《Evil Lady: My Hubby is a Traitor》


 C1

    Chapter 1 - Locked palanquins


    The sky was clear and bright, and a joyous event was at the forefront.


    Dozens of miles of red makeup, following behind a bridal sedan chair as it moved through the city, the people on the way saw the grand wedding and sighed in their hearts. They couldn''t help but laugh out loud.


    At the front of the bridal procession was a man dressed in a bright, rich robe on a brown steed. He was over forty years old, and there were already wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He looked kind and amiable.


    "This isn''t the Minister of the Left."


    "I heard that he''s only the steward of the House of Zuo. If it wasn''t for the emperor giving him the marriage, who would marry the evil woman of the Yun Family?"


    "For a treacherous official to marry a wicked daughter, this is truly a disaster to an entire family." The speaker burst into laughter.


    The sound of laughter and discussion rose one after another. The servants that followed along the two sides of the bridal sedan stomped their feet in anger, but there was nothing they could do.


    "Miss is at least a cloud phase, Gu Xiang is going too far by doing this." The round faced servant Qiu Yue rebuked angrily.


    On the right side, the oval faced servant, Chun Hua, looked worriedly at the bridal sedan and comforted her, "Miss, don''t be sad."


    With the sound of the drum, the carriage swayed, it was so loud that it made people feel sleepy, but the noise made them unable to rest, causing Yun Qianliang to be in an extremely bad mood.


    Yun Qianliang took off his red hair that was in the way, wiped the safety fruit in her hand with a handkerchief, and fiercely bit into it.


    Her mouth was smeared with an even amount of fat, imprinting it onto the Peace Fruit. She wiped it off carelessly and continued to bite on it, completely ignoring the fact that there was no peace fruit to be had after she had landed on the palanquin.


    On the day of the wedding, the groom''s residence''s butler received the bride. From the Yun Xiang Mansion in the north of the city to the Gu Xiangfu in the south of the city, they had long since lost all face.


    Why would they care about a mere safety fruit?


    Along the way, the shops were filled with people who were watching the show. They were mocking the wedding with their harsh words.


    The shaking carriage suddenly stopped, and Yun Qianliang wanted to lift up the curtains to take a look, when she heard servant Chun Hua''s voice from the right.


    "Miss, Princess Anping''s palanquin are blocking our way."


    Xiang Siyu was riding a bay horse. Its fur was glossy and smooth, and its eyes were sharp. With one look, one could tell that it was a good horse.


    She whipped her horse and galloped over, swinging it in the air as if she was slapping it on Yun Qianliang''s body. She said joyfully, "This county''s principal is going to the palace to meet the empress dowager. All of you should quickly get out of the way."


    "Princess Anping, you can''t retreat from this bridal sedan." The Gu Residence''s steward had already dismounted, replying respectfully.


    Xiang Siyu did not want to make things difficult for the Gu household, so he rode past the group that was in front to escort the bride.


    Xiang Siyu approached the bridal sedan and arrogantly threatened the person inside, "Miss Yun, this princess has entered the palace to meet the empress dowager. If I delay it, you won''t be able to take it.


    Yun Qianliang chewed carefully and swallowed the fruit down. After wiping her hands with a handkerchief, she started to speak at a steady pace.


    "Princess Anping is right." There was a hint of a smile on her face, "However, from Yun Xiang Mansion to Gu Xiangfu, this is definitely the path that you have to take, and today is the day that I and Gu Xiang will get married today, this is the emperor''s arranged date. This Princess Anping will definitely be aware of this. "In this way, the anxious princess should be the fastest on Jing''an Street. Why should we be on the distant Qing Xiang Street? I think you''re looking down on the empress dowager too much."


    Bring out the Empress Dowager to oppress her?


    Normally, Yun Qianliang would not care, but with today''s wedding, it would already be a joke. If she delayed the auspicious event, who knows how much trouble the traitor Minister Zuo would give her.


    The people outside could not help but be shocked, Yun Qianliang was the famous evil woman in the capital, he did not learn anything, did not understand anything, and did not understand logic.


    Housekeeper Gu followed behind Xiang Siyu, but upon hearing these words, he immediately suspected that the person in the bridal sedan was actually the Eldest Miss of the Right Prime Minister''s Residence, Yun Qianliang.


    Xiang Siyu became even more suspicious, raising the whip in his hand, he threw it towards the carriage, but before he could even touch the curtain, he was blocked by the sword that appeared, followed by the citizens who were watching the show becoming quiet.


    He saw a man riding over from the direction of the Gu Xiangfu, a young man dressed in dark blue silk clothing riding on a black horse, the man had straight eyebrows and phoenix lips, but at the moment when he looked at the corner of the carriage, they were slightly raised, his lips were gently pursed, and a smile yet not a smile could be seen, those black eyes under his thick eyebrows were like a puddle of ink, which carried a charming, handsome and mysterious appearance, causing all the girls on the street to blush, some of them even daring, staring straight at his extraordinary heroic figure, unable to retract their gazes for a moment.


    "Princess Anping wants to kill my wife, who has yet to pass through my door, in public?" Gu Wuchen rode up, and looked coldly at the girl who was trying to cause trouble, without a trace of emotion in her eyes, and the voice that came out was so cold that it made one''s heart shiver.


    Xiang Siyu retracted his horse whip bitterly, and looked at Gu Wuchen with deep emotions in his eyes. However, she did not express it too clearly, as the princess she had his own pride.


    "I want to enter the palace to see the empress dowager. I would like to trouble Gu Xiang to let the procession to escort the bride pass." Xiang Siyu calmly explained the reason, indirectly explaining that her actions were not causing trouble.


    The reason why Xiang Siyu dared to stop the bridal sedan on the streets was because he knew that the emperor forced the marriage to happen. Gu Wuchen did not show his attitude towards the bride, which was why she dared to stop the bridal sedan, and wanted to delay the auspicious time.


    Gu Wuchen acted as if he did not hear anything and explained to the guards who tried to stop him.


    "Gu San, escort the Miss Yun safely to her mansion." With that, he left as she had arrived. She had no intention of welcoming the bride.


    Xiang Siyu''s face turned green, the four words "safe escort" seemed to be the truth of his words.


    The person she married was an unkind person, she did not know if her personality would cause any trouble so when she entered the Gu Xiangfu, she had to be careful not to provoke that man. She did not want to provoke him.


    With just a few words from Gu Wuchen, the matter of the floral sedan chair was resolved. Joy sounded once again as they hurriedly left Qing Xiang Street and arrived at Gu Xiangfu before the auspicious time.


    In front of the Gu Xiangfu''s doors, there were many citizens who had gathered to watch a show.


    The servants and servants had already lined up in front of the door to welcome him, but the bridegroom was nowhere to be seen.


    The big red bridal sedan landed in front of the Gu Xiangfu''s gates. The wedding maiden did not see the groom''s figure, but went up to ask the Gu Residence''s butler.


    "Steward Gu, logically speaking, a groom would have to kick the sedan chair''s door before the bride could get off. If Gu Xiang was not here, who would kick the sedan?" There was a hint of a smile on the Xi Niang''s anxious face as if she was watching a good show.


    She was a wedding lady invited by the Yun Xiang Mansion''s Madam Qin, she wanted to let others see Yun Qianliang as a joke, but she might not do her best.


    "Gu San, you come." Steward Gu said to his imperial bodyguard.


    The wedding lady stood awkwardly by the bridal sedan, but did not say much.


    Hearing that, Yun Qianliang who was in the bridal sedan quickly covered his red hair and sat properly.


    Yun Qianliang had just finished tidying up the red veil when someone kicked the palanquin curtain. Her legs were nimble as the wind from her feet brushed the red veil in front of him.


    "The groom kicks at the door of the sedan, and the bride disappears from the sedan." With a shout, the Empress leapt over the palanquin and lifted the palanquin curtain, helping the bride out.


    After exiting the bridal sedan chair, the wedding nanny realised that the safety fruit in Yun Qianliang''s hands had disappeared. She turned around to look for it, only to see a core that had been chewed clean inside the sedan chair.


    Crossing the brazier, stepping on the tiles.


    He stepped on the red carpet and didn''t touch the ground.


    As he stepped into the main hall, he saw that the upper seats were empty. The bridegroom was still nowhere to be seen.


    After the wedding lady supported Yun Qianliang to her original position, she retreated to the side. At the center, only Yun Qianliang was left.


    The guests outside the main hall who were watching the ceremony whispered amongst themselves. Without the sound of the joyous music, those with keen ears could easily hear what was being said.


    Just then, a servant from the Residence of Ye walked into the main hall with a rooster full of fighting spirit. He placed the rooster beside Yun Qianliang''s legs and quickly left.


    The rooster''s feet were tied up by a red rope, making it unable to stand up. However, the rooster''s "wow wow" sound was filled with vigor.


    He heard the voice of the person presiding over the wedding.


    "I bow to the heavens and the earth."


    The officials watching the ceremony roared with laughter, and the female staff also covered their mouths as they snickered.


    This was simply the most ridiculous marriage.


    Yun Qianliang stood straight, her head lowered, staring at the rooster who was about to escape, his state of mind a little broken.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue who had been serving Yun Qianliang since childhood were furious. Seeing Yun Qianliang standing there motionlessly, they became so anxious that their eyes turned red.


    However, the wedding ceremony that everyone was waiting for and the temporary breaking off of the engagement didn''t happen.


    Although Yun Qianliang did not kowtow to Rooster Hall, after the ritual officer announced that they were going to enter the bridal room, she obediently took the red silk from him and left steadily amidst the crowd''s laughter.


    The red silk hung high up, and the Happy Fruit sprinkled onto the big red flag.


    Yun Qianliang sat on the edge of the bed, no one said a word, only hearing the sound of the people who led her in, and the sound of the door closing.


    Yun Qianliang exhaled a long breath, raised her hand to remove the red veil on her head, and then casually threw it on the ground.


    "Miss, the groom has to do it himself." Qiu Yue hurriedly went forward to pick up the red veil, and prepared to cover Yun Qianliang''s face again.


    Yun Qianliang waved her hand, "I can only count on the teacher to come back. I''ll probably be hiding under the cover my whole life."


    "Miss, the Gu Xiang has gone too far, she actually made you feel embarrassed in front of the officials. "But you ¡­" As she spoke, tears rolled down Chun Hua''s red eyes. She turned to the side wanting to wipe them away, but to no avail.


    "Don''t cry!" Yun Qianliang said in a heavy voice.


    At this time, the people outside wished that she would burst into tears inside her bridal chamber. Just like the last time when she was rejected by the Jin Wang, she pulled a piece of white silk and threw it onto a beam.


    If she did do so, it would be because of the pain of her loved ones and the speed of her enemies.


    "Miss, if you want to cry, then cry." Qiu Yue also cried.


    Who wouldn''t know that after Yun Qianliang''s birth mother passed away, her father helped the Qin family to gain his position? She thought that the Qin family would treat her harshly, but who knew that the Qin family would be so spoiled?


    With Yun Qianliang''s arrogant and despotic personality, most of the time, this direct mother would show up.


    "What the hell are you crying for? If you have the ability, then ask the manservant to help him get married. Let''s see who is shameless." Yun Qianliang thought otherwise as he rolled his eyes, he smirked and said: "Qiu Yue, get the butler to send my master here."


    "Miss, when I went to pay my respects, I inquired with a servant boy from the Prime Minister''s Palace. Gu Xiang is not in the palace at all." Qiu Yue frowned.


    "I''m talking about the chicken." Yun Qianliang casually picked up the wineball with the big red hue and used some strength on his fingers to shatter the thin shell. She took out the fruit flesh inside and threw it into his mouth, urging his: "Hurry."


    Qiu Yue turned around and walked towards the door, hoping that his master would go back on her word and call her back.


    In the end, she walked out of the bridal chamber. Master was eating her buns happily, so she could only ask Steward Gu for the kowtow rooster.

 C2

    Chapter 2 - Assassination of the New Room


    The night was dark and the autumn wind was blowing in the water.


    Inside the bridal chamber, a pair of red candles illuminated the lonely bridal chamber. The bride was already resting on the bed.


    In front of the bed, beside the red embroidered shoes, was the rooster with the red rope tied to its feet. The other end of the red rope was tied to the foot of the bed to prevent the rooster from running away.


    On the wedding night, the bride and the rooster at the nuptial hall shared a spring dinner.


    Yun Qianliang who was on the bed turned her body, opened her sleepless eyes, and looked at the rooster who had acknowledged her.


    "I told you to stay in the new house to peck bastards, but you fell asleep first." Yun Qianliang pulled on his blanket and continued to brew his sleepiness.


    Yun Qianliang didn''t know that the bastard he was talking about was sitting on the roof of the new house and listening to her every word.


    The autumn night was cold and the moonlight was waning.


    Ever since nightfall, Gu Wuchen had been drinking and enjoying the moonlight on the roof. He was dressed in dark silk clothes, and if not for the moonlight which shone on him, he would have seemed to be submerged in darkness, making him hard to see.


    There was quite a bit of atmosphere when it came to Yue Qian.


    As if he was tired, Gu Wuchen reclined on the ground, patiently waiting for a guest at night.


    "Master, the night is cold." Gu San appeared on the roof with a cape.


    Gu Wuchen finished the alcohol in his cup, his eyes glimmering as he stared at the assassin who was disguised as a servant and sneaked into the Green Pine Academy.


    When it came to bestowing marriages, he would shirk everything to avoid them. Helpless, he was forced to accept the imperial edict bestowing marriages.


    On the day of the wedding, someone was sent to entangle him, preventing him from making an appearance. The onlookers must have thought that he was making things difficult for Yun Qianliang.


    If Yun Qianliang died in her bridal room on the night of the wedding, the imperial court would definitely cause a commotion tomorrow. They believed that he had killed someone because she disliked Yun Qianliang, so they wanted to use this to suppress his power.


    Yun Qianliang had only sent a scapegoat over to harm him.


    For the sake of grand plans, the Right Premier had been overly generous this time.


    Yun Qianliang who had been unable to sleep suddenly calmed down and listened for the sound outside, and frowned.


    Yun Qianliang gently lifted the blanket and moved the bed that had shoes placed on it away. She moved her feet back, and after she went in, he put the bed back and laid on the bed with her breath lowered.


    Just as Yun Qianliang was putting the bed down, she heard the sound of swords clashing outside. Soon after, the faint sound of the door opening.


    The other person purposefully took light steps and slowly approached the bed.


    Through the gap, he saw a pair of legs wearing night clothes as they cautiously moved forward.


    As he approached the bed, he saw that there seemed to be no one under the red curtain. He quickly walked over to the bed and stepped on it. Then, he flipped open the red book.


    The rooster sleeping at the foot of the bed was suddenly awakened by a loud noise. Its opponent''s sword was right beside it, and as if it sensed the approaching danger, it began to cry out, wanting to run away. Unfortunately, the red rope on its feet was tied to the leg of the bed, so it could only flop around blindly.


    Yun Qianliang was speechless when she heard the noise.


    Chicken, long snacks.


    Attracting the attention of an assassin, aren''t you intentionally courting death?


    Indeed, in the next moment, the assassin''s sword struck the ground and the sound came to an abrupt stop. The rooster''s head fell to the ground, and the fresh blood that flew out scattered all over the ground in an orderly manner.


    Yun Qianliang swallowed her saliva, and covered her neck.


    His swordplay was sharp and swift.


    Then the assassin''s foot moved on the foot of the bed and he stepped off the floor.


    Yun Qianliang secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and her hanging heart gradually relaxed.


    The assassin stopped in his tracks, and his gaze fell upon the red embroidered shoes on the bed. Killing intent surfaced in his eyes.


    Yun Qianliang could only cast light and shadows to deduce the assassin''s movements. Upon discovering that she was bent over, Yun Qianliang''s heart which had yet to return to its original position immediately rose to his throat. She pursed his lips tightly, and held his breath.


    The silver sword pierced through unexpectedly, only a finger''s distance away from Yun Qianliang.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes turned as she stared at the silver sword, her heart thundering.


    She only felt that the sword at her side was a silver snake, baring its fangs at her, ready to pounce and bite her at any moment.


    The silver sword moved, Yun Qianliang moved to the side, but as long as the assassin quickly swept his sword across, she would not be able to dodge in this narrow space.


    With a meow, why does it feel like she''s found a adulterer?


    In the middle of the night, he raised his sword and barged in. It was a classic rape scene.


    Just as the silver sword was about to stab under the bed, the sound of the sword slashing through the air rang out. The assassin immediately drew his silver sword back, turning around to face his enemy.


    The Gu San''s long sword pierced straight towards the heart from the back. The assassin retracted the silver sword and turned around to block, his figure turning to dodge the attack, following that, the silver sword rustled and struck towards Gu San''s face.


    Gu San''s figure lightly swayed, easily dodging the attack, his long sword wrapping around the silver sword.


    Yun Qianliang lied under the bed, only hearing the sound of weapons colliding, the assassin and those who saved her did not make a sound, as though they were afraid that the sound would reveal their identity.


    After a long while, the clashing of swords and sabers grew weaker. The Qi on one side of the room grew heavy, followed by the sound of breaking windows.


    The previous assassin had left, but others had stayed behind in the bridal chamber.


    Yun Qianliang saw the blood dripping sword coming towards her through the crack in the wall. His fingers tightened and he even forgot to hold a hand to her neck.


    "Come out."


    Yun Qianliang did not go out, and continued to carefully hide under the bed.


    Gu Wuchen did not like this marriage, but it just so happened that assassins would barge into the House of Zuo tonight. Gu Wuchen had sent people to kill her, and then pushed the blame onto the assassins, claiming that they could get rid of his before they could even save her.


    She was very clear that the assassin tonight was not coming for Gu Wuchen.


    Tonight''s matter made her understand even more that this marriage was for the sake of this assassination.


    Yun Qianliang was the noble daughter of the Emperor that was bestowed the marriage with the Minister of the Left, regardless of whetherhee was doted on or not, she was still a direct daughter of the Right Prime Minister''s Hall. If he died in his bridal chamber on the night of the wedding, it would be hard for him to escape from his clutches, regardless of whether she was related to Gu Wuchen or not.


    Even if the crime didn''t cost him his life, at least it would cost him something.


    She was reduced to a dead end in the face of the struggles of the various powers!


    And the person who set up this plot might be the Emperor, or it might even be the Jin Wang, or even the Yun Xiang Mansion!


    Yun Qianliang''s brain had a string that was stretched taut. Without using any strength, just a light tug would be enough to break it.


    Gu San saw that there was no movement under the bed and turned to walk into the new room.


    "The Lord Prime Minister has fled." Gu San looked at the people in the courtyard who were gracefully wiping the flexible swords, and reported respectfully.


    "No problem." Gu Yicheng threw away the handkerchief stained with blood, turned and looked at the new house filled with red silk, then walked over to another building, "Send two guards to protect my wife."


    "To what extent does a guard''s martial arts need to be?" Gu San asked.


    Gu Yicheng scratched his chin and thought, "As long as he doesn''t die, it''s fine."


    He had long heard of Yun Qianliang and Song Shujin''s matters.


    Previously, it was all because of Song Shujin and her Concubinage Sister that he committed suicide. However, ever since the marriage decree was given, Yun Qianliang did not make any move.


    He was mocked by the crowd today, and was not as angry as he was in the past. He couldn''t help but make people doubt her motive for entering the Gu Xiangfu, and to be able to protect her from dying, he had done his best.


    The surroundings fell into silence. The red candle swayed in the wind coming from outside the door, and the light and shadow on the ground flickered.


    Yun Qianliang slowly pushed away from the bed and came out.


    The rooster''s body was not cleaned up, and there was still some blood left on the ground. He took in a deep breath of cold air, and the smell of blood entered his nose.


    Yun Qianliang was wrapped in a blanket and sat on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed. She looked at the blood on the ground and felt her heart clogging up.


    In the face of assassination, this weak body didn''t even have the ability to defend itself other than a little bit of strength.


    Tonight, Gu Yicheng had decided to hook her up for benefits and saved her life.


    If she were to get out of such a situation one day, she would not be as lucky as she was today when someone else wanted her dead.


    In this one of the Four Joy Nights, Yun Qianliang sat alone until daybreak.

 C3

    Chapter 3 - Confrontation of Words


    The sky turned slightly cold and the Green Pine Academy made a noise. Soon, the door opened from the inside.


    Just as the door opened a crack, Gu Yicheng''s hand stopped.


    In the dim light, a girl with loose black hair squatted beside a flower bush and carefully pulled it up. She put it aside until she had cleared out a small space. Only then did she stop messing around with the peony.


    Yun Qianliang?


    Gu Yicheng frowned, he then closed the door, preventing the light in the room from hitting the people around the flowers.


    Yun Qianliang brought the lanterns closer, using her hands to dig at the soft soil, while talking to herself.


    "Although the reason why you failed to escape is because of me, in the end, this has nothing to do with me. Think about it, if that bastard Gu Yicheng had obediently paid respects to her, you wouldn''t have been chosen, so this is fate! "Since you and I have paid respects before, I will dig a hole and bury you. Then, we will be even."


    Yun Qianliang stopped and looked at the rooster next to his, and could not help but shiver. She quickly put the rooster into the hole and pushed the soil on both sides of the rooster into it, then placed the flower seeds on top of it and kowtowed seriously, "Brother chicken, don''t say it over there, you have a woman here who you have to pay respects to, our races are different, we cannot fall in love."


    If others found out that the rooster on her wedding night had its head chopped off, then she would not only be a notorious evil woman, but would also be described as a ''husband''.


    Yun Qianliang swept the scattered mud on the ground into the flowers so that no one would be able to see what was happening, and then held onto a lantern, she walked to the well in the corner of the courtyard. She used water to wash her hands, and then sprinkled water on the cobblestones on the road.


    After settling everything, Yun Qianliang slowly walked back into the house.


    The Green Pine Academy was very big, and there were more than enough buildings in two of them. Other than that, the Green Pine Academy was like a small mansion which was fully equipped, and could live here for a long time without leaving the Green Pine Academy.


    When they were sent back to the bridal chamber yesterday, the palace''s mama had told her that she would live in the Cloud Water Pavilion, and Gu Yicheng lived in the same place. Although they were in the same courtyard, they were not in the same place.


    After entering the courtyard, they were only about ten steps away from each other. After that, they would each walk a different path before returning to their respective residences.


    It was good to part ways and not be related to each other.


    As he entered the Cloud Water Pavilion, Yun Qianliang heaved a sigh of relief. When he turned around, he saw a large Buddha sitting peacefully in the room.


    The red candle was reflected in his perfectly handsome face, and his fine hair fell over his smooth forehead and over his thick and slender eyelashes. His eyebrows, which had been slanted to his temples, were faintly visible beneath the messy bangs of his bangs, and under his tall and straight nose was a sexy mouth the color of a crabapple petal.


    Gu Yicheng sat sideways in front of the table, his left hand was placed on the table.


    When did this person come?


    When she was in the courtyard, for sure someone would notice her walking around. It could only be that when she went to wash her hands by the well, she went from Qing Hu Tong to Cloud Water Pavilion.


    After such a short period of time, with a person quietly walking in, Gu Yicheng''s skill was probably not low.


    Yun Qianliang pursed his lips, restrained his emotions, blew out the candle flame in the lantern, and walked towards Gu Yicheng.


    "Greetings, Lord Prime Minister." Yun Qianliang kneeled down.


    "Yes." Gu Yicheng swallowed.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes flashed, she did not care about Gu Yicheng''s intention in coming here, she stood straight and walked towards the new house.


