like an elder sister.


    She bid farewell to Xiao Yi Xiu and said to Helian Shuang, "Princess, why don''t I go with you?"


    "Princess Helian, Princess Mu, please!" His manners weren''t lacking, but his eyes were full of contempt, wishing that he could chase these two women out of the manor together.


    Helian Shuang had a depressed look on her face as she left side by side with Gu Qingruo, angrily complaining to Gu Qingruo. When he heard that Gu Qing Ruo invited the Mo couple to celebrate with the Prime Minister''s wife, his eyes couldn''t help but light up. "Can I, too, go get a cup of wine? Don''t worry, this princess will give you a birthday present. "


    Gu Qingruo was startled. The princess was willing to join in the liveliness, so it wouldn''t be a problem, but she didn''t need to fawn on her father ¡­ Soon after, she realized that Helian Xiufeng wasn''t going to let go of any opportunity to get close to Xiao Yi Xiu. Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t want to bother with her at the Wang Mansion, so he could send her away with a few words. However, when he arrived at the Prime Minister''s Estate, there would always be many people present for the banquet.


    "Alright, then I''ll ask the princess to show us some face."

 C256 dungeon prisoner

    Within the Mo Mansion, Xiao Yi Xiu asked Gu Qing Ruo about the reason for her visit. He pondered for a moment before replying, "They might be suspicious."


    "Therefore, we must bring Gu Qingxiao along, but we must also ensure that she does not speak carelessly."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. "Let''s go see her first."


    Under the large courtyard of the Mo King''s Manor, there was a huge underground palace. It was unknown how many years it had been built, but it was built into a personal system.


    The underground palace had dungeons, secret chambers, and honeycomb-like rooms. Hundreds of shadow guards were housed there, all belonging to the Dark Pavilion.


    The water supply, drainage, and ventilation system in the underground palace were all very good. Only the sunlight was missing and only the candles and lanterns were burning. Since the resources were very expensive, the dungeon was not as luxurious as it seemed.


    Walking down the stone steps of the underground palace, he reached a path that wasn''t very long, but was rather dark. The only source of light was the two lanterns in the shadow guard''s rotational room under the stone steps.


    Ever since Gu Qingxiao had been confined, Xiaoyi Xiu had never seen her in the future. Gu Qingli had occasionally come down to look for her, telling the Shadow Guards to imprison her and not to take away the materials needed for her survival.


    As a result, other than being a prisoner, Gu Qingxiao did not suffer too much abuse.


    The shadow guard who had guided them had lit up all the oil lamps in the corridor. Xiao Yixiu stopped in front of the cell door at the far end, looking inside through the bars.


    Gu Qingxiao was curled up on the only stone bed in the room. She held the quilt tightly in her arms as she curled up into a ball. It was as if she couldn''t bear the cold and gloomy atmosphere of the underground prison.


    The shadow guard opened the iron bars. Gu Qingxiao heard the sound, but subconsciously raised her sleeves to cover her face, as if she couldn''t stand the light coming from outside and didn''t care about who had entered.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was sizing up the surroundings of the stone room. Due to the lack of sunlight and the lack of cleaning, the walls beside the bed were covered in slippery moss. It was extremely cold inside, and the sound of rats squeaking could be heard from the sewers.


    "Gu Qingxiao." His voice was gentle and distant, as usual.


    Gu Qingxiao suddenly put down her sleeves and narrowed his eyes as she adjusted to the light. Her expression was dull, but his eyes were filled with shock. Master, you''re still ¡­ "I still remember ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu''s eyes didn''t show any signs of pity as he indifferently looked at her.


    Gu Qing Xiao panted softly, as though she had just noticed Gu Qing Li beside him. Anger burst out of her eyes, as though oil had been poured onto fire, and she shouted hysterically: "Gu Qing Li! You bitch! You perverted woman! It''s all because of you, it''s all because of you! You shameless woman, only I know what kind of trash you are! On your wedding night, you tried to seduce your brother-in-law and then eloped with your little uncle... Why did you come back to take my husband away? "Slut, slut ¡­"


    Gu Qingxiao cried out as if she was still unwilling. Then, she jumped down from the stone bed and rushed towards Gu Qingli.


    She lowered her head and charged forward, bumping into a person''s firm chest. It was clear that this was not the feeling of a woman''s chest being soft. She flung her hair about as she lifted her head to see that Xiaoyu was standing in front of Gu Qing Li, looking down at her. His gaze was so cold that it seemed as if it would freeze into ice as he stared fixedly at her.


    "Wang... "Grandpa ¡­" Gu Qingxiao cried bitterly. His strength had drained from her clenched fist the moment it landed on Gu Qingxiao''s chest. Her long and sharp nails looked extremely terrifying, and even the tip of her fingers had curled inward.


    Earlier, she had tried to scratch Gu Qingli''s face while she was rushing over. Looking at the ghostly, fang-like nails, it was obvious that if she''d been scratched, her face would''ve been blooming.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stretched out his hand and firmly gripped Gu Qing Xiao''s wrist. With a solemn expression, he slowly said, word by word, "You''ve been locked in the prison for so long, yet you haven''t learned how to speak human language. It seems like you''re more suited to being here."


    "No, no, no ¡­" Prince ¡­ Please... Ask... Let me out, I''ll be obedient, very obedient! " Gu Qingxiao frantically nodded her head. Originally, her black hair was as smooth as satin, but now, it had become a ball, turning yellow and dry. Her messy movements caused it to be scattered in front of her eyes.


    Even those emotionless eyes that used to be so cruel and cruel to Gu Qingli had lost their lustre. They no longer had the clear and bright light that flowed within them like they did in the past.


    Gu Qingli walked out from behind Xiao Yixiu, feeling sympathy, disgust, and disdain towards him. She didn''t want to see this woman who would never change her mind again, so she gently said to Xiao Yixiu, "Don''t talk to her anymore. There''s no meaning in talking to her."


    Xiao Yixiu nodded and exerted all his strength in his hand. He gripped Gu Qingxiao''s wrist so tightly that it seemed as if he was about to break it, and cried out miserably, "Don''t ¡­" "Spare me ¡­"


    "This King only wants to warn you not to try to harm Qing Li. Such slanderous words like today, don''t let me hear them again. Otherwise ¡ª" His eyes were like a deep, cold pool, boundless and cold to the bone.


    Along with the indifferent yet calm words, the strength in his hands increased, and his inner strength was like a snake''s tongue that was suddenly released, licking Gu Qingxiao''s wrist as it moved across the ground, roaming about in her body, gradually becoming like surging tides that heavily crashed into her internal organs, causing her to feel as though her entire body was being twisted into a bundle.


    This was the method that Xiao Yixiu used to deal with the rebel army and the enemy Xiao during the northern expedition. He used it to force them to confess and was unstoppable.


    He had not been able to use his inner strength for many years, and it was still quite easy to use it now. He had never used these cruel methods to deal with prisoners of war against women, but today, he found it unbearable. If Gu Qingxiao was not Gu Qingli''s little sister, he would have already found an unassailable reason to deal with her.


    Gu Qing Li clearly understood what he was doing, so she lightly pressed the back of his hand. "Let me do it."


    Xiao Yixiu glanced at her and heaved a sigh of relief. As he let go of Gu Qingxiao''s hand, the pressure on Gu Qingxiao was suddenly gone. He felt as if his body had become as soft as a piece of cloth as he prostrated himself on the ground.


    "You go out first, I know you can''t stand seeing her like this."


    "I just can''t bear to see her insult you." Xiao Yixiu gently caressed her hair. The person who had harmed him could be forgiven as appropriate, and could be left out lightly. However, anyone who wanted to harm his woman would die for sure.


    Gu Qingli smiled and pushed him out of the way.


    She looked around and said, "It will be the birthday of your mother, Yu Bi Ling, in a few days'' time. We need you to attend."


    Gu Qingxiao suddenly raised her head with shock and bewilderment in her eyes, as if she was trying to judge the meaning behind her words.


    "Don''t look at me, I just want you to be the third young mistress of the Gu family and follow us to the Prime Minister''s Estate to return to peace." You know what to do and say? " Gu Qingli gave a faint smile. "I''ll let you off this time." If you are obedient enough, then your performance will also be very good this time. Perhaps in the future, when appropriate, I will let you occasionally go to the ground to take a breather and show your face. "


    "I don''t believe it." Gu Qingxiao was afraid of what Xiao Yixiu had done. Even though Xiao Yixiu had walked out of the room and stared coldly at him through the iron bars, he was still afraid that the disrespect he had revealed would cause anger and vexation in his heart.


    Before this, she had never seen that the man she loved, other than his handsome appearance, deep and unfathomable intellect, actually also had a cruel heart that was close to being cold-blooded.


    However, that heart of Gu Qingli''s had become soft on her fingers.


    Gu Qingxiao stared at the woman in front of him with envy. She wished that he could sweep every inch of her body away in order to clearly see just what was worse than her.

 C257 Xianfu Gui Ning(1)

    "If you don''t believe me, it''s not a favor. You just need to be told to cooperate. You have no other choice." Gu Qing Li''s smile was gentle and beautiful. She lit up her jade-like palm, and specks of silver light reflected off of the candlelight, illuminating everyone''s eyes.


    "What are you doing?" Before Gu Qingli even understood what was going on, she had already reached out her hand and slapped the Bai Hui, Shan Zhong, and Giant Que acupoints on her head a few times before quickly withdrawing her hand.


    Although Gu Qingxiao knew that the situation was bad, her mental reaction was much slower than Gu Qingli''s movements. She instantly felt the fatal acupoints become alarmed, as if something sharp and cold had drilled into their skin.


    "As long as I move, the silver needles in your body will dart around like fishes until your flesh and blood are drained and your Profound Qi is drained." Gu Qingli said casually. Although the silver needle could follow the meridian path to a wounded person, she had made up her own words just to frighten Gu Qingxiao.


    "You ¡­ What exactly do you want me to do? " Gu Qingxiao felt the cold sensation of the meat drilling through her body. She subconsciously shivered as she swallowed all of the obscenities and obscenities in her mouth.


    "Return to the Residence of Prime Minister and return to the city. Make sure to be the third lady of the Prime Minister and the second wife of the Prince Mo." Also, you must remember that the child in your womb has miscarried. " Gu Qingli explained a few things that needed her attention.


    After all, he couldn''t predict everything in the scene. Fortunately, he couldn''t sit next to her in time to remind her so that she wouldn''t show off.


    "I... You really can get out? "


    "Just out for a birthday feast." Gu Qingli carefully sized her up. "But you can leave the dungeon today. I still need to dress you up and adjust your state of mind."


    Gu Qingxiao followed Gu Qing out of the dungeon in silence and obedience. When she saw the light outside, she subconsciously covered her face with her sleeves, as if afraid that she would blind her eyes and lose sight of the daylight for a long time.


    Gu Qingli knew that those who had just come out of the darkness couldn''t see the light, in case they were blinded, so she threw a handkerchief at Gu Qingli''s eyes, revealing only half of it. She squinted her eyes and carefully followed Gu Qingli to the Birch Pavilion.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t want to get along with Gu Qingli, so his disgust for Gu Qingxiao increased by a bit. He stayed in the living room of the Vermillion Bird Courtyard, allowing Gu Qingli to accompany her inside.


    Although the room was illuminated by the sunlight, it was still much more gentle and warm in the end. It was no longer like a needle that could prick one''s eyes with tears. Gu Qingli untied the handkerchief covering Gu Qingxiao''s eyes and allowed her to get used to it for a while before summoning the maidservants in. She instructed the secondary concubine to wash herself properly and change her clothes.


    Although no one was abusing Gu Qingxiao in the dungeon, they couldn''t treat her like their ancestor. Since the water supply underground was limited, the caretaker naturally couldn''t boil such a large barrel of water every day for her to bathe in. Therefore, it was already extravagant for her to wipe off the warm water on her body once or twice a month. If there were too many, he would be scolded and even ridiculed by the shadow guard.


    She had been underground for so long that she stank. She had washed and changed her clothes in two sets, and they were all greasy and smelled of all sorts of things. The cuffs of her sleeves were worn out.


    She had to change the water in the tub three times, and the one who served Gu Qingxiao was Xing''er. White-eyed was about to flip over to the sky, but when she went out to change the water, she secretly took the time to complain to Jinshu, saying that after she served this secondary wife, she would have to wash herself thoroughly from top to bottom to get rid of that rotten smell.


    Jin Shu and Yu Ying covered their mouths as they secretly laughed, their faces full of schadenfreude. The two of them were the senior maids, so they naturally would not do such a thing.


    Gu Qingxiao''s long hair had formed into many lumps and could not be washed away. Thus, she could only trim them slightly. Fortunately, the amount of hair she had was not obvious.


    Xing''er dressed her in a brocade gown, a dress of beautiful flowers and a fairy dress. She dried her long hair, rubbed it with scented hair oil, and put on a brocade bun. She finally looked like a miss, except that her face was pale and very thin, completely different from when she first married.


    However, the current Gu Qingxiao seemed to have restrained herself a lot. She was cautious to the point of almost being timid. She carefully sat there and didn''t even dare to assign Xing''er a task.


    While Xing''er went out to take care of herself, Gu Qingxiao carefully examined the courtyard. She knew that this was where Xin Ziyao had lived in the past. It was an extremely unlucky place, but she also knew that there wouldn''t be a good place for her to live.


    Stepping out of the bedroom, she would look left and right, afraid that the shadow guards would notice her misdeeds. Only after seeing that no one was around did she dare to come out, squinting at the winter sun, taking in a deep breath of the biting cold air. The cold air pricked her lungs to the point where it hurt, but she happily inhaled a few more breaths.


    Gu Qingxiao could see the trees in the yard, the sun''s shadow mottled, and even smell the fragrance of the Phoenix-Tail Vine, as well as the cool aroma of the first sprouts of the plum blossoms.


    Haha ¡­" "AHH!" Don''t come over here... Woo woo ¡­ * "So scary ¡­" Suddenly, the sound of a woman''s voice could be heard from the neighboring courtyard. There was a loud laugh, a miserable scream, and mixed crying sounds. It was unknown what kind of emotion she was trying to express.


    Gu Qingxiao trembled and listened quietly. Only then could she identify that it was the same woman''s voice. Originally, it should have been crisp and sweet, but now it sounded inexplicably strange.


    Then, a servant girl''s soft and gentle voice seemed to be persuading her of something. After persuading her for a bit, she lost her patience and sighed, "Alright, Madam Wu. As long as you don''t come out of this courtyard, I won''t bother with you."


    Gu Qingxiao had heard this voice before. It was that of a servant girl from the past, but she didn''t know who the woman who sounded crazy was.


    She was about to listen to what she had to say when someone walked through the yard. The small footsteps were smooth and gentle, the rhythm neither fast nor slow.


    The woman who walked into the courtyard was also well-mannered and elegant. Although she was not a beauty of the country, it was still easy for people to put down their guard and feel a sense of familiarity from her.


    "Greetings, Imperial Concubine Gu." The woman saluted her gracefully.


    Gu Qingxiao was stunned for a moment. She couldn''t remember when he had seen her before, but she immediately understood that Gu Qingli often walked around the estate with her face covered in a red veil. Very few people could distinguish her from Gu Qingli.


    "Oh." Gu Qingxiao retracted her happiness from being intoxicated by the sunlight and flowers. Thinking of Gu Qingli''s instructions, she coldly replied, recognizing that one of the maidservants behind her was Rui Zhu of the mansion.


    "Madam Gu, Madam Zhou heard that you had moved here, so she came to pay her respects. She just happened to drop by to chat with you." Rui Zhu seemed to be overly quick-witted, but her bright eyes clearly hinted at something for Gu Qingxiao.


    Gu Qingxiao took the hint and said a few words of courtesy, then welcomed Zhou Zhen into the room. She then called Xing''er over to pour some tea.


    However, Xing''er was hiding in the side room, cleaning herself up, so where would he hear her call out to him?


    Gu Qingxiao called out twice, her expression turning slightly awkward. Rui Zhu, on the other hand, helped her out. "Xing''er might be busy. This servant will go to the kitchen to bring some tea for the imperial concubine."

 C258 Xianfu Gui Ning(2)

    After Rui Zhu left, Zhou Zhen smiled at Gu Qingxiao. Her gaze was very strange, and her tone was gentle, "Why is the secondary wife so distant from me? "We meet on a daily basis and we always have a great time chatting, but we are very considerate sisters ¡­"


    Gu Qingxiao''s gaze flickered as she avoided her, thinking to herself, who is the one who is intimate with you? And why are you still a sister? Why don''t you check your identity? Before she was married, she was the prime minister''s daughter and held the highest position amongst the daughters of the officials of the imperial court. After she was married, she was also a side concubine of the Prince Mo, and even though she was only famous, she was still far above a lady. In the past, she wouldn''t even have bothered to look at Zhou Zhen, feeling that she wasn''t worthy enough to wash her own feet.


    All the hot water in the kitchen had unfortunately been taken away by Xing''er to be washed. Rui Zhu had to reheat some water for a while before she had to carry the tray out.


    It just so happened that Xing''er had also finished washing, wiping her wet hair and greeting Rui Zhu.


    Rui Zhu walked over, curled her lips, and said, "The sun is high in the sky, what kind of bath are you taking? Hiding from laziness? "


    With a wronged look on her face, Xing''er leaned over and whispered a few words into her ear. Rui Zhu giggled and said in a low voice, "Who asked you to do such a good job? It''s really not easy to encounter such bad luck."


    "You''re still laughing at me!" Xing''er bit her lower lip as she chased after Rui Zhu.


    Rui Zhu smiled as she dodged, "Don''t touch me, Madame Zhou is asking for tea. It''s your problem if you flip it."


    "Madame Zhou?" "Xing''er was shocked to learn that Madame Zhou had come to visit Gu Qingxiao." What is she doing here? "


    Rui Zhu lowered her voice. "I''m not sure ¡­" I''ve been serving Madame Zhou all this time, but I''ve never found anything out of the ordinary about her. "


    Xing''er was silent for a moment, then she tugged on Rui Zhu''s sleeve. The two of them slowly walked to the window and carefully peeked in through the window.


    Her palms were clasped together in front of her chest, as if devoutly worshipping something. In front of her, slightly above her head, there were countless tiny, dense red insects flying about. They circled up and down, but still did not break out of the formless circle, forming a round scarlet cloud.


    Gu Qingxiao was sitting in front of her. Her eyes were filled with fear, but her posture was extremely stiff, as if she couldn''t move or make a sound.


    Little Chan''s face was expressionless. Along with the change in Zhou Zhen''s hand gesture, she also did some strange movements, as if she was training those little bugs, causing the scarlet cloud to begin to transform.


    Xing''er was so shocked that her mouth gaped wide open. She watched as the circle spun a few more times before suddenly enveloping Gu Qingxiao. It quickly dispersed and moved closer to her body, covering her chest and back in a dense red.


    Rui Zhu could not help but tremble, the tray in her hands also tilted with the trembling, spilling some out.


    After the red bugs landed on Gu Qingxiao''s clothes, they were as small as needles. Soon, they too, pierced through the gaps of the silk fabric like needles, and gradually disappeared as if water had seeped into the soil.


    Rui Zhu couldn''t control herself for a while, so the two teacups on the tray clattered against each other, letting out a crisp sound.


    "Who?" Little Chan bellowed, and her figure became like a ghost, instantly rushing out of the house, appearing in front of Er Mei.


    Rui Zhu was just about to scream out in shock, when Little Chan''s hand trembled, and an unknown object flew out. It passed through her throat, blocking her voice.


    Xing''er tried to run away, but her collar tightened around her mouth and her body went limp, falling to the ground.


    "You can''t blame us for this. You are the ones who are courting death." Little Chan''s voice was cold and dry, as if she was not in the least bit emotional.


    Looking at the two female servants who had lost their freedom and revealed the same terrified expression as Gu Qingxiao, Little Chan laughed, "What should we do with them?"


    Strangely, there was a laugh, but it was not a smile. Her expression was stiff and indifferent as usual, and her eyes were filled with murderous intent.


    Zhou Zhen waved his hand. "If we keep him alive, it might be useful."


    "Wasting my Gu." Little Chan waved her hand with regret. She did not seem to release anything, nor did she do anything strange. She only saw that after the wind blew past her sleeve, a blue nebula appeared out of nowhere. Looking closer, it was actually the same as the red bug cloud from before, composed of countless tiny blue insects.


    Under the urging of Little Chan''s inner force, Xing''er''s eyes grew wider and wider. She could only watch as those little bugs pounced at her, densely landing on her clothes, and then sneaking into the gaps in them. As long as she thought of those countless worms squirming on her skin, she would have already fainted. Moreover, she thought of those worms who were sneaking into her skin and running amok inside her body.


    Rui Zhu''s face was pale, but she could not make a sound. Many blue bugs similarly rushed towards her and disappeared at the same speed. She felt her skin tingling and stinging like ants biting her. Her clothes were soaked in cold sweat. However, she couldn''t move, couldn''t make a sound, and when the pain couldn''t bear it any longer, she stared with wide eyes. Her entire body was convulsing, every inch of her body was trying to struggle and resist.


    The apricot was attacked by worms earlier than the pear, and she lost consciousness faster than the pear.


    Rui Zhu''s gaze shifted to Xing''er, who slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were stiff, dull, and lifeless. Her body moved along with her, like a puppet slowly standing up and slowly stretching its limbs.


    Rui Zhu suddenly felt a chill in her heart. She was afraid that these two women didn''t want to kill them, but rather wanted to control them to kill someone else! She bit down on the back of her tongue with the last of her willpower, wanting to kill herself. However, after the intense pain, she violently vomited a mouthful of blood, but she was still unable to resist the pain.


    Just as Rui Zhu spat out blood, Little Chan also seemed to have been struck hard, spitting out a small mouthful of blood. It was only with great difficulty that she managed to adjust her internal force. This damned girl actually has such a strong mental strength!


    Zhou Zhen slowly flicked her finger through the air, letting out a low, sharp whistle. Gu Qingxiao''s dull gaze turned clear as she shivered, and her memories became blank. She asked in a daze, "What''s going on? Why are you here? "What happened ¡­"


    When he turned his head, he saw Little Chan and Xing''er with lifeless faces, standing dumbly to the side. They looked strange and strange, and he couldn''t help but jump in fright as he pointed at them and said, "¡­ This is... Were you possessed? "


    Little Chan weakly waved her hand. She did not answer her, but her body began to sway as she said coldly: "Let the two of them clean up this place, I''ll go back first."


    She looked extremely tired, Rui Zhu''s resistance just now seemed to be of no use, but it made the Gu worm not know what to do in that instant. She focused her entire mind on controlling the Gu worm, if it could not act according to her will, then it would be called a backlash, and the Gu she controlled was used to control other people''s willpower, the backlash was naturally her own vital energy.


    Zhou Zhen''s smile was barely noticeable. Even when she was smiling like this, she was still dignified, gentle and calm.


    "Xing''er, go clean up here."


    Xing''er somewhat stiffly began to do things, looking for a rag, repeatedly rubbing the bead to spray blood all over the place.

 C259 Xianfu Gui Ning(3)

    "You all ¡­ Just who is it? " Gu Qingxiao''s voice was dry and powerless, and the fear in her eyes was like an unending stream of water.


    "Don''t be afraid, Miss Gu. As long as you cooperate, I can even give you freedom." Zhou Zhen called her Third Miss Gu instead, a strange smile in her eyes.


    "Wh ¡­" "What?"


    "There''s no need for Third Miss Gu to pretend that she doesn''t understand. Didn''t you always get controlled by others? And I''m the only one who can give you freedom. As for Xiao Yixiu ¡­ "Zhou Zhen frowned," If you still don''t give up on him, we might be able to give him back to you alive after everything is over.


    Gu Qingxiao was shocked and afraid. "What nonsense are you spouting?" Her thoughts were in a mess. She just wanted to deny everything. It was probably the wisest decision.


    "Perhaps Gu Sanniang doesn''t believe in our abilities, nor does she care about freedom. However, you cannot not believe that I can control your life and death." Zhou Zhen let out a low whistle all of a sudden. He couldn''t see her lips moving nor did she know where her voice was coming from. It was just that her voice was as soft as a mosquito''s buzz.


    Every strike was like a heavy hammer smashing into her, causing her mind to be thrown into disarray. She instantly kneeled on the ground, hugging her shoulders tightly before rolling to the ground.


    As soon as the whistle stopped, the oppressive feeling disappeared, as if nothing had happened at all.


    "To me, you ¡­" What did you do? " Gu Qingxiao''s voice was weak and weak. It was as if her entire person had been sucked dry.


    Zhou Zhen slowly revealed a smile, "Within your body, countless little worms are squirming and surviving. That is a Gu that can absorb one''s essence energy and control one''s dreams, causing one''s primordial spirit to slowly weaken until death."


    Gu Qingxiao suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with fear.


    With a flick of Zhou Zhen''s finger, a buzzing sound came from somewhere. A huge wild bee was hovering in front of Gu Qingxiao. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary black and yellow bee.


    "This is the Mother Gu, your body is a child Gu, if you listen to me obediently, you will be able to live better than right now."


    Gu Qingxiao swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Fear could only be seen in her eyes. She didn''t have the slightest bit of courage.


    The Prime Minister''s wife''s birthday came in the blink of an eye. Gu Qing Li prepared three gifts and made himself up early, gently stroking the plum blossoms on his forehead.


    Today, the Plum Dress was decorated with three fiery patterns. In the middle, there was a drop shaped piece of jasper, which was the size of a Acacia Bean. It was exceptionally dazzling.


    "Alright, stop taking those pictures. You have long been the most beautiful woman in the entire Eastern Abyss." Xiao Yixiu''s mocking laughter resounded in her ears. It was unknown when he had come over and lightly nibbled on her earlobe, but it caused half of her face to become completely red.


    "Nonsense."


    He chuckled. "I think you are. You are." He reached out to pluck her face, then looked at it carefully. The plum makeup he painted was always exquisite, with different patterns each time. It was really like autumn water was a god, and his skin was like jade. It was breathtaking in an instant.


    "If it wasn''t for the return of the Prime Minister''s Estate, I really wouldn''t be willing to dress you up like this." With a smile on his face, Xiao Yi Xiu wrapped his arms around her waist and walked out of the room.


    "Since we left for the Imperial Palace, didn''t you always make me wear extravagant makeup, fearing that I wouldn''t be delicate enough to make you lose face?" Gu Qingli felt a little strange. When she was a guest, he always liked to draw her eyebrows that were as indifferent as smoke. Wasn''t the beauty so beautiful that it could take away a person''s beauty just to make her lose face?


    She did not like heavy makeup, and he also liked her indifferent appearance. It was said that Su Yan was a bit less aggressive, or else her beauty would have been too sharp and would have been harmful to people.


    Xiao Yi Xiu glanced at her and whispered, "I never fell in love with you before."


    "Hmm?" She was even more puzzled.


    He felt that she was really unenlightened, and lightly tapped her forehead. "At that time, I let you have a beautiful and charming appearance, just for others to see, or to gain a bit of reputation. But now that you are too attractive, there will inevitably be people drooling over you. How can I continue to look at the other men''s eyes that are fixed on your face? "


    Gu Qingli laughed out loud. She hadn''t expected him to have such an intolerable moment.


    Xiao Yi Xiu snorted and used a bit of force from his palm to pinch her waist. With a face full of pride and unwillingness, he made Gu Qing Li smile even more uncontrollably. He felt that his man was becoming more and more adorable.


    After they got on the carriage, Gu Qingli''s smile froze. The change in her eyes was extremely quick. She looked with astonishment at Gu Qingxiao, who was sitting upright in the carriage.


    Gu Qingxiao should have been sent to the carriage by Xing''er. No one knew where she got this set of clothes, but the material, color, texture, and style were all similar to those worn by Gu Qingli. The two of them even wore the same bun with the same purple jade hairpin, but their steps were different.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s expression darkened in an instant as he glanced coldly at Gu Qing Xiao. "Who allowed you to be dressed like this?"


    Gu Qingxiao lowered her head to look at herself. She was so frightened that she cowered back and said softly, "This concubine doesn''t know. All of this was prepared by Xing''er."


    "Maybe it''s just a coincidence." Gu Qing Li returned to normal and nudged Xiao Yi.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t say anything. He looked over the two of them a few times and found that they weren''t unreasonable people. They were indeed blood sisters. Their noses and foreheads were extremely similar to each other, including their eyes. Gu Qingli''s eyebrows were not quite the same. Gu Qingli was even more elegant and cold, while Gu Qingxiao''s eyebrows were curved and curved like Gu Qingruo''s.


    However, her eyebrows could be shaved and repainted. Gu Qingxiao had previously shaved her own eyebrows and tail, making them look exactly like Gu Qingli.


    "In the future, you are not allowed to wear the same clothes as the princess and wear the same makeup as her." Xiao Yixiu''s tone was cold and distant, his tone filled with unquestionable command.


    When he was ruthless to people, even words that were warm and gentle would cause one''s blood to freeze into ice.


    Gu Qingxiao''s heart was cold, almost frozen in ice. She lowered her gaze weakly, listening to the words of the man she once deeply loved cut at her heart. "Even if you can have the same face as her, you still can''t be her."


    Every corner of her body was filled with a sharp light of hatred. She wanted that woman to die more than ever before. If she died, how could he still love her that much?


    "Forget it, since I''ve returned from the Prime Minister''s Estate, I might as well send her to the dungeon. That won''t happen anymore." Gu Qingli glanced at her indifferently, then leaned against her chest and gave him a gentle smile.


    Gu Qingxiao felt a chill rise up from the bottom of her heart. When she thought of that prison life that was even worse than a dog''s, she felt a pain that made her wish she was dead. She did not want to return for the rest of her life.

 C260 Xianfu Gui Ning(4)

    Xiao Yixiu embraced Gu Qing Li, and the two chatted as if no one else was around, occasionally lowering their heads and whispering to each other. They didn''t have any important topics to talk about, but the way they whispered with each other''s necks revealed the private nature of the topics they were talking about. Looking at Gu Qing Li''s smiling face, which was flushed red from time to time, it must be the words used by men and women to make a fool of themselves.


    Gu Qingxiao kept her head down as she gnashed her teeth. She clenched the small bottle in her hand tightly, but she hesitated and didn''t move. There was a Gu worm inside the bottle. Zhou Zhen had told her that if she waited for the opportunity to land on Xiao Yi Xiu, she would be able to control his mental will and use him to kill Gu Qing Li.


    However, although the Gu worms were powerful, Gu Qingxiao was not the person who controlled them. She was also very afraid of these Gu, afraid that if she were to be careless, she would be harmed. After a long period of deliberation, she still felt uncertain. The bottle in her hand loosened and tightened, but in the end, it still shrunk back into her sleeve.


    Zhou Zhen also said that if you don''t have full confidence in not taking action, then don''t make a mistake by being a servant girl like Xing''er. Not only did you expose yourself, you even wasted the Gu. After all, there is a mother Gu in the bottle. A mother Gu takes twenty years to grow.


    Gu Qingxiao listened to Zhou Zhen''s explanation for it, but still did not understand it too well. She only understood that the mother Gu was originally parasitic on a person known as a Gu Master. As that person had died, the Gu worm was left behind.


    The Gu they had chosen was Xiao Yi Xiu. But they didn''t have a chance, and they couldn''t get close to him that easily.


    After some consideration, the carriage had arrived at the Prime Minister''s manor. The three of them got off the carriage and were led to the main hall.


    When Gu Chaoran saw the three enter side by side, he was stunned for a moment before revealing a benevolent smile. "Qing Li and Qing Xiao have returned?"


    "Greetings to father."


    The two sisters bowed simultaneously. Xiao Yixiu and Gu Chaoran exchanged a half-bow before sitting down and facing each other as they chatted and sipped on their tea.


    Gu Zhaoran sent the two sisters off to pay his respects to Yu Bi Ling. After all, today was her wedding day.


    The two girls walked side by side towards the backyard. Gu Qingli said lightly, "Do you know what to say?"


    Gu Qingxiao did not dare to breathe too loudly, lowering her head to look at her.


    Gu Qingli wasn''t worried that she would act recklessly. After all, she still had needles buried in her body, so she glanced at her and said in a soft voice that only she could hear, "You''d better behave yourself. I have a thousand ways to make you beg for death. As long as you recklessly attack me, I will destroy the silver needles in your body. "


    Gu Qingxiao''s face was pale as she pursed her lips.


    "Also, if anything happens to me, no one in this world can take out the silver needles within your body. At most, three months, you will still die from the silver needles flowing through your blood into your internal organs."


    Gu Qingxiao was feeling a little hopeless. She had given up on any thoughts of doing anything in the dark. They were really ruthless.


    Gu Qing Li suddenly stopped and turned to look at her with a smile that was not really a smile: "Such an ugly face, I''m afraid I might have found something on your mind?" What kind of plan is this? Trying to bite me back? "I''m not afraid at all. I''m just afraid that you won''t be able to survive if something happens to me."


    Having said so, Gu Qing Li turned and walked away from her, leaving her to follow him without a care in the world.


    Only then did Gu Qingxiao slowly raise her eyes. As if she had been released from a venting of Qi, he powerlessly followed behind her.


    Today, Yu Bi Ling had changed into a new robe with gold thread rolling out of it. It was an apricot-colored embroidered coat with a luxurious dress of the same color. She was beaming with joy and smiling.


    Gu Qingruo had come to congratulate them, but she didn''t expect that there would be another guest in the living room that they didn''t expect ¡ª Helian Shuanghua.


    Helian Peng did not take himself to be an outsider. He held a teacup in his hand and was all smiles. He did not seem to be the arrogant and domineering person he was at the Residence of Prince Mo.


    "Princess Helian?" Gu Qing Li frowned slightly. He felt that this tyrannical princess was truly everywhere. It was a rare occasion for her to return to the Prime Minister''s Residence and return to peace.


    Helian Xiufeng turned his face to the side and swept a cold gaze across her. He said, "Imperial Concubine Mo has arrived late. In the end, she''s not your own mother. How could she be indifferent?"


    When Gu Qingli heard her words, she recovered her smile. "Princess'' words make a bit of sense, but this wangfei should remind you that Third Sister Qingxiao is the mistress''s biological daughter. She came with this wangfei."


    She turned around and smiled at Gu Qingxiao.


    Helian Peng felt a little awkward. She did not know Gu Qingxiao, but she did not expect a single word from him to embarrass her.


    Gu Qingxiao lifted his face to look at them and put on a restrained smile, but it looked stiff and uneasy. Only when she met Yu Bi Ling''s gaze did her eyes turn red, as if she had a thousand words to say.


    As for Helian Peng, Gu Qingxiao did not recognize him. With an unfamiliar expression, she vaguely knew that this woman''s identity was unusual. She hesitated and did not speak.


    "Third sister, this is the princess of the Northern Chu Country, Helian Shuang. Why haven''t you come to meet her yet?"


    "Oh ¡­"


    Gu Qingxiao hurried over and greeted her. Helian Lie personally helped her to her feet and gave her a scrutinizing smile. "There is no need to be so courteous. This princess is friends with Princess Mu. Naturally, I am also friends with her."


    Helian Chenghui suddenly became so amiable that even Gu Qing Li wasn''t used to it. He then thought about how she had been accompanied by Gu Qing Ruo for the past few days and harbored hostility towards him. She had probably been assimilated by Gu Qing Ruoyun long ago.


    Gu Qingxiao was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor and was pulled to sit beside her by Helian Xiufeng. She asked many questions. In the entire room, only Gu Qingli looked like an outsider.


    Gu Qingli, on the other hand, didn''t mind. She respectfully congratulated Yu Bi Ling, offering her birthday present in advance.


    Yu Bi Ling''s expression was somewhat cold. When she saw that the birthday present was a casted golden peach tree pot set up for display, she weighed it in her hand, sneered, and didn''t say anything.


    There was a longevity peach tree protruding from the top of the peach tree. It was larger than the rest of the peaches and was made of pure gold. The rest of the peach trees were made of hollow material, neither too expensive nor too thin.


    "Xiao''er, come and let mother have a look." Yu Bi Ling pulled Gu Qing Xiao along and asked with a pained look on her face. "Why are you so thin now? How long has it been since you''ve been tortured like this? " He glanced at Gu Qingli as he spoke.


    Gu Qingli''s skin was as exquisite and shiny as bone china, and her cheeks were naturally a deep red instead of rouge. Her complexion, when compared to Gu Qingxiao''s, was a clear contrast.


    Gu Qingxiao forced a smile and replied in a soft voice as per the instructions previously given, "Mother, your daughter just had an abortion not long ago ¡­ She misses her son day and night. Although she is resting, it is rare for him to be at peace. "


    Yu Bi Ling''s face darkened as she caressed Gu Qing Xiao''s face, feeling even more reluctant. "I told you not to marry into the Residence of Mo King long ago. You insisted on making a fool of yourself, saying that your second sister would take care of you out of brotherhood. See ¡­ This is what you have been looking forward to! "


    Gu Qingxiao suddenly felt extremely sour. Tears streamed down her face, but she didn''t dare to say anything.

 C261 Xianfu Gui Ning(5)

    "You are the dignified direct descendant of the Prime Minister''s Estate. Why do you have to be so wronged and become a side concubine?" When Yu Bi Ling thought of this, she couldn''t help but resent the fact that her secondary wife sounded good. She was also at the level conferred by the emperor, but in the end, she was still just a slightly higher ranking concubine. She was a far cry from her main wife.


    It was a given that the main wife of the Prime Minister''s Mansion would be his main wife, but Gu Qingxiao had been so desperate to marry Xiao Yixiu that she had confidently assumed that he would divorce her soon and help his right himself. Seeing her haggard look, she knew that things would not be good.


    If he were to marry another prince and wholeheartedly support him to become the crown prince, then when he ascended the throne in the future, that side concubine would be fine. It was obvious that no one wanted to fight for the crown prince''s position, and everyone even suspected that he wouldn''t be able to escape if Gu Qingxiao hadn''t secretly left the Prime Minister''s estate. If it weren''t for the fact that everyone thought that she was pregnant, she wouldn''t have been able to dissuade her from agreeing to the marriage even if she tried to force her way to her death.


    The more Yu Bi Ling thought about it, the more depressed she became. She too, choked with sobs.


    Gu Qingli sat there calmly. Ignoring the fact that Yu Bi Ling and her daughter had a deep affection for him, Gu Qingruo and Helian Shuang intentionally ignored him. They only smiled at the farce in front of them, letting them put on a show.


    Her goal was to have Yu Bi Ling and Gu Qing Ruo verify her true body before returning to the palace with Gu Qingxiao.


    Everyone in the court knew that the ''miscarriage'' of Gu Qingxiao had been accidentally committed by the crippled crown prince, Xiao Yibei. Everyone in the court knew that the ''miscarriage'' of the crown prince, Xiao Yibei, was accidentally committed by the crippled crown prince, Xiao Yibei.


    Gu Qingxiao could not say more, but the hatred in his heart grew even more. Her hand gripped the bottle tightly as a different thought arose in his heart.


    The Gu in the bottle could manipulate a person''s will, and was the same as the one in Apricot Bead, but the parent Gu was different. If the Gu entered into the appropriate person''s body, it would turn that person into a Gu, making them unable to escape from their identity.


    Although Gu Qingxiao was full of hatred, she didn''t want to kill Xiao Yixiu. He wanted to plant the Gu on Gu Qingli and turn her into a Gu artifact.


    When the maidservants came in to pass on the message that it was almost lunchtime, they invited the madame and the esteemed guests to go have a meal.


    Helian Lie smiled as he led the way. Yu Bi Ling flattered him as she walked alongside him. The three misses naturally followed behind.


    Gu Qingruo had always shared the same thoughts as Gu Qingruo. When they walked side by side, Gu Qingruo only felt that she had been taken lightly. She turned in surprise and saw Gu Qingxiao winking at her. She slowed down slightly and pretended to help Gu Qingruo up, "Third sister, your complexion isn''t good. If you don''t have the strength, walk slowly. I''ll support you."


    Gu Qingxiao made a gesture of cuddling up as she hinted at Gu Qingli, who was standing slightly in front of him.


    Gu Qingruo was startled, but seeing her anxious expression and the anticipation in her eyes, she nodded her head, thinking that she had just thought of a way to embarrass or humiliate Gu Qingli, she quietly followed. Suddenly, as if she had tripped over something, she threw herself onto Gu Qingli''s body and hugged her, and cried out.


    Helian Peng and Yu Bi Ling were already far away, so they didn''t hear anything. Gu Qing Li frowned and looked over. He saw Gu Qing Ruo tightly hugging him with a pained expression. He then asked, "What happened?"


    "I can''t stand up properly, I''ve twisted my leg." Gu Qingruo tightly hugged her, as if she was about to fall over if she were to let go. Her entire weight was all over her body.


    Gu Qingli''s face darkened. She wasn''t used to such intimate actions, so she wanted to call her maidservants over to help Gu Qingruo, but when she lifted her eyes, the maidservant who had sent the message with her was gone.


    Gu Qingli''s sharp senses sensed that something was wrong. She lifted her eyes and saw that Gu Qingxiao had pulled out a small bottle''s stopper, then heavily tossed it at her.


    A long, red bug crawled out slowly, as if it was hesitating on where to go. Its large head sniffed something, and it moved slower and slower, lingering on Gu Qing Li''s body, almost not daring to move.


    Gu Qingxiao had also never seen the mother Gu before. Before she could even feel how ugly the red worm looked, the red worm trembled like it was spasming. It suddenly leaped forward, and with a bounce of its body, it landed on Gu Qingruo''s body.


    Gu Qingruo did not notice as she hugged Gu Qing Li, trying to make it impossible for her to struggle. Unexpectedly, the moment the red worm landed on her clothes, it immediately moved like a fish diving into the deep sea.


    Gu Qingxiao was dumbstruck as she watched this scene. Before she could regain her senses, Gu Qingli had already reacted. She raised her hand to pinch the red worm.


    Although Gu Qingli did not know what it was, she could guess from its appearance that it was not a good creature. The worm had a finger length, two horns on its head, a pair of wings on its back, but it could not fly, it had no feet on its belly, and on its back, there were long strings of eye-like black dots that lined up in pairs. She subconsciously wanted to grab hold of him first, but her underlings weren''t strong enough. She was afraid of crushing him to death.


    However, when the insect touched her hand, Gu Qing Li felt disgusted. It was so sticky that it seemed like there was a layer of powder on it. Although in her previous life she had developed a fearless personality, when faced with such a strange insect body, she could not help but feel nauseous. The skin all over her body trembled and her hands subconsciously loosened.


    The red worm''s reaction was even more violent than Gu Qing Li''s. After breaking free from her finger, it jumped again and actually spun in a circle, showing an attack posture. Its body shot out like a bow, aiming straight at Gu Qing Li''s finger.


    As the black mist condensed on the tip of her finger, a dragon-shaped bug appeared without a sound. Like a bolt of lightning, it charged forward, collided with the red worm, and suddenly revealed two rows of sharp teeth that were as thin as needles, and bit down.


    The red worm''s body spasmed in mid-air as it fell back onto Gu Qingruo''s body. Very soon, it shrunk in size.


    Gu Qingruo, who had been wholeheartedly hugging Gu Qing Li, finally noticed this battle. When she came back to her senses, she realised that there was a disgusting and terrifying worm on her arm. She immediately shrieked with a shrill voice as if she had been bitten.


    Gu Qing withdrew his hand, and the black dragon-shaped bug retreated back into the black mist. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared without a trace. It didn''t even manage to see where it disappeared from. She stretched out her hand coldly to push Qing Ruo away, but didn''t push her.


    Looking back, Qing Ruo was so scared that her lips turned white. She couldn''t stop shivering and didn''t know how to react. She could only scream incessantly.


    On the other hand, Gu Qingxiao retreated fearfully, afraid that she would be caught in the crossfire.

 C262 Xianfu Gui Ning(6)

    The red worm struggled and rolled around Gu Qing Ruo''s body a few times, as if it was in agony. Suddenly, it arched its body and leaped again, landing on Gu Qing Ruo''s neck, and then it bit down.


    Gu Qingruo felt a sharp pain on the skin of her neck as her soul scattered. She tried her best to lower her head to look, but because of the angle, she couldn''t see clearly. She could only feel the disgusting red worm slowly disappearing before her eyes.


    On the opposite side, Gu Qingxiao could clearly see that the red worm had slowly drilled into Gu Qingruo''s skin. There was no blood, no wounds, until it had completely entered her body. Her snow-white skin was completely undamaged, leaving nothing behind.


    Gu Qingxiao did not know what this Gu was, but today, her understanding of insects far exceeded her understanding of them. She even felt that this was not a reared insect, but an inexplicable demon. Seeing this terrifying scene, she trembled and retreated even further, not caring about her own sister. She was glad that she was too far away to let the Gu enter her body.


    Gu Qingruo had long since let go of Gu Qingli, and kept patting her own neck. Her tears rolled down as she cried, "Third sister, what did you do? This... What the hell is that bug? "


    Gu Qingli was actually very shocked in her heart. Although she had never seen those red worms before, she was now certain that they were a type of Gu, possibly from the same place as the mother Gu in her body. She wasn''t afraid. Instead, she grabbed Gu Qingruo and glared at her. "Who gave you this?"


    Gu Qingxiao was trembling as she shook her head.


    Gu Qingli turned to look at Gu Qingruo, constantly patting her body. Her skin was faintly red, as if something was about to escape through her body, but there was no other movement.


    Instead, it was Gu Qingruo who cried out in grief, "Don''t..." Stop... I feel so bad. "


    Gu Qingli didn''t pay any attention to her. Instead, she drew out the dragon Gu and began to circle around Gu Qingruo. The occasional burst of black fog indicated that she was attacking.


    Gu Qingruo''s skin alternated between white and red, and a strange fluctuation appeared on it. It was as if the red Gu worm was resisting inside her body but didn''t dare to show itself. It was obviously much weaker than the Gu Gu Gu Qingli had released.


    The two Gu worms formed a formation between Gu Qingruo''s body and the rest of her body, causing her to suffer internal and external torment. Her body alternated between cold and hot, causing her pain from swelling and cold.


    Gu Qingli''s brows knitted as she looked at Gu Qingxiao.


    Gu Qingxiao shook her hand, "I don''t know, I ¡­" I don''t know anything, second sister... "Let me go ¡­"


    "Who gave you that Gu worm?" Gu Qing Li''s expression was already stern. She had to find out who it was before she could find any information related to the Gu worm in her body.


    "I... Princess Helian? " Gu Qingxiao suddenly raised her head as if she had seen her savior.


    Gu Qingli looked back and saw Helian Shuang walking towards her with a face full of shock. Helian Yu was beside her.


    Even He Yu came to the Prime Minister''s residence. This was something Gu Qing Li had never expected.


    "Princess Mo." Helian Yu''s cold face softened a little when he saw Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qingli calmed down somewhat. "Crown Prince Helian actually came to attend Madame''s birthday banquet. What a rare guest."


    "I am unfamiliar with this place, so I don''t want to go anywhere. Emperor Dongyuan ordered King Mo and Princess Wangfei to entertain me, but today you two have disappeared at the same time. I was bored to death in the inn, so I had no choice but to come out and find my sister."


    His expression was cold and arrogant as he mercilessly denied that he had come to congratulate the Prime Minister''s wife on his birthday.


    Without waiting for Gu Qing Li to come up with a good choice of words, Helian Shuang lost control of her voice and said, "Isn''t this Princess Mu? "What''s going on?"


    Gu Qingxiao was still trembling and had yet to regain her wits. When Gu Qingli saw Helian Lie bend over to flip Gu Qingruo''s face, she quickly stepped forward to help her up.


    As she spoke, Gu Qingli''s fingertips moved secretly. With one hand supporting Gu Qingruo and the other using the other to block the wide sleeves of her robe, she rapidly healed several hidden acupoints. Hearing Gu Qingruo''s groan, she slowly woke up.


    Gu Qingluo had fainted because of the battle between the two Gu. Her skin was almost torn from the torture, and once Gu Qing Li stopped using the Gu worms, the red Gu within her body had stopped roasting and was self-nourishing. She looked normal.


    Helian Peng watched as Gu Qingruo slowly woke up. He cast a suspicious glance around before looking at Gu Qingxiao, "Why is Imperial Concubine Gu panicking like this?"


    Gu Qingxiao swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Her pale face and trembling lips exposed her fear. She couldn''t even utter a complete sentence.


    Gu Qingli indifferently swept a glance at Gu Qingxiao and faintly smiled, "Third sister is naturally frightened because of caring for eldest sister." Elder sister, are you feeling better? "What happened just now scared us."


    Under Gu Qingli''s intimidating gaze, Gu Qingxiao frantically nodded her head. She didn''t dare to retort in the slightest.


    Gu Qingli had actually covered up for her. This was already far beyond her expectations, so how could she dare to expose this matter?


    Instead, she kept looking at Gu Qingruo, even eagerly walking forward to help support her. She gently said, "Eldest young mistress, you''ve finally woken up. Is there something wrong?"


    Gu Qingruo woke up, feeling a wave of nausea and terror. She wanted to open her mouth to say something, but felt a slight stabbing pain from her body. Suddenly, she couldn''t speak. When she raised her eyes to take a look, she was met with two pairs of eyes.


    Gu Qingli was cold and menacing, obviously threatening. Gu Qingxiao, on the other hand, was full of pleading and fear.


    However, she knew that she had been set up by Gu Qing Li, so she couldn''t say anything. If she didn''t have to say something unfavorable, who knew if Gu Qing Li would release the black Gu worm again, making her want to live and not be able to beg for death?


    She gritted her teeth and slowly nodded.


    Gu Qingli slowly withdrew the silver needle in her hand. Gu Qingruo felt her body loosen up and blurted out, "Just now ¡­" Oh, I just felt a bit dizzy a moment ago.


    "Hmm?" The doubt in Helian Zhenren''s eyes deepened. Although she wasn''t very smart, she could see that Gu Qingruo was speaking the truth. Gu Qing Li had clearly seen Gu Qing Ruo fall to the ground, but she had ignored her and pretended to be anxious and concerned when she saw the two of them coming. There must be something fishy going on.


    Helian Yu, on the other hand, saved her, saying, "Prime Minister and Madam have been waiting for too long. Since Princess Mu is fine, why don''t we hurry up and go?"


    "Yeah, yeah." Gu Qingxiao added with a pale face.


    Helian Shuang wanted to ask more questions, but Gu Qingruo had already moved at ease. The three sisters walked side by side, no one gave her a chance to ask any more questions.


    Although this birthday banquet was not very lively, it was very spectacular. Yu Bi Ling was very flattered by the presence of the Crown Prince and Princess from the Northern Chu, so she was much less concerned about Gu Qingxiao. She did not pay too much attention to her little daughter, who had been absent-minded all this time.


    On the other hand, Xiao Yi Xiu was gentle and considerate, showing no favoritism towards his second wife. He was like a loving couple, making Gu Chaoran unable to criticize him.

 C263 Outbreak(1)

    Although Helian Yu had no intention to congratulate this banquet, he still brought a large gift with him. After all, he was the Crown Prince of the Northern Chu and even if he spoke in a disrespectful tone, he could not fail in etiquette, or else people would laugh at how stingy Bei Chu was.


    After the birthday banquet had ended, the Helian siblings left one after another. Naturally, Xiao Yixiu would leave with his main wife. Gu Qingluo wanted to follow them, but Yu Bi Ling called upon her to stay behind and accompany her for a while.


    Gu Qingruo sensed it for a moment, but didn''t feel anything unusual about her, so she left it uneasily.


    After they got into the carriage, they rode for a distance before Gu Qingli stared at Gu Qingxiao and asked, "Who gave you the Gu worms? What do you want?"


    In the face of her harsh questioning, Gu Qingxiao''s face suddenly turned deathly pale as he trembled and said, "I don''t ¡­" "I can''t say ¡­"


    "What happened?" Xiao Yi frowned. Although he could tell that the attitude of the three of them was a bit unnatural, Gu Qing Li''s eyes were calm. He thought that nothing big would happen.


    Gu Qingli was about to say something when a strange sound came from Gu Qingxiao''s throat. Her entire body twitched and curled up, her four limbs spasming nonstop. Bright red blood flowed out of her mouth, her eyes rolled back, and she bent her arms.


    Gu Qingli quickly took out some silver needles. "Hold on to her." Xiao Yixiu took the hint and controlled Gu Qingxiao''s convulsing body.


    With a wave of her jade-like hand, silver needles rained down one after another. Her slender fingers pierced several dozen acupoints before she finally stopped to catch her breath.


    Xiao Yi Xiu released Gu Qing Xiao. He raised his hand to wipe away the sweat on Gu Qing Li''s forehead. Looking at her appearance, she seems to be a little similar to the last time when we forcefully drove out the Gu. "


    Gu Qing Li became lost in thought. He shook his head lightly and took out a thick and long silver needle, stabbing deeply into Gu Qing Xiao''s fingertip. Bright red blood flowed out of the needle as it was pulled out.


    She sighed lightly, "You are right, she might have been poisoned, but I do not know what it is. I only know that this Gu can be controlled from a distance, and the person who cast it will not allow her to reveal her secrets, for fear that she will not wake up again."


    Xiao Yixiu was still glaring at her, obviously waiting for her to continue.


    Gu Qingli was helpless. She recounted what had happened before and instead comforted him, "Don''t worry, I''m fine."


    Xiao Yi Xiu held her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He looked at her fingers and scolded, "You know that''s not a good thing, but why did you call it out so easily? You want to use it to suppress the Gu in Gu Qingruo''s body, who knows how strong these two Gu are? What if the Gu in your body loses, and you get counterattacked? "


    "That won''t happen, I feel that the Gu in my body is much stronger than that red Gu worm ¡­"


    "Don''t use common sense to guess. Those are Gu worms. Exactly how many poisonous substances did they fight and filter out? We simply do not know about them." I''ve seen the Golden Gu before, but I still feel that it has intelligence. Even though it is not as strong as an animal, it doesn''t look like an ordinary insect. What if that red Gu was the one who purposely showed weakness and lured you into underestimating the enemy? "


    Seeing that his eyes were filled with worry, Gu Qingli giggled. "Don''t worry, even if the Gu are so cunning, do I not have a way to deal with them?"


    "The Gu in your body is now connected to your blood vessels and can no longer treat it as an ordinary Gu. If it suffers, I''m afraid it will affect your primordial spirit."


    Gu Qingli''s eyes flickered with a smile. Just as she was about to say something, he covered her lips with his hand. "Can''t you stop trying to be brave? We have tried many times to expel it from your body, but we have already proven that it is now with you in both life and death. Until there is no way to safely expel it from your body, you will not be in a condition to do anything dangerous, do you hear me? "


    Anxiety and nervousness filled his eyes, causing Gu Qingli''s heart to soften. Although she didn''t answer, she gently nodded her head, opened her mouth slightly and bit into his fingertip. Her small smooth tongue licked one of his fingers, teasing him.


    Xiao Yixiu felt his body heat up as the tightness in his fingers extended to the depths of his heart. He subconsciously pulled his hand away and kissed her with a sly smile.


    The two of them gradually entered the beautiful state as the carriage jolted about. The temperature within the carriage vaguely rose, and a burning sensation spread through their bodies. Xiao Yixiu gradually found it difficult to endure.


    Unknowingly, Gu Qingli''s front lapel had been disbanded. The biting winter wind blew past the heavy cotton curtain, causing her bones to ache. She shivered and then woke up, shyly pushing him away. "Don''t ¡­" "There''s someone in the carriage ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t even look at Gu Qingxiao, but pressed her gently onto the wide chair. It was a brocade made of snow-white fur, warm and soft.


    "That won''t do. What if she wakes up ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu finally leaned to the side and waved his sleeve, sending out a gust of wind. With a flick of his finger, he sealed Gu Qing Xiao''s acupoints.


    Ever since he had recovered, he had actually never fought against anyone before. Gu Qing Li rarely saw him make a move, his Qi had reached a superb level, but it was used to prevent others from spying on him. He was both angry and amused.


    Before he finished his sentence, the body of the carriage shook and lost weight. It was actually a horse pulling the carriage that had its front hooves kicked up as it screamed.


    The carriage was being driven by the guards of the Palace of the King, and they were quite skilled. They pulled the reins in their hands and swung the horsewhips, forcing the horse to fall to the ground with a loud thud, causing the people inside the carriage to sway.


    Gu Qingxiao fell from the opposite seat, still unconscious.


    Xiao Yi Xiu deftly caught Gu Qing Li in his arms. Although they were trembling, he didn''t fall down.


    He closed his eyes and sighed. An accident really happened as soon as he said it. This kind of thing that had never happened before could actually be said by Gu Qingli.


    Gu Qingli laughed softly, "Am I right?" Accidents are everywhere. "


    Her face was flushed red as she held the lapel of her clothes to cover herself. She was also curious as to how she had met with such an accident today.


    Xiao Yi Xiu sat up with a dissatisfied expression.


    The curtain of the carriage moved as if someone was about to enter.


    Xiao Yi Xiu immediately straightened his posture and straightened his clothes. Luckily, his clothes were still neat and tidy, and only a few of his creases were left on. Using his body to block Gu Qing Li, he lifted a corner of the cotton curtain and stuck his head out. Who dares to alarm This King''s chariot? "


    The guard then turned around and replied, "Reporting to your highness, we have reached the border of the inner city. There are heavy guards outside the inner city. As long as people from the outer city enter, they must pass through the inner city to prevent the plague from bringing them into the inner city!"


    "What is it?" Xiao Yixiu saw two rows of city guards standing by the side of the horse carriage. They had silver spears and iron armor, and their faces were filled with a ferocious aura. They were asking to inspect the inside of the horse carriage.

 C264 Outbreak(2)

    Earlier, when the curtain of the carriage was lifted, one of the frontmost guards used the spearpoint to lift the curtain, but it was blocked by the guard driving the carriage.


    There were shadow guards lurking around the carriages and carriages, but they were under official inspection. No matter how unreasonable or unreasonable the order was, they didn''t dare to act rashly. The guards could only drive them around, but not stop them.


    Xiao Yi was dressed in the armor of the infantry uniform, which was under the command of the imperial army. However, in the center of his chest armor, there was a beast that looked like a kirin, rather than a kirin.


    "Which battalion are you in?" Xiao Yi was warm like jade and his voice was cold. His words were filled with a noble aura, making people naturally not dare to act presumptuously.


    The originally fierce garrison was stunned for a moment. They did not reply and could tell that the person in the car was either rich or expensive.


    However, Xiao Yixiu had always been low-key when he traveled, and the carriage never carried the name of the Prince''s Mansion. The guards knew his personality, and they wouldn''t easily use the name to intimidate him.


    Although the garrison was tough and arrogant, he was still a youth that had just joined the army for a few years. He was still young and had never fought with Xiao Yixiu before.


    Although he felt that the owner of the carriage was being oppressed, he still raised his head and shouted, "Come out! Are you going to get off the carriage to be inspected by us, or do you want us to get on the carriage to investigate?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled.


    The coachman was keenly aware of the prince''s anger, so he quickly got off the carriage and swung his horsewhip in the air, "This is the carriage belonging to the Prince Mo. The carriage belongs to Prince Mo, his principal concubine and secondary wife. Who would dare to investigate?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu said gently, "Yi Gui, there''s no need to talk to him. He wants to investigate. Let him come up."


    He turned around to take a look. Gu Qing Li hastily tidied up her clothes and helped Gu Qing Xiao sit up, allowing her to lean against his shoulder. She looked extremely tired and had her eyes closed, revealing only half of her face.


    He lifted the cotton curtain and alighted from the carriage, gracefully standing there. His eyes exuded a sense of unbridled and noble alienation. There was a trace of a shallow smile in his eyes as he looked at the soldier holding a spear at the gate.


    It was unknown who gave the order, but none of the guards at the front of the city gate were his former subordinates. It was obvious that they were here to make things difficult for him.


    The leader of the garrison seemed to be a small team leader. He hesitated for a moment in the face of Xiao Yixiu''s imposing manner, but his eyes were filled with unease. He quietly walked forward, lifted the carriage''s curtain, and even went on a tour around the carriage without a trace of politeness.


    The team had even encircled the carriage, slowly shifting their gazes away from Xiao Yi Xiu. They seemed to be taking it easy, but in reality, they were on guard.


    Inside the carriage, the squad leader searched around under the watchful eyes of the crowd, lifting the cushions on his seat and even inspecting the empty boxes of items placed under the wooden plank. He then looked at Gu Qingli and her sister for a long time before letting out a hollow laugh, "Sorry for troubling you, Consort Wang. Please extend your hand for this lowly general to see."


    Gu Qingli was surprised, but she was also angry. She didn''t mind people looking at her hands, but in this era, it was very rude for a man to let a woman reach out for him to look, not to mention the fact that he was inferior to her.


    The captain hurriedly explained, "I am not trying to be rude. It is because of a sudden outbreak of plague in the outer city. Today, an urgent order has been sent down from the palace that anyone who enters the inner city from the outer city will be strictly scrutinized, even nobles like Wang Gong."


    In order to prove his point, he even shook out a piece of official paper. Presumably, there were official documents like this at every exit.


    "In the early morning of the epidemic, many dark red spots appeared on the limbs of the hands and feet." In the early morning of the epidemic, many dark red spots appeared on the limbs of the disease.


    Gu Qingli didn''t pay much attention to it. She only took a glance at the red seal and couldn''t have imagined it to be fake. She was just surprised at what the disease was. It only happened after she left the city and returned to peace.


    Most of the princes lived in the inner city, while most of the ministers stayed in the inner city, while some stayed in the outer city. In terms of official position and purchasing power, Gu Chaoran should have stayed in the inner city. However, the inner city''s Guo compound had been renovated and renovated over the years, so they temporarily moved to Guo''s mansion in the outer city. Thus, she left the city, not expecting such a thing to happen to her.


    When the captain saw Gu Qingli stretch out a pair of white hands from her sleeves, slender and delicate, her fingertips like bamboo shoots, almost transparent, his heart suddenly raced wildly. Following which, she rolled up the sleeves of the ''sleeping'' Gu Qingxiao and revealed a pair of white hands.


    Gu Qingxiao''s wrist, which was as smooth as cream, had a butterfly shaped black and red spot on it. At first glance, it looked like a birthmark, but at the same time, it also looked like a tattoo.


    Gu Qingli also felt it was strange, but she was not familiar with Gu Qingxiao''s body. Benxiu''s memories were not so clear that she could even remember the details. She was startled for a moment before reaching out her hand to touch it. "This is a birthmark, not a plaque."


    The squad leader hesitated for a long time before nodding, "Princess Mo is right." Then he bowed his head and made a gesture that he would not retreat from, as if he still did not want to leave.


    Gu Qingli smiled slightly. "Do you want to take a look at shoes and socks?"


    Although her voice wasn''t loud, it was clearly carried by the wind to the outside of the carriage. The soldiers had different expressions on their faces, but they secretly exchanged glances with each other.


    "..." Ah? This... No... "Or not ¡­" The captain laughed with some reluctance, but didn''t jump out of the car.


    Gu Qingli bent down without a care. First, she removed Gu Qingxiao''s shoes and socks, revealing her jade-like feet. Then she lifted up her skirt and removed her shoes and socks as well.


    "This... "That''s not good ¡­" The captain rejected it without the slightest bit of sincerity, but his naked eyes continued to stare at the two pairs of flawless jade feet. Each of his toes was as delicate as a carving, and even had a reddish hue due to the stimulation of the cold wind, making them as alluring as cherry blossoms.


    The squad leader could almost hear the gulping sound of water in his throat. He reluctantly swept his eyes over and over again before he got off the car in a sorry state.


    Gu Qingli looked at his back with a hint of a smile. The vulgar look in her eyes made her feel disgusted, but it also made her feel that it was laughable to be in such a sorry state. After all, in her previous life, she was an unscrupulous assassin. If it was necessary, she would even seduce him with her beauty. She didn''t mind exposing herself at a moderate level. In her time, her arms and legs could be displayed in broad daylight without any restraint. This was nothing.


    The reaction under the carriage was different. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, everyone could see the captain of the garrison offending Princess Mo. He dared to look at the feet of the main imperial concubine and the side concubine.

 C265 Outbreak(3)

    Yi Gui''s face was twisted. Although he knew what had happened, he didn''t dare to look closely. His heart was beating wildly as he stole a glance at King Mo.


    Yi Gui knew King Mo''s temperament very well. He had a gentle and harmless appearance, but his clear eyes did not seem to possess any destructive power. After being poisoned, he had been stripped of his military authority, and now and then, he would show his sickness. However, in reality, he was still the King of Mo. He was the overseer of the three armies. He was a man who never blinked his eyes despite the blood. His bones never wore down the slightest bit of killing intent. He just went deeper and trained even more ruthlessly.


    After the captain came down, Xiao Yi Xiu slowly put down the curtain. With a warm smile in his eyes, he asked, "Have you finished inspecting everything?"


    "..." "Yes." The squad leader swallowed a mouthful of saliva with great difficulty, he still hadn''t recovered from the magnificent scene from a moment ago.


    "Does it look good?"


    The captain didn''t know how to reply.


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his hand, and Yi Gui understood. He slowly drew his sword from the ground at his waist and handed it over.


    The instant the sword hilt was grasped, the red tassels on the sword tip vibrated. Everyone could only hear Mo Wang Qing''s melodious voice, "Look good, and remember it in your heart. In the future, you will never see it again."


    A sword light flashed as silver sword lights flashed one after another. Everyone felt their vision turn bright as they felt their vision turn black without any pain. Warm liquid slowly flowed down their cheeks.


    The squad leader only had one thought running through his mind: "Why is the sky suddenly getting dark?" Suddenly, a sharp pain came from his eyes. He didn''t have enough time to let out a long miserable scream, and started rolling on the ground while covering his face.


    Miserable screams rang out one after another. The Silver Spear Iron-armored defenders fell to the ground, holding their eyes and wailing non-stop.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t even look at them. He lifted his sword and shook it lightly. Fresh blood flowed down the sword slot, instantly becoming clean. Only the edge of the sword, brimming with killing intent, flashed in the sunlight.


    Yi Gui took the sword from him and returned it to its sheath. He then jumped onto the carriage and whined, causing the horse he was driving to snort loudly.


    Xiao Yi Xiu said as he sat in the carriage beside the carriage, "This king''s wife is not one that anyone can casually look at. If they do, they have to pay a price. I let you live so that you can go back and report. "


    Yi Gui no longer looked at the group of people rolling on the ground as he drove the carriage through the city gate.


    Gu Qingli looked at the cold and emotionless smile on Xiao Yixiu''s face that even contained killing intent. She couldn''t help but reach out to grab his hand.


    He leaned over and sat beside her, then pulled her into his arms again. He used his hand, which had blinded more than twenty people, to caress her face.


    Gu Qingli sighed lightly and moved her hand to her lips, kissing his fingers one by one. She seemed to smell the blood on his fingers, but in reality, there was only the light fragrance of the bath beans. Royal baths often had expensive spices added on them, such as cloves, joss sticks, water flowers, and musk.


    "Actually, a man like you is truly very frightening."


    "Are you afraid of me?" Xiao Yi Xiu pressed his hand against her forehead, the smile in his eyes as gentle as water.


    Gu Qingli shook her head. "Actually, it''s just a small matter. Aren''t you afraid of others noticing that the poison in your body has already been expunged?"


    He slightly raised his face and focused for a moment before smiling, "Soon. Even if they haven''t noticed, someone will force me to make a move sooner or later."


    "For example ¡ª today."


    Gu Qingli nodded silently.


    With her personality, she would never lower her head easily, but today''s matter was obviously not simple. She had cooperated with others to let them find out so that they wouldn''t make things difficult for Xiao Yixiu.


    However, even if she did cooperate, this matter still couldn''t be resolved so easily. Who would have thought that Xiao Yi Xiu would be so indignant as to go so far as to blind so many of the defenders for her?


    Whether it was fortune or misfortune, it could not be avoided. With this thought, Gu Qing Li''s heart calmed down and changed the topic. "What do you think about the plague?" If it were to explode in the capital, wouldn''t that mean that even the officials living in the outer city wouldn''t be able to escape detection? "


    "Let''s talk about it at the court tomorrow. In contrast, the Helian siblings are not allowed to casually bring them out of the city in the recent days. The inner city may not have much of a scenery, but a few major roads are still bustling with life.


    This was not a season where epidemics happened easily. Furthermore, the weather in the capital was extremely good, with no droughts, floods, or the like, why would there be an outbreak of plague without any warning?


    "It''s better if you spend some time with them. I want to go to the outer city to check out the epidemic situation."


    Xiao Yi Xiu thought about it for a moment. Gu Qing Li''s medical skills were marvelous. Perhaps she could really help, so he agreed.


    He knew that the Gu Master had used some sort of method to cause her to fall into such a state, so he could only send her back to the dungeon. He sent a maid to serve her and had the shadow guards keep an eye on her from time to time.


    The next day, when the morning assembly arrived, someone began to talk about the plague in the outer city. He said that the famous doctors in the city had gathered to discuss the details of the epidemic, and that Jing Zhaoyin was able to deal with it in time.


    At the same time, both the inner and outer city will strengthen their patrolling and pass the inspection.


    After all, this was the capital city, and the inner and outer city were merely walls. If the outer city became popular, then the inner city might not survive.


    He did not mention a single word about how he had intercepted King Mo''s carriage at the entrance of the inner city yesterday, causing the city guards to go berserk.


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed coldly in his heart. He knew that the army wasn''t dispatched by the normal route, and they even made such rude demands on the streets. Even if they had sufficient reasons to pass the inspection, they still wouldn''t offend the royal family''s women.


    Last night, he had heard from Lu Linghui that the troop of Fierce Beasts that was branded on their breastplates belonged to the Fire Hou Battalion. It was a personal guard unit that Xiao Yijin had developed after taking over the command of the imperial army.


    After all, the disasters and man-made disasters in the rest of the cities were still far away from the real world, and only the epidemic was close at hand. The majority of the officials in the capital lived in the outer city because of their position and wealth, so even those who lived in the inner city like Gu Zhaoran had to have private residences in the outer city.


    Speaking of some countermeasures, the Emperor nodded his head and said, "The defense between the inner and outer city must be strengthened. Those who are suspected of being infected must not enter the inner city again.


    These words made everyone anxious. Although the outer city was dangerous, there were still relatives. How could they be at ease to never return? Thus, each of them looked anxious. Lin Qiao, the vice minister of the military department, said anxiously, "My parents and family are all in the outer city. How can I ignore them?"

 C266 Outbreak(4)

    "Yes, this subject is the same."


    "This subject also requests that Your Majesty reconsider ¡­"


    These civil and military officials were mostly living in the underworld. If they were to drag their children into the inner city, who knew how many family members they would have, they would definitely not be able to place them in the inner city. However, if they were allowed to enter and exit the city, even if they were strictly inspected every day, it would be difficult to guarantee that they wouldn''t bring the disease into the inner city.


    Cheng Dong took a step forward, bowed and said: "This subject believes that rather than strictly controlling the movement of people, it is better to find a solution as soon as possible. If there is a medicine that can cure the disease, it is more effective than this."


    Cheng had been promoted to the position of assistant minister of the Ministry of Industry soon after he was revived from the last time. Bai Wanqing claimed that he was a good friend with the great achievements of Chiyue''s water treatment.


    "In addition, simple fortifications should be set up in the epidemic area of the outer city. The infected and suspected contenders should be placed there. The residences of these two groups of people should also be separated so as to avoid miscalculation." His proposal was to build a project, even if it was the simplest one, it would have to be reviewed and approved by the Ministry of Industry.


    The emperor thought for a moment, then said, "Alright, I''ll leave this matter to my beloved official Cheng." In his heart, he felt that even though the new assistant minister was young, he was still calm and composed. With a wave of his pen, he drew out the money and sent it to the Ministry of Revenue to collect the silver taels.


    "For this epidemic, the Yan King has full authority to handle it, including the matter regarding Minister Cheng''s construction. It also needs to be reported to the Yan King, who will supervise the construction." The emperor ordered the imperial hospital to send out two imperial doctors to the people, to discuss with the famous doctors before the treatment of the epidemic.


    Not long after he left the imperial court, there were many guests inside the secret chamber. When this matter was brought up, everyone felt that it was extremely troublesome, affecting their entry into and exit from the city.


    "Speaking of which, why is the complete authority of the emperor given to King Yan? Simply to say, the Ministry of Industry had set up a simple fortification to prevent the outbreak of the disease and reduce the disaster, yet the Emperor didn''t trust him and even sent King Yan to supervise the construction? The Yan King didn''t know anything about fortifications, so he didn''t know anything about fortifications. He was clearly asking him to monitor Uncle Bai Wanqing''s uncles.


    Prince Yi smiled slowly. "I''m afraid that Minister Cheng is too young and inexperienced. That makes sense."


    "I''m afraid the Yan King should make use of this opportunity to make a fortune." In the history of the imperial court, Han Yifei gently smiled, but the words he said were very spicy.


    "If he''s going to fish for it, that''s fine too. I''m afraid he won''t fall for it." Prince Yi laughed again and shook his head.


    Although Xiao Yi Jin wasn''t particularly fond of the Emperor, but he was the only one that was suppressed and deposed by the princes. Even though he had been slightly implicated in the matter of Cheng Ying, after the exchange, the situation had turned out very well. He had washed himself white, and now he had the momentum of standing above all the princes.


    The Emperor had entrusted him with this task, so it could be said that he was very trusting of Xiao Yi Jin. If Xiao Yi Jin was so blind as to try to rob him, he would be a little careless.


    The prince needed money to manage his own family and influence. In fact, his monthly salary sounded quite impressive. In fact, he was actually raising a family of men and women to eat and die fighting. This amount of money was a drop in the bucket. As a result, the princes each secretly operated a few businesses, such as Imperial Concubine Lan''s Star-Moon Gambling Workshop, Empress Xin''s Flower Pavilion, and the Clothing Manor of the Palace of the Twilight Prince.


    It was a pity that the princes were not able to win him over, and this was a good opportunity for Xiao Yijin. Whether he would be able to take down the plane or just make use of this chance to make a profit, it all depended on his foresight.


    Xiao Ling Fei looked at Xiao Yi Xiu with a smile on his face. His eyes flickered as he asked, "Are you trustworthy?"


    "Don''t worry, although Cheng Wan is young, he is not stupid. As for Bai Wanqing ¡ª "Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. That seemingly neutral and upright Minister of the Department of Revenue was actually not as simple as he seemed. If he was honest and refused to stand with any Imperial Party, he probably wouldn''t be able to hold his current position.


    He was still very good at avoiding important issues and putting on an act of feigning camaraderie.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had saved Cheng Qi, and Bai Wanqing was extremely grateful and respectful towards him. However, even so, he was still unable to completely subdue this person. Bai Wanqing had only agreed to let the Chi Yue Shang, Jia Zhenfeng, mine the mines, and had repaid them for this matter. He had cut ties with Xiao Yixiu, and had returned to his neutral position as the Minister of Industry.


    Xiao Lingfei joked that Bai Wanqing was an old fox who would wander the world forever. He would not offend or submit to anyone; he would protect his own philosophy.


    "Oh, right. Where''s Princess Mo?" Finally, someone noticed that there was one less person in the secret chamber.


    Xiao Yi Xiu replied, "She left the inner city and went to the outer city to look for a cure."


    "What?" Even Xiao Lingfei was taken aback. "You actually let that delicate little wangfei of yours take the risk? Aren''t you afraid that she might catch an epidemic? "


    "She will pay attention. I just hope that she can find a way to deal with this epidemic as soon as possible."


    Everyone in the secret chamber knew of Gu Qingli''s identity as'' Li Yue. ''However, they hadn''t expected that their beloved wife, Xiao Yixiu, would actually be willing to risk his precious wangfei.


    Gu Qingli, on the other hand, didn''t care at all. She changed back into the red gauze covering Li Yue and sewed a pair of deerskin gloves for herself. She had a very good defense.


    It was very quiet outside the city, since Jing Zhaoyin had received the imperial edict and sent orders to the towns and cities. Unless it was absolutely necessary, all the businesses along the streets were suspended, and all the wealthy families closed their doors.


    When they reached the west gate, they heard some noise. Gu Qing Li looked into the distance and noticed that it was a group of imperial soldiers. They were under martial law and didn''t allow anyone to enter or leave.


    It was a crowded area. There were a lot of residents and merchants near the bustling streets of the outer city, and there were also a lot of farmers in the area. How could they withstand this kind of torture?


    Many people began to complain and clamor, demanding that they be allowed to go out to work and land.


    Gu Qing Li watched on from the sidelines for a while. It was obvious that the soldiers had received orders, and they carried it out in a violent and rough manner. They beat them with their weapons whenever there was any resistance, causing them to wail even more.


    Although it could effectively control the spread of the epidemic disease, it couldn''t solve the problem of people''s livelihood. After all, most of the people in the epidemic area were normal people, and imprisoning them in the area not only affected their normal life, but also forced them to have no livelihood.


    Cheng''s suggestion was to separate the infected and the sick. This was very true, but Xiao Yi Jin had obviously exaggerated the scope and strength of the mission. In order to complete it perfectly, he didn''t care about the lives and deaths of the people in the area.


    The workers in the construction department were working day and night on the simple fortifications in the nearby areas. The place was full of noise and it was very disturbing.


    Gu Qing Li thought for a moment. Currently, she couldn''t change Xiao Yi Jin''s order. Looking at those armored soldiers, they were the Fire Hou Battalion soldiers that had been guarding the inner city gates and investigating her. It seemed impossible to open a gap here.


    She walked up and flashed the Mo King Manor''s token as she said, "I am a doctor sent by Mo King to treat the plague. Can you let me pass?"

 C267 travel to epidemic area(1)

    The guard at the entrance stared at her in surprise, examining her from head to foot. The entrance fell silent for a moment, and everyone looked at her quizzically.


    However, Gu Qingli was very calm. She simply waved his command medallion again and put it away, quietly waiting for them to move out of the way.


    Someone in the crowd said, "This is the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue."


    Some people moved out of the way, and there were even more astonished looks on their faces.


    The Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, had been missing for a long time. Although Gu Qing Xiao had taken advantage of her identity, only a few people in the royal family knew of it. Most people were always confused, thinking that Li Yue might have left the capital and did not want to hold on to the Mo Mansion token and suddenly appear.


    Gu Qing Li walked smoothly. Other than some people throwing flabbergasted looks at her from time to time, there was no one stopping or interrogating her. The Fire Hou Battalion was under martial law, and they also entered and left freely.


    There was a small market in the surrounded area, which was basically doing business for the nearby residents. Currently, the narrow street was filled with broken vegetables and scattered, worthless goods, and there were no more merchants living here. On the other hand, there was a small street at the back next to the nearest village.


    Gu Qingli knew that the first plague came from that small village. There was a dense forest behind the village, and in any forest, there would be plenty of insects and ants. Naturally, the speed at which the plague spread was very fast.


    The people on both sides of the street were complaining. After being trapped for two days, there were some farmers who didn''t have enough food left. They began to worry about their survival and to sigh as they left, but no one had the time to deal with this foreign woman.


    Gu Qingli crossed the street and arrived at the front of the small village. There were people gathering at the head of the village, who were checking the pulse of the people in the long line, and sitting at the head of the village was an old man wearing the uniform of the imperial court. He had white hair and wore a black cloth covering his face, and on his palm was a thin silk glove that was as thin as a cicada''s wing.


    A few soldiers from the Fire Hou Battalion stood scattered in the distance. They were holding guns and patrolling the village. However, they all had their faces covered with cloth. Their eyes were vigilant as they didn''t want to get too close to the villagers.


    Once a villager was found to be suspicious, he had to open the palm of his hand and remove his shoes and socks to inspect them. The soldiers who were not found with black patches or fever were escorted to the other side of the village to be looked after, presumably to be transferred to a suspected area of infection to be quarantined; those who were found with black patches or fever were escorted directly to a few thatched cottages in the east of the village for medical treatment.


    Gu Qingli looked at it for a while and felt that this place was proceeding in an orderly manner. Although the guards of the Fire Hou Battalion were crude, they were still quite orderly in their duties. It could be seen that Xiao Yijin''s imperial camp could be considered well-trained.


    She slowly walked forward and approached the soldiers of the Fire Hou Battalion, inquiring about the situation inside.


    When she heard that it was the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue, her face relaxed a little and she replied, "These past two days have been strictly classified. This kind of diagnosis process is carried out every day, and even if you checked normal yesterday, it''s hard to say if it will not happen today. Strangely enough, the quarantine inspection is so tight that there are still people who are infected and those who are sick. "


    "Is the sick person treated in time?"


    "It''s much better that it died. It was carried to the back of the mountain and immediately set on fire."


    As he said this, the soldier lowered his voice, "We cannot let the villagers know about this matter. Otherwise, if we were to create a ruckus, it would not be easy for our soldiers to suppress them."


    In those days, it was emphasized to bury the body in the ground and settle down. People believed that burning the corpse would make it difficult for the dead to live peacefully, and they would not leave the corpse intact even after death. However, when the plague broke out, it was not as safe as cremation to bury a body deep, and burying a body deep took human time. Who would want to do that?


    If he really wanted to suppress them, he could kill them all with five hundred people in one battalion, but if that was the case, he would not be able to explain himself in front of the emperor when he was washing the people in the village. Xiao Yijin would definitely not do something that would affect his image in the imperial court.


    The patrolling soldiers were also very annoyed and frightened. This was because for the past two days, the patrolling guards at the village entrance had already been infected and quarantined. Their hearts were filled with fear.


    "I heard that one day we still have to transfer a battalion. Otherwise, if it''s just our battalion, we won''t be able to withstand this rate."


    "Who''s in charge of the diagnosis and treatment?" Is there any cure or improvement? " Gu Qingli pointed at the tightly guarded thatched cottages.


    The soldier''s face was a bit stiff, and he didn''t say anything for a while.


    Gu Qingli immediately knew that the so called infected person receiving treatment was a lie. Those people were just imprisoned there, waiting to die!


    She immediately became a bit angry. Such indifference and disregard for human life was really Xiao Yijin''s style. Although he did not dare to suppress and kill people on a large scale, he would abandon those patients and ignore them. However, no one dared to complain, as long as they said that the treatment was ineffective, they could stall.


    Gu Qingli ignored them and walked towards the thatched cottages.


    Naturally, there were guards at the door as well. They didn''t look like the other patrolling soldiers when they saw her. Instead, they brandished their silver spears and crossed each other to block her path, "No matter who you are, you can''t just casually enter here."


    "And if I do?" Gu Qingli raised an eyebrow.


    The two looked at each other and said, "Are you going in or out of here?"


    Gu Qingli sneered and grabbed one of the spears with her bare hands.


    He turned towards her and said with anger, "I advise you to do this out of goodwill. It''s full of epidemic diseases, and those who can''t get out after entering, when we found out that this disease died a few days ago, a doctor sent by Lord Jing Zhaoyin went in to treat them. As a result, yesterday we lost him, and he fell down faster than some of the plague inside."


    Gu Qing Li took a step back, ignoring him. He placed his finger on the spear shaft, and with a tug, a powerful force carried him to the soldier on the other side. Gu Qing Li then lifted his leg and kicked the soldier on the right side of the spear out of the man''s wrist.


    Gu Qing Li had dabbled in 18 different types of weapons. Although the long spear was cumbersome, it shouldn''t be a problem for the time being. The silver spear spun in her palm. The spear tip hit the ground and repelled two people. However, more soldiers surrounded her and shouted, "What do you want?"


    Gu Qingli pointed the spear point at the ground and heavily stabbed the spear into the ground, causing the spear shaft to tremble. She said lightly, "I''m going in to treat them. It''s not difficult for you two." In his heart, she knew that the soldier who stopped her, regardless of the order, did not have any ill intentions in his heart.


    The first person to be knocked down by her stroked his burning wrist and sneered, "Since you want to court death, don''t blame Master Military."

 C268 travel to epidemic area(2)

    Gu Qingli smiled and stepped into the grass hut. She could smell the scent of herbs, mixed with the heat dissipating drugs such as Forsythia, Pueraria, and so on. The disease was being treated as a Black Death.


    Since someone was brewing medicine, it meant that even though the guards outside were tight, they were not able to kill the people inside. The only thing they did not know was who had prescribed this prescription.


    The thick curtain covering the hut was lifted by the wind from time to time. It was biting cold, and straw covered the ground all over the inside of the shed. Many people were sleeping on one side, moaning and crying together, even though they didn''t care much about people coming in.


    However, the person who was fanning himself at the door, facing the small stove, suddenly raised his head and saw a cleanly dressed woman come in. He threw the fan at her and cried out, "Are you here to take us out?"


    Gu Qing Li knew that the interior of the shed was infected. Without any hesitation, two silver needles flew out and sealed the other party''s'' Circle Jump ''acupoint, causing her to fall to the ground and not get up. It was a 15-16 year old girl. There were black spots on her neck. She had a thin body and a gray robe. Her hair was tied up. Her eyes were full of grief and fear while her face was pretty.


    "Miss, don''t move, it''s true that I''m here to save you, but you''re infected. If you approach me, I''ll get infected too."


    The girl started to cry. The people lying on the pile of straw also looked over. There were a few who could still move, so they half-crawled over, all of them with a sobbing tone.


    "Everyone is lying down. Come and talk." Gu Qingli pointed at the girl.


    The young girl was at a loss for words before she slowly began to speak. Her father was a travelling doctor, and was the first one to come in to diagnose and treat these people. In fact, he wasn''t some famous doctor, and true famous doctors often had quite a bit of money. When the officials first started, they didn''t care about this illness at all, and the deaths of ten or so poor people was nothing to them, so how could they invite a famous doctor over?


    Only after that did the local county governor start to pay more attention to this matter. After all, it would only take half a month for the news of the Son of Heaven to reach the inner city. That would be a big problem by then.


    He ordered the county''s doctor, Yin, to grab a doctor at random, and the doctor gave him a good medical fee. The doctor brought his daughter over, only to be infected on the first day. This girl was called Feng Zi, perhaps because she was younger and had better physique and hadn''t gotten sick yet. She was here to fry medicine for the villagers, but she also discovered some patches on her body yesterday.


    He had heard that there were a lot of snake rats in the village and the infected people had black, necrotic plaques. He had been treating the plague because of this recipe. However, he hadn''t gotten any better after eating it for ten days.


    "What?" Ten days? Why did it only spread to the court two or three days ago? "


    Feng Zi didn''t understand politics, so she looked at her blankly.


    Gu Qing Li thought for a moment and understood. Only when they could hide the truth would they be willing to report it. She pursed her lips and took off the deerskin glove from one of her hands, changing into a silk glove. Only then did she swing out a red thread and place it on Feng Zi''s wrist, taking her pulse calmly.


    Feng Zi''s eyes lit up with hope as she nervously looked at her.


    Gu Qing Li changed his hand and once again opened his pulse before lowering his eyebrows and shaking his head. "It''s not the Black Death. There''s something wrong with your prescription, how could you treat a good person?"


    "But ¡­"


    "It looks similar, but the Black Death isn''t caused by the end of the limbs, nor is it a butterfly shaped plaque ¡­" Speaking of butterfly patches, Gu Qing Li''s heart chilled. He couldn''t help but remember that Gu Qing Xiao had been tested when she entered the city, and such patches had appeared on her body. At that time, they thought that it was a birthmark and the people inspecting it had actually allowed them to pass without a hitch. However ¡­


    She calmed her heart and asked, "Do you have any signs of rotting?"


    Feng Zi shook her head and pointed towards the pile of grass. "They have ¡­ Can you see my father? " Her eyes were desperate and sad, almost dreamless.


    Gu Qingli followed her and said to the uneasy crowd, "Come one by one. If anyone wants to jump on me, don''t blame me for being impolite."


    In fact, most of those who were either lying or sitting had no more strength left. After hearing his words, they shifted their bodies and did not move too much.


    In the corner, there was a man wearing an old robe. His face was already covered in black spots and was beginning to leak a dark purple fluid. It was also dark purple and had a fishy smell. Gu Qingli brandished the red thread and connected it with his pulse. After a while, she shook her head gently, "My lady, I can only make him stop feeling so much pain."


    Feng Zi''s expression instantly changed, and she began sobbing.


    "Your father will save people for the rest of his life. He will have a good place to go. Don''t be sad." Although this scene caused her to feel sorrowful, to Gu Qingli, who was used to seeing life and death, it was nothing more than a slight ripple in her emotions.


    Gu Qing Li''s needles were like lightning, quickly stabbing the man''s body with a dozen or so silver needles. He then sighed lightly and watched as the spasms gradually lessened, the pain in his eyes lessening somewhat.


    She did not waste any more time on him. She checked his pulse one by one and found that these people''s pulse was very strange, unlike any disease she had ever heard of. During the feudal era, the most widespread epidemics were influenza, plague, malaria, and hemorrhagic fever. However, the pulse of the disease was slippery and astringent. Patches on the face were always in the shape of butterflies, more like poisoning.


    Poisoning is not contagious, unless the medium of infection is very wide and everyone is infected at the same time. Judging from this, the possibility of the insects spreading was much higher. After all, it was impossible for so many people to be bitten by rats, but the possibility of the insects infecting each other was not excluded.


    Gu Qingli put on the deerskin gloves again and carefully examined these patients. She tentatively determined that they were spread by flying foam or contact, and if they were spread by blood or bodily fluids, they shouldn''t be able to reach such a fast speed. If they were spread by water sources, it would be impossible for them to be restricted.


    She asked a lot more questions, only to hear that the dead had been dragged to the back of the mountain to be buried. She knew that they didn''t know what had happened to them, and thought that if she wanted to understand the cause of death completely, she should first find a corpse and then dissect it. Before going to work, they had to relieve the symptoms and try to delay their survival as much as possible.


    She thought for a moment, then opened two prescriptions and stood in front of the door for the doorman to bring them in.


    However, no one was willing to extend their hands to receive it. The soldier whom she had beaten earlier sneered: "I''m telling you, there''s no way I can give you the medicinal ingredients for entering or exiting. "I want to go in and die ¡­"


    Her vision blurred, and the gun in her hand was somehow snatched away from him. The silver tip of the spear was placed in his throat, and Gu Qingli smiled, "Go find some herbs to trouble yourself, or do I need to use this spear on you?"


    The soldier next to him shouted, "Don''t act recklessly. If you stay inside, you won''t die immediately. But if you shoot, you will definitely die on the spot."


    Sure enough, dozens of guns were aimed at her, ready to attack at any moment.

 C269 travel to epidemic area(3)

    Gu Qingli laughed, "You guys didn''t even ask me who I was and you''re already sure I''m going to die? It is unknown whether or not I will die. If anyone dares to touch me, all of you from the Fire Hou clan will not leave any survivors. "


    Her hand trembled, and the tip of her spear instantly swept across everyone''s neck. In just one move, the white light streaked across, and everyone felt a chill in their throat, they touched their necks, but they were all still there. If her move was carried out, perhaps not many people would be able to survive, their faces turned ashen.


    "Go, gather the ingredients according to the prescription. There''s no need to ask about the quantity. Bring all of the ingredients here to me." Gu Qingli raised the tip of her spear and smiled. "Hurry and push a small cart over there. If I don''t return within an hour, I''ll kill one person. After every other incense stick, I''ll kill another."


    She was naturally trying to intimidate him. However, the assigned soldier still hesitated as he accepted the prescription, intending to leave.


    "Come back."


    The man shuddered and turned around. Just as he was about to ask her, he saw something flying into his mouth and stuck in his throat. It was so red that his face turned red and he coughed a few times before slipping down.


    "You don''t have to care about the lives of your comrades. I don''t have time to wait for you." Gu Qingli smiled. "This pill will only work for two hours."