    "Miss Yun, what do you think of yesterday''s wedding?" Gu Yicheng did not leave, and spoke out before Yun Qianliang returned to her room.


    Yun Qianliang laughed out loud, and turned to look at Gu Yicheng with a brilliant smile.


    "How was the wedding yesterday? Don''t you have any points in your heart?" Yun Qianliang''s voice was like autumn frost outside the room, clear and cold.


    Yun Qianliang looked extremely beautiful, buhee did not look like he was pleasing to the eyes. Outsiders often said that she had the look of a fox spirit, in short, she was far too alluring, as though his actions were too enticing for any man or woman, whether they liked his or not.


    At this moment, her words were sharp, and couldn''t help but cause her charming brows to sharpen.


    A dark color flashed past Gu Yicheng''s eyes. In the blink of an eye, his eyes turned as deep as ink.


    "It doesn''t matter if I know or not. What matters is that the Miss Yun knows her limits." Gu Yicheng revealed his cards arrogantly, obviously showing that he was doing it to provoke them.


    "Then I must trouble you to come and remind me that we are married according to the decree." Yun Qianliang emphasized the word ''specially'' with a hint of anger, "Don''t worry, Master Ye. I know how things are with me, and I can''t blame Master Ye for what happened yesterday. If the one who married in yesterday was the Princess Anping, with her noble identity and the support of Duke Ming, if the young master is still unwilling, he would have to give Duke Ming face and settle the rest. "


    "In the end, it''s me who has no power or influence. I admit defeat, but in the end, I have already married into the Gu Xiangfu, and Master Lin will eventually need me, his wife, to appear. There''s still a lot of time between us, and victory and defeat will not be decided in a short period of time."


    Mentioning Xiang Siyu, an impatient look appeared on Gu Yicheng''s face as he slowly turned to look at the lady who was purposely bringing him up.


    It was rumored in the capital that this person was arrogant and domineering. He was usually so insolent that he angered many of the capital''s nobles. He did not even know that he was actually proud of this.


    But today, she did it on purpose, intentionally disturbing his mood.


    Under the red candle, her face was filled with confidence, and her eyes were shining brightly, causing her to shine even brighter, which was very different from the rumors.


    Yun Qianliang welcomed that pair of deep black eyes, smiled faintly, and left obediently.


    "It''s still early, chenqie will go and get some sleep. I won''t disturb the prime minister''s mood any longer."


    Yun Qianliang turned around, the smile on her face had completely disappeared, and a serious expression appeared between her eyebrows.


    She could not offend Gu Yicheng right now, but she could not let others think that she was useless either. Only people with value were worthy enough to protect her, but she had to be on guard against Gu Yicheng''s suspicions regarding her identity.


    Borrowing a dead body to repay a soul for an investigation would not reveal any flaws. He was afraid that those in the middle of their power would rather kill than let them off the hook.


    She just came back to life not too long ago and had to pay with her life. She couldn''t be that unlucky.


    Gu Yicheng did not stay any longer, and stepped out of the Cloud Water Pavilion.


    When they saw their master come out, they walked up to him and said, "Master, all the people who were captured bit their tongues and committed suicide. No identity token was found on their bodies."


    "The person is still with me, there''s no need to investigate too closely." Gu Yicheng walked forward with his hands behind his back, his eyes turned and looked at Cloud Water Pavilion who had stayed up all night, "Gu San, do you think that a person would die so easily, and change his personality afterwards?"


    Gu San understood and glanced at Cloud Water Pavilion out of the corner of his eyes. He did not make a decision because of the rumors, so it was hard to say, "This, this subordinate does not know."


    "Then let''s go to the Yun Xiang Mansion to investigate what kind of person this young miss of the Yun Family is, and what her purpose for entering the Gu Xiangfu is."


    It was impossible to play tricks in the Gu Xiangfu without some ability.

 C4

    Chapter 4 - Muse Difficulties


    Soft Luo incense, elegant and fresh.


    A faint sandalwood fragrance filled the room. Dots of sunlight shot out from the carved window and fell onto the dressing table at the side.


    A beautiful woman sat in front of the dressing table. She was wearing a long green dress with a thin silver veil covering her body, and her loose black hair was tied up a bit. The rest of her hair was tied up a bit, while a small droplet shaped purple gem hung in front of her forehead, adorning it perfectly.


    Wen Meng gazed at the person in the copper mirror as her delicate hands held onto the red piece of cloth and placed it onto her lips.


    "Miss, your servant found out about it." A woman dressed in a light green servant''s attire ran into the room. After bowing to the person at the dressing table, she walked up and whispered into his ear, "The master of ceremonies did not consummate the room with the new wife last night. He has left the house very early today."


    Wen Meng took the red card, and her lips curled up.


    She had been in the palace for many years, and her zither skills were deeply beloved by the prime minister. The two of them often played the zither and drank in the lonely night, looking very unrestrained.


    Although she didn''t have any status, no one in the Prime Minister''s Estate was allowed to call her ''lady'' so she could take care of all the matters in the mansion. In the eyes of the servants, she was already half a master.


    So what if the prime minister married his wife? She was just a woman who had been ordered to marry. She had neither formally paid respects to the hall nor consummated her marriage. She had only an empty front.


    Wen Meng raised his hand, and this servant immediately moved his hand to her hand, to support her, "Miss, what should we do?"


    "Cut the crap." Wen Meng reprimanded the servant with a smile, and then sighed, "Master Xiang, seriously, letting the bride stay in her room alone on the wedding night, you want to let people know where to put the face of the mistress?"


    When the servant heard this, her eyebrows raised in joy. She quickly replied, "This servant knows what to do now?"


    Wen Meng nodded her head in satisfaction, not forgetting to remind him: "Xiao Cui, be careful when you do this, don''t let anyone find out anything."


    "Miss, don''t worry. The new Madam''s infamous reputation is widespread. There are many people in the mansion who are afraid of suffering. If you reveal even a little bit, we''ll just wait to see a good show." Xiao Cui supported them on the soft bed and called two servants in to serve them. She went to the kitchen to get her own food.


    Green Pine Academy, Cloud Water Pavilion.


    Chun Hua who was going to grab the food, angrily returned with the food box.


    "You''re so angry, who dares to provoke you?" Yun Qianliang supported her head with one hand, while she was dozing on the table, listening to the heavy footsteps. Before she even opened her eyes, she could guess that Chun Hua was extremely angry, and was extremely angry.


    "Miss, Gu ¡­" Just as Chun Hua was about to speak, she was interrupted.


    "Pay attention to the address, don''t let anyone find the wrong person." Yun Qianliang opened her eyes and straightened her body.


    Chun Hua curled her lips in frustration. She was unwilling to change his words, but because her master had spoken, she could only change his words.


    "Madam." Chun Hua shouted unwillingly, and was no longer in a hurry to complain. She opened the food box and took out the three dishes and the soup, and placed them on the painted round table, and then placed a bowl of hard night meal in front of Yun Qianliang, "Madam, your food is ready."


    Yun Qianliang stared at the charred bowl of rice in front of him, used her chopsticks to poke at it, and looked at the so called three dishes and one soup.


    "Shoot the cucumber, cook with water ¡­" "Tomato, stir-fry ¡­" Yun Qianliang looked at the three dishes, and at the last plate of green and black dishes, he did not know the name, so she reached his hands into the bowl of soup and took out the three yellow vegetables, "Gu Xiangfu is like this ¡­ Thrift? "


    Other than that, the only thing Yun Qianliang could do was to call the meal a bit shabby.


    "Where is the economy? There is no shortage of chicken, duck and fish in the kitchen. Chun Hua pouted and complained, deliberately wanting to provoke his master''s temper, "I will not get back at you, you are an idle person in Gu Xiangfu, a person that does not raise idle people."


    Although the young miss had learned to be patient and be reasonable, Chun Hua still hoped that the young master had a bit of temper, so that he wouldn''t be bullied by others.


    After suffering such grievances yesterday, she truly hoped that her master would be able to vent them out, lest she suffocate to death.


    "He doesn''t raise idle people." Yun Qianliang put down her chopsticks, waved her hand, ordering her men to take away the bowl of burnt food.


    Yun Qianliang stood up and walked to the door, and silently looked at the flower blooming in the courtyard.


    Qiu Yue cleaned up the room and walked out. Seeing the dishes on the table, she thought that Master was in a bad mood and had no appetite.


    "Madam, your body is yours. Please eat some." Qiu Yue advised.


    Chun Hua gave Qiu Yue a meaningful look, and Qiu Yue walked in to see the food. She frowned, and pointed to the food on the table.


    Yun Qianliang pondered for a long time and finally came to a decision.


    Yun Qianliang waved to the two servants, and when the two came closer, she whispered: "I buried my husband''s body under the flower bush where Yao Huang was planted."


    Qiu Yue was shocked, her entire body shivering violently.


    "I''m talking about the chicken." Yun Qianliang knocked Qiu Yue on the head, and continued to speak: "Yesterday night, an assassin came and killed it, I was worried that the people from the Prime Minister''s residence would find out, and bury the body before daybreak."


    "You did the right thing. If the people from the Prime Minister''s Estate knew about this, they would have definitely spread it to you." Chun Hua also lowered her voice and spoke.


    "The corpse will stink if it is left behind for a long time. On the contrary, it''s easy for people to find it." Yun Qianliang raised her eyebrows at the two of them, seeing that they did not understand what she meant, she said unhappily: "So one of you went out to guard, the other went to dig out the chicken, and used the Green Pine Academy''s kitchen to cook it for me."


    "Madam, you said yesterday that you had a relationship with that rooster, and today you plan to eat it?" Qiu Yue asked innocently.


    "Its best fate is to become a part of me, which is even more so." Yun Qianliang urged, "Hurry up."


    You just want meat.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue immediately walked out to the designated location to dig out the rooster that had just been buried.


    Yun Qianliang sat on the doorstep of the Cloud Water Pavilion and waited, the thoughts in her head gradually flying further and further away.


    Although Gu Yicheng was a scoundrel, he was a gentle and refined person. There were many singers and dancers in the palace, and Xiu Mu Ri did not like to go to the flowery streets and alleyways. She only went to the manor to sing poems and fight with the house-raised singers and dancers, and chat about zither, chess and painting.


    However, she did not expect that in Gu Xiangfu, the status of a muse was actually better than her, the emperor''s concubine, who was officially married into the family.


    The host eats the veggie dish, but the muse who can''t afford to serve the table is like a big fish and big meat. Such a good rule of not raising idle people!


    For three days in a row, not only did Cloud Water Pavilion''s food not improve, on the contrary, because on the day Gu Yicheng returned to his home, he did not return to the capital, and she did not return to her house alone, her food became worse.


    In the past, it was just a cold meal with some shabby dishes added on top.


    After that day, the food sent to the Cloud Water Pavilion was filled with a rancid taste, so much so that it could not be eaten.


    "It seems that I have no choice but to beat him up."

 C5

    Chapter 5 - Acceptance of authority for purposes


    The autumn wind was beautiful, and in the warm sunshine, Yun Qianliang finally stepped out of the Green Pine Academy.


    He strolled along the road, familiarizing himself with the layout of the residence.


    All along the way,''s servants ignored her, and after she walked past, they whispered behind her back, as if she had done some shameful thing that would cause anyone who saw her to lose all face.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue were annoyed along the way, but Yun Qianliang herself was indifferent to the scenery of the Gu Xiangfu.


    On the other hand, the Gu Xiangfu was the complete opposite. The garden was planted with ordinary flowers and they were even like wild flowers on the side of the road, they were completely unknown.


    The only thing that could be considered as expensive was the nine-fold veranda above the lake.


    It was a perfect place to see the lotus flowers in the summer.


    Yun Qianliang walked along the Nine Winding Corridor and looked under the water. She seemed to be looking for ingredients to fill her stomach and her eyes shone with a wolf''s light.


    "No one would raise carp in the lake, ma''am." Chun Hua saw that her master was holding onto the pillar, so she stuck his body out even more, and quickly pulled her back.


    "Raise a pond of fish and prawns. Serve them with tea and fish when you have nothing to do. If you lack money, you can sell them." Just as Yun Qianliang finished speaking, she heard a light chuckle coming from the front.


    Yun Qianliang straightened her body and looked towards Ying Yan, who was walking towards him. She was dressed like a young miss of some noble family, but the smell of makeup was too strong, it was extremely pungent.


    "How dare you!" How dare you! Chun Hua took a step forward, and bellowed.


    Chun Hua had been by Yun Qianliang''s side since sshe was a kid, and would usually follow her master and act tyrannically. This time, he was acting arrogantly, with a stern expression on her face, which actually intimidated a few people.


    The group of Singer Dancer did not move, but turned to look at the leader of the group, who was wearing a light green chest dress.


    Wen Meng had heard quite a lot of rumors about Yun Qianliang, but this was the first time she had met him in person.


    Her straight and impeccable facial features meticulously outlined her absolute beauty. When her eyes moved, they were like smoke that gently rippled, revealing her brilliance to the extreme.


    Thin makeup, beautiful eyebrows like a willow, forehead light cinnabar, charming.


    Just that beautiful face made Wen Meng, who was usually confident in her looks, feel a sense of crisis.


    Wen Meng stood up straighter as if she refused to admit defeat, and did not kneel down yet. It was as if once she lowered her body to look at the person in front of him, it would be difficult for him to raise her head again.


    If it was in the past, Wen Meng would definitely allow others to find all the possible mistakes, but today, she could not take it lying down.


    Yun Qianliang calmly waited, not paying any attention to the person in the lead.


    But she knew in her heart that the person in the lead was the girl that Chun Hua was muttering to herself everyday ¡ª ¡ª Wen Meng.


    But she did not deliberately hold enmity towards Wen Meng and the other Singer Dancer, treating them as equals, thus giving them an equal status. No matter how respectful the servants in the house treated Wen Meng, a proper wife, they would never be able to show their respect in front of her, and the difference in status was too great.


    Xiao Cui held onto a guqin, and retorted: "I haven''t even admitted to it, do you have the nerve to call me Madam?"


    Hearing that, Yun Qianliang''s brows furrowed, the water color in her eyes faded, a cold light shot towards the rude servant.


    Xiao Cui could not help but shiver, she immediately lowered her head, not daring to look directly into those eyes.


    "Chun Hua, get the Steward Gu to gather all the people here. Wait in the main hall!" Yun Qianliang said coldly.


    "Yes." Chun Hua replied, and after saluting, she went to look for someone.


    "Qiu Yue, return to Green Pine Academy and bring me the imperial edict." Yun Qianliang ordered again.


    When the group of Singer Dancer heard the order, they did not understand what Yun Qianliang meant.


    After Yun Qianliang saw that her servant had retreated, she walked around them and headed towards the main hall of the Xiang Palace.


    Yun Qianliang walked a distance and saw that the girls didn''t make a single move as they looked at each other.


    "What? You want me to invite everyone to the main hall?" Yun Qianliang''s voice was very heavy, as heavy as the restraint before the storm, but it made people clearly feel the coldness that she was suppressing.


    When Yun Qianliang led the group of people to the main hall, it was already filled with servants. Even the guards who weren''t on duty were present, forming six neat rows.


    "Madam, everyone is here." Chun Hua went forward to report.


    Steward Gu raised his eyes to look at the woman walking towards him. She was dressed in a simple dress, it was elegant and refined, beautiful and natural, a dark blue silk thread had been embroidered on the fabric of her clothes, the Resurrection Lily blooming happily, from her dress all the way to her waist, she did not look charming, but instead had a clear and cold temperament.


    She originally had a sullen face, but under that extremely powerful appearance, she revealed a domineering attitude.


    Steward Gu respectfully stepped forward and asked: "Madam, you can ask this old servant to bring this person to Green Pine Academy. There is no need to personally visit."


    "It''s hard for Steward Gu to remember that I''m Madam." Yun Qianliang laughed coldly, raising his eyelids slightly, but showing a trace of coldness.


    Yun Qianliang did not walk into the main hall. Steward Gu immediately asked the servant to bring out a chair from inside, and then ordered a servant to prepare some tea for him.


    Yun Qianliang sat upright on the chair and held the cup of tea in her hands as she savored it. She did not say a word for a long while.


    After around the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the queue became restless.


    "If not for Hibiscus Courtyard''s servant''s reminder, I would never have thought to gather such a large group of people." Yun Qianliang lured the trouble over to the Hibiscus Courtyard with a few words, put down the cup, and changed the topic, "However, the mansion''s servants are so diligent, why do they marry themselves? If the Cloud Water Pavilion''s food is cold, then it''s something tasty the other night."


    Normally, there would be people brought out from the residence to take care of it with Wen Meng. As she thought about how girls would understand more about food, he did not interfere much in the affairs of this lady, but who would have thought that the servants would actually take care of master''s meals from behind the scenes.


    "What''s going on?" Steward Gu asked in a stern voice.


    The commotion below immediately quieted down. No one spoke a word.


    "Steward Gu, the palace has been very busy these few days. Furthermore, with Lord Prime Minister''s recent wedding, I''m afraid everyone hasn''t gotten used to it yet." Wen Meng stood out and explained in a gentle and soothing voice.


    Yun Qianliang looked at Wen Meng and smiled meaningfully.


    "I heard that the Gu Xiangfu has the rule to not raise idle people, no wonder the people in the kitchen gave me such terrible treatment." Yun Qianliang did not attack, and continued, "Since that''s the case, then you should be in charge of the management, hand it over to me today."


    With just a single sentence, it stirred up a thousand ripples. Even Wen Meng who was an expert at putting on an act had frozen in place at that moment.


    "In the past, the Prime Minister''s Estate did not have a matriarch, so I needed the help of an outsider to take care of the family matters. Now that I''m married into the family, these household matters are naturally taken care of by me." Steward Gu, what do you say? " Yun Qianliang didn''t wait for everyone to react and explained her plan to recruit authority. She didn''t forget to bring Steward Gu over to her side even when she was almost there.


    "According to the rules, this is indeed the case. This old servant has neglected to do so."


    Steward Gu was an old man of the Palace of Generals who listened to Gu Yicheng''s orders and only followed the rules.

 C6

    Chapter 6 - Herbal Medicine


    "But, grandpa ¡­"


    Wen Meng wanted to refute, preserve the power in her hands, and directly bring out the clan master, but Yun Qianliang did not even let her finish speaking.


    "Qiu Yue, be careful. Don''t break the imperial edict." Seeing that people were rushing over, Yun Qianliang purposely reminded them.


    Wen Meng''s words were stuck in her throat, and she found it hard to swallow it back down, yet she could not find an opportunity to speak.


    Qiu Yue held out the imperial edict to Yun Qianliang.


    Everyone saw the bright yellow satin and immediately knelt on the ground.


    "Just now, I mentioned that it was the Hibiscus Courtyard''s servant''s reminder, which is why I was gathering so many people. I will tell you all about the reason why I have gathered you all here." Yun Qianliang casually held the imperial edict in his hand, and said softly to the people kneeling on the ground, "Just now, at the Nine Rhythm Corridor, my servant scolded some people for not bowing when she saw me, while the servants at Warm Girl''s side rejected his."


    Yun Qianliang paused, then tactfully stood out and repeated what Xiao Cui had said.


    "Since the prime minister hasn''t admitted it, do you have the nerve to call me Madam?"


    Yun Qianliang raised his hand and immediately retreated behind her.


    "Judging from my meals and the taunts I heard during my stroll today, most of you don''t approve of me as your mistress. You can do whatever you want in your hearts. Since the emperor can''t see it, it''s natural that it''s none of your business. However, if it''s said out, it''s a capital punishment! " Yun Qianliang raised his teacup and drank a mouthful of tea to moisturize his throat, his following words became even sharper, "I am the official wife of the Emperor who bestowed the marriage to the Minister of the Left, and naturally am the wife of the Gu Xiangfu. To speak out and deny my identity is equivalent to denying the words of the Emperor!"


    Yun Qianliang lowered his eyes and sized up the expressions of the people kneeling on the ground. Many of them held onto the fact that this was a family matter and the Emperor did not have the mentality to interfere, so he did not seem to be afraid.


    Yun Qianliang snorted coldly, getting the Steward Gu to stand up and hand the imperial edict over.


    "Read it out for everyone to hear."


    The Steward Gu used a brocade handkerchief to wipe his hands before daring to accept the imperial edict.


    "Under the will of the heavens, the Emperor shall deliver a decree: direct daughter of the Right Premier, Yun Qianliang, shall be well-informed, gentle and courteous, and shall be bestowed upon the Minister of the Left as his principal wife, with the hope that the two of them may share hardships with each other and work together until their heads turn white. "Here it is."


    "Strange, isn''t it? Everyone knows that I was bestowed with marriage by the Emperor. There''s no need to show off in public. " "The purpose of the imperial edict is to tell you that the imperial edict is still around, and that the emperor is still watching over this marriage, so no one can guarantee that everyone in the Gu Xiangfu will be one of their own. If the words were to spread and reach the ears of the emperor, you all will not be able to accept this punishment, and the prime minister will not be able to accept it either."


    The Steward Gu understood tacitly that Yun Qianliang was not only using the imperial edict to make everyone recognize him as master and obtain the authority of mistress from the side, he had also beaten the servants of the Gu Xiangfu to not speak carelessly to prevent disasters from coming out of her mouth.


    Yun Qianliang stood up and walked in front of Wen Meng.


    She squatted in front of Wen Meng and lifted Wen Meng''s head so that she could look straight in her eyes.


    "Warm Girl, I see you as my close friend, so you have to be worthy of me. Don''t let others think that the master who taught you this kind of servant is not good at all." "released Wen Meng''s chin and stood up, looking down at the servant kneeling on the ground from above," I, Yun Qianliang, am famous for being an evil girl in the capital, to the point that I can''t even bear the consequences of offending you, and you still want to take advantage of me while I''m still being reasonable?


    Yun Qianliang spoke too much, and because she had a sore throat, she picked up the teacup and sipped on it, but did not take back the imperial edict, and allowed everyone to kneel like that.


    Steward Gu had a whole new level of respect for Yun Qianliang. Rumors said that he was arrogant and despotic, his beauty brainless, and his methods could be said to be brilliant.


    After a long while, Yun Qianliang did not reprimand them, and everyone kneeled down and remained silent.


    Seeing that the momentum had passed, the Steward Gu asked for instructions, "Madam, the brunch has just arrived, there are still a lot of things to do.


    "Have you passed the brunch s yet?" Yun Qianliang asked despite already knowing the answer. "Chun Hua, Qiu Yue, have you eaten both of you?"


    "Even the madame can''t eat it, and the servant and the servant can''t eat it either." Qiu Yue rubbed her stomach in grievance.


    "Ever since you married into the Gu Xiangfu with me, two girls with flushed faces became hungry." Yun Qianliang shook her head and sighed, after sobbing twice, she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, "There''s no way I can pass my days here. Just change it to me taking the imperial edict and those rewards to the palace to express my gratitude, let''s see if I can use some jewelry to exchange for some food."


    "Hurry up and prepare the brunch for Madam." Steward Gu wiped the sweat off his forehead.


    The people in the kitchen quickly got up and left, not daring to be negligent.


    Yun Qianliang sneered in her heart, and lazily got up, "In that case, I will go back and wait for the meal. After Steward Gu finishes tidying up the arrangements, I will come over to Green Pine Academy to deliver the food."


    Yun Qianliang took the imperial edict and left gracefully, only then did the group of people stand up.


    Wen Meng looked at her beautiful back, and gritted her teeth in hatred.


    She had entered the palace for three years, spent a year and a half to build her foundation at the General''s Estate, and was barely able to take care of the affairs of the General''s Estate. For this, she had spent a lot of time and effort learning, but Yun Qianliang, that vixen, actually wanted to take back her!


    "Warm Girl, is it convenient for me to hand over the internal affairs you have in the morning?" Steward Gu acted as if he had not seen Wen Meng''s unwillingness.


    "Steward Gu, do we not need to report this matter to the Lord Prime Minister? "Yun Qian ¡­" Wen Meng called him by his name the fastest, after reacting to his words, he said, "My lady was loyal to the Jin Wang in the past, and now that she has just married into the General''s Estate, she wants to take charge of the internal affairs of the General''s Estate. What if ¡­"


    Wen Meng did not say the rest of her words, but the smart ones knew what to do.


    Earlier, Yun Qianliang was determined to make the Jin Wang die, but after bestowing the marriage with him, she obediently married into the Gu Xiangfu, which inevitably made people suspicious. They misunderstood that she might have a secret transaction with the Jin Wang, which was why he agreed to marry into the Gu Xiangfu.


    "I will report this matter to the Prime Minister, but Madame does not mind. Even if Madame does not care, I will personally take care of it. It should not be done by you." The Steward Gu''s tone and attitude did not allow for any discussion, so Wen Meng could not speak anymore.


    "It was the prime minister who spoke. As long as you want me to agree, I will immediately hand over the authority in my hands." Wen Meng replied unyieldingly, and turned to leave.


    Steward Gu looked at his leaving figure and shook his head.


    Everyone in the mansion had been trained. If no one else used this tactic, no one would dare to go fight for the right wife.


    Even if Yun Qianliang wasn''t favoured, he was still a direct daughter. The emperor''s personal wife, the Left Premier, was not someone a servant would dare go against.


    In the Prime Minister''s residence, the most intolerable thing was the person who had presumptuous thoughts about her. Wen Meng had relied on the Prime Minister''s fondness for her zither skills, and had already surpassed the limit.


    "Don''t provoke Madam in the future, don''t let others use you as a arrow target." Before Steward Gu dismissed the servants, he didn''t forget to remind them.

 C7

    Chapter 7 - Assassin Spies


    Suburban Courtyard.


    In a clean room filled with special torture instruments, there was a man half as tall as an iron cage with his head exposed outside. He was small and thin, and his body and limbs were all trapped in a small iron cage.


    The man''s face and scalp had already been bitten by a sharp-toothed animal. The bloody wound was hideous, and only the faint outline of his face could be seen. He was the assassin who had escaped on the night of the wedding.


    "The gift that I gave on the day of the wedding wasn''t enough, and you even want to give me another gift? Do you really think that my Gu Xiangfu is free to go in and out?" Gu Yicheng sat on a wooden chair, both of his hands were wearing black gloves, and was fiddling with a sawn like little toothpick torture device. If one looked carefully, it wasn''t hard to see that those thin and sharp teeth had curled backwards like hooks.


    Gu Yicheng played with it for a while, before taking out another strange-looking torture device from the rack. There was an inch long metal cylinder filled with thin iron bars, and after twisting it a bit, it suddenly exploded in front of him. The iron bars were as thin as needles, and were densely packed together.


    "Gu Si, let him try." Gu Yicheng threw the things in his hands to the subordinate of the pale-faced scholar in the iron cage, who was walking deeper into the prison as he looked at the man covered in blood, "Let me guess your identity, as well as the purpose of infiltrating Wanshen."


    Inside the cell, his hands and feet were shackled by iron chains and suspended in the air as if he were a corpse waiting to be dried by the wind.


    The man''s head hung lifelessly, and his face was covered by his black hair that was stained with blood. His weak breath brushed his hair, and it was barely possible to see that he was still alive.


    Half a year ago, Gu Yicheng received news that an enemy spy had infiltrated the Wanshen''s capital. He had been secretly investigating the enemy spy, but this spy had hidden himself too deeply, had acted carefully, and had hidden himself extremely well. He had been unable to determine who it was from the three people he suspected, until two days before the wedding.


    In order to hold him back, Song Shujin had interfered with this matter.


    When that spy received the news, he was prepared to leave the capital temporarily. After he had passed the limelight, he would enter the city as a merchant caravan.


    The spy thought that he would relax a little on the day of his wedding. He mixed in with the crowd of spectators from the north of the city to the south of the city, planning to leave the city unnoticed.


    When he was at Qing Xiang Street, Gu Yicheng found some spies and purposely showed up, making people think that he would appear at the wedding.


    After the spies left the city, he led his men to pursue them all the way until they found their stronghold outside the city.


    Gu Yicheng made a gesture, and the people behind him quietly moved forward, surrounding the farmhouse''s small courtyard.


    Inside the house, the master sent the spies into the secret passage. He restored the entrance to the secret passage, spread the straw on top of it, and then piled up the messy goods on top.


    After doing everything, the owner of the house felt relieved and walked out.


    Just as he walked out of the house, he saw Gu Yicheng riding on a horse over.


    The owner of the house, who was around thirty years old, was holding a bucket. He was shocked, but he did not reveal anything.


    "Uncle, have you seen someone with a mole on their chin?" Gu Yicheng was riding a big horse and was dressed in luxurious clothing.


    The house owner''s hand that was holding the water bucket tightened as he sneaked an inch into the corner of Wang Yan''s mouth. Coincidentally, there was a small black mole there.


    "I''ve seen people with mole on their faces, but I haven''t seen anyone with mole on the corner of their mouth." The owner of the house replied carefully, with a hint of fawning on him.


    "Thank you, Uncle." Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he saw the other party heave a sigh of relief in the corner of his eyes. He let out a disdainful laugh as he reined himself down, and his cold voice descended from the sky, "Uncle is really amazing! I only said that there is a black mole on his chin, but you actually guessed that it was near the corner of his mouth."


    The house owner was shocked, he threw the water bucket in his hands towards Gu Yicheng and jumped to the side.


    However, just as he ran out of the garden, he ran into a group of people surrounding him. He made up his mind and took out his dagger to kill himself.


    "Go in and search."


    Gu Yicheng rode on his horse around the small farmhouse slowly, his brows were filled with chill and calculation.


    Gu Yicheng''s horse stopped at a certain place and galloped northwestward a few steps, and then returned to the nearby roads to compare the slight changes to the sound of the horse''s hooves.


    Gu Si led his people and searched inside the house, only seeing the dead owner of the house, all of them were searching inside, sensing that something was wrong with the sound of footsteps, they moved the goods away and found the entrance to the secret passage. After sending people down to look, they found a series of footprints.


    "Master, we found a secret path heading northwest." Gu Si walked out of his house to report.


    "The public roads of Yangjing City are often visited by caravans, so it is indeed a good place." Gu Yicheng looked northwest, and said: "Let''s go!"


    The group rode away, dust flying from the horses'' hooves.


    Halfway there, the leading Gu Yicheng pulled on the reins and stopped.


    "Master?" Gu Qi pulled the reins in time to avoid the attack.


    "Gu Si, you will be in charge of bringing your men to hunt him down. Try to leave him alive." Gu Yicheng explained, and immediately turned his horse and head back towards the capital.


    Gu Yicheng sped along, his clear thoughts clear as day.


    He was rushing to the official road that led to Yangjing City, he would definitely not be able to rush back here before the city gates opened. If an expert were to enter the palace tonight to assassinate Yun Qianliang, it would definitely be hard to guard against them.


    However, Gu Yicheng did not directly enter the capital from the city gate that day. Instead, he took a detour around a hidden mountain road and avoided Song Shujin''s line of sight from the city gate.


    As for Gu Si and the rest, they trapped and killed all of the merchants who were in pursuit of the spy.


    Those people killed themselves immediately after being caught, so they had no choice but to disguise as the merchant caravan''s men and ambush the spies at the secret exit, catching them alive.


    A few days after the wedding, Gu Yicheng had been investigating the identity of the spy, as well as the purpose of infiltrating the capital, and had even tried to find the person who sent the spy news in the capital. However, the spy''s mouth was tight, and after torturing him, he did not utter a single word.


    Gu Yicheng was not afraid of people who talked back, he had ways to make them speak.


    In the past two days, Gu Yicheng only cared about torturing the assassin, and every time he used torture, he would do it in front of the spy, in order to slowly destroy the defensive line in the assassin''s heart.


    My name is Wang Yan, and my old boss is from the north. Many years ago, he failed a mission and was chased after. The playful smile on his face seemed to be provoking someone, "The reason Prince Qi sent you to Wanshen this time, was to investigate a person, and also to find something of value."


    "If Gu Xiang has the ability to investigate, why should I stay?" Wang Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, and his eyes were devoid of life.


    "This body doesn''t seem to know anything." Gu Yicheng smiled charmingly, he was in no hurry to question Wang Yan about his home in Wanshen, so he turned around and walked out, instructing Gu Si to greet the two of them.


    Gu Yicheng walked out of the dungeon, and saw Liu An, who was following beside Steward Gu and listening to his orders.


    "What happened in the Prime Minister''s Estate?" Gu Yicheng asked as he walked out.


    Liu An explained what happened this morning in detail, and Gu Yicheng''s eyes became more serious.

 C8

    Chapter 8 - Bid Price


    After Yun Qianliang used the rich brunch, he laid down in the courtyard and basked in the sun. The gentle breeze brushed past his and the warm sunlight shined on his body.


    Although she was living quite a good life in the Yun Xiang Mansion, her mother, the Qin family, paid quite a lot of money off her silver coins.


    In the past, Yun Qianliang thought that the Qin family treated her well, but he didn''t care about it.


    Afterwards, when Yun Qianliang went and hanged herself, she picked up this body for no reason. She did not know anything about Qin family''s methods and only wanted to kill him.


    His own daughter had strict teachings, knowledge was reasonable, wealth was everything, but''s teachings were pure and untalented. Normally, she would arrogantly fan the wind, causing Yun Qianliang to grow up to be a noble little princess.


    After occupying this body, she no longer got close to Qin family, and restrained her temper, and did not often play with the young miss of the Shangguan Family. She was only a group of people watching her brainlessly make a joke out of herself, to be able to live to such a state was truly vexing.


    Yun Qianliang happily counted the five banknotes worth a thousand each, as well as some gold and silver ingots and some crushed silver.


    These gold coins were given to her during their marriage, she had anxiously taken them for herself, at that time she had truly angered Qin family.


    However, thinking about her mother''s expensive dowry, Yun Qianliang still ached a lot. He always wanted to find a way to bring it back and fatten his own purse.


    Yun Qianliang was counting down as a shadow fell down, blocking her view of the sun.


    Relying on her Qi, he was able to discern the person''s identity. Yun Qianliang could not help but frown.


    What was she doing here?


    Yun Qianliang turned his head and put the silver notes into the purple sandalwood box. She held the purple sandalwood box tightly and said vigilantly, "I won''t give it to you even if you look at it again."


    Only money and chastity must be protected!


    "Come with me to meet someone." Gu Yicheng pretended not to see her stingy image and stated his purpose for coming.


    When Yun Qianliang heard that she did not have any intentions to get rich, she relaxed and continued to play with her small amount of money that he did not know how much money they had.


    "Hurry up and pack up." Gu Yicheng''s face showed impatience.


    The smile on Yun Qianliang''s mouth couldn''t even be concealed, but she pretended to cover her heart and heavily sigh.


    "I''m so angry today that I can''t go anywhere. You better leave by yourself." The happiness in that last sentence was not hidden at all. It did not seem to have been faked.


    "The authority of a steward of the Prime Minister''s Estate." Gu Yicheng''s attractive condition was exactly what Yun Qianliang had suggested this morning.


    The reason he offered such conditions was because, firstly, the person he wanted to meet was very important to him, and secondly, he could use this opportunity to probe Yun Qianliang out.


    "NO!" Yes! "Yes!" Yun Qianliang enunciated every word.


    If not for the hardships she had suffered these past few days, she would have obediently stayed in Cloud Water Pavilion. She would occasionally think about the matter of getting back her mother''s dowry, living a carefree life.


    These people in the prime minister''s residence wanted to provoke her so much that she had no choice but to find trouble with them. That was why she was forced to go out and establish her prestige.


    Yun Qianliang rejected without hesitation, which was something that Gu Yicheng did not expect.


    "What I heard was the transfer of brunch." Gu Yicheng revealed it with his words, his gaze was fixated on that enchanting face, trying to see through her disguise.


    Yun Qianliang laughed indifferently, and shook his head: "I do want you to protect me, and protect me from dying, but with this small matter in the backyard of your house, taking over would be asking for trouble, I don''t care at all."


    Both men and women were not as good as money to heal her, and money was a dead thing that would never betray her.


    Gu Yicheng, what''s the point of coming over here?


    "Name a price." Gu Yicheng was rather straightforward.


    "Aren''t you underestimating me a little too much?" Yun Qianliang slowly returned the silver notes back to their place reluctantly. He then used the key to lock the lock, and as if it was a jewel, he tied the silver keys to his neck. After she put it away, she stood up with the box in her hands and extended a finger towards Gu Yicheng, "One thousand gold, you don''t accept bargaining."


    "Sure." Gu Yicheng agreed without hesitation.


    "I can''t trust you. Write the written contract back at Qing Hu Tong, then pay half the deposit first." Yun Qianliang walked into Cloud Water Pavilion with the box.


    The Gu Xiangfu did not assign her a servant, she could only rely on two servants to clean up the things she had married into Cloud Water Pavilion. This servant who had not lived in seclusion all year round, other than the new house and main hall, she did not clean them carefully, they needed to be rearranged.


    Although the Cloud Water Pavilion was very big, it was very easy to create a study room. However, Yun Qianliang did not have much literacy, so he did not need to use ink and paper. Therefore, she pretended that the four treasures in the room were all there, so that people could not even write anything in the Cloud Water Pavilion.


    "Gu San, take out five hundred silver from the accounting office and bring me a set of four treasures." Gu Yicheng followed him towards the Cloud Water Pavilion, and the distant Gu San followed him out of the Green Pine Academy.


    Chun Hua washed her hands and came over to welcome Yun Qianliang. Seeing that there was someone behind him bowing to him, she said, "Greetings, Master."


    "Help your young miss change into clean and dignified clothes." Gu Yicheng instructed, then he sat down at the head seat and waited.


    "Yes." Chun Hua replied.


    Yun Qianliang walked in, pondering about the simple and elegant clothes, was she going to see her elders?


    It was said that Gu Yicheng''s family only had his father, but his father betrayed his mother for a woman, and the two left to work in another country.


    He was raised by his grandfather, who died the year he was crowned weak.


    Where did he get an elder with a new wife?


    For Gu Yicheng to be willing to offer such generous conditions, the other party must have a high position in his heart.


    When Yun Qianliang finished changing into her clothes, Gu Yicheng had already finished writing his name. He had also prepared five hundred silver taels worth of banknotes.


    Yun Qianliang picked up the documents and read through them one by one, in case Gu Yicheng made a loophole in the words and made her pay for it.


    "Rumor has it that the Miss Yun is illiterate, and she looks at the words seriously." Gu Yicheng suddenly said.


    Yun Qianliang was startled, she handed the paper over to Chun Hua, "Check if there are any problems, if there are no problems then put it away well.


    Gu Yicheng''s calligraphy was vigorous and powerful, the calligraphy was suitable for people, it was extremely hard to find a single calligraphy or painting in the capital.


    Chun Hua took over the paper, and retorted in a low voice, "My family''s young miss still recognizes these words."


    A carriage was already prepared in front of the Gu Xiangfu, the carriage driver had a heroic look on his face, he did not look like an ordinary carriage driver.


    Yun Qianliang did not size up any of the residences of nobles or high ranking officials were unusual, not to mention the young Gu Yicheng who stood at a high position. It was not surprising that the two coachmen in the mansion were people with skills, if he wanted to live, she had to be obedient and not investigate the situation in Gu Xiangfu.

 C9

    Chapter 9 - House of the Marquis of An


    The horse carriage traveled through almost half of the capital, and only after two hours did it come to a stop.


    Gu Yicheng got out of the carriage first, and intentionally waited by the bench with good intentions. When Yun Qianliang was about to get down, she extended her hand out with good intentions.


    Yun Qianliang''s movement paused, she looked at his hands, then looked at the place where the carriage had stopped.


    "You have to prepare your own gifts. A thousand taels is the acting fee, there''s no need for gifts." Yun Qianliang answered seriously, and did not plan to get off the carriage even before Gu Yicheng retracted his hand.


    Gu Yicheng slightly raised his head, he looked at the lady who was standing on the carriage with her back facing the sunlight, speaking to him with a lowered gaze, a complex feeling flashed past her eyes. He then retracted his hand and walked towards the manor on the left with his back towards it.


    Yun Qianliang quickly jumped off the horse carriage and followed suit.


    House of the Marquis of An?


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes quickly swept across the door''s signboard, and the four words on it caused her heart to thump loudly.


    Marquis of Anguo was the only Marquis today. When he was young, he fought on the battlefield with the ancestors of the Song Family. Even though he had retired from the imperial court and had nothing to do, he still maintained his prestige. Even the Emperor would have to give him face if he were to say anything.


    When the guards of the House of the Marquis of An saw Gu Yicheng''s respectful and humble attitude, they did not feel unfamiliar with him, as if he was their master.


    "Greetings to the prime minister and madam."


    Upon entering the House of the Marquis of An, there was a servant in Zhang Luo''s residence who greeted the two respectfully and even Yun Qianliang, who was meeting them for the first time, knew them.


    "Brat, you actually know how to come?" There was an old man sitting in a wheelchair being pushed over. Although he was complaining, he was deliberately suppressing the curve of his lips. The joy in his eyes betrayed his thoughts.


    "Grandfather." Gu Yicheng''s attitude was still the same as before, neither too cold nor too hot. He called out indifferently, and not even a shred of closeness could be heard from his voice.


    The smile on Yun Qianliang''s lips stiffened, she suddenly turned to look at Gu Yicheng who was by her side leisurely, in between her brows, there was not only shock, but also suspicion and worry.


    Before she came here, she had thought to not delve too deeply into Gu Xiangfu and Gu Yicheng, but when she discovered that the situation was not under her control, she became confused and seemed to know something that she shouldn''t have known.


    "This must be the Little Yun girl." Marquis of Anguo had already been pushed close to the guard, and her attitude of talking to Yun Qianliang was completely different from her previous boredom, on the contrary, she was a little happy.


    Yun Qianliang stabilized her mind, she kept her thoughts in place, and her expression softened, the corners of her mouth raised slightly, and she bowed to the 60 year old elder.


    "Greetings to grandfather from my grandson, the Yun family." Yun Qianliang was well-mannered, and acted according to Gu Yicheng''s instructions on the carriage, maintaining a consistent pace.


    Marquis of Anguo''s eyes sized up the lady in front of him. Her beauty was astonishing, her eyes were upright, and did not resemble the rumours.


    Previously, when he found out that the Emperor had bestowed him a marriage and forced his grandson to marry Yun Xiang Mansion, whose reputation was spread far and wide, he became enraged and wanted to go to the palace to find the Emperor for a reason.


    Fortunately, his grandson had sent someone to stop him in time. Otherwise, everyone would know of his relationship with Gu Yicheng.


    After the marriage, he had always wanted to meet the rumored granddaughter''s wife, but that stinking brat had repeatedly refused. Thus, he could only use the hunger strike to force her to come, and only then could he meet her today.


    Today, seeing that Yun Qianliang was not as willful and despotic as the rumors, but was instead a woman with a delicate heart, he felt a little more at ease.


    "You only know how to stand there foolishly. Don''t you know how to help your wife up?" Marquis of Anguo roared at the man standing upright.


    Gu Yicheng let out an impatient sigh, extended his hand to help Yun Qianliang up, and said: "There are no etiquette in House of the Marquis of An, there is no need to bow."


    "That''s not so good, is it?" Yun Qianliang whispered.


    "What''s wrong with it? What can Grandpa do to the Emperor when he sees him sitting there?" The two whiskers in Marquis of Anguo''s mouth went up and down, making her look really cute.


    Marquis of Anguo''s legs were inconvenient, it was an old disease that he had left behind on the battlefield before.


    "In that case, I''ll do as you wish." Yun Qianliang pursed his lips and smiled deeply.


    "Little Yun girl, come in and have lunch." Marquis of Anguo cordially invited Yun Qianliang into the room, and sweetly said: "That Yi Cheng brat actually managed to marry such a beautiful wife, he truly took advantage of me."


    "Grandfather must be joking. The young master is handsome, powerful and is the dream lover of all the women in the capital. Being able to marry the young master is my fortune." The corner of Yun Qianliang''s mouth curved into a bashful smile as he praised naturally.


    Yun Qianliang took over the task of pushing the wheelchair from the guard and walked towards the main hall while pushing the Marquis of Anguo.


    Within the main hall.


    The round table was already filled with dishes. Regardless of whether it was the size of the bowl, chopsticks, or even the temperature, they were all just right.


    However, Yun Qianliang was somewhat absent-minded when it came to eating, and he was still as clever as a monkey when he dealt with Marquis of Anguo''s questions. He calmed down the doubts that were lingering in her mind, and could not get rid of them.


    "Little Yun girl, when are you going to let Grandfather carry someone else?" Marquis of Anguo''s words were shocking.


    Hearing that, Yun Qianliang who was drinking her tea choked, and continued to cough.


    Gu Yicheng placed his hand on her back and patted her back to ease her anger, speaking up to answer Marquis of Anguo''s tricky questions.


    "Shallow body is not good, wait until you have recovered before taking children." Gu Yicheng''s intimate address made goosebumps all over Yun Qianliang''s body. The numbness made her shiver, Gu Yicheng purposely misinterpreted it and brought a cup of hot tea to her mouth, "Have a cup of hot tea to warm your body."


    With much difficulty, Yun Qianliang stopped her coughing, waved her hand, and allowed the cup of hot tea to roll away.


    When chatting with Marquis of Anguo, she had to remember not to eat or drink.


    "The previous Emperor sent someone to bring a good thousand year ginseng, take it back and help the Little Yun girl heal its body." The Marquis of Anguo ordered the butler to get the ginseng.


    "Grandfather, my body ¡­" Just as Yun Qianliang was about to reject, he heard Gu Yicheng''s whispers when he pretended to be intimate with her. She swallowed all the words in her throat back into her stomach, and fiercely pinched her thigh, causing her face to pale in pain. "I didn''t do well, it was only a matter of time.


    "There is an army doctor in my house who has been with the army for a long time. Have him come and take a look."


    Without waiting for Yun Qianliang to reject, Gu Yicheng, who was beside him, had already promised, "That''s fine, I don''t need you to think about my wife everyday."


    Yun Qianliang frowned as he looked at Gu Yicheng. He could think of a way to make his face turn pale, but where would she be able to cause such a sickness?


    When you turn your face, you betray your promise.


    Yun Qianliang''s face changed slightly as she facepalmed, thinking about how to deal with the following matter.


    The House of the Marquis of An''s doctor was a white-haired old man, with a white beard that was as long as his fingers. However, he was old, and had steady steps, clearly showing that he had been training with the army for many years, and still possessed a strong and healthy body.


    "Greetings, Master Hou. Greetings, Madam." The old man came forward with the medicine box and bowed.


    "Fructus Ligustris Sativus, don''t bother with all this nonsense, hurry up and tell Little Yun girl about it." Marquis of Anguo waved his hand.


    "Yes." Fructus Ligustris Sativus got up, carried his medicine box and walked to Yun Qianliang''s side, placed the mat on the table, and then said to Yun Qianliang: "Madam, please extend your hand."


    Yun Qianliang extended her hand out as if throwing caution to the wind.


    Fructus Ligustris Sativus placed the thin handkerchief over his white wrist, checking his pulse through the handkerchief.