    Seeing him turn and frantically leave, Gu Qing Li kept his spear and smiled. "You can go and report to the Yan Emperor. I believe he will give the order for you to cooperate."


    However, there were more people who could move about, and some of them could even tell her in detail about the oddities of the disease. For example, one villager had clearly stated that he had not contacted any patients before the disease occurred, but had only gone to the forest to collect firewood, and had been surrounded by a group of mosquito-like insects. At that time, he had been knocked out and had been stung a few times, but he had not cared.


    These farmers were mostly rough skin and thick flesh, so how could they pay attention to such things? They only felt that the weather was freezing, the beasts were hibernating, and there were actually insects wreaking havoc outside. It was extremely abnormal.


    Gu Qingli asked. It was only a few tiny black flying insects, so small that their appearances could barely be seen. One slap could kill a lot of them. She then looked carefully at the place where the person had first been bitten. It was all in the exposed parts of the neck and hands.


    "Are there many of these flying insects around you?"


    "I''ve never seen him before ¡­" "The person hesitated before shaking his head. They are all flying insects, who knows what kind." But never in winter. Even after exiting the forest, they have already disappeared. Perhaps, there might be a few scattered objects flying about, so who would care. "


    Gu Qing Li looked around in the air with a cold expression. She walked out and said to the soldiers outside, "You guys go out and buy some calamus root and wormwood leaf."


    After the warning just now, that person didn''t dare to be rude to her. Carefully, he asked, "This isn''t the time to produce Calamus Root ¡­ Was it used to repel mosquitoes? "


    "There are calamus stalks in the pharmacy, and wormwood leaves can also be used to repel mosquitoes." Gu Qingli didn''t want to explain too much to him. Even if they weren''t mosquitoes, insects would avoid smoke because of their natural tendency to avoid it.


    That person muttered in his heart and followed orders. He was thinking about the mosquitoes in the middle of winter. Was there something wrong with it?


    The soldiers from the Fire Hou Battalion who went to do some work were also quick to act. They quickly returned with two carts of herbs, Calamus Root and Artemisia Leaf. Gu Qingli instructed them to bring Calamus Root and Artemisia Leaf to light insect repellents everywhere, but no one moved after hesitating.


    "Do as she says."


    A cold voice came from the distance. Gu Qingli looked up and saw Xiao Yixiu''s slender and handsome figure walking slowly towards her. His white robes were spotless, without a speck of dust on them. His hands were clasped behind his back.


    He came alone and leisurely strolled around as if he was taking a stroll in a courtyard. When he saw the dumbstruck soldiers of the Fire Hou Battalion, he slightly raised his eyebrows.


    "What, is it that This King''s words are not as useful as King Yan''s?"


    Not everyone present was a fool, even if the Fire Hou Battalion was established later, not many people had seen Xiao Yi Xiu. However, after seeing his appearance, hearing his tone, and thinking about what had happened a few days ago, Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly shuddered and kowtowed, "This general greets Prince Mo."


    "Why are you here?" Gu Qingli stepped forward with a smile on her face.


    Xiao Yi Xiu just smiled and didn''t reply. He wanted to embrace her as soon as he got closer, but she dodged him, "Don''t touch me. You shouldn''t have come in here like this. This disease might have been transmitted by air or by contact. Once you step in here, you''ll be in danger.


    Xiao Yi raised his eyebrows and smiled gently. "It''s not that scary. Even if those people from the epidemic area are here, they will still be infected."


    "This won''t do, don''t touch me. There''s no reason for the plague to spread. Quickly find a handkerchief and cover your mouth and nose."


    Xiao Yi Xiu laughed and shook his head. He didn''t insist on hugging her and swept his gaze across the kneeling crowd. "Why aren''t you going to pick up the Calamus Root?"


    "Yes." As if they were pardoned, everyone took a handful and lit the incense.


    Gu Qing Li ordered Feng Zi to come out, and she took the medicine according to her instructions before giving it to each person separately. She then adjusted the amount of medicine according to each person''s condition, then walked out of the grass hut. She casually found a large stone and sat down, explaining the situation to Xiao Yi Xiu.


    He continued, "You should go back and find a way to improve the living conditions here. Forget about others, no one even cares about the basic survival conditions here anymore. Initially, someone even sent some medicine for them to follow the instructions, but now, they don''t even have a diet. Many families, including the entire village, began to break up their picnics. "


    It had been almost ten days since the incident, and people were forbidden to trade or travel for three or four days. No one could blame the noise and quarrels inside, if things continued like this, there would be more people who would starve to death than those who would die from illness.


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded from time to time, his expression grim. On the surface, he didn''t show any signs of disobeying the imperial edict, but in reality, this kind of action was tantamount to a slow slaughter of the village.


    "In addition, the so-called sending a famous doctor to treat them is probably just an exaggeration. There is only one wandering doctor here, and he came in the earliest. He has been infected since long ago, and is now completely ill. As for the imperial physician assigned to her by the emperor ¡ª "Gu Qingli raised her chin to indicate to the village head.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked back. "I know. Aren''t there two imperial physicians? Where''s the other one?"


    "I don''t know, I haven''t had time to pay attention to his whereabouts."


    Xiao Yi Xiu nodded. "I''ll go take a look." Do you have a way to deal with it? "


    "I have yet to find the source of the infection. According to the infected population, it should have been caused by a very small black worm, and they may have appeared in the forest behind the village, which is why the artemisia selengensis insect repellent was first found. As for the condition of the illness, I''ve made up a prescription to test it out. We''ll have to see how effective it is and see how they take the medicine. I''m afraid we''ll have to adjust the plan from time to time. "


    Seeing that he was about to leave, Gu Qingli quickly said, "Wait." She took off her gloves and took out a handkerchief from her bosom, carefully wrapping it around his mouth and nose.


    After Xiao Yi Xiu was finished with his tasks, she walked further into the village. No one stopped her along the way.

 C270 travel to epidemic area(4)

    At this time, he saw that there was also an imperial physician sitting at the back of the village. There was someone following his instructions to fry medicine by the small stove and then distribute it to the villagers who did not seem to have any symptoms.


    Seeing that Xiao Yi Xiu had arrived, the imperial physician hurriedly stood up and kowtowed to him.


    "Why are you two here instead of treating the patient first? Why are you doing all this here?" It was true that diagnosis was isolated, and it was also true that investigation and analysis were the causes and sources of transmission. But with only two imperial physicians, wasn''t it crucial to treat the patient first?


    The imperial physician was stunned for a moment before he lowered his eyebrows and said, "This official is following the orders of Prince Yan to prepare and distribute preventive measures to the villagers. As for the thatched shed ¡­" I heard that a few doctors have died, and there is no cure for them. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu was sulking in his heart, but he still laughed, "Oh? Imperial Physician Zhang hasn''t even met a patient, yet he has already determined that there''s no cure to cure him? "


    Doctor Zhang''s forehead was covered in cold sweat. He stammered a little and then said in a low voice, "Prince Yan, your meaning is ¡­" "I''m afraid those people will slowly die ¡­"


    "And the living? Forbidden here ¡­ That''s right. Should we starve them all to death and burn their corpses to prevent this plague? "


    When Xiao Yixiu''s words were heard by the people passing by, the crowd instantly became furious.


    Originally, they had been too stupid. They had seen how orderly the management of the government was and thought that the matter of livelihood was something they had overlooked in their busy work. Sooner or later, they would have taken it into consideration; who would have thought that someone would come up with this idea and want them all to die here without a sound?


    Suddenly, the villagers started to clamor. Even those who were at home started to come out. Word got around, and there were even voices of cursing and crying. Some people even went up to push Doctor Zhang and ask him if he was like that.


    "No no ¡­" "I don''t know ¡­" Doctor Zhang was anxious and furious. He thought to himself, what is this Mo Wang trying to do? He didn''t even have this little bit of discernment. To question such a thing in front of a villager, wasn''t it trying to force the villagers to rebel?


    Xiao Yixiu was smiling as he walked around the villagers and headed towards the forest. There were angry villagers who tried to get close to him, but were pushed back by his sleeve and fell to the ground before they could even touch his clothes.


    Imperial Physician Zhang saw that the situation wasn''t looking good and said, "Hey, hey, don''t hold me back. I''m just an imperial physician sent by His Majesty. I can only do my duty to help you reduce the infection. If I''m looking for you, I need to find a camp sealed with entrances that no one can enter or leave from ¡­"


    A large number of villagers rushed out. Each of them carried their own farm tools and aggressively went to the village entrance to cause trouble.


    Xiao Yixiu wandered around the edge of the forest. Gu Qingli had said that it could be spread by insects, so he took a closer look, but she didn''t see any insects. Furthermore, someone had already started to plant calamus stalks at the edge of the forest, preventing the insects from circling around him.


    When he arrived at the village entrance, he saw that a large number of villagers and soldiers were arguing with each other as they were suppressed by force, while the villagers were also not that easy to bully. They had always been honest and honest with each other, and in this life or death situation, they had shown their strength and were unyielding as they continued to fight back despite the threat of swords and spears from the imperial army.


    Xiao Yi Xiu saw that some of the soldiers at the edge of the lake had already begun to lose control. He drew his saber, his eyes filled with red murderous intent as he hesitated. They were merely under the orders of the Yan King and could not be casually massacred. However, things had really gotten to this point. If they were able to kill a bunch of people, they should be able to suppress them in the name of a mob.


    "Stop!" He shouted loudly. Although his voice was not loud, it was clearly transmitted to everyone''s ears. For some reason, they were all startled when they saw the battle and subconsciously looked towards him.


    There were people in the Fire Hou camp who recognized him. Their faces were slightly pale but the commoners didn''t recognize him. They knew that he was the one who had spoken at the back of the village. Someone said loudly: "Listen to what he has to say."


    Both sides withdrew their weapons and retreated a distance.


    Xiao Yi Xiu held his hands behind his back as he walked to the center of the two sides and said, "I am the current Fifth Prince, King Mo. Since I know that the disease is rampant here, I came here with the Ghost Doctor Li Yue to check on the situation and discuss how to treat it." Seeing how difficult it is for all the villagers to make ends meet, this king will immediately report back to the imperial court and arrange for people to bring over food, vegetables and vegetables. This king will definitely not ignore everyone. "


    After a moment of silence, the villagers began to cheer loudly, and with a few sentences of doubt, they said, "This... How many days would it take for the imperial court to approve it? Aren''t we starving? "


    "This King will have the local county, Yin, prepare and put out a portion of the rations first. There is no need to worry."


    The cheers grew louder, like a tide. Some people even began to cry out, "Thousand Years of King Mo!"


    It was unknown who said, "Prince Mo is the war god of the East Continent. Back then, he was the one who forced back the Northern Chu Invasion."


    As a result, the popular support for him reached its peak. The crowd surged, wishing that they could lift him up and throw him into the air, but he shook his sleeves and pushed them back, saying with a smile, "This prince''s wife, Li Yue, is still in the village, prescribing medicine for the patients. Everyone should be at ease, this prince will definitely not go back on his word. However, if the secondary concubine needs anything, we would like to request the cooperation of all the villagers to find out the source of the outbreak and then control the progress of the epidemic. "


    After comforting Xiao Yi Xiu for a while, he calmly left among the guards. No one dared to stop him, and he only secretly sent people to report to Xiao Yi Jin.


    When Xiao Yi Jin heard this, he hated her to the bones. However, he knew that tomorrow morning, the imperial court would face the possibility of impeaching him. He gritted his teeth as he walked around, trying to think of a countermeasure. In fact, what he did wasn''t that bad, but after checking the epidemic situation, it became more serious than he had expected. Some of the teachers he sent out were indeed seriously ill, and some had even died, so he had to think of a way to delay them. He wanted to quietly kill them all, but he didn''t expect that someone would dare to check the epidemic area himself, and this person was actually untouchable.


    Listening to the report, what shocked him even more was that Xiao Yi Xiu might have already recovered. If this matter was confirmed, wouldn''t that be the biggest threat to his mind? As long as Xiao Yi was around, no one would care about him.


    Not to mention the fact that the War God was famous in the imperial court, but he was only dealing with the matter after Xiao Yixiu had resumed his rule. Chi Yue treated the water, built a water conservancy project, and suppressed the Xin family ¡­ It was not hard to imagine his reputation among the court officials when he was involved in the handling of the epidemic.


    Xiao Yijin''s heart was full of anxiety. He was so angry that he smashed several things in his house.


    The last piece of paper was made of white jade, and it flew towards the open door. There was a cry as it hit Princess Yan Dong Yu Feng who was about to enter the room. Her face was covered in cold sweat from the pain, and she crouched down with a pale face.


    Xiao Yijin jumped in fright. He hurriedly carried her and placed her on the Xiang Fei bamboo bed in his study. He carefully asked if she was alright.


    Dong Yu Feng pursed his lips but didn''t say anything. He only held his chest and panted slightly, tears flowing out of his eyes.

 C271 Fosun

    After that, he sat to the side and asked her what was going on. In the end, this was the daughter of a justice court official, and although she wasn''t exceptionally beautiful, she had a gentle and proper temperament after entering the palace. On the surface, he was still in love with her.


    After a long while, Dong Yu Feng caught his breath and asked him in a soft voice, "What''s the matter?"


    At first, Xiao Yijin didn''t want to say it, but in the end, he was so annoyed that he wanted to find someone to talk to.


    Dong Yu Feng thought for a while and softly said: "Don''t be afraid, the Palace will immediately send some food from our Mansion, saying that before, we considered owing them everything, and the government was too busy to come in person. Today, we thought that the villagers might not have enough food to store, so we didn''t have time to report it to them. In any case, there are no more than a thousand people in the epidemic area, so it won''t be a problem for us to transfer the food in the Mansion of the King to another two days. "


    Xiao Yijin was stunned. He didn''t expect such a simple method. After what she said, she felt that the best solution at the moment was to fill in the gaps first.


    Dong Yu Feng then said: "I heard that there was a rumor circulating in the epidemic area that the king wanted to kill the villagers. Although I don''t know who spread it, I think it was undoubtedly King Mo. At a time like this, if the Prince were to go against him, then he might not be able to build a power that is even more prestigious than him. After all, he has long been famous in the East Abyss. "


    "Is This King going to endure it?" Xiao Yijin said hatefully. This matter wasn''t enough to affect him, but no matter what, he was unwilling to accept it.


    "In the imperial court, King Mo had never competed against any major powers. However, what he did was to slowly build a reputation and reputation for himself. This was something that one could not be on guard against. When everyone is aware of this, perhaps he will be able to defeat everyone by solely relying on his prestige. This is where his strength lies. " Dong Yu Feng sighed.


    Naturally, Xiao Yijin knew this, but he had spent five years in the army and failed to surpass Xiao Yixiu in prestige. Now that the popularity of the people had been suppressed, he was helpless to do anything about it.


    "Your Royal Highness, tomorrow morning at court, you will definitely be involved. You will admit all the crimes and only admit your negligence, and you will also have to thank him for his help."


    "Isn''t that pushing him higher?"


    "No, a hundred-year tree can only wither from the inside. As for the matters of the people, it will also have to do with the hearts of the people."


    Xiao Yijin looked at her in confusion.


    "Didn''t his side concubine, Li Yue, stay in the village to treat the villagers? I heard that she was previously a wondrous doctor renowned throughout the capital, capable of killing people without bones."


    "That''s just an exaggeration, but the art of healing is real."


    "Very well, then everyone''s expectations for her must be high. Perhaps she will soon be able to develop a miraculous formula to cure the plague."


    "¡­" Xiao Yijin originally wanted to ask a question, but he felt that he was constantly asking a girl and that his intelligence was lacking. Thus, he endured it and stared at her.


    "What if, when someone is about to recover, there is a major reversal, and all the diseases that have been treated die?"


    Xiao Yi Jin was shocked. He stared at Dong Yu Feng''s pitch-black pupils and saw a slight smile on her gentle and dignified cheek.


    "This... "Right now, I''m afraid no one will be willing to send people to the epidemic area." Xiao Yi Jin hesitated for a moment. "If I want to gain Li Yue''s trust, it''ll be even harder to get close to her."


    "This matter is not difficult, I will find a proper helper for the prince."


    Looking at her smile, Xiao Yijin suddenly felt that after being married for such a long time, had he underestimated this seemingly gentle and harmless girl?


    Just as he was thinking, the imperial physician was invited as well. After entering the door, he took Dong Yu Feng''s pulse, and the space between his eyebrows became tighter and tighter.


    "Will there be any problems?" Xiao Yi Jin was genuinely worried. The fake feelings from before had become somewhat real.


    "Wu, although it is fine, it was a little frightened. Moreover, that thing is quite heavy ¡­" I''m afraid my heart will ache for a few days after I smash it. " The imperial physician glanced at the crushed paperweight on the ground. Previously, the two had only discussed matters that were too shameful, but now they had called their maidservants in to clean up the mess.


    "I''m fine." Dong Yu Feng didn''t mind and smiled slightly.


    "But I can''t say that it''s all right. Since I''ve used a bit of fetal energy, it''s better for me to prescribe some medicine for the wangfei to consume."


    Xiao Yijin was shocked, "What fetal Qi?"


    The imperial physician was baffled and raised his eyes to look at him. "Could it be that Your Highness doesn''t know that wangfei is two months pregnant?"


    Dong Yu Feng himself was slightly shocked and said softly, "This wangfei doesn''t know either, how would the prince know?"


    The imperial physician then smiled. "That''s right. Your highness is married to an imperial concubine. This is the first time you''ve had a happy couple, so you have no experience ¡­" "Haha!"


    Xiao Yijin embraced Dong Yu Feng in surprise and joy, "You are really my lucky star!"


    Xun Yu Feng pursed his lips and smiled gently. Seeing his eyes filled with joy, the black in his eyes became even darker.


    On the afternoon of the same day, two groups of people went to distribute the food in the epidemic area that was banned from entering. First, the local county governor went to the royal palace to distribute the daily necessities, including firewood, rice, and oil, and secondly, food from the Yan King Manor. It was said that when the Yan King carried out the martial law, he discovered that the lives of the victims of the epidemic area were very difficult.


    Gu Qingli had heard about it in the epidemic area, so she couldn''t help but find it funny. She thought that Xiao Yijin was really quick to deal with things. It was easy for the common people to cheat him, which brought back quite a bit of the hearts of the people.


    All day long she had seen all the hundreds of patients in the epidemic area who had been diagnosed with the disease, and she did not return until nightfall. The soldiers at the entrance didn''t dare to stop her and could only watch as she left.


    When Gu Qing Li returned home, he first changed out of his clothes and used boiling water to heat his clothes many times. Then, he bathed himself in dandelion and wormwood leaves, and washed his body twice.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was waiting impatiently outside. He pushed open the door and entered the room. He was startled to see that her dress was draped over the screen. He went around the screen and exclaimed, "You ¡­ "Why did you come in while I was taking a bath?"


    Xiao Yixiu heard a splash, and saw her get back into the tub. He thought he was going to come out, but was shy when he saw him. He couldn''t help but smile as he walked closer to the tub.


    Gu Qing Li''s face flushed red and she anxiously replied, "You''re still coming over! Stop... Don''t come anymore! "


    The more he saw her embarrassed and anxious appearance, the more he wanted to laugh. His heart was soft and rippled as he smiled and said, "Who asked you to wash up for so long, it''s just that I''m worried that you have something to do in there. If you don''t let Jinshu and the rest help you wash, would you let your husband personally serve you? "


    "This is bad!" She flatly refused. She didn''t even put her shoulder into the water. It was just hiding her ears. In the middle of the leaves floating on the water, her white jade-like skin was faintly discernible. It made her even more captivating.


    However, Xiao Yi Xiu took off his outer robe and sat on a Wooden Pellet next to the bucket. He rolled up his sleeves and pulled the floating soft cloth over her shoulders. He said gently, "Come here."


    "I, I ¡­" Actually... "I''m done." Her voice trailed off.


    "Okay, then I''ll help you put on your clothes." Xiao Yi Xiu''s voice became even more gentle. He stretched out his arm and grabbed her shoulder. The skin on his palm was so smooth that he didn''t dare to use any strength. With a slight tug, he slipped away like a fish.


    "No." Gu Qingli wasn''t the only one blushing. Her skin was also suffused with a pink color, and she was blushing from wanting to say something. Her eyes were watery, as if she was about to be forced into tears by him at any moment. You turn around and I''ll do it myself. "

 C272 cloud of doubt

    "We''ve been married for such a long time, we''re old husband and wife already. What''s there to be shy about?"


    "No ¡­" Gu Qingli felt that her voice was a bit suspicious and alluring, not like she was refusing, but rather like she was half-pushing it and half-pushing it. She felt that her voice was a bit suspicious and alluring, not like she was refusing it, but like she was half-pushing it and half-pushing it half-way.


    Xiao Yi Xiu sat her down in his embrace and slowly wiped the water off her body before slowly rubbing her wet black hair. He asked her about the condition of her pulse, causing the blush on her face to gradually fade as a trace of worry appeared in her eyes, "Today''s prescriptions can only be used for a try, they can''t be sure whether it will work or not. Tomorrow, I have to go and observe their condition from time to time to change the prescription, I''m afraid I won''t be able to return home frequently."


    Xiao Yi Xiu paused for a moment and asked, "Where are you going to live?"


    "Mm, this way, it''ll be easier to see their progress and ¡­"


    "No."


    "Why?"


    "It''s too dangerous. How can I be at ease letting you stay there alone?" Xiao Yi Xiu said with a tinge of emotion.


    "But I''m also worried about you. You''ve come in and out so many times, I''m afraid you''ll bring the disease back to the clan."


    "You took a bath for so long today, and you even use the wormwood leaves as a precaution?"


    "Yeah, but it''s not exactly effective." Gu Qingli sighed lightly. After all, without complete disinfection measures, clothes that were repeatedly boiled in boiling water might not be able to achieve the disinfection effect.


    "Don''t be afraid, I''m no longer the same person as before. I''m not so easily infected by the plague." He thought for a while, his expression becoming serious, "This matter doesn''t seem to be that simple. I feel that it''s not a sudden rise, but rather some kind of sign. I''ll have to send someone to investigate it another day."


    "You also suspect someone of being in trouble?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t say anything. He took out a small box and opened it. Inside was a layer of yellow oil paper, spread out in layers. The inner layer was composed of two or three squashed black bugs the size of mosquitoes.


    "What do you think this is?"


    Gu Qingli was extremely surprised. She stared at him for a long time before giving him a puzzled look. "I''ve never seen such a bug before. It looks like a bee but not a bee ¡­"


    "You really haven''t seen it before?"


    "Ah!" Gu Qingli suddenly exclaimed, thinking of the black cocoon and cried out, "That wild bee ¡­ After that, the cocoon disappeared. I kept thinking that it was impossible for me to forget where I put it. Then, it mysteriously disappeared! "


    "I found this in the epidemic area and didn''t let anyone see it. I suspect that this matter is related to us."


    "But ¡­" If it really is the kind that stings Princess Helian, then why did the princess easily recover without anything happening? "


    However, the appearance of Helian Lie had caused the appearance of this kind of beehive. Although the first place they saw was Prince Mo''s Mansion, they were still unable to find anything. Insects could fly everywhere, and they were extremely small, so who could be sure that it was someone from the Mansion who was up to mischief?


    Gu Qing Li thought for a moment before jumping out of Xiao Yi Xiu''s embrace. He hugged her tightly. "Where do you want to go?"


    "I would like to go to the Compendium Pavilion to look through the books on Gu worms."


    "..." You''re just going to go like this? "


    Gu Qingli''s face turned hot again as she hugged her shoulders in a pout. "Fuck you, I naturally know to wear clothes."


    He used more strength in his arms and pulled her into his embrace again. The warm breath he exhaled scalded her ears and her temples. "You don''t need a husband anymore if you have any problems. How can you be a wife like this?"


    Before she could come up with a response, he had already ''coerced'' her into doing her duty.


    It was a cold winter, yet there were two braziers burning inside the house. In order to increase the disinfection effect, a pot of vinegar was bubbling on top of the stove, mixed with the smell of wormwood leaves. In fact, it was not a good smell, but it was as warm as spring.


    Gu Qing Li lay limply in Xiao Yi Xiu''s arms. It took her much effort to pry her away from Xiao Yi''s embrace and grumble, "Look at how sweaty you''ve made him, he''s going to have to be washed again."


    He half opened his eyes and looked at the unfading spring tide on her face. Smiling, he pushed away the hair on her forehead and leaned over to kiss her again. "Let''s bathe together."


    "Only now ¡­" "Nope."


    Gu Qing Li refused to let anyone in to change the water, afraid to make the maidservants below laugh. She was only willing to let Jin Shu bring a bucket of hot water and place it outside the screen.


    However, before she could resist, she filled the tub with hot water and was carried into the tub by Xiao Yi Xiu.


    After that, Gu Qingli went to the Wang Mansion''s library to search for books on poison. When it was midnight, she found an incomplete handwritten copy, on which was recorded a "Poison Bee Gu", with only a few words, like the bee that stung Helian Lie.


    Unfortunately, there was no way to save him. The symptoms after being stung were indeed similar to the plague.


    Gu Qingli thought of the Gu in her body. She flipped through the book but couldn''t find anything similar, so she went back to her room tiredly.


    There was a light burning in the room, and Xiao Yixiu was drawing something under the light. When she arrived, he put down his brush and pulled her ice-cold body into his embrace. "What did you find?" he asked.


    Gu Qing Li tiredly shook his head and explained the old book''s lines, then forced a smile, "At most, I will know that someone calls it the Poison Bee Gu. This shows that my guess is correct, it is indeed a Gu. However, we still have to figure out how we''re going to treat it and we don''t have a clue. "


    "Don''t worry, you''ll definitely be able to do it. You can even cure the many poisons that have entered my body and entered my bones."


    Gu is different from poison. There are many Gu poisons that are controlled by humans. Gu Qing Li weakly sighed, and then continued, "However, it''s not easy to place a Gu. Looking at the villagers'' appearance, they''re just suffering from the plague brought by the Gu worms themselves, they don''t seem to have been infected by a Gu."


    She smiled up at him again. "You''re not going to sleep this late, and you''ll have to go to court tomorrow morning. Go to bed."


    "If you''re not here, how can I sleep on such a cold bed?" As he spoke, he helped her undress and carry her to bed, still holding her under the covers.


    "Then when you didn''t meet me, who did you hug every day?" Gu Qingli''s eyes were filled with a faint, mocking smile.


    "Mm ¡­" But so much, so much that I''ve forgotten. "


    Gu Qingli started chuckling as she placed a finger on his chest and teased in a low voice, "Who said he was a virgin when we were together?"


    Gu Qingli giggled even more. She thought back to the first time she had given him the acupuncture, when he was naked in front of her. Although she had tried her best to remain calm and collected, she still couldn''t help but blush to the ground.


    Amidst the chattering, the two finally fell into a deep sleep. It was only between half asleep and half awake, but Gu Qingli felt an inexplicable panic in her heart. She seemed to have sensed something, but didn''t touch it.

 C273 dereliction of duty

    The matter of the people suffering from the plague in the epidemic area lacking food and money and clashing with the soldiers and soldiers of the imperial army had indeed reached the emperor.


    Han Yifei, in the imperial history, was the first to go. The official was always direct, but the news came too fast, even before Wu Teng could respond.


    Upon hearing this, the Emperor remained silent. He tapped the armrest of the Dragon Throne with his finger and then asked, "Eunuch Wu, as the chief magistrate of the capital and the enclave, you should have handled this matter properly. How could you let the commoners cause any trouble?"


    "This ¡­" Wu Teng hesitated, not daring to make a sound.


    However, Han Yi Fei was arrogant and fearless. He said in a gentle and proper manner, "This matter cannot be blamed on Sir Wu. The Emperor left the matter of the epidemic area to the Yan Emperor to settle, who would have expected such an accident? Even if Lord Wu wanted to interfere, he would have to wait for the news of their arrival from the Prefecture Overseer to the Prefecture Overseer. "


    "Oh ¡­" "Right." "The Emperor seems to have just remembered that Wu Teng had helped Xiao Yijin deal with this matter, and that he was not the main culprit." King Yan, do you know how difficult it is to survive in a place where people are forbidden from leaving because of lack of money and food? "


    "Your son was just about to ask for forgiveness from royal father. Your son did not think much of this matter, so yesterday afternoon, I donated all the remaining food and materials urgently and sent it to the epidemic area. Today, the imperial court will ask your father for an order to allocate more food and firewood for assistance."


    "This matter shall be left to Wu Dai to manage ¡­"


    "Reporting to the emperor, the county governor had already opened up the official granary yesterday and transferred the food, supplies, firewood, and medicine over."


    The emperor was startled. His gaze shifted to Prince Yi, but it was actually Prince Xiao Lingfei who had spoken.


    After he was summoned back to the capital, the inner city did not have any spacious residences that were left empty. The emperor gave him a large courtyard right outside the city, which happened to be not far from the epidemic area.


    Xiao Lingfei smiled, "It is all thanks to King Mo''s timely handling of the matter. We had to go to the County Hall and arrange for the goods there first in order to settle the grievances of the people."


    "Why would King Mo go to an epidemic area?" The emperor was obviously surprised.


    "Your son and I went with Li Yue to treat the patient, and thus learned a lot of new things about the epidemic area."


    The emperor''s eyes flashed, but he still smiled benevolently, "King Mo is truly considerate. I didn''t expect that King Mo would let the side concubine take the risk of going to the epidemic area. He really cherishes the people like a son."


    Xiao Yixiu only replied with a smile, "I''m just willing to share some of Imperial Father''s worries. They''re not worth mentioning." There was no mention of the uprising in the affected areas.


    Xiao Yijin gritted his teeth. He knew that Xiao Yixiu was behind all of this, but he couldn''t say it clearly. Fortunately, he had taken care of it in time, so he wouldn''t suffer too much criticism. It wasn''t too late for him to make amends.


    But now that things had gotten out of hand, the emperor could not help but ask, "Didn''t we say that we have sent a famous doctor from the capital to see a patient? We have also sent two royal doctors to send out orders from the king, why have we still not figured out how to deal with the illness and why do we still need to send the princess of Prince Mo''s side to the epidemic area?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at him and smiled, but didn''t say anything.


    The emperor''s face darkened when he saw the silence. "Is the plague really that powerful?" "If it continues to spread, even if the taboo is harsh, I''m afraid it might get to the inner city. I''ll see how you solve the problem then!"


    Xiao Yijin''s expression turned cold. He naturally did not wish for this matter to spread to the inner city. That would undoubtedly be a threat to him too. If he entered the imperial city, it would be strange if the Emperor did not investigate him for his negligence. This was not a small matter. The lives of the civil and military officials and their families were being threatened. This debt must be owed to him.


    The emperor didn''t wait for him to answer and continued, "Even if you keep the ban strict and limit the epidemic situation to that area, after the epidemic situation is over, I''m afraid it will be deserted for dozens of miles. Say, the envoys of the Northern Chu are still within the borders of the East Abyss. Knowing that the Emperor''s feet could cause such a calamity, wouldn''t that be a disgrace to our face? At the same time, it had caused the people of the capital to feel a chill in their hearts? "


    He hadn''t thought of this, and Dong Yu Feng hadn''t discussed the consequences with him in advance either. He could only grit his teeth and bow his head, replying, "This son will naturally visit another famous doctor. I''ll definitely find a cure as soon as possible!"


    The emperor waved his hand. "There are many incurable diseases in this world. You might not be able to find a cure for them!"


    Xiao Yijin''s face paled. What the Emperor said was the truth. However, he didn''t know how to respond to the words he had spoken earlier since he had said it in a reprimanding tone.


    "To minimize illness and death! Such a strict prohibition of entry and exit was only a method of appeasing. Even if it couldn''t be treated, he still had to find a way to prevent it. Have you sent anyone to check the source of the disease and the cause of the initial illness? "


    Xiao Yijin was stunned again. He had never learned the way of medicine before, so he was not proficient in any of these and there had never been any large scale epidemics in the capital. He was completely inexperienced and only knew how to act according to the rules.


    The emperor scoffed, "Originally, you only needed to instruct the officials to handle these matters. Naturally, they would go through the history of the epidemic situation and deal with it. It seems you haven''t thought about it at all!" Could it be that if I told you to do this, you would only send soldiers to seal off the epidemic area and restrict access? Do you want me to teach you how to control the plague? "Then why don''t we handle it ourselves!"


    Xiao Yi Jin was speechless.


    Lu Linghui, the deputy commander of the imperial camp, took a step forward and answered, "Reporting to the emperor, it is reported that the earliest patients were caught in the forest behind the Kou Village. That person is a hunter, and because he went hunting in the forest, he encountered a group of unknown flying bugs that were bitten and infected. "Since the flying insects are spreading, logically speaking, smoke should be able to drive them away. Now, every family in the epidemic area has lit up their leaves, calamus and so on, and they are trying their best to isolate the source of the disease."


    The emperor raised an eyebrow and said with some surprise, "Oh? Lu Aiqing did a good job on this matter. "Since you''ve already arranged everything, why didn''t you report it to me?"


    Immediately, Xiao Yijin''s face stiffened, and even Lu Linghui''s expression changed. The two of them pursed their lips in silence.


    Xiao Yi Jin was considering whether he should shamelessly claim this contribution. The emperor had already picked up on the inklings, so he said lightly, "The Yan King didn''t instruct you to do it, did he?"


    Lu Linghui lowered his head with an awkward expression. However, he could not bear the Emperor''s sharp gaze and could only mutter, "Yes ¡­ It was King Mo who entered the epidemic area and observed the surrounding situation ¡­ "Yes."


    "Heh ¡­" "Heh!" The emperor''s smile was a bit cold and his eyes were sharp, like a knife that sliced through Xiao Yi Jin''s face, causing it to burn. Luckily, he did not brazenly acknowledge that he had done the deed, because Lu Linghui had thought that he had arranged it without informing him beforehand.


    The emperor looked around and asked about other matters in the court. Seeing that no one had any more matters to attend to, he said coldly, "Withdraw from the court!"


    When he returned to the palace, the emperor was obviously not in a good mood. He even called Prince Xiao Lingbin over to interrogate him, and told him clearly about what happened today, clearly showing that Han Yifei, Lu Linghui, and Xiao Lingfei were all speaking the truth.


    Although Xiao Lingbin did not care about this matter, he secretly nurtured a small group of people. They were all elites chosen by the imperial guards, and they only served the Emperor in secret.

 C274 regal cardiology(1)

    As he was speaking, he heard that two imperial doctors had been sent to the epidemic area. They were only responsible for diagnosing suspicious patients and infected patients. The other one was only responsible for checking the causes of the disease with the rural residents.


    The emperor was also infuriated. "But really ¡­" He did not even come in contact with the patients. What did he ask the uninfected villagers about? What was this? Even if all these actions were not bad, wasn''t it imperative to discuss the illness and prescription first? I sent the imperial physician over to kill the chicken with the blade of a bull? As for the diagnosis, there is only a need to clarify the symptoms and let others recognize it. Even those who do not know medical skills will be able to do the same, so there is no need for us to send an imperial physician! "


    Xiao Lingbin looked at him and said, "Elder brother, please calm your anger. The most important matter right now is probably not to settle this epidemic situation."


    The emperor calmed his breathing and looked at him coldly. "Is there anything more important than the spread of the epidemic in the capital?"


    Xiao Lingbin frowned. "Your royal brother doesn''t feel anything amiss about King Mo''s recent actions ¡­" Had it exceeded his expectations? If this epidemic situation is completely suppressed by Prince Mo''s side concubine, the citizens of the capital will never be fooled. Does Imperial Brother ever think that his prestige would rise again? "


    The Emperor waved his hand. "What''s the use of keeping him at the top of the list, he only has a weak body. There''s no hope for him."


    "Does Imperial Brother not count on him, or do you not want to count on him?"


    The Emperor''s face gradually darkened. Raising his eyes to look at him, he asked, "What are you trying to say?"


    "If Imperial Brother doesn''t expect him, then I won''t say anything else. If Imperial Brother doesn''t want to count on him ¡­"


    "Speak."


    "This time, King Mo is going to the epidemic area alone. He knows that there are a few shadow guards in his residence. Even if there aren''t many, it is impossible for him to enter the heavily guarded epidemic area."


    "So what?" The emperor''s brows slowly contracted as he tried to guess what Xiao Lin Bin was trying to say.


    "Even if he didn''t really care about his own life, with his frail body, he would have been breathless if he walked any further. How could he walk around the epidemic area alone and not be afraid of the plague? That''s all, I heard that he seems to be ¡­ I even fought with someone. "


    "Attacking someone?" The emperor raised his eyebrows even higher.


    "There are some villagers who are angry and want to get close to him. However, before they can even touch his clothes, they fall down."


    The emperor didn''t speak for a long time. Then, he asked lightly, "Is this news true?"


    Xiao Lingbin hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. After all, even though he had secretly planted some men in the Fire Hou Battalion, they weren''t enough to cover the entire camp, so how could he personally see such a thing? He only heard some villagers talking about it with a divine voice, and even if they were the Ares of War, it was still possible for them to deify him and compile a story about him.


    "Pay attention to him."


    Xiao Lingbin nodded. He knew very well that of all the princes he was the only one whose background was unspeakable. In fact, the only one who could be proclaimed as the "descendant of the Wiping King" was the one whom the brothers of the emperor had adopted as their prince. Moreover, his birth mother''s name was not fair and she did not have any maternal support. From the beginning, the Emperor had never considered him.


    Xiao Lingbin didn''t have any prejudice against Xiao Yixiu, so when he found out that he had suffered from an unexplained illness, the imperial physician had even sighed when he said that he wasn''t too far away from death. However, the Emperor''s apathetic expression didn''t seem to hold much regret, so he didn''t dare to say more.


    After all, among the brothers of the Emperor who was still alive, only Xiao Lingbin would advance and retreat together with him at any time. Xiao Lingbin would never side with the Emperor even if Xiao Yixiu was not taken into account.


    The Emperor stood up and patted Xiao Lingbin on the shoulder, "Sixteenth Brother, I have been completely exhausted by these children in recent years and have watched them grow up. In the end, if I am not able to help them up, they will either be disgraced, or they will disobey me and leave. Do you think I don''t want him to fully recover? But according to what you said, he''s really healed, yet he''s still hiding his true self.


    Xiao Lingbin also grew suspicious after hearing his words. He remained silent in thought for a long while.


    "Xiu''er is smarter than the others when he was young. But when I was the eldest son and didn''t consider him, other than the rules passed down by our ancestors, what I fear the most is his ancestry." After a period of illness, he has become cruel and merciless. The other concubines and madams in his residence have all been through a series of accidents, how can there be so many coincidences? "


    Xiao Lingbin was well aware of how dirty and dirty the imperial family''s spies were. He knew that Xiao Yixiu was feared by all the princes and princes, and that the unknown beauties at his side all came from unorthodox backgrounds.


    After the Emperor sent Xiao Lingbin away, he headed to the Zi Su Palace. He saw Fu Yu teaching Xiao Yinming the ''Yellow Emperor''s Four Classics''. It was hard for a twelve-year-old to understand the profound and obscure ways to govern a country. He could only open his eyes in confusion and listen to his mother explain it to him one by one.


    Fu Gongyu did not come from a high background, but his name had spread far and wide. He had been familiar with books since he was young, and his words had formed chapters. He had been chosen to enter the palace because of this talent.


    She did not talk much, and although she was famous, she did not like to show off in front of others. She almost never attended any noisy occasions, and was very low-key. No one knew what she looked like in front of the emperor.


    The Emperor listened quietly for a while. Fu Yu did not stop explaining because of his arrival. Instead, he concentrated on explaining it to Xiao Yi Min. She is adept in the field, in the way of governance understanding unique, if not women, will be the middle humerus of the dynasty.


    Unfortunately, Xiao Yi didn''t have his mother''s talent and ability. He frowned as he listened, but didn''t understand. He even asked questions from time to time with an innocent look on his face.


    Fu Gongyu''s mouth was parched and his tongue was parched. He could not help but take a sip of water to moisten his throat. Only then did he remember that the Emperor had been sitting by the side for a long time.


    The Emperor didn''t mind. He waved his hand and ordered her to sit down. He then said warmly, "There''s no need to be so hasty. With a mother like you, why should Min worry about not becoming an expert?"


    Fu Gongyu forced a smile. There was a tinge of sadness in her gentle face. Her gaze was faint and soft. Coupled with her weak bearing, it was truly pitiful.


    The emperor held her hand and smiled, "I am not worried at all, but you have a face full of worry! ''Isn''t Min''er still young? Being able to be so obedient is already a good thing. Don''t be so hasty in your growth. "


    On the other side, Xiao Yi Min had already ordered the palace maids to serve tea. He went to the kitchen and personally served a plate of dim sum. He said crisply, "Father, please have some snacks."


    Although the emperor had many children and the princes all had different personalities, Xiao Yi Min''s fatherly love that could make him happy in a normal family was something that he had never felt before. He laughed heartily and rubbed Xiao Yi Min''s head as he sighed, "My sons are each smarter than the previous ones, but their smarts aren''t enough to make me worry. Rather, I''d be more filial than Min''er!"


    Fu Gongyu smiled and gave the emperor a bowl to wash his hands. He also cleaned his own hands and first tasted a piece of dessert before handing it to the emperor.

 C275 regal cardiology(2)

    The palace maids and eunuchs were the only ones who tested for poison. Fu Yu was the only one who had done so.


    The Emperor''s favorite thing was her. She often said that there were three thousand harem, and only her voice was sincere to me. Fu Zhirong lowered his head shyly and smiled gently, never showing any arrogance.


    Speaking of the recent situation in the capital, the emperor brought up the topic of the court meeting. He would not talk about matters of state in the harem in the past, but he would occasionally mention them to Fu and Yu, and she would always listen quietly and never comment on them. She would only take it as a grudge against him because he had something on his mind.


    He had thought that this time would be no exception, and so he just let it go. Who knew that Fu Baoguo would lower his head for a moment before raising his head and asking softly, "The King of Yan has lost face today. He''s probably unhappy, isn''t he?"


    The emperor sneered. He knew that after leaving the imperial court, Xiao Yijin would pass a sign to the palace to request an audience with Imperial Concubine Lan.


    In the end, Fu Gongyu said no more. The Emperor could not hold it in any longer and asked: "Why do you ask? "Jin''er is naturally unhappy, but he did wrong in the first place, could it be that I should give him some comfort?" As he thought about it, he felt a bit of anger. This useless plague had already exposed his inadequacy.


    Fu Gongyu acknowledged and then said softly, "King Mo sure is suppressing everyone with his strength. The last time when the Scarlet Moon flood struck, everything was in order and the plague outbreak this time was handled appropriately. No wonder King Yan was unhappy."


    The emperor was silent for a moment before he began to savor the flavor. Fu Gongyu could see through her thoughts. She was obviously on guard against Xiao Yi Xiu, but her words seemed to remind her that there was no need to be afraid of Xiao Yi Xiu. After all, Xiao Yi Jin was the one she cared more about.


    She was hinting at him that these two brothers would naturally suppress each other. One of them had military merits, and the other had a mother race''s influence. And if the Emperor were to refute King Yan at this moment, it would undoubtedly break the balance between the two.


    The Emperor slowly nodded.


    Compared to Xiao Yijin, the young emperor was more afraid of the increasingly prestigious Xiao Yixiu. If he was not suppressed, the unease in the Emperor''s heart would grow, even to the point of fear.


    The emperor was only over forty years old this year. Before the empress had poisoned him, he had been healthy and had never suffered from an ailment. Even if he didn''t listen to the imperial physician, he felt that he could live for at least twenty to thirty years, but since Xiao Yi Xiu was twenty-two, how could he be willing to endure for twenty to thirty years? Even if he was willing, with his prestige rising, those courtiers and officials who supported him would be ready to take action.


    These monarch skills were not something that could be seen only by Fu Fuyu, but they were definitely worth it.


    The pestilence area that was sealed was quite peaceful. Other than a few patients in the shack and a few others who were suspected to have been infected, there was no sign of a spread.


    Gu Qingli observed the effects of the prescription as she modified it. Finally, a few patients with mild illnesses seemed to have taken a turn for the better. After she finished her diagnosis, she told Feng Zi to take good care of them. A few of them seemed better, but they could also help take care of a slightly heavier patient.


    Feng Zi agreed with a smile on her face. After her father had taken Gu Qing Li''s medicine, his illness had unexpectedly been suppressed and he had started to improve. She felt gratitude and admiration for Gu Qing Li, who was initially a stranger to her.


    Gu Qing Li went out for a walk. The number of soldiers in the army had increased a bit in the epidemic area, and the five hundred people in the Fire Hou Battalion were heavily lacking in manpower. In order to show how important Xiao Yi Jin was, he had to send more men.


    Every day, there were more than ten people assigned to search around the forest, paying particular attention to the traces of various flying insects. All of a sudden, all of the flying insects in the forest were struck by bad luck. Although this method was a bit stupid, the conditions were limited, so it could only be this way. This forest was made up of century-old trees, and there were many towering trees, which were also places the people of the nearby villages relied on to survive. It was impossible to set a fire to burn.


    Seeing Gu Qing Li walk over, one of the soldiers in the forest slowed down his steps and waited for the rest of them to leave. He left one person behind, and then handed over the insect corpses that he had previously wrapped in layers of cloth and paper.


    Gu Qingli opened it and took a look. Just as she was about to raise her face to speak, that person left in a hurry. She was wearing black clothes, riding boots, and because she was protected against mosquitoes and insects, the black cloth covered her entire face, only revealing her eyes. She had no way of knowing who it was, so she only softly said, "Thank you."


    The man didn''t dare look back. She knew it wasn''t safe, he was afraid of being seen.


    Gu Qing Li returned to the grass hut, but this became the safest place. She spread out the oil paper to carefully study the corpse of the dead insect. The more she looked at it, the more she felt that this insect had grown up.


    Suddenly, a slightly hoarse voice rang out from behind her, "This is ¡­ Poison Bee Gu. "


    Gu Qingli turned around and saw Feng Zi''s father, Ding An. He didn''t know when he had dragged herself over to see her looking intently at what she was holding in her hand.


    "Ding Lang, do you know this?"


    Ding An City nodded, with a dazed look in his eyes: "How many years has it been ¡­" I''ve seen this about a decade ago, but I''ve never seen it sting. I''ve seen people raise this thing, and I can control it and train it. "


    Gu Qingli''s eyes widened as her heartbeat quickened. "Have you really seen anyone raise such a thing before?"


    "I''ve seen it before, it''s bigger than this ¡­" At that time, I thought it was a bee, and it was very common for country people to raise bees and get nectar, but I have never seen a bee that was so obedient.


    "Where is it?"


    Ding An City recalled carefully and then said with uncertainty, "Northern Frontier ¡­" He said a place name, but Gu Qingli wasn''t familiar with it.


    "It''s pretty cold there. It''s even colder than the capital. This thing can withstand the cold. It''s different from ordinary flying insects, which are usually cute and active in this kind of cold weather. During that time, I was gathering herbs in the mountains and taking various medicines. I gave him some medicine to fry when he was sick from raising the Gu, and only gradually recovered after that, we got along for a while, although it was not like we were meeting in heaven, but out of gratitude, he did not put up much defenses against me, so I asked a few questions about the curiosity, and he told me to call it the Poison Bee Gu. "


    "What''s that man''s name?" "What does it look like?"


    "He said his name was Fleur. Later I thought it might be a fake name."


    Hibiscus ¡­ Gu Qingli suddenly felt that something wasn''t right. "Is it a woman?"


    "Yeah, she also said that those who raise and control Gu like them are all women."


    Gu Qingli began to think, could it be that she had something to do with Ding Lang ¡­ A relationship? It wasn''t until later that I realized it wasn''t: "I later thought she was lying because she found out that she even had a fake face. Once, when I was climbing the mountain to gather herbs, I saw her washing her face with a special kind of grass at the foot of the mountain. The look on her face was somewhat different from before, and her skin had even turned white.


    Ding Lang continued, "Perhaps it''s inconvenient for a woman to travel in the martial arts world, so she didn''t dare to tell others her real name and face. I think since she was wary of me, she went to another area to gather herbs and then rarely met her again."

 C276 inner city metamorphosis(1)

    Gu Qingli was slightly disappointed. She thought, "Even if I know all this, I still don''t know how to treat this disease. All I know is that she only found out about it in the middle of the night." This way, she could trace the source and find out where this Gu came from. Perhaps it would also be useful for the Gu in his body.


    Ding Lang recalled while he spoke, "There must be an antidote within a hundred steps from the place where the poison appears. So I think, although your prescription looks good, in fact, it''s still lacking a drug."


    With trembling fingers, he wrote a few shallow words on the muddy ground: Golden Agarwood, Phoenix-Tail Grass, Halfway Lotus.


    "These... Try it, I remember that the surrounding areas where the Gu were raised were these herbs. "


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but feel a tinge of joy. What a turnaround! These medicines weren''t rare, so she decided to add one to each prescription for people to try out. If one looked closely at these three herbs, they would see that they were all related to the insect disease. If one were to give these three herbs to the three of them and consume them separately, they would be able to determine which one was the correct one.


    Feng Zi busily helped her to fry the medicine, then asked if anyone was willing to try it out. Ding Lang joined in, and two other patients with severe injuries dispiritedly agreed. For the past few days, the effects of the medicinal plants were not obvious. On the contrary, the heaviest of them were being dragged out every day and could no longer be treated.


    Ding Lang was trying out the Golden Thread Tower, while the other two were the Phoenix-Tail Grass and the Lotus.


    Gu Qingli then discussed with Ding Lang for a while. She felt that the plague wasn''t spread by the Poison Bee Gu alone, but by the Gu itself. The poison could actually be spread through human secretions such as saliva, sweat, and contact.


    As he was speaking, someone poked their head out the door, but they didn''t dare to come in. They only called out to Gu Qingli, "Gu Lengfei."


    Gu Qingli walked out and saw a tiger with wings on its back tattooed on the armor on that man''s chest. She knew about the Winged Tiger Camp, so she asked him what he wanted.


    That person replied with a flattering smile, "The construction of the simple fortifications outside has been completed. I would like to invite Imperial Concubine Gu to move over first." Recently, everyone had found out about Gu Qingli''s identity. All of them were respectful and didn''t dare to act rashly.


    "What about them?" Gu Qingli turned around. These patients obviously couldn''t walk over easily, and she couldn''t expect the soldiers to carry them over.


    "I was prepared."


    Gu Qingli walked out and saw simple carriages and carts. The severely ill patients who couldn''t move at all were carried up on wooden planks. When the carriages moved, those who could still get up and sit on them were carried by carts.


    In the past few days, no matter how well the grass hut was covered, it was always ventilated. At night, even burning charcoal could be used as a form of comfort. Fortunately, the weather was good, and there was no rain or snow.


    Gu Qing Li watched the tightly wrapped up soldiers of the Winged Tiger Camp carry the patients onto the carriage before following them out of the quarantine area and moving to a new simple fortifications.


    Cheng Chanling was on patrol outside, checking to see if there were any flaws, when he met Gu Qingli.


    Compared to the time he was in Chi Yue, he was much more stable and mature. He had a rather capable demeanor, only that his previously white skin had become a bit suntanned. When he saw Gu Qingli, his eyes brimmed with joy. He walked up to her and said, "Gu Beiyue, are you still here?"


    "I haven''t left the restricted region in the past two days. I''ve been staying with them the entire time."


    Cheng Xiang was stunned, "Prince Mo doesn''t have to worry. I''ll let a weak girl like you stay here!"


    Gu Qingli smiled. "It''s easier to bring an epidemic disease out of the restricted area if you''re in and out frequently. For safety reasons, you should stay here."


    The Gu on her body seemed to be the nemesis of many Gu worms. Previously, Zhou Qianxi''s golden Gu worm avoided it the moment it saw her, and later when the Poison Bee Gu landed in her hands, it first faked death, then formed a cocoon on its own, which also seemed to be a type of self-protection for insects. All of this showed that these Gu worms possessed low level of intelligence, and knew how to avoid disasters, so she was not worried that she would be infected by the plague.


    Cheng Kai shook his head in disapproval: "If you stay here, it will be safe outside, but what about you? Even the officers and soldiers guarding these patients outside the grass shack view them as if they were ferocious beasts. Their entire bodies were dressed well, and since you have such a golden body, how could you take such risks? "


    "If everyone feels that their lives are more precious than a thousand gold, then who will treat these patients?" Gu Qingli smiled faintly. She felt that Cheng Ji had grown too much and had become full of authority. He was not as adorable as he was in the past at Chi Yue.


    Cheng Qi was stunned for a moment before he nodded his head, "Yes, that''s true. I just feel that a weak woman should be more considerate."


    Gu Qingli finally understood what he meant, and couldn''t help but sneer. "When my wife was treating the water in Chi Yue, she was controlling the waters to split the mountains, and even kissed the dam. Since when was she treated like a weak woman?"


    Cheng Ji smiled as he thought about it. "Gu Shaoyang''s wife is heroic and won''t yield to anyone."


    Gu Qing Li pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked him a few questions in a low voice. The smile on Cheng Jia''s face gradually disappeared, and his expression became serious. He also responded with a few words in a low voice.


    Gu Qing Li went into the simple fortifications. In fact, they were made of thin wood made from Tong Pai wood, and the roof was made of people. The beams and columns were made of straight wood, but in the end, there were doors and windows to protect against rain, snow, and cold winds.


    The other rooms were adobe, a little more cumbersome for the seriously ill and doctors. In the past few days, the two imperial physicians had also finished their diagnosis and treatment, but they were very old and experienced, and some of the treatment methods were not quite the same as Gu Qing Li''s. In the case where they couldn''t determine whose method was more effective, the two imperial doctors used the prescription that they had discussed, while Gu Qing Li used his own prescription to separate the two patients to see what would happen afterwards.


    As expected, the effects of the medicine these few days were immediately apparent. The two imperial doctors had relied on their seniority and experience, but the prescriptions were not only ineffective, but they were also being aggravated. Gu Qingli was improving.


    The two imperial physicians had no choice but to admit that they had made a mistake. Their respect for Gu Qing Li had changed from the expression of respect on their faces to a deep admiration within their hearts.


    The day after she moved to the simple fortifications, after confirming that she should join the Golden Threaded Tower, Gu Qingli copied the prescription and gave it to the imperial physician. They would adjust the dosage according to the patient''s priority, while she herself left the epidemic area, planning to return to the palace.


    When they got to the entrance of the inner city, Gu Qingli found it to be a mess. There were even people making a ruckus, blocking the inner city and outer city entrances so that not even a drop of water could leak out.


    She was extremely tired, so she hired a carriage to lie down and rest. She was barred from entering, and was agitated by the noise, so she got out of the carriage, only to find that it was indeed a quarrel. The guards at the city gate were doing their best to prevent the people at the inner city gates from going out, and the people inside were actually armed and well-trained in leather armor.


    "What''s going on?" Gu Qing Li went down to ask, but was almost smashed by the back of the guard''s blade.


    She reached out to grab the spear shaft and swung it in a circle, using her bare hands to force the two people who were retreating and attacking her back with two shots. Then she sneered: "The people in the imperial camp are getting more and more unqualified, what are you trying to do?"


    When a soldier saw her skill, he revealed a bit of fear and threatened, "Little girl, you''re forbidden from leaving the inner city. You''re not allowed to enter the outer city, no matter who you are ¡­"


    Before she could finish her sentence, Gu Qingli had already pressed the tip of her spear against his throat. The smile in her eyes grew colder: "I''m Prince Mo''s side consort, yet you insist on entering the city. What do you plan to do with me?"

 C277 inner city metamorphosis(2)

    The man was quiet for a while, then he mumbled something, and someone beside him shouted, "What do you think? Who knows if you are pretending? Those who wanted to come out claimed to be the family members of the Minister of Revenue, but they were not allowed to come out either. This is the prohibition of the Yan King, no one is allowed to violate it! "


    Gu Qing Li''s face darkened slightly, and he took out the Mo King Manor''s identity token from his waist. The few people who had intercepted her did not dare to make a sound, and after looking at each other for a while, one of them finally dared to say, "It''s not that we don''t want to give face to the imperial concubine, it''s really a ban on the Yan King. No one is allowed out of the inner city, and the outer city is not allowed in."


    When Gu Qingli saw that she was still stopped even though she had revealed her identity card, she knew that they didn''t want to make things difficult for her and truly didn''t dare to let her in. She thought for a moment and said, "There must be a reason, right?"


    "Something happened at the inner city''s inner city''s Guo. As for the details, we have no idea either."


    "Is it more serious than the one at the outer city?"


    That person bitterly smiled and shook his head, "We are just little pawns who carry out orders. Who knows the situation inside, and who disobeys the orders?"


    Gu Qing''s brows drew back as he said, "Get out of my way, don''t block this wangfei''s way."


    On the other hand, the few of them still had conflicted looks on their faces as they stood in front of her.


    "Get out of the way, I, the secondary wife, have agreed to let you all know that I''m not going to enter the city." There was no point in making things difficult for the soldiers. She estimated that there were at least a hundred of them at the gate. If she stopped them and closed the gate, she wouldn''t be able to rush in.


    The few of them looked at each other, hesitating to open up a path. Gu Qing Li walked closer, and through the crowd of people, he saw that there seemed to be a body collision, and a fight was taking place inside, it was extremely noisy. He could only see a few carriages parked far away, and the cries of women and the shouts of men could not stop the two sides from fighting.


    As the shadow moved, Gu Qingli saw a familiar figure. She raised her voice, "Is that Assistant Minister Lin?"


    Hearing the cry, the man tried to get closer but was stabbed. He could only step back and reply loudly, "Miss Li Yue? "That''s right ¡­" Suddenly, he remembered that the address was inappropriate, so he changed his tone and said: "Madam Gu, this official is Lin Zhihan. I am barred from leaving the city."


    "Why did you bring your family out of the city? Do you want to move out of the capital?" This was obviously impossible. As a government official, what was he trying to do by moving all his family members out of the capital?


    Lin Qinghan replied with a wry smile, "This official has no other choice. This carriage is filled with the women from the two prefectures of Ferlin. I just wanted to escort them out of the capital, but I didn''t expect that they would be stopped ¡­" Prince Yan''s actions, wasn''t it to make people wait for death in the inner city? "


    Gu Qing Li''s heart chilled. "What do you mean?" The inner city has... "What happened?"


    She originally wanted to ask, could it be an army mutiny? The only one with authority was King Yan, Xiao Yijin. Could it be that he wanted to lead the army to counterattack against the Imperial City, and couldn''t wait to rebel?


    ''The plague is spreading in the inner city and its symptoms are different from those in the outer city ¡­ '' Those with butterfly spots on their bodies and on their bodies and bodies, who were crazy and uncontrollable, attacked and attacked others! "


    Gu Qingli was surprised. She thought, "This is weird. Even a virus wouldn''t mutate so quickly. It''s only been a few days?" and out of control, attacking someone else... Is this rabies or zombie virus?


    She suddenly turned around, seeing that the soldiers who had stopped her were also confused, it was clear that they did not know what was going on inside either. Hearing Lin Zhihan''s words, her face was filled with suspicion, and she suddenly thought of the fact that her own wife and children were also trapped inside the inner city, causing her face to turn ugly.


    No wonder Lin Zhihan was so desperate, he even risked disobeying the orders of the Yan King to bring the guards to break into the mansion. That carriage was obviously the work of the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Fei Lian, and Lin Zhihan''s female family. They were trapped in the city due to their identities, but they hoped that their wives, children, and children would be able to escape disaster.


    "This side of the consort wants to enter the city." Gu Qingli made up her mind.


    "No way!" In an instant, there were people who formed a spear formation and a saber formation, blocking in front of her.


    "Inform the Yan King that it is the Ghost Doctor, Li Yue''s request. If they wish for the disease to continue to spread from the inner city to the imperial palace, then they will continue to intercept our imperial concubine."


    With her dual identity and status, there were very few people who knew about it.


    Suddenly, the sound of galloping horses came from the city, they were riding on a white horse, and when they arrived at the foot of the city, they pulled the reins, and the horse suddenly stopped in the midst of their galloping, and with a long cry towards the sky, they stood up, and the horse immediately dismounted, and the more than ten riders behind them also dismounted, all of them wearing gray robes, and their faces were blurry, and it was impossible to tell who they were at first glance, but they all looked alike, and they all had the same face.


    The man in white appeared before the city gate in a flash like a phantom and shouted, "Separate them!"


    Dozens of people were engaged in a chaotic battle. A dozen gray-clothed men joined the fray. However, after a while, the two sides easily separated to make way for each other.


    Gu Qing Li saw from afar that the handsome, spotless man in white was Xiao Yi Xiu. He was walking quickly through the crowd, and the gentle expression on his face from before was gone without a trace.


    "Your Highness!" Gu Qing Li ran over, not daring to be stopped.


    Xiao Yixiu caught her delicate figure and held her in his arms to look at her for a few times. The frosty expression on his face gradually disappeared as he spoke softly, "How are you?"


    "I''m fine, I''m just not allowed to enter because of them."


    This time, the ones blocking the city gates were no longer from the Fire Hou Battalion. There were many who knew Xiao Yi, but when they saw his face, they all cowered and retreated, not daring to step forward. After all, in the past, he governed the army extremely strictly and his prestige was high. All the soldiers that had served under his command could not help but admire him.


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyes and looked around, then said coldly, "Vice Minister Lin, if you''re worried, then tell the guards to bring the family members away from the capital first. You must stay by yourself."


    "Yes, this official understands." Lin Zhihan hurried over and gave some instructions to the butler in the carriage, instructing him to lead the Shang Shu Manor guards and guard the carriage as it rumbled through the city gates.


    The captain of the city gate hesitated before stepping forward to stop them. "This ¡­ Prince Mo, this doesn''t follow the rules. "


    "Whose rule?" Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows and asked calmly.


    The captain choked for a while before answering hesitantly, "Prince Yan ¡­" "Commander, sir."


    "You mean, you have to listen to the words of King Yan, but this king''s words are just a gust of wind?" Xiao Yi Xiu smiled. "That''s good as well. This king will come again after inviting an imperial decree from the emperor."


    Lin Zhihan was stunned. The carriage from the Ferlin''s two residences had just arrived at the city gates. They were in a dilemma and were in a very awkward situation.


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his hand to stop her, saying, "Didn''t you doubt their identities earlier? This prince will testify that this is indeed the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Lin Zhi Han. Inside the car are the family members of the Minister of Revenue, Fei Lian, and Minister Lin Lin." Since you all want to follow the orders of King Yan, I can''t interfere any further. I''ll have to trouble Vice Minister Lin to stay in the city for a while longer. "Rest assured, if any mishap happens to the families of Ferlin and his son, this field officer Zhu can bear the responsibility."


    Captain Zhu''s face turned pale as he heard Lin Zhihan speak, "Alright, we can wait for His Majesty''s orders, but if something happens to our Ferlin Family during this period, how many lives are there for Commander Zhu to pay for?"

 C278 inner city metamorphosis(3)

    Lin Zhihan''s rank was not small. Anyone would know that he had to have a strong background to be able to reach the top in a single step, and his background was obviously Fei Lian.


    In terms of quality, Captain Zhu was not even qualified to carry his shoes for him. Hearing his words, his heart couldn''t help but shiver, knowing that today''s perseverance not only offended King Mo, but also the Minister of Revenue and the Assistant Minister. He was someone that even King Yan wholeheartedly wanted to rope in.


    He quickly smiled, "About this, this general dares not. Since Prince Mo has spoken, even if the commander is here, we must still give him face. If the envoy is to blame, this general will definitely ask for his forgiveness."


    He made a gesture of ''please'', and Lin Zhihan sneered. He waved his hand to signal the caravan to pass, and then retreated back into the inner city.


    "Commander Zhu, is it possible for this prince''s secondary wife to enter the city?"


    Captain Zhu saw Xiao Yixiu''s reserved smile and felt the hairs on his body stand up. He laughed dryly, "Sure, sure. I''ll have to ask for the secondary wife."


    Xiao Yi Xiu jumped onto his horse and pulled Gu Qing Li to sit in front of him. He turned around and looked at Captain Zhu with a smile, "Since I''ve been suffering from severe injuries, my anger has been increasing. The worst thing that can''t be seen is someone making things difficult for the secondary wife."


    Captain Zhu watched him leave with a head dripping with sweat. Suddenly, he felt that his head was a little unsteady.


    "It''s just a small matter, there''s no point in making things difficult for them." Gu Qingli said, then remembered the outbreak in the inner city. She quickly said, "Take me to see the earliest illnesses and their families."


    "Yes." Xiao Yixiu laid his chin on her shoulder and slowly closed his eyes.


    Those who were able to live in the inner city were either rich or noble. Even the families of commoners were incomparable to those living in the outer city.


    Although it was the house of a rich merchant, there was not even a doorman at the gate. They were all flustered servants, and when someone noticed that a stranger had entered the house and tried to stop them, the shadow guard behind Xiao Yi Xiu had already placed his saber against their necks. With a single word, they all became obedient.


    Towards these people, Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t be bothered to reveal his identity. He said in a low voice, "Lead the way. We''re going to see the first person to have the disease."


    The servant was so shocked that his eyes widened. He shook his head for a while, but the knife only went into his flesh. He didn''t feel much pain, but blood started to flow down the front of his clothes. He did not know how much he was hurt. Nodding fearfully, he led them deeper into the courtyard.


    Since she hadn''t seen a single master, Gu Qingli was curious and asked, "The main house isn''t here?"


    The servant was stunned for a moment before replying, "Master took the concubine and the young masters to the side courtyard to hide. This mansion only left the madame, she ¡­ She didn''t ask too many questions, and didn''t know what to do when it happened. She just prayed to Buddha for protection, and the housekeeper ¡­ "He took some silver and fled, and the mansion became even more chaotic."


    Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li looked at each other and understood. The tree had fallen and the monkeys had scattered. They wanted to take advantage of the loot to steal some of the weak spots and run away.


    At first, Xiao Yixiu didn''t want to interfere in other people''s business, but Gu Qingli asked, "What''s your status in the estate?"


    The man mumbled, "I am... "Ordinary servants, made from generations of families, stayed a few years longer than others."


    "You can take charge of matters in the manor later. Report the butler''s matter to your wife, and then maintain order in the house. Don''t let these people mess around."


    The man looked confused. He did not know who they were, but he felt that it was useless for him to do so.


    Gu Qingli said, "Now that the inner and outer city are sealed, those who have stolen are unable to leave the inner city. Once the plague is solved by another day, your host will definitely report it to the officials."


    That person''s face turned pale. He was a small-minded person, and it didn''t take long for him to arrive at his destination. He didn''t know about the news outside either, so how could he know about all this?


    Gu Qingli ignored him and followed him to a courtyard. The main door was nailed shut with wooden boards, and outside was a heavy lock. The top of the wall was raised by more than two feet, obviously afraid that someone would climb out from inside.


    "Is there anyone inside?"


    That person replied, "Yes, one of my master''s concubines and the two maids that serve her everyday are infected with that disease ¡­" Bite anyone who sees you, you have no choice but to do so. "


    "Since he''s already gone mad, he can bite anyone he sees. Why is there no sound?"


    The man did not make a sound. His expression was strange, but the knife on his neck tightened. He was so scared that he trembled and hurriedly replied, "It''s been a few days. No one''s sent food. It''s probably ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li drew in a breath of cold air and said sternly, "How many days has it been? "How many days exactly?"


    "Three... Four days. "


    "They actually locked him up in secret from the government. Is they planning to lynch him?"


    "Of course not... No, no, it''s just because my master had left the outer city a few days ago and had seen someone infected with an epidemic, that black butterfly shaped spot appeared on his body first ¡­ "He was afraid, so he locked them up. He was afraid that the government would find out ¡­"


    Gu Qingli understood. She was afraid that the government would lock them up as suspicious contacts. If the healthy people were locked up with the suspicious people, there was a risk of infection. She then sneered, "He is so sure that he and the rest of the family are not infected?"


    That person didn''t dare to make a sound. Instead, he tremblingly went to lock the door.


    The shadow guard raised his blade and cut off the wooden board nailed to the door. Xiao Yi Xiu entered first, but was stopped by Gu Qing Li. "I''ll go in and take a look."


    "What if they really are crazy enough to bite ¡­"


    "They won''t bite me. They''re afraid of me." Gu Qingli looked at him and smiled affectionately. Although the red veil covered her face, the gentleness in her eyes couldn''t help overflowing.


    Xiao Yixiu thought of the Gu in her body, but he still didn''t want her to go ahead and walk beside her.


    The inner courtyard was filled with dust and fallen leaves, the windows and doors were boarded up, and when they heard footsteps and voices coming in, there was a rustle, and then there was a weak slam on the door, and a low, hoarse growl that meant they had starved for too long and didn''t have much strength.


    The shadow guards cut down the wooden planks and kicked open the door. Surprisingly, there was actually someone lying on the ground behind the door. After being heavily kicked like that, they fell backwards, unable to get up for a long time.


    When Gu Qingli saw it, she sucked in a breath of cold air. She hadn''t expected to see such a cruel and bloody scene.


    The person behind the door was badly mutilated with blood all over his face and his clothes were in a mess. His skin was exposed, either because of bite marks or because he was black and festering. The butterfly shaped spots could not be seen, and had already rotted into pieces.


    He looked like he had escaped from a tribe of zombies.


    Before they could regain their wits, a person suddenly jumped out of the darkness and pounced on them with a mouthful of bloody white teeth.


    As soon as he got close, he changed directions halfway, as if he was afraid of Gu Qing Li''s aura, and attacked Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his arm and drew out the blade from the shadow guard beside him. He turned the blade''s hilt upside down and smacked it a few times with the hilt, sealing the man''s acupuncture points and then fell to the ground.


    Judging by the black and red bloodstains on his clothes, he must have been wearing a very new style of dress. Although his hair was in a mess and a large part of his scalp was torn off, it could still be seen from his face that he was a beautiful young woman.


    This should be the ''aunt'' that the person had mentioned. Sure enough, she heard his trembling voice: "Aunt Zhao!" However, his heart was filled with fear and he retreated backwards.

 C279 inner city metamorphosis(4)

    Gu Qingli waved her hand, asking the shadow guard to let him go. "Remember what I just said."


    The man nodded his head like a chicken pecking rice, and disappeared like a wisp of smoke.


    Xiao Yi Xiu said, "His master is just a nobody. Why do you have to trouble yourself for him?"


    Gu Qingli smiled lightly and said, "People''s hearts are very important too. Although his master is a businessman, she''s also one of the richest people on the streets. Don''t underestimate these people, you might be able to use them someday."


    He was the first to be stopped by the shadow guard, but he was not afraid of death, instead continuously trying to break free from the pressure. Luckily, the shadow guard had the back of the blade on her neck, otherwise, if he were to forcefully rush upwards, his neck would have been chopped off long ago.


    Gu Qing Li shook out a few banks and sealed her acupoints. From her clothes, he could roughly guess that she was one of the maids. "Me."


    Earlier, the cruel and bloody scene had not scared Gu Qingli, but this sentence had startled her. "You ¡­" Still awake? "


    The servant girl started crying and pointed inside, "Look ¡­" Spring Flower died ¡­ By... "Auntie ate ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li suddenly shivered, and everyone looked in the direction of her finger. There was a ''corpse'' lying on the floor, its clothes were tattered, and only a few pieces of its body were left.


    "This disease... It started with fever, twitching, and then... "He''s extremely hungry, and wants to bite ¡­"


    "Then why aren''t you crazy?" Gu Qingli glanced at Madame Zhao, who was actually the most uninjured one. Although the black spots on her skin were showing up everywhere, and even started to rot, there were not as many wounds as this maidservant, so she could only scream and salivate. Her eyes were dull and fierce, and the whites of her eyes were filled with dark, bloodshot lines.


    "I... "I wasn''t sick in the first place, I was locked up to serve auntie ¡­" "One night, as if she had gone mad, she began to bite ¡­" After being bitten, Spring Flower cried, attracting people from the manor. Seeing this, they nailed the doors and windows shut ¡­ At first, they even sent us food from the window, but after that, they didn''t even send us food anymore and closed us down for five days ¡­ Aunt was crazy, she would bite off her meat whenever she was hungry ¡­ I think she must be starving... "


    "The two of you actually didn''t resist?" Gu Qingli couldn''t believe it.


    "How does she look like a patient? His strength was surprisingly great ¡­ "It''s my master again. The Spring Flower was bitten by someone out of the blue. Later on, I lost all my defenses and couldn''t beat her by myself. If you guys don''t come, she''ll eat me ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li muttered to himself for a moment before walking closer. He bent down and was about to connect the meridians of the maidservant when his eyes flashed. Xiao Yi Xiu took out a handkerchief from his bosom and placed it on her wrist.


    The flesh on her face had been bitten in several places, revealing traces of bright red blood and the white flesh that had turned out. Only her eyes could see, but she could still see, and she began to climb up the thin black threads, as if there were nematodes squirming inside.


    Gu Qing Li felt nauseous for a moment. She couldn''t help but bend over and vomit for a while before finally feeling better.


    Xiao Yi Xiu held her up and took out a handkerchief to wipe her hair. With eyes filled with pity, he said, "Why don''t you stop looking?"


    Gu Qingli shook her head. "It''s nothing." She calmed herself down and did not understand why she could not endure even this. She had seen bloody scenes in the past, but eating people was still unbearable.


    She gazed at the pulse before calming down. Then she said, "The pulse is actually no different from those in the outer city. What I don''t understand is why there are differences in the symptoms."


    She went to the other side to help the aunt establish a pulse, then shook her head. "This is very heavy. I don''t know if the medicine will work on her or not."


    Xiao Yi Xiu helped her out, finding a place to wash her hands while the other shadow guards followed closely behind, finding the servant who had previously instructed her to take care of the situation. As expected, he obediently ordered all of the servants in the courtyard to gather together, and in the name of his mistress, he ordered everyone not to panic.


    Gu Qingli then ordered some people to buy some leaves and stuff to smoke, asking in detail, but didn''t manage to find out what was going on. They only knew that Auntie Zhao had a sudden illness, so they asked Spring Flower and Autumn Moon to take care of her. Later, she lost her wits and had no choice but to lock them all up inside.


    When they were asked if they had ever seen a black bug that looked like a bee, they all shook their heads. After all, that thing was very small.


    Following them, they walked towards a few more areas of the disease, all of which were the same.


    Gu Qing Li then wrote out a prescription and ordered the shadow guards to spread the medicine according to the prescription. As for the assignments, he directly went to the Jing Zhao Yin Yamen and told Jing Zhao Yin Wu Teng to go handle them.


    Wu Teng was walking around like an ant on a hot pan. After receiving the token, he calmed down a little. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and asked Xiao Yi Xiu, "Prince Mo, this recipe ¡­" Is it really effective? "


    Gu Qingli unconsciously knitted her eyebrows and said coldly, "Who dares to guarantee that it will work? This side of the concubine is a doctor, not an immortal. This side of the concubine is a doctor, not a deity.


    Wu Teng was speechless from her retort. He thought to himself, "Is this secondary wife really the Prime Minister''s daughter? Her words are merciless." He only smiled in embarrassment and said, "The secondary wife came from the outer city. What''s the situation over there?"


    Only then did Gu Qingli remember that the inner and outer walls of the city were sealed tightly. She then sneered, "Sir Wu is the head of the capital city''s magistrate, and the King of Swallow, Yuefeng. How could you not know about this?"


    Wu Teng was also a fourth rank high official and was mocked repeatedly by her. He couldn''t help but feel angry in his heart, even though the other party''s status was high, but a woman didn''t have the qualifications to give pointers to politicians, so he rebuked her in a neither light nor heavy manner, "Prince Yan, you are acting according to the imperial edict. You are my superior, so you don''t have to inform me."


    Although Wu Teng''s attitude wasn''t good, Gu Qingli wasn''t annoyed. Instead, she smiled and calmed down, "Then I''ll have to ask Sir Wu to dispatch some people to send the medicine. I am only sending the order on behalf of the Mo King, not to interfere in the government affairs."


    Wu Teng froze for a moment, not knowing what she was doing.


    However, he didn''t know that Gu Qing Li had discovered the relationship between Wu Teng and Xiao Yi Jin, which resulted in Gu Qing Li losing a bit of hostility towards this Lord Jing Zhao Yin.


    If Wu Teng''s daughter had a relative relationship with Xiao Yijin when he married him, then Wu Teng definitely wouldn''t be so worried that he wouldn''t fall on his head while they were together. No matter how he handled this matter, Wu Teng would always be held accountable. Xiao Yijin obviously didn''t care about him, and even had the intention of pushing him out to face the consequences for his.


    After the Mo Wang couple left, Wu Teng had nowhere to vent his anger on. He secretly cursed the Xiao brothers, but obediently sent people to distribute the medicine.

 C280 inner city metamorphosis(5)

    The plague crisis in the inner city soon caused all the officials in the imperial court to become restless. In the morning assembly, all of them looked as if someone owed them a hundred coins. All of them were anxious and terrified.


    The emperor''s expression was also very ugly. He stared at the imperial court for a long time before heavily patting the armrest of the dragon throne.


    If the matter had only been treated seriously at the beginning, it was already urgent. Since the disease had already spread to the capital''s inner city, wouldn''t it mean that it would spread to the imperial city? How could the Emperor not feel threatened?


    As such, when he sat on the Dragon Throne in the middle of the imperial court, his face was slightly green, and he wasn''t interested in being held accountable by Xiao Yi Jin, who was in charge. Instead, he looked around and asked, "What is the best suggestion you have for an outbreak in the inner city?"


    After a moment of silence, Xiao Yijin took a step forward and explained the reason for the temporary closure of the inner and outer city, "... The reason why I''m doing this is not to stop the officials of the inner city from leaving the capital, but for several reasons. Firstly, the epidemic disease of the inner city and the outer city seem the same on the surface, but the disease is not the same. Second, for people to move between the inner city and outer city, it can''t help but cause panic. Please understand my decision first, and don''t be impatient. "


    With regards to the safety of his family, the court officials were not very polite. Even as a prince, there were still people who spoke impolitely. In the history of Imperial Court, Minister Han Yi Fei was the first to speak sarcastically: "Prince Yan speaks so lightly, and the lives of his family are threatened, who can remain calm? "He can''t compare to Prince Yan ¡­"


    As a prince, Xiao Yijin''s closest parents were still in the Imperial City, so he naturally didn''t need to worry about the plague. As for his main wife, for men, women were just clothes. No matter how luxurious the clothes were, for someone like the Yan King, they were easily abandoned.


    Of course Xiao Yi Jin understood what he meant. The other party was still an official, so he sneered, "Sir Han, are you saying that you don''t view me as a human being? "That''s right. My royal father and imperial concubine are both in the Imperial City, but my second concubine is the same as you, in the inner city as well. My main concubine is still two months pregnant, how can I not be worried like you?" Could it be that only Sir Han''s wife and children are human, and this king''s wife and children are not? "


    Han Yi Fei was startled. He didn''t expect Xiao Yi Jin''s main wife to be pregnant. He couldn''t say anything for a while.


    This was actually the first time the emperor had heard of this. If it was any other time, he would naturally be happy, but before this joy could rise, it was washed away by the clouds in the city. He only nodded slightly and said, "It''s only temporarily sealed off."


    Upon hearing the emperor agree to his decision, Xiao Yijin cast a glance at Xiao Yixiu and said, "But someone forced their way through the inner city gates. Not only did they let the people from the outer city enter, they even let the people from the inner city exit ¡­"


    The emperor frowned as he listened. When he heard that Fei Lian, the Minister of Revenue, and the other female servants of Minister Lin Zhihan had been sent out of the city, he asked Fei Lian first, "Fei Aiqing, is this true?"


    Fei Lian didn''t deny it at all. "That''s right, this subject did have my son-in-law escort the family out of the city. At that time, I didn''t hear about Prince Yan''s secret order to seal the city gates, and all I thought about was the safety of my family. I didn''t think anything was amiss."


    "Mm ¡­" It''s just that when someone from the imperial camp intercepted me at the city gate, why would my beloved minister still insist on letting me pass? "


    Lin Zhihan took a step forward, "Reporting to your majesty, Minister Fei was not present at the time. At that time, neither the imperial edict nor the matter had been heard, so how could it not have been perverted by someone? "


    The emperor was silent for a moment before nodding and said, "Since it''s a misunderstanding, I shall let this matter go."


    Xiao Yijin was stunned for a long time before he came back to his senses. The Emperor had actually changed from his usual tough style and started to stir up trouble in the imperial court? Was this because he didn''t want to offend Fei Lian, or because he didn''t want to hold Xiao Yixiu accountable? Could it be that the Emperor had taken care of the epidemic area a few days ago, and admired Xiao Yi Xiu more and more.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t say a word from the beginning until the end. His expression was calm and gentle, to the point that he didn''t even refute his words. It was as if he had already predicted that Fei Lian and Lin Zhihan would be convicted of such a crime.


    Lin Zhihan had not seen the imperial edict, so he was worried that his subordinates would misunderstand his orders, so forcing him to say something like that was reasonable. Furthermore, Xiao Yijin had handled the situation in the inner city as a matter of urgency, so he didn''t have the time to ask for the imperial edict. As a Prince, Xiao Yixiu was against his decision, so he didn''t disobey the imperial edict.


    Xiao Yixiu would at most be reprimanded, but it was inevitable that he would offend Fei Lian''s son-in-law. For a moment, a complicated feeling arose in Xiao Yi Jin''s heart. He gritted his teeth and hated Xiao Yi Xiu even more.


    However, Wu Teng did not know what was going on, so he went up to report the matter. He said that Gu Qing Li had prepared a prescription and ordered someone to fry the medicine. A yamen official sent the medicine to every place where the plague broke out, and the matter was carried out.


    The Emperor asked a few questions, and after hearing that the medicinal formula''s effects were not bad when treated in the outer city, his expression eased up slightly.


    Xiao Yijin almost vomited blood. He wanted to drag Wu Teng over and ask him whether Wu Teng was from the same family as him or Xiao Yixiu.


    After retreating from the imperial court, Xiao Yi Jin walked back to his mansion with a face full of scolding clouds. The coldness in his eyes made Wu Ru Feng''s heart tremble. She didn''t understand what she had done wrong.


    Fortunately, Dong Yu Feng came over to try to persuade her, and then pulled Xiao Yi Jin away. Only then did Wu Ru Feng return to her own courtyard crying.


    Dong Yu Feng knew that Wu Teng didn''t give Xiao Yi Jin much face last time, so he thought for a moment and said: "This can''t be blamed on Sir Wu, as the King originally gave him no leeway, as Jing Zhao Yin, this matter should be handled by him, but you completely ignored him. He doesn''t even know what the Prince is doing, and is being questioned by Prince Mo, so of course he has to protect himself first."


    If Dong Yu Feng hadn''t given him a few ideas before, and if she wasn''t pregnant now, Xiao Yi Jin would probably have reprimanded her as well. But in the end, she only glared at her for a while before saying, "Don''t try to help him argue. That old man clearly knows that this duke and Xiao Yi Xiu are sworn enemies, but he still gave him some gold on his face last time. He obviously doesn''t want to be a family with me."


    "He is only speaking the truth. Could he really hide this matter?" You don''t have to be angry, your highness. You have to know that the higher you fly, the heavier you fall. First, he would allow Li Yue to obtain a few more merits, and then, when the time came, it would cause everyone to hope for the wondrous formula of Li Yue ¡­ Keep in mind that you have wiped out all his achievements from before, and instead brought about a great success in the end by giving him an image of fighting with you over everything. "


    Xiao Yi Jin''s expression relaxed a little and asked, "Your method has already been implemented?"


    Dong Yu Feng nodded with a smile.

 C281 accidental pregnancy

    Although all the winds in the middle are now turned towards Mr Xiaoyi, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.


    Xiao Yi Xiu understood this logic, so he couldn''t feel at ease after going into court. He took Gu Qing Li to look around and confirmed that Wu Teng was doing his best to distribute the medicine to the families that were affected by the plague.


    However, the effects of the pill would take at least two to three days. His heart was still in the air.


    After returning to the manor, Gu Qingli suggested that they go to the secret underground room to see Gu Qingxiao.


    When Xiao Yixiu heard about the butterfly on Gu Qingxiao''s wrist, he felt a chill in his heart. He immediately accompanied her down the tunnel to the secret room where he was imprisoned.


    Gu Qingxiao''s face was still pale and haggard. When she saw them, she suddenly rushed over and grabbed the iron bars. She shouted and kicked and her previous cowardice turned into hysteria. There was not even a shred of hope left.


    After hearing her scolding and kicking for a while, Xiao Yi Xiu remained indifferent to her actions. In the end, she was still able to make a ruckus no matter how much she tried.


    Gu Qingxiao was tired from her beating and from her scolding, she began to cry again. She begged her to let him go and give him her freedom.


    Xiao Yi Xiu said, "Raise your hand."


    Gu Qingxiao was stunned as she didn''t understand what she meant.


    "If you want to be free, you have to listen."


    Gu Qingxiao seemed to have caught onto a glimmer of hope as she asked, "How is it that the prince is willing to let me out?"


    "It''s impossible to let it out forever, but if you listen to me, I''ll give you a few hours to let the wind out."


    Gu Qingxiao did not seem satisfied with the deal, but in the end, she raised her hand and looked at it hesitantly. She did not find anything out of the ordinary.


    Xiao Yixiu grabbed her hand and pulled her sleeve down a little.


    Gu Qingxiao was somewhat surprised as she lowered his head to see her holding her hand. Her knuckles were distinct, and her fingers were long and beautiful. She subconsciously began to tremble. She didn''t expect the other party to be so focused. He only stared at her wrist, causing her to look down. There was a butterfly patch on her wrist.


    She hadn''t paid attention to her for a long time, so she was at a loss. "When did this happen?"


    "You don''t even know it yourself?"


    Gu Qingxiao shook her head. She had been locked up here for too long, so she had become so numb to the changes in her body that she didn''t pay attention to them at all.


    Gu Qingli also walked forward and stretched out her hand to touch her wrist.


    Gu Qingxiao was not so defenseless against Gu Qingli''s approach. She almost subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back. She resisted and screamed out loud, full of hostility. How could she have known that Xiao Yixiu''s hand was like iron around her own, and the sudden movement made his hand hurt.


    Gu Qing Li ignored him and grabbed Gu Qing Xiao''s wrist. After a while, she looked up at Xiao Yi Xiu with a strange expression in her eyes.


    Xiao Yixiu understood what she meant, and let Gu Qingxiao go as they walked out side by side.


    Behind her, Gu Qingxiao wailed miserably, "Your Highness, when can you release me again?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu replied without turning his head, "Wait till you tell us where the Gu that you planted in Gu Qing Ruo''s body came from."


    Gu Qingxiao''s voice suddenly stopped. In the dead silence, she held onto the iron fence as she slowly slid down. Her entire body was curled up and her eyes were filled with fear. Ever since she had returned to the Mo King''s Manor and regained consciousness, Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li had taken turns questioning her about the matters regarding the Gu. If she didn''t resist or answer, she would occasionally faint, and the Gu in her body seemed to sense and be able to control some of her thoughts.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was helpless to do anything about it. Even if he could execute Gu Qing Xiao, he couldn''t change her will control.


    "How is it?"


    Gu Qingli shook her head with a strange expression on her face. After a while, she hesitantly said, "Her pulse is different from that of an epidemic disease, and there are some similarities. It''s hard to understand why she didn''t attack. Perhaps this is related to the control of the Gu. "


    "Maybe she''s also a Gu Master." Xiao Yi Xiu reminded him.


    Gu Qingli looked at him in shock, thinking that this guess might be the truth. But she still did not know what use a Gu Master had, she could not control the Gu in her body well, and often felt that it was a hidden danger.


    Walking out of the long passageway, Gu Qingli felt the feeling of nausea lessen a little. She had almost vomited when she walked out of the dark and sealed passageway just now.


    Xiao Yi Xiu saw that her face was slightly pale and that she was stroking her chest with her brows. He couldn''t help but worry for her. "What''s wrong?"


    "The air below isn''t flowing, the middle-aged man wants to vomit." Gu Qingli explained. She felt something was wrong, but didn''t say anything.


    It was true that the room was airless, with a disgusting and unpleasant smell mixed with a damp and musty smell, but it was not the first time she had been in or out of it, and she had never felt anything so strong. Thinking about how she had vomited when she saw the gnawed corpse, she felt more and more worried.


    "But I think you''re more worried." Xiao Yi Xiu lifted her chin and examined her closely. Although the worry in her eyes had been suppressed, it was still caught by him in a flash.


    Gu Qingli forced a smile. "I''m probably too tired these days ¡­"


    "Let''s find an imperial physician."


    "I am a physician myself, who can be better than me?"


    Seeing her arrogant and confident appearance, Xiao Yi Xiu couldn''t help but smile. He insisted, "A doctor can''t cure himself. It''s better to find an imperial physician."


    "No need." Gu Qingli quickened her pace, stepping into the Feng Jingxuan area first. She didn''t even bother with Yu Ying, who had come to help her change her clothes, and went straight to the inner room to change.


    Xiao Yi Xiu followed her into the inner room. He carefully examined her face and asked, "Is there something in your heart that you''re unwilling to tell me?"


    Gu Qingli lowered her head and changed her clothes, not saying a word.


    Xiao Yixiu couldn''t help but raise her head as well. When he lifted her face again, he found that her eyes were filled with tears. Her face looked haggard, as if he was somewhat helpless.


    He had never seen Gu Qingli act like this before. When had she ever had such a delicate side to her? At any time, she was always in high spirits. Even when she was poisoned by him back then, her surface submission had never surpassed the cunning and indomitable look in her eyes.


    "Qing Li, who the hell am I to you?"


    Gu Qing Li bit her lower lip. After a while, she said softly, "If there comes a day when I''ve done something to let you down, please forgive me."


    "So you won''t tell me today, no matter what?" It was obvious that he would not give up. His cold face darkened, and a layer of frost appeared in his eyes. There was an unconcealable pain in his eyes.


    After a long time, Gu Qingli finally said softly, "I''m afraid I''ll tell you. I''m afraid you''ll be sad ¡­"


    Her voice was choked with sobs. She, who had never shed a tear before, was currently feeling just like an ordinary girl, helpless and indecisive in her heart.


    "I think I''m pregnant, but this kid... I''m afraid it can''t happen. "


    After a moment of shock, Xiao Yi Xiu blurted out, "Why?"


    "What do you think?"

 C282 impeachment(1)

    He quickly changed his mind and became speechless. Not to mention the Gu in her body, she had only been in and out of the epidemic area frequently recently, and had personally come into contact with the epidemic disease patients. Whether this child in her womb was normal or not was a big question.


    Seeing Gu Qing Li''s helpless expression, he suddenly felt pain in his heart. He pulled her into his embrace and placed his palm on her lower abdomen, as if he could feel the pulse and heartbeat inside. This was his first child, but he was well aware that Gu Qingli''s worries weren''t out of the ordinary. If this child was really born, no one knew what would happen to him.


    "It''s all my fault. I''ve been ignoring this question for the past few days."


    "It''s only been about ten days since the plague broke out. How could you have predicted that I shouldn''t have insisted on living in the epidemic area to diagnose and treat it?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head and muttered softly, "Even if it wasn''t for the plague, the Gu in your body ¡­ I wonder what effect it will have on the fetus. "


    His palm was still pressed tightly against Gu Qingli''s lower abdomen. The scorching heat transmitted to her body, making her feel even more reluctant to part with him. The guilt in her heart multiplied as the tears stored in her eyes finally began to flow. I can''t give you a healthy baby... "I''m sorry ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu hurriedly lifted his hand to wipe away her tears, but the more he wiped, the more tears he wiped away.