 C10

    Chapter 10 - The Beginning of Scholarship


    Fructus Ligustris Sativus checked on the veins for a long time, his expression becoming more and more solemn, seeing that the ancestor and grandson who were initially chatting with each other suddenly become quiet, he nervously looked at Yun Qianliang and him.


    Yun Qianliang was originally very calm, but at this time he also tensed up. His palms couldn''t help but sweat, and his heart was even wavering, suspecting that her body that he didn''t need money to pick up was truly sick.


    Gu Yicheng''s hand under the table quietly held onto Yun Qianliang''s left hand, as if comforting his. In fact, to make her pulse abnormal, she channeled some of her Qi into her body, causing her pulse to become chaotic.


    Just as Fructus Ligustris Sativus was about to stop, he realized that something was wrong. His hand that had just moved about an inch did not seem to have touched it properly.


    However, this time, he quickly retracted his hand, and when he let go, his brows relaxed.


    "Madam''s pulse is slow and weak. The pulse is not real, it is due to physical weakness. I will open a prescription to treat it." Fructus Ligustris Sativus only made a simple diagnosis.


    Yun Qianliang retracted her hand, and an indifferent smile appeared on her face, she had the intention to beat someone up in her heart, but her expression turned serious, and her brows knitted tightly, the result was just a small weakness, wasn''t this just trying to scare them?


    After Fructus Ligustris Sativus finished writing the prescription, he blew on the paper to dry the ink and handed it to Gu Yicheng.


    "Master, please take a look."


    Gu Yicheng took it, and looked at it for a good while, "According to this prescription."


    Firstly, Gu Yicheng was not a doctor, and the prescription was useless to him. Secondly, he did not understand her body condition, so he should be able to tell her the medicinal properties of the medicine, and see if she could take it.


    "It''s good that you''re fine. Little Yun girl, don''t work too hard. Take care of your body as soon as possible, and help the Gu family pass down the incense." Marquis of Anguo instructed.


    "Thank you for your concern, Grandpa. I will definitely take good care of it." Yun Qianliang replied with a smile.


    She wanted to live a life of leisure. To count money in her free time was the most satisfying.


    "Hurry up and send away all the female singers in the house. Don''t make the Residence of Prime Minister feel bad. If the Little Yun girl suffers because of this, I''ll break your legs." The tranquility between the brows of the Marquis of Anguo was just like an ordinary grandfather and grandson, not showing any arrogance at all.


    "You should be able to hit him." Gu Yicheng picked up his teacup and replied leisurely.


    Marquis of Anguo''s eyes stared wide open, he really wanted to kick him, "If I can''t hit him, won''t I get Zhouqing to beat me up?"


    "Master Hou, you''re overthinking it. I''m no match for you." The guard standing behind him answered sincerely. He was obviously accustomed to this kind of scene.


    Marquis of Anguo pointed angrily at the guards who turned the tables in the battle, and was extremely furious.


    "Grandfather, don''t be angry, I don''t mind." Yun Qianliang lifted the teapot, filled Marquis of Anguo''s empty teacup full of tea and personally brought it to him, "The young master has always worked on the affairs of the nation, his body and mind are exhausted, it is rare that he has any hobbies during leisure time, how can I deprive the young master of his pleasure?"


    Yun Qianliang''s voice rose, carrying the freshness of a drizzling rain, causing Marquis of Anguo to feel better after hearing it.


    There was no use raising a grandson, it was better to raise a girl.


    "Little Yun girl is always sensible, I really don''t know who said those bad things about you. They turned a good girl into an evil person, then changed the situation to find a person to spread rumors about. Grandfather sent troops to annihilate them." Marquis of Anguo''s eyes flashed sternly, he was truly infuriated.


    Because he was young and frequently went to war, his face was sharp when he was angry. He was actually not young at all. On the contrary, his face was filled with an imposing aura.


    "Rumors in the market have it that people are born with short hair and short hair. They can only believe it. If you mind it too much, people will think I''m weak." Yun Qianliang tried his best to maintain a dignified and generous posture as he spoke these words after careful consideration in his heart.


    A trace of doubt flashed across Gu Yicheng''s eyes, as he looked at the extremely disguised woman.


    Too unusual.


    The two stayed in House of the Marquis of An until evening when Gu Yicheng had matters to attend to. Only then did the two left the House of the Marquis of An.


    The moment he stepped out of the residence, Yun Qianliang could not help but heave a sigh of relief.


    She did not intend to investigate too much, but Marquis of Anguo happily told her. She was truly afraid that she would accidentally find out a secret that she should not have heard of, bringing about a calamity upon herself.


    In the carriage, Yun Qianliang was preoccupied with many matters, his expression was so solemn that it seemed as though the sky would collapse anytime, and she would not be able to hold on.


    "The various rumors in the capital all say that the Miss Yun is a vulgar and unrefined person, whereas the short crane and the long termite, these types of idioms belong to the masses. Yet, the Miss Yun can do whatever she wants with them." Gu Yicheng tapped his finger on the glass bottle on the table lightly. Within the bottle was a beautiful red carp. Because of the flicking of his fingers, the Golden Carp escaped into the water. Its tail, which looked like a thin layer of red silk, spread out and fell into the water like red ink.


    Yun Qianliang had the illusion that she was like a fish trapped in a glass bottle. If no one could take her out of the bottle, his every action would shock her peaceful life.


    Thinking about it this way, Yun Qianliang suddenly felt uncomfortable, she clenched his hands which were hidden between his sleeves, raising his head, his face full of interest and ridicule, his eyes sharp.


    "A dignified prime minister, has he fallen so far that he has to rely on exposing me to look for a sense of accomplishment?" A look of mockery appeared on Yun Qianliang''s face, and in the blink of an eye, he was filled with hostility towards the person who was pressuring her.


    "This senior is only curious, is the person who married me a puppet wearing a mask, or is the Miss Yun in the past a puppet that has been bound?" Gu Yicheng raised his eyebrows in interest, the mischievous smile on his face made people furious.


    "The Fine Jade Palace has also heard of this calamity, which house is free of trouble? If you do not have the means, how will you survive this perilous situation? " Yun Qianliang was not shy. Instead, she acted like a clown in front of the old cunning fox.


    Yun Qianliang''s words caused Gu Yicheng to ponder deeply. A direct daughter who had lost his power was simply too outstanding.


    If that was the case, Yun Qianliang could not underestimate his. A person who could bear with the rumors and survive in such a perilous situation must have a strong personality. It would probably be difficult for him to find out the reason for her marriage to the Prime Minister.


    "Since that is the case, why does Miss Yun not continue to disguise herself?" Gu Yicheng asked despite knowing the answer.


    Yun Qianliang pursed her lips and looked at Gu Yicheng''s devilishly smiling face, the playful look growing in her heart. It was just like a cat catching a mouse, who could easily crush its opponent and let its opponent show off a little.


    Yun Qianliang frowned, she lowered her gaze and cleared the restlessness in her heart, and said faintly: "I am very stupid, I do not come and go like the lord, but get caught by you every now and then. Rather than waiting for my suspicions to affect my safety, it would be better to be honest with you."


    She did not know if the Yun Qianliang of the past was hiding her strength, but the current her would die if she was not smarter.


    A dead chess piece, the only thing that was of value was death.


    If she did not want to die, then let others know, Yun Qianliang was definitely not a useless person, the value of his life far exceeded that of death, showing off was her only way out!

 C11

    Chapter 11 - Ideas of retreat


    The sun was waning in the west, and red clouds covered the sky.


    The street vendors began to pack up their stalls and return home. The bustling street could not help but have a sense of loneliness.


    The wheels of the carriage echoed but the carriage was unusually quiet.


    When he went, it was as if he had deliberately taken a detour, but when he came back, he had only taken a detour.


    Yun Qianliang leaned on the walls of the carriage and looked out the window. The carriage passed by the people who were rushing home.


    Yun Qianliang carefully went through everything that had happened these past few days in her mind, especially the assassination attempt on their newly wedded night.


    At that time, she had seen the assassin''s shoes. The upper of the shoes was silk, and it was impossible for an ordinary assassin to wear such good shoes.


    As a secret service agent, she was constantly on the brink of death and had many contacts with killers. For professional killers, the more dressed they were, the better it would be for them to get away. No one would wear a limited edition tag to kill people, because it would expose their identity too easily.


    Yun Xiang Mansion did not lack money, but she would never be generous to such an extent, especially when her mother was a person who loved money. If there was such a large amount of expenditure in the palace for her servants, she would definitely cut it down, and in order to prevent such a thing from happening, even if there was money, it would not be revealed.


    The Yun Xiang Mansion s were excluded, only Song Shujin and Tianhui Emperor were left.


    He had the motive and time to plan all of these. After making Gu Yicheng feel embarrassed, he would kill the person who was disadvantageous to him, and slander Gu Yicheng as his opponent. From the topic of motive to benefits, Song Shujin was almost the best suspect.


    As for the Tianhui Emperor, he was afraid of Gu Yicheng''s power, and wanted to suppress him, so he betrothed the powerless direct daughter in the Yun Xiang Mansion to Gu Yicheng as his principal wife, preventing him from marrying the daughter of someone with authority in the imperial court, and making things more beautiful for her. No one would doubt her motive if she died in the General''s House. However, he could completely predict Song Shujin''s actions, especially since he had intentionally arranged all the conditions for Song Shujin so that he could reap the rewards while sitting still, and he could even secretly punish Song Shujin for that.


    Killing three birds with one stone was also quite suspicious.


    "Does Master know who sent the thief to assassinate him?" Yun Qianliang gathered her thoughts and broke the silence of the carriage.


    Gu Yicheng thought for a moment, then replied: "I don''t know."


    Yun Qianliang squinted her eyes, seeing through the meaning behind the raise of her eyebrows, she laughed instead of getting angry, "Those people dared to barge into the Gu Xiangfu, does master not plan on investigating?"


    "Questioned?" Gu Yicheng scratched his chin, then shook his head: "I don''t even know who they are, how do I go about investigating them?"


    "If I can find it, would the prime minister agree to one of my conditions?" There was anticipation in Yun Qianliang''s heart, and nervousness was revealed between his brows.


    Gu Yicheng changed his position and lazily leaned on the horse carriage, looking indifferent. "I don''t care, I''m not going to die anyway."


    Hearing that, anger rose up in Yun Qianliang''s heart, he clenched his fist tightly and almost threw it towards that handsome face, luckily she gritted his teeth and controlled his emotions.


    "Even if you say that, but if I die in the Gu Xiangfu, I''m afraid the Lord Prime Minister won''t be able to explain himself." Yun Qianliang''s eyebrows curved into a smile, the emotions in his eyes deeply hidden.


    "Miss Yun thinks too highly of me. If you dare to touch me, then take away my power and position in the imperial court. You need to use these tricks to make sure you can''t touch me." Gu Yicheng bluntly said as he strangled her little thoughts in the cradle, "If you die in the Residence of General, at most, I won''t protect you properly. What''s more, if I say that the Prime Minister is incorruptible and cannot afford to buy good guards, would the Emperor give me some guards or money? "


    The corner of Yun Qianliang''s eyes twitched, she looked extremely angry, and she laughed inside.


    Pure and honest?


    Your Wanshen''s great scoundrel actually dared to call himself a clean and honest man. His knowledge of himself is truly rude.


    Yun Qianliang let out a long sigh, and the intelligence between her brows instantly dissipated. She carried an innocent smile on her face, and brought the things she brought from the House of the Marquis of An back to her side.


    "Since Prime Minister is so honest, I will take all of these items for myself. This way, I won''t have to worry about any treasures that might cause you to bend over." Yun Qianliang opened the jewelry box and put it on. If he couldn''t put it on, he would put it away. Seeing that the box was of no value, she smiled brightly at the clean and honest man opposite her and said generously, "After all, he is your grandfather. I will leave this box as a souvenir for you."


    After taking care of the jewelry, Yun Qianliang tidied up the medicine in the box, placed both of her hands on top of the box, in a position of being afraid that others would snatch the treasure from him.


    Gu Yicheng was unreliable as he wanted to amass more money. After a few days, she would take care of some things, take away some money, then bring his two servants and fly far away to a place where he could live his life freely.


    A dead chess game, whoever wanted to do it would do it.


    Let her sit down obediently and wait for her death.


    After the two of them returned to the residence, they didn''t interfere with each other and didn''t say anything unnecessary.


    Yun Qianliang was trying to avoid splitting the funds, so that when she returned to the Cloud Water Pavilion with the things in her arms, she closed the door and isolated everyone outside.


    After Gu Yicheng returned to the Green Pine Academy, he immediately went into the study and took out some paper and a brush to write.


    "Gu San." Gu Yicheng shouted once he finished writing.


    Gu San who was waiting outside the door opened the door and walked in. He stood in front of the table and cupped his fists.


    "Send someone to investigate the effects of this prescription." The medicine recipe that Gu Yicheng was talking about was exactly the one that Fructus Ligustris Sativus wrote.


    The Gu San took it, looked at it, and said: "Master, there are three types of antidote in this prescription, all of them are antidotes."


    "Can you tell what the antidote is?" Gu Yicheng asked.


    "It doesn''t look like a strong poison." Gu San answered, "I will immediately send people to investigate."


    The Gu San took the prescription and left. Gu Yicheng sat in front of the desk for a while, got up and walked to the window.


    The window of the study was facing towards Cloud Water Pavilion, and from afar, he could see the movement in the main room of Cloud Water Pavilion.


    At this time, Yun Qianliang sat in front of the dresser, asking this servant to help his take off the jewelry in his hair, he was fiddling with a goat fat white jade bracelet, appreciating it seriously.


    She chatted with the servant, laughing so hard that the petals trembled. It really was like a delicate flower swaying in the wind and rain, beautiful yet firm.


    Gu Yicheng stood with his hands behind his back, his thoughts slowly flying far away.


    Not only was it an assassination, there was also a chronic poison in the body, which could appear at any time after marriage to the Gu Xiangfu.


    As expected of a game of death, he had already considered the failure of the assassination attempt and chose the conservative poison method.


    Yun Qianliang suddenly shivered, she looked out the window, then stood up and walked over to the window.


    Seeing Gu Yicheng standing at the opposite window, observing every single movement within her house, she slightly leaned forward and closed the window.


    When he turned around, Yun Qianliang was still fuming.


    Wasn''t it just monopolizing those gifts, did he really have to monitor them?


    "Chun Hua, take the papers and go find the other five hundred silver taels from the Lord Prime Minister."


    However, Yun Qianliang did not manage to receive the last payment that day, as this servant was sent off by a simple phrase, she was so angry that Yun Qianliang did not even have enough money to eat.

 C12

    Chapter 12 - Going to The King''s Manor of Ning Xi


    "Madam, only you can go." Steward Gu stood below with difficulty, looking at the woman who was peacefully sitting down and resting with her eyes closed.


    "There are so many girls in the Prime Minister''s Residence that I''m worried that I won''t be able to find a person to attend the banquet." Yun Qianliang opened his eyes and raised his hand to admire the newly painted quintessence core. A touch of pink appeared on his snow-white fingertip, as if a flower had bloomed on it, causing his fingers to be as white as snow.


    "The banquet of the The King''s Manor of Ning Xi, this manor is only accessible to the prime minister and you." Steward Gu was anxious, there was nothing he could do about this master who refused to budge on his own.


    Yun Qianliang sat up and looked at Qiu Yue.


    Qiu Yue nodded her head, then took out the piece of paper and placed it in front of Steward Gu, "Steward Gu, take a good look, is this piece of paper written by the First Master?"


    Steward Gu took over the paper and read it carefully, then replied: "It is indeed the words of the Lord Prime Minister, but why would the Lord Prime Minister owe his wife money? "This ¡­"


    "You don''t need to worry about the debts he owes you. You only need to know that the Prime Minister is not paying his debts. If you pay me back today, going to the The King''s Manor of Ning Xi will be a small matter." Yun Qianliang stood up, ruffled his hair at the sides of his temple, and let the servant tidy up the wrinkles on his clothes, preparing to set off at any time.


    "Old servant, let''s go tie the knot for Madam right now." Steward Gu took the paper and brought Qiu Yue to settle the bill.


    Yun Qianliang nodded in satisfaction and stepped out of the Green Pine Academy with graceful steps.


    Today was the sixth birthday of King Rupu''s only son, so before Yun Qianliang got married, The King''s Manor of Ning Xi had already sent the invitation to Gu Xiangfu. Since Gu Yicheng had matters to attend to and was not in the palace today, if he did not attend the banquet, he might attract too much discussion.


    Although Yun Qianliang did not want to stir up trouble in the backyard, but because she was a grasshopper who was forced to go on board a pirate ship, the honor of her home was already inseparable from her. Even if the Steward Gu did not come, she still had to congratulate him on his behalf.


    When Gu Xiangfu''s carriage reached The King''s Manor of Ning Xi, it was already close to the start of the banquet and both sides of the carriage were already filled with carriages.


    When a servant came out to help Master take things, he saw Gu Xiangfu''s carriage and couldn''t help but say a few more words.


    "Do you think the Yun Family''s eldest daughter will come?" One of the servants asked gloatingly.


    "Since the Jin Wang is here, she probably came early. Let''s wait to see a good show." Another slave girl snickered.


    Yun Qianliang stayed in the horse carriage to eat dim sum, she wiped her fingers with a wet handkerchief and drank some tea, then got out of the carriage.


    The King''s Manor of Ning Xi''s butler Elder had long noticed that there were no movements from Gu Xiangfu''s carriage, so he did not go forward to disturb them. When the curtain of the carriage moved, he tactfully went forward to welcome them.


    "Greetings Madam Gu." The old butler came forward to greet him.


    "Get up." Yun Qianliang smiled and replied softly.


    The two servants who wanted to take their time to admire the Left Premier''s charm saw that it was Yun Qianliang who came out of the horse carriage, their faces turned white, and they actually ignored Yun Qianliang, and quickly left.


    Chun Hua handed over the invitation card to the butler of The King''s Manor of Ning Xi and accepted it. She took a cursory glance and respectfully invited the person inside.


    The birthday banquet was held in the garden, and the steward had sent a servant to lead the way.


    After walking through the long nine curves of the corridor, a Moon Gate appeared in front of them. Dark green Mountain Tiger climbed up the walls, and the craftsmen cut the Mountain Tiger very nicely, as if they had penetrated a layer of outer garment.


    Just as Yun Qianliang was raising her head and appreciating the big words written in the middle of the Moon Gate, a lady who seemed to be in her early thirties walked out of the garden. Her skin was white, and her figure was slightly bountiful.


    "Greetings, consort." The leading servant bowed.


    "Gu Yun Matriarch greets wangfei." Yun Qianliang curtsied, just in time.


    "Please rise Madam Gu." Princess Xi came over and personally helped her up, "I was muttering to myself about when Gu Xiang and Madam came here, but I didn''t expect that we would run into each other the moment we appeared."


    "I have something to attend to, so I''m not sure when I can arrive. I might as well come over first, please forgive me, Princess." Yun Qianliang then explained the reason, and requested for forgiveness.


    "Gu Xiang is a busy man, it''s good that he can come, I don''t care when." The Princess Xi dismissed the servants who were leading the way, and personally brought Yun Qianliang into the flower garden.


    The corners of Yun Qianliang''s mouth always had a light smile, as she was well aware of Princess Xi''s good intentions.


    The King Rupu was the elder brother of the Tianhui Emperor, but he loved painting. He did not have much influence in the imperial court, in terms of power, he was inferior to Gu Yicheng in the imperial court, and would inevitably think highly of the people of the Gu Xiangfu.


    However, how could royalty be mediocre?


    As they walked into the flower garden, some people noticed Yun Qianliang''s arrival and quietened down. They all looked at him and started to discuss him softly.


    Yun Qianliang''s gaze was indifferent, she did not care about the attention of the outsiders, and calmly followed the footsteps of the Princess Xi into the seats.


    "Since Madam Yun has arrived, should Madam Gu go greet her?" The Princess Xi said to one direction.


    Yun Qianliang raised her eyebrows, bent her knees and smiled, "Thank you for your understanding, esteemed wangfei."


    After the Princess Xi left, the discussions in the garden grew louder. Seeing that she was the only one who came, they all laughed at her.


    Yun Qianliang acted as though she did not hear, and directly led the servant towards the pavilion where Qin family was.


    Only after he walked a bit closer, did Yun Qianliang realize that there was more than just the Qin family in the pavilion, with her white lotus Concubinage Sister, and a Jin Wang that she could not avoid in time.


    Yun Qianliang''s footsteps paused, and the laughing sounds around him became even more frequent.


    "Miss, how about we ¡­" Chun Hua said hesitantly, she wanted to advise people to come back later in order to avoid the pain in her heart.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes flashed. This was the chance to probe out Song Shujin''s assassin, and he had to grab hold of this chance today. Otherwise, if he missed this chance and missed the next time, his life would probably be in danger.


    Yun Qianliang stood there deep in thought, but the spectators misunderstood that it was a look filled with deep love, their hearts blooming with a smile.


    Yun Qianliang lowered his eyebrows and concealed the calculating look in her beautiful eyes. When he raised her eyes, the light smile on the corner of her mouth deepened, and his eyebrows unconsciously revealed his confidence.


    Song Shujin sat in the right, when people were approaching him, he had already noticed them. He frowned, annoyed and frowned, his eyes cold like a poisonous snake.


    He had an extremely cold appearance, as if carved from a knife. His straight, handsome, sword-like eyebrows were slanted into the air. His slender, black eyes were sharp, and his thin, pursed lips were lightly pursed.


    Under that kind of gaze, even men would feel fear in their hearts and be unable to dodge.


    Yun Qianliang acted as though she did not notice it, her eyes wide as she walked into the pavilion with a smile on her face.


    "Greetings, Jin Wang Lord." Yun Qianliang bowed her head in respect.


    Song Shujin deliberately made things difficult for them, so he did not make a sound and pretended that he did not see the person.


    The people in the garden gradually moved closer, trying to find out what was going on inside the pavilion.

 C13

    Chapter 13 - Power acting


    "Why are you here?" Qin family was wearing a dark red embroidered robe, showing his joy.


    Yun Qianliang did not immediately reply Qin family. Instead, she stood up straight as if she was tired.


    "Did This King wake you up?" A cold voice came out from Song Shujin''s lips.


    Yun Qianliang made a perfunctory elder''s salute towards Qin family and sat down on an empty stone chair opposite from Song Shujin, replying indifferently.


    "I didn''t." Yun Qianliang''s brows dyed with laughter, as he replied sweetly: "But with Jin Wang''s bearing, you shouldn''t have publicly bullied a weak girl like me, right?"


    "Big sister, the prince is angry. You should apologize to the prince, right?" Yun Qingyan''s pretty eyebrows revealed her worry. Her beautiful face that was like a goddess had a look of worry, giving off a pitiful feeling that seemed to cover half of her face, not only making people feel pity for her.


    "Is that so?" Yun Qianliang acted as if she didn''t see it, and asked innocently.


    No one replied. Yun Qianliang sighed and stood up.


    "Lord Prime Minister has often told me that Lord Jin Wang is even willing to give up his fiancee that was bestowed by the late emperor. This demeanor is worthy of admiration. I never expected that after the marriage ceremony, Jin Wang would ¡­" Yun Qianliang frowned, he bit his lips in mid-sentence, and revealed a look of being afraid.


    After Yun Qianliang stood up, he actually lifted his skirt slightly, as if he was going to kneel down.


    Yun Qingyan was shocked and quickly got up to stop her, "Big sister, what are you doing?"