    Later on, he could only lower his head to kiss the tears on her face and softly comfort her, "It''s fine, there will be more in the future. After this battle, we can remove the Gu in your body and have plenty of time to regenerate.


    "You can have as many as you want. Do you think I''m a sow?" Gu Qingli smiled with tears in her eyes, but the pain in her heart only increased.


    The Gu was still in her body, but she still hadn''t found a way to remove it. She even had a feeling that it had fused with her blood and could no longer be separated. Perhaps it was the will that the Gu worm had given her, but she still felt someone telling her that the Gu was with her, that the Gu was with her, that the Gu was dead and the person was dead.


    Thus, she thought that Fang Yanzhu had actually been married to Deng Shengchuan for several years without having any children. Presumably, this was also the reason why she was unable to give birth.


    "Yeah, This King doesn''t want to be a sow yet."


    Gu Qingli laughed even more. "So, it''s an honor to be a sow, even if I have to marry you?"


    "Of course."


    Looking at the gentle smile on her face, Gu Qingli suddenly felt that she was too shameless to refute.


    Xiao Yi Xiu wiped away the tears on her face. Seeing her bright smile, he relaxed a little, but at the same time, he felt a sense of desolation and desolation.


    The two of them acted as if nothing had happened, but in their hearts, they felt faint pain. They just didn''t want to add to each other''s worries.


    Without waiting for Gu Qing Li''s prescription to show its effects, Xiao Yi Xiu was impeached in the imperial court.


    This time, he was impeached by the Imperial Physician Zhang Dong Cheng, who was famous for his bravery. Even the emperor was sometimes rendered speechless by his admonition, so it was clear that his words were not without basis.


    The reason for this was that one of the squad captains of the Fire Hou Battalion had unintentionally told them that when they first discovered an outbreak in the outer city, he had once stopped King Mo''s carriage outside the city. When he got into the carriage to take a look at the second wife of the King Mo, he had seen a butterfly shaped black mark on her wrist.


    After all, at that time, it was still early stage, and no one had really seen the shape of the plaque when the disease flared up. Gu Qingxiao''s identity was special, so how would he dare to stare at the woman''s wrist?


    Hearing that, the emperor''s expression was cold as he said, "This matter has been going on for the past few days. Why did you suddenly bring it up? "Where did you go this morning?" The meaning behind his words was clear, as if he didn''t believe it.


    Zhang Dong Cheng looked at Xiao Yi Xiu and said excitedly, "Speaking of this matter, we have to talk about the other matter that this humble subject wanted to impeach Prince Mo ¡ª abuse of personal punishment. Although the prince was a prince of the Tian Family, he was still a courtier in the end. How could he blind the twelve people at the scene just because the city guards had been ordered to stop by the Yan Emperor? After being blinded, these twelve soldiers received some compensation. They were forced to disarm and return home, so no one knew about this. "If it wasn''t for the fact that someone in the neighbor of the captain had an epidemic disease and said that it started out as a black spot, he would not have thought of such a thing!"


    "What a coincidence, he''s already out of sight. How can I tell if the first black spot is the same as the one on Princess Mo''s wrist?"


    Zhang Dongcheng said, "Although his eyes can''t see anything, he still has memories. When he narrates it, it''s exactly the same as what others see ¡­"


    He was about to continue, but he was cut off by Gu Zhaoran, "The day that Master Zhang mentioned, my daughter returned to this Prime Minister''s Mansion to return to peace, and then returned to Prince Mo''s Mansion. From what you have said, if my daughter had an attack on her wrist, wouldn''t the people from this palace and the Prince Mo Residence be the first ones to be spared? "


    Zhang Dong Cheng was stunned for a moment, and did not know what to say. His impeachment intention was precisely to say that the plague in the inner city was brought in by Prince Mo''s side consort. Unexpectedly, Gu Zhaoran''s single sentence made him speechless.


    Gu Zhaoran had always been a gentle and mediocre person who treated the world well. When the various officials in the imperial court disagreed with him, he would always stay out of the world. If he wasn''t an important official of the three dynasties who had worked arduously and built many trees back in the days when he was the late emperor, the emperor probably would have changed him long ago.


    Many of the officials had ignored Gu Zhaoran''s existence, they did not expect him to be so spicy. The moment he opened his mouth, he saw through Zhang Dong Cheng''s intentions, making him speechless.


    "My daughter is Prince Mo''s side wife. She never goes out of her house. Master Zhang would like to say that she was the one who first brought the epidemic situation into the inner city, so it must be reasonable. Excuse me, if it wasn''t for the birthmark on her wrist, why didn''t she infect anyone in the prime minister''s residence? When you returned to the Prince Mo''s mansion, you did not infect anyone from the mansion. Instead, you spread the news to the inner city? "


    Zhang Dong Cheng was silent for a moment, then said: "This humble subject is unable to reply to that, but the truth is still the same. "It would be best if Gu Ruoyun had a birthmark on her wrist, but it''s a misunderstanding. If it wasn''t for the birthmark, Prince Mo would really have to answer this question of Gu Xiang''s."


    Even though the other party was a prince, Zhang Dong Cheng''s tone of voice didn''t yield in the slightest. In fact, he didn''t even care that he would offend Xiao Yi Xiu at all.


    Xiao Yixiu was not angry at all. Zhang Dongheng was a dead pig that did not fear boiling water. Everyone in the imperial court avoided him, but the reason why the emperor trusted him and even wanted to put him in his place was because he was adamant about admonishing the emperor. He turned his head to the side and replied, "This matter is actually very easy to answer. Firstly, the secondary wife is the direct daughter of the Minister Gu, and he can already prove if the secondary wife has a birthmark on her wrist or not. Secondly, if there is a need, the secondary wife can also go to the throne room to testify. Although everyone is unable to differentiate between an epidemic plaque and a birthmark, is the fact that the secondary wife hasn''t had an attack for a long time not enough proof? "


    Hearing his confident and calm tone, Zhang Dong Cheng was stunned for a moment, thinking, "Could that squad leader really have been too worried?"


    Gu Chaoran followed and replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble subject and the other two ladies did indeed have butterfly birthmarks on their wrists since they were young."


    These words had already proven that Xiao Yixiu''s words were true. If Zhang Dongheng still insisted on revealing his evidence to the upper echelons of the King''s Mansion''s female servants, it would be impolite of him.

 C283 impeachment(2)

    Zhang Dong Cheng''s face turned slightly red and he coughed lightly. He remembered the reason Xiao Yi Jin told him about this. Could it be that Xiao Yi Jin wasn''t confident enough to let him test it out? He couldn''t help but feel angry and continued with the second line of impeachment, "Prince Mo, since it is only a birthmark, and the eyes of the twelve soldiers were pierced, isn''t this an abuse of lynchings?"


    He could not help but cough, thinking that everyone said that he was sick and weak, but the way he looked at people was like a soft knife cutting through butter. Even though he looked at them a few more times, he clearly did not feel guilty, but still looked at them with a guilty conscience.


    "Imperial Censor Zhang, before you said those words, did you personally go and ask those soldiers guarding the city gates of the Fire Hou Battalion?"


    Zhang Dong Cheng was stunned: "Of course I have."


    "Everyone has asked? Are you sure that what they say is the truth, and all of it? "


    Zhang Dongheng blinked his eyes.


    "This kind of matter should not be said in the throne room, but since Censor Zhang insisted on asking, This King had no choice but to admit the truth. It''s just that This King has said it first. If this matter is made clear, does Great Master Zhang really not regret it? "


    "This official ¡­" Why should I regret it? " Zhang Dong Cheng''s stubborn nature did not change, and he said proudly: "If this official is at fault, then I will naturally admit it."


    "I''m afraid it''s not something you can solve just because you admit your mistakes." Xiao Yi Xiu said lightly. He turned around and said to the Emperor, "Imperial Father, this son would like to ask, what is rudeness and neglect?"


    The emperor was stunned. Even a child could understand these words. Why would he need to explain them?


    Xiao Yi Xiu continued, "Your son doesn''t know how you gave the orders, or did you comply with Imperial Father''s orders? You actually asked the women to take off their shoes and socks while passing through the city gate? Even if the carriage was not made up of the women of this son''s family, it would still be considered as indecent on the part of the commoners. Furthermore, they would even dare to look at the women of the clan if their superiors were to commit an offense! "


    Zhang Dong Cheng didn''t know that something like that happened and couldn''t help but to stare wide-eyed.


    Xiao Yixiu said indifferently, "Lord Censor Zhang, if your wife and daughter can take off their shoes and socks in front of the throne room for all the officials to see, I will admit that you have abused your punishment."


    The Eastsea Monk Confucius was courteous and courteous, and the woman''s feet were considered private. How could he allow other men to see her as they wished? Upon hearing Xiao Yi Xiu''s words, Zhang Dong Cheng''s face turned red, and his usually sharp words also disappeared. He stuttered as he said, "This ¡­" "The prince also didn''t say anything back then ¡­"


    "Excuse me, but the squadron leader told This King''s main wife to take off her shoes and socks in front of the crowd. The other eleven people present also saw it. Is this kind of matter worthy of This King announcing it to everyone in order to get rid of his'' crime ''?"


    Zhang Dong Cheng was in a sorry state, but he didn''t expect the truth to be like this. At that moment, he couldn''t help but curse Xiao Yi Jin for overseeing things so closely, causing him to do such a thing.


    In fact, Xiao Yi Jin didn''t take the matter to heart when the Fire Hou Battalion had asked for an explanation. She had only said that it was a matter of urgency, so she didn''t care much about it. Her face turned red as she thought to herself, No wonder those people were blinded and didn''t complain.


    At that time, he was too stressed from the situation in the inner and outer city to care about such a small matter. He thought that with Xiao Yi Xiu''s identity, he could be a prince at most.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s tone remained as calm as ever, "Alright, since the words have been said, then I will go to the imperial court and ask my father. Could it be that when the city gates were being inspected, such orders were given?"


    The emperor was also slightly embarrassed. He forced the prince to admit that his family had been seen by other men as their private parts. No matter what, this was a great humiliation, and he could only glare at Xiao Yi Jin resentfully.


    "Moreover, this is not an exception. When I went to the epidemic area with my concubine, I saw that they treated the people the same way. If there is a woman who refused to comply, I would take off her shoes and socks in front of everyone, regardless of the daylight. I was just trying to restrain myself at the time, but I only told them not to do so again, because I knew that after the disease had passed, the reputation of the people in the army would not be good either, and I would not be able to recover from it. "


    "What?" is the same with the people? " The emperor was furious this time.


    Xiao Yi Jin''s forehead was covered in sweat as he said anxiously, "Your son ¡­ He could only do it helplessly. When the disease first started, it was all on his limbs, especially his hands and feet ¡­ "For the safety of more people in the capital, it is also true that ¡­"


    The emperor sighed and thought of Fu Yu''s words. Just as he was about to give Fu Yu a way out, he heard Xiao Yi Xiu chuckle and say, "So if the disease starts in the body and it starts in a secret place, does it mean that the sixth royal brother will order all those who passed the trial to be examined naked?"


    "You ¡­" Xiao Yijin''s face was filled with rage, "Could it be that your royal brother has a better way to deal with this?"


    "At the very least, when the women are being examined, they shall be carried out by the women, and care shall be taken to protect them."


    "But where did the girls in the army come from?!"


    "This sort of thing should be a small matter. It shouldn''t be impossible even with the Sixth Imperial Brother''s ability."


    Xiao Yijin was thwarted again and again. He gritted his teeth and was speechless.


    "The matter regarding the Yan King has indeed been handled inappropriately. Zhang Aiqing''s words shall not be accepted. As for the absurd suggestion for Princess Mo to come to the throne room and prove it, it''s even less necessary to mention it. " The emperor didn''t want to say anything more about this. Although he looked calm, he could not contain his anger. If it weren''t for the fact that he wanted to keep Xiao Yi Jin to fight against Xiao Yi Xiu, he would have disgraced him.


    After leaving the imperial court, Zhang Dong Cheng bitterly walked away. Suddenly, he heard Xiao Yi Xiu''s voice floating over, "Censor Zhang, in the future when you''re hot-blooded and straightforward, should you consider it? You don''t have the courage to remonstrate directly."


    Zhang Dong Cheng''s spine stiffened as he looked in the direction of the voice. Xiao Yi Xiu was smiling gently at him, his eyes so deep that they couldn''t be seen.


    His heart turned cold, and he could not tell if the other party was happy or angry.


    As Xiao Yi Xiu walked past him, he said softly, "Be careful, you''re being used as a gun."


    Zhang Dong Cheng unconsciously stopped walking and stared at Xiao Yi Xiu''s back. Suddenly, someone else came up from behind and patted his shoulder. He smiled and said, "Censor Zhang doesn''t need to be so angry. You''re not the most unlucky one today."


    Zhang Dong Cheng shuddered, and turned around to see Xiao Ling Fei''s smiling eyes, gentle and amiable.


    Gu Qing Li''s prescription had been used for the third day in the inner city, so he had hoped that it would have the same effect as in the outer city. Who knew that the news would shock everyone?


    For a while, the inner city was in a state of panic. The officials who had been hoarding food all day long did not even dare to go to the streets anymore. They had to close their doors and doors for the rest of the day.


    It was hard for those small merchants to do business. They had to take advantage of the situation and face danger.


    At this moment, Gu Qingli was greatly surprised by the Helian siblings'' visit.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was not around, so he went out to inspect the situation and the drug use in the inner city.


    Gu Qing was supposed to leave, but she couldn''t wake up early in the morning to throw up, so Xiao Yixiu stopped her from going out and told her to stay in the manor to rest. Although both of them knew that they couldn''t let the child stay, they still hadn''t made up their minds to fall.


    Gu Qingli then found an excuse, saying that the epidemic was rampant. If she aborted now, it would inevitably take more than a month of rest, and she would not be able to see the patient in person. Xiao Yixiu knew that she actually didn''t want to part with him, so he agreed to that as well.

 C284 Inheritance(1)

    When Helian Yu heard that Xiao Yi Xiu wasn''t around, his usually cold and sharp figure softened a bit. His eyes flashed with a trace of joy. It was in contrast with Helian Lie''s face full of disappointment.


    Gu Qingli invited them into the hall and sat them down. She ordered some tea and sat down across from them.


    Although it was much better than waking up in the morning, one could still see the emaciation after vomiting. He could not help but ask, "I''ve heard that the consort has been in and out of the inner city, busily working on the plague in the capital. Could it be that she is too tired and is suffering from it?"


    Gu Qingli''s heart suddenly skipped a beat. Although only a few people knew about the matter of Li Yue, in order to prevent the sound of the wind, she had appeared in the name of Gu Qingxiao as a doctor. Everyone in the imperial court believed that the one with the best medical skills was none other than the imperial concubine. Although Helian Yu would not interact with them, it was hard to not accidentally say something. At that time, she would definitely reveal her identity.


    He immediately answered, "Crown Prince Helian knows that there is a mistake. The external healer, Li Yue, is actually Prince Mo''s wife, and also this wangfei''s younger sister, Gu Qingxiao."


    "Oh ¡­" The two sisters have outstanding medical skills? " Curiosity flashed through Helian Yu''s eyes, as if he wanted to ask until the end.


    Gu Qing Li changed the topic. Facing Helian Shuang who was obviously not in a good mood and was fidgeting, he said, "Princess Helian must be extremely bored these days." "I really didn''t think that you would encounter such a thing the moment you arrived at Dongyuan City. Right now, even if you wanted to leave, it would be a bit inconvenient. But I can tell the prince that his proposal will be made in front of the emperor ¡­"


    "This princess has no intention of leaving." Helian Shuanghua''s face was sullen as he flatly refused.


    Gu Qingli was slightly taken aback before she smiled, "The Dongyuan Capital is in danger now, so it''s inconvenient for me to go out. The Princess has no place to play, so I''m afraid she''ll feel bored inside the inn. Do you still want to stay?"


    He Lian said: "I do not plan to leave. Dong Yuan is a very local person and has met with a calamity. If I can help, it would be for the best. Even if I can''t, it would not be the Northern Chu people''s style to just sit back and do nothing while they are in danger."


    "That''s right." It was rare for Helian Xianzhong and her brother to cry out in unison.


    Gu Qingli lowered her head to look at Helian Xianping''s hands, which were resting on her knees. She didn''t say anything. Although their hands were white and delicate, they were not as delicate as those of the women from the East Abyss. Helian Xianzi had been wielding a sword all year round, and there was a layer of callus on his palm. His joints were slightly thick, and they were incomparable to Gu Qingli''s delicate and beautiful appearance.


    Helian Lie saw that Gu Qing Li was staring at his hands and also lowered his head to look at them. He subconsciously compared Gu Qing Li''s hands with his own. His expression changed and he withdrew his hand to carry the tea Gu.


    Gu Qing Li knew that she had misunderstood, but he only smiled and did not speak. He extended his hand to bring the tea Gu over, but did not make a sound. After being stung by the Venomous Bee Gu, Helian Peng unexpectedly only went through a normal process of treatment and recovered completely. She didn''t see any butterfly-shaped black spots on her hands or wrists, which only added to her confusion.


    The Helian siblings were unwilling to leave during such a dangerous time. The so-called friendship was just a lie, how could Gu Qingli believe that? In her mind, she recalled Ding Lang''s words again and again: Northern Frontier... "¡­ Gu ¡­" Zhou Qianxi had also mentioned that she was sold to the Northern Frontier''s East Sun. She later found out from Xiao Yixiu that the Xinping Prefecture that Ding Lang mentioned was also in the Northern Frontier.


    As for the north, it was at the border with the Northern Chu. It was a land that had been invaded and occupied by the Northern Chu people time and time again. Xin Ping had been defeated by Xiao Yi in the Helian Imperial War. It was only after that battle that he was officially reinstated.


    Helian Yu didn''t know what Gu Qingli was thinking in her heart. Her eyes were only focused on Gu Qingli, only feeling that her pale face, her usual cold and arrogant demeanor, and her slightly delicate appearance, were pitiful. She said, "I''ve been holding myself back at the Cheng Yang Inn for the past few days, and it''s true that I''m feeling a bit bored, but I''m not here to ask for assistance from the imperial concubine for a chat."


    "Help?"


    "The plague has already spread all the way to the Cheng Yang Inn. First, a servant girl from Dongyuan Palace caught it, and then it was a guard from my Northern Chu ¡­ Now that these two have been locked up, I would like to request that you move to the inn. "


    Gu Qingli was startled. After a while, she said: "With Prince Helian''s status, he can totally seek help from my Emperor Dongyuan. There are so many doctors in the palace, how can you trust a woman like me, who can''t even be considered a doctor?"


    "I heard that your sister''s prescription has caused the outer city''s people to improve once ¡­"


    Helian Xiufeng interrupted his brother''s words with a sneer, "It was just that the news I heard this morning began to worsen."


    Helian Yu didn''t even look at her and continued, "Your sister''s medical skills are so, Princess Hua-Yang is probably not bad. "Ever since the wangfei suggested me to open up my meridians with the breathing technique, my old ailments have indeed improved a lot. I sincerely hope that wangfei can lend me a helping hand."


    Gu Qing Li was silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered something, asking doubtfully, "Three days ago, Wu Tengyi sent people to arrange this. All the patients sent people to distribute the medicine, could it be that Cheng Yang Inn didn''t receive it?"


    "Got it. The two of them even consumed it. It was just like the rumors said in the outside world. At first, it was fine, but soon after, an unpredictable change occurred. The attacks of the two became even stronger, and their illness changed."


    "Prince Helian actually dared to invite me?"


    "I believe that something unexpected has happened."


    Helian Xiufeng sneered, "Big Brother Crown Prince, I believe that this unexpected turn of events is because the royal concubine and her daughter are still deeply in bed. Their medical skills are not as good as they think." She raised her head with a look of disdain and didn''t even look at Gu Qing Li.


    Gu Qingli was not the least bit angry. She looked at Helian Lie with a smile and suddenly asked, "Has the bee poison in Princess Helian completely healed?"


    "What do you mean?" Helian Shuanghua was stunned.


    "Did you ever leave a black spot in the shape of a butterfly on your body?"


    Helian Shuang''s face suddenly changed. She said with a sneer, "What do you want to say? No, nothing. This princess'' injury is on her face, can''t you see it? "


    Gu Qingli looked at her without batting an eyelid, feeling a little guilty about trying to scare her off.


    "Alright, I will follow you to Cheng Yang Inn."


    Compared to the outside world, the Cheng Yang Inn was relatively quiet. Even though there were two patients here, order was still the same. Helian Lie didn''t want to spend more time with Gu Qing Li. After entering the inn, he parted ways with them.


    The staff welcomed them into the inn and led them to a remote ear room at the back of the inn. They pointed to two locked doors and said, "This is one of our maidservants, and next to them is the Northern Chu Guard."


    That person opened the lock on the servant girl first, not forgetting to remind her, "Be careful, her mind is currently muddled, and her attack power is also much higher than usual."


    The more Gu Qingli thought about the zombie virus Corpse Transformation, the more she felt like it was a zombie. She couldn''t help but furrow her brows, but Helian Yu blocked her path, and he was the first to enter.


    With a low growl, someone rushed forward.


    Helian Yu''s reaction was nimble. With a wave of his hand, he caught the incoming person, knocking her to the ground. He twisted her arm and placed his other hand on the back of her head, which was constantly trying to reverse itself.


    Prince Helian sealed her acupoints and let her go.


    "I''m fine." Helian Yu didn''t care at all. He turned his face to look at her, "Do you see any difference between this and the previous patients?"

 C285 Inheritance(2)

    Gu Qing Li remained silent as he bent down to examine her. She covered her face with a veil and wore a deerskin glove, easily pushing aside the slave girl''s messy long hair. She looked at her struggling face and saw that the black veins at the whites of her eyes were entangled like a web. She felt that the intertwined black veins were wiggling densely, like living nematodes.


    She thought for a moment, took off her gloves, threw out a red silk vein, closed her eyes and focused for a moment. She then shook the thread, put on the gloves and said, "Crown Prince Helian, let her go and try."


    "She might hurt you."


    Gu Qingli smiled faintly. "No."


    Helian Yu hesitated slightly before letting go and retreating. However, he didn''t move far away.


    The servant girl jumped up, baring her teeth as she attacked Gu Qing Li. Although she had no pattern, she looked much more agile than a common woman. When Gu Qingli made contact with her limbs, she could clearly feel that her strength had increased by leaps and bounds, comparable to that of a grown man.


    After battling with her for a while, he released a silver needle and knocked her to the ground. He clapped his hands and looked at Helian Yu, "I think the reason for her sudden change is because her body functions have greatly increased. Her metabolism is much more vigorous than normal people, and her cell reproduction rate is dozens of times faster than normal ¡­"


    Seeing Helian Yu''s eyes staring at her, Gu Qingli suddenly remembered that she was already talking about western medicine. She quickly changed the topic. "Actually, what I mean is ¡­" Her body''s function is already several times stronger than before, so her attack power has also become stronger and her speed has become faster. "


    In fact, she had already come up with a reasonable idea. The current situation of this servant girl was as if someone had added some sort of catalyst to her body, causing her poison to multiply, or it could even be said to trigger the poison in her body.


    On the surface, it seemed that the speed, physical ability, and strain were all higher than those of normal people, but in reality, this was not a good thing, because this kind of accelerated process of cell division and death, in the end, was not an evolution, but was instead leading to the early aging of the body.


    "Has she been eating a lot lately?"


    "Yes." The guard outside replied in surprise.


    Helian Yu was even more astonished. Gu Qingli was actually able to deduce something that even he didn''t know. It definitely wasn''t a random guess.


    Gu Qing Li was silent for a moment before he asked, "Did anyone bring medicine here today?"


    Helian Yu asked. That person answered, "I gave it to him, I''ve already eaten it, but I heard that he doesn''t even eat this medicine anymore. He said that after consuming it, he became even crazier and had stronger offensive abilities.


    "I need to see this medicine before I know what''s wrong with it."


    "You mean ¡­"


    "According to this pulse, even if my medicine can''t make them improve quickly, it can at least suppress them and it won''t progress so fast."


    "You suspect someone of having tampered with the medicine?"


    "I can''t rule out that possibility."


    Gu Qingli had someone open the other door and check the other patient. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Crown Prince Helian, can you do me a favor?"


    "I will not refuse anything within my capabilities."


    Gu Qing Li ordered someone to bring out a pen and paper, then wrote down a prescription for him.


    "This is a new prescription?"


    "No, it''s exactly the same as the original prescription. I want Crown Prince Helian to personally order people to go out to the streets and buy medicinal herbs and ointments for them to consume. "As for the medicines given by Jing Zhaoyin, throw them away."


    Helian Yu nodded.


    Gu Qingli bid farewell to him. Helian Yu did not stop her and sent her away.


    After walking for a while, he saw Helian Xiufeng walking over. He raised his head high and glanced at her with a disdainful and arrogant expression on his face.


    Gu Qing Li thought she was the same as before, but when she saw that he wasn''t mocking or mocking her, she ignored him. Who knew that when she passed by him, he would suddenly hear him say, "Royal Concubine Mo, Big Brother Crown Prince always says that your medical skills are quite impressive. A female guard suddenly fell on my side just now. Do you want to take a look?"


    "Is it also an outbreak of an epidemic?"


    "I''m not sure about that. It''s not like I have any medical skills." Helian Lie curled his lips. He still didn''t even glance at her expression; his tone was extremely haughty.


    Gu Qingli could see the disdain in Helian Lie''s eyes. Perhaps this was just a deliberate provocation. There was no need for her to care about this little trick, so she sneered lightly and sidestepped her, intending to leave.


    "It''s nothing more than that." Behind her, Helian Shuanghua sneered, full of contempt.


    Gu Qingli continued to ignore him and walk on. How could she not know about Helian Xiufeng''s little trick? It was just that she was feeling uncomfortable today. She was getting more and more annoyed. She only wanted to leave this place, so she didn''t care about it anymore.


    "Princess... Princess ¡­ Oh no, Xiao Ying has hurt people, two or three of them! " A female guard rushed over from the distance, gasping for breath.


    Helian Peng''s complexion slightly changed. Helian Yu said in astonishment, "How is that possible? In the past, when the two illnesses occurred, they were usually the first to awaken with normal minds. It took them two to three days before they became delirious and attacked others. "


    Gu Qingli suddenly stopped and turned around. "I''ll go take a look." If we compare the insect venom to a virus or a bacterium, and compare it to a virus or a bacterium, and compare it to a virus or a bacterium, and compare it to a virus or a bacterium, and compare it to a virus


    Helian Xiufeng sneered, "Aren''t you afraid?"


    Gu Qingli couldn''t be bothered with her. She said to Helian Yu, "Please lead the way, Crown Prince Helian."


    The female guard panted as she led the way. Helian Yu brought her to Helian Peng''s residence, and the Barbarian Princess had no choice but to follow.


    He rushed to the courtyard and saw several female guards lying in a mess on the veranda, moaning and wailing in pain. A female guard with disheveled hair and wearing leather armour was still struggling with two or three female guards.


    Gu Qingli saw that the people who had fallen had more or less wounds on their bodies, and she knew that things were not going well. According to the speed of development, they should be at least as fast as zombie viruses.


    She quickened her pace, drawing closer before Helian Yu.


    Suddenly, all the female guards on the ground jumped up and attacked Gu Qing Li at the same time.


    Helian Yu''s face darkened. Just as he raised his hand, Helian Shuang stopped in front of him and whispered, "Big Brother Crown Prince, let''s keep watching."


    Helian Yu raised his eyes and saw the female guards attacking Gu Qing Li from all sides. Along with the disheveled and struggling guards, they all joined in the battle. No matter how he looked at it, they didn''t look like they had an epidemic disease.


    He felt slightly more at ease. With a dark expression and a low voice, he asked Helian Lie, "What the hell are you doing?"


    Helian Shuang actually had a strange smile on his face. He said in a low voice, "Sister, this is for your sake."


    However, she had vomited for a very long time in the morning, until she was so disgusted that her breakfast was useless. When she arrived, she felt very uncomfortable, and as she fought, she gradually felt her limbs become weak, causing her dizziness to become even more severe for some reason.


    He wanted to step forward and intervene, but was stopped by Helian Xiufeng and whispered, "Big Brother Crown Prince, I know you want her, but if you continue acting like this, I bet you''ll never ever think of getting her."

 C286 Inheritance(3)

    Helian Yu''s eyes fluctuated, seemingly filled with contradiction. In the end, he lowered his voice and said, "What tricks are you playing? "Such a despicable method has humiliated my Northern Chu Wind."


    Helian Shuang raised her eyebrows and chuckled. "Isn''t she boasting about her medical skills? If she can''t see through this little trick, then she dares to call herself a genius doctor."


    Helian Yu suspiciously sniffed the air. The air was filled with a sweet fragrance. It seemed to be the fragrance of wax and plums drifting about in the inn''s garden. Other than that, nothing else was out of the ordinary.


    "This is a type of Frigid Incense Jade Dew. It was originally harmless to humans, but she drank some fruit tea back at the Mo King Manor. When the flower tea came in contact with the Frigid Incense Jade Dew, it became a type of knockout drug ¡­" She''s going to fall. " Helian Lie turned around leisurely to see the scene of Gu Qingli being put down by a few female guards.


    "Carry it in." Helian Peng crossed his arms and looked at Helian Yu with a smile that was not a smile. "Big Brother Crown Prince, this is up to you. What you want to do next is up to you. "Do you want to be a protector of the flower and send her safely back to the Mo King''s Manor, or ¡­"


    Helian Yu was silent for a moment, and then he coldly said, "I want her, that''s another matter. I won''t do such a despicable thing."


    Helian Yu was not a self-proclaimed gentleman. In his eyes, dealing with Xiao Yixiu was something that could be done by chance, but something that could humiliate Gu Qingli. Even if he used this method to obtain Gu Qingli''s body, it would still be impossible for him to win her heart. What he wanted was not a beautiful statue.


    Seeing him walk into the room, Helian Peng sneered and waved his hand. The female guards at the foot of the veranda all left, leaving behind a disheveled figure as he approached and whispered a few words to her.


    Helian Yu entered through the door. The two female guards who served Gu Qing Li inside quickly retreated. The door slammed shut behind him. He wanted to turn around and shout, but he felt it was more important to check out Gu Qing Li''s condition. He walked forward and lifted the bead curtain to see Gu Qing Li quietly lying with her eyes closed between the red sheets and the soft pillow. Her black hair was scattered by the pillow, pulled up to her chin, and she looked peaceful.


    After taking a few steps closer, his heart suddenly sped up. Hesitantly, he sat down on the edge of the bed, brushed away a strand of hair from Gu Qing''s cheek, and gazed at her drowsy face. It was like he was sleeping.


    He shook her uncertainly a few times, but she did not come to her senses. He hesitated, then turned to the table and brought out a pot of tea, which he did not know had been poured. He shook the teapot, hesitating for a moment before he splashed it on the table. However, he heard someone exclaim, "Prince Mo, you can''t ¡­


    With a "peng" sound, the two tightly shut doors collapsed with a loud bang. The scene before his eyes blurred, and Xiao Yi Xiu''s figure had already appeared in front of him. His handsome face carried a solemn killing intent, and the baleful aura in his eyes was similar to the scene when they met on the battlefield for life and death.


    No, it was a murderous intent that was even more profound than before.


    It was unknown whether Helian Yu''s hands were trembling from the shock or whether he was trembling subconsciously. The entire pot of tea splashed onto Gu Qingli''s body, along with the brocade blanket covering her face and shoulders.


    "Out of the way!" Xiao Yi Xiu stood in front of him and yelled.


    In the end, he still got up and moved aside. With a muffled groan, he smashed the teapot into pieces. However, he still felt that the stifling feeling in his heart could not be removed.


    However, he knew that he had no right to stand in front of Xiao Yi Xiu. Even if he didn''t care about his reputation, there was no reason for him to go against Xiao Yi Xiu.


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at Gu Qing Li''s face, which was covered in rolling droplets of water and tea. The rage in his heart grew even stronger, and his face froze like a glacier. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Gu Qing Li''s face. Perhaps it was because of his actions, or perhaps it was because the cold tea had awakened her. Gu Qing Li groaned as her delicate eyebrows knitted together, as if she hadn''t woken up yet.


    "Qing Li, Qing Li!" Xiao Yixiu leaned over and whispered softly into her ear.


    Gu Qingli struggled to keep her eyes open. She felt as if her eyelids were heavy, like glue. When she opened them, she saw Xiao Yixiu''s face, which was covered in frost, and her eyes, which had already turned soft.


    "This is ¡­" "What''s wrong?" Gu Qing Li lightly shook his head. The figure in front of him was still moving, as though there were multiple shadows.


    "Let''s go back."


    "Ah?" "Oh ¡­" Gu Qing Li used his elbow to prop himself up from the bed. He struggled to sit up, but the blanket slid off her shoulders, revealing a large portion of her snow-white skin.


    Helian Yu''s eyes stared blankly as Helian Xiufeng sucked in a breath of cold air when he entered the inner room. He had not expected that just a moment ago, the two female guards who had sent Gu Qing Li in had already spread her clothes wide.


    Without waiting for the blanket to completely slide down, Gu Qingli was so shocked that she grabbed the edge of the blanket. Her originally pale face instantly turned red, and her eyes burned with anger.


    Xiao Yi Xiu took off his outer robe and wrapped it around her. He turned around and asked with a stern voice, "Where are her clothes?"


    Helian Xiufeng curled his lips. "Big Brother Crown Prince, you''re too inconsiderate. After we''re done, you should at least give me some clothes to wear!"


    Helian Yu''s complexion turned a little green. He raised his hand as if he wanted to slap her in the face. But when he saw her raised face, he slowly lowered it. He didn''t know why, but he actually subconsciously agreed with Helian Peng''s words and didn''t deny it.


    Xiao Yixiu took a deep breath. With his personality, he wanted to tear these siblings into pieces, but the most important person in the end was Gu Qingli. She was still pregnant, so he didn''t dare imagine what would happen to her if something went wrong.


    He forced himself to suppress the anger that bubbled up from the bottom of his heart and wrapped Gu Qing Li tightly with his clothes. Then he lifted up the blanket and carried her out.


    "Hey, Xiao Yi Xiu ¡­"


    The moment Helian Yu opened his mouth, Helian Yu pinched his arm. He glared fiercely at his sister, only to see her unrestrainedly smiling at him. His eyes were filled with a cunning look.


    Xiao Yi Xiu had already stepped out of the kicked down door. Without even turning his head around, he said coldly, "The matter of today will not end like this. Helian Yu, if you really do what you did to her, I, Xiao Yi Xiu, swear that I will make you regret it for the rest of your life."


    Helian Yu raised his brows, his words stirred the evil intent in the depths of his heart, and he replied with a cold smile, "Alright, I''ll be waiting for you to come at me! However, Xiao Yi Xiu, even if you can tear me to pieces in the future, you won''t be able to reverse the flow of time and change the course of events today! "


    Xiao Yixiu halted his steps as Gu Qingli suddenly reached out and gripped his arm tightly. He lowered his eyes and said softly, "Let''s go home!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu heard her weak voice and his heart ached. He gritted his teeth and strode out of the Cheng Yang Inn.


    He got on the carriage and took her in his arms. He straightened the robe that was wrapping around her, but she gently pulled it away. She looked down and saw that she was wearing a small bra.

 C287 prescription(1)

    Unconsciously, Gu Qingli tugged at the hem of her corset and said softly, "He ¡­" He really did to me... What did you do? "


    "No, don''t think too much."


    Gu Qing Li closed her eyes in silence. After a long time, tears rolled down the corners of her eyes, but she didn''t say a word.


    Xiao Yi Xiu held onto his clothes and said softly, "Don''t think too much. The Cheng Yang Inn is a place of the East Abyss after all. Helian Yu is the Crown Prince of the Northern Chu so it shouldn''t be ¡­" I don''t think so. "


    Gu Qingli remained silent. She placed her hand on her abdomen and silently closed her eyes.


    Xiao Yixiu knew how to explain it, but she wouldn''t believe it. He felt suffocated, but he was powerless. In fact, even he wasn''t sure what Helian Yu had done to her.


    Helian Peng''s words clearly lured him in that direction. Not only did Helian Yu acquiesce to her words, he even lured them deeper into the depths of their thoughts.


    Upon returning to the manor, Gu Qingli washed herself and changed her clothes. She looked as if she had returned to normal.


    Xiao Yi Xiu tried to tell her a few things about the epidemic situation in the capital. She listened seriously, nodding from time to time as she analyzed everything.


    Only when he saw her calm expression did his heart gradually calm down.


    Gu Qingli then made her own guess. Perhaps these people with the disease would die faster because of the constant cell division and metabolism. After their abnormal attacking power, their lives would be overdrawn.


    "I wonder how the outer city is doing." Gu Qingli''s eyes were filled with worry.


    "I heard that it was the same as in the inner city. The disease has occurred repeatedly, but the first batch to take medicine, due to the improvement of the condition, seldom took medicine in the later stages. Now, the court is divided into two factions. One is the ones that you''ve cured, purely due to luck. The other is that your prescription has indeed cured a portion of people, but it is unable to do anything to serious patients. "


    "I prefer the mutation of the virus." Gu Qingli looked up and saw that Xiao Yixiu''s eyes were filled with doubt. She could only smile bitterly, "About that ¡­" It''s hard to explain. It is also possible that someone did something about it. "


    "I suspect the same, because some families took medicine and the epidemic improved."


    Gu Qingli''s eyes lit up. "Really?"


    "Do you still remember the earliest porcelain merchant? The maid known as Qiu Yue in his residence had become much better after taking the medicine. As for Aunt Zhao, her illness was too severe, and not long after, the medicine did not work and she died. "


    "Why is it that Qiu Yue''s condition only improved?"


    The porcelain merchant, Ye Qiuyu, had already moved back home. The house that he had been hiding in was in another part of the inner city. When there was chaos in the residence, he thought that everything else was still peaceful.


    Gu Qing Li followed behind Xiao Yi Xiu as they entered the house. On the other hand, Gentleman Ye welcomed them with a face full of joy and gratitude. He didn''t seem to feel much gratitude towards his aunt''s death.


    At this time, the sky had darkened, but the yard was still brightly lit, dispelling the smoke from the leaves. Gentleman Ye led them along a winding path to the place where the autumn moon had been imprisoned, saying that since the beginning of the day, no one had been sick in the Ye Residence.


    "Not everyone listens to us. We burn the leaves and the calamus root." Xiao Yi Xiu said as he walked. He could tell from the look in his eyes that the sudden illness in the inner city and the drugs sent by Jing Zhaoyin had caused the disease to recur or even worsen.


    Gu Qingli didn''t argue with him and followed the servant leading the way to Qiu Yue''s room. Gentleman Ye stood far away, took off his mask and gloves, but still didn''t want to take a step forward.


    The door opened from the inside. Qiu Yue looked up and saw Gu Qing Li. Surprised and happy, she said, "Gu Wei, thank you for saving me." She seemed to want to invite Gu Qing Li in to take a seat, but then she cast a timid glance at Gentleman Ye and softly said, "Let''s talk here."


    Gu Qingli didn''t mind. She looked her up and down, the numerous bite marks on Qiu Yue''s body had all scabbed up, the black webs in her eyes had faded, and the clear black and white color confirmed that she was awake and better.


    "Autumn moon, give me your hand."


    Gu Qing Li flung out a thread and wrapped it around her wrist, slicing through her veins to right and left before nodding. "It''s indeed better now, just like the patients in the outer city who were diagnosed and treated previously, it will only take a few days to recover." Boss Ye, get me some pen and paper, I want to change the recipe. "


    After bidding farewell to Qiu Yue, Ye Qiuyu courteously led them into a reception hall, prepared a pen and paper, and said with a face full of smiles, "Ever since the prince and his wife left, Qiu Yue has been following the instructions given by Imperial Concubine Gu to grab and fry medicine ¡­"


    Gu Qingli interrupted him. "How did Aunt Zhao die?"


    Ye Qiuyue was stunned for a moment. "She and Qiu Yue took the medicine together, and according to your orders, the two of them were then separated and imprisoned. However, her condition was more serious, and after more and more festering wounds appeared on her body, the medicine pills became inert, and she died. Autumn is a bit lighter than her, or perhaps her body is a bit more solid, and is gradually beginning to improve. "


    Gu Qing Li had already heard from him that under her orders, the Ye Residence had been ordered by the steward to personally capture the medicine and then return to the house for Aunt Zhao and Qiu Yue to fry instead of sending someone to deliver the medicine.


    Ye Qiuyi had abandoned his family and fled, abandoning his official wife and aunt Zhao. One could see that he was a cold-hearted person. After he heard that Autumn Moon had improved, he immediately began to use the merchant''s brain to think about why the rest of the patients in the capital would not be able to take medicine, but Autumn Moon was gradually recovering.


    It was precisely because of this that Ye Shaotian had taken the risk to move back to the manor and found out that the medicine that Qiu Yue had consumed was not the same as the medicine she had shared. As a businessman, what he lacked the least was a flexible mind. Ye Qiuyi immediately thought that it was very possible that there was a problem with the medicines distributed uniformly by Jing Zhaoyin. In order to prove this point, he took this matter very seriously.


    Gu Qingli vaguely understood why Ye Qiuyu had set his sights on the young maid''s life. She then asked, "Before Aunt Zhao passed away, did any recurrent illnesses, such as super strong attack power?"


    "No, it was a severe festering that eventually led to death ¡­ But it''s a bit strange, she lost a lot of weight in the last two days. "


    This was in line with Gu Qing Li''s conjecture. The inner-city official''s symptoms were slightly different from the outer city official''s, which meant that the body consumption was very high. It was possible that Aunt Zhao hadn''t taken any problematic drugs, and there were no signs of deterioration of the Gu poison.


    She finished the prescription for the internal and external application and said, "This medicine was used to slightly adjust the dosage according to her condition. The external application can ease the scars on her body. Boss Ye, you have to be careful not to let anyone tamper with the medicine."


    "Yes, yes." Boss Ye was flattering him.


    Gu Qing Li was worried. This Ye Yin was obviously a snob. He valued Qiu Yue''s illness because he wanted to cling onto Xiao Yi Xiu. If someone tried to tempt him with greater benefits, he''d probably change his mind.

 C288 prescription(2)

    Just as he was thinking about this, Xiao Yi Xiu grabbed the lower jaw of Gentleman Ye and popped a pill into his mouth. He smiled warmly, "Boss Ye, regardless of what benefits anyone has to offer, their lives are still more important. If you take this duke''s pill, you will be a part of this king''s person from now on. The Mo King''s Manor will send you the antidote every month. If anyone notices Qiu Yue''s situation, they will want to find you to do something else ¡­ You know what to do? "


    Ye Shaoyang was caught off guard as he swallowed the pill. He understood immediately after he heard the old man''s words, and smiled wryly in his heart. He realized that the epidemic situation was not as simple as he had thought, and was likely to involve the royal family''s internal strife.


    He braced himself and nodded, indicating that he would not let the matter of the autumn moon gradually recover. He respectfully sent them out the door.


    As the night fell, cold rain began to fall from the sky. As snow covered the sky, the cold winter winds of the capital began to strike.


    "I wonder if this snow will complicate the situation ¡­" Those patients outside the city who live in simple jobs, I''m afraid they will worsen. " Gu Qingli stretched out her hand from the carriage to see the snow falling between her fingers and seeping into her skin. She was worried as she recalled the harsh facilities in the simple shed outside the city.


    "Don''t think too much." Xiao Yi Xiu held her in his arms and consoled her, "Tomorrow we will meet and invite him. You can ask him for permission to return from the outer city. Imperial Father should call him to inquire about a lot of things."


    Gu Qingli''s eyes lit up, "Not bad, we still have to go and see what''s wrong with the medicine that Wu Teng ordered his men to distribute."


    "Tomorrow, it will be dark." He gently embraced her. He felt that the delicate figure in his embrace was stiff without any feedback. He even somewhat refused.


    He knew exactly what it was for, but he felt powerless and could only use a little more strength until her arms began to hurt.


    That night, when they were sleeping, Gu Qingli uncharacteristically asked to be moved back to Feng Lingxuan as she was currently pregnant, and it was very inconvenient for them to share the same bed.


    "I don''t agree." Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes reddened as he flatly refused.


    "I ¡­" She hesitated for a long time. "I want to give birth to this baby, whether he''s male or female, whether he''s healthy or not."


    "Alright."


    He agreed without a second thought. Gu Qing Li''s heart felt more like a dull knife that was slowly moving forward. Gu Qing Li knew that he was only obedient to her because he was carefully taking care of her emotions. She thought that he didn''t know what she was thinking.


    "That''s why I have to move back to Feng Lingxuan. It''s not only inconvenient to sleep in the same bed, but I can also use my womb''s energy ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu immediately said, "I never move about after I go to sleep. You know that. I will be more careful not to touch your stomach, and I will also control myself not to be with you... "In the living room."


    His eyes dimmed for a moment, but when Gu Qing Li heard his words, his heart suddenly tightened. He turned his face to the side, endured the sour look in his eyes and rushed out before saying softly, "It''s better not to, it''s inconvenient." Endure it ¡­ "It feels terrible too."


    "Then you stay in the room next door, I''ll get Yu Ying to clean it up a bit more." He hurried out, not giving her a chance to refuse.


    Gu Qingli wanted to call out to him, but she still compromised and sat down.


    It was the night that the two slept separately. This was something the two of them had never experienced ever since they became husband and wife.


    Gu Qingli rolled over on the bed, feeling that the bed was too hard and the quilt too cold to be warm. Thinking of Xiao Yixiu''s warm embrace caused his tears to fall uncontrollably into his pillow, tightly holding onto the corner of his bed to prevent himself from making a sound.


    She thought that even if he tried to keep a straight face and comfort himself, it was only pity and worry, but he did mind. Which man in the feudal era wouldn''t care about this sort of thing?


    And thinking that perhaps her fate with him could only end here, that was why she desperately wanted to give birth to this child, regardless of whether it was sick or crippled, no matter how many problems there were, even if he despised her, she had to bring him along to raise her, to prove that the two of them had once carved into their bones, dissolved in their blood, and were intimate with each other.


    This was also good. The Gu in his body could not be cured, and he didn''t have to waste any more time. He could wait until the child was born and leave him, or wait for the plague to pass ¡­ The Gu in her body also seemed to sense her pain, as it started to move uneasily, jumping around in her meridians. Her vision turned black, her body turned cold, and in the end, she was unable to resist as she fainted.


    On the other side, Xiao Yi Xiu was also rolling on the bed. Thinking of the scene he saw today, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Hatred flooded him like a tidal wave, and he almost wanted to immediately fight Helian Yu to the death and tear him into a thousand pieces.


    He clenched his fist and restrained himself a few times before he managed to catch his breath, knowing that he couldn''t do anything to Helian Yu right now. For one, if something were to happen to him in the Eastern Abyss, it would lead to a war between the two countries. And secondly, if he really did do that, it would mean that he believed Helian Yu''s words.


    He had to show that he didn''t believe the Helian siblings'' words, in order to convince Gu Qingli to believe him as well.


    However, that scene was like a heavy hammer that continuously smashed into his sea of consciousness. She did not know where she had gone, but she rubbed her wrinkled outer clothes and his snow-white skin ¡­ Helian Yu was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at her.


    After an unknown period of time, he was still unable to sleep. He got out of bed and stealthily went over to take a look at her while she was sleeping. He just wanted to take a look and give her a hug.


    Quietly pushing open the door, Xiao Yixiu walked in silently. He was confident that his lightness skills wouldn''t wake her up, so he lifted the tent flap and looked at her through the thin moonlight coming from the window.


    There was about a snowfall outside, and the light reflected off the silver moon. His night vision had also been trained to see the pain on her face clearly, and there was an infinite sadness between her eyebrows.


    After sitting there for a while, Xiao Yixiu started to feel that something wasn''t right. Gu Qing Li was extremely vigilant. If she really hadn''t woken up from her sleep, he wouldn''t have such a pained expression on his face.


    He sat on the bed and carefully picked her up before gently shaking her. "Qing Li, wake up."


    She never opened her eyes. The space between her eyebrows was becoming more and more tense. Her body stiffened and her palms were tightly clenched. It was as if she was using her will to resist something.


    Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly thought of the battle with the Gu worm in her body. His heart turned cold as he saw a faintly discernible black aura appear on the center of her brows. He realized that if she wasn''t fighting the Gu in her dreams, she would be fighting against it on her own. Both of these things would trigger the Gu''s backlash, and with her pregnancy, she definitely wouldn''t be able to bear it.


    "Qing Li!" He pressed down on her back and channeled some of his Qi into her. Carefully sensing the Qi channels in her body, he tried his best to calmly guide them, not allowing her to continue fighting against the Gu worms.


    Perhaps because she felt that the internal energy he channeled was not hostile, the surging noise inside her body gradually calmed down. The ancient battle that was going on inside her body had yet to begin, but it had already started to die down.


    Gu Qingli finally groaned. The space between her eyebrows gradually relaxed, but her body was still struggling.

 C289 prescription(3)

    "You can''t fight back against it. Your body won''t be able to take it. Trust me, you can slowly retreat." He whispered into her ear, and the gentle and warm inner force guided her out. The Gu was extremely spiritual, and this kindness was also felt by it. The killing intent slowly retreated, and she fell back into a deep sleep.


    "Xiao Yi Xiu!" The first sound that came from Gu Qing Li''s broken voice was his name being called.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was startled and quickly shook her awake, "Are you alright? It''s me, I''m here. "


    Gu Qingli opened her eyes wide to distinguish. Her night vision was inferior to his, but under the reflection of the snow, she could finally see his anxious and handsome face. In that moment, it was as if she had forgotten about all the barriers between them, and she suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips.


    Xiao Yixiu suddenly felt her shivering, soft, and lost for a moment. He hugged her tightly and kissed her, until his breath came in ragged pants and his heart was pounding wildly. The string of his reason snapped as he quickly untied her clothes and slipped inside.


    Her face was wet and cold, and countless tears were streaming down her cheeks, hot and cold. By the time she realized what he was doing, her skin was already soaked in cold. Her clothes had already been tossed to the side, and she could only rely on the warmth from his body to keep her warm.


    As their skin touched each other, a thunderous sound rang out. Gu Qing Li was no longer able to stop Xiao Yi Xiu''s invasion. The frenzied excitement in his heart cooled down, and he resisted, attempting to stop Xiao Yi Xiu, "Don''t ¡­" "I can''t do it now ¡­"


    "I''ll be careful." He stopped her from continuing to speak, forcing himself to control his strength as he took her in his arms and gently dissolved her into his body.


    Gu Qingli shut her eyes helplessly and finally gave up on struggling. She felt his hand on her belly as she gently drew circles. She whispered in her ear, "You are right, whether he is a man or a woman, whether he is healthy or not, she is our first child. We will give birth to him and fight for her destiny."


    "Xiao Yi Xiu ¡­" "Xiu ¡­" She murmured as she placed her hand on the back of his hand. Their warmth penetrated her body, and she could almost feel the traces of life in her abdomen. I''m sorry, you... "Won''t you despise me?"


    "I love you." "He kissed her neck and slid down." I don''t believe that, and even if it does, it''s not your fault. "You think I would hurt the girl I love for the sins of others?"


    "Cultivate ¡­" She closed her eyes in chaos, feeling as if she had been sent to the clouds by him. She felt a sense of insecurity, but was still infatuated with his warmth and gentleness. Unknowingly, the delicate fingers on the back of his hand tightened, refusing to let go.


    After the low wheeze came the softer sound of the ebb of the tide, and his voice was brittle and seductive: "You just have to believe in me, and you don''t have to be afraid of anything."


    Gu Qingli didn''t say anything. She just slept soundly in his arms. Before going to sleep, she vaguely thought, "As long as he loves me, then it''s fine. How can she change everything after thinking so much?"


    After the night passed, they were still together as before. Their love for each other had increased, so they never mentioned that matter again. However, they both knew that there was a crack that could not be removed.


    Every morning when she woke up, Gu Qingli would vomit without appetite, but she still forced herself to go to the homes of the epidemic patients. She carefully sniffed the medicine, but found nothing abnormal.


    She never went to the Cheng Yang Inn again.


    Gu Qingli shuddered inexplicably when she thought of that place. She felt even more nauseous. She didn''t even want to think about the siblings. She had not yet decided how to deal with them, but she knew she would never forgive them.


    After leaving the last house, Gu Qingli took a deep breath and decided to head out of the city to have a look. Although the emperor agreed with Xiao Yi Jin''s suggestion that ordinary people should not enter and leave the outer city, there were still some court officials who would not avoid going in and out for official business. Thus, they issued an order to leave the city, and if there were special matters, they had to directly ask the emperor for orders.


    On the other hand, the royal family was allowed to issue a special pardon, but it was not limited in its application. It declared that they were not allowed to take their families out of the city or transfer their properties. This was done to guard against the disturbance of the people in the capital. The emperor had to defend himself against it. If the trust from the top collapsed, then wouldn''t the people be even more chaotic? It was imperative to stabilize the hearts of the people, otherwise it would be possible for a riot to break out in the capital.


    He hadn''t had time to leave the city, and he was busy with other things as well. His mind was in a mess, and he hadn''t expected Gu Qing Li to steal his token at this crucial moment.


    Gu Qing Li was a stranger, but she did not stop her. After she rode her horse out of the city gate, someone hurried down from the city gate. He stared at her back and asked, "Was that Princess Mo?"


    The soldier replied, "Yes, she was under the orders of Prince Mo. I didn''t dare to question her identity."


    The man''s thick eyebrows were deeply knitted together. He thought for a moment and said, "Tell our brothers to follow her. We must not let anything happen to her. If anything happens, someone will return to report it to the camp immediately."


    "Yes."


    A figure hurriedly stepped into the Prince Mo Residence. Dressed in grey cloth and a straw hat, he walked towards Feng Zhixuan with familiarity.


    Suifeng wasn''t there, so he followed Xiao Yi Xiu out. There were only a few maids in the courtyard, and when Jin Shu went up to welcome her, she lowered her head and almost bumped into her.


    "Who is it?" Jinshu complained as she steadied her feet.


    The other party lifted his bamboo hat, revealing a handsome face as he looked at her in astonishment.


    "Vice Commander Lu?" Jinshu inexplicably blushed, and said in a daze, "That ¡­ "The prince isn''t here ¡­"


    "I know." Lu Ling nodded his head and continued inside.


    "Suifeng is also not here."


    "I know." Lu Linghui stopped and looked at her, "Can you do me a favor?"


    "Huh?"


    "Send someone to find the prince, tell him to quickly return to the manor, and that I will wait for him here."


    "Eh? "Alright, alright." Jin Shu saw that the situation was serious and immediately ordered for someone to look for Xiao Yi Xiu. She then invited Lu Linghui into the secret room to receive him.


    Yu Ying looked at her in and out, serving tea and snacks at a time, and could not help but be curious, "Girl, who are you treating?"


    "Naturally, it''s the prince''s guest."


    Yuki grabbed her and looked up and down the length of her body. She then stared at the silver strands of Reagan''s golden tea and said, "Take all the king''s good tea to your guest. He''ll come back and peel your skin."


    Jinshi nudged her with his elbow. "Go and cool off."


    Yu Ying had a sly smile on her face as she watched her leave. The smile on her face gradually faded.


    Lu Linghui was sitting there absent-mindedly. Seeing that the tray was handed over, he subconsciously picked up the cup of tea and lightly blew on it. His gaze landed on an unknown place and he appeared to be very preoccupied with something.

 C290 Return of Liu Yanyu

    "Lu ¡­"


    Lu Linghui interrupted Jin Shu''s words, "Has your Prince returned?"


    "Also ¡­" "No." Jin Shu looked at him with her eyes, but it was clear that she was restless. She seemed to ignore him and was slightly disappointed.


    "Crap."


    "Huh?"


    "Earlier, when I was on the tower, I saw that it seemed like the wangfei rode her horse out of the city gates. Now that the outer city is in chaos, I''m very worried that something might have happened to her."


    Jinshu stood up in shock, nearly knocking over the plate of pastries on the table. "She''s going to the outer city at a time like this?"


    "Otherwise, why would I risk coming to the prince?"


    Jin Shu pursed her lips and did not speak. She felt a wave of disappointment in her heart. Ever since that rainy night, she had rarely seen Lu Linghui here. It was a rare occasion for her to come here and actually turn a blind eye to her, making her feel that her hospitality was nothing but a joke.


    "I''m leaving, I don''t have time to wait for your highness to come back. Tell him that I''ve already dispatched people to follow her out of the city."


    "Oh." Jin Zhui suppressed the disappointment in his heart. Just as he was about to go forward to greet them, Lu Linghui''s action of standing up knocked over the teacup and drenched his entire body.


    Jinshi hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped him down in a panic, urging him to change clothes with her.


    Lu Linghui hesitated for a moment. Looking at her wet clothes, he had no other choice but to follow her out. He found a room to clean up, and then changed into the clothes that Jin Shu had brought.


    When he walked out the door, she looked at him blankly for a moment. He was dressed in a long green robe with a white train underneath. It was rare for him to lose the heroic bearing of a warrior, adding a touch of gentleness and gentleness to his clothes.


    Seeing that she was staring at him, Lu Linghui could not help but lower his head and ask, "Whose clothes are these?"


    "Oh ¡­" It is Young Master Liu''s. " Of course, Jin Shu didn''t dare to take Xiao Yi Xiu''s clothes for him to change. She also felt that Suifeng and the rest of the servants'' clothes were too underestimating him, so she went to find Liu Yanyu''s clothes for him to change into.


    Lu Linghui did not care too much about it. He put on his bamboo hat and hurriedly left, not paying any attention to Jin Shu''s dejected face.


    "Little girl, are you longing for spring?" Yu Ying jumped out of nowhere and knocked on Jin Zhui''s forehead.


    Jin Shu pushed her away in annoyance. "The wangfei went to the outer city. Vice Commander Lu told me to inform His Highness that I was afraid something might happen to her."


    Yu Ying was stunned, "Go to the outer city?"


    Gu Qing Li was in the middle of a makeshift fortification, staring at the ruins in shock. It hadn''t been long since the place looked like it had been robbed, and it was obvious that there had been some disturbances and fights, and there were even dried up old blood stains on some inconspicuous parts of the beams and pillars in the corner. Most of the patients in the fortifications were no longer people she knew, but new ones instead.


    Gu Qing Li hurriedly swept her gaze in a circle. She grabbed a soldier and asked him about the situation. The man stammered and stammered. She changed the question and said a few words to her.


    It was said that a few days ago, roughly the same thing happened in the inner city. After taking the medicine, the disease became even worse, and those patients outside the city who were already better suffered from violent injury, mixed battles, repression, and bloodshed. Most of the patients who were suppressed were killed on the spot, but even so, the matter could not be resolved.


    "How can this be? That... "Then why aren''t there any attacks from the patients in the simple construction?"


    "Because there''s a new doctor here with the surname Liu. The prescription he prescribed seems to be effective against their illnesses. Some patients with mild illnesses don''t attack others after taking the medicine ¡­" Hey hey, don''t run around miss, it''s dangerous everywhere here! " This soldier seemed to have been redeployed here only later, and actually didn''t recognize Gu Qingli. He warmly reminded her to be careful.


    Gu Qingli didn''t have much time to talk to him, so she hastily went back into the fortifications. She searched through the rooms until she finally saw Feng Zi mixed in, taking care of the patient. Her long hair was tied up like clouds and there were white flowers on her temples.


    Gu Qing lowered himself into the water and called out.


    Feng Zi turned around, her face frosty as she walked over.


    Gu Qing Li noticed that the black patches that had disappeared on Feng Zi''s body became obvious again. Luckily, she was in good spirits and didn''t look like those patients in the inner city. The whites of her eyes were full of black slivers that wiggled like a network.


    "Phoenix Purple ¡­"


    Just as Gu Qing Li opened her mouth, Feng Zi suddenly slapped him.


    With Gu Qingli''s skill, she would never have been able to stand next to her. However, she had been too shocked at that moment. She had never expected Feng Zi to hit her with her hand. She was stunned for a moment.


    The palm blew past Gu Qingli''s face, and just as Feng Zi''s fingers were about to touch her cheek, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by someone. She heard a gentle but unquestionable light reprimand: "Miss Ding, don''t be so rude."


    The voice was so familiar, always gentle and polite, with the serenity of a recluse.


    He didn''t need to turn his head to see that the image of a bandit leader had already surfaced in Gu Qing Li''s mind, a face as gentle as a wall.


    Feng Zi unwillingly withdrew her hand, her eyes filled with hatred as she stared at Gu Qingli, as if she was looking at an enemy of her own.


    "Miss Ding, you are too impulsive. You have something to say."


    Gu Qingli slowly turned her head, and the man who had spoken also looked at her. Their eyes met, and they froze, as if they had been separated by a lifetime.


    "Li Yue... Wang ¡­ "Princess Hua-Yang." When Liu Yanyu uttered those two words, it seemed extremely difficult. It was equivalent to admitting her identity.


    "Sir Liu, long time no see."


    Liu Yanyu composed himself and smiled, "That''s right. I traveled the world and heard that the capital city was affected by a plague, so I rushed back a thousand miles. I didn''t expect that it would still be too late. How''s the wangfei doing? "


    Gu Qingli only had her clear eyes peeking out from within the red gauze. Other than her pretty eyebrows and long eyelashes, she looked the same. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion and emaciation, which she couldn''t hide.


    "I''m not so good, but isn''t this the epidemic situation that we should be discussing more? Feng Zi, why are you filled with hatred towards me? What about Ding Lang? " Actually, Gu Qingli had already guessed what was going on the moment she saw the white flowers on Feng Zi''s hair, but she was still hoping for a different answer from Feng Zi''s mouth.


    Feng Zi''s bright eyes dimmed, and looked at her with hatred. "If it weren''t for your medicine, why would everyone''s illness have suddenly worsened after you left, and even began to attack each other? That night, they would bite anyone they saw and would fight everywhere with unparalleled strength ¡­ My dad... "He died that very night ¡­"


    Her voice broke off as she sobbed in grief, "I don''t even know who killed him. In the chaos and darkness, there are only sword beams and blood shadows ¡­ I was hidden by him in a half-full vat of water to avoid disaster... "But he died without a complete corpse ¡­"


    "Was Ding Lang still conscious at that time?" To be able to hide Feng Zi in the vat meant that he was naturally still awake.


    "My father has always been awake, but ¡­"


    "Is he, like everyone else, getting worse?" Gu Qing Li keenly captured some useful information. Perhaps Feng Zi hadn''t thought about it in detail, which was why she was so impulsive and thought that there was a problem with her prescription.


    Feng Zi froze for a moment. She pondered for a long time, but still couldn''t come up with an answer.

 C291 After the riot

    In the last few days, Ding Lang had actually improved a bit. Among all the patients, his illness was more serious and he had been in life-threatening danger. Therefore, his recovery was very slow, but he was improving after all. On that final night, he woke up and hid Feng Zi before dying in chaos. However, this did not mean that he had suddenly gone mad, and it was very likely that he had died by accident.


    "Why is your dad fine while others go crazy?"


    Feng Zi blinked her large eyes, unable to speak.


    This girl was simple in nature and simple in heart. After that night, the overwhelming cries were denouncing Li Yue''s fake prescription, causing their illness to repeat itself and causing chaos.


    Whether it was the scoldings of the soldiers of the Fire Hou Battalion or the complaints of the patients, all of them were inclined towards this. Later on, news came from the inner city, and there were even rumors that it was the Prince and his wife who had brought the plague from the outer city to the inner city.


    Feng Zi was naturally affected by them. A lie would come true a thousand times over, and she could no longer distinguish the truth of the matter.


    Under Liu Yanyu''s advice, the three of them walked into a simple fortifications with no one around. They sat down on the ground and began analyzing the latest situation.


    Feng Zi carefully recalled the events from before and also felt it was bizarre. Everyone suddenly became crazy overnight. This was clearly not a coincidence. Someone had done something, but why was Ding Lang clear-headed at that time?


    "You''ve been dealing with your father''s medicine?"


    Feng Zi nodded. Later on, when there were more helpers, she would no longer personally take care of all the medicines. Instead, she spent more time taking care of Ding Lang. As a patient herself, she needed more rest.


    "I was the one who fried the medicine, there would be a few people under my care. They were originally in good condition, but later on, they had a bad change as well ¡­" "I remember, my dad stopped taking drugs in the next few days."


    "Stop taking the medicine?"


    "He said that he wanted to try the prescription. He wanted to see the effects of the formula using the Golden Thread Tower and other medicines. That''s why he would grab the medicine, fry the medicine, and then record the feeling of the medicine every day. "Young master Liu looked at his prescription later on and added two flavors to it. After taking Young Master Liu''s recipe, these people seemed to have gotten better."


    Feng Zi took out a scroll and handed it to Gu Qingli. It was all in Ding Lang''s notes, and she had written every word very seriously.


    After reading, Gu Qingli understood why Ding Lang wanted to refine the prescription. He roamed the world and practiced medicine, treating most of the poor commoners. After improving, he replaced the few herbs in her prescription. They had similar medicinal properties, but were much cheaper. Gu Qingli had been in a hurry at the time, but she had never considered all this. There were quite a few precious medicines in the prescription, and if such an epidemic situation occurred again and the imperial government didn''t allocate any money, ordinary citizens wouldn''t be able to afford it.


    "Ding Lang''s prescription is not bad. If his prescription is indeed effective, although it is a bit slow, it should still be safe."


    "He''s getting better."


    "I understand. Although you personally made the medicine for the others, you didn''t distribute it yourself, right?"


    "That''s right, I ¡­"


    "You dare to guarantee that the prescription will be safe even though it''s in someone else''s hands?" Feng Zi blinked, unable to respond.


    Liu Yanyu said, "That''s right. At that time, I looked at the prescription from Princess Hua-Yang and Ding Lang, and I felt that it should both be effective against patients. Just in case, I did not use Princess Hua-Yang''s prescription, but rather modified the prescription from Ding Lang."


    Traditional Chinese medicine wasn''t the same for diagnosis and treatment. Even if it was the same disease, different doctors would prescribe different treatments with slightly different directions. In the end, they just had to do the same thing to achieve the same healing effect, and Liu Yanyu''s prescription would be the same as Gu Qingli''s.


    "Actually, the prescription that Ding Lang and I are making is based on the prescription given by the Royal Concubine. If it weren''t for your prescription, I''m afraid we wouldn''t have been able to come up with a better plan." Liu Yanyu looked at Feng Zi and chuckled. Although he had been saying this the entire time, Feng Zi still didn''t believe him. At that time, she had injured her father and died, so she wouldn''t listen to anyone''s words.


    Gu Qingli thought back to the prescription she had seen in the inner city. She thought for a moment and said, "Can you do me a favor?"


    Feng Zi was somewhat unwilling, and she pouted as she asked, "Help me with what?"


    "Tell those people outside that I''ve come today to improve the original recipe. Furthermore, I''ve promised that it will definitely be effective. I''ll do my best to push this recipe forward."


    "Me? They all know that I was disgusted with you before, so they probably didn''t believe me. "


    "So, Young Master Liu''s words are very important." Gu Qingli looked at Liu Yanyu. He probably knew her well.


    Liu Yanyu nodded with a smile. "I will always agree with Princess Hua-Yang''s actions."


    "And then?"


    "Be aware that no one has touched the medicine you fried, especially those who distributed the medicine. Aren''t they all sent by the imperial government?"


    Feng Zi nodded thoughtfully.


    "Don''t touch their medicine, just use my medicine in secret. These patients won''t be able to handle the back-and-forth torture anymore."


    "I''ll take care of this." Liu Yanyu agreed.


    Gu Qing Li walked out silently while Liu Yanyu followed. Neither of them said a word.


    "Mister Liu, please don''t send me off."


    Liu Yanyu looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn''t know what to say. In the end, he could only sigh. The calmness that had accumulated for some time remained in his eyes. It was still calm and gentle, but there was an additional trace of depression and helplessness.


    "How have you been?"


    "¡­" It was just a simple question, but Gu Qingli couldn''t answer. In reality, she was living a bad life, but she didn''t want to use these things to affect Liu Yanyu''s mood. He couldn''t help himself, so speaking too much would only cause him to misunderstand her.


    "Why?" Liu Yanyu keenly felt her thoughts.


    "Whether it''s good or not, I''ll settle it myself." Gu Qingli didn''t even look at him as she continued walking. Her back was cold and solitary.


    After walking for a while, her cold and resolute gaze began to crumble. The frost in her eyes melted bit by bit. She just didn''t want others to see that she had a helpless side.


    "Princess, you should be more careful during this trip. Once we''re out of the guarding range of the imperial guards, there have been a lot of civil violence and accidents in the outer city recently ¡­"


    "What accident?" Gu Qingli still walked quickly, but the weakness in her eyes disappeared in a flash. She wasn''t afraid of anything.


    "The plague has arisen from this place, which is why it is heavily guarded. However, during the previous riot, there were a small number of aggressive epidemic patients who escaped and some of them will spread to the healthy citizens."


    Gu Qingli suddenly turned around, "With such a big matter, why hasn''t anyone reported it to the imperial government?"


    "I''m not sure about that. After all, I''m not a courtier." Liu Yan Yu paused for a moment. Ever since he came back from learning about the plague, he had stayed in the epidemic area. Other than healing his illness, he didn''t contact the outside world.


    "Xiao Yijin was afraid that something would happen to himself, so he forcefully suppressed it? Do you know how serious the consequences will be? "


    Gu Qing Li''s angry tone startled Liu Yanyu. After all, he didn''t know much about the court and government, so he was a bit puzzled by her mood. After all, he had never seen Gu Qing Li like this before. He instinctively felt that something unexpected had happened to her, causing her to lose her confidence, arrogance, and calmness from before.

 C292 surprise attack

    "No one is looking for the patients who escaped?"


    "There should be. I''ve heard that some soldiers have been sent out to search, but they''ve only been secretly searching. At the same time, they''ve been making announcements everywhere. Any suspicious cases have to be brought to the epidemic area for identification."


    Gu Qingli nodded. "I understand. I''ll be careful. You can go back."


    Liu Yanyu looked around, "Where is your horse?"


    Gu Qingli froze. She hadn''t noticed this. Wandering looked around. Before coming here, she had indeed tied up her horse here. There were no inspections of livestock in the epidemic area, so she felt that it wasn''t safe so she didn''t bring her horse in.


    From here, he could see the guards of the epidemic area from a distance. There was not a big area in the back, so he could see very clearly. There shouldn''t be anyone who would steal horses. He didn''t expect that there would be an accident.


    Liu Yanyu hurried toward the nearest epidemic area guard and asked him. All of them shook their heads to indicate that they hadn''t noticed.


    Gu Qing Li walked down the path and gradually came to a narrow crossroad. The road was deserted and the ground on both sides was high. There were some precipitous cliffs on the sides, making it seem very dangerous.


    She was so preoccupied with her own matters that she did not even care about losing her horse anymore. Unknowingly, she recalled the scene from that day at the Cheng Yang Inn. Her breathing gradually quickened, and her sleeves slightly trembled.


    Many people jumped out from behind the craggy rocks and mountain forests. Some were dressed in rags, some had black spots all over their bodies, while some were dressed neatly. Their faces were full of hostility, and it seemed like they were not suited to each other at all, blending together and attacking Gu Qing Li at the same time.


    Gu Qingli was startled and threw out a silver needle. She retreated a few steps, but found that her escape route was blocked.


    A chaotic battle started. Gu Qing had no weapons left on him. Although the needles were powerful, they were few in number. She had never thought that she would have to deal with so many enemies. Although the opponent''s attack power was not all that strong, but there were a lot of people. There were at least a dozen people surrounding them, and there were about a hundred people eyeing them covetously from outside the encirclement.


    What was more shocking was that this was clearly a sneak attack. It was completely unlike the attacks of an epidemic patient. It wasn''t surprising that the people who had made a move on her could make these people who looked like "mob" appear, but how could they make those who looked as if they were suffering from an epidemic disease do so?


    As Gu Qing fought back, he thought about how the epidemic patients would attack people and gradually formed a conjecture. Perhaps, these people''s attacks weren''t just caused by the Gu worms'' poison, but were manipulated from behind.


    This thought made her more and more alarmed. She couldn''t help but think of the ''Control Gu,'' and her heart gradually turned cold.


    The more needles she used, the less she had. With only her agile skills, she was able to subdue these people who carried weapons and even went berserk. Gradually, her physical strength began to run out as well. Due to the severe early pregnancy reaction recently, she ate less. Her body also became worse, cold sweat beading from her forehead and her limbs became weak.


    Suddenly, her feet slipped and she weakly held on. Her arm was cut by a knife, and then her leg was stabbed again. Her movements were in a mess as she watched these people coming at her, some of them with skin that had already started festering and biting towards her.


    With a "sou" sound, one arrow after another shot towards the plague patient. Each arrow was shot without end, and one person would fall with each arrow, causing the surrounding people to shift their attention away from Gu Qingli.


    A group of men and horses on the road arrived. The leader was an extraordinary man in white clothes. His slender and flexible body was like a beam of white light as he jumped down from the horse. He swung the longbow in his hand backward, took out a sword, and charged into the crowd alone.


    The people behind them dismounted and drew their weapons to join the battle.


    Although there were only twenty or so people in this group, their fighting capabilities were not something that the motley group of people could compare to. Soon, they managed to subdue them.


    Gu Qingli had already run out of strength. Unable to hold on any longer, her body fell limply to the ground.


    Like a bolt of lightning, Gu Qingli only felt a cold breeze pass by her ear before she fell into a warm embrace, making her feel both relieved and sad. She subconsciously reached out her arms to hug him, asking in a low voice, "Xiu, is that you?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked at her lifeless eyes and ignored the sounds of weapons clashing and battle cries around him. He lowered his head to kiss her eyes and replied softly and clearly, "It''s me. Qing Li, don''t worry. I''ll take care of everything."


    Gu Qingli heard the familiar voice and allowed herself to sink into darkness.


    "Prince Mo, how should we punish them?"


    Xiao Yixiu picked up Gu Qing Li and said coldly, "Take him back and detain him separately."


    With a flash of green, Lu Linghui stood in front of the group and shook his head, "No, it won''t do. There are too many people. If we enter the city, the risk is too great. We will be carefully interrogated."


    "So what?" Xiao Yixiu glanced at them. If it weren''t for the fact that he needed to track down the masterminds behind these people''s actions, what he wanted to do the most now was to chop these people into pieces.


    "Prince Mo!" "Don''t be impulsive. This general knows that you love my wife very much, but this matter is too eye-catching. Leave it to this general to deal with. Take my wife back to the city first."


    Xiao Yi Xiu took a deep breath and nodded. "That''s fine too. We need to force out the people behind this, and then ¡­ there''s no need to keep him alive."


    "Don''t we need to leave behind evidence?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu shook his head. "No matter who the mastermind is, with their evidence, they''re just talking nonsense. What can they do?"


    Lu Linghui thought for a moment and immediately understood what he meant. He silently nodded his head. There were many epidemics within this group of people, and everyone knew that there was no difference in their aggression. How could they believe that they were being ordered to attack? As for those "thugs" who looked healthy, because of all the trouble they had caused, they had fought against the imperial soldiers a few times. It was just a violent massacre after the disaster.


    Xiao Yixiu carried him onto the back of the horse and rode away, paying no attention to Liu Yanyu who was mixed in with the crowd nearby.


    Of the twenty plus people, half of them were bodyguards brought by Xiao Yi Xiu, and the other half were the personal guards of Lu Linghui. As he took his men away, the rest were naturally his subordinates, but when they tied up the people they had captured, they suddenly realized that there was a stranger mixed in with them.


    Liu Yanyu dodged to the side and said, "Don''t do anything, I''m only here to save the wangfei."


    "Stop." Lu Linghui walked up and sized Liu Yanyu up. He recognized him as a doctor who had been at the Prince Mo Residence for a long time and smiled at him.


    However, Liu Yanyu did not recognize Lu Linghui. Every time he went through the secret passage, he would directly enter the secret chamber. In order to conceal his identity, he did not reveal himself in public with Xiao Yi. It was just that he was wearing his own clothes, which caused him to feel somewhat hesitant.


    "Doctor Liu."


    "You are ¡­"


    "Vice Commander Lu Linghui."


    Liu Yanyu had also heard Xiao Yixiu''s conversation with him. He looked at the captives and thought to himself, "I have an idea. Vice Commander Lu can be said to have been ordered to track down the fugitives. As a doctor, I can help you diagnose and differentiate an epidemic patient. "


    Lu Linghui was a little surprised and immediately felt that this suggestion was not bad. He ordered someone to bring these prisoners back to the epidemic area.


    Lu Linghui was only second to Xiao Yijin in the army camp, and no one doubted his actions, allowing him to enter easily.

 C293 dowry

    On the other side, Xiao Yi Xiu and his group had successfully entered the inner city and returned to the manor.


    After settling Gu Qing Li on the bed and seeing that she still hadn''t woken up even after a long time, Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart had already risen from his initial low spirits to worry. Helplessly, he ordered Suifeng to bring him to the palace for treatment.


    Just as he finished giving orders, Gu Qingli woke up and heard his last words. She lightly waved her hand to stop him from going to the imperial physician.


    "Qing Li, you''re awake?" A light of surprise flashed across Xiao Yi Xiu''s eyes.


    Gu Qingli wanted to sit up, but he held her back and let her lean into her embrace.


    "Guess who did it?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was silent for a moment before he shook his head. Previously, he didn''t have the mind to think about this in detail, but now that he had mentally eliminated each and every one of them, he actually couldn''t recall who it was.


    This group of people had not only attacked Gu Qing Li, they had also gone against the imperial camp several times. They had also wanted to blow up the situation, so Xiao Yi Jin must not have sent them.


    At first glance, it looked like he was the one who did it, but in reality, he didn''t have any military power in his possession. Other than his own troops, no one else could move him. And once Princess Lan Xun was done, he was, in fact, somewhat caught in the air. He had always guarded this part of his duty and did not dare to cross the lake of lightning.


    "I also think that it isn''t Xiao Yi Mo." Gu Qing Li had a hunch that Xiao Yi Mo couldn''t do something so meticulous, that everything had revolved around the Gu. However, the Gu Master and the person in control had been raised since childhood, and the source of the Gu mentioned by Ding Lang was the Northern Frontier Land, and it had a history of at least ten to twenty years. At that time, how old was Xiao Yi Mo? Although the Ling family had a great power, they could not reach to the north. They could not abandon their close proximity to the capital to cultivate their own power.


    The only power left in the imperial court was the prince Xiao Yibin, but there was no need to mention him. How could the Emperor''s trusted aides do something so rebellious?


    "I have a guess, I haven''t dared to say it out loud."


    "Go ahead."


    Gu Qingli said softly, "Helian Yu."


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his eyebrows, astonishment in his eyes.


    "Ever since the Helian siblings appeared, the Venomous Bee Gu has only just appeared in the capital, and his first appearance was in our mansion. I don''t think that the people in our mansion are trustworthy, but Helian Peng didn''t attack us when he was stung by the Venomous Bee Gu and didn''t even leave a distinctive butterfly mark."


    "Then what does he mean by this?"


    "Leave it be." Helian Xianzi was the first to be poisoned, and who was Helian Yu the most on guard against in the Eastern Abyss? It''s you; who do you hate the most? It''s you, too. Being stung by the Poison Bee Gu in your house, if word of this gets out, everyone would first suspect you, and if it doesn''t spread, just you and I alone know, it would be enough to prove his innocence.


    Xiao Yi Xiu listened attentively and nodded his head slowly. However, he raised another question. "Why is it that your third sister isn''t affected by the Gu poison?"


    "I''m not sure why she was poisoned, but I speculate that it might have happened during the days when she was released from the secret chamber and returned to the Xiang Fu to rest. It would be easy to explain if she didn''t have an attack. Using her as evidence at a critical moment, with butterfly spots on her body yet not having an attack, isn''t this obviously causing people to suspect you? She is your imperial concubine, and under the name of Li Yue, the name of the Ghost Doctor resounded throughout the capital. Didn''t someone in the imperial court ask her questions about her bringing the plague into the inner city? If it wasn''t for Gu ¡­ My father testified for you, so this matter will not be settled easily. "


    "All these are pointed at me. Actually, you think that Helian Yu wanted to blame me?"


    Gu Qingli sighed lightly. If it could be said that this was originally just a guess on her part, then what she had done to her at the Cheng Yang Inn last time practically confirmed her guess. When she thought of that, her face turned pale. She couldn''t help but start to tremble. Unable to hold it in any longer, she bent over and violently vomited all over Xiao Yixiu''s body.


    He didn''t bother to clean himself up. He fondled her back to help her breathe. When he couldn''t find the handkerchief, he lifted his sleeve to wipe the corner of her lips.


    Gu Qingli was aware of his obsession with cleanliness, so she felt very uncomfortable. She pushed him and said softly, "You ¡­ "Go wash your clothes and get some water for me to rinse my mouth."


    "No, I have to take care of you." He did not deny it. He let the brocade lady in and washed her with his own hands, carefully cleaning her cheeks and mouth.


    Without any warning, Gu Qing Li''s nose started to ache and his eyes started to burn. In order to prevent him from seeing her weak side, she strongly rejected him, telling him to leave as soon as possible. He pressed her face to his and kissed her on the lips.


    Jin Shu hadn''t even had the time to leave when she saw this scene. Aiya, she cried out and almost overturned a basin of water to wash her face. She hurriedly carried the basin and retreated, almost colliding with the incoming rain.


    "What are you being rash for?" Yu Ying was baffled.


    "Don''t... "Don''t go in." Jinshu blushed and whispered to stop her.


    Yu Ying frowned and followed her closely. After walking for a while, she said softly, "There''s something inside." That... "What?"


    "Huh?"


    Before Yu Ying could understand what she meant, she heard a shout from Suifeng, "What do you mean, ''that''?"


    Jin Zhui was so frightened that the washbasin that he had wanted to flip over twice finally fell over. The three of them had their heads poured over.


    Suifeng complained, "What are you doing? I only asked you a question. "


    "Where did you come from in the middle of the night? "Isn''t it just a shock?" Jinshu reprimanded him while slapping the water off his body. "You cleaned up this place for me. Who told you to scare me."


    Suifeng lowered his head, "I am not the one who did all this, I am just not your subordinate!"


    Jin Shu cast a contemptuous glance at him. "You want to hear my story just because you don''t do anything?"


    "A story?" With the wind blowing harder, his eyes widened as he pricked up his ears and leaned over.


    "Are you going to clean it up?"


    "Clean up, clean up!"


    The three of them gathered in one place. Hearing Jin Shu whisper, they said, "The prince is inside, holding the wangfei in his arms ¡­ "Yes, yes."


    "Hmm? "Hmm what?"


    "Of course, it''s related to my parents ¡­ "Mouth." Jinshi made a thumbs-up gesture. "So I came out."


    "That''s it?"


    "Yeah, what else do you want? "Do not take any offense now. If you have the ability, go and take a look."


    Suifeng angrily gave her a blow on the head, "I''m perfectly justified, what''s wrong with kissing her? Make a fuss! "


    "You were the one who asked questions, and even caused me to splash water all over my body. Don''t even think about repudiating your debt once I''m done!" She didn''t even look back as she dragged Yu Ying away, not even bothering to clean up the bronze pot on the ground. She was so angry that she stomped her feet in the wind behind her.


    No one noticed Yu Ying''s expression darken the moment they heard that, and sorrow and resentment flashed in her eyes.

 C294 parasite movement

    In the dark of the night, rain was patting the window paper and falling down with flakes of snow between them. The snow was even stronger than the last time. The floor was covered with layers of snow, reflecting the dark yellow light from the orange-red lights on the porch.


    Gu Qing Li opened her eyes and tiredly rose to her feet. She stealthily lifted away the green smoky curtain and then sat on the bed in her shoes and clothes for a long time. Her expression was somewhat blank. It seemed as if the lovemaking had exhausted all of her energy. In truth, he was gentle and careful, not daring to hurt her body in the slightest. However, the boiling heat had completely burnt her soul, leaving her unable to respond.


    He seemed to like this way of confirming their feelings lately, perhaps too carefully, for fear of losing her. She could feel it, but she was even more powerless. She felt that she could no longer respond to him the way she used to.


    She got up and pushed the door open and walked out, stepping on the soft snow in the yard. A row of lonely footprints led into the garden.


    Suddenly, she stopped.


    Snowflakes were flying all over the sky. There were a few rows of messy shallow footprints on the surface of the white land. It seemed like they had just been walked through by someone and were covered up by the swirling snow, making it hard to tell if they were male or female.


    There must be something amiss in walking around the manor in the middle of the night.


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt a strange movement in her body. It seemed that the Gu worms were squirming restlessly, as if they had sensed something through their anxious emotions. She didn''t dare to fight it like she had before, and could only concentrate on sensing its movements.


    The Qi flow within her body was in disorder as it stirred restlessly, causing her meridians to be in disarray. She could feel it crashing around, looking for a way out, anxious and frightened, fleeing from something, looking for a place to hide.


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt that it was asking for help. The uneasiness it felt was a sense of danger approaching it.


    "Qing Li!" Xiao Yi Xiu''s voice was getting closer and closer. The sound of his boots stepping on the snow was quickly approaching.


    The sense of danger instantly disappeared, and the anxious and depressed feeling in Gu Qing Li''s body lessened. She looked around in a daze, but couldn''t see anyone around her. Before she could recover her senses, she was hugged by Xiao Yi Xiu, who vented his anger in her ear, "Such a cold day, you casually ran out, are you trying to scare me to death?"


    "I ¡­"


    "If you have anything to say, go back to your room." He shook off his fox skin cloak and wrapped her tightly as he walked back.


    "Don''t be angry." Gu Qingli''s voice had a rare softness to it, as if she was afraid he''d get angry, and she raised her head to look at him from time to time.


    He restrained himself and tried to say gently, "You don''t know how worried I was that I wouldn''t be able to see you when I woke up. It''s snowing heavily outside, and you''re still pregnant. What''s so important that you come into the garden in the middle of the night? "


    "I feel some movement from the Gu worms in my body, as if there''s something nearby ¡­" "Summon it." She thought and thought, then used the word summoning.


    "You can sense that it''s a summon and nothing else?"


    She hesitated for a moment, unsure of herself. "Recently, my relationship with it has been much better than before, and I sensed even more emotions. However, after arriving here, I saw a few rows of footprints in the snow ¡­" She turned around and pointed, only to find that while she was wandering around, the snowstorm had completely covered the footprints.


    Xiao Yixiu also turned around to look. The ground was covered in a vast expanse of white, and the snow was as flat as a mirror, with nothing to be seen.


    Gu Qingli said hastily, "I really saw it, it wasn''t an illusion."


    "I believe you." Xiao Yixiu patted her as he carried her back. She was not in a good condition, even if he seemed perfectly normal, but he knew she was always worried, and the pressure was too great for her to breathe.


    "Later on, I felt the attack. It felt the danger and wanted to counterattack or escape. It became restless within my body and it made me feel very uncomfortable. I didn''t dare to fight back like I did before. I just tried to sense it, but you just showed up. "


    "You think this attack came from the manor?"


    She thought for a moment. "Not necessarily, I think it depends on how far you can control the Gu people. For example, the attack I received in the outer city. When you arrived, can you see that there are people manipulating it within your field of vision? No. But those epidemic patients are obviously under the control of the Gu Master. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu looked around. The Mo Mansion was only a few hundred acres wide, and if the controlling Gu Master could control more than one hundred mu away, it was very likely that they were moving around the Mansion. But how to explain the footprints in the snow? Was it really her imagination? Looking at the sky full of flying snow, he couldn''t be sure. It would be very easy for this kind of snow to not have footprints.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t say anything about the suspicions in his heart. He only asked Xing''er and Rui Zhu a few questions the next day, but didn''t ask anything. These two girls were very obedient, including Wu Yu.


    Gabriella had set up more spies in the yard, but she had always been so calm that it made people feel like she didn''t exist. As expected, everything went as planned.


    After thinking for a long time, Xiao Yixiu decided to take Gu Qing Li to Xuanhua Tower.


    It had been a long time since they had come here because of the plague.


    He first asked about Wen Xiang''s words. Xuanhua Restaurant had recently been forced to half close down due to the plague. Their business had been depressed to the point that they didn''t have much new information.


    After entering the secret underground room, he followed the path to the dark pavilion''s guardian. He heard that Zhou Qianxi had been quite calm recently, and hadn''t tried to escape.


    Zhou Qianxi pushed open the door to her secret room, revealing a pine bed, a red silk tent, and a beautiful and fragrant smell. The two of them were stunned for a moment, and then remembered that the furnishings here should have been filled with a warm fragrance, so they naturally didn''t go out and buy one for her.


    Zhou Qianxi had not seen anyone for a long time, so when she saw them, she was more surprised than happy. She shrunk timidly towards the corner of the bed, and her charming eyes sparkled with fear.


    "Don''t be afraid, This King came here today to ask you something."


    "What I know, I''ve already told you. All of you ¡­ What else do you want? I have been very obedient recently and have never tried to escape, nor have I talked much with the guards outside. " She shivered, a little.


    Xiao Yi Xiu tried his best to slow his tone and asked patiently, "I just want to ask you, are you also a Gu Master?"


    The last time it returned to the Golden Gu in the bottle, although it didn''t die immediately, it didn''t last long after nurturing it for a few days. After all, raising the Gu was not as simple as he thought, it was impossible for him to die.


    Zhou Qianxi''s face suddenly stiffened, but she didn''t say anything. The last time they interrogated her, she ignored this question and subconsciously avoided it. She didn''t expect to bring it up again after such a long time.


    "..." "Yes."


    "What Gu can you control?"


    "Crimson Gu."

 C295 Probing(1)

    Gu Qingli''s eyes lit up. "Is it a red worm with wings on its back, two horns on its head, and many pairs of eyes on its back?"


    Zhou Qianxi was surprised and nodded, "Yes, why ¡­" Who was infected with the Scarlet Gu? "


    "No, it''s my sister Gu Qingruo. Someone planted the Scarlet Gu and became the Gu. Can you tell me about the Scarlet Gu?"


    Zhou Qianxi was even more surprised. Who exactly were the Gu sisters, to actually turn them into a Gu? Was that a coincidence or an accident?


    From her narration, Gu Qingli found out that the red Gu''s nature was fire, and it had a major fever. Its toxicity could make one''s body boil as if they were dead, and in the end, it was like they had been boiled alive.


    All Gu worms, first of all, have to be highly toxic, to be able to kill people. The five Gu they practiced were not only the Gu''s poison, but each Gu had its own uses.


    For example, the Golden Gu could cause one''s movements to slow down gradually, and in the end, they would become stiff as if they were dead, but they would become clear-headed. The Green Gu could cause people to go crazy, attack people with blood, and the person in the middle could control the mind of the person in charge of the Gu to attack the enemy, and the Red Gu could turn the person in the middle into their own puppet. The White Gu could cause people to hallucinate, and they could even get drunk and never wake up.


    "In other words, even you don''t know what attribute the Gu in my body has?"


    "I''m not sure. Death to the Gu is only the smallest effect, the person who used to control the Profound Gu to cause the poison to act up instantly was only a small test. "


    "How will it affect her if the Gu is born in the Gu''s body?"


    Zhou Qianxi replied, "If you are obedient, it should not have any effect. As long as the person controlling you does not control the Gu in your body, you will be safe and sound. Back then the person who controlled the profound Gu was killed a long time ago, and then Master trained another one. I am also not sure what level this person can control to, and I don''t even know her identity. "


    "Control Gu also has levels?"


    "Yeah, how else can we talk about training?" Beginner level can only control young Gu, causing a person to die due to poison, and higher level can only have a special effect. When it can control the parent Gu in the Gu Master''s body, that would be the highest level.