    "Didn''t you tell me to apologize just now?" With that, Yun Qianliang brushed Yun Qingyan''s hand away and continued to kneel.


    In just a split-second, the two sisters who had been entangled with each other fell to the ground.


    Yun Qingyan fell to the ground, her head knocking against the roof of the pavilion, causing him to faint.


    "Yan Er!" The Qin family wailed in pain, as though her daughter was heavily injured.


    Qin family walked to Yun Qingyan''s side and helped the delicate beauty up. With tears in his eyes, he began to criticize, "Qian Qian Qian, you are unhappy about the mutual love between Yan Er and Jin Wang.


    Qin family''s accusation made others even more mistaken, it was Yun Qianliang who was unconvinced and got her fianc¨¦ stolen by Concubinage Sister, while her revenge was pushed all the way to Concubinage Sister.


    "Yun Qianliang!" Song Shujin stood up abruptly and shouted out with a furious voice.


    "Your Highness, quickly call for a doctor. Yan Er, she ¡­ "She ¡­" Qin family sobbed silently.


    But at this time, Yun Qianliang, who had been silent all this time, tightly held onto the servant''s clothes, gasping for breath, and painfully said: "Chun Hua, my stomach is hurting."


    When he said that, not only was Chun Hua and Qiu Yue stunned, even the crying Qin family was stunned.


    Qin family looked at Yun Qianliang in a daze, only to see her sitting on the ground, his head covered in cold sweat. The most important part was that her hand had landed on his lower abdomen.


    "Are you pregnant?" Qin family asked dumbly.


    Hearing that, Yun Qingyan''s heart skipped a beat while she was pretending to be unconscious in Qin family''s arms, her entire body turning ice-cold.


    He did not care about feigning unconsciousness, all he wanted to do was to make the first move and push the blame onto Yun Qianliang, and cause herself to suffer the consequences.


    Yun Qingyan let out a sob as she faintly woke up and weakly shouted: "Mother, what''s wrong with me?"


    Yun Qianliang gazed at that place from the corner of her eyes and thought that it was really funny.


    You''re thinking too much about me!


    After being reminded by Qin family, Chun Hua and Qiu Yue reacted and acted together.


    "Madam, please don''t let anything happen to you."


    "Madam, if you need anything, can we explain it to the prime minister?"


    The two servants held their master as tears dripped down their cheeks.


    The situation changed drastically and those watching the show were all shocked.


    "Big Sis, what happened to you?" Yun Qingyan cried. He could not care about his head pain anymore as he crawled towards Yun Qianliang.


    "Don''t come over, I know I was wrong, I shouldn''t have said that Jin Wang was angry because of my marriage, don''t come over." Yun Qianliang''s face revealed his fear, he anxiously moved his body and retreated, the sound of his crying sounded extremely terrified, even begging with deep helplessness.


    The moment he moved, Yun Qianliang felt something was wrong, and he did not know whether to laugh or cry in his heart.


    Good luck with coming to Sunflower Dew at this time?


    "Blood, blood!"


    Yun Qianliang was intentionally wearing a blue grey silk dress today.


    This caused the people in the garden to panic, and the people in the pavilion to panic even more.


    Yun Qianliang snickered in her heart. It didn''t matter if he were to fall for a little, as she was only a married woman, who knew what kind of things he would fall for.


    Song Shujin''s cold eyes became deeper, his gloomy face staring straight at Yun Qianliang, as though he was trying to scare her.


    "Go get a doctor." Song Shujin calmly ordered the guards behind him, and warned Yun Qianliang, "Before this matter is investigated thoroughly, it is better for Madam Gu not to wrongly accuse this person."


    "Jin Wang, are you saying that this lady has a bad character?" Gu Yicheng''s voice was like ice as it smashed into the chaotic scene.


    The people surrounding the pavilion opened up a path, and a man dressed in luxurious clothing walked over, exuding a cold and aloof aura.


    With no one blocking his view, Gu Yicheng instantly noticed the situation inside the pavilion.


    Gu Yicheng rushed into the pavilion like an arrow, and the two words that came out of his mouth were the words he shouted out when trying to act intimate with his, "Slight!"


    Gu Yicheng brushed away the servant who was supporting her, and pulled his into his embrace, the cold look on his face was completely replaced with worry.


    "Yicheng." As if grabbing onto life saving straw, Yun Qianliang grabbed onto Gu Yicheng''s arm, and his eyes filled with tears, "I''m sorry, I ¡­"


    Yun Qianliang''s face was covered in tears, crying until he couldn''t breathe.


    "Stop talking, it''s not your fault." Gu Yicheng lovingly lifted her hair, which was drenched in cold sweat, behind his ears and carried his out.


    The King Rupu couple that had heard the news, upon seeing Gu Yicheng bringing the person away, quickly said: "Gu Xiang, there is a doctor in the house. Let the doctors in the house take a look."


    "No need, her health isn''t good, there are many medicines that are unsuitable for use. It''s better to let the doctor who started the treatment take a look." Gu Yicheng''s face was as cold as ice.


    "Gu Xiang is afraid of being seen by others?" Song Shujin said.


    If Gu Yicheng brought the person back to the residence, would have to take responsibility for everything. He would also need to borrow Yun Qinan''s power to protect Yun Qingyan for the time being.


    "If Jin Wang hadn''t reminded me, I would have forgotten. It was your beloved that pushed Mrs. Benchmark to the side, which was why something like this happened." Gu Yicheng laughed coldly, his voice suddenly turning cold, "This debt, I will remember it!"


    Gu Yicheng rejected the King Rupu couple''s request and quickly left with his men.


    After the carriage left, Yun Qianliang finally stopped his tears.


    "I should miscarry when I go back." As Yun Qianliang wiped his face with a wet handkerchief, he couldn''t help but laugh out of excitement.


    "I can''t remember when I got you pregnant." Gu Yicheng wiped off the rouge on his body and threw the handkerchief on the table as he asked Yun Qianliang the question.


    "It doesn''t matter if you hold anything back. Under the gazes of everyone, Yun Qingyan and I fell down together. She only hit our heads and I, who was married to another month, bled!" "Song Shujin, that damned bastard, I will definitely protect Yun Qingyan. The life of the Gu Xiang''s child is more valuable than mine, at that time, when they come looking for me, can''t you just casually mention the conditions, what''s so great about it?"

 C14

    Chapter 14 - Missus Abortion?


    That day, after returning to his residence, Gu Yicheng specially invited the Fructus Ligustris Sativus to act as a playboy, and gave Yun Qianliang a medicine image of a slip tire.


    After Yun Qianliang took the medicine, she invited a few doctors to the residence to treat him, but in the end, all of them were gone, and after that, Gu Yicheng left the Gu Xiangfu in a fit of rage.


    Yun Qianliang suffered a little for the sake of forging, his face pale white, as he laid on the bed. Her abdomen felt as though it had been rolled around by his senior uncle, but when he thought of enduring this pain, all he wanted to do was get rid of it, she forced a smile.


    "Master." Gu San knocked on the door frame.


    Yun Qianliang''s face was ugly as she leaned on the bed, looking at the people standing outside the room, then looking at Gu Shenwei who was staying in Cloud Water Pavilion to make a fool of herself, she felt annoyed.


    "Hurry up, I''m getting in your way right now." Yun Qianliang said weakly, but her gaze was not weak as she glared at his.


    The pain in her abdomen was like that of a sliding tire. It was excruciating. She had truly experienced the pain of an abortion.


    Originally, she didn''t need to suffer such hardships. According to her plans, she had already accomplished her goal and left.


    "Have a good rest." Gu Yicheng stood up with her, and said impolitely: "I am not responsible for the root of my illness."


    Yun Qianliang swallowed her curses, and with great effort, she smiled, gritted her teeth and said: "There''s no need for you to worry!"


    In the court, he was a treacherous official. After returning home, he would be the "adulterer". In any case, he couldn''t get rid of the adulterer.


    Gu Yicheng walked out of his room, and Chun Hua and Qiu Yue went forward to serve.


    "Mistress, don''t be angry. If you are angry, you will be angry again." Chun Hua brought the egg, which was so warm it could be eaten, to the bedside and said, "Drink some warm water to warm your stomach."


    Gu Yicheng left the Cloud Water Pavilion, returned to the Qing Hu Tong, and brought his people to the study room.


    "How is it?" Gu Yicheng sat in front of the desk.


    "As expected of the Lord Prime Minister, all the doctors who entered the palace were taken away by the Jin Wang." Gu San smiled.


    In just two days, seven doctors had entered and left the Gu Xiangfu. Not long after they had left the residence, not a single one of them had escaped being robbed.


    "Jin Wang has always been cautious in his actions, how could he have only heard the news from the Prime Minister''s residence? Did the doctor he arranged discover anything wrong with it?" Gu Yicheng played with the paper on the table, his long fingers like bamboo joints slowly rubbing the smooth surface of the four sides.


    "Never." The Gu San smiled, and took out the slip of paper hidden in his sleeve, giving it to Yun Che with both hands, "Master, the medicinal formula already has some results. This is the other four flavors of the prescription based on the final three ingredients found within the prescription. However, this is still not the complete recipe. "


    "What kind of poison is it treated with?" Gu Yicheng memorized the other four flavors of the medicine formula.


    That day in House of the Marquis of An, Fructus Ligustris Sativus did not say anything when he discovered that Yun Qianliang had been poisoned.


    Fructus Ligustris Sativus''s medical skills were well-known, he was once a third-grade medical officer at the Imperial Palace''s Grand Hospital. After leaving the palace, he followed the army out to travel to the north, and with his vast experience, his medical skills were always trustworthy.


    "It''s called the poison of the Time Cocoon Grass. This poison is a special plant that not many people have seen before." Gu San paused for a moment and asked: "Do you still want to continue investigating?"


    "Check." Gu Yicheng paused for a moment, then said: "Yun Xiang Mansion will do the same."


    Yun Qianliang had been poisoned by the poison and it could be hidden in her body for a long time. Yun Qinan wanted to treat her daughter like a dead game and she was afraid that the poison would be related to him.


    Now that Yun Qianliang had been married into the Gu Xiangfu for more than a month, and had died from poison, it was difficult for him to dispel any suspicions from her.


    That day, he arrived at The King''s Manor of Ning Xi early, but didn''t show himself.


    When Steward Gu sent Liu An to inform Suburban Courtyard, he was already prepared to set off. He purposely concealed the truth in order to bring Yun Qianliang to The King''s Manor of Ning Xi so that she could have the chance to meet Song Shujin.


    He did not have the mind to protect his family from thieves, since Yun Qianliang was the mistress of the family bestowed marriage to the Emperor, and the servants in the house could not suppress his, he could only use this method to do what she wanted, if she was a chess piece of Song Shujin, then it would be easy for his to hide it from others when there were many people.


    He had been watching Yun Qianliang ever since he entered the The King''s Manor of Ning Xi, all the way to the garden.


    He was waiting for her to make a mistake and meet Song Shujin. At that time, as long as he found out something, Yun Qianliang would not dare to make a move in the Gu Xiangfu, and he could focus more on the matter of the spy.


    However, Yun Qianliang had given him a pleasant surprise, and did not place Song Shujin in his eyes at all.


    Rumor has it that the person who loved Song Shujin to the point of making him humble and notorious, had an arrogant attitude in front of Song Shujin and intentionally misunderstood him.


    In the end, when they fought back against Yun Qingyan, they even acted out a scene of a miscarriage.


    In the absence of pregnancy, her behavior could only be described as bold, because once a doctor was called in, her tricks would be exposed, and the consequences would be even worse.


    He would appear at that time, not only to create the illusion of a loving husband and wife, but also to prevent her actions at that time from acting on impulse, implicating the Gu Xiangfu in his embarrassment. There was no reason for her to let him bear the consequences.


    Furthermore, he had to return the "big gift" Song Shujin gave him on the day of the wedding!


    Unfortunately, his initial plan failed, and Yun Qianliang did not come into contact with him secretly at all.


    Gu Yicheng frowned. He did not feel that it was a pity.


    Yun Qianliang was more interesting than she thought.


    It was truly a pity to say that his wife belonged to him and not to him.


    "Master?" Gu San saw that his master was in a daze and shouted.


    Gu Yicheng regained his senses, "Recently, keep a close eye on Jin Mansion and himself, don''t let the fish escape the hook."


    "This subordinate understands."


    In the days when Yun Qianliang''s body wasn''t feeling well and was recuperating, the water in the backyard of the Gu Xiangfu was being stirred like it was boiling.


    All the Singer Dancer s in the palace gathered at the Hibiscus Courtyard where Wen Meng resided, worry plastered all over their faces.


    Previously, when they were unmarried, they still had a sliver of hope that they could fly up the branch and become phoenixes.


    It had only been a month since the news of the miscarriage, let alone the marriage.


    "On the day of the wedding, the master of ceremonies refused to consummate the marriage. How long has it been since then?" A woman wearing a red dress said with a serious expression. She was wearing a light muslin dress and had a beautiful figure.


    "Madam''s appearance is even more seductive than the rest of us. Who knows what sort of method she used to lure the prime minister into bed." The charming girl in green twisted the handkerchief angrily. Her slightly longer nails pierced a hole in the silk. She did not vent her anger and pulled twice, completely destroying the rather poetic silk handkerchief.


    As Wen Meng sat in the main seat, her eyes revealed a look of hatred as she knitted her eyebrows without saying a word.


    That day when she was composing in the garden and personally saw the Lord Prime Minister carrying her back to Green Pine Academy, she felt so angry that her teeth itched.


    Afterwards, there was a doctor that entered and left the Green Pine Academy, causing her to feel happy in her heart. However, in the end, there was the news of that foxy girl''s miscarriage, causing her happy heart to sink to the bottom.


    Because of a piece of imperial edict, she married a woman with a terrible reputation. There was nothing she could do about the emperor''s orders, she did not believe that the prime minister would like that kind of woman, it must be Yun Qianliang''s fox like trick that allowed him to take her body!


    The rose red dressed lady who spoke previously glanced at Wen Meng, and shot a glance at the green clothed lady, secretly gloating.


    The green-clad woman nodded slightly, telling the other party not to be impatient.


    Normally, Wen Meng would use the fact that she was close to the Lord Prime Minister to make the Singer Dancer follow her lead and teach them a lesson. Previously, she had the power, but now that they were flattering her, they naturally had complaints.


    "Wen Meng, you are usually the closest to the prime minister. Tell me, is the Madam really pregnant, or is she just faking it?"


    Hearing that, Wen Meng''s eyes showed impatience.


    She did not want to hear those two words the most. She only wanted to hear those two untactful people mention it again and again.


    Wen Meng raised her head and forcefully smiled, "How can I say something like that randomly?"


    "It''s just the few of us here, what''s there to be embarrassed about? You aren''t trying to hide your identity, are you?" The woman in the rose-red dress''s voice was sharp, her eyes filled with contempt.


    Xiao Cui looked at the two whose faces had suddenly changed. She wanted to give a lesson to them, but Wen Meng glared at her secretly, causing her to hang her head in fear.


    "Mei Er, where did this come from? We are good sisters. If I have news, how could I not tell you and Qing Qing? " Tears appeared in Wen Meng''s eyes as she raised her hand to lightly wipe the corners of her eyes, "You guys are really making me sad to suspect me so much."


    "We''re the only ones here, who are you putting on an act for?" Mei Er laughed in disdain.


    Wen Meng stopped wiping her tears, a look of disgust flashed past her eyes, and she asked with tearful eyes: "Mei Er, what do you mean by that? "I have always been thinking for you. It is one thing for you all to suspect me, but you even made such a ruckus and humiliated me."


    Mei Er mocked him, her sleeves were thin and rational, as though she disdained to talk to him.


    Seeing the two of them fighting it out, Su Qing felt it was funny. Everyone was evenly matched, but she had always held herself high when competing with Wen Meng. In the end, the Xiang Fu had a wife, and the power in her hands was taken away, and she hadn''t gotten anything out of it.


    The Singer Dancer was just a woman who had no way to stand out in the group, who could be more noble than her?


    "Qing Qing, is that how you look at me?" Wen Meng wiped the tears off his eyes and asked Su Qing.


    "Do you think your actions are worthy of respect?" Su Qing admitted it calmly and unperturbedly, "How many times have you given us face yourself, don''t you know that yourself?"


    Wen Meng swept a glance at the people in the room, all of them remained silent, as if they were not side by side, and explained: "I was doing this for your own good."


    Su Qing chuckled, and then stopped pretending, "You said it yourself, but when you were alone with Master Chef, did you think of us? After all, we are the same kind of people, and selfishness is our nature. It''s already good enough that you didn''t stab the nobleman in the back in order to climb the branch. Why would you really speak up for him? "


    Wen Meng''s eyes became stern, and a strong sense of unwillingness rose up from her heart.


    She was different from the ordinary Singer Dancer, she was definitely not the same kind of person!


    The prime minister had treated her differently. He had left her to live alone in a courtyard and had entrusted the internal affairs of the mansion to her.


    In the Lord Prime Minister''s heart, she was definitely a special person.


    If not for Yun Qianliang, if not for her!

 C15

    Chapter 15 - Visits by Princess


    After two more days, Yun Qianliang''s body felt better, and she could get off the bed.


    Two days ago, the two servants didn''t dare to bring up those bad thoughts because of their master''s discomfort. The meeting with their master was as usual. Like a fish returning to the water, they were lively and lively.


    "Madam, you''re too gutsy. You pretended to miscarry. This servant is really too frightened. What if you''re seen through ¡­" When Qiu Yue thought about the consequences, she could not help but feel fear and hurriedly shook her head to rid herself of those bad results.


    Chun Hua voiced out in agreement, "That''s right, what if the Lord Prime Minister doesn''t come, what should we do?"


    "When did I ever say I was pregnant?" Yun Qianliang retorted, causing the two servants to be shocked. She looked at the two of their surprised and doubtful expressions, then turned his head towards the Qing Hu Tong and said, "Now this result is what the Lord Prime Minister wants."


    That day, her plan was definitely not to pretend to have miscarried. This kind of cheap and easily exposed drama would only cause her to lose all her face.


    Her ambition was not as big as Gu Yicheng''s. She only wanted to catch Song Shujin''s thread and find out who the assassin''s master was.


    At that time, she did not intend to ruin The King''s Manor of Ning Xi''s birthday banquet, so kneeling down to apologize was just for show.


    Although Gu Yicheng and Song Shujin''s status was a little inferior, but they were comparable in terms of power and influence, so kneeling down and apologizing to Song Shujin right in front of everyone''s faces would only cause his to lose face.


    In the imperial court, there were rumors that the two of them were at odds, and it was true, but the two of them had to act together in front of an outsider, if Song Shujin really made her kneel, it would implicate her greatly, and it was only when Yun Qingyan knew that that she stopped her in a hurry.


    However, Yun Qingyan was far from being as knowledgeable as she appeared on the surface. Otherwise, how could she snatch Senior Sister''s fianc¨¦ and show off with such a laugh? In the past, Yun Qianliang had always been an ugly one in front of Song Shujin, making people disgusted and disgusted, how could there be such a coincidence?


    When she realized that Yun Qingyan was doing this, she immediately fell down, but she did not expect that Yun Qingyan would actually pretend to be unconscious.


    She was a specially trained secret service agent, and the instructor had taught that when a person was in a coma, they couldn''t control their brain. Their muscles and face would be completely relaxed, and they would appear soft and not as heavy as when they were awake. But when Qin family helped Yun Qingyan up, she used quite a bit of strength, and because of Yun Qingyan''s movements, she was able to see through his tricks with a glance.


    She was a professional undercover agent who had been lurking inside the enemy''s body all year round. Not only did she have to deceive the enemy, but she also had to deceive herself. In comparison, she was better at causing trouble than anyone in the entertainment circle.


    As for the theory of miscarriage, it was completely because of Gu Yicheng''s reaction and attitude after he appeared.


    "A lot of women come to the Sunflower Water, abdominal pain, I said my stomach pain is wrong? Qin family is an experienced person, so he mistakenly thought that I was pregnant, and the others were completely misled by her, what does it have to do with me? " Yun Qianliang straightened his thin cape and walked out of the house.


    Yun Qianliang had been inside the house for a long time, not having seen the sun at all. When he came out of the roof, he could not help but feel that the sunlight was somewhat dazzling, she raised his hand to block it. Seeing the faint golden light coming out from between his fingers, she shook hands, as if he wanted to grab hold of that ray of sunlight.


    No matter what Gu Yicheng''s motive was, she had still caught hold of Song Shujin''s thread. In order to plead for Yun Qingyan, it would be the most appropriate to make a move on her, the pursuer.


    Yun Qianliang took a step forward and completely immersed herself in the sunlight, walking leisurely around the courtyard.


    "Why did you get out of bed?" Gu Yicheng frowned and quickly walked to Yun Qianliang''s side. He considerately supported her and said in a blaming tone, "If your body isn''t well, then don''t move. What if your body is harmed?"


    Ever since The King''s Manor of Ning Xi came back, with the excuse of taking care of his wife, Gu Yicheng hurriedly went to the palace to ask for leave from Tianhui Emperor.


    But in reality, Gu Yicheng had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was busy with his own matters.


    Hearing that concerned voice, Yun Qianliang did not need to turn her head to know that an outsider had come.


    Yun Qianliang wiped the smile off her face, and her eyes became filled with sorrow and grief.


    "I just don''t want to stay in that room." Yun Qianliang laid his hands on his and tilted his head slightly, looking at him with his teary eyes. In the blink of an eye, his delicate eyelashes were smeared with water, and her heavy yet teary voice called out his name, "Yi Cheng, will that child blame me for not protecting him?"


    Even someone as calm as Gu Yicheng was dazed for a moment in front of such a beautiful woman who looked as though she had been ravaged by a storm.


    She called his name, like a lonely cat in the night, and it tickled.


    Gu Yicheng coughed lightly and regained his composure. He gently wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes and advised: "If you try your best, no one will blame you. Take care of your body, there will be a chance for you."


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, the tears that had accumulated in her eyes started to fall, "Why ¡­"


    "Princess Xi has come to see you. You don''t want her to blame herself, do you?" Gu Yicheng said.


    Yun Qianliang acted as if he had just discovered Princess Xi, and turned his back to wipe his tears. When he turned around, her mouth had already forced out a smile, and he respectfully saluted.


    "This concubine is lacking in manners. Princess, please forgive me."


    Princess Xi went forward and gently patted Yun Qianliang''s hand to comfort him and her wife.


    "Madam Gu doesn''t need to say these words. I also blamed you and Gu Xiang for not being well-received, making you and me ¡­" Princess Xi was worried that she would mention the two people''s sorrows, so she did not continue. She smiled and comforted Yun Qianliang, "You and Gu Xiang are still young, I will still have more. Don''t be too sad."


    "No wonder, wangfei, I was fated not to have any relations with that child." Yun Qianliang smiled sorrowfully, like an epiphyllum blossoming in the dark night.


    "King Rupu is still waiting in the front hall. Treat Princess well." Gu Yicheng rubbed her hair gently with his big hands. Seeing her forced smile and nod his head, he cupped his hands and said to Princess Xi: "Esteemed wangfei, I''ll have to trouble you to unlock it.


    "Don''t worry Gu Xiang, I will definitely comfort you." Princess Xi replied with a smile.


    Gu Yicheng tilted his head and looked at Yun Qianliang worriedly. In the end, he walked out of the Green Pine Academy.


    Seeing the husband and wife''s worried eyes, Princess Xi chuckled, "Gu Xiang is very considerate to Madam, why is it that Madam is so worried about not having children?"


    "Sorry, Princess." Yun Qianliang pursed his pale lips and led the Princess Xi into the house. The room was filled with the bitter smell of medicine, she was already used to it, but seeing that the Princess Xi was using a handkerchief to cover her nose, he realised that he had been lacking in manners, and immediately apologized, "Today''s sunshine is warm, if Royal Concubine does not mind, why not we go to the garden to taste the tea?"


    "No worries, your body is not fit to blow the wind. If you were to suffer from the cold, wouldn''t Gu Xiang blame the This Consort for chilling you?" "This Consort knows that you feel terrible losing your child, but your body is a woman''s natural endowment, you should pay more attention at times like this. Otherwise, if you fall sick, it will be impossible for you to survive for the rest of your life. Does Madam Gu understand the meaning behind those words? "


    "I''ve been taught a lesson."

 C16

    Chapter 16 - Helpful Exploration


    The domain clearing hall in the front courtyard.


    King Rupu, dressed in brocade robes with the pattern of copper coins, was standing in the hall admiring the calligraphy and paintings. The four rooms of the Plum Orchid Flower were separated by the paintings of spring, summer, autumn and winter.


    "Who wrote this painting?" King Rupu stood with his hands behind his back and raised his head to study the paintings. The eight paintings were all submitted without any seal, and the people who painted there were not people who were good at painting.


    "Reporting to Your Highness, this was painted by the Lord Prime Minister." Steward Gu stood respectfully by the side and waited for Master''s return.


    "Oh, this was actually created by the Gu Xiang." When he looked at the painting again, he could see the image of Gu Yicheng in the palace in his mind, and it was difficult to fuse the two.


    "If King Rupu likes it, why not choose two of them and go back." As Gu Yicheng stepped into the domain clearing hall, he saw that the King Rupu was admiring the transformation with a face full of enjoyment.


    "This King won''t be polite." The King Rupu really liked painting, but these eight paintings had hidden talents, making them look mature and stable.


    "I have troubled King Rupu and Princess Wangfei with thinking of these shallow bodies and have specially come to the Gu Xiangfu to visit. Let alone two paintings, even if King Rupu took these eight paintings away, I would not be stingy with my efforts." Gu Yicheng waved his hands, immediately getting the butler to take down the two paintings, and then putting them away, so that when he left, he could get King Rupu to take them away.


    After taking the calligraphy and painting down, there were two locations inside the hall that Gu Yicheng seemed to have not seen before, as he called the King Rupu over to take a seat.


    "Sorry to bother you, Gu Xiang. A few days ago, this king and Princess truly felt guilty for causing such a disaster for the Madam Gu." King Rupu lifted the teacup, lifting the teacup''s lid and lightly caressing the teacup''s surface.


    The King Rupu did not interfere with political affairs all year round, and in between his eyebrows, the royalty''s scheming and shrewdness was gone. His peaceful and calm temperament actually seemed a bit like a calligraphy and painting of a large family.


    "King Rupu must be joking, this matter is not between King Rupu and Princess Wang Fei, there should be someone else who deserves it." The corner of Gu Yicheng''s mouth hooked up into a playful cold smile, and his face tightened into a sharp smile, as if he couldn''t understand the meaning of King Rupu''s words.


    The King Rupu nodded, but he did not stop there, "This matter is bigger than the Gu Xiangfu, both in the Madam Gu ¡­"


    "When my body gets better, I will bring her to the palace to beg for forgiveness. There is no need for King Rupu to worry." Gu Yicheng unyieldingly interrupted King Rupu''s persuasion, his deep eyes revealing a cold light.


    Yun Qianliang was bestowed upon by the Tianhui Emperor, hence he was unable to protect the baby in his womb.


    Since he wanted such an outcome, he would naturally take into account the aftermath.


    The King Rupu sighed. Before he could even drink the tea, he placed the teacup down.


    "Gu Xiang, I won''t hide it from you. Today, the King of Japan ¡­" King Rupu wanted to get straight to the point.


    "King Rupu!" Gu Yicheng''s voice turned cold, it was imposing, and then he turned to look at the honorable person on the left side, and in that moment, all of his dignity dissipated, and he assumed the posture of an official, and said respectfully: "Since King Rupu does not have the heart to interfere in matters of the court, I hope that you do not interfere in matters of the court. After all, this is a family matter between the Gu Xiangfu and itself, and outsiders are not allowed to interfere, am I right, King Rupu? "


    King Rupu was speechless, and barely nodded under Gu Yicheng''s sharp eyes.


    He had indeed come here today because he was entrusted by his fifth brother''s Jin Wang to scout out the situation of Yun Qianliang within the Gu Xiangfu.


    When Song Shujin came to find him, he had advised him not to blame this idle business. No matter how much trouble the Yun Family sisters caused, it was a family matter and it should be settled by Yun Qinan.


    Song Shujin had not married the Yun Xiang Mansion yet, so he was after all an outsider. Once Song Shujin intervened, they would definitely fight him, and that would be difficult to deal with.


    Thirteen children under the late emperor, the only ones who survived until the death of the late emperor were the current Tianhui Emperor, him and Song Shujin.


    However, his fifth brother, Song Shujin, had always been restless. He only hoped that they could coordinate for a while, so as to not let the Tianhui Emperor and Song Shujin reach the point where the Emperor was about to cut down on each other, just in case this matter got out of hand, and cause the Tianhui Emperor to be afraid of Song Shujin. Thus, in the name of paying respects, he had no choice but to come to the Gu Xiangfu to ask for information.


    Unfortunately, Gu Yicheng''s reputation was spread far and wide, and before he could explain his intentions, he was rendered speechless by his opponent.


    "Madam Gu''s body is damaged. If the emperor blames him, I''m afraid that Madam Gu won''t be able to take the punishment." King Rupu reminded him.


    "Qian Chao is This Emperor''s wife, so I will take responsibility for any sins or punishments."


    When Gu Yicheng''s bold words came out, the King Rupu did not know what to say.


    If Yun Qianliang had no one to rely on, then others could bully him. But Gu Yicheng insisted on protecting his, even if it was the Jin Wang themselves.


    "If that''s the case, Gu Xiang shall assume that this king has done it in the future." King Rupu sighed inwardly.


    Just as Gu Yicheng was about to send someone to invite Princess Xi, he saw Yun Qianliang accompanied him and slowly walked over.


    When Yun Qianliang and Yue Shan walked to the front of the hall, the two of them had already walked out of domain clearing hall and were about to leave.


    "Greetings King Rupu." Yun Qianliang knelt down and said weakly.


    "There is no need to be so courteous to Madam Gu''s body." King Rupu replied politely.


    "Thank you, King Rupu." Yun Qianliang stood up and stood beside Gu Yicheng.


    "Slight Chill, rest well. This Consort and Prince have matters to attend to so they can leave first." Princess Xi was a tactful person, upon seeing that the King Rupu and Gu Yicheng''s actions were to no avail, he took his leave.


    Yun Qianliang smiled and nodded, she wanted to send the two of them out.


    Gu Yicheng secretly tapped on the back of her hand and saw Steward Gu bringing the painting back, he said: "Madam, your body is unwell, please send King Rupu and Princess Xi out."


    "King Rupu, if you please." Steward Gu held the long and thin box in his hands, and bowed to invite them in.


    Yun Qianliang watched the two of them leave with a solemn look in her eyes.


    After Princess Xi brought the pill out, she had hinted that the pill could only be consumed by someone who had a miscarriage in their womb, otherwise it would harm their woman''s body.


    The medicine was in front of her, and she had no choice.


    Song Shujin was still testing if it was true or false, she couldn''t let the thread in his hand break!


    "It is extremely reasonable to invite the King Rupu couple to investigate." Yun Qianliang retracted her gaze and laughed: "However, how can Master Prime Minister be inferior to Jin Wang?"


    Hearing that, Gu Yicheng looked at Yun Qianliang in shock, with a hint of intelligence in his eyes, he was confident that he would win.


    When the figures of King Rupu and his wife disappeared, Yun Qianliang heaved a sigh of relief. Her cute little face scrunched up into a ball as she used the silk cloth Yan Chun and said, "Hurry and get me some aphrodisiac medicine."


    "You drank the medicine brought by the Princess Xi?" Gu Yicheng frowned, "Gu San, go buy some medicine."


    He thought that if Yun Qianliang had the ability to play with these, he would definitely be able to avoid the bowl of medicine and enter Green Pine Academy.

 C17

    Chapter 17 - Success of the Plan


    Inside The King''s Manor of Ning Xi.


    Song Shujin sat on the main seat coldly, waiting for his brother and wife who were heading to Gu Xiangfu to return.


    When all the servants in the mansion saw the handsome prince sitting in the hall, they couldn''t help but look at him shyly. With a cursory glance, they quickly walked past, their faces completely red.


    Song Shujin indifferently sat there, with no intention to taste the tea as he closed his eyes to rest.


    It had only been three days since the The King''s Manor of Ning Xi''s banquet, but all sorts of discussions and discussions had been going on since then. The storytellers in the restaurants were able to listen to the situation and were able to recount a few books and earn a lot of money. Everything was spread as if there was someone controlling it from behind the scenes.


    In the past few days, Song Shujin had been feeling restless. He had only asked him out a few times to deal with it perfunctorily.


    Although the Yun Family did not have much authority in the imperial court, Yun Qinan had a high position. She was good at deducing and deducing the holy intents in this situation, if not she would not have been able to do it step by step.


    Yun Qianliang''s mother was the daughter of a sinful subject, coupled with her unreasonable and domineering personality, making even his own father unwilling to see his again, he was destined to be a useless chess piece. Moreover, she was doted upon by his father. If she were to marry her, Yun Qinan would naturally go on the same boat as him, in order to gain status as him.


    Hearing the steady footsteps approaching, Song Shujin opened his eyes and stood up. It was the King Rupu couple that had returned to his residence.


    "Royal brother, sister-in-law." Song Shujin''s words carried a rare sense of familiarity.


    "Su Jin, I''ve made you so anxious." "It seems like he has truly fallen for Second Miss Yun."


    King Rupu was calm and composed, he smiled bitterly and invited his brother into the hall.


    Song Shujin saw that the King Rupu did not look too optimistic, and thus did not have much of an ending. He did not urge the other party to speak of it, and instead drank tea quietly, without saying anything else.


    "Su Jin, as your brother, I still have to advise you. If you truly want to marry Second Miss Yun, then marry her and go home. Before this, do not interfere too much in the Yun Family''s affairs, lest it arouses your brother Huang''s suspicion." King Rupu earnestly advised.


    "What does royal brother mean by this?" Song Shujin drank a mouthful of tea and pretended ignorance.


    Seeing that, King Rupu sighed in his heart, but he was not willing to say anything.


    "Gu Xiang doesn''t have any plans to let this go." "When I came back, I did see Yun Qianliang. The first time I saw her, was when royal father bestowed the marriage to you two. At that time, she was quite sensible and was a clever girl. I think it''s quite different from the rumors in the outside world to see you again today. "


    King Rupu suddenly remembered the beautiful woman standing there. Although she was sick, her demeanor and bearing was definitely not someone from a small family.


    Especially those eyes, underneath the gloom was a clear clarity, like the vast and boundless sky, hiding a part of the pure land of the world.


    How could such a pair of clear and clean eyes exist in the rumors?


    "I''ve never interacted with her, so I don''t know if her hatred is inevitable or not." The loathing in Song Shujin''s eyes was revealed without any concealment, as if Yun Qianliang was the ultimate humiliation in his life, and would carry a sense of hatred whenever it was mentioned.


    "Maybe." King Rupu replied.


    "Does my royal sister-in-law have any medicine for her to drink?" Song Shujin asked Princess Xi who was seated on the right side.


    "I''ve personally told her what you said. Even though she wanted to take the medicine in front of me as an excuse, I didn''t mind. After she drank the medicine in front of me, with my help, she didn''t notice anything amiss." Princess Xi thought back to the time when he saw her in Green Pine Academy. That pitiful little appearance, she couldn''t help but feel sympathy for him, "Su Jin, there shouldn''t be any problems with the medicine, right?"


    "Indeed, the person with the sliding tire didn''t consume it." Song Shujin answered truthfully.


    He had asked someone to make that medicine. There were two special herbs inside. Normally, a person with a miscarriage would have a good body if they took a certain amount of it. If they didn''t, then not only would they be injured, but they would also have a difficult time getting pregnant.


    This medicine was very common in the harem in the past. Later on, those two medicines became forbidden medicine in the palace and could not be used again.


    "Royal brother, I still have matters to attend to in the estate, so I''ll be taking my leave first." Song Shujin got up to leave. Without waiting for the King Rupu couple to reply, he quickly turned and left.


    King Rupu could only sigh as he looked at Lei Li''s back.


    Exiting the The King''s Manor of Ning Xi, Song Shujin''s personal guard, Lu Zhe, was waiting by the side of the carriage.


    Song Shujin boarded the horse carriage, Lu Zhe sat on the carriage and the coachman drove off.


    The carriage rushed towards the Jin Mansion, and when it passed by the Gu Xiangfu, Song Shujin lifted the carriage curtain to take a look, his face was terrifyingly black.


    Yun Qianliang, who already knew the situation, drank that night to recuperate and proved the truth in front of Princess Xi.


    Once news of Yun Qingyan killing the son of the Gu Xiang spread out, Yun Qingyan would have no use.


    Song Shujin angrily put down the curtain and pressed on his temples which were on his forehead.


    After entering the Jin Mansion, Song Shujin then asked the guards that followed closely behind.


    "What did you find out?" Song Shujin walked towards the study room and asked.


    "This subordinate has seen cook and found out that not long after Yun Qianliang was married into Gu Xiangfu, she started her daily recuperation. The tonic was brought to the kitchen by Gu San himself and was ordered to be boiled up, but there is something very strange, this subordinate wanted to bring some medicinal dregs back to investigate. When I heard about the place where the medicinal dregs were poured from from from cook, I discovered that the medicinal dregs that were buried in the ground have been burnt by someone." Lu Zhe followed suit and took out a grey kernels s from his bosom. He opened the kernels s'' palms and said, "This is a medicinal herb that cook stole from the medicine, it is indeed a nourishing medicine."


    Song Shujin glanced at the herbs in the kernels s, a lot of them were tonics that he was familiar with.


    Yun Qianliang was really pregnant?


    This thought finally formed in his mind, causing Song Shujin to frown.


    The lady with an aquamarine personality had been pestering him without letting him go, but when she turned around, she was pregnant with someone else''s child!


    "Let cloud phase go look for Yun Qianliang." Song Shujin explained.


    Since the situation had already reached this point, then he could only save the outcome. It would be best if he could handle Yun Qinan''s daughter by himself.


    "What if Gu Xiang doesn''t want to see me ¡­" Lu Zhe stated his difficult position.


    That day, under the gaze of everyone, the two sisters fell over. One of them fainted but was fine, the other had been married for more than a month and bled. It was said in the streets that Yun Qingyan caused Senior Sister to miscarry and angered, so would the Gu Xiangfu let the Yun Family in this time?


    "Wait and see." Song Shujin replied calmly.


    When Yun Qinan went to the Gu Xiangfu to see her married daughter, even if Gu Yicheng had reason, he was afraid that she would not be able to stop her father-in-law from visiting.


    However, Song Shujin never thought that Yun Qianliang would be such a variable.


    After he sent the message to Yun Qinan, Yun Qinan prepared a huge gift to visit his daughter. Although they were only people in the Gu Xiangfu, they did not meet Yun Qianliang personally.


    The next day, news began to spread. The Yun Family concubinage had harmed the Senior Sister, and her father had come to plead for mercy. Madam Gu, who had suffered greatly from the rumors, felt fear towards the Yun Family.


    As a result, there was a new trend in the capital.

 C18

    Chapter 18 - Meeting with the Jin Wang


    "Today, the rumors say that Second Miss caused your miscarriage, and even the storyteller has to say it several times a day. This time, Second Miss is finally ashamed to meet you." Qiu Yue excitedly told Yun Qianliang about the news she had gathered.


    "Those people didn''t think it was a big deal just to watch the show. There''s no need to take it seriously." Yun Qianliang was not happy with the news, on the contrary, his eyebrows slightly knitted and his eyes filled with worry.


    She was known for her evil reputation, while Yun Qingyan''s talent and reputation were deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The commoners talked happily after their meals, but very few people truly believed in the rumors.


    If Gu Yicheng had not added fuel to the fire, it would have long been rumored that she was the one who harmed the Concubinage Sister, and instead fell into the difficult situation of a miscarriage.


    Until now, Song Shujin still had not stepped in, and was afraid that after the rumors died down, the chips for Yun Qingyan would decrease greatly, so it would be easier for him to come out and settle the issues.


    She had suffered and set up a trap. If Song Shujin didn''t take the bait, wouldn''t it be a huge loss for her to be the dowry for Gu Yicheng?


    No, I can''t sit still and wait for death!


    If Gu Yicheng was only concerned with his own matters, she would be at a disadvantage in this round.


    If Song Shujin didn''t come, she would take the initiative to attack, otherwise, all the good opportunities would be exhausted.


    "Chun Hua, write me a letter." Yun Qianliang loosened his frown, got up and prepared to walk towards the study room that he had just cleaned up.


    "What''s the hurry?" Gu Yicheng walked in wearing a white silk robe, his tall and slender figure completely unmatched by his elegance.


    Yun Qianliang turned her footsteps, and quickly walked to in front of Gu Yicheng. She asked nervously: "Is there any news?"


    Gu Yicheng smiled, waving the letter in his hand.


    Seeing the object, Yun Qianliang heaved a sigh of relief. The corner of her mouth could not help but curl up.


    He retrieved the letter from Gu Yicheng''s hand and quickly opened it.


    The more Yun Qianliang looked at the letter, the uglier his hands became. The hand holding the letter tightened and the letter changed in her hands.


    After doing all this, Yun Qianliang still felt that it was infuriating. He slightly raised his skirt and ruthlessly stomped his feet on the paper balls a few times.


    Yun Qianliang let go of her hand that was holding onto his skirt and dusted it off. After that, his hands neatly crossed each other in his stomach, and with a gentle smile, he said: "Master, how about we conspire to get rid of Jin Wang and split up our assets before we each run our separate ways. What do you think?"


    Gu Yicheng held back his laughter, clenched his fist and coughed lightly: "What did the letter say?"


    "What letter?" Yun Qianliang blinked innocently, she stepped on the piece of paper and stomped on it, "Master Ye''s words are really strange, you obviously came empty-handed, why did you ask me about this after losing the letter?"


    Seeing their master''s fake smile, Chun Hua and Qiu Yue suddenly shivered.


    You''re a little scary.


    Gu Yicheng lowered his eyes and looked at the ground beneath her feet, then said straightforwardly: "I''ll get Gu San to prepare the carriage, we''ll go together."


    "I don''t understand what the prime minister is saying." Yun Qianliang continued to act.


    Gu Yicheng stared at the girl who was putting on an act with his deep eyes, on the other hand, he was smiling brilliantly, the light in his eyes was not any dimmer than usual, the anger in his eyes was hidden deep, and anyone who did not understand would be deceived by him.


    Gu Yicheng suddenly took a step forward, closed in towards Yun Qianliang, pinched her chin, and said in shock, "Qian Qian Qian, this matter was caused by you, there is no room for retreat."


    Yun Qianliang was forced to raise his head and look at Gu Yicheng, he had a fake smile on his face, she never liked people coming close to her, it would make it impossible for her to avoid danger, thus her voice became colder, and he impatiently said: "Let go."


    Gu Yicheng released his hand, and his face showed uneasiness for a moment.


    When she got closer, she sniffed the fragrance off her body. It was different from the scent of the rouge and water powder from the other girls. It was very light and fresh, and if she wasn''t near, she wouldn''t be able to smell it at all.


    Gu Yicheng took a glance at Yun Qianliang from the corner of his eyes. In the Palace, she had never put on makeup and looked up to the sky.


    Yun Qianliang heaved a sigh of relief and organized her thoughts.


    Yun Qianliang directly went past Gu Yicheng and headed out the door.


    The place where Song Shujin had arranged to meet was in a busy city, a lively singing and dancing workshop.


    In Wanshen''s Song and Dance Workshop, it was an elegant place. The girls inside were all pure, and most of them were talented, with a lot of talent. Regardless of whether it was young masters of aristocratic families or scholars, all of them liked to come to the dance hall to drink tea and discuss dao.


    The Wanshen was not a particularly feudal country, so it did not allow girls who had not yet left the pavilion to casually walk on the streets. When the young mistresses were put on, they could also enter the elegant music and dances shops to listen to the songs and songs of the people, and to sing and paint.


    Yun Qianliang dressed elegantly, wearing a gauze hat and walking out of the song and dances market, which did not attract too much attention.


    Yun Qianliang led Gu San who was disguised as a servant behind him and walked into the Golden Screen. Her eyes looked at the layout of the first floor of the Golden Screen.


    The song and dance within the building were smooth and the mist rose in spirals. It was as if he was in a fairyland, as if he was in a dream or a fantasy.


    In front of them was a staircase that led to a building. On both sides of the stairs, there were Beautiful Jade Tower''s Yao Tai. The two sides of the stairs were occupied by a zither, pipa, beautiful sound, and dances.


    Yun Qianliang stepped on the red carpet and headed straight for the stairs. On both sides of the stairs, red silk s were used to tie up the flowers, which surrounded the two sides of the stairs, looking extremely joyous.


    Yun Qianliang''s finger intentionally or unintentionally moved across the armrest and climbed to the second floor.


    Arriving at a room with a pillar carved with praises of peony, Yun Qianliang saw an unfamiliar person. It was Song Shujin''s personal bodyguard ¡ª ¡ª Lu Zhe.


    Yun Qianliang could not be considered to be familiar with Lu Zhe, but every time she approached Song Shujin, this guard would conscientiously and responsibly stop her. Many of Song Shujin''s actions that made her feel embarrassed, were all done by this guard according to his orders, so she couldn''t help but have a deep impression of him.


    "Miss Yun, please come in." Lu Zhe pushed open the door to the private room, ignoring the Gu San that followed behind Yun Qianliang, using the term "unmarried" to address him.


    Yun Qianliang looked in, only to see a screen set up an arm''s length away from the door, blocking her line of sight.


    "Please call me Lu Wei." Yun Qianliang crossed the threshold and reminded her at the same time.


    "Lu Zhe, excuse me." Lu Zhe apologized as he raised his hand to stop the Gu San who was about to enter, "Guard Gu, our Prince only sees Yun ¡­ Madam Gu alone, please wait outside. "


    Yun Qianliang turned her head and looked at the two people who had a deadlock in the atmosphere, and were not willing to give in, and said: "Gu San, wait outside."


    "Yes, madam, you only need to say a word." Gu San cupped his fists and answered, then stood on the left side of the door like a god.


    Seeing that, Lu Zhe turned and closed the door to the private room, his hands behind his back.


    Yun Qianliang stared at the closed door, her lips curling into a cold smile, then she pursed her lips and smiled, walking around the screen on the left, and entered.

 C19

    Chapter 19 - Causing Suspicion


    Song Shujin sat in front of the table coldly, like a creditor who came to collect debts.


    "The Jin Wang has an appointment with a beautiful woman, I won''t disturb it, right?" Yun Qianliang walked forward, his white fingers swept across the table as he slowly strolled to the round stool in front of him. He elegantly sat down and put on a seductive pose, smiling like a kid who was playing a prank.


    Song Shujin frowned, he suppressed the disgust in his heart and looked at the lady sitting opposite him.


    "Yun Qianliang, don''t play any tricks in front of this king." Song Shujin said impatiently.