    Gu Qingli stayed silent for a while before asking with difficulty, "A Gu Master ¡­" Can you have children? "


    "..." There has never been such a precedent, and I don''t know. " Zhou Qianxi''s dazed eyes gradually revealed some doubt, and she said in a hoarse voice, "Royal Concubine, could it be ¡­" Are you pregnant? "


    Gu Qingli staggered as her face turned even paler. Luckily, Xiao Yixiu held her back.


    "This is troublesome. Your emotions and mother''s are linked, so your bloodline is naturally connected. This child was born ¡­" What if there is poison from the Gu? "


    The two were both speechless.


    Zhou Qianxi frowned for a long time and said, "Those who learn how to control the Gu must know more than I do. If you can find her, then it will be useful."


    "Even you don''t know her identity." On that trip home from the hunting grounds, Xiao Yi Xiu had also set up spies to look around, but none of them had been able to figure out who was secretly controlling the profound Gu to kill people.


    "But at least you know that person must be in the hunting grounds. The hunting grounds are extremely wide and her control cannot be extended out of the entire hunting grounds. You should still check the subordinates that each person has."


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t reply. If it was that easy, how could he not have found out for so long? He changed the topic and talked about the epidemic in Beijing.


    Zhou Qianxi immediately confirmed, "It''s the Green Gu. The Green Gu is also known as the Poison Bee Gu, it''s shape is like a bee, and its poison is a hundred times stronger."


    "Do you know the Green Gu''s Gu or how to control people?"


    "I know what''s the use of her changing her identity and appearance to sneak into the capital. She is not someone I know." Zhou Qianxi''s words blocked their way of speaking.


    "Maybe not?"


    Zhou Qianxi thought for a moment and said, "She must have some traits that I know. If I can see her, I should be able to recognize her."


    Gu Qingli instantly came up with an idea. "You can disguise yourself and follow by my side. Help me find that person hiding in the shadows."


    "Let me try..." You believe me? " Zhou Qianxi hesitated. In fact, she would rather be trapped in a secret chamber in the Dark Pavilion. At least, her life would be safe and she would not have to worry about food and clothing.


    "I have no reason to trust anyone." Gu Qingli inserted a few silver needles into her body and lightly said, "My silver needles are the same as the ones you use to control the Gu. If you listen to me, it will never harm you. If you want to play any tricks, it will make you want to die just the same. "


    Zhou Qianxi smiled bitterly, obediently allowing Gu Qingli to change her appearance. She then followed them out of Xuanhua Tower.


    Returning to the palace, Zhou Qianxi changed into the servant clothing of the mansion and followed Gu Qingli like a shadow.


    She had some skill, so following her would be enough to protect Gu Qingli.


    Gu Qing Li was too preoccupied with his own problems to take care of the situation in the inner city. He only paid a visit to Gentleman Ye to find out that Autumn is almost over. He visited her twice and saw that the black spots on her body were fading, even her scars were much better.


    He followed her out of the city and headed straight for the simple fortifications.


    Liu Yanyu was still patiently taking care of these patients, saying that the medicine for the past two days was very normal. Perhaps it was due to the freezing snow and the difficulty in moving around, but no one had switched the medicine.


    Gu Qing Li thought about it for a moment, then decided that if she wanted to capture this thief, she would have to stay in the epidemic area at night. She decided to have her shadow guard secretly report to Xiao Yi Xiu, saying that she wouldn''t return to the inner city for the time being.


    The shadow guard did not dare to disobey and could only report back. However, his heart was filled with anxiety, afraid that he would be ordered to serve by Prince Mo.


    Zhou Qianxi followed Gu Qing Li on a patrol, but didn''t find anything wrong. She reported to her in a low voice that there were no Gu Master in the epidemic area.


    This was within Gu Qingli''s expectations. After all, that person could come and go as he wished, and there was no need for him to stay in this epidemic area all day long. Even if she was a Gu Master, there was no need to be afraid, the living conditions here were too poor. This blizzard had frozen more patients to death, but this was not something the soldiers could solve.


    It was night. The crescent moon shone brightly on the endless snow, illuminating the surroundings.


    Gu Qingli, Zhou Qianxi, Liu Yanyu, and Feng Zi were all lying in the same simple fortifications.


    In the past few days, Feng Zi''s condition had improved and she was no longer highly contagious. She had been allowed to rest together with Gu Qing Li to prove to her that Gu Qing Li was indeed innocent.


    The crunching of snow was particularly ear-piercing in the silent night. Although the newcomer did his best to slow his footsteps, the sound of walking in the snow could not be covered up.


    The four looked through the gap in the window and saw a black shadow walk into the medicine warehouse.


    After the person entered, he lit a candle and carefully flipped through the medicinal herbs. As he flipped it over, he even whispered to himself. It didn''t look like he was stealing medicine to change the smell.


    After rummaging for a long time, he seemed very disappointed and walked outside.

 C296 Probing(2)

    Four people appeared and blocked in front of him. He almost fell down and stammered: "Rao..." "Spare me ¡­"


    When Liu Yanyu turned on the light, Gu Qingli looked at the light and asked in surprise, "Doctor Zhang?"


    Doctor Zhang looked at her with his mouth agape and then said, "Yes, it''s me. Why is Imperial Concubine Gu staying in the epidemic area?"


    "Come out and look for the person who changed the medicine." She pointed at the warehouse behind Doctor Zhang that was filled with herbs. "What is Doctor Zhang doing here in the middle of the night?"


    "I also suspect that there is a problem with the medicinal herb." Although I was not able to give a better prescription than the Gu side concubine, but from the pulse of my research, I concluded that the side concubine''s prescription was definitely not a problem, and that the person who did the wrong thing was definitely the person who carried out the order. "I first thought that the medicinal herb might be replaced by someone, but I was afraid of alerting the enemy, so I decided to come in the middle of the night."


    This Imperial Physician Zhang was extremely vigilant, and his heart wasn''t bad. However, he gained nothing in return.


    "Help us keep an eye out. It won''t end like this."


    "I''ve been paying attention for a long time and haven''t found any problems with the person who gave the medicine to me, so I have a bold idea."


    "Speak."


    Doctor Zhang hesitated for a moment before revealing his speculations.


    The next day when the weather cleared up, the soldiers and soldiers of the imperial camp who were guarding the epidemic area cleared a path in the snow. Some people were sent to the town to purchase medicines.


    Phoenix Purple did as she usually did. There were a few people sent to the imperial camp to help her distribute the medicine. They chatted and interrupted her, having a very pleasant conversation.


    Liu Yanyu and Gu Qingli, on the other hand, went out to check on the patient''s recovery. Feng Zi calmly poured the medicine into bowls and watched them carefully place them in the basket and take them out one by one.


    Gu Qingli was in one of the rooms, looking at the patient. When she saw someone put down the medicine bowl, she went up to him and picked up a bowl for a sniff. Her face immediately changed.


    The bowl now had an extra pill. It wasn''t poisonous, and the smell was light. However, when combined with her prescription, it would improve the efficacy of the medicine. As she had expected, the extra flavor medicine was definitely the cause of the epidemic going crazy.


    Without a word, she told everyone to stop taking the pills and headed out the door.


    When he arrived at the second room, Liu Yanyu was staring intently at a patient inside. He was currently raising his medicine bowl, wanting to drink it.


    "Stop!" Gu Qingli stopped him in time and brought the medicine bowl to Liu Yanyu. "Do you smell something special?"


    Liu Yanyu''s sense of smell was not as good as hers. After a while, he answered in astonishment, "There is a medicine in this place. It is called Xin Poria, but it is non-toxic."


    "Never let anyone consume it." Along with the voice, Zhou Qianxi hurried in, "This Xin Poria Cocos is indeed harmless, but you must not come in contact with the Green Gu. It will cause the Green Gu to go crazy, destroying the structure of the human body ¡­"


    "I already guessed it."


    Zhou Qianxi frowned, "But I don''t see anyone moving at all."


    "That''s because your mind is stuck on ''someone poisoned''." Gu Qingli smiled faintly. "With such preconceived ideas, your focus is solely on people, and you ignore the true nature of things."


    Zhou Qianxi looked at her in astonishment. Liu Yanyu''s eyes were also filled with confusion.


    Gu Qingli poured the medicine into the medicine bowl and sniffed it. Then, she handed the bowl to Liu Yanyu, "Young Master Liu, smell it again."


    Liu Yanyu sniffed two times and was silent for a moment before he raised his head. "There''s something wrong with the bottom of the bowl."


    "So, they don''t need to play any tricks in the process of the medicine and delivery. Such blatant actions are too easy to be noticed by others."


    Liu Yanyu sighed. Before this person had taken the medicine, he had already smeared the bottom of all the medicinal bowls with Xin Poria Cocos. After that, it was no longer important who took the medicine, who took the medicine, and who delivered the bowls to the simple shack.


    "We can''t blindly investigate this matter. The people who are in contact with us definitely aren''t the ones we are in contact with." Gu Qingli stood up and said, "I want to go back to the inner city. Young Master Liu and Feng Zi are going to swallow it up. I don''t want any flaws to be exposed."


    "Yes."


    Gu Qingli brought Zhou Qianxi out of the epidemic area and circled the area. This time, she had shadow guards protecting her, but they didn''t find anything.


    After entering the city, she rushed back to her home. Originally, she wanted to inform Xiaoyi Xiu to go find Lu Linghui, but she didn''t expect that the two of them would have already discussed the interrogation in the secret room. Unexpectedly, nothing was found out, and so many people actually died without a sound, as if they had all perished in a short period of time.


    Gu Qingli wasn''t a stranger to this move, it had happened before in the royal hunting grounds. With just a slight mention of death, Zhou Qianxi said with certainty, "It was due to the insect poison, even those who seem to be normal would have it in their bodies, death is only a matter of time."


    "Who is it?!"


    To be able to kill a hundred people at any time, that was indeed a generous gesture.


    If one were to talk about his conduct and style, it was hard to imagine that there would be anyone who would work hard for the person behind the scenes.


    Lu Linghui did not say anything, but picked up the jade cup in front of him and downed it in one gulp.


    Only now did Gu Qing Li smell the strong, cold wine aroma in the air. Xiao Yi Xiu never drank alcohol, and during the years he was poisoned, he was already used to not drinking at all, probably to entertain Lu Linghui this time.


    Lu Linghui drank one cup after another, feeling extremely depressed in his heart. Seeing so many people die one after another in front of him during the interrogation, this unexpected turn of events caught him off guard, and Gu Qingli more or less understood his mood.


    But wasn''t what he cared about a bit too much? With the clues cut off, the one feeling even more depressed should be Xiao Yi Xiu.


    "They''re surrounded by the men from the imperial camp, but so many of them are already dead under his nose. He suspects that he has spies."


    Only then did Gu Qingli understand that betraying any of her brothers could be said to be a huge blow to Lu Linghui.


    "Vice Commander Lu doesn''t have to be so sad. This might not be because of a traitor. In fact, the range of control for a Gu Master is different depending on their abilities. A Middle Ranker can control an area of a hundred miles."


    Zhou Qianxi was the one who told her about this. When she heard about it, Gu Qingli sucked in a breath of cold air, feeling that things had become even more troublesome. How many people were there within a hundred miles?


    Hearing this, Lu Linghui was stunned. His eyes widened in disbelief.


    "This wangfei still has things to ask of the vice commandant. You''d better pull yourself together."


    Lu Linghui''s mood improved because of what she said. He immediately agreed and asked her what was the matter.


    Gu Qingli told Lu Linghui about the outer city''s Guo incident and had him quietly assign the task to go on. She had to find out who had poisoned the medicine in the bowl. After all, the bowl had been cleaned and used by more than one group of people. It would be too much of a waste of time to rely on her own strength.


    Lu Linghui accepted his orders and immediately left the secret room. His manner was quite swift and decisive.


    Gu Qing Li praised him, "Vice Commander Lu, you seem to be very straightforward."


    "He''s someone I trained before." Xiao Yixiu stood up and approached her, wrapping his arms around her as he sized her up. He felt as if she had become much more haggard after not seeing her for the entire night.


    "How could Xiao Yijin allow him to stay in the Imperial Camp? How could he trust him for so many years?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu said indifferently, "How can I let him know that I''m doing things? "He doesn''t know the relationship between me and Lu Linghui. He was raised step by step over the years and originally planned to cultivate him into a trusted aide. How could he have known that it was me who had set him up beside him?"

 C297 thread-drawing puppet

    Lu Linghui walked out of the secret chamber, looked up at the drizzling rain, lowered his head and quickly walked forward.


    The sky above him suddenly darkened, and the rain no longer fell onto his face. He turned around and saw Jinshu timidly following behind him with a yellow oil-paper umbrella in her hand.


    Lu Linghui smiled, "Thank you ¡­" "Lady." He couldn''t remember the name of Jinshu, and there was a hint of apology in his smile.


    Jin Shu could not help but feel dejected. She softly said, "Master Lu, there''s no need to be so polite. The sky is not good. The dark clouds seem to cover the sky. I''m afraid that the rain will turn into snow. Bring an umbrella along."


    She handed the umbrella over.


    He remembered the little girl who gifted him to Yue Ye last time. At that time, he only thought that she was very interesting, but now that he looked at her, he discovered that she was quite good-looking, with a round face, apricot eyes, and bright red lips.


    "There''s no need for that. It''s not raining much. There will be a carriage when we get to the door." He pushed the umbrella back. He was just holding on for a bit, and he would have to return the umbrella soon. It was really inconvenient.


    Jinshu watched him walk away with a look of loss on her face. She bit her lower lip and her eyes suddenly turned red.


    In the drizzling rain, Lu Linghui seemed to look back down. His gaze swept past and did not land on her body.


    He could feel that this young maid treated him a little special, perhaps because of what happened that night. However, he only found it interesting and did not take her too seriously. He was afraid that in the future, Prince Mo''s concubine would have to stay in his room, so he would naturally not think about it.


    This was the first time Jin Shu felt so miserable. However, after getting along with her for a long time, she had already treated her as a master and had no other thoughts. Only then did she realize that her unrealistic feelings for the prince were actually just admiration and worship, not an unforgettable love.


    But Lu Linghui could make her feel lost, even if there was no other woman by his side. As long as his gaze faintly drifted past her without a trace in the depths of his eyes, she would feel lost, as if he was being scratched by a cat.


    She could feel that he didn''t care about her, and the difference in their statuses was indeed too great. It was so great that she could only look at him from afar, not daring to hope.


    As the soulless Jin Shu walked back, she didn''t even look at the road, nor did she pay attention to what was in front of her. With a bang, she bumped into a person.


    Like her, this person walked with no eyes, as if he was blindly charging forward.


    "Rui Zhu?" Jin Zhui called out as he stared at her suspiciously. He kept having the feeling that something was wrong with Rui Zhu these days. His eyes were a little dull, as if he wasn''t paying attention to her at all.


    Ever since Rui Zhu was transferred to Wu, she had to take care of a lunatic all day, not daring to leave. She was rarely seen by the brocade lady, which was why she suddenly felt strange when meeting her in broad daylight.


    Rui Zhu rolled her eyes, as if she also felt Jin Shu''s gaze on her. She gave a stiff smile. "Oh, Jin Shu, it''s raining. I didn''t notice, so I just hugged my head and charged straight at her."


    This reason was reasonable, and Jin Shu passed the umbrella to her. "Take it, don''t be rash, it''s a good thing you hit me. If it''s any master, I''ll teach you a lesson."


    "Thank you." Rui Zhu took the umbrella and left. Her back was a little stiff.


    The more Jin Zhui looked at it, the more he felt that Rui Zhu''s hands and feet were moving like a puppet.


    It was hard to say what her thoughts were, but Jin Shu quietly followed behind Rui Zhu without her noticing in the slightest.


    The rain had made countless small holes in the snow that had accumulated over the past few days. The snow that had melted in the mud was extremely slippery. After a moment of hesitation, he heard Wu Wan''s Weizheng singing voice resounding through the empty courtyard like a ghost in a long, mournful tune.


    It was a good thing that they were in the middle of the day. Otherwise, when paired with such a chilly weather, it would cause goosebumps to rise all over their bodies.


    After hesitating for a moment, Jin Shu decided to return.


    Suddenly, a thin figure holding an ink paper umbrella appeared in front of her eyes. It gradually approached and stopped at the entrance of the courtyard.


    The brocade Shu looked up, and the figure that blocked the light was leaning against the side of the courtyard door. The rain on the oil-paper umbrella dripped down, and her skirt also splashed a little, but she didn''t seem to care.


    That originally beautiful face now carried an indifferent look, causing those who looked at it to feel a chill in their hearts.


    "Madam Wu?" Jin Shu shivered. Ever since this woman had gone crazy, she had never seen her in such a private place. Seeing her today, she had an inexplicable feeling that she had changed a bit, but she couldn''t say it out loud.


    "You''re not coming in?"


    Jin Shu shook her head, "No, no, no, no ¡­" Madam Wu was too polite ¡­ "Servant ¡­" "There''s something else."


    "You want to see Rui Zhu?" Wu Yu''s smile was very weird, and her voice was very low.


    Jinshu was startled. He felt a chill run down his spine, and a chill ran up his spine.


    Wu Yu suddenly took a few steps forward, he was very close, he lowered his head and said softly: "I advise you, don''t."


    A vulgar fragrance wafted from her body, but the breath she exhaled was fresh and elegant. The warmth of the white mist that carried it reached Jin Shu''s ears became cool, causing her heart to feel even colder.


    "What is the purpose of Lady Wu saying this?"


    "Rui Zhu is no longer the Rui Zhu of the past, Xing''er is no longer the Xinghe of the past."


    Before Jinshu could make out what she meant, Wu had already gone back with her umbrella in hand, leaving behind a trail of singing that sent chills down one''s spine.


    Jinshu lowered her head and walked back, thinking about the meaning of Wu''s words and feeling even more peculiar. Wasn''t this woman crazy? Why are you speaking so normally today? It couldn''t be said to be normal, but it just seemed like ¡­ What was he hinting at?


    Jin Shu hurried back to the Feng Zhaoxuan, only to find out that the Mo couple had gone out.


    The two of them had been running amok recently, so it didn''t seem right to add to their troubles. Jin Shu could only sigh.


    Just as he was about to go and discuss with Suifeng, he saw Yu Ying walking over from the corridor.


    "Yuying, something strange happened to me today ¡­"


    After Yu Ying heard Jin Shu''s words, she thought for a while and said, "If you say it like that, then I remember something."


    "Hmm?"


    "Recently, most of the shops on the streets and alleys of Beijing have closed down to prevent epidemics. "Xing`er, on the other hand, still went out of the house from time to time. She only went to one shop, and that shop seemed to be very strange, as if it had never closed and had always been open as usual."


    "How do you know?"


    "I saw it on the street once."


    When the secret of the Xin family''s property was returned to the Mo Mansion, Yu Ying would have to check out the store''s business and profits from time to time. As a maidservants, they didn''t only serve people so simple as washing their faces and dressing up.


    Jinshu asked for the name of the shop and hurriedly left the palace with his umbrella.


    Yu Ying''s eyes were somewhat cold, seeming to pierce through the curtain of rain, directly shining on the brocade Shu''s back.


    All the streets of the capital were deserted and desolate, no different from the desolate streets of the outer city. Occasionally, when they passed a few shops that were still open, one or two people would sit listlessly behind a cupboard with a look of annoyance in their eyes.

 C298 Mysterious powder shop

    Xing`er often came to a powder shop with a small front and not many varieties. Upon entering, she smelled a vulgar powder smell, causing Jin Shu to sneeze loudly.


    Behind the counter stood a gorgeous woman. Her face was covered with a thick layer of makeup. She might have been rather good-looking, but she had lost all of her elegance under her garish makeup. When she saw Jin Shu, she did not look overjoyed at all. Instead, she lazily sat down and rolled her eyes. Pick one yourself. "


    Jin Shu looked down at them one by one. She even picked up the rouge box seriously to open it and smell it, then picked up a few and let the woman pack them up to pay.


    "There is an epidemic going on outside, and your shop is still opening as usual. Aren''t you afraid of getting infected by the epidemic?" Jinshu asked casually.


    The woman smiled and said, "I run a small business, but once I close the restaurant, I won''t be able to eat."


    "But you haven''t had much business since the beginning of the night?" Jinshu looked out at the street. She had been a customer for so long.


    The woman glanced at him and smiled. "There will always be girls like this. They are not afraid of epidemics, so they came out to buy them. Women don''t eat for a day, how can they be short of makeup?"


    Jin Shu had nothing to say, so she took the bag from her and prepared to leave.


    As she turned around, Jinshu suddenly saw the corner of a skirt flick past the curtain that led to the inner room, and the pair of shoes on her feet were embroidered in pale pink with a pair of soft ducks. Because people want to avoid yellow, that pair of ducks are embroidered with gray and black feather sparrow.


    Jin Shu could clearly see that it was the black feathers on Huang Ying''s back. At that time, the palace had bestowed a batch of feathers to the imperial family. Although the amount was not much, it was enough to make a few pieces of feather clothing, and the green-yellow feathers were left to Gu Qing Li. The black-yellow feathers were distributed to the ladies of the mansion, where they could be added to their accessories and clothes.


    While Gabriella''s was embellished with jewelry and a collar, Zhou Zhen was not interested in sparrow feather. She casually gave it to the maid, and Little Chan wove it into a thread to weave into her clothes while Xing''er used it to weave a pair of shoes and an embroidery.


    When the woman inside saw that the brocade was not leaving yet, she asked, "Miss, do you need anything else?"


    Jin Shu suddenly turned around and said, "Give me another eyebrow pencil."


    The woman lazily dismissed her, then sat back down with an absent-minded look on her face.


    Jinshu hurried away, making a mark with her eyebrow pencil and stone in the inconspicuous corner of the street. Then she hid herself in the corner and stared at the shop.


    A moment later, a head popped up from the back of the shop, looked around, and came out with an air of ease, with a small brocade in its arms, no different from the maids of a common household.


    Jin Shu quietly followed. Seeing her walk further and further away, she actually did not head in the direction of the prince''s mansion.


    After zigzagging through a few alleys, Xing''er slowed down her pace. She looked back and confirmed that no one was following her. Then, she stopped in front of a house at the end of the alleyway and knocked on the door.


    As she looked back, although she was wary, her eyes were unfocused and unspeakably stiff, causing her to think of Rui Zhu.


    "Come in quickly. Princess has been waiting for you for a long time. Why have you only come here now?" Someone inside the door spoke in a low voice. It seemed to be a woman.


    Princess? Bewildered, Jinshu leaned closer to the alley wall, inching closer and closer. She looked around, hiding between the rock and rock lion close to the door.


    Unfortunately, the sound of footsteps gradually faded away. It was obvious that he had bypassed the shadow wall and entered the house. Looking at this family''s grandeur, no matter what they were, it was still a rich family. It was definitely not like a small family that could see everything just by standing at the door. It became impossible to eavesdrop on them, causing Jin Shu to be extremely disappointed.


    After a while, the sound of footsteps came closer and the woman''s voice said, "Don''t forget the princess'' orders."


    Xing''er''s voice was a little mechanical and cold. "I will only listen to my master''s instructions."


    "These are the conditions for the wangfei to cooperate with you! "Go back and tell your master that they are not yet in charge of the capital. If he wants to borrow the power of the Royal Concubine, he will have to pay a price."


    Xing''er paused for a moment, then sneered. "Since she''s so powerful, why don''t you tell these things to your master?"


    When Jin Shu raised her ears to listen again, the door opened and Xing''er walked out. She walked forward with a cold expression and looked straight ahead. Her gaze became increasingly dull and stiff, but she didn''t see the Jin Shu hiding in the corner at all ¡­


    As Xing''er walked away, Jinshi watched her figure emerge from the shadows. He let out a long breath and took two steps forward, his face turning as pale as paper. He stared at the grim servant girl in front of him as he retreated step by step.


    "Linglong, why hasn''t the carriage arrived yet?" The woman''s gentle voice came from inside the door. Her tone sounded a bit impatient.


    Jin Shu''s gaze turned towards the woman who walked out from the door, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. "It''s you ¡­" Her vision suddenly turned dark and her body slumped to the ground.


    Having watched the autumn moon emerge from Ye Qiuyu''s home, Gu Qingli was in a much better mood.


    Autumn Moon had almost completely recovered, and the scars were no longer obvious. It was clear that there was no problem with her prescription. She was only waiting for the results of Lu Linghui''s investigation outside the city.


    Xiao Yi Xiu picked her up in the carriage and headed towards the Mo King''s Manor.


    There was only the monotonous sound of the carriage on the desolate main road. It was completely different from the bustle of the traffic in the past.


    Just as Gu Qingli was about to speak, she heard the sound of rapid hoof steps. There were people shouting outside while driving carriages, whips whipping the air as if they were in a hurry.


    When the plague broke out, there were still people who were in such a hurry to get going. This really made one feel a bit exasperated. Xiao Yi Xiu and Gu Qing Li shared the same thought. They lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked out to see a plain looking horse carriage hurrying past. The horse carriage was not good at kicking, so no matter how hard they whipped the horse carriage, the driver was not satisfied.


    "A nag like this won''t be able to whip any faster, right?" Gu Qingli spoke without thinking and was about to retreat.


    "No, look at these ruts, they''re heavy. "If there are four or five people on top of this horse carriage, how will the horse get up quickly?"


    Gu Qingli had no knowledge of the ancient prints, so after listening to her explanation, she looked at them for a while and confirmed that they were indeed deep.


    "This is not even an ordinary carriage. Look at the curtain of the carriage, it is made with fine satin. Although the outside was completely changed into a normal appearance, the furnishings inside must be luxurious. Otherwise, the carriage''s curtains wouldn''t be so luxurious ¡­ The people inside are trying to hide their identities. "


    "May I know which family it is?"


    "Stop looking, let''s go somewhere else." Xiao Yixiu pulled her to a sitting position, touched her face that was icy cold from the cold wind, and dotingly gave her a light kiss.


    When he returned to the manor, he did not see the brocade Shu coming out to wait on him even at night. Only Yu Ying was busy, and did not seem to be able to handle it.


    Gu Qing Li looked down the corridor, only to see that the yard maid in charge of sweeping was busy. Yu Ying ordered the kitchen staff to come over and help carry the plates down.


    "What about Jin Shu? Let her fetch some water for this wangfei to bathe in. "


    "Lan''er, prepare a bath barrel. Zhu''er, tell the kitchen to heat up a few pots of water and send them over ¡­" Yu Ying pointed at the maidservants and ordered them to do their work while she hastily cleaned up the dining table.


    "This wangfei asks you, where is Jin Shu?"

 C299 Tracing

    Yu Ying paused, hesitating as if she was considering something.


    Xiao Yi Xiu also noticed that something was off. He looked at her coldly. "Princess Wangfei asked you a question, why didn''t you say so?"


    Yu Ying could only briefly narrate her suspicions towards Rui Zhu, before saying, "She said that she only left the mansion for a while, and would return soon. Who would have thought ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu clenched his fists tightly as he glared at her, making her lower her head in guilt.


    "Jinshu, how long has it been since you disappeared? If you don''t ask my wife, are you still planning on hiding it from me?"


    Yu Ying pursed her lips and did not say a word.


    Xiao Yi Xiu waved his hand and told her to call Suifeng to come in. He ordered his spies to search everywhere for Jin Shu''s whereabouts. He felt that there was something fishy about this matter. Just as he was about to order someone to summon Rui Zhu, he was stopped by Gu Qing Li. "Don''t do it yet. If there''s really something wrong with Rui Zhu, I don''t think you''ll be able to find out anything by summoning her."


    Rui Zhu and Xing''er had originally been sent to monitor Wu Yu and Zhou Zhen. Of the two, one was crazy, the other had always been a regular person, he had been a little careless, he never thought that these two surveillance personnel would have problems first, he naturally had to consider what to do next.


    After Yu Ying left, she thought about Wu Yu''s words and thought about it for a long time. She decided not to say it out loud.


    As she was thinking, she saw the wind pull her into the yard. She looked over in astonishment, and by the light of the lamp, she could vaguely make out that it was Lu Linghui.


    Entering the estate twice a day was a rare occurrence.


    Lu Linghui was quite surprised whenhe heard that Jin Shu had gone missing. After pondering for a moment, she said, "I''ll immediately bring people to patrol the city. We have to find her as soon as possible, in case something changes."


    "That''s fine too, of course you can mobilize more people." In reality, Xiao Yi Xiu had also sent people to search for Jin Shu. Although she was only a servant girl, what she found was definitely not ordinary.


    "Also, you must check out that makeup shop."


    "Understood." After Lu Linghui had answered the order, he told him about what he had found out in the outer city today.


    He passed through a shop in the middle, and was then assigned by the people of the imperial camp. Among them, the most vulnerable were the ones who delivered the medicine, and the ones who were responsible for washing the dishes. These people were actually not the soldiers of the imperial camp, but rather some servants recruited from the surroundings, and there were even some villagers who were not sick.


    "Villagers?" Gu Qingli hadn''t thought that things would get complicated. Most of the patients were relatives of the villagers, and it was impossible for them to mess with them. It was hard for other servants to do the same under their noses.


    Lu Linghui gave a wry smile, "Actually, it''s not hard to investigate. I''ve already found him because he''s dead."


    Gu Qingli''s eyes widened.


    "Three servants were killed, all of them were recruited from the surroundings. No one including the townspeople, they were killed by two seriously ill patients who were bitten to death during medicine delivery. The corpses were all bloody and their throats gushed out like geysers ¡­"


    Gu Qing Li couldn''t hold it in and started retching. She didn''t eat much in the evening. She only spat out some sour water, but her expression was extremely unsightly.


    Xiao Yixiu stroked her back as he rubbed the corners of her mouth and said, "Don''t be so detailed."


    "Oh." Lu Linghui was startled. He had always thought that this wangfei was strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with men. He had never expected her to vomit like this after hearing just a few words.


    When she left, she had entrusted everything to Liu Yanyu. Those patients who had experienced violent attacks were all locked up by themselves, and after taking medicine for a few days, they improved a little. The people outside were all normal patients who had never been inclined to attack.


    "Those two patients should also have been bribed. They ¡­ Killed while the soldiers were stopping the violence. "


    To be able to bribe a patient, he really did not hold anything back. Gu Qingli took a deep breath and asked, "Are the people who killed them suspicious?"


    "They''re all from the Fire Hou Battalion."


    "What a coincidence." Xiao Yi Xiu sneered. He didn''t think that Xiao Yi Jin had interfered, but rather that these people might have already been bribed by someone else.


    "Go and check the background of all those who were on duty that night, especially the people you''ve been interacting with recently."


    "Already begun." Lu Linghui''s reaction speed was quite fast, so he did not need to give any instructions.


    After leaving the Residence of Mo, he thought for a moment. With the excuse of finding the plague as his reason, he set up spies to patrol all over the capital to find Jin Shu.


    In the darkness of the night, the rain had already turned into flakes of snow. A few soldiers of the imperial army opened the tightly shut powder shop and went in to search. There were no signs of people inside, and they even knocked on the walls everywhere, but they didn''t find anything out of the ordinary.


    Afterwards, they all came out to report their findings, but to no avail.


    Lu Linghui, who was mounted on the horse, was dressed in black and did not wear any armor. It seemed like he had already merged with the darkness of the night.


    Similar to him, there were also a few people from the Dark Pavilion who were looking around the surroundings, inspecting the surroundings bit by bit.


    "Lord Lu, come over and take a look." A person from the Dark Pavilion called out.


    Lu Linghui got off the horse and went closer to check. He saw an arrow and a few incomprehensible marks, it seemed that someone had hastily drawn it with black charcoal.


    "It was painted by Mei Di." The man touched it with his finger and said with certainty, "It is the eyebrow and pen sold in this shop. This is a secret set down by the prince. It should be that Lady Jin Shu predicted that there might be an accident and directed us to follow it up."


    Lu Ling raised his eyebrows. He never thought that Jin Shu would have such a scheming mind. It was no wonder that Xiao Yi Xiu''s servant girl was so extraordinary.


    They followed the signs found by the people in the Dark Pavilion all the way to the bottom of an alley.


    There were several families living in the alley next to the road. Lu Linghui felt troubled when he found out about this.


    The people of the Dark Pavilion looked around to see if there were any other imprints, while Lu Linghui''s family slowly walked past them. Finally, they stopped in front of a stone lion at the entrance of a house and lowered their heads to check.


    Someone picked up a lantern and held up an umbrella to help him clean up the snow in front of the stone lion and the drumstick. Finally, he saw a small trace of rouge on the side of the drumstick, staining the surrounding snow with rouge.


    "Deputy, how did you know there was a mark here?"


    "I can smell the fragrance of the makeup. It''s the kind that came from the shop just now."


    "Tsk tsk, you really know a lot about women. None of us can smell it." A few soldiers by his side mocked him.


    However, Lu Linghui was not interested in joking. He frowned and said, "Go in and search the patient."


    Those few people immediately restrained their smiles and started knocking on the door.


    Following that, someone repeatedly cursed as he opened the door. Seeing Lu Linghui and the others approaching menacingly, he could not help but stop his cursing. Looking up and down, he knew that they were no ordinary people.


    Lu Linghui only took a glance at the incoming person. It was an ordinary middle-aged man wearing underwear and a robe. It seemed that this was indeed a residential area.

 C300 three-life wheel(1)

    He said indifferently, "It was originally Deputy Commander Lu Linghui, who was patrolling the city when he received a message saying that someone in your family had contracted an epidemic disease and had attacked and injured someone. They are here to investigate."


    "No, no!" What happened? There is no illness in my family, so it is even more impossible for me to attack or injure people. "


    "This is the order of the Yan King. Anyone who has a disease must register and report it. Hiding it away is a serious crime. How could I have listened to a few words from you?" Lu Linghui waved his hand, and the soldiers behind his rushed up, pushing the man aside and rushing in.


    The man was shouting, but he didn''t dare to stop him.


    The few of them went in to rummage through the yard and found that it was just an ordinary merchant''s house. Two people entered the yard and in a place like the capital, where every inch of land was worth a lot of money, they could be considered rich. Other than the master, his wife, and about ten servants, there were no other suspicious people.


    The people from the Dark Pavilion also went in to search after finding the soldiers. The owner of the house didn''t know them. They came with Lu Linghui and thought they were also from the camp, so they searched everywhere.


    After some investigation, he said he didn''t see any patients. It seemed like it was a false alarm.


    Lu Linghui slowed down his expression and greeted the couple with an official smile. The other party had no choice but to cooperate and send them out step by step.


    Walking out of the alley, Lu Linghui asked in a deep voice, "Have you found anything?"


    "Nothing."


    Lu Ling''s face slightly darkened as he swept a glance at them. Seeing a person from the Dark Pavilion passing over a box of rouge, he furrowed his brows and asked, "What is this?"


    "Yanzhi."


    One of the imperial guards sneered, "You searched around other people''s houses, only to find the rouge of their female servants?"


    "No, it''s rouge again. This place ¡­" Something to do with that rouge shop? "


    The person from the Dark Pavilion shook her head, "There''s a shelf in that room filled with all sorts of makeup. Her family owns makeup."


    Lu Linghui silently opened the rouge box and smelled it. "The best rouge is not the same as that shop."


    He closed the lid of the box and revealed a cold smile. "Beauty of the makeup, this shop is a famous powder shop in the capital. No wonder it can accommodate two courtyards in this kind of place."


    "¡­" Everyone fell silent. What was the point in knowing this?


    Lu Linghui glanced at the people from the Dark Pavilion and thought, as expected of someone trained by Xiao Yi Xiu, his thoughts were extremely meticulous.


    "You can go and reply to the prince, he will understand."


    The people from the Dark Pavilion replied and scattered in all directions.


    The imperial guards, on the other hand, were confused. "Sir, what can this box of Yanzhi prove?"


    Lu Linghui sighed, "The Mu Wang''s shop..." It''s being operated in the name of Princess Mu. "


    The soldiers were speechless.


    The next day, Lu Linghui tidied up the information he had received from his subordinates and prepared a horse for the journey outside the city with his men.


    At the same time, the Residence of Mo received the latest news. The village which was the first to experience the plague was on both sides of the main road. When the Northern Chu Emissary''s team passed by, they would stop for a short rest.


    Although the village wasn''t rich, the tavern produced a type of strong liquor. The people of Dongyuan City weren''t used to drinking it, but Helian Yu liked it a lot. After buying it once, he ordered people to go back and buy it twice.


    There was nothing wrong with this matter, but as they continued their investigation, they discovered that the wine itself originated from the Northern Frontier. It was on the border of the Northern Chu, and the weather was cold and the produce was scarce.


    The owner of the restaurant was a foreigner who had moved from the northern border to the capital.


    "Northern Frontier, it''s the Northern Frontier again!" Xiao Yixiu took a deep breath. He needed to calm down and think about why all the accusations were directed at the northern border.


    In fact, he had already sent people to Xinping State to search for clues about the Gu worm in Dongyang City. However, they were thousands of miles away, so it would still take several months for them to get back to the capital.


    "I thought it was Helian Yu ¡­" Gu Qingli''s voice was a little soft, and when he mentioned that name, a wave of hatred rose up in her heart.


    When the people from the Dark Pavilion said that the owner of the liquor store had disappeared before the outbreak of the plague, the two of them looked at each other and could see the chill in each other''s eyes.


    Helian Yu would not buy back that wine for no reason. Even if it was the strong wine that the Northern Chu soldiers liked, it was after all a crude wine. As the crown prince, Helian Yu could not possibly be very passionate about it.


    The disappearance of the owner of the liquor store confirmed this point. Helian Yu had frequently gone to find the owner for an unspeakable reason. Afterwards, the epidemic broke out, and Gu Qingli''s conjecture came closer and closer.


    Inside Cheng Yang Restaurant, a middle-aged man sat opposite Helian Yu. He had a face full of frost, his skin was slightly white, and the "Chuan" symbol on his forehead looked as if it was carved by a knife.


    In front of the two of them was a bottle of wine, and in between the cups was a jade plate. The texture was fine and white, as white as mutton fat.


    "This is ¡­" That roulette you''re talking about? " Helian Yu was a little disbelieving. Such a smooth plate, even if it was a top-grade White Jade Peace, could not be considered priceless. How could so many people die because of it?


    That person laughed, "There are some things that the Crown Prince does not understand."


    He closed his eyes and began to chant some strange syllables. As he recited more and more, the water in his plate began to ripple, spin, and spin faster and faster, like a whirlpool. Vapors rose from the center of the whirlpool, forming mountains and rivers in the mist.


    "Crown Prince, order a drop of blood." He suddenly opened his eyes, and a bright light shone within. It was difficult to comprehend what he was doing. His previously calm and refined expression had completely disappeared, as if he had become an otherworldly expert with the aura of an otherworldly person.


    Helian Yu was originally a bit careless. But at this moment, he was shaken by this wondrous scene. He skeptically pierced his finger and dripped a drop of blood onto the plate.


    The illusion of the world in the jade plate was indeed amazing, but it was also a trick used by the martial artists of the martial arts world. It was one thing for him to not be able to see through it, but he would never believe in such things.


    The virtual world began to change, and then the mountains and rivers, snow-capped peaks, all of a sudden, the view changed. Looking down from the resplendent palace with its jade-green roof and vermilion roof, there was the sound of a baby coming from a simple side hall. It quickly enlarged, revealing a very young and beautiful woman lying on her side on the bed.


    "My beloved concubine, I will make you my imperial concubine. In the future, I will make our son my crown prince ¡­" The man''s voice was very excited, but no one could see him.


    "No, no, your majesty, as long as chenqie continues to live peacefully like this, then it will be fine. There are too many honors that are not suitable for chenqie to come from." There was a trace of worry on the woman''s face. She actually refused to be promoted to be a imperial concubine.


    "Don''t worry, I will protect you well."

 C301 three-life wheel(2)

    The scene changed in an instant. It was still that side hall, the same woman. Even the decorations weren''t that much more luxurious, and she was already on the verge of death. The baby in her arms was also gone, and her gaunt and haggard face was covered in tears.


    The palace maid by her side said, "Empress''s birthday, he... It should be here soon. "


    The woman didn''t say anything. After a long time, she said softly, "I haven''t seen your son for over three months."


    "The emperor still likes you very much. He has already given you the book. When you are better, you will perform the book ceremony and move to the newly renovated Azure Sun Palace."


    The woman looked up at the palace maid with a lonely gaze. After a long time, she finally said softly, "No, even if I became a imperial concubine, I wouldn''t be that much nobler. I''ve been sick for more than half a year, and he has looked at me less and less. Look, the newlyweds are entering the palace again... "He doesn''t dare disobey the empress''s words. Even my child ¡­"


    Seeing this, Helian Yu''s complexion became increasingly unsightly. He gnashed his teeth, and his eyes were about to crack open. He extended a hand to slap away the water in the air, to smash this scene in front of him.


    The man on the other side shouted, "Crown Prince, don''t you want to know what happened?"


    Helian Yu hesitated and slowly withdrew his hand from the air. He only had enough time to listen to the woman say, "Jingnan, help me do something."


    The camera switched to a gorgeous woman wearing a phoenix crown and a five-coloured Zhai dress. She took a child with fingers from a palace maid and smiled with satisfaction. "This child really looks like the Emperor.


    The child''s skin was white and tender, and his pitch-black eyes were rolling in the air, full of spirit. Upon reaching the hands of the woman, her originally quiet appearance immediately disappeared. She began to bawl, and the more she cried, the more heartbroken she became. Her face flushed red.


    The woman tried to coax him for a while, but it was clear that she had no patience. She angrily handed him over to the palace maid, then looked at her soaked chest before mercilessly slapping the crying child.


    With a slap, the crying stopped. The child''s round eyes widened, as if the woman''s figure was deeply engraved in his heart. Her beautiful red lips pursed up, giving off a feeling of ruthlessness.


    The camera spun around. The woman who was previously lying down on the bed held onto the hand of the dark-skinned, dragon-striped man. Her eyes were filled with nostalgia as she pleaded softly, "Your Majesty, how can you make chenqie ¡­ Again ¡­ "Do you want to see your son again?"


    The man said in a perfunctory manner: "Quickly take care of your body and you will be able to see it soon." The love and sympathy he had been carrying in his heart for her seemed to have vanished, leaving behind only impatience.


    The light in the woman''s eyes dimmed as she smiled bitterly. Her hand slipped from the man''s palm and she became silent.


    "Love concubines? Love concubines? "


    The man called out a few times, but an imperial physician took his pulse and said in fear, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the imperial concubine, she ¡­" "Gone."


    "Oh!" "What a pity." The man smacked his lips and finally turned around. He had a domineering face, two slanted eyebrows, and thin lips. He looked rugged and slightly emotional, but he was undoubtedly a handsome man.


    A trace of regret flashed through his eyes, followed by indifference. As his figure moved, he turned towards the luxurious sleeping quarters. The woman dressed in phoenix coronet clothes was in the midst of changing clothes, smiling sweetly when she saw him enter.


    "Where''s Yu''er?" The man acted as if he didn''t see Ning Xuemo''s feelings at all and didn''t mind her cold gaze in the slightest.


    "He slept."


    "Imperial Consort has lost her life. I originally wanted to see him, but it''s too late."


    "Yu''er is still young, so it''s not appropriate for him to see his mother in such a miserable state." The woman rubbed her eyes with a fake expression, and even let out a mournful cry. However, when she turned around, the malicious and joyous glint in her eyes could not be concealed.


    "Yep, raise him as your son so that he can stay under your name. Don''t tell him who his mother is." The man rubbed his forehead, a bit tired. "Imperial Concubine came from Hanwei. This is better for him."


    The woman bit her lips and didn''t say anything. However, the man didn''t even look at her once and walked out, completely unaware that he had left. She stomped her feet and said hatefully, "Did he specify that I wouldn''t be born?! I''ve only been married to him for seven years, and I''m only twenty-four ¡­ I can still have it, can''t I? "


    She angrily pulled at the veil and the brocade blanket, and in the end, even pulled down the bead curtain, dropping the glass beads all over the ground. Then, she loudly shouted, "Bring the prince here!"


    Not long after, the wet nurse hurriedly carried the little prince who was sleeping soundly to her, the five fingers on her face still had traces of red on them.


    The woman pinched the infant through her clothes again and again. Finally, he woke up from his deep slumber and cried loudly. However, he could not stop the girl''s atrocities.


    The wet nurse who was hugging the prince trembled. Her eyes were filled with pain and fear, but she didn''t dare to say anything. She could only shed tears.


    "Slut!" Outside of the screen, Helian Yu gave a violent shout and struck the mist in the air with his fist, dispersing the illusion.


    The middle-aged man in front of him fell down along with his chair, as if receiving his punch. His face revealed an expression of shock and anger. "Crown Prince, if you continue to be like this, don''t ever expect me to start the roulette again!"


    Helian Yu''s chest rose and fell violently, his emotions were like a raging wave slamming against a shore. He tried his best to adjust his breathing to calm himself down bit by bit, and used a dark gaze to sweep the man in front of him. "Divine ability Helian, why aren''t there any consecutive scenes on your Three Lives Wheel?"


    "Since you were born, wouldn''t you have to watch all these scenes unfold for more than twenty years? "You''ve been watching it here all this time?" Helian Divine Technique seemed to completely look down on the crown prince and sneered. His eyes were filled with ridicule.


    Helian Yu thought about it and felt that it made sense. "Then let me see again, my birth mother ¡­ About Imperial Concubine''s life. "


    "I''m sorry, this isn''t the backyard of the palace. The crown prince can come and go whenever he wants to." The strange thing was that after the interior quieted down, the water was as flat as a mirror. The blood that the two of them had previously dripped into the jade plate seemed to have been absorbed, becoming pure and colorless.


    "When does it start again?"


    "This will cost me my Primal. Once I recover my Primal, I will be able to activate it. There''s nothing I can do right now." Looking at his expression that was full of contempt for the country and was looking down on the world, if someone else had seen this, they would have thought that he was the crown prince.


    "Forget it. If you only recover after ten or eight years, don''t talk about this stuff anymore?" Helian Yu waved his sleeves. "I believe that my fate is to be controlled by myself. This roulette can''t help me much."


    A hint of cunning flashed through the eyes of divine ability Helian, but he didn''t reply.


    The Three Lives Wheel was something that Helian Yu disdained in his previous life, in his previous life and in the next. It was something he was extremely arrogant to.


    Back then, Helian Divine Technique had no choice but to hide in the East Abyss for this reason. Now that he had been caught by Helian Yu, he thought that he was unlucky.

 C302 reverse water(1)

    "Then... Can the crown prince allow me to leave? "


    Helian Yu''s cold eyes swept over. "I don''t care. Others might make use of it to stir up trouble. Do you think it is safer to be alone in the Eastern Abyss?"


    "At least, no one in the East Abyss knows me. However, if the crown prince is to bring me back to the Northern Chu, I will become very unsafe."


    "Let''s talk about it when I get back. Although the Three Lives Wheel isn''t of much use, there are some things that I still need your help with."


    The God of Heaven Helian raised his eyebrows and sighed helplessly.


    Helian Yu thought about how ever since that incident, he had always gone to the Prince Mo''s Mansion to pay his respects without any response. He thought it over and over again. He felt that the possible consequences of what had happened last time might not be good, so he decided to explain it all to Gu Qingli.


    However, words had no basis in this sort of thing. The only way to prove it was this Three Lives Wheel. He needed to prove to her that he really didn''t do anything to hurt her.


    As he thought of this, he slapped his forehead with a headache. He felt that the hole that Helian Shuang dug for him was too big, and he had used silence to make up for her lie, with a trace of luck and jealousy.


    Xiao Yixiu''s reaction was out of his expectations as well. He had originally thought about Edom''s conservative ways, Xiao Yixiu must have been angry and abandoned his wife, then Gu Qingli ran out of options. It was easy for him to get close to her no matter what he did, but in the end, he didn''t even have the chance to meet Gu Qingli.


    He sighed, feeling more defeated than he had ever felt.


    Mr Wuteng has been restless lately.


    Not long ago, the King Mo personally came to the yamen and informed him of a shocking matter. He then threw the evidence in front of him, forcing him to believe it. However, the person behind all of this was not just his own Wu Sha, but also his good son-in-law.


    He paced up and down restlessly, trying to figure out what he should do to be perfect, and was told that his daughter had returned home.


    At this critical juncture, Wu Teng had no interest in going to his parents'' side. He only wanted to send his daughter away as he pleased.


    In the end, they saw Lady Wu bringing Wu Rufeng over. One of them was crying, while the other one had tears in her eyes that looked pitiful, making him even more angry. Just as she was about to reprimand him, she heard her husband say: "Master, let''s ¡­ Can you go beg Prince Yan to break off the engagement? Forget about Phuong. "


    What did you say?" "Wu Teng almost jumped up. In this era, the name of a woman was more important than her life, not to mention that his daughter was from a famous family, and the King of Yan was a prince, a popular candidate for the future Crown Prince.


    "Do women know what a taboo in speech is? If these words were to reach the ears of the Yan King, then where would you put my face? "


    "You even have face? If it weren''t for the fact that you wanted your daughter to enter the palace as a talent, why would you have been chosen as the next wife of King Yan? "With our family''s background, whoever marries them will be the main wife, and they will be greatly doted on ¡­" "Now look!"


    She pulled Wu Rufeng''s arm and rolled up her sleeve. On her snow-white thin arm, there were many bruises, some new, some old. She rolled up the other sleeve and did the same.


    Wu Teng looked at her in shock, then he heard from Wu Xiu, "Not only that, there are also things on his body, everywhere. He wants our daughter to die!"


    Due to the lack of food in the epidemic area, Wu Teng had listened to Xiao Yixiu''s commands to open up the official storehouse to store the food. Due to the lack of food in the epidemic area, Wu Teng had listened to Xiao Yixiu''s commands to open up the official storehouse to store the food in the epidemic area.


    The distribution of the medicine had caused chaos in the inner city, so the patients started attacking. Although some people thought that the prescription of the side concubine was wrong, some people believed that there was something wrong with the process of the decocting the medicine, and Xiao Yijin was the one who handled the plague, so it was inevitable that he would be criticized by the emperor when he was held accountable. This time, he couldn''t bear it anymore, he even suspected that Wu Teng was plotting against him in the medicine, so he could go back and vent his anger on Wu Rufeng. He wanted her to come back and ask him if he still wanted to be his father-in-law.


    Wu Teng''s vision darkened, and a wave of blood and Qi gushed out, nearly causing him to faint.


    He steadied himself on the corner of the table and panted, "Did he ask you to come back? He thinks... Who was it that I cooperated with to frame him? "


    Wu Rufeng silently wept but did not speak.


    "Good, very good! He beat up my daughter and still dares to question me? Did he really think that his prince could be so arrogant? Even if they were to fight for the position, it is not necessarily for him to be the only one to be promoted! " Wu Teng smacked the table and laughed coldly, "I, Wu Teng, will swear with my life that he will never be able to get the title of Crown Prince!"


    Lady Wu had never seen her husband so angry and couldn''t help but stare blankly. After a long while, she finally said carefully, "Master, you ¡­" You can''t spread this, can you? "


    Wu Teng waved his hand and said to his daughter, "Go back right now and don''t make any trouble with him. Be careful when you serve him and make sure he is satisfied with you. You can even blame your father for marrying you and always being on his side. "


    Wu Ru Feng''s eyes widened. Although she did not dare to question him, but she thought in her heart, "Is this father crazy?" It was fine that he wanted her back at this moment, but he was actually hoping that she would be able to please Xiao Yi Jin? She didn''t expect him to be a person with a handsome appearance and a heart as vicious as a wild beast''s. But now, her obedience was only exchanged for his harsh treatment. How could she be willing to go back?


    Lady Wu also said, "Old master, have you gone mad? I don''t agree to send my daughter back for him to ravage! "


    Although Wu Teng''s wife and concubine had five or six children, Wu Teng only had one son and one daughter. He treated his daughter like a treasure and didn''t want his daughter to return no matter what.


    However, Wu Teng softened his tone and said: "Feng Er is also my precious daughter, how can I bear to see her suffer like this again? "Don''t worry, just go back and say that you''re feeling flustered and sick, and that you need Imperial Physician Chen to diagnose your illness. Old Chen is your father''s close friend, your father will tell him that you''re pregnant ¡­"


    "What?" I''m not pregnant, Father! " Wu Ru Feng''s eyes widened.


    "You can have it even if you don''t have it! Old Chen''s medical skills were one of the best in the Imperial Physician Office, so he didn''t doubt him. He still has no son. Didn''t he go mad with joy after the Dong family got pregnant? He had hoped to win the emperor''s favor with him. It is unknown whether the Dong family is male or female, so they will definitely not make a move against you at this moment. "


    "But ¡­" But if we can fool this kind of thing for a while, how can we fool this kind of thing for a lifetime? "


    Stupid girl, after you get pregnant, he won''t be able to touch you anymore. You should find some more jade-like girls from other families to please him, and you should also pay more attention to him. It would be very easy for you to act like a pregnant woman.


    "Then what about on the day of production?"


    "If there really comes a day that we still haven''t broken up, father will ask Imperial Physician Chen to find a few reliable women to prepare a healthy baby boy. After that, you must rely on your mother to win his favor and tell me his every move."


    Wu Rufeng sucked in a breath of cold air. She had never done such a thing in her life before, but her father came up and told her to be a spy.


    Lady Wu was much more clear-headed than her daughter. "Master, if the King is unable to ascend to the throne, you plan to ¡­ On whose side? "


    "That is none of your business." Wu Teng''s face was cold, but he had already made up his mind.

 C303 reverse water(2)

    "If he really loses his power and his daughter follows him, she will definitely suffer!"


    "If I''m on someone''s side, my daughter''s freedom is one of the terms of the deal." Since Wu Teng was able to achieve the position of Jin Zhaoyin, he was naturally no pushover. His foresight and foresight were probably not less than the deceitful thoughts of the six scrolls.


    The confused Wu Rufeng was sent to the carriage, and Wu Teng immediately sent some men to deliver two letters to Doctor Chen and Prince Mo''s mansion.


    The ox-cart slowly moved through the streets of Beijing. Although it was slow, it was very steady. The box at the back of the cart was filled with medicines that were sent to every household. Naturally, it could not be spilled all the way. Both the front and back follow the horse to slow the progress of the bailiffs, from the clothing seems to be subordinate to the Beijing Zhaoyi Yamen.


    Suddenly, the sound of horses galloping could be heard in the deserted street. It sounded like there was more than a few horses approaching, as if there was a small group of people chasing after them.


    With so many people on the street galloping, everyone would turn around to take a look. The errand boy escorting the ox-cart was no exception.


    Most of those who were rushing over were servants of the Jing Zhao and Yin Residence. A few of them were surrounding a white-robed man. It seemed like they were guards of a large family.


    The one leading at the front was actually Jin Zhao Yin Wu Teng himself.


    "Stop!" Amidst the shouts from behind, the ox-cart slowly came to a halt. Everyone dismounted from their horses and paid their respects, unable to figure out what Sir Wu was doing.


    Those with sharp eyes noticed that there was also the royal physician, Chen Jiaming, mixed in with the crowd.


    The combination of Mo Wang, Jing Zhaoyin and Doctor Chen was really puzzling.


    Wu Teng waved his hand and said, "This has nothing to do with you. Someone, get on the carriage and get some medicine for Imperial Physician Chen to examine. "


    A bailiff got on the oxcart and brought down a wooden bucket. For the convenience of transportation, the medicine was delivered in wooden barrels filled with wine, covered with a thick quilt to keep it warm.


    The bailiff removed the stopper from the barrel and handed a bowl of medicine to Imperial Physician Chen. He smelled it again and again and took the silver needle in to test it out. The crowd watched as the silver needle slowly turned black.


    The delivery man said with a bitter face, "Sir Wu, this really has nothing to do with me. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Constable Zhang. He just watched us load the drugs and get on the carriage."


    "There''s no need to speak anymore. Take all of these. You don''t have to be afraid, I will investigate everything thoroughly and will not wrongly accuse anyone. " Wu Teng''s face was frosted over as he ordered his men to take the oxcart back. The other bailiffs were being escorted back, their heads hanging down.


    From beginning to end, Xiao Yixiu had watched silently.


    When they arrived at the office in the capital, the Head of the Supreme Court, En, and Prince Xiao Lingbin arrived under Wu Teng''s instructions. When they saw Wu Teng bring all the medicine decocting and escorting servants to the front, they respectfully clasped their hands and bowed.


    Since this matter was witnessed from the very beginning by King Mo and was also testified by Imperial Physician Chen whom the Emperor valued highly, Xiao Lingbin and Dong Chang En naturally didn''t dare to slight him and immediately sat down to interrogate him.


    Therefore, since it happened at the Beijing Yamen, Wu Teng himself was a person involved, so he just sat by the side and listened.


    The case could be easily tried, and once it was put to the torture, someone admitted that the poison method was no different than that used in the outer city. The poison was also spread all over the inside of the wooden bucket and was sent to every household, with the aim of causing the deaths of all the patients.


    When he said that, Dong Chang''en couldn''t help but stand up. His face was flushed red as he said angrily, "Who on earth dares to do such a shameless thing?! Do you know how many people will die if you give them this medicine? And among these people, other than the commoners, there were also many families of officials in the imperial court who were infected! This is no longer just killing people, this is rebellion! "


    Xiao Lingbin raised his hand. "Lord Dong, don''t be impatient."


    He calmly looked at the two confessor and asked, "Who instructed you to do this? What was your purpose in doing so?"


    "Yes ¡­" "It''s the steward of the Mu King''s Manor ¡­" After the man had finished his sentence, he was hit on the head and fell to the ground with a miserable scream.


    "Nonsense, why would Prince Mu do such a thing?"


    "I, I ¡­" I don''t know... I heard that he wanted to stir up chaos in the capital, and even if he rebelled, he would not hold back. He said that the disease was dealt with by the Yan emperor himself, and the prescription was given by Prince Mo''s concubine. "Keep it down ¡­"


    Xiao Ling Bin was startled for a moment, but then he laughed, "This is indeed a good plan. But why is there a black head in this medicine?"


    "Previously, it was Xin Poria Cocos, I heard that the drug was mixed with the prescription and could cause the epidemic patients to go crazy and attack others, but that move did not seem to work, and it was seen through in the outer city. "Many people are involved in this matter in the inner city. If all the families of those officials were to die, it would definitely cause a huge ruckus, so ¡­"


    "Nonsense, you need to know that the person you are incriminating is a prince. If this crime is committed, how much of a crime will King Mu suffer?" If you are framed, it would not be too much to rob your family of ten clans. "


    "How would I dare!?" Even if their heads fall on the ground, they would not dare to carelessly frame the prince. "


    Xiao Lingbin continued to look at the two of them with a smile that was not a smile. He looked around and asked, "Xiu''er, everyone, what do you think of this matter?"


    Xiao Yixiu said calmly, "Unless there is iron-clad evidence, I do not believe that the Three Sovereigns would do such a thing."


    Dong Zhang En hesitated, but remained silent. He was thinking that if this case was carried out, he would be able to handle it. This would be a great contribution to the king, and it would please him more than anything else.


    He turned to Wu Teng, thinking that Wu Teng should have the same thoughts as him. After all, their daughter had married into the main wife of the Yan Prince''s Mansion, and if they didn''t take this opportunity to punish him, how could King Yan defeat King Mu and become the best candidate for the throne?


    However, Wu Teng stared at him enigmatically, not showing any emotion on his face.


    Dong ChangEn cursed in his heart at the old fox, but he was still very confident. How could a father-in-law not help his son-in-law and instead seek justice for an outsider? Taking advantage of the presence of Prince Li and King Mo, he decided to completely dismount King Mu as soon as possible.


    "This official also thinks that there should be evidence to prove it. However, the matter of the examination of the prince is no small matter. The two princes must go together."


    Xiao Lingbin smiled and stood up. "Alright, I''ll accompany you to pay a visit." With that said, before you can be convicted, everyone is innocent. Everyone, you can''t be rude to King Mu. "


    "Prince Li is right."


    Chief Dong En and Wu Teng also followed behind the two princes. They reached out their hands to tug on Wu Teng''s sleeves, causing him to turn around and look at them.


    Dong Chang En smiled dubiously and shook Wu Teng''s hand from the bottom of his sleeve with an expression of tacit understanding.


    Wu Teng gave him a fake smile, giving him a nonchalant nod. This made him think that the two of them had reached an agreement.

 C304 Search the Mansion

    Within the manor, Xiao Yi Mo couldn''t find his wangfei and was fuming. Recently, the disease had been rampant, and Gu Qing Ruo had left the manor frequently at this critical time. She didn''t know where she had gone to, but it was obvious that she was creating trouble for him.


    She always said that she was going to take a look at a few shops and check the accounts, but in reality, Xiao Yi Mo knew that most of the businesses in the mansion were closed, so there was no need for her to run outside every day.


    However, sometimes she would say that she was going to Cheng Yang Inn to accompany the bored Helian Shuang, which left Xiao Yimu with nothing to say and made his heart even more angry.


    There were two patients in Cheng Yang Inn. Could it be that Princess Hua-Yang wanted to bring the disease back to the palace? He decided to wait for Gu Qingruo to come back. She would use any method she could muster to lock her up and prevent her from leaving the clan, even if it meant offending Princess Helian.


    In a fit of rage, he heard that a guest had come to visit. He was rather polite when he spoke, but his attitude was very unyielding.


    "What kind of person is so unyielding? Tell him to scram!"


    "Mo''er, you have the status of a prince after all." Mo''er, you have the status of a prince after all.


    Xiao Lingbin''s voice suddenly rang out from outside the door. He wore a jade crown, black hair, and shoulder-length black shoulders. He wore a black crane feather cloak, and his face held a trace of a smile. His smile was even more frightening than his anger.


    Although Xiao Lingbin was a strict and swift man, he had always been gentle towards his nephews. After all, one of them was going to be above him in the future.


    It was obvious that the situation on this frosty face was extraordinary. It was no wonder that the pageboy from the rumors had said that he was unyielding.


    Before Xiao Yi Mo''s stiff expression could recover, Xiao Yi Xiu''s white clothes appeared behind Xiao Ling Bin''s back. He was still dressed in a curvy robe with wide sleeves, which made the snow outside even colder.


    Behind them were Dong Changen and Wu Teng. They looked at them respectfully, but their eyes were full of evil intentions.


    Xiao Yi Mo instinctively sensed that something was amiss. He cupped his hands and bowed towards Xiao Yi Xiu as he smiled, "What kind of wind brought the fifteenth uncle and fifth brother here? "Please, please come in. Serve some tea."


    Xiao Lingbin continued to smile coldly. "There''s no need to be so polite if your uncle and nephew want to have a relationship. We''ve come on official business. We''ll have to ask the two of you to explain it to us." He opened up a path and let Dong ChangEn and Wu Teng enter.


    As a prince, he refused to offend the prince, yet he allowed a third rank official like himself to tug on the tiger''s whiskers? On second thought, if he seized this opportunity to win the position of King Yan, then in the future, there would no longer be any problems for King Mu. Why would he need to fear offending him?


    With a smile on his face, he recounted what he had discovered earlier. "The justice courts only care about the trial, but they don''t care about the investigation. Sir Wu is in charge of investigating this matter."


    However, as the highest-ranking officer in the capital, he could not turn down the investigation process, so he could not be a good person anyway. Thus, he put on a straight face and said in a fair tone, "Please forgive me, Prince Mu. Since this matter was discovered by the people below, in order to prevent others from framing the Prince, I came here to seek an example to prove my innocence."


    Xiao Yi Mo was extremely furious and sneered, "What a great disgrace! If you believe your master to be innocent, why would you need the two princes to come over and search for me?"


    He was quite shrewd, and with a sweep of his eyes, he knew that these people had not obtained the imperial edict. He wanted to search for the imperial edict, but he could not get the imperial edict in time.


    "Third Imperial Brother, I am just a person without any duties. I am just here to verify. You don''t have to bother with me." Xiao Yixiu stood there leisurely with his hands behind his back, as if it had nothing to do with him.


    Xiao Yi Mo suddenly laughed, "Alright, since everyone has come out of the snow, we can''t leave empty-handed. Please!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu smiled gently as he followed him into the manor.


    The men that Wu Teng had brought with him were all from the Jing Zhao and Yamen. Under his command, they spread out in an orderly manner and entered every corner of the mansion to search.


    "Uncle Fifteen, regardless of whether you are a prince or the head of the Ministry of Justice, you must have an imperial edict in order to search the prince''s manor. You must be extremely confident if you rely on your seniority to search the manor, right?" I have to say, if I can''t find it, what should I do? "


    "Let us face the Sage together. It shall be decided by royal brother."


    "Very good." When he said these words, Xiao Yimo was only trying to put on a show of strength but not strength. It seemed like Xiao Yixiu was just an incriminator. However, how could he not know who was the mastermind behind all of this? And he also wanted Xiao Yi Xiu to make a move, so when did he fail? He couldn''t help but start to suspect everyone in his residence.


    The most suspicious thing was Gu Qingruo. Although she was his main wife, she had already been centrifuged on. They seemed to be getting along well, but in the end, they were no longer as close as they used to be. However, he had been in and out of the Prince''s Mansion frequently during this period of time ¡­ The more Xiao Yi Mo thought about it, the more shocked he was.


    As expected, after an hour of searching, someone rushed in with a box and reported, "Sir, this is the Xin Poria Cocos, which we found in the warehouse."


    "What is Xin Poria Cocos?" Naturally, Xiao Yi Mo didn''t understand the medicinal properties of these medicines and could only feel anger and shock. He had heard them talking about it earlier. Wasn''t the medicine barrel covered with aconite? Why is there another Xinfu Poria Cocos?


    "In the past few days, Prince Mo''s side concubine gave him a recipe for the disease. This recipe will cause the poison in his body to flare up and cause severe injuries to him. This medicine was both rare and expensive. Even the various pharmacies in the capital had their products taken away. It was said that ¡­ They were all bought by the people from the Mu King''s Manor. "


    "What?" Xiao Yi Mo took a step forward and shouted, "Nonsense!"


    "Unfortunately, this butler from the Prince''s Mansion has already been certified." Wu Teng smiled as he raised his hand. Immediately, someone brought up a steward from the Royal Mansion with the surname Qin.


    Butler Qin resisted as he walked, but he still cursed out loud and said carelessly, "I''m the steward of the Mu King''s Manor. How dare you be so rude to me!"


    Hearing that the way he spoke didn''t seem like he was going to answer, Xiao Yi Mo was slightly relieved. He shouted, "Sir Wu, you have to have a basis for your words!"


    "The owner of Ren Ji Medicine Shop in the capital said that Housekeeper Qin ordered all the goods from their store. Could it be that the two bosses have forged a fake?"


    Wu Teng had come prepared, so how could he be stopped by a single sentence? With a smile that didn''t reach his eyes, someone had already led the shopkeepers from the two pharmacies over to testify.


    "In that case, may I invite Prince Mu to follow this official?"


    Xiao Yi Mo felt his hands turn cold as he looked at Xiao Ling Bin, "I want to enter the palace!"


    The coldness on Xiao Lingbin''s face receded as he laughed, "Of course!"


    He then turned his head and ordered Wu Teng in a low voice, "Keep a low profile. No one is allowed to brag until you have reached a conclusion."

 C305 thawing(1)

    Wu Teng nodded. This sort of royal scandal had to be handled with caution at all times. Since it didn''t affect the imperial court, leaving Xiao Yi Mo some leeway in the future would allow him to retreat.


    However, in his heart, he no longer planned to leave a way out.


    The corpses in the outer city, as well as the witnesses in the inner city, all of these were evidence against Xiao Yimo.


    The Emperor looked at the ironclad evidence in front of him, and his face was especially cold. If the Three Division were to handle this matter, it would be a scandal that they would be unable to cover up. Even if he was extremely furious, he did not want the Xiao Clan to be humiliated while the Northern Chu Envoy was still in the capital.


    "This son of mine has never done such a thing." Xiao Yi Mo''s face was livid as he immediately denied.


    "Then explain to me, why is it that the medicine was ordered by the steward of your house, and why is it that it was ordered by the people in your house?" This medicine was clearly found in your family''s treasury in the end. "


    Xiao Yi Mo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "This is a deliberate act of suicide."


    With a dejected face, Steward Qin said in a low voice, "Your Highness, it was obviously you who ordered this lowly one to do it ¡­" "You said that your plan of killing two birds with one stone ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Mo was infuriated, and could not be bothered about everyone being present, he raised his leg and kicked at him, shouting, "Who allowed you to frame me? This King has treated you well all this while, but you actually turned against me and framed me? "


    Housekeeper Qin''s face was pale and he was speechless.


    "Royal father, although all the evidence points to me, but isn''t the so-called transition in their evidence all because of this bastard named Qin? Has the person who poisoned me or the medicine store manager seen me? "


    Everyone was silent. They all thought, how could you, a dignified prince, personally do something like this? Isn''t it common sense to send a trusted housekeeper? However, there was no way to refute his words. After all, only Housekeeper Qin alone was able to testify that this matter had been ordered by King Mu. If this was any other person, they would have already been condemned like a mountain of iron. However, he was still a prince, and the judgement would still depend on the Emperor''s trust.


    Xiao Lingbin said, "This matter is indeed unfair to the Sunset King based on Housekeeper Qin''s personal testimony. Why don''t we delay it for a few more trials?"


    The Emperor nodded and ordered his men to bring Xiaoyi Mo down. They would first guard the Snow Crash Hall and then let Wu Teng continue to gather evidence before trying to interrogate him again. This thought lingered in his mind for a while, but was rejected in the end.


    "Keep all members of the Palace under close guard, and do not communicate with each other ¡ª send orders for Princess Mu to enter the palace."


    Everyone left the palace, Xiao Lingbin and Xiao Yi Xiu travelling alongside Wu Teng and Dong Tianleng.


    As Xiao Lingbin left the palace gates, he glared at Xiao Yi Xiu as he made his way back. "Xiu''er, tell me the truth. Were you the one who arranged this?"


    Xiao Yi Xiu glanced at him and smiled faintly, "Uncle Fifteen is joking. I currently have no real power. If I were to talk about bribing Steward Qin, how would I be able to convince the two of you? "You don''t even think about whose people they belong to."


    He cupped his hands in farewell and said, "Fifteenth Imperial Uncle, take care. Recently, the imperial concubine''s body has been slightly unwell. I''ll head back to the estate first."


    Xiao Lingbin nodded as he watched him leave. He shook his head as he thought about Wu Teng and Dong Chang En''s statuses. It was obvious that they weren''t real. How could such a shrewd person like the Emperor not think of it?


    The tracks were quickly covered with snow, and with a glance, he could see that it was as white as the horizon. Lu Linghui had a headache as he tried to make the team slow down, and had no choice but to let the soldiers leading the mastiff lead the way, chasing after the broken tracks from before.


    Even the mastiff seemed to be slow in the snow. It sniffed for a long time before it finally picked up a direction and ran away.


    He could finally see the carriage with the whip in front of him. Although it was simple, the coachman was very skilled. Even the horses pulling the carriage were not ordinary horses. Otherwise, how could they continue forward in this snowstorm?


    He had originally planned to deal with the troubles in the back of the carriage after leaving the city, but who would have thought that along the way, he would be followed by this team of soldiers. No matter how many techniques he had used and how many paths he was familiar with, he couldn''t get rid of them.


    He gritted his teeth and decided to save his life first. He jumped off the carriage and rolled down his clothes while the road was covered with thick layers of snow and pine branches.


    The horse was also intelligent. Seeing that there was no way out, it became a cliff. Even though it was unmanned, it hurriedly stopped and let out a long hiss towards the sky.


    However, the horse was not as smart as the man, it could not be considered slick and steep, and the inertia of running was different from usual. It let out a long hiss and continued to slide forward, until the whole carriage fell down the cliff, screaming.


    The horse carriage had a certain amount of weight on it. For a while, there was only a small amount of weight inside the carriage. However, it didn''t completely fall down the cliff.


    Lu Linghui was startled when he looked up. He galloped a few steps and jumped up from the back of the horse, throwing a whip towards the horse carriage. The whip came down heavily like a steel blade, splitting the carriage in half.


    Then he saw it clearly. There was a sack squirming inside the box. It seemed to be a living creature inside.


    Without time to think, Lu Linghui swung his whip and rolled up the gunny sack, allowing the horse carriage to fall after it lost its balance. Both the sack and the person fell to the ground at the same time.


    The rest of the men from the imperial camp also rushed up to him and reported, "Sir, there''s a woman inside. She''s quite well-dressed."


    Without waiting for him to speak further, someone had already taken the ball of cloth from the lady''s mouth that was tied up into a dumpling. However, they could not hear her voice.


    "This person doesn''t seem to be able to handle it."


    The woman''s body was curled up, only wearing a thin layer of clothing, even her outer robe seemed to have been taken off. If they had arrived even a little later, they would not have needed someone to take care of her in such a cold weather.


    Lu Linghui walked over to turn the person over and saw that her hair was covered with a thin layer of frost. Her face was pale blue, and the corners of her lips were bloodless.


    Although her eyes were half open, the frost hanging from her eyelashes was motionless. Her body trembled uncontrollably, as if she was blind.


    He held it by the waist and said with a frown, "Let''s go!" He sent a few people to stay behind and check if there were any more coachmen in the carriage to see if they were alive or dead.


    The distance from here to the inner city was too far, so Lu Linghui found a nearby inn. No matter if there was anyone inside or not, he ordered his subordinates to clap a few times.


    The boss was extremely unwilling to receive these evil guests, but once he saw the imperial clothing, even if he were to starve to death, he would have to pinch his nose to welcome them. Fortunately, they had placed the silver in front of him in advance.


    Lu Linghui was in the guest room raising a charcoal brazier, rubbing snow on Jin Shu''s hands and feet, and letting someone get warm water to come in.


    When he looked at the petite girl on the bed, he couldn''t help but furrow his brows even more. He was at a loss of what to do for a moment. All the men he brought were from the royal camp, not a single one of them was a woman, and this inn''s owner actually didn''t have any women.


    After thinking about it, Lu Linghui still reached out to take off her clothes. In his heart, he thought, "You can''t blame me for this, I''m just treating you as a man."


    He quickly undressed and rubbed the brocade into a deep red from the snow. Then he carefully carried it into the warm water and waited for her to wake up.


    When Jinshu was a little conscious, she could only hear someone sigh in her ears, as if it was a somewhat familiar male voice, but she was also in a trance.

 C306 thawing(2)

    She opened her heavy eyes with great difficulty. She felt like she was still in a dream. White vapour was swirling around her body. She felt soft in the warm water. Although she was weak, it was so comfortable that she wanted to sigh.


    She shifted her gaze and subconsciously looked towards the warm yellow halo. It was a candle that was placed on the Eight Immortals Table; unexpectedly, there was not even a single oil lamp. This simple and crude arrangement was obviously not in the Prince''s Mansion.


    Jin Shu''s gaze shifted again, convinced that she was in a dream. Otherwise, why would there be a man supporting her forehead at the Eight Immortals Table? She was dressed in cloth, and her eyes were filled with worry. She seemed to be deep in thought, not looking at her at all.


    Jinshu sighed, thinking how ridiculous this dream was. She could see him during the day and during the night, but the situation in this dream was really awkward.


    The faint sighs brought Lu Linghui back to his senses, and he instinctively looked towards Jin Shu, only to see her small face blushing slightly from the water vapor. His shoulders, which were exposed on the water surface, revealed a light pink color, and his eyes seemed to be filled with resentment as he looked at him.


    "You''re awake?" Lu Linghui could not be said to be pleasantly surprised, but instead panicked a little. He wanted to go over, but felt that it was inconvenient. He wanted to throw a piece of clothing at her, but was afraid of falling into the water.


    "Lord Lu, even in your dreams, you don''t remember me ¡­" Jin Shu opened her mouth, but her low and bitter voice made people speechless.


    Lu Linghui also froze for a moment before seeing the white cloth wrapped around the barrel. He half turned her body and threw the cloth at her, not caring if it hit its target or not as he hurriedly turned her body around: "You ¡­ You can dry first and change your clothes. "


    Jinshu''s own simple clothes were draped over the side. Although they were stained, they were mostly dry from the charcoal fire in the room.


    She was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, she felt that the dream was too realistic. She struggled to get up in doubt. She wanted to wring the wet cloth dry but could only make tiny movements. Just as she got up, she heavily fell back down.


    Lu Linghui turned around to look at her, wanting to make her relax with a gentle expression on her face. However, the result was that he became even more stiff, and her face was completely red.


    Seeing that she was trying to sit up and yet was powerless, Lu Linghui realized that she had only woken up and had not fully recovered. He had no choice but to walk forward and grit his teeth, saying, "Just treat this as a dream."


    He twisted the cloth to help her sit up, wiped her down, picked her up and put her on the bed.


    After the temperature had dropped, she could not use too much force to rub her skin. He had just used the warm water to wake her up, so her limbs were still stiff and cold. Thus, she was unable to move.


    He pulled the quilt over her, thinking that the cold quilt clearly could not warm her, and the overheated copper stove was easy to burn. He thought for a moment and then said carefully, "Lady Jin Shu, don''t mind me."


    He took off his outer clothes and crawled into the blanket. He carefully carried her in his arms and warmed her up a bit with his body temperature. He muttered in his heart that he was only hugging a brother.


    Jin Zhui, on the other hand, had been staring at him with his bright almond-shaped eyes, his face blank and at a loss. He thought to himself, Lord Lu in this dream is too strange.


    As her body warmed up, she could feel the body that was hugging her begin to change.


    The heaving muscles beneath the thin shirt were as tight as iron, as if they were warming up at the same time as her. She held her arms tightly, not sure if it was because she was so nervous, or because she was afraid that she would run away, but she did not want to resist.


    She fell asleep in the warmth and comfort.


    When he opened his eyes, he discovered that her eyes were closed, her eyelashes were slightly lowered, and she seemed to be in a coma again. He was anxious, and his body was covered in a thin layer of sweat, so he could only close his eyes and continue hugging her, not daring to think about her smooth, creamy skin.


    After spending so much time sweating with himself, Lu Linghui also felt exhausted. Finally, he entered a slightly tipsy state.


    It wasn''t until the candle had burned down and the moonlight shone through the curtain that Jinshu finally woke up.


    At this moment, her limbs had already regained their senses. When they moved, she felt that her legs were even more numb. Someone was pressing down on her leg, and they were even hugging her tightly. How could she not be numbed?


    She reached out her hand to push it, and the warmth and the reality of her touch caused her to suddenly wake up.


    When she looked carefully under the moonlight, the blood all over her body rushed up to her cheeks, and she recalled the dream-like and surreal scene from before.


    Jin Shu shivered and stretched her arms out from under the blanket. The cold air made her skin shiver, and she subconsciously retracted her gaze. Her gaze swept across the man beside her and saw the red light of the embers in the charcoal brazier.


    She was sure it was no longer a dream.


    Lu Linghui was woken up by the movement of the person in her embrace. He hazily opened his eyes and looked at the bright eyes of the brocade bed. Lu Linghui made a sound that wasn''t much better than her, and frantically took out the arm under her neck and waved it made his feel sore.


    "I... Am I dreaming? " whispered Jinshu.


    The two of them were too close to each other, and the heat from their breathing and the fragrance of their daughter''s body made him dizzy. For a long time, he didn''t know how to reply.


    Jin Shu retracted her arm and touched the goosebumps on her arm. When she realized that there was no sleeve on her arm, she subconsciously reached into the blanket and her face instantly went from boiling hot to snow-white. The heat instantly subsided and even her breathing stopped.


    After being randomly touched by her small hand, Lu Linghui''s body restlessly moved around in his embrace a few times. His entire body stiffened up, and it was only after a long while did he finally remember the question she had asked just now. It must be a dream. "


    "Then close your eyes and go to sleep. Everything will be fine once you wake up." Jin Shu''s voice carried a hint of tears.


    "You ¡­ Don''t move. " His body, convulsed with tears and tears, was unable to think. He could only try to stop her, but the place where his hands touched her was smooth skin, and he felt like he was about to burn to ashes.


    Finally, Jinshu obediently stopped sobbing. Although she had no experience, she also felt the changes in her body that occurred when the man that was hugging her.


    After an unknown period of time, the two of them at least seemed to calm down on the surface. Only then did Jinshi quietly leave the warm blanket. Ignoring the bone-piercing cold in the air, he used the faint light to feel for his clothes.


    When she was thrown onto the carriage, she actually wanted to freeze to death in the cold weather, which was why her outer robe was stripped clean. How could her thin inner clothes withstand the cold? She hugged her shoulder and jumped a few times, feeling as if she was about to faint from the cold again.


    In order to prevent embarrassment, he did not go find a candle to light the fire, but fumbled around to add some charcoal to the charcoal brazier instead. Seeing that the brocade sous was timidly approaching the brazier to get warm, he sighed and pulled on his outer robe for her.


    "You ¡­ Aren''t you cold? "


    "Not cold." His body was strong and strong. Back in the cold Northern Frontier, he had to endure the harsh weather due to the lack of food on the battlefield. The cold inside the house would not affect him for the time being.

 C307 thawing(3)

    "I ¡­"


    "You just had a dream. You just need to wake up tomorrow, and I''ll send you back to the prince''s mansion."


    The brocade lady suddenly fell silent, staring straight at him.


    The fire in the charcoal brazier gradually brightened up, making his handsome silhouette clearly visible. He lowered his eyes, unwilling to meet her gaze. His expression was as calm as if he was commanding her, completely devoid of her excitement and disorderly emotions.


    How could he pretend that he had nothing after what had happened, only calmly coaxing her to say that he had just had a dream?


    She flung off his robe in a sudden fit of rage and rushed out barefoot.


    Lu Linghui did not expect this little girl to have such a temper. She was startled for a moment before she grabbed the girl in two steps, "Where do you want to go? Outside in the snow and ice?"


    "I don''t need you to worry about me. I''m just dreaming. The world of ice and snow is only a dream. How can you hurt me?" Her voice broke.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to tarnish your reputation ¡­" Lu Linghui sounded a little uneasy.


    "My reputation is long gone. On that rainy night, you hugged me and even saw my wet body ¡­ When did I ask you to do anything? Do you think that just because I''m a lowly maid, I would foolishly pester you and use my dreams to lie to you? "I know my own limits. I know the disparity between our status and yours is too great, I can''t hope for anything ¡­"


    The sound of the jingle pierced the silence of the night and made her cry.


    Lu Linghui was also stunned for a moment. Recalling that rainy night and the shyness of wanting to say something when she saw her several times, he suddenly came to a realization.


    Without a word, he picked her up by the waist and walked over to the bed.


    "What are you doing?" Jinshu kicked her legs and tried to jump out of his arms.


    Carrying her, Lu Linghui got onto the bed, pulled over their chilled bodies and laughed softly, "If you don''t want to dream, then so be it. Do you know that it''s not that easy to be my, Lu Linghui''s, woman? "


    The sobs gradually died down, and for some reason, blood started to flow down her cheeks and neck. After a long while, she pushed him back, "What nonsense are you talking about? Stop talking nonsense."


    Lu Linghui was silent for a moment before saying, "I have been following Prince Mo since I was a teenager. For him, I have stayed in the imperial camp with King Yan as a spy. After all these years, I didn''t have a family, not because of a girl I didn''t have a heart for, not because no one cared for me, but because I could be in danger at any time. If you really want to marry me, who knows how long you''ll have to wait ¡­ "Since you have failed to achieve great success, I cannot have anything to do with you or even get along with you. This is because it is not a safe place within the Residence of Mo King. If someone were to find out that you and I are close, wouldn''t my identity be revealed to you very soon?


    Only when she heard this did she understand why he had always turned a blind eye to her, because he subconsciously rejected any woman who came near him. He could not have any ties.


    "His Royal Highness is my master, so it is also dangerous for me to follow him, but I have never cared about him. I will wait for you until you can no longer conceal your identity. " Her voice dropped again, "I am only a young maid. I know that I am unworthy of you, so I don''t ask to marry you ¡­ It would be great if we could get a room. "


    Lu Linghui chuckled, "I''m not from a high family, do you think I was born with honor?"


    Jin Shu became curious. "Then what were you like when you were young? Tell me about it."


    "Yes, I was very poor when I was a child. That''s why the children of poor families were taken to be bullies and served in the army ¡­"


    It was unknown who fell asleep first, but when the fire in the charcoal brazier went out, the sky had already cleared up. The snow-covered light made it very clear outside, and someone pounded on the door, shouting coarsely, "Lord Lu, it''s time to wake up from the Spring Festival Gala, it''s time for breakfast."


    Lu Linghui woke up and twisted his neck, seeing Jin Shu''s blushing face as he sat up, he smiled and said, "Outside are my brothers who have followed me for many years. They are rough people, and sometimes their words are equally matched, so you don''t have to mind."


    Jin Shu whispered, "No, I don''t have any clothes on."


    He hurriedly got up and changed his clothes. Outside the door, he saw two soldiers winking at him from the outside. One of them was holding a new set of female clothing, and it was unknown where he had gotten it from in the early morning.


    He snatched it away and said with a smile, "You''re quite dexterous."


    "Lord Lu is not sleeping well this night. The circles around his eyes have turned black."


    Lu Linghui''s smile froze for a moment, and she gave him a blow to the head, "Don''t speak carelessly. I''m a girl who hasn''t even left my room yet, my reputation is more important."


    "Yes, yes, I understand."


    The other man smiled, "It won''t be difficult to get Prince Mo to reward you with this girl."


    Lu Linghui''s face sank, "She is a human, not an item. What is there to reward or not? Get the fuck out of here and eat breakfast and stuff your mouth. You are not allowed to speak nonsense when you see them. "


    The two of them laughed and walked away.


    Lu Linghui entered the room and saw Jin Shu standing by the bed. Her fair and white hands gripped the hem of her clothes. The shy yet intelligent eyes on her pretty face moved. Clearly, she had heard his words.


    He coughed lightly and handed her the clothes. He turned his back to her.


    Jin Shu dressed for breakfast and followed them back to the inner city on horseback.


    There were only a few horses, so he had to sit in front of Lu Linghui on the way back. The Jin Shu knew that countless gazes were focused on her, and didn''t know how to tease her, so she couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable.


    However, Lu Linghui, who was behind her, was still embracing her. Somehow, she felt warm and at ease, not even feeling the cold wind that was blowing against her face.


    Only after returning to the manor did they realize that the manor had not been at peace since last night.


    Gu Qingli had disappeared.


    This was undoubtedly a shocking event for Xiao Yi Xiu. He had dispatched all of his hidden guards to deploy the people of the Dark Pavilion in the capital to search for Gu Qing Li, but they were unable to find him.


    When Lu Linghui arrived, it just so happened to be the most chaotic time for the Residence of Mo King. Xiao Yixiu was sitting in the main hall, looking pale and not sleeping at all the night.


    Last night, he had rode a horse through the capital despite the snow. When he returned this morning, there had been no news of him. As he sat in his chair, even his fingertips trembled.


    Seeing Lu Linghui, he only raised his eyes. He did not ask about Jin Shu''s matter, and just waved her hand to allow her to rest.


    Jin Shu''s face was full of worry. "Your Highness, you should rest for a bit. The wangfei is blessed by the heavens ¡­"


    Without waiting for her to finish speaking, Lu Linghui had already pulled her out of the door, giving her meaningful glances. It was obvious that Xiao Yi Xiu was in a bad mood and was likely to vent his anger on his. She was afraid that her good intentions would be misinterpreted.


    Jin Shu helplessly withdrew, seeing Yu Ying hurrying over, hugging her and laughing and crying, saying: "I''m so worried! I thought something happened to you! "


    "I''m fine. What happened to the princess?"


    Yu Ying froze for a moment, then whispered, "Missing, no one knows where he went."

 C308 Yellow Emperors mirror(1)

    On the other side, Lu Linghui reported what Xiao Yi Xiu had discovered, and said in a deep voice, "Xing''er went to the makeup shop to meet up with some people, and in the end, we went to a courtyard in the capital. Jin Shu saw Princess Mu there, and was knocked unconscious before she loaded the carriage up. I''m afraid it was because we were so tight that he didn''t have time to deal with us. "


    "Let''s talk about this later."


    No matter how suspicious Gu Qing was, it had nothing to do with his current priorities. Xiao Yixiu wasn''t in the mood to listen to any news, not even the news from the inner city that the plague had started to improve.


    Lu Linghui said, "Is Your Highness concerned about it? Has it not occurred to you that this matter might also be related to the disappearance of Your Highness''s wife?" Xing''er and Rui Zhu were secretly monitoring Zhou Zhen. If something happened to them, it might have something to do with Zhou Zhen. The abnormality of the women''s families might be the reason for Princess Hua-Yang''s disappearance ¡­ "


    Xiao Yi Xiu raised his dark eyes and said hoarsely, "You think that I don''t know? After the wangfei disappeared, Zhou Zhen brought her servant, Little Chan, Xing''er, and the others out of the palace, but she also did not return. "


    Lu Linghui was surprised, "They''re all missing?"


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t say anything. In fact, it wasn''t just them, even Zhou Qianxi had disappeared.


    Gu Qingli left after receiving Helian Yu''s note of respect.


    She would never see him again in private, and the hatred in her heart was greater than anything else, but Bentley asked her to meet with him and explain everything that had happened that day.


    In fact, the person who moved her in the end was still the one who sent her the memorial service.


    That person looked like an ordinary person, and he even had a rough and aged look on his face. He was dressed in plain clothes, saying that people would believe him if he said that he was a martial artist selling his skills, but the moment he opened his hands, he was greeted with a golden, glittering kowtowing note, on which Helian Yu''s handwritten words disappeared one by one after Gu Qingli finished reading them, leaving no trace behind.


    In Gu Qing Li''s previous life, he had known many different kinds of tricks, such as spring onion juice, white vinegar, and starch, all of which had the ability to make words invisible. Even with her experience, she was still unable to differentiate what kind of trick this'' worshipping ''was.


    After all, stealth was easy. Controlling time to such an extent wasn''t something a human could do.


    She stared at the man suspiciously, only to see him smile. He opened the wine gourd he carried with him and drank two gulps.


    "If these jugglers want to make me take them seriously, he might have misjudged them."


    Gu Qingli coldly glanced at the note, thinking it was nothing more than the simple tricks Xiao Yiyan had used to coax her.


    The man raised his eyebrows and smiled, "This is not a trick, this is an illusion. This illusion came from the heart and is linked with your thoughts, Consort Wang. For example, just now the handwriting disappeared because you hated the person who wrote it and didn''t want to see anything related to him again. "


    Gu Qingli still looked at him coldly. Even if he was a psychologist, there was no way he could move her.


    "But if the wangfei wants to know the truth, she has to see His Highness the crown prince." The man took out an oval bronze mirror from his bosom and placed it in front of her. "Princess, please have a look."


    Gu Qing Li''s expression changed drastically as he inadvertently glanced in the mirror.


    The mirror reflected the scene of her lying flat on the bed in the Cheng Yang Inn, covered with a brocade bed. Helian Yu sat on the edge of her bed and sighed softly.


    Gu Qingli felt as if she had fallen into an icehouse. She watched quietly for a while, but the scene only lingered for a few seconds.


    In the end, she was no ordinary woman. She finally calmed down and coldly looked at the other party, "You want to bluff this wangfei with a mirror? What is Prince Helian''s intention? "


    That person smiled. "The crown prince is only inviting Princess Hua-Yang out to show his sincerity by choosing the largest restaurant in the capital, Drunken Immortal Tavern. That''s where your Dongyuan area is ¡­"


    "Chengyang Inn is also our place in the East Abyss." Gu Qingli tried to keep her cool.