    Yun Qianliang lifted the muslin cloth covering her hat, lifted the brim, and chuckled. She straightened her body and took care of the outer garment s.


    A cup of tea was placed in front of her. The tea was still steaming, so she raised her hand to touch the teacup to test the temperature. When she felt that it was appropriate, she took a sip from the teacup.


    "My feelings towards Jin Wang are as clear as day. Even though Jin Wang knows this, he still invited me here. Isn''t it because he wants to watch me play tricks?" The corner of Yun Qianliang''s eyes hid a hint of a smile, and her tone lightened up and was very cheerful.


    But in Song Shujin''s eyes, it was as if Yun Qianliang had caught hold of his weakness and used it to threaten him.


    "The matter with The King''s Manor of Ning Xi, let''s end it here." Song Shujin spoke coldly, with a haughty and aloof command.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes darkened, there was a touch of coldness in them as she looked at the face.


    Yun Qianliang''s red lips revealed a shallow ridicule. His fingers caressed the teacup, and the cold feeling of the porcelain plastered onto her fingertips.


    "What kind of existence is Yun Qianliang in the heart of the Jin Wang?"


    Yun Qianliang stared at the noble Duke in front of his, his cold and arrogant face seemed to be frozen in ice and snow, only coldness and ruthlessness could be seen. The person in front of his was just relying on Yun Qianliang''s previous stubborn and determined look, treating her like a lowly slave, casually trampling on her pride.


    Her ice-cold gaze swept across her face, revealing the impatience in her eyes.


    Yun Qianliang sighed softly as she shifted her gaze away with a calm gaze.


    When he didn''t answer, she didn''t speak.


    Actually, when Song Shujin rejected the marriage, and requested for her to be betrothed to Gu Yicheng, everything had been explained, but Yun Qianliang was truly curious, just how did such a desperate love come about?


    Wishful thinking that he liked her?


    No matter how stupid she was, she could tell that Song Shujin did not like her, but why did Yun Qianliang insist on hanging herself on hanging from this tree?


    Yun Qianliang recalled the letter and thought that she should have waited for a letter to ask her to give up on the investigation. However, he didn''t think that Song Shujin only wrote threats and orders, as if his words were an irreversible command to Yun Qianliang and she would definitely listen to them.


    "Do you need someone to remind you how dirty you are?" Song Shujin''s voice was as cold as the snow on a ten thousand year snow mountain. It was as thick as a layer of snow that smashed onto a person''s weak heart, and as cold as a knife. "If you make things difficult for Qingyan again, this king will definitely make you regret you were born in this world!"


    Yun Qianliang frowned in suspicion, and then, in an instant, let go of him as he parted his lips that had been pressed into a line.


    "And if I refuse?" Yun Qianliang played with the teacup in his hand, with a cold expression, he smiled confidently.


    In an instant, Song Shujin''s venomous gaze shot over, containing a fury that was like a violent storm. He glared fiercely at the laughing girl, who was bursting with confidence, and a trace of suspicion flashed through his angry black eyes.


    No matter how much the memory of the girl who acted coquettishly and coquettishly caused people to feel disgusted, it was impossible for it to overlap with the girl in front of them who was leisurely and leisurely.


    "You have no choice!" Song Shujin warned his sternly.


    Hearing that, Yun Qianliang''s body loosened up, and she could not help but smile.


    Ignoring the matter with Yun Qingyan, just based on Jin Wang alone, didn''t you already send the evidence to me today? Yun Qianliang reminded his with a smile.


    Even though Song Shujin had ordered her to read the invitation letter that he had written personally, and burn it down, she was not stupid enough to listen to his orders, burn down the evidence, and then come to this kind of place to meet him alone.


    Song Shujin, oh Song Shujin, in this world, the most unchangeable thing is the human heart, the easiest thing to change is still the human heart. The fool that brought out his true feelings for you to hurt and to follow your orders no longer exists in this world, do you think that you can still hold the current Yun Qianliang in your hands?


    "You didn''t burn the letter?" Song Shujin frowned his cold eyebrows for a moment, it was almost impossible to see.


    Song Shujin dared to write that letter, so he was 80% sure that Yun Qianliang would do as he said. After all, if someone saw the letter, it would cause a ruckus in the backyard of Gu Xiangfu.


    "This is the first time Jin Wang has written a letter to me. To me, this is a precious treasure." "Not only did it not burn, I have been instructed my servant repeatedly. If anything happens to me, hand the letter over to Gu Xiang and use that letter to accompany me in death."


    Song Shujin''s brows furrowed as he looked at Yun Qianliang, who was in front of him, for a long time without uttering a word.


    Yun Qianliang maintained her elegant sitting posture, leisurely amused herself and allowed Song Shujin to size him up.


    "Yun Qianliang." Song Shujin shouted those three words with a probing tone.


    "Is there anything Jin Wang can teach you?" Yun Qianliang responded immediately.


    The color in Song Shujin''s eyes became deeper and deeper, his sharp and shrewd eyes seemed to want to see through his, but couldn''t find any flaw with the person in front of him.


    The person before him, was too different from the Yun Qianliang back then. Other than his face, it could even be said that he was completely different.


    "Who are you?" Song Shujin said bluntly.


    In an instant, Song Shujin''s aura suddenly changed, as if he had confirmed that the person in front of him was not Yun Qianliang.


    A trace of worry flashed through Yun Qianliang''s heart, and in that instant, she relaxed.


    "I don''t understand Jin Wang''s words. I have been bothering you for so many years, do you have no impression of me?" Yun Qianliang unconcernedly recounted the ugly things that happened in the past, and then, he retracted the emotions that he had displayed, as his words quickly changed, "I had long known that the Jin Wang was heartless to me, but I never thought that it would not be able to enter the heart of the Jin Wang, nor did it enter the eyes of the Jin Wang."


    Yun Qianliang released her hand that was playing with the teacup, stood up from the round stool, and respectfully bowed to the man dressed in embroidered clothes.


    "I won''t disturb the Jin Wang''s interest any longer. Gu Yun clan will be leaving now." Yun Qianliang stood up and walked out.


    Unless there was a deity, no one in this world would be able to see through her true identity.


    Unfortunately, Song Shujin was not his, so even if he sincerely doubted her identity, he would not be able to find the most realistic evidence to prove that she was the fake Yun Qianliang.


    "Halt!" Song Shujin coldly shouted with an ugly expression.

 C20

    Chapter 20 - Playing Fishing


    Yun Qianliang stopped in her tracks, but did not have the intention to stay.


    "Seven years." Yun Qianliang turned to look at Song Shujin, and suddenly said two words, only to see that Song Shujin did not understand the meaning behind her words, and she spoke straightforwardly, "Seven years ago, the late emperor bestowed marriage on me, I was only eight years old and have yet to pass on my love, and Jin Wang was already a weakling at that time, so there are many princes and princes that married at that age, you can''t possibly not know what love is, but you did not reject. After that, you entered the Yun Xiang Mansion again and again in the name of visiting me. A long time ago, I unavoidably harbored feelings for you, and I thought that although this marriage was given to me by the late emperor, you were willing to come to the Yun Xiang Mansion to look at me.


    "Shut up!" Song Shujin interrupted with a disgusted look on his face.


    "I indulge this feeling by taking root in my heart and growing into a towering tree. The roots of my hair are full and unable to be plucked completely." Yun Qianliang acted as if he didn''t hear it and continued to explain, "During these seven years, it was as if my dignity and backbone was casually trampled and humiliated by you while you were lying on the ground. It was as if you were used to my humble attitude and had never looked down on me. To this day, in your eyes, I, Yun Qianliang, am just a dog that will wag my tail to please you.


    Song Shujin was silent, as if he had tacitly acknowledged the attitude behind her words.


    Yun Qianliang closed her eyes and sneered, when he opened them again, her eyes became sharp. He looked straight at the eyes that were filled with disgust towards her, and his cold words resounded in the air, "Song Shujin, don''t forget what you have always said, the heart is changeable, no matter how much I have treated you, I have been heartbroken all these years. Once I don''t like you, you will be even worse than a dog in my heart."


    The roots that cannot be plucked off can be burned, leaving only ashes.


    Before Yun Qianliang could finish speaking, Song Shujin slammed his palm on the table.


    The table in front of him shattered into pieces, and the teapot on the table fell to the ground, shattering into pieces with a crisp sound.


    Gu San heard the noise outside and asked loudly: "Madam, are you alright?"


    "I''m fine." Yun Qianliang stood up straight, the sudden turn of events did not make her expression change, like a calm before a table.


    Their gazes met in the air. His eyes were filled with the fierceness of a wild beast hunting its prey. Her eyes were like a bowl of ice-cold water, cold yet unable to cause ripples or even break.


    Song Shujin moved slightly, grabbed her slender neck and furiously squeezed out, "Don''t think that just because you have Gu Yicheng as your backer, I won''t dare to kill you!"


    "Of course you dare." Yun Qianliang frowned as he struggled to speak out, "But to meet someone who abandoned me like a pair of shoes, how could I not be on guard?"


    Song Shujin was shocked, only a silver light flashed.


    Shifting his gaze down, a dagger was placed on his chest.


    In that moment, Song Shujin''s face changed, he was surprised to see Yun Qianliang in front of his. His eyes became cold, and a beast-like light burst out from his beautiful eyes, as though he was a sharp sword, and the self-confidence at the corner of her mouth was unfathomable.


    "You cannot afford the consequences of assassinating your highness." Song Shujin''s heart was not afraid in the slightest as he tightened his fingers.


    "This is not something that the Jin Wang can take responsibility of, I might be able to bear it."


    Gu Yicheng''s sloppy voice came from outside the window, followed by the sound of breaking windows.


    Gu Yicheng then kicked open the elegant window frame and casually appeared in the private room.


    Hearing that, Song Shujin was distracted for a moment, then taking the opportunity, he waved his dagger and slashed at the back of the hand that was grabbing onto his neck.


    Song Shujin''s reaction was extremely fast, he loosened his grip and dodged quickly, the back of his hand was still scratched by the dagger, while his other hand immediately grabbed towards Yun Qianliang, causing Yun Qianliang to dodge to the side. She was worried that her movements were too professional, causing others to be suspicious, so she deliberately avoided and fell down, causing Song Shujin''s plan to miss.


    Gu Yicheng''s figure slightly moved, and the fan in his hand barely blocked Song Shujin''s hand.


    "It seems like the Jin Wang is very interested in other people''s wives." Gu Yicheng teased, and out of the corner of his eyes, he shot a glance at Yun Qianliang who had fallen down, "This lowly one knows that my relationship with Jin Wang was not bad previously, but Jin Wang does not need to give me so many gifts."


    Song Shujin did not care about Gu Yicheng''s mockery, his sharp gaze shooting towards Yun Qianliang who was sitting up, and he said while clenching his teeth: "You schemed against this king!"


    Yun Qianliang laughed lightly, stood up and patted off the dust on his clothes, then leisurely said: It''s not really a scheme, it''s just a form of courtesy, and a huge gift from Jin Wang.


    "Yun Qianliang, good job!" Song Shujin''s face sank.


    "Jin Wang is too kind." Yun Qianliang bowed and replied, then said to Gu Yicheng: "I''ll leave the rest to you."


    "Wait for me in the carriage." Gu Yicheng explained.


    Yun Qianliang nodded her head, kept the dagger and tidied up her appearance, then walked out naturally and naturally.


    Outside, Gu San and Lu Zhe heard the big commotion inside, but they did not get Master''s call to enter. Outside, they were anxious, upon seeing the door open, Yun Qianliang walked out safely. Gu San heaved a sigh of relief, Lu Zhe''s heart tensed up, and rushed in to check the situation.


    Yun Qianliang moved her body, blocking the way, and laughed: "Lu Wei, my master and Jin Wang have matters to discuss, it is not your turn to listen."


    "Get out of the way." Hearing that, Lu Zhe''s heart became even more anxious, his expression became cold, and he waved his fist at Yun Qianliang.


    The Gu San was about to attack, but Yun Qianliang gave him a glance, telling him not to move.


    Seeing the fist flying towards him, Yun Qianliang was not afraid, her red lips moved slightly.


    "This slave will not teach, the Lord will."


    The six words were soft and sonorous as they fell to the ground.


    When Lu Zhe''s fist was only a grain of rice away from Yun Qianliang, he stopped.


    Yun Qianliang curled his lips, "Lu Wei, I will not take revenge for the past, you don''t have to be so anxious to send me the chance. When I have time again, I will take it back!"


    Yun Qianliang took a step forward, retracting the fist in front of him.


    Until she stepped out of the private room and closed the door, Lu Zhe still did not get the chance to rush in.


    "Take care of the Gu San, don''t let anyone disturb the conversation between the Prime Minister and the Jin Wang." Yun Qianliang put down the muslin on her hat, covered her face, and calmly ordered.


    "Your subordinate will definitely not allow anyone to enter." Gu San answered straightforwardly.


    Yun Qianliang nodded in satisfaction and headed downstairs.


    She and Gu Yicheng''s actions were different, Gu Yicheng needed to immediately settle the score, otherwise, he would easily be able to turn the other party around, but she would not be able to do so.


    She was not in a hurry to find out whether or not the assassin on the wedding night was sent by Song Shujin. As long as she had the thread of Song Shujin in her hands, she would attract his attention so that he would not kill her in the near future.


    In this world that placed too much importance on the value of power, it was possible for her to rely on others to save her and capsize, so she had to rely on herself to survive!

 C21

    Chapter 21 - Giving Marriage Truth


    Gu Yicheng stayed inside for less than the time it took to make a cup of tea, before he came down in high spirits.


    When he entered the carriage, he saw that Yun Qianliang was looking at the injury on her neck through the copper mirror. His gaze landed on her beautiful neck, which had a red circle imprint on it.


    "Why did you go and provoke him when you knew he hated you?" Gu Yicheng acted as though he did not know what was happening, his eyes swept past her neck, and looked at the table between the two of them. He picked up the pot of tea and poured Yun Qianliang a cup.


    He didn''t plan to come, so he read some books in the study room. He was indeed curious about what Yun Qianliang would do, so he secretly followed him and peeked on the rooftop.


    If Song Shujin had not lost control of his actions, he would not have revealed himself.


    However, Yun Qianliang had brought a dagger with him, and her actions were surprisingly nimble, shocking him.


    This kind of technique was similar to how she had the ability to back up her skills. She was already familiar with how to move around and attack, to the point where she was already able to carve it into her bones.


    "I was in the wrong first. I got humiliated and even got angry when I was retorted to. How embarrassing." Yun Qianliang withdrew the copper mirror and adjusted his collar to cover the red scar on his neck.


    "I can''t hide it." Gu Yicheng raised his chin, and sincerely reminded his.


    "Huh?" Yun Qianliang was startled at first, but before he could react, he understood what he meant and stopped, "Oh."


    If Yun Qianliang did not speak, Gu Yicheng would not deliberately find words to reconcile the atmosphere, and the carriage became quiet.


    "Master, there''s something I don''t understand. May I ask?" Yun Qianliang moved his body and faced Gu Yicheng.


    "Speak." Gu Yicheng drank his tea and revealed a serious expression.


    "What''s the meaning of this marriage between you and me?" Yun Qianliang placed one leg on the chair and sat on the side. He moved the Go board on the incense table towards his and swept the neatly arranged black and white chess pieces back into the chess bowl, then picked out a few black pieces and placed them on the chess board. Finally, he placed a white piece in the middle of the black board.


    "You could say that." Gu Yicheng stared at the situation on the chess board.


    "Black Chess has long surrounded me, and I have no one to rely on." Yun Qianliang knocked on Bai Qi, took out a white chess piece from the chess bowl and placed it in the encirclement, then placed the white chess piece one by one onto the table. As the number of black chess pieces was the same, they sat opposite to each other, and she said as she played: "This is you, you have brought enough people to deal with Black chess, you and I are of the same colour, so we can consider ourselves allies, thus I am temporarily safe."


    Yun Qianliang placed the White Chess that represented him into a position furthest from Black Chess and also being protected by White Chess.


    "Continue." Gu Yicheng nodded his head in acknowledgement.


    Yun Qianliang looked around, searching for something he wanted. In the end, he couldn''t find it, so she simply poured a cup of tea on his hands and dripped it onto a white board that was close to her.


    "This is a spy from a potential Gu Xiangfu. The reason he wants to kill me is to suppress you." Yun Qianliang put down the teacup and asked in puzzlement: "Don''t you think that this move is not thorough enough? You were forced to accept the grant of marriage, so the enemy could have killed me before the wedding and then framed you. It was obviously easier to kill me before entering the Gu Xiangfu, but the enemy tried to assassinate me on the wedding night.


    Seeing her shake off her wet hands, Gu Yicheng took out the brocade handkerchief from her body and gave it to her. She casually took it and dried the water droplets on her hands, then threw it back to him.


    Gu Yicheng frowned as he looked at the wrinkled handkerchief. He brought it back with his finger and folded it before placing it on the incense table, "The situation will be completely different if you die in Yun Xiang Mansion compared to if you die in Gu Xiangfu. To put it plainly, the Yun Xiang Mansion has nothing to do with me. It is indeed a good thing that you lost your life to me before marriage, and it is easy for others to misunderstand that it was me, but how can the Yun Xiang Mansion be considered an ordinary family, with even the right side of the direct daughter unable to protect them. On the contrary. "


    "If your goal is for me to die in the Gu Xiangfu and weaken your power, the infamous me would definitely not be the best candidate." Yun Qianliang retorted.


    "You are wrong on this point, if you were to be pampered, you will definitely not be a good candidate, and instead be favored by your father in the Yun Xiang Mansion, moreover you are a thorn in the eye of your mother." Gu Yicheng said sternly: Amongst the noble women in the imperial court, only the princess, princess and the Right Premier were able to match up to the Gu Xiangfu, the Emperor was well aware of the Jin Wang''s thoughts and naturally would not risk the life of the princess, but at this time, only the Duke Ming Palace is suitable for the marriage, the Emperor is very wary of the two families, and cannot make the two families marry each other, so it would be better for the unfavoured and notorious you to be his chess piece.


    Yun Qianliang listened and thought seriously. His curly eyelashes flapped like butterfly wings.


    Song Shujin had always been meticulous and had a thorough plan, but this time, he made such a big mistake.


    It was fine to have two birds with one stone, but the probability of success or failure was obviously higher. Would Song Shujin be that greedy, be that confident or underestimate Gu Yicheng''s strength?


    "Once I enter the Gu Xiangfu, you have to take my safety into consideration. Wouldn''t my plan of dying fail as well?" When Yun Qianliang said that he was concerned about his safety, he was a little hesitant, as she was not too sure about his attitude.


    "Then I have to ask you a question." Gu Yicheng looked at the modesty in the eyes that asked for advice, "On what basis do you think that the plan to kill you started on the night of your wedding? Don''t forget, you have lived in the Yun Xiang Mansion for more than ten years.


    Yun Qianliang''s expression changed. A layer of cold sweat appeared on her back as she stood up.


    If it was just a sudden thought, and she was treated as a dead end, then the entire situation and unforeseen events were to be forced to make sense, but if she was already treated as someone who was destined to die, thus marrying Gu Yicheng, then the Yun Family''s thoughts were truly ruthless.


    She was a chess piece that had been abandoned a long time ago and was placed on a dead end by the Yun Family.


    "Chronic... Poison? " Yun Qianliang said these four words in shock.


    Gu Yicheng nodded, confirming her words, "That''s why, you don''t have any leeway to retreat."


    Yun Qianliang blinked, dispelling the shock in her eyes, her eyebrows knitted in thought.


    No wonder the Yun Family feared that if she gained power after marrying Gu Yicheng, she would side with Gu Yicheng and go against the Jin Wang.


    No wonder when Song Shujin heard about how difficult it was to kill her after entering the Gu Xiangfu, he could still request the Tianhui Emperor to bestow her with a high authority.


    The Yun family had long treated her death as a certainty, and informed Song Shujin of the situation. That was why Song Shujin had used her as a chess piece, and the assassination attempt just now might not have been a slip of the hand, it was extremely possible that he had done it on purpose, to hide the truth of the poison in her body, so as to convince Gu Yicheng that he needed to borrow strength from the outside world to kill her, and had neglected the danger to her own existence.

 C22

    Chapter 22 - Poisoning


    Green Pine Academy, Cloud Water Pavilion.


    Yun Qianliang lazily laid on Xiang Fei''s chair, holding the history record of the Wanshen in his hands. After reading through the contents once, he started flipping through the books once again, taking note of the matters related to the Gu family and the Marquis of Anguo.


    There was no way for her to escape from power now. At least, if she couldn''t leave before the poison was detoxified, then she would have to grasp more of the truth.


    Regarding Gu Yicheng calling Marquis of Anguo his grandfather, she still didn''t understand.


    Gu Yicheng''s mother''s name was Xu Quan, but he was the adopted daughter of the Empress Dowager Yid, and both of them were nominal aunts of the Tianhui Emperor.


    After betrothing her to the Gu family, a loyal subject who was the founder of the country, Empress Dowager Yid doted on this adopted daughter extremely. It was also because Empress Dowager Yid doted on Xu Quan so much that Master Gu after their marriage was as weak as a Prince Consort who had been recruited.


    Not long after the death of Empress Dowager Yid, Master Gu left his hometown because of a woman.


    It was just that at that time, the Wanshen was still in a state of chaos. His wife fell into the hands of the enemy, and died together with the unborn child.


    There were many aristocratic families who wished to marry their daughters into the house of the Marquis. The matchmaker came to their doorstep to propose marriage several times, but all of them were rejected and only kept their wives and children''s spirit tablets, vowing never to marry them. As a result, no one ever married after they aged, and even if they lived alone in the House of the Marquis of An for a long time, they would never be able to find a wife or a daughter.


    How could two people of such status have such a close relationship?


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, shaking off the complex reasoning in her mind, she put down the book and rubbed her tired brow.


    Thinking about it carefully, this matter was still related to the imperial clan, and if one was not careful, it would bring about disaster.


    Yun Qianliang got up, planning to walk around the residence to relax so that she would not have to think too much and delve into the dangerous matters.


    Just as Yun Qianliang walked out of the Cloud Water Pavilion, a dirty wild cat jumped out from a corner, scaring her to the point that she retreated a few steps back and leaned against the wall.


    The black cat scurried into the Cloud Water Pavilion and hid under the table, vigilantly looking outside.


    "Madam, are you alright?" Qiu Yue hurried forward and carefully observed.


    Yun Qianliang replied: "I''m fine."


    "I have to hurry and get out of here. It would be bad if I broke something." Chun Hua looked at the Wildcat that was hiding under the table with difficulty.


    The wild cat was a black cat, it had a pair of green eyes that stared fiercely at Chun Hua who was trying to move forward, which scared Chun Hua to the point that she didn''t dare to move forward.


    "Maybe he''s hungry. Bring me some hot food." Yun Qianliang walked back into the house and squatted down to look at the shiny black wildcat. He hooked his fingers, trying to lure the cat out.


    "I wonder if there will be any leftovers and soup today." Chun Hua walked outside as he thought.


    Yun Qianliang moved a chair to her side and leaned on the stool with her left hand. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Shui Qin, who was in the kitchen, carrying something towards Cloud Water Pavilion.


    "Chun Hua, there''s no need to go." Yun Qianliang shouted and pointed to the lotus seed soup that Shui Qin brought over, "Feed it to it."


    In order to complete the trick, she had to continuously replenish herself for a few days. These few days, she felt her face had turned a little round and she didn''t want to eat any more of these good things.