    In fact, she was already moved by the sight of it. The truth was too important to her, and she was willing to take another risk, even going alone.


    "The crown prince has promised not to bring any of the northern Chu guards to the restaurant."


    Gu Qingli wanted to say that Helian Yu''s promise was like a fart to her right now, but he still tacitly agreed to this meeting.


    After leaving the Royal Mansion, that person introduced himself to her. He was the Imperial Advisor of the Northern Chu, someone who was bestowed the surname Helian because he could foresee the future. The Northern Chu called him Helian Divine Technique.


    However, the wealth and glory that this foresight brought him revealed its drawbacks after a long time. Because he had revealed his secret, many accidents had happened to him. In the end, his family was ruined and he was left with only his reputation and money.


    After the tragic death of his most beloved son, he had fled from the Northern Chu Palace in grief. The Northern Chu''s request to stay and his pursuit could not move him. He swore to seal the Three Lives Wheel, never to make any predictions for anyone else.


    Afterwards, he had fled to the borders of the Empire of Dongyuan and came to the capital. He had always thought that he could live his life in peace, but who would have thought that he would encounter Helian Yu again in this life?


    At this point, Gu Qingli was a little skeptical, "You even ignored the threat and enticement of the Northern Chu Country''s ruler, what kind of work does Helian Yu want you to do for him?"


    Helian divine smile, "His Highness the Crown Prince is different from the Emperor. He does not ask me to foresee everything and plan for him, to face political enemies, to forcefully change his fate. He is willing to give me the most precious thing in his life in exchange for my help for three years."


    "His most precious thing? What is that? "


    "After I help him, I''ll take it away from him. Before that, he doesn''t know what it was, nor do I know."


    "You don''t know either?" Gu Qingli found it even harder to believe.


    The smile on Helian Shou''s face faded as he said solemnly, "Many people have been muddled their entire lives. They might not even know what is truly important to them. For example, the Crown Prince thinks that if his life is not the most important thing, then it is the throne, but he thinks that I can''t take it away. I feel that since what he is asking for is not to go against the heavens and change fate, then it is not against my original intentions. Ordinary illusions like these, with some directions to the future, will not cause too strong of a backlash. "


    "So it turns out that your karma was not only to reveal your heaven-defying secret, but also to change fate."


    "Of course, I''ll ¡­" Helian divine ability suddenly stopped and swept her with a dull gaze. "This matter has nothing to do with the wangfei."


    "I am very curious. What is the most important thing you said about Crown Prince Helian useful to you? "Suppose what you want is his lifespan, can it continue yours?"


    Helian Haotian shook his head. "No. I want something important to him to use to refine my Fates. It will be able to resurrect the person I want to revive."


    Gu Qingli suddenly widened her eyes. "You ¡­" Are you joking? "


    He only glanced at her for a moment, then laughed. "Imperial Concubine, just take it as a joke. It was more convenient for you to go to the restaurant earlier."


    "What was that mirror you used just now? Why did you stop at that scene? "

 C309 Yellow Emperors mirror(2)

    What scene?" The Helian Divine Art then explained, "The only thing the princess can see is what she is thinking. She can see whatever she cares about the most, but I can''t see it. According to the Yellow Emperor''s Legend of Xuanyuan, ''The Mirror of the Emperor was made with fifteen statues and the Mirror of the God was made with fifteen mirrors.'' Rumor has it that he had forged fifteen mirrors and in the Book of Ancient Mirror, Wang Du recorded the Yellow Emperor''s eighth mirror which could reflect the hearts of men. It was precisely this mirror.


    Gu Qingli had never seen any Yellow Emperor Xuan Yuan''s Legend, nor had she ever heard of any Ancient Mirror Record. When she heard him talk about some mysterious and mysterious scene, she became more and more unconvinced, but she was unable to explain the weird scene in the mirror. She could only silently follow him into the restaurant and suddenly had a thought in her mind.


    Could it be that some of the mysteries of ancient times had a scientific origin?


    There were no customers in the restaurant, only a waiter waving his handkerchief as he walked in. It could be seen that if the restaurant was not opened using money or some other method, the restaurant was opened for him.


    At this time of the year, all they could see was the heavy snow on the surface of the lake''s ice. The swaying willow branches had lost all their leaves, and it also hung listlessly in the snow. Helian Yu sat at the table next to the window.


    "Don''t come near me!" Gu Qing Li bellowed and stopped on the spot.


    "Alright ¡­" I won''t come. " Helian Yu was afraid of scaring her. He hesitated, unsure of what to do.


    "Sit down." Gu Qingli felt that the deterrent force would be reduced when she was sitting, so she spoke to him with a stern expression.


    Helian Yu felt somewhat helpless. He sat down and said, "I request an imperial concubine."


    Gu Qingli looked around and picked up a table that was slightly away from him. She sat there and looked up to see him, but could avoid him with her head lowered.


    Helian Yu didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. "The wangfei sits so far away, how can I talk to you?"


    "I can hear what you said. The further away you stay from me, the better."


    Gu Qingli''s cold attitude filled Helian Yu with a sense of defeat. He sat down helplessly and spoke to her as gently as possible, "I''ll treat you to a meal. How can you possibly sit at the same table as the host and the guest?"


    Gu Qingli said coldly, "I only agreed to come to see you once, and not to participate in your banquet. As for the matter of food and wine, Crown Prince Helian is doing it for himself."


    Helian Yu was silent for a moment before he looked at the God Power of Helian. This was the first time in his life that he had looked at others with a pleading expression.


    Contemplated by the divine ability Helian Jin, he sat down at Gu Qing Li''s side. Immediately, someone served tea, melon seeds, snacks, and the like, asking if they wanted to take the dishes.


    Helian Yu made a gesture for the waiter to close the door and leave. He then nodded towards the Helian Divine Technique.


    "Princess Mo, I brought you here today to clarify the matters of that day. "I knew that nothing could make you believe me, so I invited Imperial Advisor Helian to help."


    Helian Divine Powers waved his hands, "I am no longer an Imperial Advisor."


    He carefully took out the tightly wrapped parcels from his bosom. He opened them layer by layer and poured some water into them. His hands formed a seal as he closed his eyes and started chanting.


    At this moment, his rough and ancient expression became somewhat mysterious, as if he was a Magus from the Voodoo Gu tribe.


    Gu Qing Li''s eyebrows knitted together. He didn''t believe he could perform any miracles on him, so he coldly said, "Since this basin is already on him, why did he need to come here and draw snakes to make up for it when he was at the Prince''s Mansion?"


    "Just like how Princess Mo doesn''t believe us Northern Chu people, the Imperial Advisors also doesn''t trust you people from the Dongyuan Kingdom. He was afraid that the secret arts displayed by the Prince''s Mansion would cause unnecessary accidents."


    If there were any unwarranted accidents, she would just directly say that the Mo King''s Manor could take advantage of them. Hearing how dark Prince Mo''s thoughts were, Gu Qingli became even angrier as she said coldly, "Crown Prince Helian, you have to figure out something. This restaurant is still in the Eastern Continent, and the reason why my Prince is able to remain calm towards you is because you are still a guest of the East Abyss. If you leave this land of the East Abyss, don''t blame me for not showing mercy. "


    "Calm down. I know that wangfei has misunderstood you, but you''ll understand once you''re done."


    Helian Heaven''s Divine Art had already pierced through the tip of her finger. She dripped a drop of her blood into the cauldron and said, "Princess Mo, please drip a drop of your blood into the cauldron."


    Gu Qingli just wanted to end this meeting quickly, so she took out a silver needle and pricked her fingertip, then watched the drop of blood into the basin. A vast world appeared in midair, like a scene of an airplane overhead, tall buildings filled with thousands of buildings.


    Gu Qingli abruptly stood up, her pupils constricting. Even her breathing had almost stopped.


    At the same time, Helian Divine Technique and Helian Yu also widened their eyes in surprise. An inconceivable expression appeared in both of their eyes.


    Under the night sky, the water was as black as ink. As the camera pulled in, sounds of laughter could be heard, mixed with the laughter of men and women.


    The camera zoomed in to the yacht''s cabin. The luxurious crystal chandelier, bright as day, the elegant and handsome successful man in a suit, the beautiful woman with her shoulders and arms exposed under all kinds of small dresses, the low-cut backers everywhere, it was completely unlike the scenery of this era.


    Helian Yu asked dryly, "This ¡­ What is this place? "No, which country...?"


    He felt that men and women whose clothes were so damaging should exist only in foreign countries. The flashing lights and the sound of projectors and microphones clashed, and from time to time someone would take out their cell phones and send WeChat messages. This was a level of civilization that was beyond his understanding.


    Gu Qingli ignored him, her eyes looking straight at the slim woman who walked in through the cabin door. She was dressed in a dark blue dress with a thin band, like a bright sapphire under the light, her snow-white skin had a gentle luster to it, and her exposed arms casually swept her long hair.


    He had a beautiful woman on his arm, and although he was middle-aged, his body was well-preserved, and he did not look fat in the slightest. His eyes had the shrewdness and boldness of a merchant, but he did not have any feelings for that woman''s smile, only a perfunctory attitude and use.


    The man also seemed to be the focal point of the room, as was evident from the warm greetings and courteous and perfunctory gestures with which he was greeted.


    Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and his gaze fell on the woman who had just entered the room ¡ª long curls falling on his shoulders and bouncing along with his footsteps. The curls that fell on his fine collarbone were slender and lovely, and his unadorned face was actually painted with a transparent evening makeup, and there was a thin collarbone chain around his neck, strung with a pink diamond of about twenty carats, that made his eyes pop out.

 C310 past life

    The girl next to him also noticed his absent-mindedness. She looked over, but the thing she noticed was a little different than his: "Oh my god, look at the pink diamond on her neck! "Where did this woman come from, who just casually wore a few million dollars on her neck?"


    This luxurious yacht had a few billionaires on it, but very few people would casually put several tens of millions around their necks and enter the banquet alone.


    "Wow, her earring ¡­" Conch pearls! A pink pearl with a flame pattern taken from the Queen''s Phoenix Conch... "Hey, did you listen to me?"


    The man shook her off and took the goblet from the waiter''s tray. He shook it gently, and the red wine shone with a brilliant light. It was not hard to see that he was actually looking at the woman who had just come in through the reflection of the glass.


    She was undoubtedly a beautiful woman, with a striking temperament and a haughty air, as if no one else were in her sight.


    "This person really is like you." Helian Yu couldn''t help but look towards Gu Qingli and compare it with the illusion. He felt that the look in his eyes, the posture, and the temperament were all similar, but their appearances were completely different.


    Gu Qingli continued to ignore him, and continued to stare ahead.


    The woman on the screen had already taken a goblet from the waiter, ignoring the pointed fingers of the people around her, including some dark autumn waves. She knew that it was simply because she was wearing a global limited edition dress and expensive jewelry.


    Everyone thought that she was someone of great origins and was thinking about how to approach her. In the end, they only saw that she was getting closer and closer to the male owner, whether intentionally or unintentionally.


    The host finally turned around and looked at her. Just as he was about to greet her with a smile on his face, she turned around indifferently, not giving him the chance to start a conversation.


    In the end, that seemingly delicate and exquisite female companion currently untactfully walked over, and once again held onto him, pouting: "Why are you ignoring me? "I really like that pink diamond ¡­"


    The male host, who had already become depressed from being bored, glanced at her and sneered, "A pink diamond worth over 40 million yuan, are you worthy?"


    The female companion''s expression instantly changed as she stared at him in disbelief. She was the most popular celebrity in the movie industry recently, the idol and idler of many men. He had spent quite a bit of money just to catch her, and she rarely had the chance to be so generous as to publicly mock her for forty million yuan. Although her voice wasn''t loud, it was enough for all the gossiping people to turn and look at her.


    She bit her lower lip and wanted to say a few words to comfort him, but she also knew that this man''s identity was very different from the bosses she had caught in the past. Even if these people were dumped by her and offended her a little, with her current status in the Human Realm, she wouldn''t be able to suppress them.


    With tears in her eyes, she obediently put it wrongly in a low voice: "I just said I like it, and I didn''t say I want it ¡­" "Can''t you even take a look?"


    The smile on the man''s face was still very cold. He unhurriedly said, "Famous beauties can overturn nations and nations, and expensive jewelry must be compatible with outstanding beauties. However, beauties are also divided into different grades."


    His voice seemed to be just loud enough for the woman in the blue dress to hear.


    Without turning around, the other party took a sip of red wine and said, "59 years old Lafite, she can already be considered an upper-level beauty. However, it''s still not enough to ''get the king to smile and watch'' her."


    "Then what wine do you want in order to be worthy of it?"


    "I like precious stones, all kinds of precious stones. The limited edition of the whiskey on the Isle of Ere is not bad, but 8,500 diamonds and 300 rubies are enough for me to get along with it."


    "Then what you care about is the decorative gem on the outside, not the bottle of Elai Island malt stock." Although the man was smiling, his eyes were sharp, as if he was piercing through the woman''s back.


    "What does it matter? As long as the wine is in a bottle with more than 8,000 gems, even if it is not Erie''s whiskey, it will be tempting. " She casually turned around, her long hair fluttering in the wind, not knowing whether she was doing it on purpose or not.


    The host was now very close to her with a glass of wine. His long hair swept across the glass, causing his hand to relax. The glass of fifty-nine year old Lafite fell to the ground, splattering his white shirt on his chest.


    The two of them looked at each other, then burst out laughing at the same time.


    "I am truly sorry ¡­ I should compensate you for your clothes. "


    "It''s nothing. It''s expensive, but beautiful hair is priceless. Come, if you don''t mind, I''ll take you to clean it up."


    Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he led the first woman out of the cabin and into another luxurious private cabin on the yacht.


    The room was lavishly furnished, the floor covered with snow-white plush rugs, and even the cabin, which was only for a temporary break, was immaculately retro, rococo.


    The door was locked.


    Just as Helian Yu was frowning, thinking that the image of a man and woman on the screen was about to be shown on a restricted level screen, perhaps it was because Helian divine ability was too weak, or because Gu Qing''s blood was too little, the image of Xu Ruo Qing slowly dissipated like smoke. Only she was standing there with a pale face, her hands on the table, as if she had lost most of her soul.


    "Royal Concubine Mo ¡­ "Princess?"


    Only when Helian Yu approached and waved his hand in front of her eyes did she suddenly regain his senses. He slapped his hand away and coldly said, "Crown Prince Helian, take your status seriously."


    "Royal Consort ¡­ Do you believe in me any more? "


    Gu Qingli didn''t say anything. She already believed him.


    Helian Yu became even more curious. "The person in there just now ¡­" "They look very different from us?"


    Of course it was different. After all, that was more than a thousand years ago. How could it be the same? Gu Qingli couldn''t explain herself to him, and she didn''t want to talk about it with him. She could only be shocked by what she saw just now.


    Now, she completely believed that this so-called Imperial Advisor Northern Chu was not a swindler or swindler, but someone who truly understood the past and the future, someone who held a certain mysterious ability in his hands.


    Helian Yu was naturally unable to contain his curiosity regarding the scene on the yacht, but she no longer cared, because the scene behind it was precisely the big fish he wanted to catch. Her successful assassination was also the last memory she had of her previous life. Due to the explosion on the yacht, she had come to this unknown world of the East Abyss. Time had fallen back a thousand years, and her life had thus changed.


    Previously, she thought that she would never be able to go back, but with this Three Lives Wheel, perhaps going back to the future would no longer be a dream.


    Seeing that she was in a daze, Helian Divine Technique could not help but ask, "Princess Mo, in my life, I''ve shown my past and present life to a lot of nobles and dignitaries, but you''ve never seen this kind of person before. Is this the illusion of your past life?"


    Gu Qingli came back to her senses and slowly nodded.

 C311 fight to the death(1)

    After the waiter had served all the dishes, there were a total of eighteen dishes. Even if Helian Yu and Han Ying Xue didn''t leave, the three of them still wouldn''t be able to eat so much.


    Gu Qingli took a silver ingot and said, "Second brother, I''ll have to trouble you to go to Prince Mo''s Mansion and inform them to come and fetch Princess Mo."


    She had been a lot more cautious after the last incident. Even though the streets of the capital were empty, she still didn''t want to take the risk alone. She touched her belly. Since she had decided to give birth, regardless of whether the child was alive or dead, healthy or handicapped, she would prioritize his safety. She could no longer be as reckless as before.


    The waiter was overjoyed at the unexpected windfall and went to answer.


    Gu Qing Li ate until she was almost full, not daring to eat again. She called for someone to help her pack, but the one who came up was a woman with slow footsteps. She was dressed in blue and white clothes with her head lowered.


    Gu Qingli quietly watched her pack up the dishes on her plate. Suddenly, without warning, she raised the silver in her hand and shot it at her, straight into her opponent''s eyes.


    The green-clad girl avoided it with her back to the ground. With a nimble movement of her delicate body, she directly used the plate to withstand the attack and poured the soup all over the table. The dishes on the table were ruined.


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Good skill indeed."


    The woman also chuckled, "When did you recognize him?"


    "A woman like you doesn''t even have the scent of oil smoke. How can you have a good rouge scent?"


    "Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk ¡­" At the same time, several other women entered the room. The one in the lead was the same as the azure-dressed woman; her face was a bit stiff.


    All of them were familiar with each other ¨C Gu Qingruo, Xing''er, Rui Zhu.


    Gu Qingli sucked in a breath of cold air as the woman with the stiff face charged forward to attack.


    "If my guess is correct, you are Zhou Zhen and Little Chan?" She gave a little sneer. Why did he not dare to reveal his true identity? Wasn''t he just afraid that she would guess his identity?


    The two women giggled and jumped out of the battle. One of them replied: "That''s right, but these two identities are fake. If you can guess our real identities, then that''s the real deal."


    Listening to their accents, Zhou Zhen and Little Chan were only impersonators, and they themselves should be people that Gu Qingli knew? Countless thoughts flashed through her mind but she was still unable to recall them. However, she was still in deep thought.


    "Stop stalling for time, the waiter you sent won''t be back." Gu Qing Ruo knew that she was delaying her decision. Smiling, she asked, "Dear little sister, do you know whose business this hotel belongs to?"


    An idea suddenly flashed through Gu Qing Li''s mind. She remembered that Xiao Yi Mo had once asked to meet with Luo Yun here. He immediately understood. "This is the property of the Mu King Manor?"


    Gu Qingruo smiled, "That''s right, so you won''t leave today."


    "You and I are blood-related sisters. You want to kill your own sister with these two weird girls of unknown origins?"


    "Since when are you my sister?" Gu Qingruo''s smile suddenly disappeared, "I''ve suspected your identity since a long time ago. Are you really still Gu Qingli? Or was it just a woman called Li Yue? "Gu Qingli doesn''t know medicine and has been a coward since childhood. She never resists when things happen and accepts them obediently. As for you, you descended from the sky with astonishing medical skills and even helped me cure the poison in my body ¡­"


    At this point, she began to tremble slightly: "You simply didn''t have any good intentions. You tricked me into having an abortion, causing me to be unable to bear another child. From then on, I will lose the love of King Mu!"


    Gu Qingli looked at her in disbelief. This woman was actually so good at reversing the truth. She was the one who insisted on having an abortion, and she even tried to persuade her, but now she blamed it on her?


    "With your medical skills, it could have helped me avoid infertility. You did it on purpose! "Following that, you couple persecuted King Mu over and over again ¡­"


    Gu Qingli raised a hand to stop her from continuing. This woman was most likely not suffering from a delusion of being killed. Her heart was filled with evil thoughts, and she even thought of others as the same as her?


    "Just tell me what you want to do today." Since Gu Qing Ruo suspected her identity, there was no point explaining it, so she decided to be more open with her words.


    "I want you dead!" Gu Qingruo''s eyes were full of ruthlessness, and her laughter was filled with killing intent.


    "So, you''re going with them?" Gu Qingli pointed at the two women in front of her, finding them laughable. Gu Qingruo probably didn''t know the identities of these two women. They had tried to get even with the tiger, so she thought that he would have a good ending?


    "The Crimson Gu in your body ¡­"


    "This is also one of their exchange conditions. I will help them lure you here, and if they remove you, they will naturally remove the Crimson Gu in my body."


    "I''m afraid you don''t understand the meaning behind the Gu in your body? The thing that entered your body is the parent Gu, once it lives in a person''s body, that person will become a Gu Master, with the Gu there, the Gu dies and the person dies! "


    "Don''t talk to her too much, attack!" The two girls looked at Gu Qingruo with wide eyes, then exchanged glances and attacked her from both sides.


    "They want to kill me because they want to get the profound Gu out of my body. If I''m alive, they won''t be able to get the Gu ¡­" I know who you are! "


    In the midst of her bustle, she spoke to the azure-dressed woman in front of her: "You are Little Chan, but your true identity is Ling Xinning.


    The woman was startled. Her hands and feet slightly slowed as she laughed, "You are indeed Li Yue. But now, I am no longer afraid that you will see through me."


    She took off the mask on her face with her free hand and said with a faint smile, "I didn''t expect that the wangfei would recognize me after such a long time."


    Gu Qingli sneered, "When you followed your highness back to the palace, it wasn''t just to testify against that father of yours that you despised, right? During those days, you have already understood some of the matters of the Mo King''s Manor. Entering the manor once again, you cleverly used the past to create a murder case, scaring the crap out of Wu Yu and forcing Cheng Ying to leave. If I guessed correctly, you wanted to blame all of this on the Mo Residence, didn''t you? "


    "That''s right, it''s a pity that you two are really treacherous. To think that you could actually escape with your golden cicada, but you used my hand to bring down Xin Yining. Truly amazing." Ling Xinning giggled, her charming eyes glanced at her, but her hands did not relax in the slightest.


    "Whose people are you?"


    Beside her, Zhou Zhen had also taken off her human skin mask. She smiled at her in a gentle and proper manner and said gently, "There''s no need for this wangfei to know. But perhaps, when you are dead, Hades will tell you kindly? "


    "Hand over the Xuan Gu and we won''t let you die too miserably."


    "With just the two of you, what can''t I do?!" Suddenly, Gu Qingli''s silver needle dropped down like a flower from heaven, enveloping everyone within it.


    Zhou Zhen and Ling Xinning dodged agilely. Although one or two of them had broken through the skin, it was not a big deal. Gu Qingruo and the other two were in trouble as they were stabbed by several needles. For a time, they could only hear Gu Qingruo''s screams. She was originally a delicate daughter of the Prime Minister''s house and had never suffered much in her life. Just a few silver needles were enough to make her cry out in pain.


    Strangely, Xing''er and Rui Zhu remained standing, unmoving. Their eyes glazed over. After the silver needles pierced them, they let the blood flow through their skin and soak their clothes, but they still didn''t blink.


    Gu Qingli understood that these two must have been controlled by the Gu and had completely become puppeteers.


    Zhou Zhen and Ling Xinning were in a sorry state for only a second before they jumped back and began to form strange hand seals. Their hand gestures were completely different, and accompanying their soft voices that sounded like it came from nowhere was something that seemed like a venom.


    Gu Qing Li suddenly felt bad, knowing that they were trying to summon a Gu worm to aid them in their battle. Although she was also a Gu Master, she had no idea how to summon the Gu in her body.

 C312 fight to the death(2)

    Even worse, after a short while, a fragrant wind blew past the door and two women with gaudy makeup entered. One of them was the girl that Jinshu had met at that small powder shop.


    Gu Qingli didn''t know him, but she could tell that his heavy makeup and cheap dresses were all part of their deliberate disguise. Judging from her spirited eyes and graceful figure, she should also be a beauty.


    The two women giggled. One of them took out a fan made of sandalwood from nowhere and opened it, gently shaking it. A very strange fragrance exuded from it, even covering the bad quality and powdery smell on their bodies.


    As the fragrance wafted in all directions, Gu Qingli felt dizzy. She couldn''t help but try to calm down, her tongue pressed against her incisors, planning to bite down the moment she felt dizzy. The intense pain would definitely restore her consciousness.


    The fragrant wind did not contain the knockout drug she had expected, but it was still inexplicably dizzying. However, following the summons of Zhou Zhen and Ling Xinning, a few tiny flying insects appeared out of nowhere, flying up and down, gathering into a ball.


    In front of the two of them, there was a mass of tiny flying insects that had changed shapes. One was red, while the other was blue. They gathered and scattered, showing a moment of splendor as if flowers bloomed in the sky, and the next moment as if there were raging waves on the sea.


    Only the soft sound of flapping wings reminded the onlookers that this was absolutely not a feast for the eyes, but a silent provocation and killing.


    The two girls looked very serious. The nebula formed by the tiny flying insects slowly pushed towards Gu Qing Li, but she didn''t know how to defend herself. She could only focus on communicating with the Profound Gu in her body, hoping that it would appear and help her escape.


    But the profound Gu was not so obedient, and only stung quietly.


    Seeing that the nebula was getting closer and closer, Gu Qingli took a deep breath and forcefully circulated the air to rush through her body. She finally felt the signs of the Profound Gu awakening.


    Zhou Zhen saw Gu Qing Li''s eyelids droop and a layer of black gas covered his face. He cried out involuntarily, "Monarch Gu!"


    Ling Xinning humphed coldly, "Make a fuss!" Pushing her palms forward, the blue nebula in front of her moved forward a little, almost stopping just a few feet away from Gu Qing Li. Her expression, however, became hesitant.


    The light in Gu Qingli''s eyes grew longer, and an indescribable pain shot through her body like an electric current, as if something had crawled through her meridians and bones. A black line rapidly extended from her arm to her fingertip, condensing into black smoke.


    Black smoke formed into the shape of a flood dragon. It looked much larger than the last time he saw it. Although it wasn''t solid, it had dense teeth and bright eyes.


    Seeing Ling Xinning''s face turn red as if she was unable to endure it, Zhou Zhen immediately channeled her inner force and pushed the Red Nebula forward. After they reached the head of the Blue Nebula, they advanced by another inch, and some of them were close to clashing with the profound insect, Phantom Smoke.


    The flood dragon formed from black smoke suddenly leaped up. It opened its mouth and inhaled towards the nearest nebula. The nebula was suddenly missing a piece, like an apple that had been bitten.


    As if sensing danger, the two never-melting nebulae started to panic, and some were caught unprepared and mixed together. This made things even more chaotic, as if the two Gu were repelling each other, and the phenomenon of fighting and colliding soon caused some of them to fall.


    Zhou Zhen was a little flustered, the Gu worm in front of her had suffered even more losses. The first one to be bitten off was precisely the Crimson Nimbus Nebula that she pushed forward.


    The most puzzling thing was that although that transformed flood dragon swallowed and spat, it was still an illusion in the end. Just how did it swallow that small patch of Gu worm, and where did it swallow them?


    "Calm down!" The two intertwining nebulae returned to their respective positions and continued to move forward. The black smoke dragon seemed to be enraged and with a swing of its tail, it started to fight with the two nebulas in the air. This time, the red and blue smoke were attacked from both sides and the black smoke was unknowingly dissipated.


    This move excited the mother Gu in Gu Qing Li''s body. At once, she felt something rush around in her body, as if it wanted to break free and leave her body. Gu Qingli had felt this kind of pain more than once, in the Residence of Mo King.


    She suddenly found it hard to breathe. She quickly circulated her true energy to counter the chaos, turning it into a counterattack. It was like a powerful force had hit her, causing her to cough out a mouthful of blood after being stuffy and messy.


    Blood splattered, and the mass of nebula that attacked her was splattered. Countless tiny Gu worms fell to the ground, struggling for a moment before dying. It was as if her blood contained a lethal poison.


    Gu Qingli staggered a few steps back, supporting herself on the nearest table. She waved her hand and struck the last palm in the air, disrupting the nebula formed by the remaining Gu worms, before spitting out another mouthful of blood. This time, a black, solid "insect" emerged, calling it a worm.


    "Emperor Gu!" This was not the first time Zhou Zhen had spat out this name. She was gritting her teeth. She couldn''t control the tiny Gu worms that were rampaging around, and she suddenly turned towards Gu Qingruo, her face ashen as she quickly formed hand seals and chanted a spell. At this moment, she seemed to have completely lost her noble demeanor, and her entire person was filled with killing intent.


    Before Gu Qing Ruo could understand what was going on, she felt a sharp pain in her body. It was as if someone was trying to tear her apart. She didn''t have Gu Qing Li''s willpower, so she screamed and fell to the ground, rolling about.


    Following Gu Qingruo''s pained cries, her neck began to bulge as something broke through her skin, bursting out of her body.


    Countless pairs of eyes followed the movement of the insect''s bow as they opened and closed. The pair of wings on its back looked a bit larger than before, and it also had two horns on its head. However, it did not look like a dragon, but more like a flood dragon.


    When the Crimson Gu first appeared, it drilled through Gu Qingruo''s neck, it seemed like this Gu always liked to go the wrong way, and also came out from the side of her neck along the same road. It was obvious that this action made Gu Qingruo feel some pain, but she was already howling until she couldn''t move, even her voice had turned hoarse.


    The worm had wings, but it couldn''t fly, but its movements were exceptionally agile and quick. After leaving Gu Qingruo''s body, it bounced a few times on the ground, then bent its body and jumped. It actually used everything in the room to climb onto a table, then leaped up high with its back arched, and crashed into the Emperor Gu that was flying in the air.


    Zhou Zhen could control Gu but could not become a Gu. When she controlled the red Gu to attack the Emperor Gu, she did not have any scruples and faced the Emperor Gu head-on without reservation. However, Gu Qingruo was already one with the red Gu, with the Gu in person, the fear and the feeling of being in danger from the red Gu were transmitted to her, she was suddenly cold, then trembling, feeling worse than death.


    At this time, a thought appeared in her muddled mind. The controlling Gu Master did not care about her life or death, even though her main body was so weak and could not withstand the attack of the red Gu, Zhou Zhen still controlled the red Gu to its death.

 C313 fight to the death(3)

    Ling Xinning then turned to another girl with thick makeup on her face, made a hand seal and chanted a few words, then exchanged glances with the woman and nodded. Ling Xinning then turned to another woman with thick makeup on her face, made a hand seal, and nodded, then looked at the woman and nodded her head, then she opened her mouth and slowly spat out a blue insect.


    Gu Qingli hastily looked at the green and blue Gu worms that were charging towards her. She suddenly remembered the Poison Bee Gu that had hibernated Helian Xianhua. It turned out that the peculiar Gu worms had transformed into a cocoon and had transformed into the shape of a butterfly.


    The cyan Gu flapped its wings and attacked together with the red Gu one day. The profound Gu was still skillful, it would sometimes swallow and exhale faint smoke, condensing into frost, causing the red Gu to shiver, sometimes it would flap its tail, knocking the cyan Gu off course and spin in the air.


    This was the first time Gu Qingli had seen a Gu worm battle be so intense, and she could not help but be shocked.


    Obviously, the Green Gu''s combat power was much stronger than the Red Gu. When it met the smoke the Black Gu breathed, it could always rely on its high altitude, low, vertical, and agile movements to avoid it.


    Zhou Zhen''s control was much more difficult, and before long, she was sweating, as if she had spent a lot of effort while Gu Qing Ruo was still wailing incessantly on the side, as though the attacks had landed on her body.


    Gu Qing Li felt this because the attacks of the Profound Gu also landed on her body. From time to time, she would land a heavy blow or suffer unbearable pain, presumably from the attacks of the Green Gu and the Scarlet Gu. She endured the pain and observed the situation, trying to find an opportunity to strike back.


    Gu Qingruo seemed to be the weakest link, the Gu Master was connected to the Gu worm''s body, but just like Gu Qingli, she was a Gu Master who was just a Gu Master and did not know how to control things. In comparison, Gu Qingruo could tell that the woman with the green Gu was focused on communicating with her Gu worm, using his mind to control the green Gu.


    She could not tell the difference between a Gu Master and a Gu Master, but she was sure that if the Gu Master knew how to communicate with the Gu, the Gu worm''s power would be doubled.


    Gu Qingli calmed her mind and tried to communicate with the profound Gu with her thoughts. She repeatedly conveyed a thought to it, killed its opponent, and showed no mercy!


    Just when the Profound Gu had the upper hand, the Green Gu strangely flipped in the air, flapping its wings and opening its mouth, spitting out a gust of orange inner blue smoke, which was similar to the bright fire. The temperature was extremely high, and immediately burned the Profound Gu, causing it to fall down with a ''putong'' sound, as if it was injured.


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt as if her face was burning. It was as if she had fallen into a furnace. Her skin instantly began to burn in pain. She looked down at herself in surprise. There were no visible burns on her exposed skin, but there was a burning pain on her back. She reached out her hand to touch it.


    Although she was unable to examine it herself, she knew that it was definitely burned. Looking at the Profound Gu on the ground, she struggled to turn her body to face the attack of the red parasite.


    From time to time, it would leap up and down, carefully looking at its attack, it would use its body to roll up and down. This kind of attack was a little strange, but every time the Mysterious Gu came into contact with it, it would jerk a little, and Gu Qingli would also feel the same pain, as if countless needles had entered her body and were densely filled with pain.


    The few people present were completely focused on controlling the Gu worm, but no one moved.


    Gu Qingli didn''t relax for even a moment as she stared at the other woman with the thick makeup. She felt that there was another reason why she hadn''t acted yet, so she had to be cautious.


    That woman seemed to be the same as her, examining the situation as she hesitated. Until Ling Xinning shouted loudly, "What the hell are you doing here? Only you, who know how to control the Emperor Gu, would want to watch the fun from the side! "


    Gu Qingli suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. She thought back to how many people had died on the night of the royal hunting grounds. Initially, they thought that the ones who killed themselves were all death soldiers, but from Zhou Qianxi''s words, they were all infected with Gu, and the Gu Master silently caused them to die as if they had committed suicide by poisoning, and those people were all mystic Gu.


    So the Gu Master was the girl with thick makeup in front of him. Although his makeup was so thick that one could not see his true appearance and his clothes were intentionally dressed in a vulgar manner, from the looks of his deep eyes, he was definitely not a simple person.


    The girl smiled and said leisurely, "Actually, we know each other. Why do we have to go so far as to let you die?"


    A meeting? Gu Qingli didn''t understand the meaning behind her words. She tried to catch a hint of something familiar from her eyes, but she couldn''t recall it.


    Gu Qingli still couldn''t remember who she was. She had a sharp face and chin, and was even thinner than a oval face, with narrow eyes and a tail of her eyes, and a thin mouth that curved up in a coquettish manner, looking very much like a snake.


    "Actually, we have met more than once. However, you still do not know what I look like. I am truly regretful. While in Chiyue, Ling Xinning and I were lying on the same bed, and you were actually able to recognize that I am not the real King Mo, which is also calm and rational. At the Royal Enclosure, I was mixed in with many dancers, manipulating everyone''s deaths, yet you still haven''t seen my true face ¡­ "


    She giggled with a smug look in her eyes.


    Gu Qingli took another look at her tall figure and immediately realized that she was the one who had pretended to be in bed with Ling Xinning, although she didn''t know what she looked like at the time. This organization of hers was obviously good at disguising. Even if she revealed her current face, it might not necessarily be real.


    "How did you escape when all the dancers were arrested at the Royal Enclosure?" Gu Qingli looked at her calmly.


    "Ghost Doctor Li Yue, as a doctor, don''t you know that there are some medicines that can feign death? Back then when Liu Xin faked her death and left the palace, I was the one who taught Lin Zhihan that move. "


    Gu Qingli''s expression finally changed. "Who the hell are you?"


    The woman laughed, "At this point, you don''t need to know. Our organisation spans all over the world, although our power is inferior to the Dark Pavilion, but its influence in the imperial court has surpassed the Dark Pavilion. After you die, it''s probably King Mo''s turn ¡­"


    Gu Qing''s hair turned cold. Regardless of what kind of terrifying organization they were, it was bad news that this woman was very familiar with Lin Zhihan ¡ª what was her relationship with Lin Zhihan? Was he being used by her, or was there some sort of collusion between them? If Lin Zhihan was suspicious, then Fei Lian wouldn''t be able to run away either. Of the six petitions, one was on the same side as Xiao Yixiu.


    This wasn''t the most frightening thing. She was afraid that if the news spread out, Xiao Yi Xiu would be in the hands of Fei Lian and Lin Zhihan sooner or later. She suddenly recalled the time when Lin Zhitai had forcefully broken through the inner city gate with his family. Perhaps it was because of someone else, but Xiao Yixiu had stood up for him and thought that he was helping him, but in reality, it might just be a trap!

 C314 fight to the death(4)

    The more she thought, the more confused she became. When Gu Qing Li came back to his senses, he realized that the Profound Gu had already launched an attack during the time he hadn''t received her consciousness. He fiercely threw the red Gu to the side, raising his head and releasing black smoke towards the green Gu.


    The Green Gu was gliding in the air with ease, dodging lightly and fleeing far away.


    The dragon head that was opened up was tiny, and it emitted black clouds. It was like a dragon king rainfall, and the billowing smoke engulfed the red Gu, and the sound of rapid freezing could be heard.


    He didn''t know what substance the cold air that the Profound Gu spewed out was, but in an instant, the Red Gu was like a dinosaur sealed in the walls of the Ice Age, standing tall and unmoving. From the looks of it, it looked like a piece of black amber, exquisite and wondrous, like a miracle of nature. It was unimaginable that it was actually caused by a small Gu worm.


    The red Gu''s injuries had obviously affected Gu Qingruo. She, who was occasionally crying out miserably, suddenly quieted down. Her mouth opened and her eyes glazed. Only her body was trembling slightly, as if her face had turned green from the extreme cold.


    As a Gu Master, although Zhou Zhen did not have the same feelings as the Gu Master, she still suffered from the controlled backlash. She immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, her mind was extremely sluggish as she scolded the woman, "Can you help me out? Ling Xinning, what exactly are the people you brought here for? "


    Ling Xinning gave a cold snort with an expressionless face: "She was brought here by me, and not by me! Chao Yu, even if you don''t care about our lives, don''t think that you can gain something by yourself. When instructors are teaching us, the first rule is to not sell out your comrades in order to get the upper hand. "


    Chao Yu smiled and said, "The instructor also said that when it''s necessary to finish the mission first, nobody''s life is important. You see, I''ve killed so many people at the Royal Enclosure. Didn''t the lecturer also praise me for being decisive and for handling the matter properly? "


    Zhou Zhen took a deep breath. "Do you think that you can control these three Gu after we die?"


    Even though she said that, she actually didn''t have any confidence. Her hands were slightly trembling, and it could be seen that their hearts weren''t all that great.


    Chao Yu suddenly smiled charmingly. "Sisters, why are you being so serious? It''s just a joke." She took out a very small piece of jade from her sleeve. At first glance, she didn''t seem to be able to tell what it was. However, when she put it in her mouth, she made a strange and soft sound.


    To others, the sound was just like the chirping of a summer bug, but in Gu Qing Li''s ears, it was extremely sharp. It was like a infrasound produced by an explosion, it pierced through the wall and resonated with the organs in her body, causing her heart to tremble, her muscles to spasm violently, and soon the walls of her lungs were damaged, causing her to cough out a large mouthful of blood.


    Because of this, the Profound Gu was also hindered, and its movements were slow as it hovered between the Green Gu and Gu Qingli. It sensed the danger of the main body and wanted to rescue it, but the Green Gu''s attacks came in wave after wave. Under Ling Xinning''s full control, it attacked with all its might, as if it was trying its best to stall it.


    The Profound Gu possessed almost the same level of intelligence as a human. Although Gu Qingli''s life was very important to it, it wouldn''t cause its death. The death of a Gu did not mean the death of a person. Otherwise, Fang Yaju would not be able to smoothly pass the Profound Gu to Gu Qingli after her death.


    However, if it were to be distracted by Gu Qing Li right now, it would be facing the Green Gu''s life-threatening attack, as well as the Red Gu that could awaken at any time.


    Chao Yu''s control earlier was similar to self-destruction, not only did it harm Gu Qing Li, it also hurt the Mysterious Gu itself. After it had gone from Fang Yanzhu to Gu Qing Li, it had actually already lost a lot of its vitality and had not recovered.


    The jade artifact in Chao Yu''s mouth blew more and more violently. She slowly began to form a hand gesture, her eyes also becoming serious.


    Zhou Zhen saw through the reversal of the situation and quickly formed a hand seal. She chanted an incantation and with a wave of her hand, the red nebula that had disappeared just now appeared again, it was countless young red insects, although they were not as powerful as the red insects themselves, they would still be infected by the poison.


    Ling Xinning also used her remaining strength to summon a small portion of the green Gu larvae and attacked from the front.


    Although Gu Qing Li had the ability to detoxify poisons, it was impossible for her to obtain the antidote here. As a Gu Master, Ling Xin Ning could completely cause the infected people to go crazy and attack others. There were so many plague victims in the capital, and they were all poisoned by the Green Gu.


    According to Zhou Qianxi, the red Gu''s poison was also difficult to deal with. The victim was as stiff as a puppet and could only be commanded by others. Xing''er and Rui Zhu were most likely the same.


    Gu Qing Li struggled to get up and leaned against the table. She bit her lower lip and quickly thought of a countermeasure.


    There weren''t many silver needles, so she couldn''t just shoot them all out one by one. Slowly moving her hands behind her back, she found the handle of a teapot in which she drank her tea before dinner.


    Holding the handle of the teapot, she felt that there was still more than half a pot left, moving from her back to her chest.


    Although she had a lot of people, it was difficult for her to control the Gu, so she had to expend all her energy controlling the Gu worm, causing her body to be unable to free itself. She could only watch helplessly as she raised the teapot to her mouth and drank, wondering if this woman had gone crazy and was drinking tea.


    After drinking about half a pot, no one noticed that she had slipped a pill from her sleeve into her mouth.


    Suddenly, she opened her mouth and spat out the pot of tea she just drank. The tea that contained the medicine was extremely poisonous and it carried a lot of internal energy. The water was misty and all the Gu worms that touched it fell to the ground.


    With this, Zhou Zhen''s and Ling Xinning''s faces changed drastically. In their anger, there was pain in their hearts.


    The two of them were Gu Master, they could not breed Gu worms, and the only Gu they could control was the amount of Gu that the mother Gu could produce. The two of them were Gu Master, so they could not breed Gu worms, and the only Gu they could control was the amount that the mother Gu could produce.


    By the time Gu Qing Li spat out his second mouthful of tea, most of the nebula cluster had been destroyed. More than half of them had died.


    Of course, Zhou Zhen and Ling Xinning could still forcefully use the remaining young Gu to move forward. As long as there was Gu Qing Li''s skin on them, they could be considered victorious. But how could they be willing to sacrifice everything in this kind of four against one situation? He sent a message to recall his Gu worm.


    Chao Yu suddenly widened his eyes. The mournful sounds coming from his mouth were even more urgent. It sounded like the demonic creatures of the dark night, or the monstrous waves of the calm sea. His breathing became increasingly short and urgent.


    Gu Qing Li''s entire body started trembling violently. In the chaos, she swallowed the mouthful of tea that she hadn''t spat out. The muscles all over her body trembled. Soon enough, deep, shallow, crisscrossing ravines appeared on the surface of her snow-white skin that looked like the surface of a fissured earth. Blood gushed out, and even the capillaries on her face slightly ruptured.


    Amidst the chaos, they could faintly hear Zhou Zhen shouting in panic, "You can''t continue to destroy yourself like this. If the Monarch Gu is destroyed, we''ll die with him!"

 C315 fight to the death(5)

    Chao Yu''s reply was cold and emotionless. "What better way can you do it? I can control the profound Gu, but I can''t kill it with a Gu. To it, a Gu is its master, they have to rely on each other, and even if there''s a backlash, they will eventually become one. "


    Ling Xinning shouted, "Take advantage of its weakest moment... "Catch it ¡­"


    Gu Qingli couldn''t hear any more of the sounds coming from behind her. Blood trickled down from her ears, making her lose her hearing.


    However, the infrasound created by Chao Yu''s control had nothing to do with hearing. Even if she could no longer hear anything, she could still feel the destructive force. She closed her eyes feebly. All the confusion, the shaking, the colliding, she knew her vision would be damaged.


    "Someone''s coming!" The first one to react was the woman with thick makeup sitting there, the owner of the powder shop. She was the Gu Master of the Scarlet Gu, always meditating with her eyes closed, using her mind to sense and coordinate with the Green Gu, coordinating with Ling Xinning''s control.


    When Chao Yu controlled the profound Gu with the ability of self-destruction, she immediately recalled the Green Gu and didn''t dare to move any further. Once she relaxed her mind, she would hear the disorderly sounds of horses'' hooves on the street, slowly approaching.


    Zhou Zhen gave up controlling the Crimson Gu and hurried over to the window. She was frightened as she saw Helian Yu and the Divine Body of Helian riding slowly on horseback towards them.


    She didn''t have time to think about what was going on. She took out a wooden box and placed the amber red Gu in it, before hastily stuffing it into Gu Qingluo''s bosom. She shook it as she asked, "This restaurant belongs to your family, is there any other way out?"


    The Profound Gu was twitching and suffering from heavy injuries. The moment it stopped attacking, the Scarlet Gu in the box also reacted. Gu Qingruo moved her body slightly and spoke a few words with great difficulty, showing them the secret passage to the restaurant.


    "Hurry up and leave." When Ling Xinning looked back and saw that Chao Yu had already put the injured Profound Gu into a jade bottle, her heart couldn''t help but tremble. She felt that her actions were strange, but now she didn''t have the leisure to ask further.


    "What about this woman?" Zhou Zhen pointed at Gu Qing Li.


    "Don''t worry about her. She shouldn''t be able to live much longer." Ling Xinning and Zhou Zhen carried the half-dead Gu Qingruo and walked outside.


    "Just let her die." Chao Yu followed behind with a strange air.


    "If she''s dead, we won''t be able to find anyone to make the Gu''s Gu''s Soul Tool for the time being. This restaurant belongs to her family, who knows if the secret passage is safe and unobstructed?"


    Then, he became silent and followed the direction of the secret passage''s entrance.


    Helian Yu and the divine ability Helian Wang spoke as they went upstairs. The waiters in the store were nowhere to be seen. They felt that something was wrong. They looked at each other and quickened their pace.


    The chaos upstairs had shocked them. Helian Yu was so shocked that his entire body turned cold as he quickened his steps and entered the private room.


    Gu Qing Li weakly sat at the foot of a table. Her hair was in a mess, and her eyes were closed, her clothes were completely stained with blood, the ground in front of her was mottled with blood, some of it had not dried yet, while some had already seeped into the wooden board.


    Helian Yu took three steps forward. Just as he touched Gu Qingli''s shoulder, she suddenly opened his eyes. A silver light flashed between his fingers as he thrust it towards him.


    Helian Yu dodged and lightly tapped her wrist, causing the silver needle to land on the ground.


    When Gu Qingli saw who it was, she relaxed a little and looked at him listlessly.


    "What''s going on? What happened? " Helian Yu was extremely angry and already had the intention to kill.


    Gu Qingli struggled to shake her head. She didn''t want to talk to him, so she only pointed at the blood lines running down her ears, indicating that she couldn''t hear what he was saying.


    The grief and anger in Helian Yu''s heart flooded over like a tidal wave. The burning feeling drowned out all reason. He angrily struck out with his palm and shattered a yellow, flowery, and pear table inside the inn. He still felt unable to vent his hatred.


    "Crown Prince, I don''t think the wangfei will make it. It''s more important to save her first."


    A single sentence pulled his rationality back into place. He picked up Gu Qing Li without a word and hurried downstairs, ignoring the weak and struggling Gu Qing Li who was in his arms.


    She had long since exhausted herself. He tried to refuse for a while to discover that it was useless, so she no longer tried in vain. She knew that he wasn''t far from death. The only thing that made her sad was that Xiao Yixiu still didn''t know what had happened to her. If he did, he would have gone crazy in his search for her.


    Helian Yu brought Gu Qingli back to the Cheng Yang Inn. He immediately ordered all the guards to seal off the news, including Helian Zhenren. No one was allowed to approach his residence.


    The Helian Divine Art had the same luck as the two of them, repeatedly channeling inner Qi into Gu Qing Li, but it did not improve her at all. Instead, he felt her aura grow weaker and weaker, and he didn''t know if she was conscious or unconscious.


    The two of them weren''t skilled in medicine, so they weren''t able to detect anything out of the ordinary even after building a meridian. They could only frown as they looked at each other, feeling that something was amiss.


    "This is no ordinary internal injury. There should be some mysterious mechanism that we don''t understand." Helian Jin thought for a moment. "If she can still cooperate, we can see what she''s thinking. Perhaps we will know the reason behind her injury."


    "She can''t cooperate, but won''t her blood work as well?"


    Helian Haoyan was stunned. He had wanted Gu Qing to take a look at the Yellow Emperor''s mirror to show what had just happened to her, but Helian Yu wanted him to reproduce the scene with his Three Lives Wheel.


    The effect of the Yellow Emperor''s mirror and the Three Lives Wheel seemed to be very close, but the mirror could only reflect a short scene, and it must have been seen in this life. However, the Three Lives Wheel could also be reflected as one wished in his previous life, and what had not happened could be seen as well.


    The Yellow Emperor Mirror only needed the cooperation of the other party to be able to materialize, but the Three Lives Wheel would require the cooperation of both sides. Furthermore, it would allow them to see their past lives as well.


    However, thinking about Gu Qing Li''s special past life, he hesitated. The unknown mysteries had not been solved, so if she were to die, he would never be able to touch that mysterious world again.


    Helian Divine Technique looked down at Gu Qing Li''s body covered in blood. He could really take out a drop of blood at will and use it without her consent. However, if she did not cooperate, it was impossible to predict what she would see.


    "Crown Prince, you have to know, at this moment, her heart isn''t necessarily thinking about the people who hurt her."


    Without waiting for Helian Yu to understand what he meant, Helian Yu took out a jade plate and started to cast the blood dripping technique.


    On the other hand, Gu Qingli''s blood was easy to obtain. She was covered in wounds, and a drop of them squeezed out and dripped onto the jade plate.


    The illusion appeared very quickly. Without the usual scenery of mountains and rivers, it directly entered the dark night. Xiao Yi Xiu, who was wearing a rare red robe, kicked the door and entered.


    The scene changed. In the imperial palace''s imperial garden, the thin clothed Xiao Yixiu leaped into the river and swam forward. His face was so cold that it was green and his lips were purple.

 C316 Soul Orb

    Helian Yu could clearly see that before Xiao Yi entered the water, Gu Qing Li was swimming rapidly towards the shore. His movements were skillful, without the slightest hint of panic. It was obvious that he was familiar with the water. However, when he saw that Xiao Yixiu was hugging her, she clearly froze for a moment. Her movements slowed down until he gave up struggling and swimming. He quietly stared at him, allowing him to carry his to the river''s edge.


    From this moment onwards, her gaze towards Xiao Yixiu was filled with content.


    Afterwards, the scene changed again. No matter where or when, Xiao Yi Xiu was present. There were even some people hugging each other, whispering to each other under the moonlight.


    The more Helian Yu looked, the colder his heart felt. Suddenly, he waved his sleeve and dispersed the water mist. His expression was as hard as steel. "There''s no need to waste his concentration. She doesn''t have any thoughts of being killed."


    He then took a deep breath and swept a glance at Ai Hui. He could tell from his expression that he did not understand women at all.


    It was probably the first time in her life that the cold and arrogant Prince Helian had been tempted. Seeing that Princess Mo was about to die, the man she loved the most at this moment must be her.


    "How about we send her back to the Residence of Mo? Perhaps with King Mo''s influence, he could invite another wise doctor. There''s still hope ¡­"


    Helian Yu''s face was livid. He glanced at Helian Haoyu''s divine ability. How could he believe such empty words of consolation? Furthermore, for some reason, Gu Qingli''s breathing became weaker and weaker. He even coughed a few times, purplish black blood flowing out of his mouth.


    From her pulse, it seemed that her meridians were in chaos and her inner breathing was weak. She seemed to have been poisoned, and even the gods would be helpless to help her.


    Helian divine ability sighed and took out the Yellow Emperor''s mirror from before, then looked at Gu Qingli.


    It was rumored that this state could be used the most on Yue Ye. It was said that it could reflect the heart, take pictures of the demon, and take pictures of the soul; no one had ever seen a demon before. Helian Divine Technique had gradually become unconvinced over the past several decades, and as such, he had seen many things, and according to the words of the soul, he had also used it before, hoping that it wouldn''t create a scene that Helian Yu didn''t want to see.


    The moonlight gradually moved, and when it reflected from the mirror onto Gu Qingli''s body, a strange wind came in from the window and blew out the oil lamp in the room. Under the dim and cold light, the bronze mirror could not clearly reflect the woman on the bed.


    Helian Yu turned around and suddenly saw the scene in the mirror flash by. He shuddered and stood there in a daze without saying a word.


    For a moment, even the Divine Abilities Helian were dazed. Then, he let out a sigh. He was like a beautiful flower that was about to die. What he regretted the most was that he would never know about her bizarre past life again.


    Helian Yu suddenly threw himself forward and grabbed his shoulder, causing him to shake. While caught off guard, Helian Divine Technique almost threw the bronze mirror away. He couldn''t help but feel infuriated. "Your Highness, this mirror is my treasure. You can''t afford to lose it!"


    He had once been a teacher to the country, and even the Northern Chu Emperor had treated him with utmost respect. He really didn''t have much respect for this crown prince. However, Helian Yu''s innate, terrifying aura made him look down on the world. He subconsciously did not dare to be too presumptuous.


    Helian Yu ignored his words and only stared urgently at his eyes. His gaze seemed to be able to swallow him up at any moment, "State Grandmaster, name a price. As long as you can save her, I''ll agree to all your conditions."


    He then shook his head: "I said before that I don''t know medicine, and I''m not an imperial physician. You also saw this Yellow Emperor Mirror, this mirror reflects the soul, the person without a head in the mirror is a dead omen, how can it save her?"


    "You must have a way." Helian Yu''s eyes shone. Three requests, seven threats.


    In Helian Yu''s eyes, this was the first time in his life that he had used such a gentle tone to speak to a person, but when it entered the ears of Helian Shrine, it was extremely ear-piercing. He lowered his head to look at the hand that had died on his shoulder.


    Helian Divine Technique''s tone turned cold and hard, "Your Highness, are you threatening me? I am no longer a teacher of the Northern Chu, and now that we are all standing on the border of the East Abyss, even if you want to kill me, you have to consider a place. My courtesy to you is entirely due to my respect for your majesty, and it is not out of fear of you. "


    Helian Yu ignored his harsh and rude attitude and continued to stare at him, "I have said that I am willing to give my all in exchange. Even if the Imperial Advisor possesses a sacred art, he will always be unable to fulfill his wish, and the power of the Northern Chu Qingguo, will always have what you want."


    He was stunned for a moment. His expression relaxed a bit as his gaze shifted between life and death.


    "You may not be able to save the living Princess Mo, but I have heard that you have the ability to revive a single person. "Since you have such a thought, you must be able to do it ¡­"


    Helian Heaven''s Divine Art interrupted him, "Since the crown prince knows that I have been unable to obtain my wish for so many years, he naturally knows that it is almost impossible."


    "No, I know that you haven''t been able to fulfill your wish. Aside from the most important fate, you still lack a host body."


    Helian Heaven''s Divine Art''s pupils contracted violently. "His Highness the crown prince really knows a lot of things."


    "How many years would it take you to find it on your own? However, I am the crown prince of the Northern Chu. As long as I use the power of the country, I can always find a suitable host body for you, and no matter who it is, you will get your wish granted. "


    The Helian Art relaxed. After a long time, he said, "I have changed my fate and have lost everything. If I resurrect her for you, I will never be able to wash away my sinful life. However ¡­ I made this deal. "


    He gritted his teeth, and then hardened his heart.


    The sky gradually brightened. Helian Yu stayed beside the bed for the whole night without sleeping. He only stared foolishly at the woman on the bed with his rather good eyes.


    He knew that she would leave eventually, but there was still a glimmer of hope in his heart. Since he had promised to do his best, there was no such thing as hopeless.


    Suddenly, the delicate figure on the bed moved. Her long eyelashes flapped a few times and then slowly opened. Her eyes were like butterfly wings. Her vision had been damaged and her lips were purple. The poison had penetrated deep into her bone marrow.


    "You ¡­ You''re awake? " Helian Yu was filled with sorrow and joy. He grabbed her hand that was placed on the blanket.


    Gu Qing Li used all of his strength to slowly withdraw from his hand. With a grim smile, he spat out a few indistinct words.


    Helian Yu could not hear her clearly. He bent down and listened to her repeat it many times before realizing that it was "Xiao Yi Xiu".


    He suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his heart. The deep sense of defeat he felt that year on the battlefield when he had unwillingly fallen down, his eyes were filled with doubt ¡ª in this life, could it be that he was not as good as his mortal enemy? The battlefield and the atmosphere would be lost to him?


    But Gu Qingli didn''t say anything, she only repeated the words.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll send someone to get him." Helian Yu gritted his teeth and said, "No matter what happened yesterday, this matter can be considered as me harming you. Don''t worry, I will think of a way for you to come back ¡­"


    He took out a longan sized pearl from his bosom. It was sparkling, translucent, and was shining brilliantly. It was neither a diamond nor a crystal; its purity was as high as the clearest water light, reflecting the faintly discernible lines inside the ball.


    If one looked carefully, one would find that the lines seemed to be arranged in a regular pattern, like a type of ancient language that was difficult to understand.


    "This is the Soul Absorbing Pearl, I will bring you back to the Northern Chu, even if you really ¡­ I''ll do my best to help you come back to life. "


    Gu Qingli seemed to understand his words. A layer of doubt gradually floated up in her eyes, before dispersing.

 C317 uninvited guest

    In the chaos of the Residence of Mo, an unexpected guest had arrived.


    At this moment, none of the guests would be welcome. However, this person said that he was sent by Prince Helian of Cheng Yang Inn. In the end, the gatekeeper didn''t dare to not report.


    Suifeng listened to the announcement outside and immediately called back, "Go, go. Don''t you know when that will happen? "Even the Crown Prince has not seen him!"


    Xiao Yi Xiu was in his room and heard the announcement, but his cold gaze seemed to be ready to kill the gatekeeper at any moment.


    Lu Linghui knew that this prince''s biggest lifeline was his wangfei, so how could he be in a good mood at this moment? He was mumbling words of consolation, trying to prevent Xiao Yixiu''s emotions from erupting and affecting the relationship between the two countries. He hurriedly went out to inquire about something, asking in astonishment, "What is Imperial Advisor Northern Chu doing here?"


    "The Imperial Advisor said that you have to meet His Highness before you are willing to explain your purpose." The gatekeeper''s voice was extremely low. He knew that he could not anger the prince at this moment, but he also did not dare to refuse the fiend outside.


    Lu Ling muttered to himself, only to see Helian Divine Technique striding in through the courtyard door. Surprisingly, another gatekeeper led the way in. Shocked, he drew his sword to block the other party''s path. Helian Divine Technique only glanced at him for a moment before feeling a little absent-minded. After which, his heart froze as he thought to himself, Could this Imperial Advisor really attract the attention of others?


    Helian Divine Art was unable to restrain him, so he was also slightly surprised and threw him an extra glance. Initially, this Heart Intimidating Technique could only suppress those with weaker willpower and weaker inner strength. However, the Mo King Manor''s experts were as numerous as the clouds, so it wasn''t too surprising.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s cold voice came from inside. "Tell him that I only see his corpse."


    When he heard this sentence, he burst out in laughter, "Prince Mo will soon regret his words. If I were to die, I''m afraid you wouldn''t be able to see Princess Mo again."


    As the sound of his voice faded, a white figure flashed past like a wisp of smoke. A figure had already appeared in front of Helian Divine Technique. Xiao Yi Xiu appeared like a phantom image in front of him.


    Helian Divine Technique was also frightened. He thought to himself, with just this kind of skill, it''s no wonder that the insufferably arrogant Helian Yu was defeated in his hands unwillingly.


    "Prince Mo ¡­"


    Just as Helian Divine Technique performed the martial arts salute, he was interrupted by Xiao Yi Xiu''s cold expression. Xiao Yi could only spit out a few words, "Bring me to see her."


    He had thought that he would have to expend some effort to persuade him, but he did not expect it to be resolved so easily. He was stunned for a moment before he smiled. "At the Cheng Yang Inn ¡­"


    "Prepare the horses." Before he could finish his sentence, Xiao Yixiu had already left the manor. He had no choice but to hurry up and catch up with him.


    Arriving at the front of the manor, a handsome horse was already there. Helian Divine Technique couldn''t help but be amazed at the speed at which the people in the manor executed it.


    When Xiao Yi Xiu rushed into Helian Yu''s room, it was accompanied by a gust of cold wind. He didn''t even look at Helian Yu as he quickly walked to the bedside. He bent down and held Gu Qingli''s hand. Looking at her miserable state, his eyes suddenly turned red.


    "Who did it?" A muffled voice came from his teeth, pausing after each word.


    Helian Yu shook his head. "I swear I really don''t know about this matter. Furthermore, she has already lost his hearing. From the day he found her yesterday until now, she has only called out your name and said nothing. "


    Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly turned around and ruthlessly grabbed Helian Yu''s collar as he coldly said, "From yesterday until now?!"


    Normally, Helian Yu''s arrogant nature would not allow him to do such a thing, but at this moment, he was exceptionally understanding. He only looked at Helian Yu with sympathy in his eyes, "I didn''t mean to not know that I would meet you, but I spent the entire night trying to save her with the Imperial Advisor. It was all in vain."


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s cold eyes narrowed into a line as a chilling killing intent leaked out from his body.


    The Helian Divine Technique was afraid that they would fall for it again, so he hurriedly tried to mediate between them. He repeated what happened yesterday and repeatedly declared that when they arrived, other than a mess and blood stains, there were no traces of anyone else.


    It was obvious that Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t believe him, but he wasn''t in the mood to watch Helian''s Divine Art. Furthermore, the greatest limitation of the Three Lives Wheel was that he would only be able to see what Gu Qing Li had experienced in his past life and present life without Xiao Yi Xiu''s presence.


    He thought for a while before taking out the Yellow Emperor''s Mirror and placing it in front of him.


    In the mirror, she saw the morning before Gu Qingli had disappeared, when she had parted with him. She tidied his collar as she always did, and then she had a frown on her lower abdomen. He asked why, but she said she felt a little abdominal pain and felt very uneasy.


    At that time, she had just vomited, and her lips were a little pale. Her eyes were filled with fatigue, and she had said that she would not go to court because of her illness and would stay at home to accompany her. However, she had refused.


    Her eyes were as resolute as ever. Even if she was haggard like this, she would not reveal a single trace of cowardice.


    He knew that she did not like being seen as a weak girl. If anything happened, she would only be able to support herself. She could only silently touch her cheek. "Take good care of yourself. I will be back very soon."


    Gu Qingli nodded with a smile and said she would wait for him to return.


    However, after he returned to the residence, she had disappeared. When he saw her again, it was like this.


    Xiao Yi Xiu''s heart was filled with hatred. He wanted to cut all the people who had done this to pieces. He stared at the mirror and asked, "What kind of mirror is this? It can tell This King, who hurt wangfei? "


    "No." Helian Shou looked at him apologetically. "The princess wants to see the prince, that''s why I sent a message to bring you here. You can personally ask her. His Highness has asked her many times, but she didn''t say anything, whether it was because she couldn''t hear or wasn''t willing to answer."


    Xiao Yi Xiu ignored them. He sat on the edge of the bed and carefully hugged Gu Qing Li. He stared at her face, loving and feeling pity. His eyes were filled with sorrow.


    As if sensing his aura, Gu Qingli slowly opened her eyes powerlessly. When she clearly saw his appearance, she couldn''t help but show a face of surprise and joy. She raised her trembling hands and then powerlessly lowered them, her eyes filled with boundless nostalgia.


    Xiao Yixiu could read her gaze. He took her hand and placed it on his face. He was very careful, but he could still see a trace of pain flash across her face. There were countless wounds on her body, and all his meridians had been broken. He could only move her body and raise his hand, a small movement that was enough to cause intense pain.


    There was something stuck in his throat, and he couldn''t speak. He wanted to let go of her hand, but she pressed her palm firmly against his face. She just stared at him for a long time without saying anything.


    "Who did this to you?" After taking a long breath, Xiao Yi Xiu could barely speak. His voice was hoarse and soft.


    Gu Qingli couldn''t hear him, but she continued to look at him with a smile that was both sweet and admiring. Her gaze lingered on his face, unwilling to leave it for even a moment.

 C318 separation of life and death

    Xiao Yi Xiu remembered that Helian Yu had said that she had lost his sense of hearing. He could only point at Helian Yu and Helian divine ability. After comparing positions, Gu Qing Li understood. He shook his head lightly and struggled to get up.


    Xiao Yi Xiu picked her up and carried her in his arms. Only then did he notice that her clothes were already soaked in the dark purple blood. It was impossible to distinguish her original color.


    He didn''t know how much damage she had suffered, and it seemed as if flames were about to shoot out of her eyes.


    Gu Qingli had stretched out her arms to hug him, pressing her face close to his and gently stroking it. He could feel the dried blood on her face gently stroking her own. A slight feeling of pain pierced through his heart.


    "Listen to me, I come from a... You can''t... The world she understood could be a thousand years from now ¡­ Two thousand years later ¡­ or it could be a parallel universe... " Gu Qingli remembered that she couldn''t understand these words, so she changed the way she said it. "In short, I''m not the original Gu Qingli, and I don''t know ¡­" I don''t know where her body went, but when I entered her body, her soul just left her body, so Xiao Yi ¡­ The moment that Xiao Yimo was killed. "


    "Just treat it as me ¡­ Borrowing a corpse for my soul, I will return ¡­ "Wait for me ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu opened his eyes and looked down at her, only to see that her eyes were slowly closing, their luster fading away bit by bit.


    His eyes were about to crack as he shouted, "Qing Li, Qing Li! Don''t leave me... "I haven''t agreed yet. How can you leave?"


    Helian Yu cried out involuntarily, "Xiao Yi Xiu, why don''t you ask her who did this to her?"


    However, at this moment, Xiaoyi Xiu''s mind was in a mess. Nothing was as important as Gu Qing Li''s life, and all he could do was shake her soft and slender body as he repeatedly called out her name, just like how Gu Qing Li could only call out his name when he was awake all night.


    Gu Qingli slowly opened her eyes that she was about to close, revealing the last sliver of a bright ray of light as she softly said, "Xiu, I love you. I''m very glad that Crown Prince Helian didn''t touch me ¡­" It was a misunderstanding. "


    "That is not important! I never cared about that, you know... "As long as you stay by my side, Qingli, don''t ¡­"


    However, Gu Qingli''s gaze instantly dimmed. She quietly closed her eyes in his embrace and didn''t open them again.


    "Qing Li!" Xiao Yi Xiu''s voice wasn''t loud, but it was filled with a desolate sadness that pierced through the heavens, causing Helian Yu''s heart to be torn apart.


    For the first time, Helian Yu didn''t look at Xiao Yi Xiu with a vengeful attitude. Instead, he silently patted his shoulder and walked out.


    Helian Haoyan''s Divine Sense followed him out. However, he didn''t lose control as expected. Helian Yu held his hands tightly, but he could see that his knuckles were clenched until they were white, and his hands were trembling slightly.


    The pain in his heart was not less than that of Xiao Yixiu, but he was still gripping the Soul Orb that Helian divine ability had given him. It was as if he was a drowning man who was holding her life in his hands and didn''t dare to let it go for even a second, as he would feel slightly more at ease.


    Actually, Helian Divine Technique had already told him that there was only one soul in the world of the Soul Pearl, and he didn''t even know if it was spiritual or not. After all, no one would casually use a treasure that could only be used once.


    The soul orb was originally intended to be used by Helian Divine Art, but in the end it was useless, so it could be kept under close storage.


    Retracting his thoughts, Helian Yu lowered his head and glanced at the tightly clenched fist. He didn''t dare to open it up, but instead folded it and kept it in his embrace, carefully and cautiously, afraid of suffering any injuries.


    Even with the Soul Pearl in his body, the wound in his heart was unable to heal. Gu Qing Li was able to forget about the hatred in her heart, because the love she had for Xiao Yi Xiu had surpassed all other thoughts, and she only had Xiao Yi Xiu in her heart. This was something he couldn''t tolerate, and it hurt him the most.


    "Crown Prince, we should return to the Northern Chu."


    After a long time, Helian Yu answered, "Yes."


    Inside the room, Xiao Yixiu hugged Gu Qingli for a long time, sticking close to her face in silence.


    The girl who could still talk and laugh yesterday would have her soul returned to heaven today. She still had their unborn child in her stomach.


    Although they all suspected that the birth of this child was abnormal, since they had decided to give birth to it, they would always look forward to it. Now that both had left him, how could they not be driven mad with grief?


    He had suffered countless setbacks in his life. Even after being rejected repeatedly by a famous doctor after being poisoned, even after knowing that his life wasn''t too long, he had never once thought of giving up. Only this time, however, he suddenly had a wish that he had nothing to live for, and it was getting stronger and stronger.


    "..." "Wait for me."


    Just as he closed his eyes in despair, the ethereal voice suddenly rang out, causing him to open his eyes and look around for the source of the voice, but he did not see his lover''s smile. Lowering his head, he saw that the person in his embrace had turned from pale white to gray, and not only was his aura concentrated, his body was also gradually turning cold.


    However, that ethereal voice seemed to be engraved in his heart, reverberating without end, eventually making his condensed thoughts of despair dissipate little by little. His reason slightly went into his heart, and he began to recall every word she said.


    She said she came from a thousand years later, even from the parallel universe.


    A thousand years from now, he would understand. What was the Parallel Universe? He couldn''t understand it at all. However, this confirmed his assumption that Gu Qingli was no longer her true self. So the weak, infatuated young miss of the Prime Minister''s Estate had died in the hands of her lover.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was at a loss for a moment. Just where did Qing Li come from? From the moment he appeared, he carried a bunch of mysteries with him, but from the moment he disappeared, there were even more mysteries added on.


    But she said she would come back and told him to wait for her.


    She had never failed him. She would come back.


    Xiao Yixiu lowered his head. Unknowingly, a drop of slippery liquid slid down his cheek, from colourless clarity to a tinge of bright red. In the end, it turned into a faint, blood-colored liquid that slid down his cheeks.


    His eyes were crimson like fire and blood, burning fiercely. When the woman in red first appeared, her eyes were as clear as autumn water and as bright as the morning sun. Her long eyelashes were covered in a snow-like aloofness, and it spread out in front of his eyes like a painting made of ink.


    Her delicate and curvy eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, yet they were also imbued with boundless charm. Cold and beautiful coexisted at the same time. It was both contradictory and harmonious.


    He suddenly heard a commotion and turned around, only to see that Xiao Yixiu, who was carrying Gu Qingli''s corpse, had walked out step by step. His face was as pale as snow and his expression was somewhat strange, but there was a thin line of blood on his cheek.


    Helian Yu subconsciously wanted to block him, but he was suddenly enlightened. He stopped walking and could only stare at the departing figure of Xiao Yi Xiu''s back.


    A few gray figures appeared out of nowhere and followed behind Xiao Yixiu, as if to prevent anyone from getting close to him.

 C319 body

    "The shadow guard of the Prince Mo Residence is the best in the world. He came without a trace and left without a trace, how did he train himself?"


    Helian Yu ruthlessly glared at Helian Haoyan''s sigh.


    As they neared the main entrance of the Cheng Yang Inn, the sounds of hurried footsteps could be heard. Helian Lie''s call for help could be heard from afar, "Xiao Yi Xiu ¡­ "Xiao ~"


    Without waiting for her to get close, the grey-clothed person turned around and blocked her in a row. At the same time, he revealed a cold glint of his sword.


    "Impudent!" "This princess ¡­"


    Helian Peng raised his head and met Xiao Yi Xiu''s gaze. Suddenly, he shuddered and swallowed the rest of his words. He stared at Xiao Yi Xiu and the girl in his embrace with wide eyes.


    "Yours... Gu ¡­ "She ¡­" Helian Shuang stuttered.


    Her heart was burning with fervent desire for Gu Qing to leave and die. Thus, when Gu Qingruo offered to meet with her and had Helian Yu arrange for Gu Qing to leave the Drunken Immortal Tavern, she agreed without hesitation.


    However, when he saw that Xiao Yi Xiu was hugging Gu Qing Li''s corpse, Helian Shuang couldn''t help but shiver. He didn''t even dare to utter a complete sentence.


    The iciness in Xiao Yixiu''s eyes completely enveloped her, as if if if she could shatter her with just a single word. She had no doubt that if he knew he was involved, he would make his want to die.


    Helian Peng felt as if he was slowly being frozen by his gaze. He looked at the woman in his embrace whose clothes were completely stained with blood. Her long hair was messy and her face was slightly covered.


    She secretly felt a wave of joy to vent her hatred, but she didn''t dare to show it on her face at all. She could only endure and allow her thoughts to run wild.


    No matter what, the biggest obstacle in her heart had already been removed. She didn''t believe that in the future, Xiao Yixiu would never forget that woman.


    By the time Helian Xiuxiu had tidied up her feelings and lifted her eyes, she saw that Xiao Yi Xiu and the shadow guards had already disappeared from her sight.


    When he returned to the Residence of Mo King, Lu Linghui was still walking around in circles with an anxious expression ashe consoled him in a low voice. Suifeng kept staring at the two of them in bewilderment, feeling that ever since this little brocade shu was sent back, she had started to have some sort of relationship with the person in front of him.


    When the three of them saw Xiao Yixiu carrying a woman dressed in blood-red robes into the courtyard, they immediately burst into a commotion and looked at her with rather good eyes.


    "This... "This is ¡­"


    "Lu Linghui."


    "This lowly general is here." The cold sweat on Lu Ling''s forehead slid down, turning into frost in an instant.


    "Flipping through the entire capital ¡ª no, even if I have to flip through the entire Eastern Abyss, capture all those who came to the Drunken Immortal Inn yesterday for this king. I will pay any price."


    "Yes."


    As he spoke, Lu Linghui''s gaze couldn''t help but follow the woman in Xiao Yi''s embrace, wanting to see if the face under his messy hair was that of Princess Mo. If that was the case, how could he be so calm? Apart from his pale face that was as white as snow, he didn''t seem to be emotional at all?


    When he looked at Xiao Yixiu''s face again, he discovered that his eyes were cold and filled with layers upon layers of despair, grief, pity, and reluctance ¡­ As well as the burning hatred, it was like a flame from hell that wanted to swallow everyone.


    Jin Shu watched helplessly as Xiao Yi Xiu carried her into the room. She blinked her bright almond-shaped eyes, and unknowingly, her face was covered in tears.


    Her feelings for this wangfei weren''t that deep, but she had served Xiao Yixiu ever since she was a child. To her, the feelings between master and servant were as strong as steel, and even if she didn''t dare to think about him anymore, her feelings for him were no less than any kinship relationship in the world. Seeing her master sad, she couldn''t help but feel the same.


    "Jin Shu." Lu Linghui''s voice sounded in his ear.


    Jin Shu turned around and was carried into his arms, patting her back to comfort her.


    Suifeng wiped his tears away and turned around. Seeing the two of them hugging each other so intimately, he immediately opened his mouth wide, rubbing his eyes in suspicion.


    He personally used the white silk to wipe her body over and over again. He looked at her torn skin and touched it with his hands. He felt that all the meridians in her body were broken, and her lips were purple; it was hard to tell the cause of her death.


    He thought for a long time before his fingertips brushed her smooth, uncracked skin and rested on her flat belly.


    The traces of life he had once lived had disappeared with his mother, and this child would never have the chance to be born into this world.


    "Qing Li, don''t worry. Everyone who has anything to do with your death will die without a burial ground." His voice was soft, as if he was afraid that he would wake her from her slumber. Every word he spoke exuded a boundless killing intent.


    At that time, the epidemic situation in and around the capital had already been controlled, and most of the patients were in the process of recovering.


    Liu Yanyu was so busy in the epidemic area outside the city that he didn''t even have time to catch her breath. However, he received an invitation from the Mo King''s Manor to go there.


    The person who came didn''t say the reason, but said that if he didn''t go, he would regret it for the rest of his life.


    Seeing that it wasn''t Suifeng, who he was familiar with, or even any of the shadow guards he had seen, Liu Yanyu couldn''t help but feel a little anxious. After taking a few more looks at the soldiers dressed in the garb, he more or less understood the identity of the other party, so he didn''t pursue the matter.


    However, after not returning to the Mo King''s Manor for several months, the moment Liu Yanyu stepped inside, he felt that the atmosphere had changed. However, after not returning for several months, the atmosphere had become different when Liu Yanyu stepped into the Mo King''s Manor.


    Only after walking for a while did he recall that although the mansion used to have a small population, it would not have been so slow in clearing the snow. What was going on? Why was there no one clearing the snow on the flowers and trees in the courtyards? They only shoveled the snow that used to be on the road.


    Liu Yanyu was even more surprised after entering the hall. He saw Jia Bi Ruo standing in the hallway, wearing plain clothes. His expression was a bit uneasy as he walked around.


    This woman had always been very low-key ever since she entered the residence. Her appearance at such a time was out of keeping with her usual habits.


    "Madam Jia."


    "Young Master Liu, you''ve come at the right time. Quickly go in and take a look at our Prince."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "He locked himself in his room and asked to go to the imperial court. He hadn''t left his room for three days without rest. I''m afraid his body will collapse just like that ¡­"


    These words were said in such a mindless manner that Liu Yanyu was startled. He looked at Ye Ci with a puzzled expression and suddenly realized that not only was she dressed in a simple manner, there was even a white flower stuck in his temple.


    Gabriella sighed. "Our wangfei ¡­" "It''s all gone. Since the day before yesterday, the prince carried her corpse back ¡­"


    Without waiting for her to finish speaking, Liu Yanyu''s face suddenly turned pale. Without saying a word, she rushed into Xiao Yi Xiu''s room.


    Although this person was invited back by the prince, he was extremely rude to barge in like a whirlwind and not let anyone report his arrival. Suifeng, who was guarding the door, was stunned for a moment. He did not have the time to stop him and thought to himself, "This Young Master Liu does not seem to be gentle like jade. What kind of wind is this?"


    The door to the inner room was only ajar. Xiao Yi and the others were waiting for Liu Yanyu and went inside.


    "Your Highness."

 C320 Tracing the cause of death(1)

    Liu Yanyu had intended to see a haggard, disheveled, and ghost-like Xiao Yi Xiu, but who knew that although Xiao Yi Xiu''s condition was very bleak, he was much better than he had imagined.


    Xiao Yi Xiu was dressed in white, and there wasn''t even a trace of embroidery on the corners of his clothes. His expression was still calm. His hair was neat and tidy, and his clothes were clean. However, he had lost a lot of weight in just three short days. As he looked carefully into his eyes, he could see a deep pain mixed with sadness.


    Liu Yanyu was on the verge of collapse, but when he saw Xiao Yixiu, he felt that he was actually in a better position. After all, Xiao Yixiu wasn''t crazy about her death, but Xiao Yixiu was different. He opened his mouth, wanting to comfort her, but no words came out of his mouth. Unknowingly, his face was wet and his heart felt cold.


    "Yanyu, I have something to talk to you about."


    Liu Yanyu stared blankly for a moment before seeing Xiao Yixiu calmly open the dresser drawer and press his hand into the bottom. Then, he heard the soft sound of a clarinet, which slowly moved to the side, revealing a secret room.


    Puzzled, Liu Yanyu followed Xiao Yixiu into the secret chamber. As soon as he stepped in, he saw that the two walls automatically lit up with lights. Only then could he see that it was only a shallow secret chamber.


    In the middle of the room, there was a strangely shaped coffin. It seemed to be made from a piece of original logs that had been cut open and the trunk of the tree had been hollowed out. The inside of the coffin emitted a faint fragrance.


    Even without asking, Liu Yanyu could already guess what the coffin was for. After taking two steps forward, his sleeves trembled, and his entire body was ice-cold. He actually couldn''t stop moving any further.


    Xiao Yi Xiu stood beside the coffin quietly. The pain and sorrow in his eyes was mixed with gentleness as he rested his hand on the coffin to gaze at it.


    After a while, he noticed that Liu Yanyu hadn''t come over, so he turned around and said, "Come over here. If you don''t look, how could you help me?"


    Liu Yanyu''s tear stains were all over the place. He walked another two steps with much difficulty before shaking his head, "I ¡­ I can''t do it, Your Royal Highness, just let me go. "


    "Liu Yanyu!" Xiao Yixiu raised his voice, his voice seemingly unstable. It was clear that he couldn''t control his emotions as much as he could.


    "This King needs your help, and it''s not to let you come sad for This King to see."


    Only then did he realize that the log had indeed been completely hollowed out, and there were even some bright green branches and leaves attached to it. The lid of the coffin was made of an entire piece of crystal, and it was extremely pure without a single flaw.


    Xiao Yixiu pushed open the crystal coffin''s lid. The entire piece of thick crystal weighed at least a few hundred kilograms, but he had easily lifted it off the coffin and placed it beside the coffin.


    Liu Yanyu looked into the coffin with rapt attention. He felt as if his chest had been smashed by thousands of soldiers and horses, and his entire heart had been shattered into countless pieces.


    The woman in the coffin had her black hair flowing like a waterfall by her face. She was wearing only her close-fitting clothes, exposing her shoulders and limbs. This was clearly not disrespect to her, but was more convenient for Liu Yanyu to observe.


    There were countless small wounds all over her body, but they were not caused by external forces. Instead, they had started from the inside and ruptured, perhaps because of repeated cleaning, only revealing her greyish white flesh. The original bloodstains had long since disappeared, making her appear even more miserable. Her lips and armor were bluish purple, and there were clear signs of poisoning when she was alive. With just a few quick glances, her cause of death became a mystery that could not be solved.


    "This King wants to know how she died?"


    Liu Yanyu didn''t say anything. His gaze slowly moved up her body, which was covered in wounds, and landed on her face. He originally wanted to see the symptoms of poisoning, but her beautiful face was still as beautiful as ever, causing his heart to ache.


    After a long while, he slowly stretched out his hand and rolled up the eyelids of the corpse. He looked at her wounds and asked Xiao Yi Xiu, "My prince, can you allow me to be impudent?"


    "You can do anything you want, but you are not allowed to ¡­ "Hurt her body." She said she would be back. Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t know how, but he had to protect her body well. Even if she was going to break into pieces, he had to carefully protect her.


    Liu Yanyu nodded. At this moment, his anger had already far surpassed his sorrow, and he was gradually beginning to understand why Xiao Yi Xiu was able to maintain such a calm demeanor.


    The power of hatred was enough to keep one alive and even temporarily suppress pain.


    Liu Yanyu was currently in the same mood.


    Finding the murderer and avenging the princess was more important than useless grief.


    His hand moved inch by inch from the corpse''s arm to the other, then inch by inch, including her long, straight legs. When he was doing this, he had no distractions in his mind. There was not a single trace of desecration on his face, only a faint trace of grief and anger that gradually increased from his solemnity.


    There are only two possibilities. The first is that there is an extremely strong expert who has broken eight of her odd meridians, which I think is impossible because there are a lot of injuries on her body and they are caused by a burst of power from within. The combination of external forces is unable to create such a wound, but it is as if her meridians suddenly expanded and self-destructed. I have to explain this situation, only people who have strong thoughts of suicide will die because their meridians were split open by luck. "


    It was Helian Yu who found her and brought her back to Cheng Yang Inn. According to his memories, although there were traces of a fight, it was not intense.


    "Right, so the second possibility is to commit suicide. If the opponent is strong enough to make her afraid ¡­"


    "Not to mention someone who isn''t that powerful, she wouldn''t even fear an army with thousands of men."


    Liu Yanyu nodded. He also agreed with his. She had never submitted to anyone. It was impossible for her to lower her head in fear and give up hope.


    "That''s willpower control."


    Xiao Yixiu looked at him silently.


    "I came back from the outer city and met a girl named Ding Fengzi in the epidemic area. Her father mentioned the plague Gu ¡­"


    "This King roughly knows what you''re talking about. Qing Li was looking into this matter before he left."


    "Maybe it''s because she found out something that led to ¡­"


    "Zhou Zhen and Little Chan went missing." Xiao Yi Xiu''s face had always been as white as snow, but now it seemed to have turned even paler.


    Actually, he shouldn''t have been able to think about it. Gu Qing Li''s disappearance first disturbed his mood, but then he no longer cared about other trivial matters. Suddenly, he remembered that when he was frantically searching for Gu Qing Li, someone seemed to have reported that Madame Zhou and her servant girl had also disappeared.


    The bystanders were all aware that Liu Yanyu had reminded him of the culprit with a single sentence. It was only now that they realized they had to thoroughly investigate the people in the mansion.


    After exiting the secret room, Liu Yanyu felt his legs go limp, and he couldn''t even walk.

 C321 Tracing the cause of death(2)

    Xiao Yi Xiu called Suifeng over to ask around and found out that not only Zhou Zhen and Little Chan had disappeared, even Xing''er and Rui Zhu who were secretly monitoring them had also disappeared.


    "When the king ordered the whole city to investigate, he kept investigating the whereabouts of all four of them. He never found them. That''s weird. The entire capital is only so big, yet we can''t find any clues. Isn''t that weird?"


    "It''s not that strange. There are some places that we can''t reach, or that we can''t easily find." Xiao Yixiu''s indifferent gaze landed on a distant place.


    For example, the imperial palace, for example, those few royal palaces ¡­ The tight guards were destined that even if his forces could infiltrate in, they wouldn''t be able to reach every nook and cranny.


    The emperor and the few princes all had their own secret forces. More or less, they were all on high alert. How could they be so easily searched through every inch of land by him?


    "Continue issuing orders for the Dark Pavilion to use all of their power to search for these four people. Even if they find them, don''t act blindly without thinking, and report to me first."


    "Yes."


    Xiao Yixiu walked silently towards the direction of Zhou Zhen''s Yu Muxuan. Since she had disappeared from that place and had lived there for several months, there must have been traces left behind by her.


    After the rain, he suddenly heard the chattering of a singing voice, followed by a long and sad melody. It was Wu Yu singing: "Like this is true and false, making people hate you, like this is so cold and gloomy ¡­" "Furthermore, you used people as a puppet to tie them together, causing so many ghosts to be left in the mortal world ¡­"


    Xiao Yi Xiu suddenly stopped and looked into the courtyard. He could hear the singing coming from behind the shadow wall. Shui Xiu''s shadow turned and fluttered about. Even though it was a clear day, it still made people feel lonely and cold, and a little ghastly.


    "Your Highness." Liu Yanyu followed behind him, reminding him to walk forward.


    Xiao Yi Xiu, on the other hand, remained standing and unmoving. He was deep in thought as he stared at the rainwater.


    As Liu Yanyu listened attentively to a few words, Wu Yu started singing again, "¡­" "Thousands upon thousands of snowflakes fell, leaving behind a lingering poison on the human world. Upon seeing the heart of the Blood Seal Throat''s woman, it became like a wasp''s tail needle ¡­"


    Xiao Yixiu had already stepped into the courtyard, so Liu Yanyu had no choice but to follow.


    He turned around and the courtyard was swept clean, revealing a clean, neat, greyish stone floor. Wu Yu was dressed in a pear garden outfit. His sleeves danced as he sang a sad melody. His eyes were deep and hard to see through.


    "Rui Zhu has always been waiting on you. Since when did she change?"


    Liu Yan''s eyebrows knitted together. Although this Lady Wu only entered the palace after he left, the matters of the Residence of the Prince of Mo had already spread around the capital. Who didn''t know that he had heard that this woman had gone mad for a long time?


    Sure enough, Wu Yu ignored them and continued singing her song, waving his sleeves.


    "Zhou Zhen and Little Chan are both missing, so you don''t have to worry about them harming you."


    Wu Yu''s movements slowed down, and he looked at Xiao Yixiu with sadness in his eyes.


    "This King knows that you know full well that Ming Zhu died. The reason you''ve been pretending to be crazy for so long is to protect yourself, right?" "Xiao Yi Xiu''s tone was cold and mocking, and it carried an almost imperceptible killing intent." If not for your act of hiding it and pretending to be crazy, This King would have known that Zhou Zhen was in trouble.


    Liu Yanyu was slightly surprised. Why did he think Wu Yu was pretending to be crazy? If he had known, why didn''t he come and interrogate them?


    Wu Yu stopped and slowly lowered his head, looking weak and afraid.


    After a long time, she whispered, "I''m afraid of death. They''re ghosts. They''re real ghosts ¡­" The fear in her eyes became more and more obvious, as if she was recalling something.


    "Your lyrics are reminding this duke. Do you still think that their people are still in the Prince''s Mansion?"


    "I don''t know, I don''t know!" Wu Yu hugged his shoulder, his body slightly twitching, still in a posture full of resistance.


    Her vision blurred, and before she knew it, Xiao Yi Xiu had already appeared in front of her. He reached out and grabbed her throat, and with a slight tug of his slender fingers, he was able to break her delicate neck. His voice was cold and without the slightest emotion. "You have no choice. If you continue to run away, this king will make you die here."


    Wu Yu continued to tremble under his palms, his tears flowing uncontrollably. After a while, he said while trembling: "I don''t know ¡­" "I don''t know anything. Prince, please let me go ¡­"


    The memory of that night was too much for her to remember.


    Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t show any mercy, so no matter how hard he tried with his finger, Wu Yu''s throat made a gurgling sound, and his eyes almost bulged out of his eyes, making him unable to say anything.


    Following that, he loosened his grip and let go of her. A few red finger marks appeared on his throat.


    Wu Yu covered his neck and coughed fiercely, unable to say a word.


    Liu Yanyu felt sympathy in his heart, but he knew that she was the only clue, so he held back from going forward.


    Wu Yu took a few deep breaths and looked at Xiao Yi Xiu with his pitiful eyes. However, he didn''t show any emotion on his face, so she could only lower her head and say: "I have a request, can Your Highness agree?"


    "Speak?"


    "Hold me."


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t understand why she made such a request, but he still took a step forward and held her in his arms after a moment of hesitation.


    Wu Yu had been shivering all the time. Xiao Yi Xiu could feel her fear even through the clothes he wore. He realized that she wasn''t asking for any of that. He just wanted to give her some courage. He reached out his hand and lightly patted her back. "Rest assured, this king will protect you to the fullest."


    "You can''t, Your Royal Highness, you can''t." She began to think back to that night.


    She opened her eyes in the moonlight and saw a woman in white with black hair slowly approaching the edge of her bed. She slowly bent down and smiled at her. At that time, she was terrified, but her consciousness was still incomparably clear. She recalled that Jin Shu had told her that Madam Qin had a wild and beautiful rose on her shoulder.


    Perhaps it was to confirm her guess, the white silk dress on the woman''s shoulder slowly slid down, revealing the delicate rose.


    Wu Yu was very timid and easily tricked by the Spirit God''s words, but that didn''t mean she was stupid. On the contrary, she was a very meticulous and smart woman. At the moment when she was almost scared to the point of fainting, she stared at the other party and felt that there was something wrong with the rose.


    Wu Dong was an expert in painting, and knew a lot about paints. With a glance, he felt that the rose became more vivid under the moonlight, more and more feeling that it was painted with a bright color, and not a needle piercing into the skin.


    There were few pigments to choose from for tattooing. After all, in order to avoid any harm to the human body, some poisonous raw ore and plant pigments such as cinnabar, yellow female, silver, and rattan yellow could not be used. And this bright-colored rose, was precisely the color of the cinnabar.


    If the rose tattoo was fake and the ghost lady was dressed like a human, then what was her real purpose? It wasn''t just to scare him for fun, was it?


    As he thought of this, Wu Yu screamed miserably and fainted.

 C322 Tracing the cause of death(3)

    If the other party had other motives and didn''t want her to get in the way, she might be able to make the other party lower their guard and let them go. If the other party had other plans, he could pretend to be unconscious and observe them from the shadows.


    I have to say, Wu Yu was quite calm at that moment. Although she was terrified, her survival instinct made her more rational. She kept her body slanted and her eyes closed.


    Apparently, the girl didn''t expect to scare her so easily. She tried to probe for a bit before straightening her body. She snickered and leisurely said, "Fine, I''ll spare your life."


    Wu Yu didn''t dare to move, his body was already soaked.


    "Miss, what happened?" Ming Zhu''s voice could be heard as she hurriedly entered the house.


    As soon as she woke up, she did not expect to hear Wu Yu''s scream. She dressed up in a flurry and came out to see the beautiful, ghost-like ''Madam Qin'', dressed in white, with roses hanging from her shoulders. There was a strange smile on her ashen face.


    "Ah ¡­" "You ¡­" Ming Zhu turned around, wanting to escape.


    The ghost lady suddenly threw out a ribbon from her hand, and with a ''shua'' sound, it wrapped around Ming Zhu''s neck. The ghost lady suddenly threw out a ribbon from her hand, and with a ''shua'' sound, she wrapped it around Ming Zhu''s neck.


    Ming Zhu''s two hands gripped the ribbon tied around her neck, her two feet desperately stamping on the ground. She was finally out of strength. She was suspended in midair, her legs struggling in the air.


    Wu Yu secretly opened his eyes a little, all of this happened in the dark night, the only witness was the faint moonlight. His sweat had cooled down and he felt cold all over. He wanted to say something but didn''t dare to. He gritted his teeth and cried again.


    But she knew that she couldn''t save Ming Zhu, at most, she would only be putting her life on the line.


    After the ghost lady hung the pearl, she tied a knot on the ribbon, clapped her hands and looked at Wu Yu, then chuckled: "Even if she doesn''t die, it''ll be enough to scare her half to death, her life is really big, let this girl die for her."


    Suddenly, a low but sharp voice came from outside the window, "What are you waiting for? Why aren''t you coming out yet? It''s so slow even to kill someone! "


    The ghost lady''s eyes were filled with displeasure as she coldly said, "He''s here!" She jumped out of the window and closed it behind her.


    Wu Yu trembled for a long time before he suddenly made up his mind. He quietly got up from the bed and peeked at the gap between the door and door. After making sure that there was no one around, he quietly walked towards the gate and peeked through the gap.


    Her original intention was to leave out of fear, but she didn''t know who to turn to for help. In this lonely place, she wanted to ask for help from Xiao Yixiu, but when she thought of his cool and handsome face, his distant and indifferent eyes, she felt that he definitely wouldn''t protect her.


    While she was hesitating, she saw two figures follow behind Cheng Ying Zhi and Xing''er. That figure was most likely heading in the direction of Jia Bi Ruo.


    Xing''er was a little behind. It was unknown if she was hesitant or not, but after looking behind a few times, she suddenly became motionless, as if her body had been frozen.


    One of the two figures was dressed in white, and it was obvious that it was the ghost lady who had killed Ming Zhu. The other one had a slim figure, and judging from her clothes, it was Zhou Zhen!


    Wu Yu looked like he was stuck in a trance, he knew in his heart that the ghost lady must be Little Chan. Seeing Xing''er standing there in a daze, he did not know why, but they were getting closer and closer to Cheng Ying.


    Wu Yu became more and more afraid, and quickly fled back to his own room, not daring to look at the pearls hanging in his room, closing his eyes and continuing to play dead. She was afraid that after Zhou Zhen finished dealing with Cheng Ying, she would turn around to look for her. Any unusual movement at this moment could result in death or framing.


    She did not know Zhou Zhen''s purpose, but she felt that she was in danger.


    Xiao Yixiu already knew what happened after that, but he didn''t know that it was all at the hands of Zhou Zhen. She framed Cheng Ying Zhi, killed Ming Zhu and scared the hell out of Wu Dong.


    Wu Yu was also confused about this, so she continued to play the fool and lay low. Firstly, he was afraid, and secondly, he wanted to know what was going on.


    Xiao Yixiu didn''t send her home. Instead, he promised her father to take good care of her. Since Wu Dong couldn''t leave the manor, a lunatic couldn''t suggest that they return home. Otherwise, Zhou Zhen would see that she was crazy, and she would pretend to be more realistic.


    She had been having a hard time during that period of time, but she also noticed that Zhou Zhen was acting a bit weirder.


    Zhou Zhen looked normal. During the day, she would raise flowers, water the plants, and sometimes play the zither. Under the flower racks, she would swing and read books. She was quite relaxed, just like a real lady from a noble family.


    Only a few times had he accidentally discovered that Zhou Zhen was not only raising flowers, but also a kind of ''bee''.


    Even though the Gu worms were intelligent, they could not be confined to the activities of a courtyard. There were several times when they flew over to the Rain Clan and stopped in the middle of a flower bush.


    Wu did not pay much attention at first. In order to listen to the sounds of the neighboring houses, she would often sing crazy songs and dance in the courtyard. Sometimes, she would quietly climb up high and pretend to look at the neighboring houses without paying much attention to the actions of a madman.


    She saw Zhou Zhen chanting softly to a ''wild bee'', making some complicated and unsolvable gestures.


    When Wu Yu found out that the wasp had flown into his yard, he was terrified. He waved his sleeves to prevent the wasp from approaching. Subconsciously, she felt that this wasp was not a good thing.


    Indeed, Little Chan very quickly found this place. It was always an excuse to chat with Rui Zhu, and when she inadvertently left, the bees obediently followed behind her. As time passed, Wu Yu smelled the peculiar "fragrance" from Little Chan''s body. It was very light and elegant, like the scent of flowers. That bee was attracted by the smell and danced around her.


    Wu Yun did not believe that a lady from a noble family could expel insects, much less believe that it was Zhou Zhen''s "pet".


    Wu: From then on, fear arose in her heart. Afraid of being accidentally hurt by the wasps, she carefully closed the doors and windows at any time, and often muttered that she would give Ming Zhu money to burn paper. She would smoke a lot of smoke in the yard, and no matter how crazy she was, no one would think too much about doing anything that didn''t make sense.


    When Helian Xiufeng was stung by the "wasp", Wu Yu instinctively felt that Zhou Zhen was trying to hurt him again, so he spent a lot of time trying to pry a piece of green brick from the wall between the two courtyards. From time to time, he peeped over and discovered Zhou Zhen''s relationship with Helian Peng.


    In reality, the two of them were always discussing mysterious matters. Every time they closed the door to discuss, Helian Xianzi would come out with a strange expression, sometimes with a hint of secret joy in his expression.


    After Gu Qingxiao had been put in the dungeon, she had briefly stayed in the neighboring yard. Wu had tried to remind her, to sing the same song, but at that time, Gu Qingxiao had only felt disgust towards the crazy woman next door and hadn''t paid any attention to the song.


    At that moment, Wu Yu felt the changes in Xing''er and Rui Zhu. She was even more afraid. Every day, she would hide inside the house without leaving her house. Luckily, Zhou Zhen had never thought of dealing with a lunatic.

 C323 Tracing the cause of death(4)

    Zhou Zhen himself did not enter the manor, and would instruct Xing''er or Rui Zhu to do these things. Wu Zhen could sometimes overhear them discussing about the plague and the parasites. She vaguely knew that there were unknowable changes outside.


    Unfortunately, Rui Zhu had been controlled by now, and no one was able to tell her about the earth-shattering changes in the capital. She could only pretend to be crazy day after day, hoping that someone would come and save her, but no one would care about her at all.


    That was about all she knew.


    Zhou Zhen and Ling Xinning were the real masterminds behind the plague, and their true goal was still unfathomable. However, Helian Xianzi, a strong and weak woman, was willing to let them use her, so she did not think too much about what they were up to. Instead, she thought that they were for her own use.


    After all, she was from the Northern Chu and secretly hoped that it would lead to chaos in the East Lake Region. Thus, the Northern Chu would have the opportunity to send troops south and use the plague to get rid of Gu Qing Li.


    But why were Zhou Zhen and Ling Xinning in the lead of this chaos? As people of the Northern Chu, did they also hope that the Northern Chu would fall into internal strife? Unless there was some sort of internal strife. Or perhaps, they were not from the Northern Chu?


    Xiao Yi Xiu thought that he should send someone to thoroughly investigate the two girls'' backgrounds. Whether Zhou Zhen was really Zhou Zhen, and whether or not Ling Xinning was Ling Yuanzhang''s illegitimate daughter were all things that she could not be sure of.


    "Prince, I only want to live. I don''t know what happened outside, nor do I know about the wangfei ¡­"


    Seeing Wu Yu''s terrified expression, it was useless blaming her. After all, with her courage and knowledge, it was already difficult for her to survive until now. She did not dare to easily trust anyone, and the people in the mansion had long ignored this madman.


    Xiao Yi Xiu waved his hand. "I''ll have someone send you home tomorrow. Are you willing?"


    "Thank you, Prince!" Wu Dong''s face was covered with tears as he kowtowed continuously. Even though the dowager might not have good looks once she returned to her home, the Mo King Manor was a dangerous place and she really didn''t want to stay for a moment longer.


    Xiao Yi Xiu brought Liu Yanyu to walk around Zhou Zhen''s courtyard. He sent people to search for a few times, but they didn''t find anything out of the ordinary.


    Liu Yanyu kept sniffing the flowers as he tried to identify each and every one of them. He picked a few that Xiao Yixiu wanted to see if he could study them properly. From these flowers, one might be able to deduce the habits and nemesis of these Gu worms.


    If the news of Mo Wangfei''s death were to spread out, it would definitely shake the capital city. However, Xiao Yi Xiu had completely suppressed this matter and had strictly forbade anyone from revealing this matter. Anyone who went against the orders would die.


    No one understood what he meant. Only Liu Yanyu knew that Xiao Yixiu did not believe that Gu Qing Li was no longer in the human realm, or perhaps, he had already denied this matter from the bottom of his heart.


    Liu Yanyu wanted to be like him as well, but every time he went down to the secret room and saw the coffin, he couldn''t help but cry and find it difficult to restrain himself.


    Xiao Yixiu, on the other hand, stayed by the coffin all day and all night, staring at the woman beneath the crystal. She was so dazed that she felt as if her clothes would flutter, her eyelashes would flutter, and she would open her eyes and smile at him.


    Ever since Wu Yu revealed the connection between Helian Xiufeng and the Beijing plague, Xiao Yi Xiu had also sent people from the Dark Pavilion to intercept the Helian siblings, but they were unable to stop them in time. The Northern Chu Mission had already left the East Abyss two days ago, and the Helian siblings travelled day and night on their journey.


    What Xiao Yi Xiu didn''t know was that Helian Xiufeng had actually been forcefully taken away by Helian Yu. However, on the night before they left, Helian Xiufeng had received a piece of news.


    Zhou Zhen and Helian Peng did not need to meet frequently because their most commonly used method of communication was through dreams.


    For those who had been afflicted with the Ghost Bee Gu, their dreams would be manipulated. Zhou Zhen had entrusted her with one matter in her dreams, and told her to bring him and Little Chan out of the capital.


    Helian Xiufeng had initially been unwilling to help, but Zhou Zhen had promised her that as long as she could help her this time around, she would be able to forever remove the Ghost Bee Gu from her dreams.


    During her days of familiarity with Zhou, Helian Zhenren had felt that Zhou Zhen was humble and subservient to him, even giving him advice. However, she had always felt uncomfortable controlling her dreams. As time passed, the feeling of Zhou Zhen casually appearing in the dreamland was akin to a nightmare, causing Helian Shuang to reject it in his heart. He had always wanted to get rid of this feeling.


    He wanted to be escorted out of the capital by Helian Yu Qiang, and there was also the matter of helping out, but it was not difficult at all. While the carriage was loading the goods, she had hidden Zhou Zhen and Little Chan inside the carriage.


    For the past few days, Helian Yu had been feeling uneasy. He didn''t pay much attention to Helian Xianzi''s actions. He only felt that she had brought along a little too many Dongyuan specialties and that there were actually two large carriages loaded full of them. Looking at the carriages'' eating marks, it was hard to tell how many things he had bought.


    By this time, the plague had almost subsided and the danger to the capital had been averted. They successfully left the inner city and were not interrogated on their way out.


    Helian Yu did not ride a horse as usual, but sat inside the carriage instead. Following the rhythm of the carriage''s sway, the soul pearl in his hand also lightly swayed, and within the transparent soul pearl, the ethereal ancient characters seemed to ripple within the waves. When Helian Yu looked closer, he faintly felt that these characters seemed to have come to life.


    "State Grandmaster, you said that the Soul Eating Pearl ¡­ Can it really hide her soul? " Helian Yu carefully rotated the Soul Absorbing Pearl.


    Helian divine ability sat across him with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. He clearly heard it, but he pretended not to hear it and did not answer.


    Helian Yu was a little angry. He gritted his teeth and said, "Divine ability Helian, don''t put on airs. I''m not trying to ¡­"


    The Helian Divine Technique suddenly opened his eyes and changed his usual kind expression as he said coldly, "Crown Prince, you still have to believe in me. You have to borrow my power. Without me, even if I had the Soul Eating Pearl, I''d still be a piece of trash."


    Helian Yu''s sinister gaze swept across his face. Anger flowed in his eyes; it was clear that he had been touched in the wrong places.


    With Helian Yu''s unparalleled personality, how could he tolerate the arrogance of others? But when his gaze fell upon the wisps of words floating within the Soul Eating Pearl, he forced himself to endure it and took a deep breath. His expression became heavy, from the night before the storm, and he slowly gathered the Soul Eating Pearl into his sleeve.


    He once more closed his eyes. It was as if in this madman''s heart, not only was the Northern Chu Emperor not a problem, the crown prince was nothing at all.


    In fact, only Helian Divine Technique himself understood. He was just overly nervous in his heart, so he pretended to be confident and used an arrogant attitude to avoid Helian Yu''s questioning.

 C324 Tracing the cause of death(5)

    Helian divine ability had never been used on that Soul Absorbing Pearl. He had once wanted to use it to restrain his son''s soul, but in the end, it was useless. In the records that he knew, the Soul Eating Pearl could naturally absorb the souls of people who were on the verge of death, but in the end, no one had used it. How could he be sure that Gu Qingli''s soul was truly within it? Although he was the teacher of the nation, he didn''t have the proper conditions to open the altar, and it was impossible for him to see the world within the Soul Eating Pearl with his naked eyes.


    It was said that one flower and one world, one leaf and one Bodhi. The Soul Eating Pearl was also a microscopic world, and it could not absorb only one soul.


    Helian Yu didn''t know about this. He didn''t even know about the divine ability of Helian Lie himself.


    The Soul Eating Pearl could take away the souls of all those who were about to die. Even the souls of the unstable people would be sucked in. However, after ingesting it, it would be extremely difficult to get it out.


    When Gu Qingli''s wandering soul left her body, it felt like it was a wisp of smoke, floating in the air without any support.


    She looked at Xiao Yixiu who was hugging his body in despair. The emptiness in his eyes made her heart ache more than any deep pain. He was so helpless. He had never been like this before.


    The tears in his eyes, mixed with the color of his blood, were faint and fearful.


    Gu Qingli tried to wipe him with her hands, but she couldn''t see her own body. She just made a futile gesture and allowed herself to pass through his face without being able to see her own body.


    Tears fell without warning.


    As a hitman in her previous life, she was also cold in her heart in this life. She had never thought that she could fall in love with a man who shouldn''t belong to her in this foreign world.


    She loved this man more than she thought.


    He was reluctant to part with it, but there was nothing he could do.


    Gu Qing Li kept trying to get closer to Xiao Yi Xiu. She wanted to comfort him and accompany him, but she found herself getting further and further away from him. Her transparent body was no longer under the control of her own consciousness.


    It was neither a crystal nor a jade artifact, it was as transparent as a drop of water floating orderly in the air.


    The Xiao Yixiu in front of Gu Qing Li gradually became blurry. She had entered an unknown world, vast and boundless like the universe. There were countless wandering souls like her within the universe, unable to be released no matter where he went.


    Walking out of the capital''s borders, the countryside was filled with desolate plains. Occasionally, there were some shrubs and forests, but there was no danger of wild beasts. Thus, the Northern Chu Missions camped there, forming a circle of tents.


    The people of the Northern Chu had many habits of nomadic peoples. It was their custom to set up tents all over the sky. It just so happened that even after a few days of sunny weather, the snow on the outskirts would seep into the soil, making it very easy to set up camp.


    Deep in the night, a shadow flashed from a tent at the edge of the road. The night watchman was about to inquire about the situation when he saw the princess approaching and immediately went silent.


    Helian Lie''s face was cold. He ordered them to go to the other side and stand guard. Naturally, they did not dare to disobey.


    After the night watchman left, a few women came out of the tent. They took advantage of the night time to sneak out quietly and quickly disappeared into the ink-like darkness.


    Just as he turned around, he was so shocked that he almost shouted out loud ¡ª Helian Yu, who was wearing a black cloak, stood under the dense night sky. A cold and questioning gaze stared at her with dense coldness.


    She forced a smile. "Big Brother Crown Prince ¡­"


    "Who were those people just now?" Helian Yu spoke slowly without a trace of emotion in his words.


    Helian Hua''s entire body was ice-cold, but he had no choice but to force a smile and reply, "Mine... We met in Beijing. "


    "You even made friends in the Dongyuan capital?" A sinister and cold smile emerged on Helian Yu''s face.


    He was more clear than anyone else about the character of his sister. Since young, she had always been arrogant, condescending, and arrogant. Since when had she ever made friends? Speaking of which, this kind of personality was a common ailment of the Helian Family. He himself also had this kind of side.


    Helian Yu''s arrogance had its own means. It was understandable that a person who had never met an enemy since he was young would be born to be a favored son of heaven and inherit the throne. However, Helian Xianzi was simply blindly conceited and did not measure up to his standards.


    "I just... "Oh, she''s a friend of Princess Mu, that''s why she''s familiar with her."


    Helian Yu continued to stare at her, as if he was trying to judge her words. After a long while, he nodded and said lightly, "So, you have to secretly bring her friends out of the capital. And then sneakily send them away in the middle of the night."


    Helian Lie didn''t dare to refute. After a while, he said in a low voice, "Something has happened to King Mu recently. Consort Wang has asked me to take her friend out of the capital ¡­"


    Helian Yu did not pursue the matter any further. He only gave her a deep look. His gaze was cold, as if he had already seen through her heart. He turned around and returned to his tent.


    The next day, Helian Yu ordered the imperial guards and palace maids accompanying him to change into the clothes of the two siblings. The two of them, together with the divine ability Helian, changed into the clothes of the citizens of Dongyuan.


    When the people of the Dark Pavilion caught up to the caravan, they only caught two fake princes and princesses, as well as a few carriages that were loaded with goods. While feeling resentful, he still wanted to claim that he had found the wrong person and apologize repeatedly to avoid a dispute.


    Helian Peng also felt that something was amiss. He travelled day and night on his mount. Every day, he would not rest even if he did not dare to complain.


    Along the way they kept changing their clothes and changing their faces, and when they occasionally stopped to take a rest, Helian Ching felt a pain in his buttocks and didn''t even want to bear the saddle anymore.


    During the night, the three of them surrounded a bonfire, roasting the fish that had just split open a layer of ice from a nearby stream. Helian Xiufeng could not help but ask, "Big Brother Crown Prince, can we rest a bit more tonight before leaving?"


    Helian Yu first ignored her with a cold face. After being repeatedly asked twice, he glared at her fiercely. "You still have the nerve to say that? How many people have been looking for us in the open and in the dark. Can''t you feel it? "


    Helian Peng pursed his lips but did not say anything. No matter which prefecture she was in, she would always see a few people with their portraits asking about them everywhere. She paid extra attention to the two men and one woman who were travelling together, and naturally knew that someone was tracking them down as they gradually dwindled in the last two days.


    However, Helian Yu was extremely cautious. He allowed Helian Peng to put on a fake beard and put on men''s clothing, and added height to his shoes. From the looks of it, Helian Yu was just like three martial artists who were worn out from their journey, and no one knew that there was a woman among them.


    "Before we leave the Eastern Abyss, none of us will be safe. This is all thanks to the King Mo that you were thinking about."


    "Don''t think that I don''t know what you have done. Those few women you let go of caused the capital city''s plague to spread in all directions. The Dongyuan Royal Family was in a state of chaos, and a few princes and princesses were mutually plotting against each other ¡­ Have you ever wondered where they came from? Why should I help you? "


    Helian Xianzi stared at him dumbfoundedly. He had never expected that he actually knew so much.

 C325 Escape

    "Don''t think that you''re smart. None of those women are easy to deal with. You think that they are helping you, but in reality, you are only a pawn in their hands. You don''t know their origins, you don''t know their motives, and you even dare to associate with them ¡­ I really don''t know how to write the word death. " Helian Yu sneered repeatedly.


    Helian Xianzi''s face was pale and he did not say anything. After a long while, he finally said with a lack of confidence, "I ¡­" [I am here to help Crown Prince Brother, to stir up trouble ¡­] "The East Abyss is in chaos ¡­"


    "With such a long line of vision, half of the Northern Chu would be yours."


    Helian Peng did not think that these words seemed to approve. He pursed his lips and lowered his head in silence.


    "We are in the capital of Dongyuan City, you planned to cause internal strife among the royal family, and if there were to really be a fight, it would be hard for us to avoid being implicated, maybe we will be the first ones to be suspected of causing internal strife. If I do not leave now, I will be killed by you sooner or later."


    Helian Peng could not say that she had plotted time and time again just to draw the blame onto Gu Qingli. She could only allow Helian Yu to scold her without being able to refute his words.


    The mottled tree shadows lightly swayed. Helian Yu''s gaze coldly watched through the bonfire. He took out a bronze mirror and slowly turned it towards the moonlight, and a strange scene appeared on the surface of the mirror ¡­ The shadow of the tree shook violently.


    Helian Yu suddenly leaped forward, picked up a burning log from the pile of firewood, and without looking back, threw it at the treetops. He twisted his body with his feet, drew the sword from its scabbard, and thrust it straight into the shadows of the trees.


    All around them, people jumped from the treetops and attacked them.


    Helian Shuanghui was caught unawares by a sudden turn of events. He took out her long sword inlaid with gold and jade, panicking in response to the enemy.


    In comparison, Helian Divine Art''s method of killing was more peculiar. The copper mirror in his hand borrowed the reflection of the moonlight. No matter who he looked at, the speed of his attacks would unconsciously slow down.


    There were no less than a dozen people who had launched sneak attacks. Helian Yu''s men didn''t leave any survivors, and Helian Divine Technique swept through everything. Very quickly, more than half of the enemies were eliminated. The rest of them saw that the situation was not looking good, so they pouted their lips and quickly retreated.


    Helian Peng took advantage of the chaos to take care of the only enemy in front of him. He quickly turned his head and saw from the corner of his eyes that she and Gu Qingruo were whispering to each other in the bronze mirror. The scene behind them was the room she lived in at Cheng Yang Inn.


    Helian Peng''s complexion was ashen, because the next words that Gu Qing wanted to say were related to Gu Qingli''s death. If this scene were to be witnessed by Helian Yu, even if they were siblings, she was sure that he would not show mercy.


    It was just that she did not know that this copper mirror belonged to the people of the heart. When everyone looked at it, they would see the secrets in their own hearts, but they would not see everything about others.


    Fortunately, he had put away the copper mirror. He took out a piece of cloth and slowly wiped the bloodstained blade.


    Helian Yu kicked the corpses on the ground and searched them over and over. He didn''t find any clues.


    "Gather the corpses in one place and burn them. We cannot leave behind any future troubles."


    The God of Heaven, Helian, wanted to drag all the corpses to the bonfire, but Helian Yu shook his head and said, "Pack your things and travel through the night. They already had people running away, and saying something about destroying the body was tantamount to hiding their ears and stealing the bells. It would take too long for the corpses to be burned, so it would be better for us to hurry back to the Northern Chu. "


    With a light sigh, he mounted the horse.


    This time, Helian Shuang did not dare to raise any objections, and obediently mounted his horse to gallop on.


    Along the way, they changed a lot of clothes, even twice had to flee separately to reduce the chance of attention.


    When Helian Xiufeng finally stepped into the Northern Frontier of Dongyang Province, he was already exhausted and powerless to carry on. Along the way, he had swapped out a few fine horses, but this one had also used up all its energy. It was frothing at the mouth, and it looked like it was about to die.


    She struggled to get down from the horse and rolled on the grass. In his heart, he thought to himself in despair that he might as well let the pursuers catch his. With his identity, even if Xiao Yixiu found some clues and suspected her, he wouldn''t dare to blatantly kill Princess Beichuan.


    After lying down for a while, he didn''t see anyone catching up to him. Helian Shuang recovered a little bit and forced herself up. Only then did she discover that the half-dead mount had already run away without a trace.


    The northern border was not as prosperous as the central region. The place was cold and impoverished, with large areas filled with evil and danger. The area was a hundred miles wide and desolate, with no place to buy fine horses. However, this made her feel slightly more at ease. In this kind of place, it was easy for one to hide and escape, and it was also not easy for others to find their whereabouts.


    She forced herself to walk for a while, intending to hide in the dense forest ahead. However, she did not know the rules of not entering the martial arts world. The moment she stepped into the forest, the tree shadows swayed, and someone jumped down from the tree and surrounded her.


    Helian Peng turned pale with fright. He pressed his hand on his waist and flicked out his sword. His heart felt as if it had been crushed into ashes. Helian Yu and the Helian Divine Technique had long separated from her and fled. With her strength alone, there was no way she could avoid this chase.


    Seeing the encirclement shrinking and the incoming attacks, Helian Xianzi could only brace himself for the incoming attacks. Before long, his body and legs were covered in swords, and his clothes were stained red with blood.


    Just when she thought that she would die for sure, she heard endless buzzing sounds. She was surprised to find that there were many small flying insects in the forest, forming various colored nebulae. They moved in groups and attacked the people around her, leaving her alone.


    Small red, gold, black, blue, and green insects swarmed at the attackers. Although they did not know where these insects came from, they instinctively felt that something was wrong.


    The small flying bugs were constantly being shot down, but more and more people rushed forward. Soon, all of them were hit, and only sounds of mournful wails could be heard. Soon, all of them fell to the ground, twitching.


    Helian Lie laid dispiritedly on the ground. He could only watch helplessly as the Five-Colored Insects flapped their wings and retreated in groups. He could not help but shiver in his heart.


    A voice that was neither male nor female suddenly resounded from all directions, "Princess Helian, quickly return to your Northern Chu. We can help you to an end here."


    Helian Xianzi could hear the conscious disguise of the other party''s voice. He could not help but ask, "Just who are you people? Why did you save me but not want to show yourself?"


    The voice carried a smile. "There''s no point in asking. It''s enough as long as you remember that you owe us a favor. There will always be a time to repay it in the future."


    "Where is my royal brother and teacher?"


    "Crown Prince Helian and State Grandmaster have already set foot into the Northern Chu Region. You should leave quickly."


    Helian Peng asked again and again. However, the other party''s voice seemed to disappear just like that.


    She had to get up and stumble out of the woods.


    When she came out of the woods, she was pleasantly surprised to find a handsome black horse tied to the wall outside, snorting loudly as it ate the grass. She knew that the other party would definitely give it to her. As she untied the horse and got on it, her heart was completely at a loss, and she suddenly thought back to the incident when she was stung by the ''wild bees'' in the Duke''s Mansion, and her experience when she was infected by the plague in the East Abyss in response to Zhou Zhen''s words. A vague thought rose up in her mind.

 C326 puberty

    After finding an inn, she did not even have the time to pay up. Carrying her sword, she viciously ordered someone to give her a room in the upper house before she dragged her tired steps through the door and fell asleep.


    The shopkeeper had never seen such a wicked guest. His entire body reeked of a sword embedded with gold and jade, but his body was covered in wounds and his clothes were stained with blood. No matter how he looked at it, it did not seem like he was a proper resident, so he quietly ordered some servants to report him to the officials.


    In her dreams, Helian Shuang was woken up by the addition of sword soldiers. A group of officials escorted her to the yamen without even listening to her explanation. In a fiendish manner, they directly escorted her to the yamen. Even if she kept shouting and revealing her identity, no one would believe it.


    Princess Helian had never suffered so much in her life. She stayed in the local yamen prison for more than ten days before someone finally brought her up. They bowed their heads and said that it was the crown prince''s order to bring the princess back.


    Helian Peng flew into a rage as he pointed at that person and yelled, "Burn this prefecture''s yamen to a crisp, then drag out that prefecture official and chop him to death with a knife. Then, whip his corpse to show the crowd!"


    The person replied with a smile as he coaxed her into a horse carriage and brought her back to the capital. As for the despotic and malicious orders given by Helian Shuang, naturally no one would actually carry them out.


    The first person he saw was the elegantly dressed Helian Yu. He was being led by someone to sit on a sedan chair, condescendingly looking down at his unruly royal sister.


    "Is she really a princess?" Helian Yu looked at her lazily and asked casually.


    The palace maid who was leading the way lowered her head and answered with fear.


    Helian Lie angrily kicked her away. He raised his head and looked straight at Helian Yu. "Big Brother Crown Prince, if you didn''t propose that the three of us split up and flee for our lives, would I have fallen to such a state?"


    Helian Yu turned his head to the side and covered his nose. "Royal sister, you should quickly bathe and change clothes before coming here to speak."


    However, his brows were deeply furrowed, and he knew that he was in a miserable state. He could only endure the humiliation and quickly return to his own oriole to have someone wash him and change his clothes.


    In the past few months, she had been on the run, feeling very tired and hungry, so much so that when she lay on her back in the bath barrel, she fell asleep very quickly. Only when the palace maids kept changing the water and scrubbing her clean did she hear a tearful call from outside, "My Yan''er, you''re back ¡­"


    Helian Xianzi woke up in a daze and realized that his mother, Zuo Lian, the number one favorite concubine of the Northern Chu, had arrived.


    She tiredly stood up from the bath barrel, spread her arms, and dressed herself in layers of palace maids before slowly walking out.


    Zuo Lian was waiting anxiously in the main hall. He kept pacing back and forth. When he saw his precious daughter coming out, he wailed and went forward to hug her. "Yan''er, mufei is so worried!"


    "Mother, I''m very well. You don''t have to cry as if I''m already dead."


    Zuo Lian held her face in his hands and looked left and right. His eyes were filled with tears as he cried until his exquisite face was in a mess. "Mufei is just worried about you. I told you not to follow me to the East Abyss. You didn''t listen. How is that a good place ¡­ "Especially someone like Xiao Yixiu ¡­"


    "Alright mufei!" Seeing that he was unable to stop her nagging, Helian Peng suddenly pointed to the door. "Father, you''re here too?"


    Zuo Lianshan abruptly stopped crying and hurriedly wiped his face with a handkerchief. "Your majesty, allow chenqie to go in first and put on some makeup ¡­" |


    He hurriedly ran to the inner room to look for a mirror. His eyebrows were plastered with powder, as if he was afraid that he was not in the least bit considerate.


    Helian Peng knew that this move was the most effective against his mother''s wife. He helplessly sighed, walked in, and said, "Okay okay, he''s gone. Mother, quickly finish your makeup and chase after him, so that he won''t be angry at you for intentionally being rude."


    "Yes, yes. I''ll go now ¡­" Zuo Liangliang carefully looked at his beautiful face before he hurriedly ordered Helian Xianzheng to take good care of him.


    Helian Lie fell weakly on the bed, and his mind remembered the sound of the forest.


    She did not know that Helian Yu had encountered the same thing as her on his way back. However, that mysterious voice had spoken even more and made some unimaginable demands.


    Of course, Helian Yu didn''t need to care about it at all. However, the request the voice made was extremely tempting.


    At this moment, as he recalled that matter, he took out a soul bead from his bosom and gently caressed it.


    Did the soul orb really have a soul? This question had puzzled him for a long time. Every time he was suspicious, he would take it out to have a look. Even if he could see through the bead, he could only see the floating characters inside, nothing else.


    The combinations of those runes were also constantly changing. Although there were no obvious patterns, after looking at them for a long time, he realized that there were only a few combinations, so he tried to transcribe it and wrote down many pieces of paper.


    In the past, the reason why he had escaped from the Northern Chu was because he could not meet the previous emperor''s requirements. He had to defy the heavens and change his fate, and now, even if Helian Yu gave him all his promises, he could not welcome him into the palace.


    From Helian Yu''s point of view, he wanted to hold a sacrificial ceremony in the next moment to revive Gu Qing Li. However, Helian Jin''s ability had many limitations. In addition to the time and place, there was also a need for a sacrificial host body.


    Everything else could be dealt with, but the people who were chosen for the sacrifice, according to the name of the birth date given by Helian''s sacred art, even after searching throughout the entire Northern Chu Country, were still unable to find a suitable girl.


    Helian Yu had blamed him for his harsh demands. However, the divine ability Helian Lie calmly swept his gaze over him. "If these conditions weren''t harsh, I would have already revived the person I wanted to resurrect. Why would you help me?"


    Helian Yu was speechless. Other than searching for the girl with the special birthdate everywhere, he also had to find a suitable carrier for Helian divine ability to revive another person. This caused him to be extremely annoyed.


    What the Helian Divine Art needed was a pure Yang youth, and what Helian Yu needed was a pure Yang girl. He silently fiddled with a wooden bimbo compass in his hand. The black and red shading lines had already become oily after being rubbed by his hands. It was obvious that it had been there for an unknown number of years. The engravings were still clear, the needle slightly swaying, pointing directly north.


    Back then, when he had fled the palace in a panic, he had brought along many mysteries with him. This compass he carried with him had also been lost in the palace, which he had easily obtained from the palace through Helian Yu. He couldn''t help but feel his heart undulate as he recalled the events of the past.


    In order to show his reverence and status, not only did the emperor of the Northern Chu, Helian Yuan Chen, bestow upon him the surname of the country, he even built a quiet hut in the palace for him to stay in order for him to cultivate and refine pills.

 C327 Number One Two

    First, it was the repeated failures in concocting the pill, which resulted in the longevity of Helian Yuan Chen being broken off in a dream and followed the Qi Refining technique to the side, almost causing him to have Qigong deviation. Although he was lucky enough to not die, his skill had been reduced by more than half.


    In the end, the thing that forced him to leave was when he wanted to help Helian Yuan Chen change his fate. The entire cauldron of pills suddenly exploded without reason, causing a fire in the quiet hut.


    The fire in the Imperial Palace was saved in time to avoid such serious consequences, but that night, when the cold weather had frozen all the water in the copper vat, and the world outside heard the youth''s mournful cries, there was nothing to be done but to hurriedly set a firewood to melt the ice. By the time the buckets of water had been poured over, the entire quiet hut was left with rubble, the pillars had collapsed one by one, and all that was found was a piece of charred charcoal.


    When he returned to the palace with the necessary materials to change his fate, Helian''s Divine Powers was forced to kneel in front of the charred building after hearing such grievous news. Only then did he begin to realize that it was his own domination that had led to the divine punishment.


    But right now, it was impossible for him to dismount while riding a tiger. If he did not help Helian Yuan Chen, he would undoubtedly die. Helpless, he tried to find a way to escape the Imperial Palace in the night, but was unable to bring out all his belongings. The boat was made of a rare black sandalwood that was impervious to water and fire. It did not rot after a thousand years and its bright flames were not combustible. It was also placed in a sealed stone box and pressed into the quiet hut.


    Helian Yu did not spend too much effort to obtain this compass. He did not know what its uses were but when he saw Helian divine ability with a face full of cherishment, he could not help but ask.


    The Helian divine ability returned to its senses and said, "This compass can guide me in finding a special person with a unique fate. I can use it to help me locate that person."


    "It has such an effect, why did you let me send people to search for it?"


    "The compass is good, but it can only be used by me. With my strength, I can travel the entire Northern Chu to search for a candidate. I''m afraid the Crown Prince can''t wait."


    Helian Yu thought that this made sense and couldn''t help but feel slightly depressed.


    "Now that this compass is pointing directly to the north, I need to make sure my location. After a few days, tell the Crown Prince the location and narrow down the area."


    Helian Yu''s eyes brightened. He nodded and said, "This is also a method."


    Helian Yu did not stay idle during the days when the divine ability Helian had used the compass to determine the position. He and the Emperor once again bade farewell to each other and left the capital to handle the affairs of the government.


    Without an ultimatum, he took a detour during the night before entering the Eastern Abyss. As he walked, he recalled the dense forest he passed through on his way back.


    "Indeed, Crown Prince Helian kept his word. He actually dared to come alone." A voice that was neither male nor female came from all directions with a smile. It did not sound malicious at all.


    Helian Yu did not speak. He carefully examined the source of the sound and discovered that it was everywhere. Moreover, it reverberated unceasingly between the valleys. It was obvious that it was disturbing people''s hearing.


    "Does Prince Helian want to know where I am? There''s no need to waste your time and energy. " Along with the voice, a palanquin appeared in the sky above the forest and slowly descended like a ghost.


    Helian Yu didn''t look at the palanquin, but raised his head and searched with his eyes. Besides the dense forest which covered the sky with its dense shade, at this moment, it was night time. His vision was greatly affected and he couldn''t see anything. However, based on the path the palanquin had taken when it landed, he was certain that there was a fine steel wire or something like that in the sky that was used to lift objects.


    The palanquin silently landed. Under the moonlight, a deep blue palanquin could be seen, with four corners and tassels, emitting a faint fragrance.


    The curtain of the palanquin was raised, and someone walked out of the palanquin. He was wearing a black cape with a hood covering his body. He looked tall and thin. It was difficult to tell if he was a man or a woman just by his slow steps.


    The man sauntered over, his eyes gleaming in the darkness under the hood, watching him.


    Humans are neither human nor ghost. How can you be so insincere when you want to make a deal with me?" "With a sneer, Helian Yu raised his palm and chopped down with his saber. With a loud crack, a thick tree fell down. Following that, he used his saber to flatten the area around it and sat down.


    That person clapped his hands lightly and laughed: "That''s awesome! "If he is a martial artist, I can only say that I am impressed. Crown Prince Helian, as the crown prince of the Northern Chu, is actually like this, standing above thousands of others. She is truly one of the best in the world."


    Helian Yu, on the other hand, was in a very bad mood as he listened. He leered at Helian Yu and sneered, "One or two of the best isn''t unique. Listening to you, I wonder if I should count one, or count two? "


    "Right now, it''s the top two. If Prince Helian could cooperate with me, I believe he would quickly count as one. At that time, it would be possible to say that he was unique."


    Helian Yu was startled for a moment, then laughed while looking up at the sky. "The person ranked above me, you mentioned, must be Xiao Yi Xiu, right?"


    "Crown Prince Helian is truly a wise man."


    Helian Yu laughed again, but there was no smile on his face. As soon as he stopped laughing, he said coldly, "You''re wrong. If Xiao Yi Xiu died, it would be your master''s turn to be number one. I would still be number two."


    The man was silent. After a while, he tilted his head and asked curiously, "Why did the Crown Prince guess that it was my master and not me?"


    "I''ve never heard of a eunuch becoming one of the top figures in the world." Helian Yu''s words were ruthless and merciless, not leaving the other party any leeway.


    If you could see the man''s face, it must have been greener than the moon, so you couldn''t hear him for a long time.


    "What? Do you find my words unpleasant? Then let your master talk to me, what reason would there be for a servant to negotiate a deal? "


    That person''s tone returned to normal, but it sounded dull, as if he had lost the mysterious sense of teasing, "It''s not that my master doesn''t want to come, it''s just that he can''t come. Rest assured, without Xiao Yi Xiu, no one will be able to compete with the crown prince for the honor of being number one in the world. "


    "I believe you. "However, without Xiao Yi Xiu, it would be boring ¡­"


    "Isn''t the Crown Prince''s only wish in life to conquer him?"


    Helian Yu was silent for a moment, as if he had suddenly changed his mind. He nodded his head, "Fine, I agree to cooperate with you. However, in addition to the conditions you give me, there is something else I want to ask you. You must answer truthfully."


    That person was stunned for a moment before smiling, "Alright, the crown prince just needs to ask."


    "The plague in Dongyuan capital city was spread by you, right?"


    "Hehe, that was something your little sister Princess Helian did." That person knew how to avoid important matters.


    He had already obtained the answer he wanted to give. He then asked, "Your intention was to bring chaos to the Dongyuan Imperial Court. It would be best if the Imperial City changed troops, and your brothers were maiming each other. The entire capital is in chaos?"


    "This is actually the conclusion that Prince Helian wants to see even more."

 C328 twin brother and sister

    Helian Yu smiled lightly. "According to what I know, the matter of raising the Gu goes back more than ten years. Furthermore, your real base of operations is Anyang, isn''t it?"


    "How many questions has Crown Prince Helian asked?"


    "No matter how many questions I ask, you didn''t answer them properly, so I have the right to continue to ask until you have answered one that is satisfactory."


    That person didn''t expect Helian Yu to be so troublesome. After a moment of silence, he said, "Okay, please continue asking."


    "The death of Princess Mo actually has something to do with you, right? Her Jing and Mai were broken, but it wasn''t because she committed suicide, but because of the Gu? Although I do not have any solid proof, other than your mysterious Gu worms, what else could cause such a strange death? "


    "Yes, she died due to the Emperor Gu losing control." That person suddenly retreated quickly. His body was like a ghost. In the blink of an eye, he had arrived beside the sedan.


    "I have already answered all that I should not. I hope that the Crown Prince will keep his word."


    "No one would go back on their word when there''s something good to be done."


    Just as he was about to leave the forest, he heard that person chuckle from behind him, "The crown prince seems very interested in the death of Princess Mo. He wants to give you a favor ¡ª your little sister doesn''t like the existence of Princess Mo, so she sought our help to kill her."


    Helian Yu''s entire body trembled. He suddenly turned around and sternly shouted, "If I don''t agree to your cooperation conditions by coming here today, do you plan to seek cooperation with Helian Hua?"


    "..." "Hehe." That person disappeared in the palanquin. The palanquin rose up into the air, and soon disappeared.


    Helian Yu heavily smashed his palm against a nearby tree trunk, causing the branches and leaves to fall off one after another. After a short while, the tree trunk issued an ear-piercing cracking sound before falling to the ground. In his heart, he was extremely furious. He wished that he could immediately kill Helian Shuang who was like a tree trunk with his palm.


    He gradually began to understand this person''s intentions.


    Helian Shuang may have been a woman, but her birth mother, Imperial Consort Zuo, was the current number one concubine, giving birth to a pair of twin siblings. Helian Zhenren was born with an overbearing disposition, looking down on everyone else, and it was precisely because his mother was favoured that he was able to run rampant in the Northern Chu Country.


    Her little brother, Helian Meng, had a somewhat different personality from her. He appeared to be very feminine and had been very intelligent since he was a child. He was also deeply favored by Helian Yuan Chen. It was just that Helian Yu''s prestige in the country was too high. No one dared to fight for the sake of saving him. Thus, under his light, Helian Meng appeared somewhat insignificant.


    However, there were very few sons of Helian Yuan Chen, and only these two were outstanding princes. If Helian Yu lost his power in the imperial court, Helian Meng would undoubtedly be the one holding the throne.


    That was the reason why the powers behind these mysterious Gu breeders were so keen on getting along with Helian Xiufeng. Not only did they pick her up in the East Lake, they even got rid of Gu Qingli, who was in trouble for her. Taking a step back, if they could not obtain Helian Yu''s promise and instead joined hands with Helian Xianfeng, it might not be impossible to drag the Crown Prince of the Northern Chu Country down. After all, this had caused a disaster for the Xiao Clan; no one could predict what would happen to the internal strife of the Helian Clan.


    Thinking about it further, Helian Xianzi was actually just a pawn for them. She had always wanted Xiaoyu and not Dongyuan, but the other party ¡­ If his guess was not wrong, what he wanted was the world of the East Abyss. After all, they had to eliminate Xiao Yi Xiu first in order to obtain the Eastwoods sect. How could they be willing to hand a living Xiao Yi Xiu over to Helian Peng and allow the Northern Chu forces to become Xiao Yi''s backup?


    With Helian Xianzi as a witness, Helian Yu thought this through clearly. The other party had no intention of cooperating with him, but they wanted to use the power of the Northern Chu to achieve their own goals. After this was done, they would probably cross the bridge!


    He took a deep breath, strode out of the forest, and hurried his horse back to the capital.


    The journey had taken quite a bit of time, and the results of the test had already been determined.


    Helian Yu saw the strange expression on Li Yao''s face, as if there was something hard to explain as he stared at Li Yao doubtfully.


    "I repeatedly used the compass to confirm that the person I needed was in the Imperial City."


    Helian Yu was also somewhat surprised. "Within the Imperial City?" He pondered for a moment. The number of palace maids in the Royal Capital was indeed not small, and the possibility of their existence was extremely high.


    "Both."


    "Two?" Helian Yu blurted out in surprise. Could it be that Helian Divine Art''s ability, which he had been wandering in the Eastern Abyss for so many years, was actually located in the Northern Chu Palace? Then he was completely wrong when he left the Northern Chu.


    "Does His Highness know what this means?"


    Helian Yu shook his head. He just felt that it was an inexplicable coincidence. For a moment, he couldn''t recover from his shock.


    "There are many women in the palace. It wouldn''t be strange if there was a young woman of the utmost beauty, but at the same time, there is also a young man of the utmost beauty ¡­" Has the crown prince ever thought about how many men there are in the palace? "


    Helian Yu was shocked. He quickly thought about it as a shocking thought surfaced in his mind. They were both extremely positive, and there was even a young man and a young woman. Didn''t this mean that these two were born on the same day? Who else could it be other than Helian Peng and Helian Meng?


    "How dare you!" You want me to use my own blood sister''s life as an offering? "


    Helian Zong lowered his eyes in silence. His expression was extremely cold, but there was an unknowable sense of steadiness and indifference.


    Helian Yu thought for a moment and felt that something was amiss. "I remember that they were born in the year C and Yinyin, but they weren''t born in the sun and the sun, right?"


    "The compass will not make a mistake. If the two of them are not destined to be people, then it will be someone else, but I need a youth of the utmost Yang. If there are eunuchs who are in line with the eight words, the compass will definitely not point to the Imperial Palace."


    "Alright, I''ll go investigate." Helian Yu hesitated for a moment before asking, "If it really is the two of them, is there no one that can replace them?"


    According to the¡¶ Life Arts¡·, the more ''Yang'' a person has, the greater his life is. Only the most ''Yang'' can carry the soul of the Yin, and the others cannot afford it. Among the twelve cycles of the Heavenly Karma Thread and the Earthly Branch, four pillars are based on Yin and Yang, two of them are Yang, and three of them are Yang. It would be hard to find one in sixty years even if you met one for all sixty years, which is to say that one Yang is so rare that you want me to find someone else to replace it? "If it''s that easy, how come I haven''t been able to find a suitable host body to use in all these years?"


    After Helian Yu left, Helian divine ability stared at that direction with a heavy gaze until his figure disappeared. Helian Yu''s temperament was cold and ruthless, but it was probably not so cruel that he could even sacrifice his own siblings for the sake of reviving a woman.


    But Helian divine abilities were different. To him, the imperial clan of Helian had no feelings whatsoever. In order to resurrect his only son, he was willing to do anything.

 C329 mausoleum keeper(1)

    After Helian Yu returned to the East Palace, he pondered for a moment. Suddenly, he thought of the illusion Helian Divine Technique had shown him. After that, when he once again requested for the Helian Divine Art to use the Three Lives Wheel, he was rejected. After that, when he once again requested for the Three Lives Wheel, he was rejected.


    Although his mother, Imperial Concubine Yu, had died of a postpartum illness, he had a vague feeling that things weren''t that simple. Helian Yuan Chen''s love for her went from a long illness to a long illness, but in reality, it had only been a few short months.


    Imperial Concubine Wu Yu had once instructed a palace maid to do something before her death. What was she planning to do?


    Previously, he had been troubled by Gu Qingli''s death, but now that he thought about it, his grief overshadowed everything. Now that he thought about it, he faintly felt that there was a conspiracy behind her birth mother''s death.


    He thought hard and caught a few words from the memory fragments: Qingyang Palace, Jingnan, Imperial Consort ¡­


    The Northern Chu Emperor only had two imperial concubines. One was his mother, whom he had buried. Before she died, she was bestowed with a title. The other was Helian Shuang''s mother, Zuo Lianji.


    Helian Yu had never seen his own mother before. Having been raised by the Queen Ma since childhood, he was extremely affectionate and considerate towards him on the surface. However, he could feel that behind that fake smile was actually an ice-cold watchfulness and vigilance.


    As the eldest son of the Emperor, he had always excelled in both martial arts and literature. Naturally, the Northern Chu Emperor doted on him, but since he was born and raised in the Eastern Palace, he treated him like a king and doted on him less.


    Even though his status was honorable, Helian Yu still felt that he had grown up in the ice-cold palace that lacked warmth. He had developed a personality that was cold and indifferent to anyone, and he also didn''t want to get to know his birth mother too much.


    After seeing the scene in the illusion, he began to imagine what his birth mother looked like. Perhaps she was still alive, like all the other mothers in the world.


    Helian Yu suddenly realized something. His mother and Zuo Lian''s buckwheat looked very similar. Could it be that Zuo Lian''s love for him was due to his mother''s resemblance? However, he clearly remembered that before Imperial Concubine Yu died, she had been bedridden and his father had been very perfunctory towards her. He had not been as joyous or fond of her as when he first met her.


    Could it be that this unforeseen event was only caused by Imperial Concubine Yu being bedridden for many years and not being able to sleep with her? If it were just for this reason alone, it wouldn''t have been possible for her to have been like him for more than a decade.


    Helian Yu could not figure it out, so he thought of another key figure ¡ª ¡ª Jing Nan.


    According to the rules, the mother who had served him closely all those years ago should have been of quite high rank amongst the maids. However, he had never seen her in all these years. Could she have been released from the palace at her age?


    It wasn''t difficult to find a palace maid. Helian Yu randomly asked a few older palace maids and found that they were either shaking their heads in confusion or that they didn''t remember.


    After that, a middle-aged palace maid thought about it and told him that Imperial Concubine Yu had only entered the palace for a short period of time, and that she had favoured the crown prince the moment she entered the palace. After that, a middle-aged palace maid thought about it and told him that Imperial Concubine Yu had only entered the palace for a short period of time.


    It was a very simple matter. All the palace maids who followed the normal route to leave the palace would be recorded in the Chief Officer''s office. However, this palace maid only had records of entry but no records of exit.


    The only possibility left was to go to the mausoleum?


    The Northern Chu had long since abolished the funeral system for the living, but to become a mausoleum watcher was actually a punishment. A living person could never be free in this life. Standing alone in the Royal Tomb and dying alone, this was a place that the wrongdoers of the Royal Tomb would never leave.


    Helian Yu wanted to know the truth of the matter as soon as possible, so he personally left the palace and made a trip to the Royal Tomb.


    The entire inner city of the Royal Tomb stretched for more than ten miles, and the mausoleum garden was built with over a hundred rooms. Other than the mausoleum guards, there were also over a hundred mausoleum watchers.


    The royal family would not come to the Royal Tomb other than the day of sacrifice and the coffin. Helian Yu''s arrival caused quite a commotion. The mausoleum guards and the captain of the guards anxiously came out to greet him, afraid that there was something amiss.


    When Helian Yu saw their uneasy expressions, he cut to the chase and asked directly. The mausoleum warden had brought the register to point out the correct ones, but there was no one called Jing Nan.


    Helian Yu felt even more baffled. He thought to himself, it''s just a palace maid, why can''t I find out anything about her?


    He originally wanted to leave just like that, but he also thought that since he had come once, the mausoleum guard would bring him to pay his respects to Imperial Concubine Yu''s mausoleum.


    Walking along the long tunnel, the mausoleum official pointed to a distant mausoleum. "This is the mausoleum of Imperial Concubine Yu. She was doted upon by the Emperor when she was alive, and the tomb behind her is the most luxurious of the imperial concubines."


    Helian Yu thought to himself, the rank of Imperial Consort Wu Yu is the highest among the deceased concubines in this dynasty, this has nothing to do with love. However, the mausoleum official had a flattering look on his face. He was too lazy to thank the mausoleum official, so he just sent the mausoleum official back, continuing along the tomb path.


    The Feiling Mausoleum''s scale was usually not too big, it did not have a city wall or a high-rise, only a palace building on the ground. Twenty years of glory was enough to fade away its past splendor and splendor, even though it did not look dilapidated, it still carried an old atmosphere.


    The carvings on the well were dark and the doors were locked, except for the main hall.


    As he pushed open the door, the offerings on the altar were still fresh. The memorial tablet was neatly placed there, and even if he approached, there wasn''t even a speck of dust.


    Helian Yu touched the wooden tablet. He didn''t have a particularly intimate feeling. Instead, he repeatedly recalled the scene in the illusion. He had no memories of his birth mother, except for a little curiosity and desire. In fact, he did not miss her, but when he thought of the vague concept of a birth mother, he always felt that he was different from others.


    He tried to wipe up the wooden tablet, but it did not budge. Surprised, he used a bit more strength.


    With the strength in his hand, even though it was only a light lift, it was at least a hundred kilograms. How could he not be able to lift a tablet? Subconsciously, he stopped frowning and turned the tablet around. Finally, he heard the sound of the organic spring turning.


    Helian Yu looked around. Finally, he saw a square black hole on the ground of the rear hall. At a glance, he could not see the bottom.


    He frowned as he thought that perhaps he had accidentally touched a mechanism and opened the door to the underground palace. However, the entrance to the underground palace was right inside the palace, which was also very unexpected.


    He took a candlestick from the altar and lit it, but it was too deep for him to see. He took a fruit from the altar table and threw it down. The echo was about a foot or two high, and he thought for a moment before he jumped.


    Before he walked much further, he heard the sound of a machine spring turning above him, and the entrance closed itself again.


    He reacted quickly and threw the knife on his body, which was placed horizontally between the splints on both sides of his body. He looked up, and after a moment''s hesitation decided to go down again. After all, his curiosity to know the truth was greater than his concern for his own safety.

 C330 mausoleum keeper(2)

    Although the underground palace had a turbid and sealed smell, the air was still considered normal. No one knew where the ventilation holes would be left in the air, otherwise the underground palace that had been closed for 20 years would sometimes cause harm to the human body, even the candle flame couldn''t burn so vigorously.


    He walked along the winding catacombs in the underground palace. After passing through several tombs, he arrived at a large stone chamber. In the middle of the chamber was a coffin made of Golden Silk Sauna, which was placed there.


    The surrounding burial items also seemed to fit perfectly. Apart from this, there was nothing else out of the ordinary.


    Helian Yu stood in front of the coffin in silence for a while. Then, he slowly kneeled down and kowtowed three times. Then, he stood up and did a seemingly outrageous action.


    He stood on the stone platform where the coffin was placed, stretched out both arms, and pushed aside the outer layer of mahogany.


    "Hiss ¡­" "Hiss ¡­" A strange sound that sounded like the hissing of a snake and the rubbing of fabric sounded especially terrifying in the deathly silence of the tomb. If not for Helian Yu''s excellent hearing, he probably wouldn''t have been able to recognize this sound.


    He turned around to find that the place was empty and quiet. There was nothing unusual about the candlestick that he had lit on the stone table in the corner.


    He paused, reached for the lid again, and heard the hissing again.


    "You think I''m afraid of you just because you''re acting like a ghost in a tomb?" Helian Yu sneered and turned his head to look at the entrance of the tomb. It was still empty.


    The main entrance of the tomb chamber seemed to be open to the outside world, with two side rooms on each side. No matter which direction one entered from, one would be able to see everything clearly. As far as the eye could see, in a stone room with a radius of only a few meters, not even a cat or dog could be seen, much less a human.


    Just as Helian Yu wanted to ignore him and continue opening the coffin, he suddenly jumped off the stone platform. He walked forward a few steps and bent down. He slowly picked up a long black filament from the ground.


    The black silk was long and thin. He twisted it over and over again to confirm that it was a hair. It broke off when he gently pulled. It was impossible to tell if it was a man or a woman just by looking at its length.


    Helian Yu suddenly recalled some of the secrets passed down through the mouths of the people ¡ª the imperial mausoleum was usually built from the time when the emperor was still very young, and it often took decades to form. During this period of time, many craftsmen would never be able to return. In the end, in order to ensure the safety of the Emperor Tomb''s various secret mechanisms, the remaining craftsmen would be sealed alive in the tombstone.


    As he was thinking, he felt a slight itch on the back of his neck, and a gust of cold air rushed up his back, freezing him for a long time. That feeling not only did it not disappear, it became even more obvious, as if there was soft hair rubbing against the side of his neck, and someone was even breathing in and out ¡­


    The shadow of the candle on the stone platform swayed a few times. It was unknown where the wind was blowing, but it was swaying so gently that it seemed like it was about to be extinguished.


    When the candle was about to be extinguished, Helian Yu suddenly raised his head and saw half a woman''s body stuck to the ceiling of the stone chamber. When the candle was about to be extinguished, Helian Yu suddenly raised his head and saw half a woman''s body pasted to the ceiling of the stone chamber.


    "Who?" Before Helian Yu could clearly see that snow-white face, the candle flame had already been extinguished. He could only rely on his memory''s location to swiftly reach for it.


    With his speed, he should have been able to grasp the long hair in his hands, but he only managed to grab onto air. The feeling of the soft hair brushing against the back of his hand slowly grew, but it was not soft, it was icy cold.


    Helian Yu turned around and a breath of cold air rushed at him. It carried a slightly rotten smell, and a sweet and slightly fishy fragrance caused him to feel dizzy.


    When he noticed this, he immediately held his breath and sneered in his heart. The other party had been in a hurry to put him down, thus exposing his location. He only needed to extend his hand to feel a cold object, and he held it tightly in his palm.


    The other party cried out in pain.


    Helian Yu''s hand tightened, like a metal hoop, causing the other party to be unable to move. Through his touch, Helian Yu''s hand became aware that it should be a section of an arm, gaunt and stiff, without the slightest feeling of a woman''s warmth.


    He let out a breath and his other hand quickly lit up the fire. He shone it on the woman''s face; it was indeed a woman with white clothes and black hair. Her face was almost the same color as her clothes.


    Helian Yu forcefully dragged her toward the candlestick, focusing on the candles.


    The woman in white still had her eyes closed. Her long white robe fell to the ground, making her look a bit weird. She seemed to be unable to walk normally, as if she was a mollusk sliding on the ground.


    If one looked carefully at her face, it should be a human face, but it was too pale and bloodless, thin to the point that even her cheeks were slightly sunken. Originally, her facial features should be delicate and beautiful, but now she looked like a mournful ghost female.


    "Who are you? "Don''t tell me you''re not human." As soon as he opened his mouth, Helian Yu could not help but inhale a little of that rotten aroma. He felt even more dizzy.


    The woman squinted at him with a smirk on her face.


    "It''s useless even if you don''t speak. I believe that you are still alive, and I, will be able to kill you before I faint."


    With these words, Helian Yu had already pulled out his dagger from his boot and placed it on her neck. With just a bit of force, a trace of blood appeared.


    As expected of a human, it was impossible for a zombie or female ghost to bleed.


    The woman still did not answer, as if she was not afraid of death.


    "Actually, you are afraid of death. You have waited here for so many years, yet you did not survive. If you did not want to leave this place alive, it was to protect some secret. If you died, then everything would vanish."


    Helian Yu was not a talkative person to begin with, but he felt that he could faint at any time. He could only speak quickly in order to move the woman in the shortest amount of time. "No matter how powerful he was, he couldn''t hold his breath for a long time. The air was filled with a fragrance that didn''t seem to belong to a woman. She seemed to have adapted well to it, but he didn''t.


    As expected, the woman moved. The initial stiffness in her eyes changed to a slight fluctuation. Clearly, Helian Yu''s words had caught her thoughts.


    "You four ¡­ "Who?" She finally spoke with difficulty. Perhaps she had not communicated with anyone for many years, but it was difficult for her to speak. She could not even be allowed to chomp on the words.


    "I am the Crown Prince of the Northern Chu, Helian Yu. The person in this sarcophagus should be Imperial Concubine Wu Yu, my birth mother. "


    The woman''s pupils suddenly contracted. Ignoring the bright candlelight, she tried her best to open her eyes wide and look at him. Suddenly, tears began to fall from her eyes. Her eyes seemed to be filled with joy and warmth.


    Helian Yu did not expect her to cry. He only wanted to guess at her identity after thinking about it, "You are ¡­" "Jing Nan?" He slowly withdrew his dagger.

 C331 mausoleum keeper(3)

    The woman repeatedly nodded her head, "Four ¡­ I... "No, servant ¡­" She thought of something and took out a pearl from her bosom. It was round and pitch-black, and it was forced into Helian Yu''s mouth.


    He was caught off guard and put the bead into his mouth. He smelled a fishy stench and immediately felt nauseous. Just as he was about to spit it out, the woman shook her head at him. He hesitated for a moment and the bead quickly melted in his mouth.


    This time, it was impossible for him to vomit. Helian Yu could only swallow it with an ashen face. Thinking back, he really wanted to vomit, but the dizziness followed and disappeared.


    "Servant Four ¡­" Man, not four ¡­ "Ghost."


    Jing Nan explained to him with great difficulty for a long time, and he almost understood what happened to her that year.


    Before Imperial Concubine Yu''s mausoleum closed up, Jing Nan was grabbed and forced down the mausoleum path, breaking both her legs. She crawled around, looking for an exit, and finally found a vent, but it was only the size of a peephole.


    The ancient tunnel usually did not leave any air vents. This could have been the exit that the craftsmen had left for him to escape from. It was built extremely well hidden, but eventually it was discovered and sealed with molten iron.


    The shape of the iron water flowing in was the same as the escape gate, it was also made of earth, so after digging with all her might, they could finally reach the stone wall structure of the tomb. Jing Nan could only look at the small air vent in despair.


    Reluctantly, she climbed back into the tomb to find whatever she could, removed the lamp, and lit the long wick outside the vent in the night, holding back the smoke and coughing, hoping that someone in the dark would see the light and get her out.


    Actually, it was very risky at that time. Not only could it not attract the person who saved her, it could even lead to the person who silenced her.


    However, her luck was not bad, and she attracted an old palace maid, who was also the Mausoleum Guard who was left behind in the mausoleum that year. She could not go out in the mausoleum for a whole thirty years, and seeing that she was about to die of old age, she suddenly discovered the abnormality outside the mausoleum, so she started to chat with Jing Nan.


    The old palace maid sympathized with her plight. Every night on duty, she would bring some small pieces of food and water with her from the air vent. Sometimes, she could also send some medicine down, but she was unable to expand the air vent to save her.


    Jing Nan''s legs were crippled, she learned how to crawl along the ground and walls like a snake, and was very familiar with the inner structure of the underground palace. She found that the tomb chamber could only be opened from the outside, and there was no way out.


    The old palace maid grew older and older. He was sometimes sick these years, so he could not bring food over on time. As a result, the amount of food stored in his body became fewer and fewer. The most recent time, she hadn''t come for more than twenty days. When Jingnan despairingly thought that he was about to die, Helian Yu barged into the tomb chamber.


    She instinctively thought that this foreigner had come in because he was uneasy and had good intentions. The corpse fragrance he had created with his own cooking technique not only had a dizzying effect, but it could also kill people over time. The antidote she had forced Helian Yu to swallow just now was the antidote.


    "In that case, what secret are you guarding?"


    Jing Nan was silent for a while, and on her expressionless face, there was also a trace of trembling fear.


    "Imperial Concubine ¡­" "He was killed by someone ¡­"


    Following Jingnan''s narration, Helian Yu finally pushed open the lid of the inner coffin, revealing Imperial Concubine Yu''s corpse.


    Helian Yu was twenty-three years old. His birth mother had been dead for twenty-two years, but the corpse inside the coffin was vivid and lifelike, as if it were a cloud of black hair tied high in a bun. It was filled with precious pearl jade hairpins, and his hands were folded in front of his chest.


    That female corpse looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, beautiful beyond belief. Although her face was a little thin, her makeup was extremely exquisite, and did not destroy her sense of beauty. Although today''s Imperial Consort Zuo was similar to her, she was actually not as beautiful as her.


    "This corpse ¡­" Relying on the protection of the Face Pearl? "


    "What Face Setting Bead? They''re all lies." Jing Nan smiled coldly, "Have you heard of the Frigid Eating Powder?"


    Helian Yu shook his head.


    "The Frigid Eating Powder contains a large amount of cinnabar and mercury. These are all things that Daoists use to concoct pills. It is said that consuming them over a long period of time will cause one''s skin to turn white and their complexion to change. Imperial Concubine has been taking this pill since before she was alive ¡­ "


    "Wait, you said that Taoist concocted pills?"


    "Yeah."


    Helian Yu suddenly thought of the explosion of his Helian divine ability''s pill furnace and shivered. Could it be that the pill that Imperial Concubine Yu had consumed was the pill he had refined? It was no wonder that the Helian Divine Art had used all sorts of excuses to refuse to allow him to use the Three Lives Wheel the first time he used it.


    Jing Nan looked at him with suspicion and continued, "Red Sand and Mercury are both poisonous substances. If consumed for a long period of time, it can cause one''s death. These two things could make a dead body as beautiful as it was when it was alive, but what was the use of being beautiful? "Look at her ¡­"


    "Who told her that the Frostbite Powder had the ability to retain one''s looks?"


    Jing Nan lowered her head and didn''t speak.


    "Who?" Helian Yu suddenly raised his voice and shouted sternly.


    "Don''t ask. Telling you about this matter is useless."


    "If you don''t say it, I will still kill you immediately!" Helian Yu once again raised his dagger and placed it across her neck, showing no mercy.


    Jing Nan raised her head slightly and looked at him, letting the blood on her neck flow down the wound. But her expression was extremely calm: "Your Highness, you should be the crown prince, right? The Emperor promised Imperial Consort Wu Yu that he would grant you the title of crown prince. "You truly look like your father, and are also as heartless and heartless as him. This is also very good, so you wouldn''t be like your mother, weak, kind, and easily harmed by others ¡­"


    Two streams of clear tears rolled down her pale and thin cheeks. A trace of a smile appeared on her long expressionless face. On the contrary, it seemed somewhat stiff.


    Helian Yu''s heart was like a stone to begin with. But when he saw the gentleness and sadness in Jing Nan''s eyes, he slowly put down his blade for some reason. This woman was willing to die to protect her mother''s coffin. Her loyalty to the heaven and earth could be seen from this. The reason she wasn''t willing to speak was definitely to protect him.


    "Even if you didn''t say anything, I''d still be able to find out for myself."


    Jing Nan shook his head: "Don''t go after it, don''t. Your Highness, Imperial Concubine Yu already knew why she died from the poison when she was still alive, but she still took the poison. She only wanted to protect you from further harm.


    She could not help but resent the fact that her mother was not fighting for her son''s life. Perhaps she thought that her death could be exchanged for her son''s life of peace, or perhaps even wealth and wealth due to imperial authority. However, she did not think about how a child without a mother could grow up in such a gloomy place like the Imperial Palace.

 C332 mausoleum keeper(4)

    Jing Nan seemed to understand what he was thinking, and smiled sadly, "Your mother, Yu Chuan, is only a beautiful and gentle woman, she has no background other than beauty and gentleness. She comes from a humble background, and doesn''t have any power to rely on, and she isn''t someone who can be spoiled with authority, even if she has a whole body of pet love she never thought of harming anyone, but before she died, she thought it through a bit, she didn''t hurt anyone, and someone wanted to harm her."


    Helian Yu silently looked at the woman in the coffin. He thought that she knew about it too late, and even if she knew, she would only be able to softly accept it.


    "But she is not as scheming and rebellious as you think. Before she died, she sent a servant to do something that will ensure the safety of your entire life. "


    Helian Yu came back to his senses. His gaze shifted from the female corpse in the coffin to Jingnan, puzzled. Imperial Concubine Yu was so delicate, and she was a dying person. What could she do to protect him? He couldn''t help but think of the words that Imperial Concubine Yu had said to Jing Nan before she passed away. Could it be that she wanted her to do something to protect him?


    "This servant asked State Grandmaster Helian''s Divine Art at that time to refine a medicinal pill and mix it with the medicinal pills to extend the emperor''s lifespan. In reality, this is to ensure that the emperor will never again impregnate women. "At that time, you were the only healthy prince in the emperor''s life. If he didn''t have another prince in his life, he would have thought of you as as as as important as his life and wouldn''t have let anyone harm you ¡­"


    It was no wonder that Helian Yuan was so thin. Other than his sisters, there was only a royal brother who was born disabled and a royal brother who died when he was a minor. But that was not right ¡ª in terms of age, he still had two royal sisters, Helian Peng and Helian Meng, who were twins.


    One was the same age as him, the other was one year younger, but both were actually only a few months younger. If the two concubines were already pregnant when Jing Nan poisoned them, then where did Helian Feng and Helian Meng, who were four years younger than him, come from?


    He remained in a daze for a long time, until Jing Nan shook his shoulder, and then came to her senses. "Are you sure that the elixir concocted by Helian Divine Art can be used?"


    "How can a pill concocted by an Imperial Advisor be ineffective?" Furthermore, from the time I poisoned her to her death, to the time her coffin was placed outside the Feiling Mausoleum and buried, a year had passed. During that time, other than the two concubines who were already pregnant and gave birth to the two princesses, I have not heard from any other concubine in the palace about the good news. "


    Jing Nan, as a mausoleum watcher, had been waiting for the Fei mausoleum to be completed and sealed. She had lived in the Royal Tomb for close to a year, so the news from the palace could naturally reach her ears.


    "However, a few years after you fell into the Mausoleum of Books, royal father accepted a woman who looked very similar to my mother concubine. She gave birth to twin sisters for royal father, which was deeply doted upon by royal father and also received the title of imperial concubine."


    "How is this possible!" Jing Nan''s eyes were wide open as she shook her head in disbelief: "The State Grandmaster won''t make a mistake, unless... That pair of brother and sister are not the emperor''s children at all! "


    Helian Yu was startled. He had never thought of this possibility.


    "Did the Emperor have any other children besides them?"


    "No!"


    When the Northern Chu Emperor Helian Chen gave birth to the Helian brothers and sisters, she was thirty-five years old. It was unbelievable to say that a man could never have children in his prime, but no matter how widely he accepted his concubines, he could never get them pregnant.


    At the time, he had the impression that infertility was a woman''s responsibility, not to mention that Helian Yuan Chen had many children before him, so the imperial physician naturally didn''t think much of him.


    In the end, Helian Yuan Chen had doubts in his heart. He asked many people for medical help to confirm that the problem was him, but no royal physician could solve his problem.


    "Do the siblings the crown prince was talking about look like the emperor?"


    Although it didn''t look like it, it couldn''t be used to deduce whether it was his biological father''s evidence. However, if Helian Yuan Chen was really poisoned to the point where he could no longer impregnate girls, then Helian Feng and his sister''s birth would be extremely suspicious.


    Helian Yu looked at Jingnan solemnly and slowly shook his head.


    Jing Nan sighed and looked at him with understanding eyes, knowing that he was starting to be suspicious too.


    "Right, who sealed you in the mausoleum?"


    "This servant is also not clear about this matter. I only know that someone pushed me down from behind ¡­" She thought for a moment and shook her head. This matter was no longer important. She already had the thought of dying, and did not care about her own life or death. She just wanted to keep this secret and wait for the person she wanted to wait for.


    "I''ll take you out."


    Jing Nan shook her head nervously: "No no, this servant is already used to living in the tomb, or should I just peacefully die here, the outside world is actually more dangerous than here, if this servant follows the crown prince back to the palace, I''m afraid it will become your burden instead."


    At the very least, he had yet to find the person who killed Jingnan. With his status, it was not certain that he would be able to protect her, so it would be better for him to let her stay here. Everyone would think that it was safer for her to die.


    "Then you can stay here peacefully. I''ll take you out after I''ve checked everything and confirmed that you''re safe."


    Jing Nan smiled bitterly, then shook her head and said: "If you have the kindness, then help me greet the old palace maid who has taken care of me for the past twenty years. If you have the chance, bring me some food."


    Helian Yu agreed and went back the same way he came. Jing Nan followed him silently.


    He unexpectedly discovered that her movements were like a snake. Although she couldn''t walk, she was abnormally agile and her movements weren''t slow.


    "How did you do that when you hung me upside down from the ceiling to threaten me?"


    "This matter is not worth a single cent. On the roof of the stone chamber, there are intersecting mechanisms. This servant''s upper body is sticking out, but his lower body is still in the secret passageway. If the light is dim, you will not be able to see it."


    Helian Yu nodded. Just as she was about to exit the room, he suddenly turned around and asked her, "You''re just a maid. How can you force the Imperial Advisor to refine pills to poison you?"


    Jing Nan shuddered. In the dim light, her face seemed even paler.


    After a long while, she whispered, "Between men and women, what else is there to trade?"


    At that time, Helian Divine Technique should have also been young, so it was normal for him to be moved when facing a beauty that could not be found anywhere in the palace. It was rare for someone to dare to throw themselves into his arms; it was truly disrespectful.


    "You ¡­ You''ve never done anything else for him? "


    "..." "No."


    Helian Yu saw her hesitation and asked again, "Really?"


    Jing Nan hesitated for a long time before saying softly, "After that, I was careless ¡­" "I''ve dealt with him many times. There will always be times when I''m careless ¡­"


    "You gave birth to that child?"

 C333 mausoleum keeper(5)

    Jing Nan wordlessly nodded her head. For this reason, she had no choice but to ask to guard the mausoleum, hide in the sparsely populated Royal Tomb, and do rough work with great difficulty and care, not interacting with others, until she secretly gave birth.


    At that time, he could also be considered to be resourceful. Not only did he entrust someone to take care of her in the Royal Tomb, he even hid this matter completely and took the child out of the tomb.


    It was just that he had promised to call her out of the Royal Tomb, yet he had failed.


    "Have you ever thought that it might be the Helian Divine Art that wanted to kill us to keep our mouths shut?"


    Jing Nan thought for a moment, then shook her head: "I don''t think it was him, but if he wanted to kill me, why would he waste so much effort to sneak attack me from behind?"


    Helian Yu thought about it, if Helian Divine Art wanted to kill someone, it could be done in a variety of ways. Ordinary palace maids like Jing Nan would die even if they hit ten people with one palm.


    "Does the Helian Art have any other children?"


    Should... "No, he''s not a particularly amorous person, and I''ve never heard of him having a family." There was a hint of sadness in Jing Nan''s eyes. Perhaps she was thinking of her own child, or perhaps she was somewhat disappointed by Helian''s powers.


    Helian Yu opened his mouth. He thought of something, but in the end, he did not say it. He silently walked to the entrance, jumped up, retrieved his long blade, and watched as the entrance clicked shut.


    He wondered, if Jing Nan knew that his child was being burned alive, would she be so sad and desperate that she would go crazy? Although she hadn''t asked anything about the child, he could tell from her twinkling eyes who she was waiting for, but she wasn''t waiting for him.


    Regardless of whether she had any feelings for the Helian divine ability or not, she definitely had some indescribable expectations towards her own child.


    He took a deep breath and was about to walk out when he heard the official''s voice calling from outside, "Your Highness, Crown Prince ¡­"


    Helian Yu quickly went out. He knew that he had stayed too long and had aroused the suspicion of the mausoleum official.


    Seeing him come out unscathed, the mausoleum official was relieved. With a flattering smile, he led him out, and politely offered to entertain him with a meal.


    Helian Yu raised his eyes to look at the sky. It was indeed late, so he agreed.


    The mausoleum official did not expect the crown prince to be so appreciative. With a joyous expression, he brought him to the prepared banquet.


    During the banquet, Helian Yu casually asked about the matters within the mausoleum, and then casually asked the oldest mausoleum watcher how many years he had guarded here.


    The mausoleum official thought that he was just casually gossiping and said, "Maybe it''s Granny Ge. She''s a palace maid of the late emperor''s consort. She''s been here for fifty years ¡­ Alas, she was only around twenty years old when she came here.


    Grandma Ge, who had originally delivered food to Jingnan, was from ancient times. If not for Helian Yu''s unintentional entrance, Jingnan would have starved to death in her grave sooner or later.


    He thought for a moment, then said while looking at the official, "There is a legend. I wonder if you''ve heard of it."


    "Legend?" There were many legends in the Royal Tomb, but most of them were nonsense. The duty of a mausoleum official was the same as that of a tomb guardian. He had long since become immune to these stories of ghosts and gods, so he did not care at all.


    "Legend has it that when Imperial Concubine Yu was buried, there was a white snake that was buried with her. If it had been guarding her for many years, then it would appear as calm as ever. Just now, when I went to offer sacrifices to my imperial concubine, I discovered a strange phenomenon.


    "What ¡­" What white snake? " The mausoleum official''s face was filled with confusion. It was obvious that he was baffled. In all his years as a mausoleum official, he had never heard of such a strange thing.


    "What kind of strange phenomenon is happening in the sky?"


    Helian Yu''s face sank. "This is heaven''s will."


    "Oh ¡­" He understood, and wiped his sweat with his hand, "And then? "What should I do?"


    "Of course it''s a timely tribute, it''s not to be lacking every day." Helian Yu had a look of disdain on his face. He told the old palace maid to deliver food to him, and instructed him to send some convenient food into the air vents every day.


    The mausoleum official nodded as he received the order, feeling unsettled in his heart. Even after so many years, the white snake guarding the coffin hadn''t made any unusual movements. Why did the Crown Prince have such a strange phenomenon the moment he arrived? Could it be that he didn''t have to eat it before, but he had to eat it every day now?


    Helian Yu saw through his suspicion and said unhappily, "I came to pay my respects to you today after witnessing the strange phenomenon of the night sky before the emperor''s tomb. The white snake guarding the coffin woke up once every twenty years, and went back to sleep every single time. It has been just over twenty years now, and it has not received any food for a long time, so it is already very angry. "


    The mausoleum official hurriedly nodded in agreement, praising the crown prince for his great fortune, which was why he had been instructed by the heavens. However, he thought to himself that it was just a gift of food, not a big matter.


    "If I don''t want you to stop worshiping me, you have to deliver it on time every day. Remember, you have to eat fresh food, fruits, and water."


    "Yes, yes." The mausoleum official was even more puzzled. This white snake even ate melon fruits. Its appetite was extraordinary.


    This is no ordinary snake. This is a coffin white snake, it''s close to a demon, it''s impossible to use normal theories. "Don''t try to get a glimpse of your true appearance, and even more so don''t casually divulge this secret. Otherwise, be careful ¡­" "Helian Yu made a snake swimming motion as he landed on the official''s neck, letting out a cold smile.


    The mausoleum official was frightened by him and suddenly felt his entire body go cold. A wave of murderous intent rushed towards him.


    After scaring the mausoleum official, Helian Yu left the imperial mausoleum. Once he returned to the palace, he immediately summoned a spy to investigate everything about the Imperial Consort Zuo before heading to the silent hut where the fire had nearly burnt everything.


    Over the years, the Silent Hut had been rebuilt. It was said that it had been built entirely according to the previous structure, and even the people used in it were the same as in the past.


    No one understood this.


    Helian Yuan Chen had once sent people all over to search for the whereabouts of the Helian Divine Technique, but in the name of finding it, he had never given the order to arrest it. It could be seen that he still held high hopes for the Helian Divine Technique, and did not think that the escape that year was a betrayal.


    Helian Yu walked around the quiet hut inside and out, and he also found the little Daoist boy who once served Helian Divine Technique. Naturally, those two Daoist children also entered their middle years after twenty years. He asked these two about the Helian Divine Art''s past, including the people who often came and went, but there was no Jing Nan among them.


    Naturally, if their relationship was discovered in the palace, it would be a taboo. However, with the status of the Helian divine ability, if a palace maid wanted to serve the Emperor, it was actually an easy task. Why would they willingly take the risk of engaging in private dealings with the Emperor?


    Those two Daoist children also said that Helian Divine Art was actually a Daoist cultivator. A true disciple of a Daoist family was the same as a monk. They had to use the ring because Ru Su could not marry, so they naturally could not touch the wine.


    It was no wonder that even though the Helian Divine Technique was not small, he had no other wives and concubines. Helian Yu did not expect that Helian divine ability was a Daoist before it was bestowed the title of Imperial Scholar.


    When Helian Divine Art left the palace, Helian Yu was only four or five years old, so the impression he had of him was actually very faint. Helian Yu was only four or five years old when Helian Divine Art left the palace, and the impression he had of Helian Yu was actually very faint.


    According to the two Taoists, not only did the Helian divine ability violate the Taoism''s rules, it was also close to a woman. It even had children, and in the end, it even became a wine seller?

 C334 The Secret of the Palace(1)

    "Do you still remember that year when Imperial Advisor Helian had a child by his side. Afterwards, a fire broke out in the quiet hut and the child was burned to death?"


    "Yes, it''s an orphan that''s been taken in by his master. She has no mother or father, so she''s very pitiful." The Daoist Priest recalled, "Master doted on him and treated him like his own child. Afterwards, he was burned to death and Master almost went crazy."


    It wasn''t as if he was looking at his own child, but his own birth. However, in order to maintain his identity as the Imperial Advisor, he didn''t dare to admit to others.


    If this matter really got out of hand, it would be impossible for Helian Yuan Chen to punish the Imperial Advisor for this matter. But if this secret affair was pursued any further, it would be possible to find out that Helian Divine Art had poisoned the Emperor.


    Helian Yu felt more and more that there were too many secrets on Helian Divine Technique. Although Jing Nan believed him, Helian Yu didn''t quite believe him. Maybe he was someone who wanted to kill Jing Nan.


    It was nothing for a man to betray a woman in private in order to justify his crimes.


    "Have you heard of the Cold Eating Powder?"


    The two Daoists suddenly quieted down and stared at Helian Yu as if he were a monster.


    "Why?"


    "The formula for that kind of thing has long been extinct in my Northern Chu ¡­ "I heard that once it was spread to the Southern Moon Country, they became popular among the scholar-officials and aristocrats, causing them to become dejected and not be a good thing." They shook their heads in disgust, obviously unimpressed.


    One of the Daoists was reminiscing about the past, saying that the Frigid Eclipse Powder had arrived in the Northern Chu at an unknown time, and had become very popular among the nobles in the previous dynasty. Some of them said that it could make one feel Fantasy, some said it could extend one''s lifespan, and later on, it was secretly passed around in the palace, perpetuating one''s youth.


    The other priest began to fidget, nudging him with his elbow.


    He seemed to have understood something and looked at Helian Yu to keep his mouth shut.


    "Just say it, it''s been twenty years and it has nothing to do with you." Helian Yu said indifferently, knowing their scruples.


    When the Daoist Priest heard this, he continued with some unease. He heard that Imperial Concubine Wu Yu had only died from excessive consumption of the Frigid Eclipse after hearing rumors from others. The Emperor, who had been grieving over the loss of Imperial Consort Yu, felt that the Frigid Eating Powder was a harmful item. He ordered the burning of all the prescriptions and forbidden the Northern Chu people from taking them.


    Helian Yu simply didn''t believe him and only sneered slightly. He never would have thought that his royal father ordered him to ban the Frostbite Powder, and it was actually a good thing.


    "Why does royal father think that my mother''s concubine died from excessive consumption of cold food?"


    "Of course, it was Master who said that. Master is well aware of the pill formulas and is also well-versed in the way of medicine. He saw that Imperial Concubine Wu Yu died from the pill sand and mercury poisoning."


    Helian Yu was stunned. He had originally thought that since the cinnabar and mercury were commonly used in alchemy, it was likely that he was the one who had ordered the Frigid Food Powder to be refined for Imperial Concubine Yu. He didn''t expect that he would first suggest that the cinnabar and mercury be poisoned to the point of death.


    Just as he was thinking, he heard a slight clamor from outside. Someone had entered the quiet hut.


    Helian Yu didn''t think that there would be someone like him, thinking of this abandoned place. He looked up and was surprised to see Helian Meng walk in.


    Helian Meng didn''t look too much like Helian Peng. He had a long, white face, light eyebrows, and narrow eyes. He looked very feminine and handsome. He usually didn''t say much, but always wore an elusive smile.


    Helian Meng was clearly startled for a good while before he asked, "What is Brother Crown Prince doing here?"


    Helian Yu didn''t want to pay any attention to him. He merely gave a cold snort and passed by Helian Yu.


    Helian Meng was used to Li Yao''s cold and arrogant expression, so he didn''t think it was strange. He turned his head to look at Li Yao''s back until he disappeared. "What did the crown prince come here for?"


    The two Daoists answered truthfully.


    Helian Meng thought for a while. He didn''t understand what was going on, so he stopped thinking about it. Zuo Lian had entered the palace at night. At that time, Imperial Concubine Yu had died. Since the two of them had never met, of course they hadn''t met before. Even if Imperial Concubine Yu''s death was suspicious, there definitely wouldn''t be any connection with Zuo Lian.


    He had only come here to let the two Daoists refine some pills for him, so that the inner force that was holding him back would be able to clear that barrier.


    Unfortunately, these two Daoists did not learn many pill recipes from the Helian Divine Technique. Refining them into pills to strengthen one''s Qi was very little.


    As Helian Yu walked, he recalled Helian Meng''s appearance. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he didn''t resemble Helian Yuan Chen in the slightest. Naturally, Helian Peng didn''t resemble him either.


    As he thought about this, he went back to the palace. One of the spies he had sent to investigate had already returned, and reported back to him: Eighteen years ago, when the left wheat was ready to be planted, she had been born cold and delicate in the coldest season of the Northern Chu. Helian Yuan Chen had agreed that she should go to the Qi Zhou Palace in the south to prepare for the production.


    At that time, no one had gotten pregnant in the palace for several years. Helian Yuan paid particular attention to that pregnancy, and even ordered the Queen to accompany him. Although she was nominally in charge of palace affairs, she was actually taking care of Imperial Consort Zuo.


    After all, the imperial concubine had to be safe at all times.


    It was said that when Imperial Consort Zuo set off, she was five months pregnant. It would take her at least three months to arrive at the Qi Zhou palace, where she would have a baby soon. There were several midwives accompanying her, fearing that she would be ready to give birth anytime soon.


    No matter what, it was an unreasonable request on the part of a pregnant woman like Ma Laughton. However, even Yuan Chen agreed to it. It could be seen that his love for Imperial Concubine Zuo was completely opposite of what was right and wrong.


    Helian Yu couldn''t help but sneer as he thought about it. If there was something fishy, it must have happened while he was on his way or in the palace.


    As for the reason why the left side of the buckwheat must go to the palace to wait for delivery, I''m afraid it''s not as simple as trying to dispel the cold.


    If she wanted to give birth to a prince, then she must have some tricks up her sleeve that would be inconvenient to use in the palace.


    Following the return of the second spy, he was responsible for investigating who had accompanied them back then. A long list was drawn up. Helian Yu took a glance at it and crumpled it into a ball before throwing it away.


    If all of them knew the secret, then it wouldn''t be a secret. He only recorded down the names of the most important people on the list in his mind and instructed them to take the paper ball and burn it.


    However, after a few days, all the spies came back, but the most important person was not found.


    Helian Yu''s face couldn''t help but darken. He was obviously in a bad mood because he was most concerned about the midwives who delivered the babies for Zuo Lian. "What happened to those midwives back then? Could it be that they died without a single one remaining? "


    "Reporting to the crown prince, it''s really the case. Those midwives said that they are old, and some have already passed away ¡­"


    "Could it be that there isn''t a single survivor?" Helian Yu shouted harshly and slammed the table.


    "Two are still alive... One has gone demented, the other... We didn''t find anything. "


    Just as Helian Yu was about to get angry, one of the spies hastily said, "Crown Prince, you can actually start from the eighth prince''s wet nurse. He had a wet nurse, but Imperial Concubine Zuo brought it back by herself. She served him since birth."

 C335 microcosm

    "Investigate with Seventh Princess'' wet nurse. No matter what method you use, I want to hear the truth." After a moment of thought, he said, "Capture him in front of me."


    He had always been unscrupulous when he was in the palace. It was not difficult to find an excuse to bring someone here.


    Only after the spy acknowledged did Helian Yu breathe a sigh of relief, his mood somewhat better.


    After all the spies had left, Helian Yu took out the soul pearl and stared at the moonlight for a long time. Suddenly, he discovered that when the lamp turned, there were strands of white shadow inside.


    This was the first time he had seen anything other than runes in the soul orb.


    It was obvious that these things could only be seen vaguely at night under the moonlight. However, daylight could not be seen. Could it be that this was the existence of the soul? If it was true, then there were too many souls. Look at those thin white shadows, it wouldn''t be too much to say that there were hundreds of them.


    Helian Yu would never be able to understand the microcosm of the world inside the soul orb, but even Gu Qingli, who was inside, couldn''t completely understand it.


    Ever since she had entered the Soul Orb, she felt as if she was floating in a vast, white world. Many figures that she could only see and couldn''t reach flashed past her, all of them had blank expressions, as though they didn''t know where she was or where she was going.


    She felt as if she had been floating for a long time, sometimes trying to find someone to talk to, but the souls around her seemed to be unable to hear her voice, or as if they were incapable of thinking at all, just floating along like duckweed without answering.


    As time passed, she began to feel depressed. She suspected that if this went on, she would eventually lose her memory just like these wandering souls.


    Gu Qing Li could not tell how much time had passed, and after an unknown amount of time, she suddenly saw a girl who had the exact same appearance as herself floating past. Without hesitation, she reached out her hand to grab it, and just like countless times before, the woman''s body was penetrated.


    "Stop, stop!" No matter how she shouted, the woman ignored her and floated past like the other wandering souls.


    Gu Qing Li turned and chased after her, continuously calling out to her, but the girl seemed not to have heard.


    She suddenly thought of something and tried calling out from behind, "Gu Qing Li!"


    The figure paused and seemed to have reacted.


    "I know you''re Gu Qingli herself, you''re me, I''m you!"


    The girl slowly turned her head. There was no expression on her cold face, but a trace of emotion was etched into her eyes. After a long time, she asked in an ethereal voice, "Why is it me? Why am I you? "


    "You''re Gu Zhaoran''s second daughter, Gu Qingli, right?"


    The woman''s gaze fluctuated. Although she didn''t answer, Gu Qingli knew she had asked the right question. This was the first time she had found a wandering soul that could speak in such a long time, so she definitely wouldn''t let go of this opportunity.


    "How long have you been here? Where is this place?"


    "I don''t know." The woman pointed into the distance and said, "Perhaps I will drift for a while longer, and just like him, I will disappear here."


    Gu Qingli turned around and saw a man''s soul slowly fading away. She knew it wouldn''t be long before it dissipated.


    Although she hadn''t stayed here for long, she wasn''t unfamiliar with this scene. Every once in a while, a soul would disappear, so it could be seen that this place wasn''t a place that could contain souls forever.


    "How long will it take to stay here?"


    "I don''t know." The girl indifferently replied before she wanted to leave again.


    "Don''t go." Gu Qingli knew she couldn''t hold her back, so she could only use words to stop her from leaving. "Do you know how you died?"


    She shook her head but didn''t say anything. This was the first time Gu Qing Li had seen a normal expression on a wandering soul''s face. It was evident that they weren''t unconscious. They had been wandering around for too long and were already numb.


    "Why is it that you''re the only one who talks to me and no one else can hear me?"


    "In this place, you can only stop and talk to other people when you call their names. As for the other souls, they have no connection with you, so of course you can''t talk to them."


    Gu Qing Li chatted with her for a while longer and only found out that the souls were sucked in by a strange force. It seemed like it was a strange world where all the nearby ownerless souls would enter before going through wandering and dissipating.


    In the end, the newly entered soul would feel fear, helplessness, collapse, or attempt to leave, but it would slowly become numb, because in reality, there was nothing they could do. They could not talk with other people, they could not get close to each other, they could not hurt or attack each other, and over time, their thoughts would become more and more sluggish, their emotions more and more indifferent.


    Gu Qing Li told her about how he had entered her body and helped her get married. Although there was shock in her eyes, it wasn''t too shocking. When she heard everything about Xiao Yi Mo, she was filled with grief, anger, despair, and many other emotions.


    Gu Qingli asked if she had any regrets, but she only shook her head sadly. After all, that body was already destroyed, so she couldn''t go back.


    "Perhaps it was my appearance that took away your life."


    However, she calmly replied, "If not for your appearance, I would have died even earlier than you. Perhaps the moment I saw Xiao Yimo''s face, I wouldn''t have had the courage to continue living."


    Gu Qing Li understood.


    She was born into the Prime Minister''s Estate and had been the daughter of a feudal, ceremonial, and elegant person. Her personality was soft and weak, and from her childhood to the dark days of her youth, Xiao Yi Mo was her only light. This light was to be ruthlessly cut off, to the point that it was equivalent to cutting off the only hope in her life, and at the same time cutting off her courage to live.


    "But I want to live. I must go back."


    "Too bad I can''t help you." The girl indifferently decided to leave.


    The moment she turned around, Gu Qingli suddenly saw her silhouette side by side with her through the rippling water. She was so shocked that she forgot to keep her. When she regained her senses, she had already disappeared among the wandering souls.


    For some reason, it appeared very sparsely and coincidentally. Rather than calling it water light, it was more like the reflection of moonlight on a mirror. It seemed hazy and chilly, moving on its own until it disappeared.


    In that instant, Gu Qingli saw herself as she had in her previous life.


    No wonder when the original soul saw her, he wasn''t surprised at all. Instead, when he heard her say, "You are me, I am you", he asked her a question in a very strange tone.


    No one can bring up the idea of "I am you" in the presence of an unfamiliar face.


    It turned out that in this void world, the soul would reveal its true form.

 C336 microcosm(2)

    When the water light disappeared, the world seemed to darken even more. Gu Qingli could only continue to wander through the chaotic fog, but she didn''t know when it would end.


    After an unknown period of time, she once again saw that gush of light like the moonlight. This time, it was much clearer than before. She could even see the source of the light and couldn''t help but look back.


    Many wandering souls felt this phenomenon as well as she did and looked over.


    The world seemed borderless to them. No matter how much they wandered, they could not find anything that could form a boundary. However, when they looked up, they seemed to see the edge of the world.


    Gu Qing Li looked over, and outside the swaying arc of light, there seemed to be something strange.


    It was like a half-opened eye, incomparably huge, like a god. The corners of its eyes were hooked, and its tail was raised. Its pupils emitted a cold intent as they mercilessly sized up this void world.


    There was a slight uproar in the cold world. There were even many wandering souls who began to kneel down and worship it, devoutly praying to the heavens to use the eye that covered the entire sky as a god.


    There were those who were praying for their return to life, those who were praying for a good birth in the next life, and those who only wished to leave this chaosworld.


    Only Gu Qingli was staring at that eye with suspicion. She felt that if it hadn''t been magnified countless times, the shape of that eye and that familiar cold ruthlessness would have seemed very familiar.


    After an unknown period of time, the pupil of the eye of the God of Heaven, which was known as the Eye of God, became further and further away.


    Wasn''t that Helian Yu''s eyes? Gu Qingli cried out in shock.


    If that eye really did belong to Helian Yu, then it definitely wouldn''t be some God of Heaven''s Eye.


    If he wasn''t magnified countless times, then she was shrunk countless times. However, this strange phenomenon was really hard for her to understand, and no one could answer her.


    The wandering souls watched as the God of Heaven''s Eye gradually disappeared into the distance. At that moment, the crowd burst into cheers that were so loud that it could shake the whole world.


    Golden symbols suddenly appeared on the dome under the arc of light. They were all in ancient runes and Sanskrit, the meaning unknown. Furthermore, they were quickly changing their arrangement, the intense golden light made them unable to open their eyes.


    Outside the soul orb, Helian Yu sighed lightly and carefully placed the soul orb into his pocket.


    Helian Shuang''s wet nurse, Madame Li, trembled as she was brought up to the Eastern Palace. She looked around, her eyes filled with fear.


    The Eastern Palace Crown Prince''s cold attitude was not unfamiliar to her. Although Helian Yu was not a cruel and evil person, when everyone in the palace saw him, they couldn''t help but feel fear.


    "Too... Your Highness, what orders do you have for me? "


    Helian Yu first looked at her coldly for a while, causing her to almost collapse to the ground. Then, he coldly said, "I heard that you were in the palace a few days ago discussing my matters. Is this true?"


    "No, no!" This servant definitely does not dare! " Madame Li swore to the heavens that she wished she could repeat all the poison curses.


    "It seems that you are relying on Seventh Princess''s wet nurse and do not know your place." Let me tell you, if I want you, even the Seventh Princess won''t be able to protect you! "


    Madame Li cried and denied at the same time. Helian Yu''s expression seemed to loosen a little. "Are you from Imperial Concubine Zuo''s mother''s family that accompanied you into the palace?"


    "No no ¡­" This servant isn''t. After Imperial Concubine Zuo sent the news, the empress specially left the palace to take care of her. At that time, I wanted to summon a medicine woman who knew both birth control and medical skills, so I went to apply ¡­ "Your servant''s family was the ancestral medicine hall. I followed my grandfather and father and learned a bit about medicine, and then my family fell ¡­"


    "Since you have a family and children, why are you willing to enter the palace and not be reunited with your family for the rest of the year?"


    Madame Li''s eyes drooped as she replied, "Because of the poverty of our family, we are unable to sustain our livelihood. We have no choice but to do so." "To be able to bring my son into the palace with the grace of the empress and to accompany him in his studies, this is a blessing this humble servant obtained from my previous life."


    Helian Yu asked a few more questions. Although Madame Li was nervous and fearful, she didn''t have many suspicious points. It wasn''t convenient for him to ask too many questions, so he sent her away.


    Before leaving, he also threatened her with a few more sentences. If she were to continue speaking behind her back about her master, don''t blame him for being heartless.


    After Lady Li had been frightened by him, she didn''t dare to spread the fact that she was being questioned at night.


    Helian Yu thought back to Madame Li''s words and discovered that the only useful information was related to the Empress.


    He hadn''t thought much about the empress before, as he had always felt that there was something fishy behind all this. Zuo Lian must have been the only one who did it, but now that he thought about it this way, the empress accompanied Zuo Lian''s mother to the palace to wait for her delivery.


    He also thought that in the illusion of Helian''s sacred art, the empress had mysteriously appeared as well, and even abused him while he was still a baby.


    Although the empress had never made a move against him in his later childhood memories, it was mostly because of his age and the empress was afraid that he would complain to the emperor.


    Under the night sky, a figure sneakily emerged from the shadows of the trees. He looked around for a while, and after learning a few birdsong sounds, he saw a eunuch walking in from the Lunar Cave and waved towards him.


    As he walked out, a hazy silhouette appeared. It was a woman who had combed her hair into a bun. She was no longer young, but her body was still white and delicate. She carefully handed a small bag to the eunuch, whispering something to him in a solemn voice.


    Compared to her, the eunuch seemed very casual. From time to time, he would absent-mindedly look around, as if he was spying on something.


    "Did you hear me?" The woman looked dissatisfied.


    The eunuch harrumphed, "I need to pay attention to whether or not there are people stealing peeks at us."


    "Don''t forget. Be careful. These are all precious and fragile objects."


    "How precious is it?" Dozens of lanterns lit up one after another within the Moon Cave Sect. The one in the lead was dressed in the clothes of a dragon. His face was so fair and handsome that it was close to bewitching. His sinister smile sent chills down one''s spine.


    When the woman saw him, her face turned ashen, and she immediately kneeled down, lowering her head and saying with a trembling voice, "Eighth Emperor ¡­ "Prince ¡­"


    Helian Meng walked closer. He bent down to weigh her lower jaw and said, "So it''s This King''s Nanny Liu. Why aren''t you staying in your room properly in the middle of the night, coming out to admire the moon?" Although they were also servants, in the end, they had an extraordinary status, being superior to others. This was even more so for the wet nurse of the prince.


    That woman was Helian Meng''s wet nurse, the only one who had served him since birth. She had always been trusted by the Imperial Concubine Zuo, but Helian Meng clearly had no respect for her.


    He raised his head to look at Tian Xiao. "Tonight''s moonlight is not good. The date that Grandma Liu chose isn''t right."


    He lightly laughed as his fingers silently increased the force, causing Mrs. Liu to scream in pain, "Eighth Prince, please spare me! Eighth Prince, please spare me!"

 C337 Piracy treasure

    "Look at what Grandma Mu has said. This King is only joking with you. Let''s go back to the palace and talk about whatever it is that you have to say. Otherwise, I will be making a fool of myself here." Helian Meng smiled sinisterly as he shot a glance at the eunuch. His gaze was firmly fixed on the cloth bundle in his hands.


    The eunuch lowered his head, his expression somewhat unsightly. He respectfully offered it up with both hands. "Eighth Prince, Senior Servant Liu seems to have left something behind. I''ll hand it over to you as well."


    Helian Meng took it and opened it to take a look. Inside were all small pieces of jewelry and precious items. Under the light of a dozen or so bright lanterns, it was dazzling and radiant.


    He picked up a jade hairpin, which was lustrous and smooth. There were a few pigeon blood rubies inlaid with silk twining, forming a plum flower. The flawless and rare workmanship of the jade ware itself made it easy to tell that it was worth a lot.


    "It seems like mufei hasn''t been looking for this for a long time?" Could it be that Nanny Liu found it and wants to return it to her? " Helian Meng smiled sinisterly as he thanked the eunuch and led the way. Behind him, more than ten palace maids and eunuchs carried lanterns as they followed, escorting Senior Servant Liu within.


    The eunuch wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He was actually drenched in sweat from the cold spring air.


    This eunuch was not an ordinary person, he was the young overseer of the palace. Although he was just a eunuch, he was also a character that many powerful officials of the imperial court wanted to curry favor with, and was deeply trusted by the emperor.


    As a result, Helian Meng only looked deeply at him and did not seek his guilt.


    However, everyone in the palace knew Helian Meng''s temperament. He was the complete opposite of the crown prince Helian Yu. He had a gentle smile on his face, as if he was extremely friendly with others. Helian Yu seemed cold and ruthless, but in reality, he never cared about trifling matters, nor did he casually punish these palace people.


    The next day, the news spread out through the palace that the eighth prince had spent the entire night crying and begging for help, but no one knew which palace maid he was torturing.


    On the surface, Helian Meng was gentle, gentle, refined, and courteous. He had a gentle, humble attitude within the imperial court.


    He didn''t like women, but he loved to torture the young and beautiful maids of the palace. He summoned them to the palace and lynched them in secret, making them look unharmed, but unable to endure the torture.


    No one knew for what reason this perverted hobby of his was born, but in the end, some pretty and pretty young palace maids trembled when they saw him and took a detour.


    When Helian Yu heard this, he calmly knocked on the table and asked, "What did the Young Prefecture Overseer say?"


    The spy in front of him recounted what had happened last night, saying, "Young Master Yu is extremely apprehensive, afraid that he will be provoked this time and end badly."


    "Tell him that I will ensure his safety." Then he sneered coldly, "Now is a good time. Let''s have him deliver a message to Senior Servant Liu and have her seek out Imperial Concubine Zuo for a favor. Remember to leak this news and let royal father know first. "


    "Yes."


    Helian Yu leisurely took out his soul orb, looked at the sunlight for a while, and muttered, "Rest assured, no matter what, I will find the sacrificial victim and let you revive. If nothing unexpected happens, you should... "Soon."


    When Senior Servant Liu went to the Li Jing Palace to complain, Helian Hua was there as well. She listened impatiently, and felt that this woman deserved it. Because she was Helian Meng''s wet nurse, she had smuggled the rewards out of the palace many times.


    Zuo Lian''s brow furrowed as he finished listening, and he had Senior Servant Liu roll up her sleeves and pants. There were no injuries on her well-maintained skin, but it was unknown what sort of method she used to do it, but once she touched it, she shrieked miserably.


    "This is ¡­" by pinching? "


    Senior Servant Liu was crying as she replied, she wanted someone to cover her with a thick piece of paper and beat her until she broke all of it. This method of beating someone didn''t leave any traces of the caning, but it left them with bruises and bruises, making it impossible to even touch them.


    "Servant ¡­" Even if he had committed a crime, he would have been punished, and everything would have been handed over ¡­ "May the eighth prince spare your servant''s life, esteemed imperial concubine ¡­"


    Zuo Lian was also quite angry, but in the end, Liu mama was someone she had picked from her family. Not only had she been served since childhood, but she had also served Helian Meng for eighteen years after entering the palace.


    Zuo Lian thought that with the punishment coming to this point, it was more or less enough. It was enough for her to give him some color. He then humphed and said: "Next time, I''ll tell you to do this kind of thing again!"


    "I don''t dare to ¡­" "This servant doesn''t dare to do anything else. The eighth prince insisted that this servant stole the jade hairpin, but it was obviously bestowed by the esteemed wangfei ¡­" According to the rules of the palace, the concubines were not allowed to take things that they bestowed upon their servants out of the palace to sell, so they were only allowed to look at them and only allowed to bring them out when they left the palace.


    "Alright, alright, I will tell Meng''er."


    Zuo Lian sent her off in annoyance, and in the blink of an eye, word had spread that Helian Yuan Chen had arrived.


    Helian Peng''s face was full of nervousness. He tightly gripped Zuo Lian''s buckwheat sleeves and whispered, "Mufei, don''t forget what I said."


    "Got it." Zuo Lian''s eyes were filled with helplessness and affection for his daughter.


    This daughter of his was bewitched by something. She came back from Dongyuan and wanted to marry that War God, Xiao Yixiu. She even said that he had just lost his wife and that it was a good time for him to propose a marriage.


    Opening the beaded curtain, Helian Yuan Chen strode in with a look of displeasure on his face.


    Actually, the Northern Chu Emperor was already over a hundred years old. However, she still looked as spirited as ever. Her aura was magnificent, and her facial features were deep and handsome. She looked very much like him.


    Zuo Lian welcomed her with a smile. Before she could even mention the matter of Helian Xianzi, Helian Yuan Chen had already started asking about the treasures of Senior Servant Liu''s palace, and had secretly sent people out to sell them.


    Zuo Lian did not expect that this matter would have already reached the emperor''s ears. He was shocked and confused, and explained a few more words, but then he heard him sneer: "What a bold slave, and you even protected her! "After being Meng''er''s wet nurse for a few days, she became so arrogant that she didn''t even know the weather. Meng''er deserved it even if she was beaten to death!"


    Zuo Lian didn''t know why he was so angry over such a small matter. Was something bothering him in the court causing him to be angry?


    After hearing him berate a few more times, she understood that the Young Manor Overseer Yu Cheng Fu had made a complaint before he went to the Imperial Palace, saying that the wet nurse, Mrs Liu, had used her beauty to lure people, hoping to steal and sell the palace property. Moreover, there was even a priceless jade hairpin among them, whose origins were unknown.


    Zuo Lian heard from Senior Servant Liu about the jade hairpin and hurriedly said, "That was something concubine used to wear. I gave it to her. She''s guilty of sneaking out of the palace, but it really wasn''t theft ¡­"


    Helian Yuan Chen''s face darkened. He pulled out a jade hairpin from his sleeve and asked, "Are you sure you gave this to her?"

 C338 Imperial Jade hairpin

    When Zuo Lian saw the hairpin, he was immediately struck dumb.


    That hairpin was a treasure left behind by Imperial Concubine Wu Yu. The Emperor''s heart was exceptionally precious. After her death, he had left that hairpin alone and kept it in his bedroom. Sometimes, he would even carry it with him while stroking the hairpin alone.


    Everyone felt that he was reminiscing about Imperial Concubine Yu. He was deeply in love with her, making them sigh emotionally.


    When Zuo Lian had been at a party at the palace, he had given her a gift for dancing on her head. She was so proud that she didn''t want to return it, so she asked for it from him. However, he coldly scolded her, humiliating her to the point of crying on the spot.


    This hairpin was also extremely valuable. Not only was it a rare and top-class emperor, it was also the number one craftsman in the Northern Chu three hundred years ago. It could even be said to be priceless.


    The Overlord''s Jadeite Stone was usually very small, and it was very rare for it to be able to create an entire piece of flawless emerald green ore like this, not to mention that it was created by a master teacher. It might be possible for it to be cherished like Helian Yuan Chen, but its value was clearly not due to it.


    Zuo Lian wasn''t clear about the reason, but he knew that this hairpin had truly angered Helian Yuan Chen. If she were to speak up for Senior Servant Liu now, he might anger him and implicate him in the end.


    She forced a smile. "The emperor''s joking, right? You''ve never left this hairpin, so how could Senior Servant Liu have it in her hands?"


    "That''s why I''m here to ask my beloved concubine." Helian Yuan Chen''s expression became even more gloomy. When the time was cold, Helian Yu''s killing intent could be felt. No wonder Helian Yu always had a face that showed that he did not want strangers to get close to him.


    Zuo Lianchang immediately said, "Chenqie naturally doesn''t know anything. Senior Servant Liu must have secretly planned things out while her concubine was in the palace. This matter really cannot be let off lightly. It seems that Meng''er has done it lightly. This matter is entirely up to the emperor."


    Helian Yuan Chen''s expression relaxed. "Since it has nothing to do with my beloved concubine, then so be it."


    Zuo Lian stole a glance at him and hurriedly brought up Helian Xianzi''s matter. Unexpectedly, Helian Yuan Chen''s face instantly sank: "Don''t even think about it, let alone now, he is not worthy of you as a widower. Even if he is not married yet, it is impossible!"


    "Why?" Helian Shuanghua stomped his feet and grabbed him to act like a spoiled child.


    He had always doted on this daughter of his. He was used to being lawless, but he did not give in. "That person was a big threat to the Northern Chu. He almost killed Yu''er. How dare you marry him?"


    "That is the personal grudge between Big Brother Crown Prince and him! On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes, it''s either you or I that lives, how can there be no injuries? That time, I personally witnessed the battle between the crown prince and Big Brother. If he gives in, Big Brother Crown Prince would definitely kill him.


    "Nonsense!" Helian Yuan Chen shook her off with a sneer, "To be so tolerant of political enemies, it''s really like my little daughter seeing it for herself!"


    "If I marry Dongyuan, then the two countries will fix it, and he will not be a political enemy!"


    "A wolf is always a wolf, never a sheep! In the eyes of the shepherd, it is never safe unless it is a dead wolf! " Helian Yuan Chen threw his sleeves and said coldly, "My beloved concubine, you should teach her well. Don''t let her act recklessly again. Also, don''t interfere with Mrs Liu''s matter anymore."


    Zuo Liangliang bowed his head and sent him off. He turned around and lightly rebuked his daughter, saying that she did not know the meaning of others'' eyes. She knew that the Emperor was in a bad mood today, so she did not argue further.


    However, Helian Peng was not afraid of his mufei. He stomped his feet and roared at her for a while before rushing out of the hall like the wind, leaving her dumbstruck in anger.


    Helian Yuan Chen didn''t have the time to personally deal with the case of Mrs Liu''s theft. Normally, he would hand the matters of the harem over to the Empress to deal with.


    But before Mrs Liu was mentioned to the Empress, she was intercepted and sent to the Helian Residence in the East Palace.


    Mrs Liu''s entire body trembled. Fear was still present on her charming face. The moment she saw Helian Yu, she flopped to her knees. First, she pleaded guilty, and then she denied the crime of stealing from her. She had obviously heard of her own crime, but she had no idea it had something to do with the emperor''s most cherished phoenix hairpin.


    Helian Yu seemed to have a rare good mood. He did not emit a ruthless aura from his entire body. His leisurely expression could be said to be peaceful, causing Mrs Liu to gradually ease up.


    "Mrs Liu, you should know that this matter has already spread throughout the palace. You can no longer find anyone to rely on. If you don''t tell the truth, I''m afraid it will be very difficult for me to help you."


    "This servant really didn''t steal, really didn''t!" Mrs Liu swore and said a lot.


    Helian Yu waited patiently for her to finish before saying, "Do you know who went to report you?"


    Mrs Liu was at a loss.


    Helian Yu chuckled. "Then you must not know what you were accused of stealing."


    Mrs Liu looked at him in puzzlement, thinking, Isn''t it just those things? The hairpin which Helian Meng had accused her of stealing that night was obviously bestowed to her by the Left Imperial Concubine.


    "Father has an emperor that views jade phoenix hairpin as a precious treasure. Have you seen it before?"


    Mrs Liu nodded. When Imperial Concubine Zuo danced that year, the phoenix hairpin on her head sparkled dazzlingly, covering her dancing posture and appearance. Everyone in the palace remembered this.


    "You stole it, that phoenix hairpin."


    "How is this possible!" Mrs Liu turned pale with fright. "This servant has never been within three feet of that phoenix hairpin in my life. Not to mention stealing, even the Imperial Concubine gave me a few more glances on the night of her dance."


    "Wu, it really doesn''t matter. Now that royal father has confirmed that it was you who stole it, what can you do?"


    No matter how unintelligent Mrs Liu was, she could hear the meaning behind her words. She fell to the ground, rolling her eyes nervously as she tried to recall who might have framed her.


    "Even though you are the wet nurse of the eighth brother, he clearly doesn''t care for you. As for Imperial Concubine Zuo, you must have asked for her help before, she might have promised you something, but you have to understand one thing, if it was the pressure from Imperial Father, she would not do anything to not care about everything and protect you."


    Mrs. Liu nodded in fear. She knew more or less what kind of person Zuo Lian''s mother and son were, that Zuo Lian had treated her well all these years for a reason, and Helian Meng''s personality was very cold. Let alone a wet nurse like her, she probably didn''t have any deep affection for her real mother.


    In fact, in order to prevent the empress from usurping power, the princes of the Northern Chu were never raised by their own mothers. Helian Yu and Helian Meng were both raised in the empress palace without exception. The empress herself had never given birth, so even if she did, it would be impossible for her to personally serve the two babies. Hence, she could only bear the reputation of being raised and watch the wet nurses take care of the princes.


    "Now that royal father is determined to thoroughly investigate this matter of yours and the matters of the palace are mostly handled by mother, what do you think she will do?"


    Mrs Liu rolled her eyes, obviously thinking of something.

 C339 The past is hard to bear(1)

    "You think the empress will protect you because she has some secrets?" As if he had seen through her thoughts, Helian Yu smirked. "The little secret you kept in your heart for eighteen years. In the end, I''m afraid it will become a sharp blade that will send you on your way!"


    Mrs Liu''s expression changed tragically, as she struggled to stay alive. "What does Your Highness say? This servant doesn''t understand."


    Helian Yu stood up and said with a trace of an eerie smile, "Someone, take Senior Servant Liu to my mother''s place."


    Just as someone lifted Mrs Liu up, she struggled to lie on the ground and cried, "Your Highness, save me! "Your servant is willing to be your slave ¡­"


    Helian Yu waved his hand. With a dispirited expression, he said, "I do not lack oxen and horses to drive and you will not be able to pull the carriage."


    "His Highness must want to know some secrets! Even if His Highness managed to deduce a few of these secrets, there would definitely be no real secrets. Only this servant knows that there is something fishy going on. " Mrs Liu was not stupid. She could see that Helian Yu knew what was going on. Otherwise, why would he use such a method to trick her?


    Helian Yu paused for a moment before he gently lifted her hand. The people carrying Lady Liu immediately put her down and retreated. Only the two of them were left in the hall.


    Mrs Liu thought back to the past and said while pondering, "Didn''t His Highness go out of his way to intercept this servant just to hear some truths before the empress disposed of this servant?" For this matter, if Imperial Concubine Zuo or the eighth prince truly wanted to put this servant to death, besides your highness, who else could save this servant? "


    She smiled ruefully. "Eighteen years of a secret. I thought I would be able to live without revealing my secrets. Who knew that eighteen years of being on tenterhooks wouldn''t be enough to escape this day ¡­"


    Helian Yu didn''t say a word this time. He only used a gaze that could see through everything to gaze coldly at her.


    Mrs Liu sighed.


    More than twenty years ago, the empress Xu had seen the left flank of the wheat and was extremely surprised. She had been brought back to her family, Prime Minister Xu''s residence, where she had secretly taken care of it.


    Zuo Liangliang was originally the daughter of a small merchant, and her family was pretty good. In one night, her family was on the verge of collapse, and the little girl who had been raised to live well was going to become the servant girl of a big family. How could she live like this?


    It was a good thing that Empress Xu had an inexplicable love for Zuo Lian. She had even bought her daughter, Mrs Liu, who had served her since she was young and raised her in the Prime Minister''s Estate.


    At first he thought that Empress Xu was the wife of a wealthy family, but when he learned that she was the current empress, he became flattered and uneasy. However, in the prime minister''s house everything went on as usual, and her life was even more luxurious than before, more extravagant, more extravagant, and there were experts to teach her how to work in the zither and calligraphy.


    The Prime Minister and his wife usually took care of her and raised her, but in truth, the Prime Minister was very busy with his affairs and it was not convenient for him to see a little girl all day. For some reason, the Prime Minister''s wife disliked her, and the best person for her was the son of the Prime Minister, Empress Xu Jingchen, who was nineteen years old.


    Zuo Liangliang gradually became a peerless beauty, and Xu Jingchen''s infatuation for her also deepened. The young men and women exchanged glances, and finally, one day, they went off the rails.


    Who would have thought that this matter wouldn''t develop as perfectly as Zuo Lian thought. She would be able to smoothly marry into the Xu Family, even if it was just to be Xu Jingchen''s side room.


    The consequence of this was that one day, when she was only sixteen, she was raised like a daughter in the Prime Minister''s Palace. She had naively assumed that Xu Jingchen would help her settle everything, but who knew that the Prime Minister and his wife would find out?


    Prime Minister Xu''s face was ashen as he said nothing, while Lady Xu scolded her for being shameless, seducing the third young master of the Xu family to drive her out of the estate.


    Xu Jingchen did not appear, saying that he had been imprisoned and watched over by his parents.


    Zuo Lian had no choice but to complain that the empress had brought him back home. If he wanted to punish her, he would have to wait for her to return. At that time, she still held onto a glimmer of hope and treated Empress Xu as her last straw of hope.


    Empress Xu found an excuse to return to the Prime Minister''s Estate. When she heard of this, she was rather quiet and did not say a word, allowing Zuo Lianji to wail and beg. Only then did she sigh, seemingly in pity as she spoke some empty words of comfort, but not a single one of them mentioned the marriage between Xu Jingchen and her.


    Zuo Liangji desperately wanted to commit suicide, but found that he didn''t have that kind of courage when he was on the verge of dying.


    Only then did Empress Xu calm her down and put pressure on her, giving her the only way out: to enter the palace.


    Zuo Lian was extremely unwilling, but her stomach needed to be covered up. She didn''t want to be chased out of the Prime Minister''s residence and lead a life of exile. She was used to living a life of luxury and wealth and wanted to give birth to her own children.


    In the end, she had no choice but to obey the empress''s arrangements and enter the palace as the daughter of a border official. She stood out amongst the ladies and was chosen by the emperor.


    Zuo Lian didn''t know why so many pretty girls were lined up in a row. The emperor only saw her at first glance, but she knew clearly that the aloof and elegant man''s eyes were filled with joy and infatuation when he looked at her.


    She had thought that she had unwillingly entered the palace, and that she still had boundless love and love for Xu Jingzi. Who knew that after entering the palace, Empress Xu would make her marvel at the extravagance of life in the palace, and the benefits of overflowing power.


    Under Empress Xu''s arrangements, Zuo Lian''s medical examination was successfully passed. Naturally, it didn''t take much effort for her to be favored by the emperor. At that time, she was only 2 months old.


    From the moment she told her first lie, she had to use countless lies to round it up. She was quickly diagnosed as having a "one and a half month" pregnancy, but fortunately, her naturally slim figure did not expose her, and no one could tell that she had been pregnant for more than three months.


    However, there was no way to hide the fact that she was giving birth. She had to deceive so many midwives, saying that it was a baby that could not bear a monthly birth, and to make everyone in the palace believe that she was born prematurely was too risky.


    Thus, Empress Xu arranged for the matter of the temporary delivery in the palace and carefully selected a few midwives to lead the way.


    When they arrived at the palace, Zuo Lian''s Buckwheat didn''t even have time to catch their breath before it gave birth due to the bumps along the way. She was really born prematurely, and there was already a little more than half a month before the birth date that she had calculated.


    In the palace, Zuo Lian learned that the empress had arranged for several pregnant women to be born around the same time as her, in order to ensure that she would give birth to a "prince".


    When Helian Hua was born, Empress Xu was extremely disappointed. According to her original plan, she should have abandoned her and returned to the palace as a baby boy.


    Zuo Lianglian naturally did not want to be separated from her own daughter, so he plotted a scheme for her, claiming that he was pregnant with twins, and carried the son of a woman who was about to give birth to a child to serve as Helian Peng''s younger brother.

 C340 The past is hard to bear(2)

    After this incident, the midwife and many midwives were silenced. Except for Lady Li, who was chosen by Empress Xu, and Lady Liu, who had been serving the left wheat, everyone else was silenced.


    Mrs Liu was two years older than Zuo Lian, and was assigned to a Xu family servant at the prime minister''s palace. After she got married, she still served Zuo Lian, and she was very clear about her relationship with Xu Jingzi. When Zuo Lian entered the palace, she was pregnant and ready to give birth.


    Although they said that they had chosen to be the wet nurse of the prince, she was, firstly, one of the many pregnant women, and secondly, trying to hide it from others so that the wet nurse wouldn''t be suspicious of them. After all, the wet nurse had to be brought back to the palace.


    After listening to Mrs Liu''s narration, Helian Yu discovered that the truth was even more outrageous than he had imagined. Not only were Helian Peng and Helian Meng not of royal descent, but they were not even twin siblings. No wonder their looks and dispositions were so different.


    Helian Yu sneered. Then, he asked, "Do you know the real ''birthplace'' of the two of them?"


    "I know. These two children were fated. Although they weren''t twins, they were really born on the same day and at the same time ¡­"


    Mrs Liu continued to blabber on about some nonsense, but Helian Yu was completely unaware of it. He was only preoccupied with the ecstasy in his heart ¡ª the Yang youth and the Yang girl! The Compass of Helian Divine Art was indeed not wrong. It was indeed directed at the Helian brothers and sisters. No, it was directed at these two Western Beetles.


    He almost impulsively wanted to leave the palace to find Helian''s Divine Powers, but he restrained himself in the end.


    Mrs Liu''s words made him feel suspicious towards Empress Xu. His original doubts began to grow. Why did she know that Helian Yuan Chen definitely liked Zuo Lian''s Buckwheat? It definitely wasn''t purely because of her beauty. Otherwise, why would she not have spent her energy reprimanding more beauties to Helian Yuan Chen?


    Empress Xu had kept Zuo Lian in the Residence of General, not just because of his beauty, not just because she wanted to offer her up to the emperor, but because she wanted her to be pregnant with the Xu family''s flesh and blood, to overthrow the crown prince Helian Yu in the future, and to let the sparrow occupy the Dove Nest and sit on the throne!


    As long as Helian Meng sat on the throne, and in the future, if Zuo Lianji died in an accident, he would definitely believe the words that Empress Xu had written about the ''descendants of the Xu family'', allowing the Xu family to forever become the uncrowned king of the Northern Chu.


    Empress Xu had plotted so much, but the most helpless reason was naturally that she herself had not been able to give birth to a child. Perhaps she had wanted to firmly control Helian Yu at the beginning, but an unexpected encounter with Zuo Lian made her think of another series of plans.


    All these years, Empress Xu did not eliminate Helian Yu. She was probably secretly observing which of the two princes was more responsible and which was more suitable to be her puppet.


    All these years, Helian Yu''s prestige was at its peak. He had obviously completely exceeded the control of Empress Xu. She was even deeply fearful of him and did not dare to act against him easily. However, if he didn''t know the truth of these facts, Helian Yu, on the account that she raised him, would have a certain amount of respect even if he didn''t get close to her and wouldn''t make things difficult for her.


    However, after finding out the truth, another question surfaced in her mind ¡ª Empress Xu was so deep in thought that it made him wonder if Imperial Concubine Yu''s death was related to her as well.


    Imperial Concubine Wu had given birth to a prince. If her mother were dead, she would have raised the prince under her in public as the empress ¡­ This could explain why in the illusion she mercilessly slapped Helian Yu in the face while ordering people to carry Helian Yu there and venting her anger and vexation because he had peed all over her body.


    That slap was not only due to Empress Xu''s impatience in taking care of her child, but also due to her resentment and jealousy towards his birth mother, Imperial Concubine Yu.


    Mrs Liu finally stopped from her rambling. She looked with astonishment at Helian Haoyuan''s appearance as if he had gone on a journey to the heavens. She thought, "Why is the crown prince so expressionless?" He heard that Helian Meng couldn''t compete with him. Shouldn''t he be overjoyed? Why were there so many worries and doubts in his eyes?


    Helian Yu finally recovered his wits. Looking at Lady Liu, he coldly said, "Left Imperial Concubine still doesn''t know that she was a chess piece designed from the start, right?"


    "Huh?" Mrs Liu was stunned for a moment. Actually, she had also vaguely thought of something. Empress Xu could not possibly be doing charity for no reason. She naturally had a purpose in bringing Zuo Lianji back to the Prime Minister''s Residence.


    "Since Empress Xu entered the palace, she has never been pregnant, and ever since my concubine was born, there has been almost no news of her. Although no one in the imperial household dares to speak out, I do not believe that no one has ever doubted her father''s body."


    Mrs Liu''s eyes widened.


    "Not only does Empress Xu want Imperial Concubine Zuo to have a child, she also hopes to have the descendants of the Xu family." Empress Xu not only wants Imperial Concubine Zuo to have a child, she wishes to have the descendants of the Xu family.


    Mrs Liu could not help but bite her lower lip as her face gradually turned pale.


    "I''m afraid it wasn''t even a coincidence that Imperial Concubine Zuo''s family fell to the ground all of a sudden. It was all because she had a face that was extremely similar to my mother''s." "None of you have ever seen my mufei, so you naturally wouldn''t know about this. However, Empress Xu knows clearly that she used royal father''s longing for my mufei to recommend Imperial Left Imperial Consort to enter the palace. Royal father naturally has his eyes set on countless beautiful women."


    Mrs Liu was extremely shocked. Recalling the sudden fall of the Zuo family and the sudden destruction of the Old Master Zuo, this was indeed strange.


    Helian Yu stood up and took out a scroll from the desk drawer. He unfurled it in front of her and impressively drew a woman staring at him with a sweet fan in his hand. He did indeed look very similar to Imperial Concubine Zuo.


    "So it''s like that ¡­" Mrs Liu muttered.


    Helian Yu kept the scroll and said faintly, "If I want to save you, you have to do something for me."


    Mrs Liu was frightened and raised her head to look at him. From his cold eyes, she could tell that he was terrified.


    When Empress Xu saw the gunny sack Helian Shuai had ordered his men to carry inside, she was momentarily stunned. When she saw the bloodstains on the bed beneath the gunny sack, her expression immediately turned ugly.


    A eunuch from the Eastern Palace replied respectfully, "To reply esteemed empress, His Highness the crown prince said he''s already helped you out, so you don''t have to worry about such trifling matters."


    She gave the eunuchs a puzzled look. Upon hearing them open the sack, she saw that they had untied the knot at the end of the sack, and had opened it a little to reveal a disheveled head. Her long black hair looked as if it had been glued to her head, her face, and if she looked carefully, the purplish-black paste had not dried yet and appeared to be tainted with blood.


    Empress Xu only glanced at it once before covering her mouth with her handkerchief in disgust. She turned her face away and said, "What is this thing? How dare you bring it to sully my eyes!"


    "Empress, you haven''t seen him clearly yet!"


    Empress Xu waved her hand, instructing her personal palace maid, "Go and take a good look at the report!"


    The palace maid smelled the thick scent of blood and felt disgusted. However, she had no choice but to cover her nose as she walked over.

 C341 severe treatment

    The eunuch slowly pushed aside the black hair covering the corpse''s forehead, revealing a face that was as white as paper with its eyes tightly shut.


    The palace maid exclaimed in surprise, "Palace of Prudence''s Senior Servant Liu ¡­" The eighth prince''s wet nurse! "


    Empress Xu didn''t want to look, but upon hearing her cry out in alarm, she couldn''t help but turn back to look.


    As it happened, the eunuchs had opened the sack completely and pulled it down to reveal half of their bodies. When the palace maid saw this, she cried out miserably and retreated a few steps before falling to the ground, vomiting so hard that she couldn''t speak.


    Even Empress Xu, who was used to seeing the cruel and bloody side of the harem, had a sudden change in expression. With a pale face, she immediately closed her eyes.


    She had thought that she already knew Helian Yu''s cold and ruthless personality. She hadn''t thought that the person he trusted the Left Imperial Concubine the most could use such a cruel method as well. She thought about how Helian Yu''s wings had become hard. Could it be that he saw that she had painstakingly cultivated Helian Meng these past few years, wanting to take his place?


    Senior Servant Liu was Helian Meng''s man, no matter what. The emperor had once said that he would give her interrogation and punishment, and before that, she had also pondered over whether she should go to Zuo Lianji and Helian Meng to discuss their plans and make a decision. This Helian Yu didn''t even say a word. He had cut them off halfway and even used such a cruel method to deal with them before handing them over to her. Besides showing Helian Meng''s color, he also wanted to make an example out of them.


    Empress Xu forced herself to remain calm, not daring to open her eyes. She took a deep breath to adjust her breathing, and asked, "Did the East Palace say anything?"


    "His Highness the crown prince only said that he wanted to help the empress share her worries before he dealt with this servant." Oh, he also said that this palace cannot tolerate such disgrace from the imperial family. If I don''t make an example out of her, I''m afraid that even more servants will secretly do these things. "


    Empress Xu forced a smile, "The Eastern Palace has thought this through, but your wrist is a bit too iron and blood ¡­"


    A cold and calm voice came from inside the hall, "What mother said is right. It is precisely because I was worried about your kindness and friendship with Imperial Concubine Zuo that I wanted to share your worries. I was afraid you wouldn''t make this decision."


    Empress Xu suddenly opened her eyes and saw Helian Yu''s tall figure standing at the entrance of the palace hall, blocking most of the sunlight outside. Empress Xu suddenly opened her eyes and saw Helian Yu''s tall figure standing at the entrance of the palace hall, blocking most of the sunlight outside.


    Empress Xu shuddered inexplicably, but instantly revealed a benevolent and graceful smile, "It''s Yu''er. Recently, I was discussing how to deal with this matter, not knowing what to do. I can''t let you handle it any better."


    Helian Yu still had a faint smile on his face. Nodding his head, he walked in and casually said to the eunuchs, "Throw him out of the palace. Don''t marinate the empress''s palace."


    "Your son is being severely punished, but mother will still scold you. Since mother agrees, then you should send someone to inform eighth royal brother, right? In case the people in his palace have disappeared, and are searching all over for him, I do not know what to do. "


    "This matter should also be left to ¡­"


    "This matter cannot be overstepped by your son. As the master of the Six Palaces, it is only right for your mother to establish her authority and not for others to bully your benevolence."


    "..." "Alright."


    Helian Yu spoke a few more words with her before walking out.


    Amidst her shock and anger, she swept all the items on the tea table off the floor, gasping for breath as she stared at the fragments on the ground. It was as if the reflection of Helian Yu''s menacing face could be seen on every piece of broken porcelain, as a bloodthirsty glint appeared in her eyes.


    "Ming''er, do you think that I have raised an ingrate just because I made a mistake?"


    The court lady by his side looked timidly out the door and whispered, "Esteemed Empress, lower your voice ¡­"


    Empress Xu paused for a moment before waving her hand, "Send someone to tell the eighth prince about Senior Servant Liu ¡­ Tell him it wasn''t me. "


    The palace maid retreated.


    Helian Meng was leisurely playing with an oriole when the empress sent the message over. He stretched out his scarlet tongue to lick his lower lip and smiled charmingly, "The crown prince''s actions were really efficient. He was indeed the one who helped this king take care of that arrogant old woman."


    After the messenger had retreated, Helian Meng''s smile gradually disappeared. He opened the cage and gently caressed the oriole, allowing it to jump and struggle in his palm. However, his five fingers slowly closed up.


    He whispered, "Birds, birds, what do you think the Crown Prince is thinking? Does he want to frighten me, or does he want to show me a little bit of color? "


    The oriole was suffocated by the tightening of the binding, and it struggled in panic.


    Helian Meng grabbed Huang Li out of the cage and looked at her with a slightly uneasy expression. He licked his lips and said, "Okay. You want to kill that old woman. I''ll give her to you as a gift. But who is your final target?"


    Unknowingly, his palm had come together. The oriole didn''t even have the chance to make a short cry before it tilted its head and remained still.


    "Meng''er! Meng''er!"


    Helian Meng''s forehead creased. Even though he was separated by several palace walls, he could still clearly hear the sharp, uneasy, yet gentle, female voice. He hastily tossed the dead bird in his hand and walked out.


    Sure enough, his mufei, Zuo Lianqiang, hurried over with her beautiful eyes wide open. There was more shock than anger in them.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Haven''t you heard about your Grandma Liu?"


    Helian Meng seemed to have just regained his senses. He stroked his hair and laughed softly. "Oh, mufei said something like that. Just now, Imperial Mother sent someone to spread the news. That''s right, she died."


    You ¡­ How could he be so calm? "No matter what, she was the one who brought you up and served you up until now ¡­


    The smile on Helian Meng''s face gradually disappeared. "Being able to become the crown prince''s wet nurse is her fortune, right? As for who she served ¡­ Actually, it has always been mufei and not me. "


    "How can you speak like that?"


    "Oh, if she were to secretly report my actions to mufei every now and then just for the sake of being interesting, then pretend I didn''t say anything today." Helian Meng spread open his hands with a carefree and gentle smile on his face.


    Zuo Lian''s face froze.


    "I don''t want to investigate whether or not she stole Imperial Father''s jade hairpin. I don''t think mufei has any interest in investigating this matter, right? In short, Mother was ordered by her royal father to interrogate and send her away.


    "Do you really think that your mother gave her away? "Why did I hear that when people were carried out of the East Palace?"


    "Oh, without mother''s orders, brother Crown Prince wouldn''t dare to do such a thing."


    Zuo Lianji''s bewildered gaze turned back and forth, and after a long while, he nodded: "That makes sense, but what reason do you think your mother has to do this?"


    Helian Meng suddenly leaned his face close to her ear and whispered, "Imperial Father''s hairpin, I believe even Liu Mmedi cannot get it. Tell me, who was the one who planned this?"


    Zuo Lian bit his lips and shock gradually appeared in his eyes. Could it be that the empress was the one who framed Mrs Liu and took advantage of this opportunity to get rid of her? What was the purpose?


    It had been eighteen years since that incident, and Empress Xu only suddenly took action now. Was she trying to silence all the people who knew of it?


    Helian Meng looked at the left side of the road that was quickly leaving and a cunning smile appeared in his eyes. However, this mother and son pair had their own ulterior motives. No one knew what the other was thinking.

 C342 Temple of the Emperor

    February 19th was the birthday of Guanyin. All the good men and women from all over Northern Chu would go on a tour to pray and pray in the temples. It would be very lively going to the fairs and fairs.


    Over time, this day became an important festival for the people.


    The Cloud Realm Temple was a royal temple in the Northern Chu Capital. Even though 20 years ago, Helian''s Divine Powers were hailed as the Imperial Advisors, and Helian Yuan Chen''s faith in Buddhism was not opposed to it.


    When the other temples were crowded with people, only the Cloud Realm Temple was orderly and the imperial guards were present. No ordinary people were allowed to enter or leave the temple. Only the royal family and the royal family had the right to travel to this place.


    A green palanquin was carried all the way to the Cloud Gaze Temple on the mountain. Although the arrangement was as low-key as possible, the treatment of carrying the palanquin straight into the temple''s backyard made people feel weird. The figure of a royal guard in plain clothes among the guests also exposed the identity of the person in the palanquin.


    However, all of this was done by following the small path into the temple''s backyard. Besides the temple''s hosting, very few people knew the identity of the distinguished guest in the palanquin.


    No one was allowed to easily enter the back row of the temple. It was known as the place where the pilgrims stayed, but over the years, it was impossible for normal pilgrims to enter that small independent courtyard.


    The curtain of the palanquin was lifted, and an extremely graceful woman alighted from it. Her eyes were somewhat haggard and uneasy, but they could not conceal her beautiful appearance.


    The one supporting her was a young girl. She wore a jacket that reached to her knees and a pair of leather riding boots. She didn''t look like an elegant outfit at all.


    The young girl had an impatient look on her face as she reluctantly supported the beautiful woman who had an outstanding appearance. Under the guidance of the host, the two of them entered the guest room in the small courtyard.


    The guest room was elegant and exquisite, with the word ''meditation'' written on it and a room filled with the fragrance of books. The room was elegant and refined, with the word ''meditation'' written on the door and a room filled with the smell of books and incense, filled with the peaceful atmosphere of buddhism.


    "The princess''s room is next door." The host said with a smile as he bent over to gather the prayer beads.


    These two people were Imperial Concubine Zuo and Helian Zhenguo. They had borrowed Guan Yin''s birthday to make a promise to burn incense at the Cloud Mist Temple.


    However, he had promised her that if she truly wished for a good marriage, she would definitely have a good one. She couldn''t help but be moved, thinking of her own marriage.


    The two of them listened attentively to the lecture, while the left side was in a state of absent-mindedness. Helian Peng was looking around, and the host, seeing that both of them had something on his mind, could not help but feel bored.


    In his heart, he hoped that his father would change his mind and agree to the Northern Chu Dong Yuan marriage proposal. He hoped that Xiao Yi Xiu had already forgotten that slut Gu Qing Li and would be able to marry her soon.


    That night, she stayed in the temple as usual. She was a devout Buddhist, and every year she would stay in the temple for three days.


    Although Helian Shuanghui was not used to sleeping in the bed of the temple, he unconsciously fell asleep after smelling the sweet fragrance of the sandalwood.


    Zuo Lian, however, was still in a daze. After extinguishing the light, he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the unlocked door, thinking nervously about why that person still hadn''t come.


    The door creaked open, and the distant wind lamp outside the door emitted a dim yellow light, and when she arrived at her door, it was already extremely weak. Faintly, she saw that someone had entered the room and was walking unsteadily, seemingly unsteady.


    "Who?" Zuo Liangliang got up and went to light the lamp cautiously, but found that the fire near his hand had gone somewhere. He fumbled a few times, but the figure approached.


    "Miss ¡­" The figure''s voice was very mournful. It was indeed a woman, and she was not considered young.


    Zuo Lian was shocked. He quickly took two steps back and sat on the edge of the bed. He held onto the edge and said, "You are ¡­"


    It''s me, Xin Fang, wuu ¡­" "I died a miserable death!


    The goosebumps on his skin stood out. He felt around on the small table beside his bed and finally found a hard object in his hand. He said in a trembling voice, "Don''t come over here, if you come back again, I''ll ¡­" You''re welcome... "Alright."


    Holding it in her palm, she knew it was a wooden fish hammer. Although it was carved from yellow pears, it still wouldn''t have much killing power.


    The black shadow kneeled down instead. "Miss, do you know who sent this servant to die?"


    Zuo Lian looked at her in shock, feeling that this evil ghost did not have any evil intentions, he said with a trembling voice, "Didn''t you die? A dead ghost ¡­ No no... "I know you''re unwilling, but that was not my intention either ¡­"


    "This servant naturally knows that all of this is the empress''s scheme!"


    "Empress?" Zuo Lian was confused. Why did this matter involve the empress? Was he really going to kill them to keep their mouths shut? When she thought of the events of more than twenty years ago, she shuddered.


    That woman could do such a thing. It wasn''t like she hadn''t done it all those years ago when she killed her mother for her son!


    However, she had been living in peace for eighteen years and always thought that her identity was different. Furthermore, she was obedient and obedient, so that woman would still remember her old friendship. Who would''ve thought that this day would finally come?


    She then heard the black shadow wail as she complained about how she had been framed by the empress, how she had tried to stir up trouble in front of Helian Yuan Chen, and how she had ended up wrongly killed. He even said that he had been tortured and died a miserable death. If he didn''t believe it, he could show himself.


    Zuo Lian shook his hands in panic. Just from the sound of the voice, he knew it was without a doubt Mrs Liu. She did not want to see that terrifying face again.


    Following that, Lady Liu said sorrowfully: "Miss, do you think that this is the truth? Back then, why did the old master suddenly go bankrupt and the Zuo family fell into ruin? Have you ever thought about it? Do you think that you''ve only caused such an outrageous incident by being in love with the young master of the Xu Family? Actually, it was all planned by Empress Xu for a long time! "In order for you to give birth to a child of the Xu Family, one day, you''ll be able to replace the crown prince and inherit the legacy!"


    "But ¡­" But Yu''er isn''t surnamed Xu! "


    "What does it matter, who knows? As long as the empress says his surname is Xu, would he still suspect anything? "


    Zuo Lian was speechless. Helian Yu''s birth mother had died, and all the people involved had been silenced. Now that Mrs Liu was also dead, she was the only one who knew ¡­ As such, he felt a chill run down his spine and he felt a sense of impending doom.


    "Miss, do you know why the Young Master of the Xu Family is not here tonight? This might be your last date, Empress Xu has killed a servant, and you will be next! "


    Zuo Lian trembled and looked around in horror. It seemed as if a chilly wind was blowing in through all the gaps between the doors and windows. Every gust of wind was like a killing intent.


    With a "peng" sound, the door closed tightly, even though there was no wind.

 C343 Phantom of Night Shock

    He subconsciously reached out his hand to grab her to ease the fear in his heart, and muttered: "Xin Fang, I don''t believe that the Honorable General Zou would be so heartless. We grew up together, and he was gentle, affectionate, considerate, and even swore to marry me ¡­"


    Mrs Liu said coldly, "Miss, you still trust that unfaithful lover of yours. If he really had feelings for you, why would the empress sacrifice you in the past? How could he marry someone else? Do you know how many concubines he has taken over the years? He doesn''t have any feelings for the princess, so where did he get such feelings for you from? I''m afraid that you have already treated the days of burning incense as his true feelings. However, to him, it is just an occasional dewdrop seeking thrill. "


    Zuo Lian slumped back into his seat, completely unaware of what the cold object in his hand was.


    Her thoughts were in a complete mess. These years, on the days of burning incense to Buddha, he and Xu Jingzi had spent some time together at the Cloud Realm Temple, making love and talking about how cute and beautiful their daughter was. Xu Jingzi would even look at Helian Hua from afar, saying that he hoped to have a common story with her, and even hugged her personally when she was young ¡­ Are these all fake?


    She knew that Xu Jingzi had not only become a wife, but a concubine. She was the only one in his heart, and because he missed her too much, he asked the women to talk to fill the void.


    Zuo Lianji had always believed in what sounded like genuine whispers, and now Fang felt that it was just a lie he wanted to believe. He had come to Xu Jingzi to seek some fantasy because he hadn''t been able to find true love in the palace.


    Neither she nor Xu Jingzi had expected the old love to come back. They were both very content with the status quo.


    However, Empress Xu was not satisfied. If she wanted to break this balance, as long as Xu Jingzi and Zuo Lian continued to tangle with each other, and as long as Zuo Lian still lived, it would be possible to ruin her century-old plan.


    "Xin Fang, what should I do now?" After all, Mrs Liu was her woman and had served her loyally since childhood. Even when she died and became a ghost, she had come to remind her that she was seeking help like a drowning person.


    Mrs Liu scoffed, "Your servant was even forced to death by the empress, how could I have the ability to save you?" Your servant''s reminder has come to a close, you can only save yourself. Empress Xu wants to overthrow the crown prince and push the eighth prince onto the throne. You also wish to rely on your mother''s authority, but I''m afraid this'' mother ''is not the eighth prince''s mother, but his mother''s wife! "


    As if returning his soul, Zuo Lian thought of something. "Meng''er thinks that he is my biological son, and at this time, he will certainly stand on the same side as me. We will deal with the empress together. As long as she can help Meng''er ascend the throne, I will not be the number one person in the harem."


    "But do you have the ability to topple the crown prince and deal with the empress at the same time? Just the empress''s external influence alone was able to clearly understand your actions in the palace. Most likely, before the eighth prince had even taken the throne, the Xu family would have already revealed your background to the emperor! The emperor may not be young, but he''s not at the point of being muddleheaded or old. You''ll have to wait for him to die, won''t you? Also, the crown prince is a high mountain, and the empress has not dared to act rashly for so many years.


    The words were like ice water being poured onto his feet. Even the left side of his body had turned cold. However, she was facing the three great powers of Empress Xu, Helian Yuan Chen, and Helian Yu. How could she, a concubine who had lived like a prince for decades without having any backing, overturn the heavens?


    "I''m afraid that when the time comes, the empress will use her position as the king to coax us, and not even the eighth prince will care about kinship!" Mrs Liu once again mercilessly threw out her trump card.


    That''s right, in order to prevent Helian Meng and Zuo Lian from getting too close, he had been raised in the empress dowager''s palace since childhood. During these eighteen years, Empress Xu had spent so much time and effort to distance herself from their ''mother'' and ''son.'' Helian Meng actually wasn''t close at all to this mufei. As for Zuo Lian, she knew that Helian Meng wasn''t his biological son, so she didn''t want to get close to him.


    "Then... Then, what other path does this palace have? "


    "Miss, you should think about it for yourself!" Mrs Liu abruptly flung her sleeves. With a loud noise, she suddenly disappeared without a trace.


    Zuo Lian''s hand suddenly lost weight and he almost fell. However, he was holding something in his hand. It was cold and hard to the touch, and it was rough to the touch. She hurried to the table, touched the candlestick, and lit it. With a terrible cry, Fang could see that what she had been holding and shaking all along was actually a ghastly white bone, an arm that had been wrapped in the skin and flesh of a sleeve.


    The more she believed in Mrs Liu''s ghost, the more she believed she had come here specifically to remind herself.


    She sat under the lamp for a moment, staring into space with a pale face, when she heard a sharp knock on the door: "Open the door."


    Zuo Lian was startled, and it turned out to be the voice of that damned enemy. She hesitated for a moment, and then thought of Mrs Liu''s words. Those twenty years of love that she had kept in her heart suddenly gave rise to great doubts, and she hurriedly kicked half of her arm under the bed.


    "Buckwheat? "Buckwheat?"


    The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she was not safe. She looked around and finally found a pair of scissors in the meditation room. She quietly hid inside her clothes and opened the door.


    His hair was a mess, his clothes were stained, and his face looked slightly fat and greasy. He no longer had the youthfulness and elegance of a teenager, so Zuo Lianji suddenly felt very strange. Just what did he miss about him these past twenty years?


    Xu Jingzi hurriedly closed the door, nervously stepping forward and holding her by the shoulder: "How are you? Are you alright? "


    "What should I do?" When Zuo Lian heard Mrs Liu''s words, he inexplicably became resistant to her, and his reaction was very cold.


    Xu Jingzi''s forehead was covered in sweat as if he was still overly nervous. He didn''t notice her abnormality and continued, "Before I came, I was attacked. For some reason, my vision went black, and then I lost consciousness. I was worried that something might have happened to you."


    Zuo Lian frowned: "Who attacked you? Wounded? "


    Xu Jingzi stared blankly for a moment, then touched the back of his head. There was no wound, but he vaguely remembered that he wasn''t knocked unconscious. Instead, he felt something covering his head, followed by a strange smell.


    Zuo Liangjie shot him a cold glance. "I think you''ve met a ghost."


    Back when he was young, he had a deep love for money. Just like how he was now, he now looked like a fake.


    Xu Jingzi froze for a moment before listening to her say, "I just saw Xin Fang''s ghost here."


    Mrs Liu had followed Zuo Lian into the House of Prime. She had also married a servant of the House of Zuo. Xu Jingzi was no stranger to her. But he did not expect Mrs Liu to be dead, and said in shock: "A ghost? She ¡­ Didn''t I accompany you to burn incense last year? "


    "She just died. She was tortured to death."


    "Who did it?"


    Zuo Lian stared at him coldly, feeling more and more that he was putting on a show. He put on a charming smile: "Look at the time, it''s already so late. Don''t talk about such terrifying things anymore. We''ll talk about it tomorrow morning."

 C344 lovers reaction

    Xu Jingzi nodded and washed his face with water. When he went to bed, he saw that Taro Zuo was already lying in bed. His well-maintained face still had the charm of a young girl. Although there were traces of time on it, it was still pleasing to look at.


    He couldn''t wait to jump into bed, throw back his quilt, and hold on to the left buckwheat for a while.


    Zuo Liangliang instinctively resisted and appeared to be very cold.


    Xu Jingzi noticed her abnormality and thought for a while before saying, "I have something good to give you."


    He groped around in his arms, but couldn''t find it.


    Zuo Lian suddenly felt danger. A pair of cold scissors flashed behind her back. She subconsciously tightened her grip and slowly put it under the pillow.


    "Did it drop just now?" Xu Jingzi muttered and continued to look into his arms, "Found it."


    He fished out a hairpin and happily inserted it into the left side of the buckwheat. "This is the latest popular jade-like craftsmanship, and its style is also one of the rarest in the world ¡­" As he spoke, he was startled. He felt that this hairpin was different from the one he had ordered.


    Zuo Lian sucked in a breath of air and frowned in pain. "It hurts!"


    She took out the hairpin from her hair. The tip of the hairpin flickered with a cold light, unexpectedly polished to an extremely sharp point. It didn''t look like a hairpin, but more like a killing weapon.


    Shocked, she threw the hairpin. With a ding sound, the hairpin landed on the ground and split into two. The lower half of the hairpin was actually hollow, scattering black powder all over the ground.


    "What is this?" The left buckwheat shrieked.


    "This... I don''t know either. " Xu Jingzi was surprised that there was something else in the hairpin.


    He bit his lip and pulled the scissors out from under his pillow and stabbed them at Xu Jing''s chest. Originally, she was still hesitant. She was more or less concerned about the kindness he showed her when she was young, as well as the fact that he was Helian Shuang''s father. But now that her life was in danger, she no longer cared.


    Xu Jingzi obviously didn''t expect the woman in close proximity to him to make a move on him. He hadn''t been able to move freely in his life, so he was only blinded by the cold light of the scissors. He subconsciously moved his body to the side to avoid it, and the scissors stabbed into his ribs.


    Xu Jingzi looked down and saw a large amount of blood seeping out of his chest. It quickly dyed his white undergarment dark red. Only then did he feel the pain.


    Even the left buckwheat was completely shocked. He was so scared that he shrunk to the corner of the bed and curled up into a ball. He hugged himself while trembling. In the end, she was still a weak girl. No matter how ruthless she was, she had never dared to try killing someone before. Furthermore, the person in front of her was a man who had been on intimate terms with her for twenty years.


    She was only affected by Mrs Liu''s words. Her heart was full of doubts and fears. She was always worried that Xu Jingzi would make a move against her, which was why she made the first move.


    "Is... "What?" Xu Jingzi fell down on his back, his body twitching and his eyes full of confusion and confusion.


    Without caring about his status, Zuo Lianji jumped over his body and jumped off the bed. He threw on some clothes and rushed out, dashing to the door of Helian City and banging on it with all his might.


    In his drowsiness, Helian Xianzi heard the faint sound of someone knocking on the door. He seemed to have woken up, but his body could not move.


    After an unknown period of time, she was suddenly awakened by a splash of cold water. When she opened her eyes, she saw that Zuo Lian''s bloodless face was looking down at her. The candle flame outside the door flickered in the night wind, causing her face to look like a female ghost.


    Helian Peng cried out in surprise and sat up abruptly. He shivered as he wiped the cold water off his face and said angrily, "Mufei, what are you doing?"


    "Hurry up!" The left buckwheat grabbed her wrist and pulled her out.


    Helian Shuanghui hurriedly grabbed a coat and called out, "Mufei, where can I go with my body covered up like this? It''s still so cold outside ¡­ "


    "I... "I killed someone ¡­"


    Helian Peng was stunned for a moment. He suddenly flung her hand away. "Who did you kill?"


    "Don''t worry about it. Just leave!" Zuo Lian trembled.


    She had already gone outside to wake up the sedan bearers, and had rushed up to break open the door of Helian Peng''s room. At this moment, she was anxiously waiting for her to get on the sedan.


    "You are a imperial concubine, killing you is nothing. "As for panicking like this." Helian Peng''s face was filled with disdain. In her eyes, an ordinary person''s life was no different from an ant''s. If a imperial concubine were to kill a commoner, no matter what they did, why would they panic?


    "You, you, you ¡­ You don''t understand. "


    The strength of the left buckwheat was beyond her imagination. It was so heavy that she stumbled after it, shocked beyond belief.


    After he got on the palanquin, he heard heavy breathing sounds coming from the left, followed by the sound of crying.


    "Mufei, what did you do? Kill who? " Helenglin became aware that the person she had killed was extraordinary, and he became suspicious.


    At this time, Zuo Lian had also recovered some of his rationality, and as he swung in and out of the sedan chair, he recalled the love and joy of his youth, and the love she had felt for him for the past twenty years. While she was terrified, she also felt a little sad, and the more she thought about it, the more regretful she felt.


    No matter how much Helian Peng pressed her, she just shook her head and cried, praying for Xu Jingzi to live on.


    This matter couldn''t be said about Helian Xiufeng. If she knew that her biological mother had killed her biological father, would she recognize her as an imperial concubine?


    Back at night, he went to the side door of the palace. Zuo Lian was rushing back to his own palace, but he met someone on his way and was stopped by someone on his way.


    "Yi, isn''t this Imperial Concubine Zuo?" Helian Yu held his hands behind his back. Behind him were two eunuchs holding lanterns in their hands. They appeared to be neatly dressed. It was unknown what they were wandering around in the palace in the middle of the night.


    Zuo Liangliang suddenly raised his head, his ashen face was filled with fear: "You ¡­." What are you scaring so much in the middle of the night here? "


    Helian Yu raised his eyebrows and raised his eyes to look at the sky where the stars were sparse. He smiled faintly, "The Yin hour is nearing midnight. Why is Imperial Concubine Zuo still in the middle of the night?" However, this was rather strange. Shouldn''t Imperial Concubine be on top of the mountain at this time? "In the past, you always went for three days every year to pray for blessings."


    Zuo Lian''s face was even paler and paler, but he still said, "It''s none of your business." He had to go around him.


    Helian Yu moved to block their path.


    Helian Peng was already extremely furious in his heart. If it wasn''t for the fact that Helian Yu was the only one she was afraid of in the palace, she would have already kicked him. She glared at Helian Yu and said with furrowed brows, "Big Brother Crown Prince, there is a difference between males and females. An adult prince should distance himself from the imperial concubine of the imperial harem. This isn''t good for you."


    Helian Yu gave a rare smile. "Good or bad, Seventh Sister does not have the final say."


    He gave Zuo Lian a deep look. "There will always be a time when Imperial Consort Zuo can come find me, right?"


    Lefty bowed his head and walked past without a word.


    Helian Yu, who was behind her, said from afar, "The scenery on the Emperor Mountain is not too good. Imperial Concubine Zuo must have not received any response from the Divine Buddha because of this prayer. That''s why she''s in such a bad mood, right?"


    Zuo Lian paused for a moment and then ran away as if he was escaping.


    Helian Yu leisurely walked to the east palace. Behind him, a eunuch smiled. "Does Your Highness believe that she will come back to find you?"


    "She has nowhere else to go. Who else can she go?"

 C345 The Secret of Exchange

    The only person in the palace that could make her depend on was the emperor. If she had killed someone else, even if it was unreasonable, with the love and love of Helian Yuan Chen, it was possible that he would take care of her as if she wasn''t there. However, the person she had killed was her adulterer, and the person she wanted to hide the most was Helian Yuan Chen.


    Right now, she was thinking that Empress Xu wanted to silence her by killing her and then kill Xu Jingzi. She had completely broken off all ties with Empress Xu, and the second person she wanted to hide from was Empress Xu.


    Helian Meng was also someone she could rely on. However, Mrs Liu''s words made her uncertain. Moreover, how could she explain who that man was? It wasn''t important if he looked down on her, as he absolutely couldn''t let him misunderstand that the person who died was his birth father, and his background was something that couldn''t be said for him. Once he found out that he was just a baby whose origin was unknown and his birth mother was killed and carried back to the palace, then the person he wanted to kill would probably be left Liangshan.


    She couldn''t even reveal the slightest bit of his own daughter, Helian Peng. Other than Helian Yu, how could she possibly have someone who could seek help from her?


    She had no choice but to find someone to dispose of the body before dawn.


    Indeed, after sitting in the East Palace for less than half an hour, they had heard the legend of Imperial Concubine Zuo''s visit.


    Helian Yu slowly asked someone to pour the tea for her, but from beginning to end, no one was willing to bring her in.


    "Ai ai ¡­" Imperial Concubine Zuo, this is the Eastern Palace, you can''t just barge in! "


    "Scram!" I want to see the crown prince, do you dare to stop me? "


    "This servant doesn''t dare, but concubine is not allowed to get too close with an adult prince. These are palace rules ¡­"


    Helian Xiufeng had just said those words a moment ago, blocking off Zuo Lian''s words so that he couldn''t speak. Gritting her teeth, she didn''t bother maintaining her noble bearing and instead raised her foot to kick him. "Scram!"


    "What is this? Hurry up and invite the imperial concubine in. " Helian Yu uttered from afar. His figure could not be seen clearly in the half-light of the hall.


    Zuo Lian rushed into the hall, and the door creaked shut behind him.


    In the spacious Guest Hall, only two candlesticks that were not bright were lit in the corner. Helian Yu seemed to deliberately create such an atmosphere, causing the pressure in her heart to increase and the fear to increase.


    "Imperial Concubine Zuo, please take a seat." Helian Yu''s cold and ruthless expression seemed softer and more polite than usual.


    Zuo Lian, on the other hand, was standing. He seemed to be mulling over something and didn''t utter a word for a long time.


    Helian Yu then raised his eyes to look at the copper hourglass in the lower hall. "If Imperial Consort Zuo still doesn''t speak, the sun will soon rise after the fifth fragment of the night. When you leave the Eastern Palace, this rumor will be a bit unclear."


    Zuo Lian was shocked. He didn''t have time to react. Sweat began to roll down his neck as he said, "I beg the crown prince to help me. I killed someone at the Yunzhi Temple. No matter what, I have to cover it up ¡­"


    Helian Yu frowned. "This ¡­ Your life is in danger, so I can''t agree to your request so easily. However, it was still quite strange. Was there a need for the Imperial Concubine to be so shocked when she killed someone? If he deserves to die, then my royal father will take charge on your behalf. If he doesn''t, then you should ask my royal father to cover it up for you.


    "That person is Uncle Guo, the younger brother of Empress Xu. He is the head of the Military Department, Xu Jingzi!"


    "..." Why would Professor Xu appear in the Royal Mountain? And in the middle of the night? Could it be ¡­ You can''t sleep in the middle of the night, so you want to burn some incense and pay respects to Buddha at the Cloud Realm Temple? "


    Zuo Lian choked on his casual ridicule and started to cry. She steeled her heart and said: "Since I''m here to request the Crown Prince, I naturally have a secret to exchange with you. My secret is of no harm to the crown prince. It''s fine if you don''t want to tell him, but I''m afraid you don''t even know about the crown prince''s secret! "


    Helian Yu was startled. He had set up a trap for his to fall into his trap, so he had naturally calculated that she would have no other way out. He would inevitably come to him for help. He had not expected her to have another trump card.


    Seeing the glint in her eyes, Helian Yu knew that the secret she wanted to talk about was definitely not the life of Helian Lie and Helian Meng.


    "What secrets does this palace have? Do you need Imperial Concubine to tell me?"


    "Indeed, when I first entered the palace, it was too late for me. The crown prince had just begun to understand human affairs, so he must have thought that I could know about it, and you should know that you were recognized as the king not long after you were born. Your status is unshakable, why would you think that Bei Chu would fail you?"


    Unshakable, Helian Yu smiled coldly in his heart. If not for the appearance of the Helian divine ability, he would still be as ignorant as before. He was afraid that one day, he might fall into the trap of Empress Xu and this woman.


    "However, when the crown prince doesn''t understand human nature, there are always things that you don''t know." Zuo Lian observed the situation and realized Helian Yu was still as still as a mountain. He was slightly disappointed, but he still continued to speak.


    "After Imperial Concubine Yu gave birth to the crown prince, she fell ill and died young. Has the crown prince never thought about the reason?"


    "My mufei is weak, and I''m a sickbed after childbirth. What else could there be?" Helian Yu''s heart had already started to pound against his chest. He tried his best to look calm and indifferent.


    Zuo Lian scoffed coldly, "Has the crown prince heard of Frostbite Powder?"


    As expected, it was no different from what Jing Nan said. Helian Yu slowly nodded.


    "At that time, the Frostbite was brought in from the Southern Moon, and it was rumored that it not only gave one the pleasure of floating in the air, but also helped to maintain one''s appearance and maintain one''s youthfulness. In the later stages of the pregnancy, the emperor began to treat her coldly because she was ill and unable to sleep. Her heart was anxious as she began to take the Frigid Eating Powder immediately after the birth and because she wanted to recover her health, she took an excessive amount. "The Frigid Eclipse Powder contains trace toxic substances. If consumed in large quantities for a long time, it will cause people to be poisoned."


    "I have never heard of the theory that cold food can cause death."


    "That''s right, the content of mercury and cinnabar in the Frigid Eating Powder is not high, causing one to die for a long time. Even if she consumed a large amount of it, she would not die in a few months." That''s right, the content of mercury and cinnabar in the Frigid Eating Powder are not high, causing one to die for a long time.


    Helian Yu could no longer restrain himself and his face slightly changed. Even though he had never been with his birth mother and felt that he did not have any feelings for her, it was difficult to sever all ties of blood. From the moment he had first seen her in the illusion world, he had already felt the warmth of that beautiful woman''s heart when he heard that she was not only tricked into eating the Frigid Food Powder, but had also died due to poison.


    "This person is Empress Xu! That day, the empress dowager rarely visited her, and seeing that she was so ill and was eating something cold, she scolded her. Empress Xu added oil to the fire, saying that she had been sick for a long time because of her craving for cold food, and Imperial Concubine Yu did not dare to reveal that she had taken in cold food to preserve her appearance. She ate a bowl of hot food right in front of the empress dowager, causing her to suffer greatly after she left and die from poison! "


    Helian Yu''s five fingers, which were under his sleeve, opened wide as they trembled uncontrollably. Then, he slowly clenched his fists tightly as a bloody light flashed through his eyes.

 C346 Do Not Life-Sneakening

    Zuo Lianji stared at the change in his expression and anxiously looked out the window, saying in a low voice: "Your Highness, it''s getting late ¡­"


    "Who told Imperial Concubine Yu that all the frost in the room was for her?"


    "It''s also Empress Xu, but she didn''t personally say it. Instead, she used the servant''s mouth to gossip and spread the word. Imperial Concubine Yu immediately believed her words ¡­" Furthermore, she has always pretended not to know about Imperial Concubine Wu Yu''s Frostbite Powder. "


    Helian Yu said sternly, "Father has actually never investigated this matter?!"


    Zuo Lian was dazed for a moment before he said, "Imperial Concubine Yu is in the late stage of pregnancy. She has become fat and swollen, and her beauty is no longer there. The Emperor has treated her with contempt ¡­" She only believed others'' words when they said that she would eat the cold food and daydream to quickly restore her appearance, but by then, the emperor had already ¡­ "


    Helian Yu recalled the scenes in the illusion. At first, Imperial Concubine Wu Yu was not pregnant long ago, but she was still beautiful and charming. When he saw her again, she was already very sick. At that time, even if it wasn''t because of the effects of the Frostbite Powder, those who had been sick for a long time would also be very weak. She would no longer be as fat as she was now.


    "Royal father treated her coldly, just because her face is no longer the same?"


    Zuo Liangliang thought about it for a moment and said, "If there''s any other reason, I won''t be able to find out, but it will definitely be related to Empress Xu. She was so intent on getting rid of Lady Yu that it may have been a trick. "


    "But, Empress Xu, you, who are very similar to her, were given to my royal father?"


    Zuo Lian''s eyes suddenly widened. "How does the crown prince know that I''m similar to Imperial Concubine Yu?"


    Helian Yu sneered. That portrait of his was not easy to obtain. Even Yuan Chen did not know about it. However, he clearly knew that he resembled Imperial Concubine Yu.


    Zuo Lian sighed, "This matter is actually not a very important secret, but very few people know about it, because this is the emperor''s taboo. Before the Emperor ascended the throne, he once loved a woman, but could not. For the sake of obtaining the power of the Xu Family, he conferred the title of Empress to the Xu Family. "Later on, because Imperial Concubine Wu was similar to her and quickly favored her, the Emperor snubbed the Xu family. She was jealous in her heart and wholeheartedly wanted your mother to die."


    "However, after Imperial Concubine Yu really died, the Emperor''s heart is still not with Empress Xu. Moreover, she sensed that Imperial Concubine Yu''s death was related to her, so hatred arose in his heart. Because she was afraid of the Xu Family, she had no choice but to be respectful on the surface but to ignore them. After two years, she felt increasingly disappointed, knowing that other than preserving her position as Empress, she would no longer be able to obtain this man''s heart. At that time, she found out that she had infertility and accidentally saw my appearance. With a thought, she brought me back to the Prime Minister''s Estate ¡­ " She suddenly stopped, afraid that if she were to say more, it would arouse Helian Yu''s suspicions.


    Helian Yu sucked in a breath of cold air. He didn''t expect that Helian Yuan Chen would find out about Imperial Concubine Wu''s death even before him. He also didn''t expect that Helian Yuan Chen would treat Imperial Concubine Yu with kindness.


    It seemed that Imperial Concubine Wu was the same as Zuo Lian, but she was favored because she looked like another girl. It was no wonder that she was spoiled. Once her looks changed, Helian Yuan would immediately leave her. In fact, it''s not because she looks like Lady Yu that the left is favored, but because she looks like that nameless woman.


    However, the difference between the two of them was that Imperial Concubine Yu no longer had a face after she became pregnant and was unable to wait for her to recover before being pampered. The left side was smarter than her, moving to the palace for labor, successfully avoiding the time when her appearance changed.


    "Very good." Helian Yu calmed his breathing and looked down at her. "Imperial Consort Zuo, do you have no other secrets you wish to share with me?"


    "No more." He looked out the window at the eastern sky. His face had already changed color.


    The sky was already brightening. When Helian Yu sent people up to the Royal Mountain and entered the Cloud Gazing Temple, it would be difficult to dispose of the corpse after a few more weeks.


    Helian Yu looked at the missing inscription and the corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile. He knew that he had almost forced her to his side. So far, she had refused to reveal her secret, and if she tried to force her any further, she would turn things around, and he already knew what this woman thought she would never let him know. He also knew that she would not tell him, that she was afraid he would see through her intention of holding Helian Meng and taking his place.


    "Someone, come."


    The panes were opened, but the person who had quietly landed wasn''t a eunuch of the East Palace, but a black-clothed, masked spy of the East Palace.


    Helian Yu whispered a few words to that spy. Then, he turned around and left. A few black shadows followed him. In the blink of an eye, they had disappeared.


    Zuo Lian''s face was ashen as he slumped in his chair. The meticulous and meticulous Eastern Palace troops were not something she could handle. Previously, he had thought that he could win Helian Meng by a fluke. Without Empress Xu''s help, she knew that seizing resources meant that she would have no hope in her life. She only wished to live without hope.


    After sending the left side of the buckwheat, Helian Yu was extremely calm.


    Naturally, he had already dealt with the matters on the Emperor Mountain. The reason why he delayed for so long was not only to uncover her secret, but also to exert the final pressure on her, causing her to be like a camel that was crushed to death by the last straw.


    This woman was definitely not as pitiful as she looked. At such a crucial moment, she could be betrayed by anyone and sacrificed by anyone. Her mood was as cold as Empress Xu''s. But seeing that she had accidentally killed Xu Jingzi without the slightest bit of grief, and had only wanted to excuse herself, he knew how cold-blooded she was.


    However, the world was not as she had expected.


    Helian Yu smiled coldly.


    The left side of his body was weak and powerless. Although the scissors were sharp, in the end, they were not a killing weapon, and the blunt end of the outer edge was firmly stuck between Xu Jingzi''s ribs. Although the wound was very severe, it was still very far from his heart.


    When the heavily injured Xu Jingzi returned to Shang Shu Manor, he didn''t need to think to guess what would happen. With the Xu family''s influence, crushing a single left flank was as easy as turning over a palm. Helian Yu was happy to sit back and watch as it happened.


    However, the history of the Helian brothers and sisters ¡­ He narrowed his phoenix eyes, revealing a trace of coldness within.


    He wanted to take Helian Hua''s life as a sacrifice. This woman could not be left to anyone else. The Helian Art''s target was Helian Meng. Empress Xu was definitely not willing to let this happen. She would have to first knock down Empress Xu in this matter.


    He gathered his thoughts and made up his mind.


    The Soul Orb was taken out and once again shone in the moonlight outside the window. Helian Yu stared at the wisps of strange light within for a long time. He felt that there was one of Gu Qing Li''s silhouettes that he couldn''t catch.


    The late February moon was round, and as the sun and moon alternated, the sun and the moon refracted at the same time, piercing through the Soul Orb.


    In the chaotic world, Gu Qingli suddenly felt the sky become clearer and brighter. She, along with the other wandering souls, looked up at the same time, and the pair of cold phoenix eyes that blotted out the sky became clearer than before. She even heard a faint sigh, as if someone was calling out the two words "Qing Li".


    The sound was familiar, pounding against her eardrums.


    At first, she felt that this world was in chaos, the sun and moon were long. As she walked through this never-changing scenery, some of her memories began to blur and scatter, but this sigh caused her to regain some memories.


    she thought, puzzled.


    When she looked back, she saw that the figure of the wandering soul beside her had faded away. It was looking outside with her with a dazed look in its eyes.


    Gu Qingli was startled and regained her senses. This was her original body. She hadn''t seen her for some time. Looking at her pale figure, it seemed she had been here for a long time and was about to disappear.

 C347 Imperial visit

    That "Qing Li" was calling out to someone, but no one knew which one. No wonder she was looking up with such an expression.


    "Gu Qing Li?" Gu Qingli was already used to this identity, so she was soon going to forget about her previous life.


    The faint shadow turned around, with a little confusion in his eyes. After a while, he asked softly, "Are you calling me?"


    "Have you forgotten your name?" Gu Qingli couldn''t believe it.


    The other person was dazed for a moment, then nodded: "That''s right, I''m Gu Qingli ¡­" I... "Where did you come from?"


    Gu Qingli couldn''t help but feel a chill in her heart. Not only would it dissipate, it would even gradually lose her memory before dispersing. She didn''t want to. She had to remember everything. She didn''t want to forget Xiao Yixiu and her past.


    The sky and the earth dimmed, and the phoenix eye disappeared, returning to a state of primal chaos.


    On the outside of the soul orb, Helian Yu placed the soul orb on his body, then stood up and left the Eastern Palace.


    He could only imagine how the unconscious Xu Jingzi would grit his teeth after returning to his manor and wake up. There would still be some time before the Xu family would use their trump card. Xu Jingzi couldn''t possibly kill his Imperial Concubine Zuo while he was half dead.


    The Emperor didn''t think too much of Xu Zhengwen''s illness. He only asked a few questions out of concern, wondering why the disease was so violent that he couldn''t even bring a patient to court himself.


    However, Xu Xiang''s sincere words and worried expression made Helian Yuan Chen believe without a doubt.


    Of course, this matter wouldn''t be spread to the imperial harem, but Imperial Concubine Zuo would definitely use all her eyes and ears to find out about it. She fearfully thought to herself, "Minister Xu, what is going on?"


    She was unable to restrain herself for the moment, yet she did not dare to carelessly send people over. She only heard about the matter after she had personally gone to the Eastern Palace at midnight, and only then did she hear about the matter from Helian Yu. The people had already been dealt with long ago, and the Prime Minister''s Estate and Shang Shu Manor could not find Xu Jingzi.


    Zuo Lian was worried when he thought about how people could go missing. "Didn''t the Crown Prince say he would help me with this? "If Xu Xiang were to investigate, he would suspect me."


    Helian Yu glanced at her and said lazily, "That night, Imperial Concubine came to the Eastern Palace. She only begged me to help you take care of the corpse. She didn''t let me clean up the aftermath for you."


    Zuo Lian was so angry that he almost vomited blood. If he couldn''t cover it up, then why would he bother begging him for help?


    Helian Yu smiled and narrowed his phoenix eyes. With a cold look in his eyes, he asked, "Why did Imperial Concubine Zuo assassinate Minister Xu? Are you still unwilling to say?"


    Zuo Lian gritted his teeth and said: "That is my private matter. Even if it is terrible, it has nothing to do with the crown prince."


    Helian Yu smiled again. He thought to himself, don''t blame me for not giving you a chance. You still have to keep this secret at all costs. You want to keep Helian Meng as your last trump card.


    Xu Shangshu did not come to court for many days, but a rumor passed through the court that his illness would not be cured, and a rumor that he had disappeared for many days had inevitably spread to the ears of Helian Yuan Chen.


    Even though the emperor worked diligently, he would also have some free time sometimes. After hearing the rumours, he decided to show compassion to the officials and personally make a trip to the Shang Shu Manor to treat his illness. The attendants naturally knew that even though the Minister was an extremely popular official, he couldn''t work for the Emperor. He was most likely looking at Xu Xiang''s face.


    In fact, the Emperor was thinking of a secret rumour in his swaying jade sedan.


    Every year during the auspicious season, the imperial concubines would go to the palace to visit the Buddha to pay their respects. Only the Imperial Consort of the Left would not travel with others, always living alone in the backyard of the Zen Palace for three days under the guise of being quiet and undisturbed. And Xu Shangshu had never heard the words of worshiping the Buddha, why was he suddenly ill on the emperor''s mountain and sent back to the mansion?


    It would be fine if he didn''t investigate this matter. However, once he did, he found out that Prince Xu liked to go to the Cloud Realm at midnight to discuss Zen with Reverend Fang. He would return to the imperial court in the early hours of the morning without delay.


    Once the secret rumor reached the ears of the emperor, he immediately had doubts. He also heard that the person who sent the Minister back home that night, as well as the trusted eunuch by Empress Xu''s side, was even more suspicious.


    There was no doubt that Empress Xu cared about her own younger brother, but why could she not speak of this to others? How could a person not go in the middle of the day and discuss Zen in the middle of the year?


    The emperor entered Shang Shu Manor doubtfully, his face still carrying a peaceful smile.


    The dignified royal etiquette was arranged so strictly outside the estate, that the Xu Family members were all shocked by it.


    Although the two residences were separated by a wall, in reality, they still belonged to the same residence. The entrance was connected to the entrance to the Moon Cave, and even the houses in this area were the foundation of the Xu family, divided into two residences for the sake of being more imposing and extravagant.


    The Emperor spoke a few words of gentleness to them before the old couple led them to the courtyard of the Minister, leaving them to wait outside in the drawing room and enter by themselves.


    Xu Xiang was naturally puzzled, but how could the Emperor dare to disobey the emperor''s orders? He could only instruct the servants to bring tea and food for them, fearing that there might be even the slightest bit of indiscretion.


    Xu Jingzi had lost too much blood, and his face was very pale. When he heard that the emperor had personally entered the palace and was feeling very ill, he was shocked and frightened, not even a little bit of happiness could be seen on his face. He rolled and crawled to get out of the bed to greet the emperor, but he was too exhausted.


    The emperor waved his hand to order all the servants in the Shang Shu Manor to retreat, while his own men guarded the entrance of the dorm tightly.


    Xu Jingzi, who had received the imperial edict, could only half-lean back and answer. His legs trembled under the covers, and he could only smile guiltily in thanks to the emperor.


    He rubbed the armrest of his chair and asked about Xu Jingzi''s illness, only to find that his face had changed. He stammered and stammered, saying that even the doctors said that he didn''t know, that he didn''t know anything about medicine, and that he didn''t understand.


    Helian Yuan Chen just smiled gently and sat on the edge of the bed, causing Xu Jingzi to flinch at the corner of the bed.


    "Xu Aiqing, why does it seem like you''re very afraid of me?" Helian Yuan Chen smiled as he extended his arm to pat his shoulder and said, "Apart from his status as a sovereign and subject, my beloved official is also the Empress''s blood brother. My brother-in-law can always be considered a marriage relative, so there''s no need to be so formal."


    Helian Yuan Chen had circulated three portions of his Zhen Qi to slap the palm of Xu Jingzi''s hand, causing the air in front of his chest to stifle. A sweet and fishy taste rose from his throat as his Qi and blood surged upwards.


    Xu Jingzi knew that he could not be impolite in front of the emperor, so he forcefully swallowed his surging qi and blood. He felt the wound on his chest open up again, and he knew it was bad, but he didn''t understand why the emperor was hitting him so hard.


    I heard that you were born on the night of Guan Yin''s birth. Oh, no, actually it was brought down from the Emperor''s Mountain near the morning of the next day. Could it be that you went to the Cloud Realm Temple late at night to discuss Zen matter with Reverend Fang?


    Xu Jingzi''s face was ashen, devoid of any color, but a mouthful of blood stuck in his throat, making him unable to speak. He knew in his heart that the Emperor would not speak without thinking. If he could say such words, then Reverend Cloud Realm must have taken the initiative.


    He couldn''t help but let out a sad smile. He thought that he finally failed to retrieve his life. He just didn''t know how much of a burden this was and how much the Emperor knew.

 C348 The Heartless Emperors Heart

    Helian Yuan Chen reached out his jade-white palm and stroked his chest with a smile that was not a smile, "What, can''t you say, or do you have nothing to say? After so many years of silent night in meditation, you still have not mastered the correct path, and have instead been possessed by a devil? "


    The blood on Xu Jingzi''s chest seeped through his shirt, gradually dyeing the white brocade red.


    Helian Yuan Chen swept his gaze across with a gentle smile that caused his hair to stand on end, "All these years, I developed a heaven''s will. Back then, Imperial Concubine Zuo was born in the Xiang Fu family and was as fond of buddhism as her beloved daughter."


    "Your Majesty ¡­" "Your majesty!" Xu Jingzi''s breath finally calmed down as he struggled to kneel on the bed, "Listen to this official''s explanation, don''t listen to rumors with ulterior motives!"


    Helian Yuan Chen nodded his head, "I have never believed in rumors, but... You can''t possibly make This Emperor not believe your eyes either, right? " He quickly reached out and ripped open Xu Jingzi''s clothes, revealing the wound that was still oozing blood.


    "Even if this Emperor is unable to ascertain the root of the illness or the injury, he is still able to identify it!"


    He took out a pair of scissors from his bosom and threw them on the bed in front of Xu Jingzi, "My beloved official, Xu Xiang helped me ascend to the throne more than twenty years ago, and I have also promised that I would help him become an extremely powerful official. All these years, the Helian Imperial Family has never gone back on their promise to the Xu family.


    Xu Jingzi didn''t dare to say anything and just kowtowed with all his might.


    When Helian Yuan Chen saw his expression, he sighed again, "On behalf of the empress, I should give my beloved one a way out no matter what. Speak."


    Xu Jingzi''s heart turned cold. Judging from his tone, he didn''t know much. Was he going to say it or not, how much should he say?


    "If I don''t tell my beloved one, I might not have the chance to talk about it in the future."


    "This subject... Your subject deserves to die a thousand deaths... In the past, when Imperial Concubine Zuo was at the Residence of Zuo, she and this subject had a very close relationship. Later on, she ¡­ After entering the palace, this subject gave up on this thought. Unexpectedly, a few days ago, I was invited by my imperial concubine, saying that there was an important matter that she wanted to discuss with me, so I was forced to attend to it. There''s a lot of friction, she... "She accidentally used scissors to injure this subject ¡­"


    When Helian Yuan Chen heard his words, he could not help but smile: "Has Xu Aiqing finished what she wanted to say?"


    "Yes, yes. This subject''s words are true. Back then, I only looked at your Imperial Consort from a distance. Later ¡­ and he has never left the pavilion. " Xu Jingzi didn''t expect the Emperor to believe his words. He could only bet on the power of the Xu family in the imperial court, making it so that the emperor would not fall out with them.


    Helian Yuan Chen nodded. "I still have a lot of trust in the character of my beloved official."


    With a warm smile, he patted Xu Jingzi''s shoulder twice more. This time, he brushed past Xu Jingzi like a feather, then stood up and left.


    Xu Jingzi stared at him blankly. When he walked out of the room, the blood that he had swallowed gushed out of his throat and onto the sheet covering his chest.


    After leaving the Prime Minister''s Residence, he returned to the Imperial Palace in a grand and majestic manner. However, no one knew that the Emperor had already changed his clothes and only brought a few of his close servants to head to the Royal Mountain''s Cloud Realm Temple.


    Today was not the day to pay respects to Buddha. The Cloud Realm Temple was not a place where ordinary people could visit, so it was exceptionally quiet.


    Helian Yuan Chen entered the temple from the side door. There was a monk wearing a monk''s cassock that came to greet him, but he was no longer the same monk from last time. After he saw the ceremony, he led the group to the backyard of the old Imperial Consort Zuo''s rendezvous and introduced them to a pilgrim''s meditation room.


    In the meditation room, there was a woman kneeling with her head bowed. She was holding onto a bun, and her body was trembling.


    "Mrs Liu, raise your head."


    While trembling, Mrs Liu raised her eyes to meet Helian Yuan Chen''s eyes, which were still smiling from beginning to end.


    This handsome man had a pair of long, narrow eyes that were as rarely seen as a fox''s. Most of the time, his eyes revealed a smile, but his lips that were as thin as steel revealed a trace of a kind smile.


    After an unknown period of time, Helian Yuan Chen came out of the meditation room. His usual smile had also disappeared and was replaced by a layer of faint haze.


    In another meditation room, Helian Yu walked out with his hands behind his back.


    Helian Yuan Chen did not say anything. He looked at the plum trees in the yard that had already sprouted early spring green, but his eyes were clouded with gloom.


    The courtyard was very quiet. The imperial guards had long surrounded this area, and even the monks of the temple were not allowed to approach it. He and Helian Yu were opposed to each other, so he did not plan to hide in the meditation room and speak in secret.


    The truth was that the depression in his heart had reached its peak, and he couldn''t even breathe smoothly anymore.


    "Yu''er, did you already know about this?"


    Helian Yu didn''t respond. He faced his gaze and suddenly asked, "Can royal father really answer this son''s question?"


    "Yes."


    "royal father has never loved mufei in his heart, right?"


    This question did not fit Helian Yuan Chen''s current predicament at all. He was stunned by the question. After a long while, he asked, "Why do you ask this?"


    "I''m just curious as to why royal father would value that imperial jade hairpin and why he would fall in love with Imperial Concubine Zuo if he had no true feelings for her."


    After a long while, his lips curled into a faint smile as he said with a cold smile, "Yu''er, you are the crown prince and the future ruler of the Northern Chu Country. Father has never taught you some things, but today, I will teach you this: as the emperor, using emotions is taboo, but you can''t be heartless."


    A look of confusion surfaced in Helian Yu''s eyes. It was better to not answer this question, which only added to the confusion in his heart.


    There must be affection for the people of the world, love for the heavens and earth. However, there are some sentiments that would spoil the great cause of an emperor. Helian Yuan Chen looked at the green spot on the Plum Tree and a faint smile gradually appeared on his face.


    "I love Imperial Concubine Wu Yu and I love Imperial Concubine Zuo. However, that is only because they understand their own status and don''t touch my bottom line ¡­ Alright, let''s return to the palace."


    Actually, Helian Yuan Chen very rarely lectured Helian Yu directly. He had already said too much just now.


    "Father, there are some things that you might not be clear about."


    Helian Yuan Chen raised his eyebrows. Xu Jingzi and Mrs Liu had already given him an excessive surprise. Could it be that Helian Yu still had some kind of heavy hammer that he hadn''t hit yet?


    "After my mufei died, her corpse didn''t rot. It''s said that the Face Setting Bead was just a poisonous substance that contained cinnabar and mercury, causing her to look as if she was alive. She died from chronic poisoning."


    A ripple appeared in Helian Yuan Chen''s eyes. As expected, he was not shocked.


    "I heard that when she was still alive, she heard rumors in the palace that she took the Cold Food Powder when she was eating. That kind of thing contains a tiny bit of poison, so she took it as much as she did. But this is still not the cause of death. Before she died, the empress brought the empress dowager over to urge her to eat hot food, and she died without a cure. "


    "Who did you hear that from?"


    "Someone who should have died, but hasn''t." Helian Yu could not speak of the matter of Imperial Concubine Zuo begging him for help.


    "..." "Jing Nan?"

 C349 trapped Huangshan(1)

    Helian Yu also did not expect that he would be able to guess at Jingnan on the first thought.


    Helian Yuan Chen didn''t seem to care too much about this matter. He only muttered, "She can actually still live ¡­"


    A cold light suddenly flashed through Helian Yu''s heart. Could it be that it was the Emperor who ordered Jing Nan to be buried alongside the Feiling Tomb? He also felt that it was impossible, Jingnan guarded the mausoleum for more than a year, and the emperor wanted to kill her when that happened? Moreover, if he wanted to kill someone, there was no need to go through all this trouble.


    "There is another matter that royal father did not expect."


    "Hmm?"


    "Father''s body ¡­"


    Helian Yuan Chen''s expression gradually became unsightly as he stared at him.


    "Not good, not good, your majesty ¡­" Your Highness the Crown Prince! " A guard hurriedly came in from outside, his face was filled with panic.


    Helian Yuan Chen shot a cold beam of light and the guard immediately became fluent in speech. "There are a large number of burning robbers gathered at the foot of the mountain. I don''t know where they came from, but they are rushing up the mountain ¡­"


    "Bandits?"


    The imperial mountain was in the outskirts of the capital, where would there be a large number of bandits? There was something fishy about this.


    "How many?"


    "At least a thousand. It''s still increasing."


    In order to conceal his identity, Helian Yuan Chen had only brought a little more than ten inner guards. Helian Yu had always been bold and daring, with only Liao Liao and a few spies by his side. Even if all of them had extraordinary skills and were able to handle over a thousand people, it would still be difficult for them to obtain any benefits after taking turns fighting.


    Helian Yuan Chen pursed his lips and took the lead as they walked out of the Cloud Realm Temple. Helian Yu followed closely behind.


    They climbed up to the top of the mountain and looked down on it.


    This mountain was no taller than two hundred feet. Seeing the dense and dense formation rushing up the mountain, countless cold glints flashed, clearly showing that they were all sharp weapons. It seemed that soon, the entire Cloud Gazing Temple would be surrounded.


    The monks of the Cloud Realm Temple were also in a mess. They had never seen such a formation before as they were not very experienced people.


    Helian Yu''s eyes narrowed for a long while before he said in a low voice, "That''s not right!"


    Even Yuan Chen could tell that this group of people wore different clothes, and their weapons were different as well. However, they moved swiftly and neatly, with a good response. It was obvious that they came from a well-trained army, how could they be bandits? Judging by the speed at which he climbed the mountain, his skills were definitely not ordinary. If he had wanted to use his own skills to break through, then now, he had no hope of survival.


    "Father, why don''t we make a bet? Whose person is he?" At this time, Helian Yu was still in the mood to gamble.


    Helian Yuan Chen also looked at it for a while, and then coldly smiled, "The Red Falcon Army."


    Helian Yu sighed softly.


    The Red Falcon Army was not a large number of imperial guards. In the past, when Helian Meng performed the coronation ceremony, he boldly asked Helian Yuanchen for an army to train himself.


    At that time, he thought that even though he was young, he was still arrogant, and had the heart to suppress his spirit. Thus, he had allocated a trip of a thousand people to be trained by him, and became the eighth prince''s personal guard.


    He never thought that Helian Meng would actually train the personal guards of a thousand people to such a sharp degree. Although they were few in number, and had never actually met an enemy before the battle, they had always been victorious during the military training, causing all the generals in the imperial court to have a whole new level of respect for them.


    Helian Yuan Chen was also amazed. He felt that Helian Meng was a young genius whose achievements in the future would probably not be inferior to Helian Yu''s and he would be even more pampered.


    But from then on, Helian Meng never mentioned the other requirements, including the entry into court at the age of sixteen, nor did he ever try to gain a place in the court. Instead, he obtained the approval of more courtiers for his modesty.


    Although this Red Falcon Army was powerful, it only had a few thousand people. It was not a good situation and no one took him seriously.


    "This is the Elite Armament surprise attack." Helian Yuan Chen slightly smiled bitterly. He didn''t expect that in the end, he would actually fall into the hands of an eighteen year old youth.


    Helian Yu, on the other hand, observed the enemy''s formation without saying a word from beginning to end. Until the very last moment, he would never easily admit defeat. Even when facing Xiao Yi Xiu, he never lowered his head, not to mention that Helian Meng was only a young and inexperienced youth in his eyes.


    Helian Yu quickly made up his mind. First, he summoned the monks and exchanged clothes with them. Then, he had all the guards with bows and arrows hide in seclusion in the temple. He said to Helian Yuan Chen, "Father, come with me."


    Helian Yuan Chen was surprised, but he still followed him into the meditation room that Mrs Liu was in a moment ago, and unexpectedly did not see Mrs Liu''s figure.


    Following that, Helian Yu pressed something on the ground. Immediately, a mechanism for turning the board appeared. The darkness below seemed to be of unknown depth.


    "Royal father, go down first. No matter what happens outside, you are not allowed to come out."


    "No, you''re the one who''s going down." Helian Yuan Chen said in a deep voice.


    Helian Yu smiled. "Didn''t royal father say that you can''t be heartless as a monarch?"


    "I am not considering the relationship between father and son, but this world. "If something were to happen to you, then the Helian Family''s mountains and rivers will be cut off ¡­" Helian Yuan Chen was not young and he could not have children, so the first thing he thought of was a grand plan.


    Without waiting for him to finish, Helian Yu pushed him down, caught him off guard, and quickly pressed the trigger. Helian Yuan Chen''s alarmed voice was heard from below, "Yu''er, you can''t do this!"


    Helian Yu replied from above, "If Imperial Father doesn''t want my mechanism to be wasted, you must not make a sound."


    Since time was short and the project had to be hidden, it was impossible for him to send a large number of people here. With just a few dozen feet of space to allow the two of them to hide, and with Lady Liu and Helian Yuan Chen already present, he naturally could not hide any longer.


    Helian Yu took a big step forward. He wasn''t this righteous. If he was truly afraid of death, he should have brought Mrs Liu up and hid himself. However, he was well aware of Helian Meng''s intelligence. If Yuan Chen went missing at the same time as him, then the Cloud Realm Temple would definitely not be protected. Helian Meng had to dig to find them as well.


    However, while he was fighting on the outside, he was confident that he could escape with fifty percent confidence. Even though there were a lot of soldiers in the thousand plus army, it was much easier to escape than to travel alone.


    "Helian Meng, the battle between us shall begin today." Helian Yu''s voice was transmitted through the air.


    Not long later, the soft and clear laughter of the youth came from the mountainside. "Big Brother Crown Prince, why do you and I need to fight? As long as you come out and say a few words to me, I''ll naturally listen to you. "


    Helian Yu only sneered. He stood upright with his sword and did not make a sound.


    When the people below got closer, he suddenly flashed to the wall and snatched a bow and arrow from the nearest guard. He bent the bow and drew the bowstring. After he drew a few arrows, there were people who fell down. The last two arrows penetrated the chest of the person in front of him and pierced into his body.


    The strength of the arrow was so great that even the arrow did not break. This kind of strength was also terrifying.


    "Shoot!" Following Helian Yu''s low and deep command, the arrows of all the ambushers swirled in the air.


    Although there were very few people in Helian Yuan Chen and Helian Yu''s group, their skills were at the peak and their archery skills were excellent.


    On the other side, Helian Yu returned the bow and quickly cut off the plum branches in the yard to sharpen the point. He made a batch of "arrows" and waited for the arrows to run out before continuing to shoot.


    The Red Falcons also did not expect that before they had reached the top of the mountain, they would have lost over a hundred people. The people on the mountain were truly powerful. However, they were well-trained and did not fear death. They did not stop and continued to attack.

 C350 trapped Huangshan(2)

    After all, not every imperial guard carried a bow and arrow. Their arrows were soon all used up, and they only needed to wield their sabers to fight.


    Unexpectedly, the Red Falcons stopped at a distance from the temple, and each picked up a knife to pick up the nearby shrub and tree and began to chop them down. His movements were neat and fast as he stacked the chopped branches evenly.


    They actually wanted to take the fire attack. Aside from the main road and the two paths at the back of the mountain, the Emperor Mountain was covered with trees. Once the fire attack occurred, the people up there would not be able to escape even if they had the ability to transcend the heavens.


    If they wanted to break through before the fire started burning, they would have to expose their bodies. They would have to kill their way to them, and from the way the Red Falcon soldiers carried bows and arrows, they would probably be shot into sieves before they got close. Those who were lucky enough to get close were exhausted, and were soon taken down by them.


    This move of Helian Meng''s was truly poisonous. Even though this young man had never personally gone to the battlefield, he was still familiar with the art of war. When training the Red Falcon Battalion, he often asked the commanders for advice and was proficient in all kinds of strategic matters.


    When the battlements were set up, whether intentionally or not, there was a trail in the back of the mountain that led down to the bottom of the mountain. There were very few trees nearby, but the Red Falcons were not filled with firewood.


    "Helian Meng, what are you playing at?"


    Helian Meng''s laughter could be heard, "Big Brother Crown Prince, I''ve already said it before. We have something to discuss. If you''re willing to come down now, I''ll still leave you with a path."


    Helian Yu smiled coldly, "This imperial mountain is not an isolated place. You set fire to the mountain, and if you can''t attack it within a short period of time, then if someone were to pass by, they would discover it. Moreover, they are all officials of the Royal Clan. How could they ignore your actions?"


    Helian Meng laughed. "Big Brother Crown Prince, I made a path for you, but I didn''t make a path for myself. You and royal father can''t even come down, so what if I do more? No one will know who set the fire. "


    Helian Yu did not say anything else. He knew in his heart that no matter what he said, it would be useless.


    He waved for the guards to follow him into the house. Each of them began to dismantle the bed, the door, the table, and other things that could be used as shields. Each held a shield in his hand.


    The arrows that shot down from the mountain temple were like shooting stars, but they didn''t let out any sound, as they didn''t want the heaven shaking sound to alarm the mountain. In this way, as long as the fire attack was not used, the possibility of danger to the mountain was very small.


    Halfway there, the Red Falcons began to gather their forces and give up on long-range attacks. They began to draw their blades and confront each other.


    The guards also threw their heavy wooden shields and sabers at the enemy.


    This exchange of blows was not in the least bit gaudy. Helian Meng was able to force them into this kind of situation, he could be considered a ruthless character. However, he himself stayed far behind and didn''t participate in the battle. Instead, he picked up a higher ground to watch from the sidelines. From the beginning to the end, he had a smile on his face as he stared at Helian Yu.


    Seeing his playful and playful expression, Helian Yu could not help but feel disgusted. He thought to himself, this person has always been abnormal. If I really fall into his hands, I might as well die cleanly.


    Although the Red Falcons weren''t as powerful as the imperial guards, but ten against one, besieging them with wheel tactics, even experts wouldn''t be able to handle it. Soon, people were attacked and blood spilled everywhere. Once injured, it would be even more difficult to defend against the enemy, and it would only take a short while for the enemy to take them down.


    Helian Yu wasn''t in the mood to tangle with them. As he retreated, he rushed down the mountain, hoping to lure them onto the narrow mountain path so that he wouldn''t be able to utilize his advantage in numbers.


    However, the mountain did not match his expectations. It was impossible for him to use his movement techniques to surpass the crowd. His speed was extremely slow and from beginning to end, he was stuck at that place. The number of people attacking him was increasing more and more.


    Watching the imperial guards fall one after the other, and seeing that there was not much that remained by his side to protect him, Helian Yu suddenly became hit by an arrow in the span of a second, and brushed past his arm.


    He looked up and saw that it was Helian Meng who had released the cold arrow. This arrow was very tricky and shot out three arrows in a row. Each arrow was aimed at the end of the previous arrow, causing it to change direction and eventually attack Helian Yu. Therefore, although he was aware of the sound of the cold arrow he couldn''t see the direction because he had no time to raise his eyes. Moreover he was tied up by the people around him so he couldn''t move.


    Helian Meng laughed. "Big Brother Crown Prince, how about my three consecutive arrows? It may not be as good as your usual chain-arrow shooting, but it should be more effective, haha! "


    Helian Yu''s heart was filled with anger. He replied coldly, "Not much. The archery skills are so lacking. I wonder which master taught it!"


    Helian Meng just smiled.


    Not too long after, Helian Yu felt that although the wound wasn''t big, it began to numb and spread to the whole area.


    The arrow flew past his right arm, and the weight of his attack was on his right hand, causing him to gradually lose his balance, unable to withstand the berserk attacks. Seeing that his guards had all fallen, he gritted his teeth, remained silent, and continued to fight the enemy with his left hand.


    Helian Meng couldn''t help but sigh when he saw Li Yao''s stance, "Big Brother Crown Prince, what''s the point of this? "It''s better that you stop early."


    As he spoke, Helian Yu was defeated and captured. He was escorted to Helian Meng.


    After the Red Falcons had cleaned up the corpses of the imperial guards, they captured the survivors and gathered them together in a grandiose manner. When they did not see Helian Yuan Chen, Helian Meng couldn''t help but exclaim, "Father was actually hiding in the temple with me?"


    He then smiled, "Very good, I didn''t see him playing around with me when I was young. Today, father and son can have a nice chat with each other."


    Helian Yu looked up and sneered weakly, "Who told you that Imperial Father was at the Cloud Realm Temple? You must have thought of all sorts of things and gotten the information wrong. He has long since returned to the palace and is currently leading his troops to rush to the imperial mountains! "


    Helian Meng''s face darkened. After sweeping a glance, he said, "Investigate all the corpses and identify them as their true bodies."


    He personally walked up to the captives and examined their faces. After confirming that there was no one who could disguise themselves, he gave the order, "Enter the temple. Leave fifty people to prepare the orders and guard the mountain path.


    Helian Yu couldn''t help but admire his meticulous and meticulous thoughts as he silently entered the Cloud Realm Temple on a pedestal.


    The monks inside the temple all recognized the nobles within the palace. Seeing the Second Prince fight, they all knew that it was definitely not a good thing. None of them dared to make a sound as they allowed the Red Falcons to escort them to the backyard.


    The great hall suddenly became spacious and spacious. The hundreds of Red Falcons standing inside was more than enough to accommodate them.


    Helian Yu was escorted to the second temple, where the Kitigarbha Bodhisattva was placed. The Red Falcon Army then pressed him down in front of a row of prayer mats before withdrawing. He half sat and half leaned as he tilted his head to look at Helian Meng, "You actually dare to slaughter your own brothers and sisters in the Imperial Palace and massacre the people in the main hall. Aren''t you afraid of the divine punishment?"


    Helian Meng laughed softly, "Killing your own brothers and sisters? [Are you still testing me? Are we siblings? "No, we don''t have any blood ties. In your eyes, I''m even an ominous bastard."

 C351 trapped Huangshan(3)

    As expected, he knew everything. In other words, Imperial Concubine Zuo had put everything on the line and told him the truth? No, that woman still needed to use him. She obviously wouldn''t say that she was not his mother, and would probably use him as a puppet, using Empress Xu''s original plan to fabricate a lie, saying that he was a descendant of the Xu family.


    Helian Yu wondered in his heart. What would Helian Meng do if he found out the truth? He might believe him, but he was even more unwilling to do so. Following that, he would definitely play it by ear and continue to succeed the throne as the prince. After that, he would deal with Empress Xu and Imperial Concubine Zuo ¡­ To him, his surname was Xu or something else, and what was important was his current fake identity.


    Thinking this through, Helian Yu smiled faintly: "I''m afraid you only know one thing and not the other. "Imperial Concubine Zuo must have said that you were born out of wedlock with Xu Jingzi, and the empress has proved that. But do you think that''s the whole truth?"


    Helian Meng raised his eyebrows and laughed, "How can Big Brother Crown Prince think that I don''t know everything about this matter? Not only do I know that my royal father is definitely hiding within the Cloud Realm Temple, that he has already sent people to dig three feet into the ground to find him, I also know that my birth father was not Xu Jingzi, and that my birth mother was killed by Empress Xu. "


    Helian Yu raised his head in shock. He naturally wouldn''t think that Empress Xu or Imperial Concubine Zuo had leaked this information to Helian Meng.


    Helian Meng picked up a prayer mat beside him and sat down next to him. The medicinal properties within Helian Yu''s body flared up and his body became powerless. Even if he was disgusted, it was difficult for him to even move his body. He could only glare at Helian Yu coldly.


    Helian Meng said in a gentle voice, "Big Brother Crown Prince, actually, I knew about this earlier than all of you. I grew up by the empress''s side. She always had a hypocritical and kind smile on her face, and she always treated me very well. However, when the mufei looked at me, her smile was always distant.


    Do you remember when I was a kid, I always loved to play? Once, I learned a few lightness skills, and it just so happened that my mother''s wife came to chat with my mother. The two of them always shut their doors and windows, and never let anyone get close to them. I climbed over the eaves in the distance and hung upside down at the rear window to listen to them.


    At first, it was just to get close to my mother''s wife. I wanted to know why she didn''t like me, but in the end, she heard the shocking ''truth''. I presume that brother Crown Prince also knows about this truth now? "


    Helian Yu calmly looked at him and did not speak.


    Helian Meng suddenly approached and used his hand to brush away the messy hair on Helian Meng''s face. His snow-white handsome face was filled with a feminine air. He stood very close to Helian Meng with a smile on the end of his eyes.


    Helian Yu slowly furrowed his brows. No matter how he looked at it, his actions were very peculiar.


    "Big Brother Crown Prince, although we are not related by blood, the Helian Family likes to be strong. This seems to be a custom. That''s why Seventh Sister likes Northern Chu''s arch-enemy on the battlefield. And there''s only one person in my heart since I was young, and that''s the crown prince''s brother. "


    Helian Yu''s hair stood on end as he stared at Helian Yu''s strange and extremely soft voice.


    "Do you still remember those palace maids that I tortured to death? I''m afraid Brother Crown Prince has never noticed them. They are all despicable women who have offered up their love to you and sent you away in the dark. "There are very few palace maids in the Eastern Palace and you don''t like women either. Yet, there are still those shameless women that try to get close to you ¡­"


    Helian Yu gradually understood what was wrong. His entire body was numb to the point where his skin was trembling. Finally, he shouted, "Helian Meng, are you sick? It''s not that I don''t like women that I don''t like them. It''s different from what you think! "


    Helian Meng didn''t think that it was strange. Instead, he leaned even closer and laughed even more devilishly: "Big Brother Crown Prince has already done so. Royal Father has mentioned countless times that I want to help you get married. Even the noble daughters of the ministers and court officials would try their best to get close to you and please you. The royal father and mother would also bestow many beauties to you, but they would never look you in the eye, Lian. "


    "That''s just because I don''t think much of them."


    "But, I thought that the ones whom Big Brother Crown Prince didn''t like weren''t only them, were all the women in the world.


    Of course not. Helian Yu thought to himself, what he had seen before were nothing but superficial and ignorant women, including those who, like Empress Xu and Imperial Left Concubine, fought and fought with all their might for the sake of lovemaking and scheming; those who, like his mother, Imperial Consort Yu, were kind and simple but weak in disposition, only awakened at the last moment by being framed; the most ridiculous kind of women who, like Helian Peng, viewed themselves with the utmost self-importance for no reason at all, thinking that they were the masters of the world, were in fact stupid and venomous.


    When he thought of Helian Peng, his heart suddenly ached. Although that girl was stupid and thought that she was in charge, she had actually been used by others. She had actually teamed up with that group of people and caused Gu Qingli''s death.


    Even after being drugged, his fingers still curled up uncontrollably. Hmph, cooperating? How could he possibly work together with her ¡­


    Helian Meng''s laughter resounded in his ears. He clearly had no idea what Helian Yu was thinking. "Big Brother Crown Prince, do you know why I used such a method to force you to engage in close combat? I don''t want to force you into a corner, but with your personality, even if you only have a sliver of hope, you still won''t accept my suggestion. "Why, now that we are surrounded by enemies, are you still thinking of a way to turn a defeat into a victory?


    Helian Yu came back to his senses and looked at him. "Helian Meng, there will be a day when you regret not killing me today."


    Helian Meng laughed insolently yet frivolously. "I won''t. Even if I die in your hands, wasn''t that what I wanted?"


    Helian Yu turned his face away in disgust, thinking that this kind of person, I really don''t want to dirty my hands to do anything.


    Suddenly, they heard a clamor coming from the backyard. It was mixed with crying, chanting, and cursing. Both of them shot their gazes over at the same time.


    The Temple of Emperor had a total of three halls in front, three halls behind, and a third courtyard behind. The first was where the ordinary pilgrims would sleep, the second was where the monks slept, and the third was where the distinguished guests would sleep.


    They were at the back of the temple, and even though the door was closed, flames could be vaguely seen high up through the window. Various sounds could be heard coming from the two courtyards in front of them; the Red Falcon Army was holding the monks captive.


    "Helian Meng, what did you do?" Helian Yu was alarmed and furious. Helian Yuan Chen was still in the secret chamber dug out from under the meditation room. If a fire were to break out in the courtyard and burn for a long time, it was unknown whether it would affect the temporary fighting room that was being dug out.


    Helian Meng, on the other hand, smirked, "Big Brother Crown Prince, why don''t you guess why I set a fire in the backyard?"


    "You ¡­" Helian Yu said a single word before stopping. He knew that if he were to display an overly anxious expression and let Helian Meng see some clues, the situation would become even worse.


    However, Helian Meng spoke slowly, "Ever since my mufei told me that Imperial Father had gone to visit my uncle ¡ª oh, it''s Xu Jingzi. I felt that something is amiss."


    The Emperor had actually heard of Imperial Concubine Zuo''s origins in the Prime Minister''s Estate. However, since the Empress had given her a different, grandiose identity, he was willing to allow her to do as she pleased. Whether it was as the adopted daughter of the House of Generals, or as Empress Xu, Helian Meng had to address Xu Jingzi as'' uncle ''. He was too used to calling him by his name and couldn''t change his words.

 C352 trapped Huangshan(4)

    He raised his eyes and smiled, "Crown Prince is actually very clear about what kind of person my mother''s wife is. Crown Prince is actually very clear about what kind of person my mother''s wife is.


    Helian Yu''s heart froze. This person''s thoughts were meticulous and his shrewdness was deep. He didn''t know for how long, but he was actually able to treat everyone the same as before.


    "My mufei admits that Mrs Liu''s ghost reminded her, causing her to feel fear and accidentally hurt Xu Jingzi. I knew there was something wrong, but it''s not Mrs Liu''s ghost. Hehe." Helian Meng simply walked over and pushed open the door, allowing Helian Yu to clearly see the raging fire in the backyard.


    He spoke in a calm and unhurried manner, "Big brother Crown Prince, even if there were ghosts and gods in this world, they would never be able to come out and warn people. Otherwise, Imperial Concubine Wu Yu''s soul would have avenged itself by now, wouldn''t it?"


    He turned around with a smile that was not a smile, "So there must be something fishy going on in the backyard. Mrs Liu will definitely be hiding inside. If there wasn''t a passageway in the meditation room, then there was a secret room. In fact, I don''t have much time, it would be tiring and tiring to search for traps one by one. I might as well burn them to the ground and kill them all even though there''s a secret room.


    Helian Yu''s heart sank. He knew Helian Meng was right, this young man worried that the facts were correct, that the secret chamber had been hastily constructed, that even though the surface of the flipped board was tightly sealed, it could not hide the smoke at all, and the depth of the smoke was not deep enough.


    "Eighth prince, eighth prince!" Someone was rushing over from the back yard, carrying a door board. There was a person lying on it, and behind them was a woman with a disheveled face, whose face had been covered with sweat. It was Mrs Liu.


    Taking a closer look, the person on the board door had a black cloth over his head, no one could tell what kind of injury he had, but he was wearing a dark purple embroidered dragon brocade suit, and below his feet was a red lagoon, whoever dared to wear like this already knew who he was.


    Helian Meng pretended to be surprised. "Oh? Who is this? How dare he wear a dragon robe? He clearly has a rebellious heart."


    "Helian Meng!" When Helian Yu heard that he already knew the answer, and saw that the person had a black cloth over his head, it was clear that he wanted to use the name of conspiracy to kill the true Emperor, he could not help but angrily shout.


    Helian Meng actually started to laugh, "Big Brother Crown Prince, you kept saying that Father Emperor wasn''t at Cloud Realm Temple and had long since returned to the palace. You even said that you were waiting for Father Emperor to come forward and denounce us.


    "¡­" Helian Yu was speechless. He knew that it was definitely a bad thing for this woman. Back then, the reason why she left her life was to confirm the secret of eighteen years ago to Helian Yuan Chen. He didn''t expect for something to happen to her so quickly.


    "Liu Mmedi is really This King''s good Mme. Haha!" Helian Meng walked forward and lifted Lady Liu''s dying face. He rolled her eyelids to confirm that he was not dead. He said, "Take this woman away. Never let her speak again."


    "Yes sir!"


    Mrs Liu first felt uneasy under the secret room, but after enduring for a while, she felt the air in the room was roiling and the temperature was getting higher and higher. While Helian Yuan Chen was not paying attention, she opened the door and rushed out, allowing the Red Falcon Army to capture him alive.


    However, Helian Yuan Chen knew that even if he rushed out, he would still die. With his identity and personality, he would definitely not submit to humiliation. He would rather be burned alive.


    The Red Falcons knew that there was a tunnel inside, so they blocked the exit even more tightly. When they felt that the people inside were almost there, they started pouring water and extinguishing the fire, covering themselves with wet quilts and rushing in to search for someone.


    When he saw that someone had entered, he was not willing to take the lead and immediately went on a killing spree. He took action to meet the enemy, rolling and fighting in the fire for half a day, causing the roof to cave in. Finally, he was unable to avoid being hit by the heavy beam of the Golden Silk Sauna Tree and was seriously injured.


    Afterwards, the Red Falcon army that rushed in covered his head with a black cloth and carried him out, placing him on the wooden door.


    Helian Yuan Chen''s illustrious reputation had ended up in the hands of the ingrate he had raised. If he knew about this at this moment, he would probably vomit blood from anger.


    "Brother Crown Prince, do you think I have won all of this? Even if I were to head back to the capital now, no one would dare object to me, right? " Helian Meng bent down with a smile and whispered into Helian Yu''s ear, "If you listen to me, this Helian Family''s Jiang Shan will still be yours. You and I ¡­" The two brothers ruled the world together. "If you don''t listen, I can sit in peace, and you ¡ª"


    He stretched out his hand and lightly stroked Helian Yu''s sturdy face, causing Helian Yu to feel a wave of disgust. He tried his best to turn his face to the side to avoid it, but it was inevitable in the end.


    "What I want is to become a strong person, but if Big Brother Crown Prince doesn''t want to become a strong person, I will listen to you. When I cripple you and make you lie there forever, you''ll have to listen to me and you''ll still be my good brother. "


    Helian Meng''s sinister words were spoken in an incomparably gentle tone, causing one''s heart to turn cold.


    Helian Yu suddenly smiled. "Eighth Imperial Brother, do you really think that you have already defeated the entire world?"


    Helian Meng was slightly startled.


    "Your Red Falcon army went to the backyard, right? Why is there no one guarding the mountain path in front of the Palace? "


    Helian Meng''s eyes shone with a brilliant light as he hastily walked toward the front hall.


    At his command, they all followed him out of the temple gate. As they looked down, they suddenly felt a rustling sound in the dense forest, like the rise and fall of a dark green wave.


    The reason why no one had noticed it before was because it was getting dark, and the activity in the forest was getting closer. The sneakers were being very careful, trying their best not to make any noise, and they were wearing green and brown clothes, wrapping the cloth around their heads as they slowly made their way up. When he got closer, he realized that there were countless hidden players gathering at the Cloud Realm Temple.


    Helian Meng was shocked and shouted, "Release the arrows!"


    However, he didn''t know how to defend himself. He could only hear the flurry of arrows and the occasional sound of arrows dropping to the ground. There were no howls from anyone below. However, this part of the Red Falcon army soon saw the bottom of the quiver.


    Helian Meng immediately ordered some men to gather in the backyard and ordered the rest of the people to prepare a formation for the enemy.


    However, before the people who were heading to the backyard could run far, they had already started their counterattack. Countless arrows shot over like meteors, some people even saw the words carved onto the end of the arrow, it was actually an arrow shot by the Red Falcons, they did not know how, but they not only blocked all of their arrows, they even used it as a counterattack, and gave it all back to him.


    "Charge up for This King and block them!" Helian Meng gave the order as he retreated. Under the cover of the soldiers, he retreated into the main hall.


    In the end, the Red Falcon Army in the rear courtyard still received the news and rushed to the main hall to meet the enemy. Helian Yu and Lady Liu were transferred to the Central Courtyard. The fire in the rear courtyard had not yet been extinguished, and if it continued to burn like this, sooner or later it would bring disaster to the Central District. They had no choice but to release the monks and force them to extinguish the fire.


    In the front hall, Helian Meng and hundreds of Falcons fought to the death, while in the back courtyard, a change occurred.

 C353 trapped Huangshan(5)

    Most of the people had already arrived at the front hall, leaving only a few dozen behind to guard the temple, but there were more than two hundred monks from the Cloud Sight Temple. After extinguishing the fire, they were already resentful towards the rebels and hated them for sullying the holy land of Buddhism. When someone found out that Helian Yu was also in the hands of the rebels, they shouted loudly to save the Crown Prince.


    Helian Yu took the opportunity to say that the eight kings had rebelled. Not only had they injured him, they had even tried to seize the Emperor''s son in order to make him a marquis. Now, even the life or death of the emperor was uncertain. After a few sentences, the monks did not dare to move under the power of the crown prince. However, with the support of the crown prince and seeing that the enemy was small, their courage increased in an instant.


    No matter how well-trained the Red Falcons were, they were still flustered when they met with five to six times the number of monks.


    Helian Yu took the opportunity to slowly move to the side of Helian Yuan Chen''s door, removing the black cloth covering his head. Helian Yu took the opportunity to slowly move to the side of Helian Yuan Chen''s door, removing the black cloth covering his head.


    The front hall was first taken down, and green shirts and brown pants flocked in. Helian Yu recognized them at a glance.


    The northern troops were known as the capital''s elite guards. The commander of these guards was a hussar general who came along with them. He was none other than Helian Yu.


    However, the person walking in front was not just a group of people, but a former Imperial Advisor, Helian Wang. He had cleaned up his beard and changed into his leisurely and elegant long robe.


    They followed closely behind. When they first saw Helian Yu and wanted to bow down, they saw Helian Yuan Chen lying on the door board, unknown whether he was dead or alive. They were all shocked and went up to him to kowtow, "This general greets Your Majesty and Your Highness the Crown Prince!"


    Helian Yu waved his hand. "Let''s capture this traitor first!"


    At his command, the elite soldiers of the capital armed themselves and stepped forward, taking down the last remaining group of red falcons. Then, they reported, "Your Highness, all of the red falcons guarding the path at the back of the mountain have been killed long ago!"


    Helian Yu nodded.


    The Helian Divine Technique seemed to have noticed that something was wrong. He went forward to support Li Yao and asked, "Was I injured or hit?"


    Helian Yu shook his head. He pointed at Helian Yuan Chen and said, "Imperial Advisor, please take a look at Imperial Father first."


    Helian Haoyan had even managed to hunt down the Divine Doctor and Star Seeker. Although he wasn''t specialized in the medical arts, he was still slightly proficient in it. He took a closer look and said, "Your Majesty, smoke has entered your lungs and you''ve suffered internal injuries. You''re not optimistic."


    Helian Yu knit his brows. With the current situation, even if Helian Yuan Chen were to be immediately sent back to the palace, it would take at least a period of time.


    "What''s the situation outside?"


    Helian divine ability said, "Soon. It''s just that the eighth prince is caught in the middle of a crowd of people and is being escorted by a group of Red Falcons. I''ve already ordered people to surround and block them."


    "Fuxin Palace, go take a look." Helian Yu then said to both of them, "We will leave this place to the General to handle. After a short peace outside, we will immediately send someone to escort our Imperial Father back to the palace. We need to do it as quickly as possible."


    Everyone agreed.


    Helian Yu slowly walked out of the backyard under the support of Helian divine ability. He exited through the side door of the Cloud Sight Temple, bypassing the hall where the slaughter was the most intense, and headed towards the platform that surrounded Helian Meng.


    From afar, he could see that the few Red Falcon soldiers were still fighting to the death in a corner of the cliff. Helian Meng was standing at the very edge of the cliff, and he looked as if he could fall down the cliff at any moment.


    At this time, Helian Meng also saw Helian Yu. He smiled at him, "Big Brother Crown Prince, now I understand the meaning of your words. To have the opportunity to kill you without doing anything was indeed my biggest mistake. You are indeed the strongest person in my heart. Wait for my return! "


    He spread his arms wide, and that metallic monster on his back opened its mouth. He turned around and dove down, and actually glided along with the wind like a giant kite. Everyone was dumbstruck as they saw this scene, and couldn''t help but call out, "The eighth prince has become a monster!"


    This was clearly an exquisite woodworking machine. Using the principles of kites and birds, it allowed the airflow to hold up his body and flap his "wings" as he flew forward.


    "Release the arrows! Release the arrows!" Helian Meng''s reaction speed was incredibly fast as he gave the order loudly. Unfortunately, while the imperial bodyguards were still stunned, they recalled that when they released their arrows, Helian Meng had already "flown" far away. Occasionally, the huge wings of the arrows would actually remain undamaged, causing his figure to sway and the arrows to fall into the valley.


    Helian Yu gazed at him again for a while. The anger in his heart gradually dissipated, but he suddenly laughed. He thought to himself, just let him go.


    Even though from a young age until now, Helian Yu didn''t even feel like there was any brotherly relationship between the two of them, when Helian Meng was controlling his life and death, Helian Meng really didn''t kill him. This sort of friendship, he didn''t want to owe the other one.


    When he turned around, he saw a frown formed on the middle of Helian divine ability''s forehead. He said, "If you don''t immediately send people down the mountain to intercept him, this kid will cause trouble sooner or later."


    Helian Yu said indifferently, "This is the first time in my life I''ve lost to Xiao Yi Xiu. My martial arts ability and intelligence are inferior, so there''s nothing much to say. The second time, he actually lost to this brat ¡­ Although he wasn''t unable to win, in the end, he had lost because of the word ''scheming''. It must be said that he has some ability to create this mess under my nose. It''s too late to send people down the mountain to block him. "


    In his heart, he was thinking that if he could find Helian Meng, he would inevitably become the sacrifice of Helian divine ability.


    Helian divine ability had no interest in the struggle between the royal family and the royal family. Hearing his words, it only made a "hmm" sound.


    Soon, the entire Red Falcon army was annihilated or captured. The imperial guards majestically escorted Helian Lie down the mountain. As for the monks of the Cloud Realm Temple, they were naturally allowed to return to their positions. On the other hand, Mrs Liu had escaped into the chaos without anyone noticing where she had gone to.


    After searching for a while, he still couldn''t find her. Helian Yu was one thing, but now that the truth was revealed, this woman could neither do anything nor cause chaos.


    At that time, he actually did not have much intention of guarding against Helian Meng, but he was even more wary of the Xu Family taking advantage of the chaos that was brewing. One had to know that the reason why the Xu Family had their power in the imperial court was not only because of Xu Xiang alone.


    When he was young, he was able to fight well and was not at a disadvantage. After making a brilliant meritorious war achievement, he was bestowed the title of ''loyal and brave uncle'', even though he did not set out to fight when he was old, he had been promoted to the rank of general countless times. He had the strongest personal guards among all the princes and princesses of the capital, and two of the Twelve Battalions of the capital were secretly his men.

 C354 Cleaning up the Palace(1)

    At a time like this, if Empress Xu reacted quickly and decided to raise her arms to rebel, the palace guards might not be able to stop her.


    Only then did Helian Yu give his Tiger Tally to Helian''s Divine Powers, ordering him to mobilize the forces of the imperial guards to protect the Imperial City at a crucial moment.


    When he didn''t want the Helian Divine Art to go looking for him, the imperial guards came to inform him that Helian Meng had left the palace and transferred the Red Falcon Army to the camp. This was obviously not normal.


    The two discussed and made a prompt decision. They sent a group of their trusted aides to the imperial palace, claiming that they had found an assassin in the palace and had been ordered to protect the imperial harem. In reality, they were quickly taking Empress Xu and Imperial Concubine Zuo captive and sending people to follow closely behind the Red Falcons.


    However, it was impossible for them to be too close since they were closely following him. After all, the vast team''s movements were very extraordinary, and as long as they were within a certain distance, there would definitely be movement that would be seen through. At that time, Helian Meng could just find a random excuse to escape and leave them with no face.


    Thus, they only sent a few scouts to follow the news, and when they found out that the Red Falcon army had gone up to Mount Huang, he was naturally very surprised. After hearing Helian''s magical powers, he quickly changed his clothes and sneaked up the mountain.


    Otherwise, with his position as the capital, even if he had stopped Helian Meng at the foot of the mountain long ago, he would have used an excuse to escape, and would have had no choice but to obey his orders to retreat.


    After Helian Yu listened to their journey, he only said, "You can''t blame General Du. You don''t have the guts to directly intercept and kill the eighth prince at the foot of the mountain."


    Everyone nodded in agreement. He only thought that it was because of the Second Prince''s battle for wealth. He thought that since the Emperor was on the mountain, he would be able to suppress the Eighth Prince, but who would have thought that it would actually be such a bloody battle that even Yuan Chen didn''t know whether he was dead or alive. He couldn''t help but regret coming too late in his heart.


    After returning to the palace, the imperial physicians first surrounded the Northern Chu Emperor to diagnose her illness. However, when they came out, they all shook their heads.


    Although his face was in decline, after cleaning it up he did not find much external injuries. There were only a few scrapes and shallow knife wounds. The Red Falcon Guards, on the other hand, had taken proper care of him and wanted to keep him alive.


    What really hurt him was the blow to the crossbeam, and the fact that the smoke had choked him so badly that it hurt his lungs. If they were able to take good care of it, it might not be fatal. However, with Yuan Chen''s age, it would be difficult for him to completely recover from the internal injuries.


    Helian Yu listened to the imperial physician''s report and only pursed his lips without saying anything. His expression was gloomy. Following that, they heard the report that the Seventh Princess had caused a ruckus in the Li Jing Palace and had started a fight with the imperial guards. Her female guards were quite skilled, and had caused a ruckus in the Li Jing Palace.


    Anger arose in Helian Yu''s heart. He whispered to Helian Divine Technique, "The Supreme Yang girl you spoke of has been found. She is the Seventh Princess. What do you think we should do?"


    When Helian Divine Art heard this, he was slightly shocked. He thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, please lead me there. This matter needs to be confirmed."


    Helian Yu nodded and ordered the imperial guards of Qi Donggong to gather up and head for the Li Jing Palace.


    He was playing with the compass in his hand, and his expression was very grave. Helian Yu couldn''t help but take a few glances and see that the needle was rapidly shaking, pointing in the direction of the Orion Monastery. From this, it could be seen that his words were not false.


    As they entered the palace gates, the sounds of swords clashing could be heard. Helian Shuanghui and the other female guards were engaged in an intense battle with the imperial guards.


    Both sides had roughly the same number of people. The elite guards were more experienced than the enemy, but luckily the other side was the princess'' personal maid, and the princess herself, so they could not instruct anyone to act rashly.


    Imperial Concubine Zuo stood on the front porch of the hall. Her beautiful appearance carried a tinge of haggard sadness. If she was someone who cared for the fairer sex, she would probably be moved upon seeing her current appearance.


    Unfortunately, Helian Yu''s face was cold and ruthless. When he looked from afar, his gaze contained a murderous intent as he shot towards Imperial Concubine Zuo.


    When Imperial Concubine Zuo saw him across the crowd, fear grew on her face as she trembled. Her delicate body seemed to be on the verge of collapsing and she even shrank to the edge of the pillar, covering her ears and hoping that he wouldn''t notice her.


    "Capture the Seventh Princess for me, no need to be merciful!" Those who resist will be killed without question! "


    Helian Yu was in a bad mood. His words carried a murderous aura and he was determined to kill. Even if the imperial guards were merciless, they would not show mercy if the Eastern Palace Guards rushed forward.


    However, in such a life or death situation, if she did not resist now, she would most likely die. Although she was still in the dark and did not know how she had offended him, she still knew that he was looking at her with murderous intent. In the past, even if he didn''t like her, he still had a bit of affection for her on account of their blood relatives.


    "Big brother Crown Prince, what crime have I committed? You dare to issue a killing order?" Aren''t you afraid that royal father will punish you if he finds out? " Helian Peng''s arrogance naturally couldn''t leave the Northern Chu Emperor''s pampering. He was strict with his princes and had always been unrestrained with his princesses.


    Not even mentioning Yuan Chen, when she mentioned this, the murderous intent in Helian Yu''s heart became even stronger. She said coldly, "I will make you understand in a while!"


    After all, in front of such a large crowd, he would not mention Helian Xianzi''s background to humiliate the imperial family''s reputation. Naturally, it would be inconvenient for him to publicly kill Helian Shuang without a name.


    Helian Shuang''s female guards fell one after another as they cried out incessantly in a delicate voice. Even if it was just a few female guards, it was still the blood and sweat that she had nurtured over the years. Even if she didn''t have too much feelings for these palace maids, she couldn''t tolerate others turning her blood and sweat to nothingness. At that moment, she felt extreme hatred in her heart and angrily said: "Helian Yu, I will definitely tell royal father and I will never forgive you!"


    Helian Yu''s lips curled up into a cold smile as he indifferently looked at her. He didn''t even do it himself.


    Helian Xianzi boasted that she was an expert, but in reality, she was no stronger than the imperial guards of the Eastern Palace. Not long after that, her men were either captured or executed, and she herself was escorted to Helian Yu.


    "Mufei ¡­" "Save me!"


    Zuo Lian, however, could not protect himself now. He could only look at her mournfully and pleadingly at Helian Yu.


    Helian Yu was not in a position to deal with a weak woman like Zuo Lian. He waved his hand, and once again, ordered the capital''s elite guards to strictly guard the Li Jing Palace. Then, he brought Helian Peng with him and left.


    "Where are you taking me?!"


    "Didn''t you want royal father to uphold justice for you? I''ll bring you to see him. " Helian Yu''s face was expressionless. He didn''t even bother to give her another glance, but the hatred in his heart burned like a raging fire.

 C355 Cleaning up the Palace(2)

    This woman, he wished for nothing more than to immediately kill her under his palm, yet he couldn''t vent his anger like this. He took some time to take another look at the compass of Helian''s sacred art. The needle had already stopped, and was still pointing at Helian Lie. He knew that there was no mistake.


    He exchanged a glance with Helian Shrine. Without saying anything, he already understood. He was just confused in his heart. The Eastern Palace Prince was really ruthless. For that woman from Dongyuan City, he even wanted to kill his own sister?


    The group approached Helian Yuan Chen''s sleeping quarters. Helian Yu said in a clear voice, "Seventh Princess Helian Shuang has secretly hidden her saber soldiers within the Li Jing Palace. She has no reason to engage in brawl and suspected that she is conspiring against us. This son of mine has specially brought her here so that Imperial Father can judge her."


    Helian Peng was shocked and angered by her words. Just as he was about to open his mouth and speak, an Eastern Palace guard quickly took out a piece of cloth from nowhere and stuffed it into her mouth. A fishy stench assaulted her nose, causing her to feel nauseous.


    In the absence of imperial orders, no one, except the imperial guards and the imperial guards, could have hidden their weapons in case of rebellion or assassination.


    However, the imperial guards were always in front of the throne room and never entered the harem. They were suddenly sent to the harem to guard the oriole''s temple. Thus, Helian Hua became suspicious and began to argue with them.


    Helian Peng''s temperament was domineering. How could he be rebuked by the elite guards of the capital? Thus, he began to argue and make his move. She thought highly of herself and trained these female guards. In fact, there weren''t many of them, and they were all armed with weapons. Helian Yuan had long since turned a blind eye to them, and thought to himself, "They''re just a bunch of cute little girls."


    She didn''t expect that Helian Yu would catch her red-handed, pointing at her intention to rebel. However, she clearly saw that the imperial guards of the Eastern Palace were also carrying sabers and swords, but she was unable to open her mouth.


    After a short while, some of the inner court disciples came out to lure them in. Helian Yu personally escorted Helian Shuang in, while the rest waited outside.


    The curtains in front of the Emperor''s bed were hung down, and the light inside was dim. There were heavy brocade curtains hanging from the doors and windows, and only two dim lights in front of the Emperor''s bed could be seen.


    "Father!" Helian Peng''s mouth was covered with a cloth. For a moment, he felt wronged, so he knelt down in front of the dragon bed. Tears welled up in his eyes.


    Helian Yu gave a silent wink. The palace maids and eunuchs serving close by the dragon bed retreated to the outer hall and guarded it from afar.


    "Don''t... Call me ¡­ Imperial Father, I ¡­ I can''t afford it. " Helian Yuan Chen''s voice was incredibly weak, but it carried a trace of ruthlessness and was cold and heartless.


    Helian Peng was greatly shocked. She could not move her hands, and could only walk a few steps forward. When she saw Helian Yuan Chen''s pale face and purplish lips, she did not expect him to be in such a state in a single day. He had always been strong and healthy. She would never believe that there was some hidden ailment that caused him to be like this.


    For a moment, a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind. Helian Shuang turned her head and looked at Helian Yu fiercely, "What did you do to my royal father? Could it be that the one who truly wants to usurp the position is you?! "


    He shook his head and was about to say something, when he heard Helian Yuan Chen''s weak voice, "Take her away. I don''t want to see her again!"


    "Yes, this son understands."


    "Also ¡­" That evil bastard Helian Meng ¡­ If ¡­ If I can find it, I''ll hack it into pieces. "


    Helian Peng felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck his head. He was dumbstruck and unable to speak.


    Helian Yuan Chen was naturally not a gentle and gentle person. However, it was impossible for him to give such a vicious killing order to his children, even if he was strict. How much hatred must he have? Even if Helian Meng committed a monstrous crime, she could not imagine how a parent could give such a decisive order.


    Vile spawn? These two words suddenly popped up in Helian Lie''s heart. She had a feeling that these two words were related to her fate.


    She and Helian Meng were twin siblings. If Helian Meng was a vile child, then what was she? Could it be that the Crown Prince, in order to obtain his position, wanted to use everything in his power to viciously frame this brother and sister?


    "Helian Yu! What kind of rumors did you create in front of royal father? "


    Helian Yu said indifferently, "Do you really have to ask this in front of Imperial Father?"


    "Of course!"


    Helian Yu smiled coldly, "I originally didn''t want you to hurt my royal father, but you won''t die until you reach the bottom of the Yellow River. Fine, I''ll tell you then!"


    He told her about how Empress Xu had fostered the Left Imperial Concubine, how he had allowed her to have an affair with Xu Jingzi, how he had given birth to Helian Shuang, how he had killed Helian Meng''s mother and created the false news of the ''twin sisters''.


    In the end, even Empress Xu was unable to protect herself and Helian Meng was unable to escape. Helian Peng''s eyes were growing more and more desperate, more and more unbelieving. He only felt that this was all a lie he made up.


    "You lied to me! I don''t believe it! royal father, you must not be tricked by him. In his heart, he painstakingly fabricated this series of lies in order to remove the biggest resistance from the eighth prince''s brother! He even dared to imprison both mufei and mufei, preventing them from coming to see you! "


    Helian Yuan Chen violently coughed a few times and panted a few times before slightly raising his eyes and saying in a dense voice, "Then, do you think ¡­ How did I become like this? You... Could it be that you want to say that I saw over a thousand ¡­ The Red Falcon Army is all an illusion? That bastard Helian Meng ¡­ Fires to force This Emperor to show himself is also ¡­ "Rumors?


    Helian Peng widened his eyes in shock. He was at a loss for words, but in his heart, he still didn''t believe what he had just heard. After a long while, he shouted, "I want to go find mufei. I want to ask her myself!"


    Helian Yuan Chen hastily waved his hand. "Scram ¡­" Yu''er, this ¡­ This slut, I''ll leave it to you as well ¡­ Hair, Life ¡­ "We shall let bygones be bygones."


    Helian Peng''s heart instantly turned cold. Before he even had the chance to scream again, Helian Yu once again stuffed the stinky cloth into her mouth, and said in a deep voice, "Don''t disturb Imperial Father''s tranquility again! His body is currently not in a good condition. If you were to provoke him any more, even if he were to be crippled, it would not be enough for him to atone for his sins. "


    "Whether or not you believe me is not important. Bringing you here, other than letting royal father personally do the deed, it is also to let you die so that you understand. If you insist on burying yourself in obsession, I have no interest in bringing you back and forth to find someone to challenge you with."


    Outside, Helian Yu asked, "Imperial Advisor, where should we take her now?"


    After pondering for a moment, Helian divine ability replied, "I guess it''s Jinglu. I haven''t seen that place for nearly twenty years. I don''t know if my disciples are doing well." He sighed softly, reminiscing about the past. His eyes couldn''t help but become moist.


    "That''s fine too, I will have my men guard the quiet hut strictly and will not order anything unexpected to happen again."


    After Helian Peng was escorted to the quiet hut, over a hundred imperial guards immediately surrounded the interior and exterior. It frightened the Taoists inside to the point that they stuck their heads out and looked around, thinking that they had committed some sort of crime.


    It was only when the Helian divine ability entered their bodies that they finally began to cry and communicate with each other, crying for their master.

 C356 Cleaning up the Palace(3)

    Although they were his followers, they were not ordinary people. Some were from the royal family, some were from the imperial guards, and he always felt that these disciples were under the orders of Helian Yuan Chen to monitor him. During these few years, they had always been on guard against him and were not very close.


    He did not expect that after leaving the Northern Chu for almost 20 years, there would still be a few disciples waiting in the quiet hut, waiting for his return.


    "All of you get up, I''m fine, all of you ¡­" "Very good."


    After finishing his conversation with the Daoists, Helian Divine Technique brought Helian Yu to the second floor of the quiet hut and pushed Helian Peng inside.


    "Imperial Advisor, when is the ceremony to be held?"


    He Lian closed his eyes and thought about it for a while before opening his eyes and saying, "It''s February now, and the full moon will be ready by the end of the month. It''s just that I haven''t found Zhi Yang yet ¡­"


    Helian Yu''s heart trembled. He thought to himself, if he found out that Helian Meng was the most outstanding youth, would he blame himself for deliberately letting him go?


    After thinking for a moment, she decided to be frank and whispered in his ear, "The young man that the Imperial Advisor wants is probably Helian Meng. Although the two of them aren''t really siblings, their dates of birth should be about the same, it''s just that ¡­"


    The eyes of Helian divine ability suddenly lit up and he cried out involuntarily, "That''s right!"


    "Imperial Advisor, please rest assured, I will definitely go all out to search the entire capital."


    "I hope that''s the case. Remember, I want those who are alive, and those who aren''t going to die."


    "I understand."


    He sighed again, "It took me more than ten years to find the person I want from the Northern Chu to the East Abyss. I never thought that the person I want would be so close to me ¡­ If he had not left the Northern Chu, he would have known it long ago. It seems like this is the will of heaven, and I wonder if this is still the punishment for changing my fate! "


    Seeing his depression, Helian Yu comforted him, "Don''t worry. Perhaps we can find him before next month''s full moon."


    He Lian nodded silently, but there was no happiness on his face. Helian Yu was extremely curious. He always felt that his mind was preoccupied with something.


    The entire country of Northern Chu was soon informed that the Emperor was bedridden with illness, and an imperial decree was passed down to the crown prince to supervise the administration of the country.


    In the light of the day, Helian Yu did not punish Empress Xu. He only ordered people to give her diet several times the amount of Frigid Food Powder every day, forcing her to consume it and imprisoning her from going out. All of the trusted palace maids and eunuchs around her died.


    He didn''t want this evil empress to die too early, so the people who guarded every day had to guard against Empress Xu from committing suicide.


    On the Left Imperial Concubine''s side, he had promised to spare her life, and with the help of Helian''s Divine Abilities, he had calculated her fate and said that this woman''s fate was strange, that she had some sort of monstrous character, and that she was at odds with the Emperor. This time, the Emperor''s urgent illness had been dealt with by her, so it was naturally inappropriate for her to be relegated to the Cold Palace.


    As for the people inside and outside the palace, they were also heavily guarded.


    Actually, it wasn''t that Helian Yu was truly a merciful person, wasting all his troops on her. It was just that he had been on guard against any unexpected move by the Xu Family, entering the palace to rob her and create another perjury.


    As for Helian Meng''s conspiracy, there was no need to conceal it. He simply announced to the world that the eighth prince had contested the assassination and attempted murder against the crown prince. Now that he had left the palace, no one was allowed to shelter him.


    But even so, the matter of finding Helian Meng was far more difficult than he had imagined. He had actually searched for half a month without any news, as if this person had just disappeared into thin air.


    Helian Yu felt that this man was a huge threat, and the more he ordered the capital to search for him, the more he ordered the city to search for his whereabouts.


    As for the Xu family, he began to scheme against them bit by bit.


    First, it was a Hongmen Banquet. He invited Zhong Yong into the palace for a night banquet and detained all of the guards in his mansion. Afterwards, he forced him to hand over the military talismans and release the military power.


    After returning to the residence, he gathered his subordinates from back then and contacted Xu Xiang to scheme and rebel. In the end, only a few days later, the poison in his body developed and he met the King of Hell.


    Xu Xiang suspected that Zhong Yong was poisoned because he went to the Hongmen banquet, but there was no proof. After all, the poison in the palace had been poisoned by him for a long time, but now it seemed like he couldn''t reach the palace anymore. Thanks to Empress Xu, the spies he had placed in the palace were quickly exterminated.


    After the death of Uncle Zhong Yong, this matter did not end there. Instead, there were people who claimed that Uncle Zhong Yong was planning a rebellion in the imperial court.


    Under the orders of the Crown Prince, the elite guards of the capital raided the loyal manor and found out that the quantity of soldiers and weapons far exceeded the limit that the Northern Chu had placed on the House of the Marquis.


    Xu Xiang had already felt that something was amiss. The empress of the palace had lost contact without any reason, the loyal manor of his father had been toppled over, and before he could come up with a plan to deal with it, the mansion had become even worse ¡ª Xu Jingzi, the president of the military department who had been bedridden all this time, had died from a serious illness!


    After all, Xu Xiang was an old man, how could he endure so many stimuli? Under the attack of anger, he also fell ill.


    However, Xu Xiang didn''t know that Xu Jingzi wasn''t only severely injured by Imperial Concubine Zuo, but Helian Yuan Chen had used his internal energy to shatter his internal organs. For him to be able to live for so long could be considered a long time.


    Seeing that the Xu family of the Northern Chu was about to have its head cut off and its monkeys scattered, many of Xu''s hanger-ons and close friends started to come up with ideas to climb higher. Only a few of his former buddies were still running around, but without a leader, they didn''t know what to do.


    In just one month, the Northern Chu had changed. Rumors of the emperor''s impending illness had spread like wildfire, and the court officials were all considering whether they should take up their positions again.


    Before the ceremony, Helian Yu had gone outside the Empress Palace to take a look. Through the window, he saw that in the short period of more than twenty days, Helian Yu had already become rigid, his eyes lifeless as he coldly ordered, "From today onwards, scale her down. When she wakes up, tell her about the Xu Family''s changes."


    He didn''t look at Imperial Concubine Zuo. That woman was better off leaving her to fend for herself. She had no family background and no children. No one would miss her anymore.


    Stepping onto the top floor of the young hut, he switched to the spacious and spacious pill furnace. It was well-ventilated everywhere, but it also needed to be sealed tight when concocting pills. It was built from the inside out and extremely sturdy. Originally, there were some wooden structures that had been rebuilt after the fire that broke out more than ten years ago. They were made from the best bricks and stones in the palace, reducing the amount of wooden beams and pillars.


    In the middle of the room where the bronze pill furnace should have been, there was actually an incense table placed, which was filled with an extremely strange looking statue of a god. In front of the table were some fruits and incense burners, and Helian Lie was lying on the long altar in front of the incense burner with his eyes wide open.


    Although she was lying on the ground, her acupuncture points had been suppressed and she was forced to lie there. Not only were her arms and legs unable to move, it was also hard for her to speak. She clearly felt something.


    "Helian Hua, you must not understand why there is such a thing."


    "Originally, even if you weren''t royal father''s biological daughter, even if he was extremely disgusted with you, he might not have personally killed you. After all, he doted on you for more than ten years and everything he had done was real, so don''t hate him when you come to the hall of the underworld. Because he only asked me to punish you, I was the one who wanted to kill you."

 C357 Sacrificial summoning(1)

    Helian Peng could not speak. He could only glare at Li Yao.


    "I can kill you for two reasons. First, you colluded with those Gu Masters and killed Princess Mo. Second," He approached her with a sneer, "Only your ''hour'' can be used as a sacrifice to revive her!"


    Helian Xianzi felt as if he had fallen into an icehouse. If he could speak, she would not know whether to curse or to beg for mercy. She could only watch helplessly as Helian Divine Art approached her, expressionlessly taking out the Three Lives Wheel.


    "Seventh Princess, oh no, I should call you Miss Xu." "You will soon be accompanying your biological father. You probably don''t know this, but a while ago, he had already died without being able to cure him. You were the first to enter the underworld."


    Today, the two men in front of her each made her feel a sense of fear. Helian Yu was fine, he was born with a cold face and a cold heart, he had never hesitated to kill. Helian Divine Technique seemed to be an immortal, gentle, and kind person.


    Helian Yu sat down at the side and waited for the moon to rise. He was originally not fond of speaking much and was not interested in Helian Shuang. He would only look out of the window at the sky from time to time.


    As for the Helian Divine Technique, he had been busy all this time. In addition to cleaning out the incense burner and the tribute, he also prepared a yellow paper and a cinnabar. He started drawing talisman paper and changing the water in the Three Lives Wheel.


    "Imperial Advisor, why does reviving a girl require a Yang young girl, and reviving a man require a Yang young man?"


    Helian Shen stopped and looked at him, "I''m not too sure about this either. Honestly speaking, ever since I obtained the soul orb, I have not used it to revive anyone. "However, I have repeatedly speculated about this reason. I have a conjecture."


    Helian Yu held his breath as he listened to him speak. However, he felt that Li Yao''s expression was hesitating.


    "The souls converged inside the soul orb don''t even have a physical body, so in order to be revived, you naturally need a body, so ¡­ It is possible that this offering is used to hold the souls that you wish to revive. "


    Helian Yu could not help but freeze. He had never thought of this possibility before. If it was true, then wouldn''t the revived Gu Qingli look like Helian Xiufeng? The more he thought about it, the more he found it hard to accept it. He then glanced at Helian Xiangrong, and could only feel disgust towards his appearance.


    However, it was just hard for him to accept this fact. Helian Shuang''s heart was in turmoil, and he was even more terrified.


    She had plotted to kill Gu Qingli, but this was the end of it? If Gu Qingli''s soul were to enter her body and be with Xiao Yi, wouldn''t that mean that she had become a lackey''s concubine? Where would her soul go?


    "Does the Crown Prince find it hard to accept?"


    Helian Yu took a deep breath and shook his head. "No matter what, I have no choice but to release an arrow from the bow. You should begin with the sacrifice." Even if it was hard to face that face, as long as Gu Qing Li was revived, he would slowly get used to it.


    The Full Moon gradually rose to the zenith. Helian Yu went over and opened Helian Xianzi''s mute acupoint. He said lightly, "You don''t have much time left. What else do you need to explain or what do you want me to say to you?"


    Helian Lie spat at him.


    Helian Yu''s movements were agile. He turned his body to the side, but his clothes still had some traces of blood on them. He was rarely calm as he said coldly, "I will only give you a moment to speak. If you give up, then forget about it."


    "Helian Yu, I only have one thing to say to you ¡ª I curse you to be alone for the rest of your life and not to have any happiness. Even if you can save Gu Qingli, you will never be able to get her!"


    This sentence was extremely harsh on the heart. Helian Yu''s expression immediately changed. He pointed his finger at her mute acupoint, regretting that he had given her the chance to speak.


    Initially, he did not believe the words of fate, but the power of Helian had changed his mindset greatly. Now, he was especially bothered by the words of prophecy, and stared at her fiercely: "Bitch, you brought this upon yourself, you actually dare to curse me? No matter how Gu Qingli ends up, you will soon die and will never be able to reincarnate! "


    After he finished speaking, he ignored her and watched as Helian Divine Art pushed out a sacrificial altar from the inner room.


    This altar looked rather strange, in the middle were some incomprehensible patterns, but there was a groove at the four sides, the patterns seemed to be formed from a few ancient words, which made him think of the indistinct characters inside the Soul Pearl, and the more he thought about it, the more it looked like it.


    Since these patterns were carved with Yin Inscriptions, they also formed many grooves, connecting to the deep grooves around the altar. They seemed like a giant bone tablet.


    Helian Yu followed Helian Lie''s instructions and carried Helian Shuang onto the altar. He drew his own saber and wanted to hand it to Li Yao.


    Helian divine ability shook his head. "I used to be a cultivator. I swore that I would never use the Life Death Ring in my life. Although it was still common later on, other rings have also been activated. Only the Blood Rings cannot be activated. Otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to perform this ceremony."


    Helian Yu, on the other hand, did not understand. "Since it''s a blood sacrifice, it''s only natural to want to kill. However, it''s not possible for the person who kills to perform the ceremony. Why is that?"


    "Of course it''s to avoid a waste of time, but in reality, it''s easier said than done to restrict a person''s actions with a commandment." Helian divine ability sighed. In this world, the most difficult thing to control was the human heart.


    He then looked at the full moon and knew that the ceremony was about to begin. Sighing, he saw that the talisman paper that had been ignited by the Helian Divine Art had been thrown into the Three Lives Wheel. Strangely, the talisman paper that had been ignited was still burning when it touched the water, and it continued to burn in the clear water.


    He was chanting an incantation the entire time, fast and fast. Soon, his forehead was covered in a dense layer of sweat.


    "Kill!"


    Just a single word was enough for Helian Yu to slash down. The tip of the blade slashed diagonally across the Helian Chuan''s blood vessels, and bright red blood slowly flowed into the groove of the character beneath her.


    "Soak in hot water. Don''t let Xue Ning take over."


    Helian Yu suddenly had a feeling. It was like killing a chicken in a market. He kept pouring hot water on it to make the blood flow unceasingly, while the chicken never died.


    Although he was a cold-hearted person, he didn''t look at Helian Peng''s blood-colored face which was slowly losing its color. In the end, he felt that this matter wasn''t able to give rise to any joy in his heart. Killing on the battlefield ¡ª his blade cut down the enemies'' breaths ¡ª would not be so cruel, let alone the fact that they were slowly losing their lives.


    After an unknown period of time, Helian Yu couldn''t help but ask, "Is it done?"


    However, Helian Divine Technique closed his eyes and did not reply. He did not stop his incantation, and the sweat on his forehead slowly flowed down. His clothes were clearly seen as they drenched his body from the inside out and stuck to his body.


    Helian Yu knew that he shouldn''t disturb him at this moment, so he could only endure it and hold his tongue. He couldn''t help but look towards Helian Peng, seeing the twisted expression on her face and the pained expression in her eyes. It was as if he was a fish out of water and had difficulty breathing.


    Then, thinking of how this woman was extremely selfish and malicious, that bit of pity disappeared with the wind. He felt that he shouldn''t waste even a bit of pity on her.


    Time silently flowed by. Helian Yu suddenly realized that it was unknown when it had started, but the interior of the room was already dark.

 C358 Sacrificial summoning(2)

    They hadn''t been lighting any lamps since the sky gradually darkened, and their eyesight had long since adapted to it. Later on, when the moon hung high in the sky and shone even brighter, Helian Yu did not think of this matter for a moment.


    Afterwards, his mind was in a mess and his spirit was not following him, so he did not notice that the sky was actually getting darker bit by bit. Even though his eyesight had already adapted to the darkness, the objects in his line of sight still became blurry bit by bit, until they could not be seen at all.


    "State Grandmaster, are you still there? Why is it like this? " Helian Yu had discovered that there was no moon or moon in the sky.


    Even though it was late at night, there were still some lanterns being lit in the palace. Every palace had a bit of light shining through them. At this moment, there was a mysterious power that could not be seen even by the dim light of the lanterns in the distance.


    "This is the moment!" The voice of divine ability Helian Lie suddenly came to his side, somewhat erratic.


    Helian Yu took out the soul orb, and according to the vague memory of the direction, he looked out the window at the place where the moonlight used to be.


    According to the darkness inside the room, he should not be able to see the outline of the soul orb, but the moment he raised the soul orb in his palm, a faint light seemed to be passing through it. Under the darkness, only the soul orb released a peculiar brilliance, soft and light, bringing a ray of light to the room.


    "State Advisor... "The Empire ¡­" Helian Yu suddenly discovered that the God of Heaven Helian was staring blankly behind him with his mouth half-open.


    Helian Yu felt that his neck was somewhat stiff. He slowly turned his head around and saw that a ray of light shot out from the Soul Orb, illuminating that part of the darkness. A blurry figure gradually appeared.


    He subconsciously wanted to move his body, but the light from the soul orb turned and the figure dimmed.


    "Don''t move!" Helian divine ability''s calculated position was related to the Heaven, Earth, and Eight Trigrams, so how could it be moved so easily?


    Helian Yu was a god. Once his hands were steady, he did not dare to move again. In his heart, however, he desperately wanted to fish up some water to see if that figure was real or fake.


    The two of them focused on watching the figure slowly solidify. However, no one noticed that the light inside the soul bead was gradually becoming dimmer, as if the spirit energy inside was being transferred, changing at a rapid rate, and energy was being exchanged.


    On the altar, Helian Shuang also let out a low moan, but it was so weak that it was almost undetectable. The two of them actually didn''t notice it.


    As the figures in the light became more and more corporeal, the light emitted by the soul orbs became so weak that it was unable to reflect on their surroundings. Their vision once again dimmed.


    "What''s going on?" Helian Yu almost went into a rage. His heart felt as if it was about to jump out of his chest. He felt as if his chest wall was being pounded by a thumping sound. It was indescribably uncomfortable.


    "A bit... "It''s a bit different than what I expected." The voice of the divine ability Helian was faintly discernable, as if it lacked energy.


    The light disappeared again, and with a plop, something heavy fell to the ground.


    "Imperial Advisor, Imperial Advisor!"


    Helian Yu was unable to hear Helian Lie''s response. He stretched out his hand to touch the darkness, but instead came in contact with a soft body. It was definitely not a man.


    The other party let out a moan. It was clearly a young girl''s voice. He paused for a moment before asking, "Princess Mo?" He wanted to call her by name, but he was too used to calling her by that name.


    The other party subconsciously rejected him, saying in a soft, slightly angry tone, "Don''t move if you''re molesting me. Where did you get your retainer?"


    Helian Yu stiffened. Although the tone of his voice was extremely unfamiliar, it was clearly Helian Shuang''s. Could it be that Gu Qingli had really entered her body?


    Thinking about the blood sacrifice just now, it was unknown how much blood had flowed from Helian Xiufeng''s body. It was truly a miracle that a human could survive in such a state.


    While he was daydreaming, the sky suddenly lit up. The moonlight that was previously obscured by thick clouds or a spell was revealed, and even the dim light of the palace lamps in the distance shone in.


    The young girl on the altar was holding onto the stage as she staggered forward. However, her legs gave way and she fell to the ground. She could see that not far away, there was another person lying on the ground. It was Helian divine ability.


    Helian Yu raised his head in shock and surveyed his surroundings in the room. After all, the moonlight''s illumination was limited. The corners of the room where it couldn''t be hidden were like the mouth of a devouring monster. It was full of unknown mysteries. The figure that was originally focused on the area where the Soul Orb was shining had long since disappeared. Could it be that it was just an illusion?


    "How are you?" Helian Yu stretched out his hand to support "Helian Luohua". His heart was filled with doubt, and his tone just now was definitely not Gu Qingli''s resolute and decisive feeling.


    "Don''t... Don''t touch me. " The girl pressed her hand against his neck. She must have been wounded by his blade just now. She was bleeding profusely and her tone was extremely weak.


    Helian Yu was shocked. He thought to himself, the Sacrificial Soul Return Technique is full of contradictions. It not only wants the Yang girl as its carrier, but it also wants to use her entire body''s blood as its sacrifice.


    He hastily tore off the hem of his clothes, pressed her down and said in a deep voice, "Don''t move, I''ll help you stop the bleeding first."


    The other party hesitated for a moment and finally cooperated. After he bandaged up the wound, he powerlessly asked, "Who are you? "Where is this place?"


    Helian Yu''s heart chilled. He stared at her without blinking, trying to find something familiar in her eyes. But all he saw was an unfamiliar and frightened light, as innocent and innocent as a reindeer. It was very pitiful.


    Gu Qingli never used this kind of weak gaze to look at people.


    Could it be ¡­ Could it be that the soul he summoned wasn''t Gu Qing Li?


    Helian Yu ignored his thoughts and shouted, "Men, summon the imperial physician." Someone outside answered and did not dare to come in.


    He focused on the young girl who was pressing her hand against the wound on her neck. The other party''s eyes became even more vigilant, and they shrank back even more.


    When Helian Yu saw her like this, he became suspicious and asked, "Who are you?"


    "I... I am Prime Minister Gu Chaoran''s second daughter, King Mo ¡­ Positive... Chief Concubine, who are you? Login... "Come on, my son, be careful that I don''t arrest you."


    Helian Yu''s head instantly buzzed and shook on the ground. In his entire life, he had never been seen as a prodigal son. The first misunderstanding was actually such a scene, yet the other party actually ¡­ Listening to her answer, there was no mistake at all. What exactly went wrong with the soul orb''s revival?


    Not only did Gu Qingli''s body turn into the Helian Hua that he loathed, she even seemed to have completely lost her memory and changed her personality?


    Helian Yu was filled with questions that he could not answer. He then remembered that there was still the Helian Divine Technique inside the room, so he went over to check. He discovered that the body of the Helian Divine Technique did not have any injuries, yet his eyes were closed as if he was in a deep sleep. He thought back to the time when Helian Divine Technique used his incantation, which was fast and swift. In the end, his voice gradually grew weaker and the sweat on his forehead dripped like rain. Presumably, this method was extremely injurious to his body.


    Helian Yu carefully helped Helian Divine Technique to sit up, extended his palm, and went through the inner strength, wanting to wake Li Yao up.


    Behind him, a cold wind was blowing. It was extremely weak but extremely fast.


    Helian Yu didn''t have enough time to turn around. Instinctively, he circulated the inner strength around his body to protect himself, and then struck back with his palm. He heard the light sound of metal hitting the ground, and then slashed at the direction of the cold wind.

 C359 Sacrificial call to souls(3)

    Helian Yu''s skill was not weak at all. Even though he had struck out with a palm strike, it still carried a shocking power and pushed back a few inches the thousand pound bronze cauldron in the corner of the room. A hurricane raged inside the room, shrouding everything in the wind of his palm.


    The opponent somersaulted backward a few times, barely dodging the attack. Then, he waved his hand, causing a few rays of cold light to flash across the air.


    At last he recognized that it was an extremely small concealed weapon, and he asked in astonishment, "Who are you?"


    Before the ritual, he had confirmed that Helian Divine Art''s doors and windows were tightly shut. Not only were the walls made of bronze or steel, they were also made of stone. The door was a special lock, and outside the window was a three story high floor.


    The other party didn''t reply to his question. Instead, it was the palm wind that was hit by him. With a light snort, it sounded delicate and clear, as though it was another woman.


    Without waiting for Helian Yu to launch another palm attack, the other side sent several silver stars flying over. As Helian Yu extended his palm and caught the weapon, a black concealed weapon flew over.


    Helian Yu did not continue and rolled to the side to avoid the attack. The small ball hit the outside of the pill house. With a loud bang, it shook the earth and even caused a stone wall a foot thick to collapse.


    Helian Yu''s legs became unsteady from the impact. Even though his strength had dropped to a thousand jin, he still almost fell to the ground. He could not help but be dumbstruck. "Gu Qingli" on the altar was even more miserable. She was shaken by the earthquake like explosion until her entire body rolled down from the altar all the way to the edge of the wall collapsing. She almost rolled down from the hole in the ground.


    It wasn''t that he hadn''t seen Thunderbolt Blaze before, but he had never heard of something that was powerful to such an extent.


    "Help!"


    The pill room had already begun to collapse. Although it hadn''t completely collapsed, a large hole had been blasted between the third and second floor. The floor was tilted and "Gu Qingli" was about to sink into the hole.


    Helian Yu leaped forward and grabbed her belt as she shouted, "Royal Consort, grab my hand!"


    "Gu Qing Li" grabbed his arm and cried, "Don''t let me go!"


    Helian Yu forcefully pulled her up and leaped to a relatively flat and safe place. He saw that Helian Divine Technique was still lying on the ground unconscious, while the black-clothed man who attacked him slowly walked out from the darkness. His body was exposed under the moonlight, and his eyes were filled with suspicion and vigilance.


    Although the light on her face was dim, she was clearly a woman dressed in skintight clothes with curves in them.


    Helian Yu thought that she was going to attack again and put up a defensive posture. In his heart, he thought that if she were to use that terrifying hidden weapon again, it would be very difficult to resist, other than escaping.


    As her face gradually appeared under the moonlight, Helian Yu was stunned.


    The woman in front of him didn''t look to be more than twenty years old, but she wasn''t at the age of sixteen or seventeen either. Although she wasn''t very old, her eyes were shockingly mature.


    Her long hair was wrapped with wavy patterns, falling onto her shoulders, and her appearance seemed to be casually but meticulously modified. Other than her flawless beauty, what was more eye-catching was her arrogant expression, which gave her a unique temperament that could make millions of people stand in awe of her, a mixture of coldness, killing intent, charm and mysteriousness.


    She was dressed in an unspeakable black suit, the low neckline showing a patch of snow-white skin, a dark bodice with a belt of metal buckles and shining stones around her waist, trousers of the same texture, also tight on her legs, and strange riding boots with rows of metal rivets all the way down to her knees.


    If one had to say what her clothing looked like, it might be similar to a hunting outfit, but it was bolder and more compact. It outlined the curves of her entire body to the point that it made one''s blood boil.


    All of these oddities did not shock Helian Yu. What really attracted his attention was that face, which he had once seen in the illusion of Helian Divine Technique.


    Gu Qingli had personally admitted that the woman on the boat was wearing a blue dress that revealed her shoulders. That was her ''previous life''.


    "You are ¡­" Helian Yu felt that he had stuttered and was unable to ask the answer he wanted more precisely. He could only wait for the other party to clear his doubts.


    The other party looked at ''Gu Qing Li'' beside him, then lowered his head and looked at himself. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Do you have a mirror?"


    Even the sound was exactly the same as in the illusion. Could this person before him be the ''Gu Qingli'' that Helian Yu knew? Then who was that girl beside him that was as solitary as a white rabbit?


    Helian Yu searched in all directions, but didn''t find anything that could reflect the image of a person. However, he heard frightened and disorderly sounds coming from outside, some running back and forth, some shouting, and some people trying to break in, continuously pushing the shattered tiles and stones at the mouth of the explosion.


    "Your Highness! Your Highness! Are you okay? "


    "I''m fine. Don''t come in yet." Helian Yu composed himself and first stopped them from digging their way in.


    Then he fumbled for the fire and found a palace lamp to light the room. The light made the woman look even more beautiful, as if she were wearing a finely polished lambskin dress, but he still could not believe that the lambskin could be polished to the point of shining so brightly, and that it could be made into a soft, close-fitting leather garment.


    The young woman hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head to examine herself. She then reached out to touch her own body, as if confirming something. She was completely unaware of this seemingly ordinary action of hers. This caused Helian Yu to nearly spit out a mouthful of blood.


    After all, in this era, these leather outfits that were nothing out of the ordinary were way too bold and exposed.


    "Am I... Alive? "


    Helian Yu really wanted to ask her this question, but there was clearly a living person in front of her. Could it be that by mistake, Helian Divine Art summoned out two souls from the soul orb? Then who was the soul in the body in front of him? Was it really Gu Qing Li''s true body inside Helian Shuang''s body?


    This question was too complicated for Helian Yu to understand. It was clear that the woman herself didn''t know either. She glanced at the ''Gu Qing Li'' beside him and asked, "You''re Gu Qing Li?"


    "Gu Qing Li" still had a blank expression on her face, her shy face gradually revealed a confused expression. After a long while, she finally answered, "Where is this place? My clothes... How strange, isn''t this in the Eastern Abyss? "


    The only thing she could discern was that her style of clothing did not belong to Dongyuan.


    Helian Yu nodded his head, then looked at the two of them and asked, "Which one of you is the real Gu Qing Li?"


    "Me!" Both of them answered at the same time.


    Helian Yu slightly narrowed his eyes. His sharp, cold gaze scanned the surroundings as he judged the expression on the two''s faces.

 C360 Sacrificial call to souls(4)

    The leather-clad man sighed, "Let me answer first. We are both Gu Qing Li and she is the original body. I came later, and I am that Princess Mo whom you know, Crown Prince Helian. As for why this happened, I can''t answer. "


    "What ¡­" Original body... What... "Later?" Helian Yu could not digest this concept.


    The woman who was standing on Helian Lie''s back was also feeling awkward. She looked to both sides as if she also had many questions.


    Suddenly, a voice came from outside, "Your Highness, are you alright?"


    "I am doing very well!" Helian Yu was impatient.


    "You called the imperial physician. If you don''t open the path, how will you get in?"


    Just as Helian Yu thought of this matter, he saw that the pill room in front of him was practically in ruins. No matter what, it was not suitable for him to lie down and recuperate, so he hesitated for a moment before saying, "Tell him to immediately go to the East Palace. I will return."


    He stood up and carried Helian Divine Technique on his back, and said to the leather-clad woman: "Mo ¡­ Gu ¡­ What should I call you? "


    "Whatever." After thinking for a moment, he continued, "The crown prince can continue to address me as Princess Mo. She doesn''t like this identity. As for her ¡­" Call her Miss Gu. "


    Helian Yu really didn''t feel that there was a difference in status between the two. He could only helplessly say, "I''ll have to trouble Princess Consort to carry this Miss Gu and leave from the window with me. The passageway outside is already blocked. Once they slowly clear it out, Miss Gu''s injuries will worsen. "


    The fur-clad woman nodded her head and followed him down the path. They soon arrived at the Eastern Palace and placed the injured ''Gu Qing Li'' on the beauty''s bed. After a cursory inspection, he discovered that the bandage around her neck was already soaked in blood.


    She took out a silver needle belt from her leather pocket and quickly placed the needle down, sealing the meridians around her neck. She stopped the blood flow and said: "The imperial doctors have come to ask them to prescribe some external medicine. Now that I''ve stopped the bleeding from her wounds, there''s no blood transfusion treatment here. It''s up to her if she can get through. "


    "What do you mean ¡­" Blood transfusion? "


    She looked up at him and smiled wryly, not explaining. In this era, blood transfusions were purely a fantasy. Without aseptic facilities, it was impossible to identify ABO blood type and RH negative blood type, much less make a blood match. If it was like in YY novels, anyone casually getting a pig could just give a person some blood.


    She pursed her lips, took a pulse, and said, "She really lost too much blood and her body was weak. It''s a good thing that her original body was strong and strong, and she practiced martial arts for many years. She was young and was able to survive until now."


    The woman on the bed weakly laughed, her face extremely pale. She softly said, "Whether you live or die, in truth, it''s not important."


    The leather-clad woman nodded her head. She was the one who understood the other party''s thoughts the best. She said, "Close your eyes and sleep peacefully, don''t speak too much."


    This life could be considered as'' Gu Qingli''s'' life being saved. It must have been because when Helian Divine Technique practiced it, she wrote the words'' birth date '', and summoned both her souls out. As for that ''Gu Qing Li'' from Dongyuan City, his body had long since been destroyed. However, there was the ready-made ''Helian Xiangrong'' who was still breathing in front of her.


    Helian Yu saw that the situation had stabilized. Although the Helian Divine Technique hadn''t awoken yet, after she checked his pulse and confirmed that it was merely exhausting his energy, he calmed down. As for whether that ''Gu Qing Li'' on the bed was dead or alive, it was no longer something he cared about. He had to ask in detail for a long time before he had a clear understanding of the situation within the soul orb.


    Even though it was a chaotic world, it had absorbed countless wandering souls. It was possible that after experiencing so many years of Helian Divine Art, as long as a soul was in line with a certain fate or proximity, it would automatically be absorbed. However, in the end, due to the lack of energy, it disappeared.


    The two chatted for a while before she looked at Helian Yu and said, "At that time, the situation was chaotic, and I had just awakened." The two chatted for a while before she looked at Helian Yu and said, "At that time, the situation was chaotic, and I had just awakened.


    Helian Yu nodded without saying anything, but judging from the glint in the other party''s eyes, it was not the truth. He did not want to expose her, so he said joyfully, "I feel that calling her Princess Mo or Gu Qingli is rather inappropriate, so I might as well give her another name so that he won''t find it awkward."


    Gu Qingli (the following female lead) thought for a moment before replying, "We need to ask for her opinion on this. After all, Gu Qingli''s real identity is actually hers."


    She saw the confusion on Helian Yu''s face and explained, "Tell me about it slowly in the future." While they were talking, they heard a clamor outside the Eastern Palace. The Imperial Physician and the people from Jinglu had arrived.


    Helian Yu went out to arrange for the following matters of the Silent Hut. He ordered them not to panic, especially not to publicize this matter. He said that the Emperor''s body was currently weak and could not be frightened.


    The imperial physician was old and was not as agile as they were. By the time he stumbled in, Gu Qingli had already treated the woman on the bed. When he had finished building her pulse, he looked up in bewilderment and asked, "Who handled this?"


    Gu Qingli said, "It''s me."


    The imperial physician was shocked. He stared at her for a moment and said doubtfully, "Stopping the bleeding is so quick and effective. It must be a very efficient acupuncture sealing technique. Experienced enough to handle this problem in time."


    Gu Qingli only smiled faintly.


    "Since the external injuries have been treated, I only need to prescribe some medicine for the imperial pharmacy to fry and deliver on time every day." He took up his pen and wrote down two prescriptions.


    Gu Qing Li glanced at it for a moment, then corrected it a little on the prescription inside, "The medicine shouldn''t be too strong. Although she has lost a lot of blood, her physique is extremely positive and can''t be used to nourish her Qi. Instead, it''s easy to get hot and dry."


    The imperial physician thought for a moment, then went to establish another meridian. He was thoroughly impressed, and so he changed the prescription as he said.


    At this moment, Helian Yu also came in. The imperial physician withdrew and ordered someone to come over to fry medicine.


    Helian Yu couldn''t help asking about Gu Qingli''s past life. Although he found it difficult to explain it, with the real ''Gu Qingli'' right in front of her, she should be able to explain it clearly no matter how unfathomable his thoughts were.


    Even though Helian Yu was already mentally prepared, he still listened with a blank face. He completely could not understand her world. He thought about the unfathomable scenes, the clothes, the style of speaking, and the various bizarre "utensils" in the Three Lives Wheel Illusion.


    After hearing Gu Qingli say that the "hidden weapon" she threw out was actually just a miniature bomb, Yu Lianjun was astounded by its power. She asked a whole lot of questions, causing her to be wary within herself as she replied, "In our era, all of this belonged to the high-tech category. It''s just like the secrets that the courts of this era do not pass on, how can everyone understand it? I''m just a killer. All I know is how to kill people.

 C361 How about rebirth

    Helian Yu''s face was filled with extreme disappointment and did not say another word.


    Gu Qingli, on the other hand, was more cautious. She secretly pressed the few remaining miniature bombs in her pocket. Naturally, she could not produce such a small and exquisite bomb. However, she actually knew how to create a simple bomb. As a hitman, she had to learn how to do it ¡­


    She did not know why her body from her previous life appeared here after she was summoned. Furthermore, the state she was in was not the moment when she exploded during the assassination on the yacht in her previous life.


    It was just that when she first saw Helian Yu, she had instinctively thought of eliminating him. Thus, she had hidden herself and wanted to hit him with a hit, getting rid of this powerful enemy of Dongyuan quickly.


    But when she later saw Helian Yu''s actions, she recalled his promise to her before his death and realized that he had really saved her. Thus, she had a kind heart and couldn''t bear to add another killer, so she showed herself.


    According to his cold and ruthless nature, it didn''t matter if the original body was saved or not. In any case, the soul was a weak girl who was determined to court death, and if the father did not love the mother, the legitimate ''husband'' also loved the soul of another.


    As for the owner of his body, Helian Peng, he was even more annoying. He would even get annoyed if he looked at her a few times. He would always think of this vicious woman who had different thoughts all day, the bastard of Imperial Concubine Zuo and Xu Jingzi, the murderer of Gu Qing Li.


    After chatting for a while, the woman on the bed woke up as well. She feebly opened her eyes and looked at Gu Qingli without saying a word.


    "How are you?" Gu Qingli didn''t really like her, but her memories had a direct impact on herself. When she had taken over her body and recalled her experiences, she felt an unspeakable sadness and pity for her. However, she also felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if she had become one with the past.


    Even though she hadn''t interacted much with her inside the soul bead, she felt that she had changed greatly. Perhaps after what happened to Xiao Yi Mo, she was no longer that cowardly young lady of the Prime Minister''s Estate. If she switched her body, she might have been reborn.


    "I''m fine." She tried to sit up, but her body was numb and she could not move.


    "Now that you have been reborn, you are no longer what you were before. We can only try our best to save your life, but we can''t change your fate. The rest you have to decide for yourself." Gu Qingli took a mirror and placed it in front of her. She was shocked and at a loss when she saw her expression, so she told her about some of the things that happened after her soul left her body.


    "So it turns out that I''ve already been dead for such a long time." She did not look shocked, nor did she look numb inside the soul orb. Instead, she looked much more open-minded and relaxed.


    "You now have two choices. One is to impersonate the princess with this body and continue living in the Northern Chu Palace. As long as you are cautious and stick to your duty, the crown prince will be able to take you in."


    Gu Qing Li looked towards Helian Yu.


    In truth, he was extremely unwilling in his heart, but when Gu Qingli''s gaze swept over him, he couldn''t help but nod.


    "The other option is to change one''s appearance, conceal one''s name and turn back into a new person."


    She bowed her head in thought for a moment and said, "I don''t want to be a princess anymore. "Although she was not as noble as the princess in her previous life, she was still the direct daughter of the prime minister, and could be considered to have enjoyed wealth and fortune. However, what she saw was only the ugly and merciless appearance of the black robes of Zhu Men. As for the imperial family ¡­"


    She revealed a slightly cold smile. "The imperial family''s disciples are even more ruthless." She only described Xiao Yi Mo as ruthless, which was already very tactful. What difference was there between a person like that and an animal?


    "When I was inside the soul orb, I still had normal memories in the early stages. I always thought that if I could become a human again, I would definitely be able to show respect to ordinary people, that my parents loved me, that my brothers and sisters were dating, that I would be able to marry someone considerate to me, and that I wouldn''t have to go through another life like this."


    Helian Yu originally had extreme disdain for her. After hearing her words, he had a whole new level of respect for her. To be able to easily give up his position as a princess and become an ordinary citizen, she could be considered a free and easy person.


    Gu Qingli thoughtfully nodded her head, but then asked, "Actually, have you ever thought that there would be a lot of benefits even if you used Helian Shuang''s identity?"


    "I don''t care about those."


    "If you can get married to Dong Yuan and marry Xiao Yi Mo, you''re not willing either?"


    She suddenly became excited and her eyes were filled with hatred, "I used to respect and respect him. I treated him as a gentleman. He was able to love and protect me for the rest of my life. How can he be willing to marry a scumbag like him?"


    "Your status is different now. If you were to marry her now, it would definitely not be like before ¡­"


    "Then, the only thing he respects is his identity as Princess Helian! What they admire is only the national power of the Northern Chu! "


    Gu Qingli sneered, "Have you never thought of making him regret forever everything he did to you? With Helian Peng''s status, you can return all the humiliation he inflicted on you to him! "


    She suddenly opened her eyes wide and remained silent for a long time, as if she wanted to move.


    Helian Yu snorted and didn''t say anything. He was thinking, if this fake Helian Xiangrong were to marry into the Eastern Abyss, would it benefit him? He weighed it in his mind for a long time, but still couldn''t come to a conclusion.


    "If you don''t want to, then forget it. Just pretend that I didn''t say anything."


    "I need to think about it."


    Helian Yu and Gu Qingli looked at each other.


    Ever since Jun He of the Northern Chu was bedridden with Yuan Chen, the entire country was under the control of the crown prince, even the imperial harem was under his control. The empress was also said to be ill, and even the sole imperial concubine was sent into a cold palace.


    But Helian Yu had always been famous in the country, and the people who had been attached to him were also many. In the past, the Northern Chu was not as famous as the East Abyss, and there had never been many people who had been in a suspense for the throne. When the news of Helian Meng, who had been besieged by the Red Falcon Army and had been planning a rebellion for the Eastern Palace on the Emperor Mountain spread, the officials of the court all knew that the next attack on the Xu family would not stop.


    Just when everyone thought that the Xu family was about to be completely exterminated, there was a rumor that the Seventh Princess Helian Xianzi had been severely injured and placed in the Eastern Palace for treatment.


    Within the Eastern Palace, the most expensive and most precious medicine from the imperial pharmacy was sent to the Eastern Palace like flowing water. The formed wild ginseng was only used to prolong the life of the fake princess.


    Ever since Helian Yu had valued the life and death of the fake princess, Gu Qingli knew that he was planning on marrying her.


    He would not casually send a fake princess to Dongyuan City to get married. If he did not have any benefits from this marriage, it would be meaningless to him. Even though she was well aware of this point, Gu Qingli was still very calm.


    Everyone had their own reasons for doing things. In this marriage, Helian Hua (Gu Qingli''s original body) wanted revenge, Helian Yu wanted to profit, and she...