    Shui Qin walked in with the lotus seed soup, and respectfully bowed to the beautiful matriarch who was sitting in front of the table, "This servant greets Madam."


    "Get up." Yun Qianliang shouted lightly.


    Perhaps it had smelled the fragrance of the lotus seed soup, the black cat that was hidden under the table mewled. Before Yun Qianliang could tell the servant to find something to feed it, it had already rushed out and pounced towards Shui Qin who was holding the lotus seed soup.


    Shui Qin was timid, seeing the black object pouncing towards him, she screamed, and threw the tray in her hands towards the black cat.


    The black cat was clever enough to avoid the tray that was thrown at it and to land on the table. The tray that was thrown fell to the ground with a thud.


    When Yun Qianliang saw the black cat jump down from the table to lick the lotus seed soup that was scattered on the ground, she was worried that it would be hurt by the broken pieces of the porcelain.


    "Chun Hua, Qiu Yue, quickly clean up." Saying that, Yun Qianliang reached out her hand to grab the black cat that was completely hungry.


    Shui Qin heard Yun Qianliang''s voice and realised her mistake, immediately kneeling down and begging for forgiveness, "This servant deserves to die, please forgive me."


    Just as Yun Qianliang''s hand was about to touch the black cat, the black cat''s body staggered and tilted, brushing against her fingertip.


    Yun Qianliang''s hands stopped moving. She stared at the black cat that had just eaten the lotus seed soup and was on the ground spitting white foam.


    The black cat twitched for a moment and then stopped moving.


    Yun Qianliang sat back down and said coldly, "Indeed you deserve to die."


    Shui Qin probably did not expect this outcome, as she fearfully raised her head and looked at the beautiful woman who had covered her face in frost with eyes full of fear.


    Seeing that her master was staring at the spot where the lotus seed soup had landed, she looked over and saw the black cat dead on the side, spitting out white foam. Her body was trembling.


    "Madam, it''s not that I''m a servant, I wouldn''t dare to poison you even if I had a hundred guts. I plead Madam to be clear-headed." Shui Qin pleaded for mercy in fear.


    "Did you personally make this lotus seed soup?" Yun Qianliang asked.


    Shui Qin trembled yet again, but still answered truthfully.


    "Ever since you were injured, Madam, the butler trusted this servant and handed over the tonifying soup to me. This servant has personally done all the tonifying soup that you drank, and does not dare to pretend to be her servant, but this servant really did not poison you." Shui Qin who was on her knees on the ground cried out, her head was flushed red and she looked even more pitiful.


    "You get up first." Yun Qianliang sighed, "When you were making the lotus seed soup, had anyone else ever come to the kitchen before?"


    Shui Qin trembled as he stood up, tears still flowing down his face. After he was reminded, he anxiously said, "Yes, Xiao Cui of Hibiscus Courtyard came over."


    "Think about it and tell me what happened."


    While Shui Qin was thinking, Yun Qianliang ordered her men to clean up the room, leaving the lotus seed soup and the black cat''s body, waiting for someone to check the poison inside.


    After Shui Qin tidied things up properly, he slowly replied.


    At that time, Xiao Cui came to the kitchen and said that Warm Girl was not feeling very well recently, and wanted to go to the kitchen to find something that could replenish her body, but she was not familiar with the kitchen. She wanted to take some lilies, but she did not know where to put them. After saying that, she became anxious again, "This servant only left for a short while. I went back and forth to retrieve something from the shelf, but I didn''t look at anything at that time."


    Yun Qianliang pondered for a moment and made a decision.


    If the people of Hibiscus Courtyard were to ask about it, they will say that you accidentally spilled the lotus seed soup. I was unable to drink it, but in the future, you will continue to cook the tonifying soup as usual, and no one will be aware of what happened today. Yun Qianliang''s voice was as cold as water, his eyes were as deep as an ancient pond, and he once again warned, "Don''t forget that nothing has happened today, let''s go back."


    "This servant will remember." Shui Qin dried her tears and carried the tray away along with the broken pieces.

 C23

    Chapter 23 - Separate calculations


    Waiting until the Cloud Water Pavilion only had the three master and servant, the well-behaved Chun Hua and Qiu Yue finally spoke out.


    "Someone from the Hibiscus Courtyard actually dared to poison you. This lowly slave should immediately report this to the authorities and arrest her." Qiu Yue was so angry that she wanted to directly rush to the Hibiscus Courtyard to capture him and personally beat him up to vent her anger.


    "No rush." Yun Qianliang said calmly.


    "The people of the Hibiscus Courtyard relied on the power of the Gu Xiang to not only look down on the Madam but also dared to poison you. Do you really want the Madam to let this go?" Chun Hua frowned, she felt that after her master was saved, she had become completely different. She was someone who no one could provoke before, but now, she had endured suffering again and again.


    Poison was a malicious practice that he could not tolerate.


    If the black cat didn''t slip into Cloud Water Pavilion today, and the lotus seed soup fell into Master''s stomach, then the one in trouble would be Master.


    "Forget it?" Yun Qianliang chewed on the words, her eyes quickly became cold, "Other people gave me blades, how can I give them honey? The punishment for capturing someone is proof, and with Shui Qin''s words alone, not only would it not be deemed as a crime, it would even alert the enemy. "


    "Madam, have you thought of a way?" Qiu Yue''s eyes lit up.


    "Since you want me to die, there will naturally be a next time when I fail this time. As long as you keep an eye on me, there won''t be any worry that the fox won''t be able to show his tail." Yun Qianliang looked at the black cat''s corpse that was wrapped in cloth, and the expression in her eyes became darker, "Chun Hua, go find the butler and have him find a reliable doctor behind his back."


    Chun Hua nodded and left, Yun Qianliang continued to instruct, "Qiu Yue, go and get some honey from the kitchen."


    "What does Madame want honey for?" Qiu Yue was curious.


    A carefree expression surfaced on Yun Qianliang''s face as he said in amusement, "Catch an ant."


    "The Madam is joking with Qiu Yue again." Qiu Yue stomped her feet, turned, and ran away.


    Yun Qianliang shook his head helplessly. She really wanted honey to catch the ants.


    After the two servants left, Yun Qianliang lightly tapped the table with her fingers, and gently knocked as if she was knocking.


    "Could it be that the two of you are only responsible for not being killed by outsiders, and for turning a blind eye to the matter of the mansion''s servants poisoning me?" Yun Qianliang spoke into the empty air.


    At first, she thought that it was the Cloud Water Pavilion''s secret guard, so she didn''t care too much about it. However, when she left the Cloud Water Pavilion, even when she was heading towards the The King''s Manor of Ning Xi, she felt someone''s eyes staring at her. She immediately understood that Gu Yicheng had sent someone to watch her from the shadows.


    Firstly, don''t let her die, and secondly, monitor her closely to prevent her from becoming a spy sent by Song Shujin and the Yun Family, which would be detrimental to Gu Xiangfu.


    She was sitting up straight, unafraid of surveillance, and protected by someone.


    The two guards in the dark hesitated for a while, but in the end, they still showed themselves.


    "Subordinate Gu Shisan, Gu Shisi greets Madam." The two men in dark clothing cupped their fists. They were tall and straight and walked with light steps. One glance was enough to tell that they were practicing martial arts.


    "Since the Prime Minister has made the two of you watch over me, you should watch over him properly. Do you think you have failed in your duty to do what you did today?" Yun Qianliang smiled and raised an eyebrow, "As the saying goes, be on your guard, it is hard to guard against thieves in the family. I shall ask the two of you to take note of this matter, and keep a close eye on the master and servant of Hibiscus Courtyard, and obtain the evidence. "


    She only had two servants by her side, so she could only do inner chamber matters. She didn''t know how to track down evidence, so she exposed the existence of the hidden guards, making it easier for her to use them to do things.


    "This subordinate''s duty is to protect Madam from the shadows. If we leave, when Madam is in danger ¡­" Gu Shisan, who was a bit thinner on the right, answered.


    Yun Qianliang raised her hand to stop the other party from continuing to evade, "Finding the person who tried to poison me is also a form of protection, and I''m too lazy to bother with it too. If your boss doesn''t look for me, I''m too lazy to go out."


    What Yun Qianliang had said was the truth. The number of times she had married into the Gu Xiangfu could be counted on one hand, and didn''t even have much time to leave the Green Pine Academy. From the bottom of her heart, she was extremely annoyed by the mess in the backyard, and was extremely reluctant to go out and fight with the group of girls.


    "This subordinate has to keep at least one of them." The two of them discussed and came to a conclusion.


    "Forget it, keep a close eye on Xiao Cui." Yun Qianliang made the final decision.


    If Wen Meng wanted to harm her, she would definitely not personally buy poison to kill her. After the matter of Xiao Cui''s hand being exposed, she would be able to blame it all on Xiao Cui, and even if she send people to watch over her, they would not be able to find evidence that she bought the poison. However, she was afraid that Wen Meng might play some tricks, and ended up borrowing the blade that others borrowed.


    After the two of them left, Gu Shisan stayed behind to continue monitoring and protecting them. The shorter Gu Shisi stayed behind to follow and protect Xiao Cui.


    When Shui Qin carried the broken pieces back to the kitchen, she saw Xiao Cui chatting with the steward outside. The two of them were standing in the sun, talking and laughing while chewing the melon seeds.


    From a distance, Xiao Cui saw Shui Qin walk back with reddened eyes and a broken porcelain cup on a tray in his hands. Her heart skipped a beat and he immediately put away the melon seeds.


    "Shui Qin, what''s wrong with you?" As she said that, Xiao Cui helped her carry the tray, "Come, give it to me, I''ll clean it up for you."


    Shui Qin subconsciously wanted to resist when she saw Xiao Cui, but when she remembered Madam Ye''s instructions, she didn''t dare to show it too clearly. She slurped her lips and said: "It''s better not to, if Madam finds out, you must punish me."


    Auntie Liu, who was in charge of the kitchen, walked over with the melon seeds in her mouth. Her forehead was red. "How did you offend that madam?"


    "When this servant was delivering the lotus seed soup to Madam, a black cat coincidentally scurried over. I accidentally spilled the lotus seed soup on her, so Madam ¡­" Shui Qin said as tears streamed down her face. Other people might have thought that she had been scolded and wronged, but they didn''t know that she was afraid.


    If it was like usual, when Madam ate the lotus seed soup, even if she had hundreds of mouths, she still wouldn''t be able to explain it clearly.


    Xiao Cui''s heart tensed up, "That black cat didn''t eat the lotus seed soup did it?"


    "I threw the tray at him, probably because I was frightened and ran away." Shui Qin wiped his tears off and walked into the kitchen listlessly to clean everything up.


    Xiao Cui comforted Shui Qin a little and then left the kitchen with the warm tonifying soup.


    Xiao Cui returned to Hibiscus Courtyard, placed the tonifying soup on the table, and chased away the servants in the house to report to Wen Meng.


    "Miss, it didn''t work." Xiao Cui whispered into Wen Meng''s ear.


    "Did she notice?" Wen Meng frowned, holding the kernels, he had already thought of a way out.


    "No, it''s all the fault of a black cat that spilled the lotus seed soup." Xiao Cui looked at the door vigilantly to prevent any servants from barging in unwittingly.


    "Nothing at all?" Wen Meng confirmed again.


    Xiao Cui shook her head, "No, Shui Qin cleaned up and cleaned up all the lotus seed soup, and threw away all the fragments after washing up."


    Wen Meng heaved a sigh of relief, but started to blame the servant, "If I can''t even do such a small thing, what''s the use of you?"


    Xiao Cui lifted her skirt and knelt down, she anxiously promised, "Don''t worry Miss, Xiao Cui will definitely make sure everything works out for you."

 C24

    Chapter 24 - Arsenic


    Afternoon.


    Steward Gu led two servants in gray robes and carried a large box into the Green Pine Academy.


    When the three of them came in, Yun Qianliang was sitting in the courtyard painting some ink and paper, looking at the peony flower bed. The sunlight was shining on her from the side, shining on his white face, which was as clean as a jade plate.


    "Greetings Madam." Steward Gu walked over, stood in front and bowed his head.


    "Right." Yun Qianliang indifferently replied, she raised her eyes and looked at the peony, and continued to draw the peony that was just taking shape.


    She was not someone who liked to enjoy watching flowers. Two days ago, she had casually heard the servants talk about the strange opening of the peonies in the Green Pine Academy. Only then did she know that the peonies would be thanked in the fall and she was able to see that the peonies were either specially cultivated or had survived due to the climate around them.


    After making such a ruckus today, she wanted to have a serious personality, so she put on a show in the courtyard to practice her painting skills.


    Steward Gu waited for a moment, ignoring the orders of the painter in front of him.


    Steward Gu quietly raised his head and looked at the lady sitting upright and proper in front of her desk. Her eyes were serious and persistent, her brush strokes were slow and smooth, the key was that her hand holding the brush was steady and steady, without the slightest tremble.


    Steward Gu had seen the Prime Minister paint a lot. His brush strokes were quick and clean, with a certain speed and ease, as though the Madam was so calm. The two of them had different painting habits and auras, but to his surprise, he felt that the Prime Minister''s shadow appeared when the Madam was painting.


    That calmness and calmness seemed to come from the depths of his bones, like he was the prime minister.


    After waiting for the time it took for an incense to burn again, the tip of the brush finally came to an end.


    "Madam, the doctor you want has arrived." Steward Gu warned him.


    Yun Qianliang put down her pen, and turned to look at the two servants in gray robes behind Steward Gu. The clothes were the style of the servants in Yun Xiang Mansion, and there was a big wooden chest placed between the two of them, she nodded in satisfaction.


    "Well done."


    For the two of them to dress as servants of the Yun Xiang Mansion and to carry things to the Green Pine Academy, outsiders would only think that it was Yun Xiang Mansion apologizing for what happened last time and had someone bring her something good.


    "Greetings Madam Gu." A doctor and an acolyte dressed as servants came forward and bowed.


    "Rise." As Yun Qianliang said this, she took off the silk belt on her wrist that was tied around her sleeve and placed Guang Xiu down, "Follow me."


    The two of them straightened up. The apprentice was still young, and was unable to identify her needs. Seeing her dress slowly walk to their side, they couldn''t help but raise their heads to look at the person with the pleasant voice.


    After staying in the capital for a long time, they had heard rumors of the direct daughter of the Yun family, saying that she was a fox spirit, but there were still not many commoners who had seen her.


    She had a flawless profile, beautiful and sentimental peach blossom eyes, a straight jade nose, tender red lips, and a slender porcelain neck. She was unbelievably beautiful.


    This wasn''t a fox spirit, this was clearly the descent of a fox immortal.


    The doctor gave his disciple a hard tug to prevent him from offending his benefactor.


    The wife of the treacherous official Gu Xiang, the notorious evil woman in the capital.


    "Life and appearance are things for people to see. What''s the use of having good skin when no one else is looking at you?" Yun Qianliang opened her mouth and unconcernedly said with a voice that was clear and shallow with a hint of laughter, like the profound music of the ninth heaven;


    went into the room and sat in the living room. Then, he took out the wrapped up black cat body and carefully placed it on the ground for the doctor to examine.


    The thirty-year-old doctor opened the wooden box, took out the medicine box from within, and began to inspect it.


    Qiu Yue carried the tea in, and after pouring Yun Qianliang a cup, she poured another cup for Steward Gu and the doctor and his disciple.


    Not long after, the results of the inspection were revealed.


    "Back to Madam Gu, this cat died from arsenic." The doctor gathered up his things and got up to answer.


    "For humans, the dosage isn''t too big, right?" Yun Qianliang slowly said.


    "Madam is right. If a person takes it for a few days they will notice the poison. It''s just that the cat has a weak body and can''t withstand the poison. That''s why it died at once." The doctor explained.


    Yun Qianliang nodded, she thought that it should be so.


    Xiao Cui was the only person who had entered the kitchen at that time. Once she died from the poison, Hibiscus Courtyard would be the most suspicious.


    Arsenic was very common. It could be used in small doses, but one had to have the most solid evidence to firmly capture it.


    "Chun Hua." Yun Qianliang called out.


    Chun Hua took out a bag of silver and handed it over to the doctor, "This cat accidentally saved my wife, but now that it has died miserably, the lady cannot bear it having died without a burial ground. She wanted to find a place to bury the cat, but it is not good for the people of the House of Generals to talk about it, so I have to trouble doctor to take this cat away and bury it outside, this is a little kindness from my wife."


    The doctor accepted the money, wrapped the black cat''s body up, and placed it into a box. Then, he took it away as if he had just arrived.


    After the Steward Gu sent the doctor away, he returned back to the Green Pine Academy, and asked Yun Qianliang, "Madam, do you want to tell this matter to the First Elder?"


    "What''s the use of telling him?" Yun Qianliang asked, "Tell him, will he expel those Singer Dancer s from the Gu Xiangfu for me, or will he find the criminals for me and take revenge for me?"


    Yun Qianliang''s two rhetorical questions rendered the Steward Gu speechless.


    Some of the Singer Dancer s in the manor were brought back by the prime minister, while some were gifted by others.


    Yun Qianliang''s words was like a warning bell in Chun Hua''s heart, making her realize that this mansion was not Master''s paradise and had only jumped into the tiger''s den from the den of the Yun Xiang Mansion. The grievances and sorrow that the young miss had suffered did not decrease, and it might even be worse than before.


    "I will take care of my own matters. However, it is still the words of that day." Yun Qianliang restrained the sharpness in his questioning just now, and in an instant, his face once again revealed his usual indifference, "While I''m still being reasonable, if you have the ability, don''t let me get hold of any evidence, if not, one day I''ll be in a bad mood and kill someone without anyone noticing, I still have the ability to do so."


    "This old servant will definitely warn everyone in the manor to be careful." Steward Gu bowed and replied.


    "Go back to work." Yun Qianliang waved and stood up to walk back into the house. She then thought of the painting that was still outside and said: "When you leave, take the peony map outside to frame and send it to House of the Marquis of An."


    Since she couldn''t leave before the poison was detoxified, she had to plan for the future. With House of the Marquis of An''s good intentions, it was extremely necessary to rope in strong people for their side.

 C25

    Chapter 25 - Cloud Searching at night


    The night was dark and the wind was strong, the moon and stars sparse.


    The cold air assaulted the autumn night, like the cool moonlight falling from the water.


    A pair of delicate white hands grabbed the roof and slowly revealed her head. She laid on the roof, alert of the patrolling guards that had just passed by. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw them walk away.


    Following that, a person appeared beside her in a relaxed and elegant manner. Under the awkward situation of the person beside her, his nobility and elegance was further accentuated.


    Yun Qianliang laid on the cold tiles, and on the autumn night, a drop of frost fell on her body. She stuck to the roof, and the frost wetted her dress, causing the night wind to freeze her body, causing her to tremble uncontrollably.


    Yun Qianliang lowered her voice and said impatiently: "Gu Yicheng, are you sick?"


    "You have medicine?" His lips curled up in a provocative smile.


    "I''m poisoned!"


    "Yes, there is indeed poison."


    Under the splendor of the moon, the person dressed in the purplish red splendor was laughing arrogantly.


    Yun Qianliang secretly heaved a sigh of relief, and rolled her eyes at the person beside him.


    In the middle of the night, he was completely oblivious to sleep, and he even disturbed people''s sweet dreams.


    There was a basket of soulmates in the mansion, and he found them one by one throughout the long night, talking about them night and day, from poems and songs to philosophy of life. It was more than enough. But he had actually pulled her out of the warm quilt and laid her on the roof of the Yun Xiang Mansion to enjoy the wind!


    Gu Yicheng looked down at the dark terrain below him, and took out a terrifying mask from his sleeves to cover his face.


    "Are you familiar with the general terrain of the Yun Xiang Mansion?" Gu Yicheng turned around and asked.


    Yun Qianliang turned his head and was just about to advise him to give up.


    Turning his head to look, what entered his eyes was a ferocious ghost mask, the mask had created a scene of blood and flesh being torn apart, and a cool scarlet tongue hanging from his mouth. Yun Qianliang trembled twice, cold sweat forming on his back, as he instinctively dodged backwards, almost falling down from the roof.


    Gu Yicheng quickly lifted her and put her down on the roof. Then he said in a deep voice: "Lie down."


    Yun Qianliang breathed heavily twice, and her thunder-like heartbeat gradually calmed down. However, after being startled, the cold feeling on her back started to rise bit by bit, as if a cold snake''s skin was sticking close to her skin, seeping out until it became extremely perturbed.


    This fellow must have deliberately dragged her out in the middle of the night to scare her to death seeing that she wasn''t poisoned to death.


    "This master''s mask is quite pretty, isn''t it?" Gu Yicheng took off his mask, proudly admiring the scene in front of him.


    Yun Qianliang forcefully raised the corner of her mouth and laughed dryly.


    Look at your brother-in-law!


    After resting for a while, Gu Yicheng put on his mask again and easily picked up the person who was lying on the roof.


    The roof tiles were heavy with frost and made it easy for him to slip. He stood still and held her in his arms as he stood up straight and wrapped his arms around her waist.


    "Where is cloud phase''s study room located at?" Gu Yicheng asked.


    Relying on his memories, Yun Qianliang pointed to a certain direction.


    The night wind brushed past their ears, and their hair tangled together in the wind, forming a kind of intimate relationship.


    Yun Qianliang held onto his sleeves tightly, just in case he fell down and landed in a half crippled state.


    With Yun Qianliang, the living map that had been here for more than ten years, the two of them easily avoided the patrolling guards. Even she knew a little about the secret guards around the study.


    After sneaking into the study room, Gu Yicheng immediately released his, as if a gentleman didn''t like to take advantage of others.


    He lit a fire piston and, under the dim light of the fire, roughly illuminated the study.


    Yun Qianliang was still standing by the door, there was no fear in her pitch-black eyes, but her face was pale white.


    A little too much.


    Gu Yicheng did not ask for Yun Qianliang''s help and just went back to rummage through the study quietly.


    "What are you looking for?" Yun Qianliang asked.


    Yun Qianliang was not stupid, but today, when Gu Yicheng went back to his residence, he was in a bad mood, and most likely, it was something that happened in the imperial court. However, it was difficult for her to find out about the important matters of the imperial court, so Gu Yicheng was still wary of her, and could not take the initiative to inform him.


    Now that she was pulled to Yun Xiang Mansion in the middle of the night, if she couldn''t figure out the connection, she would have been played to death a long time ago.


    "I''ll take a look at anything that''s useful. I don''t think there''s too much of it." Gu Yicheng casually answered.


    Yun Qianliang looked at her toes, and did not make a sound.


    She had been in the Yun Xiang Mansion for many years, and was used to being headstrong. She would dare to enter anywhere and cause trouble, but the study room was a forbidden grounds, so it could be seen just how important the secret in the study room was.


    Gu Yicheng quickly rummaged through the box and returned it back to its original place.


    Although her voice was light, Yun Qianliang had a reaction. She lifted her gaze to look at where Gu Yicheng was standing, but he had already moved to a different position, so she was unable to see where he had moved.


    Yun Qianliang walked over and whispered, "Move over that position again."


    Gu Yicheng looked at him suspiciously, he turned around to look for the flat box that was painted with yellow paint, picked it up and put it down.


    Yun Qianliang listened attentively. His movements were light, and when she released them, it was in case any sounds would attract attention. She first descended to the edge of the lake, and then she pushed her way in.


    Yun Qianliang reached out to touch the shelves and wiped it with his thumb. After that, Yun Qianliang squatted down and grabbed onto Gu Yicheng''s fire piston and shone it towards the bottom of the shelves. Looking up from the bottom, he saw that there was something stuck at the bottom, she extended his hand out to take it.


    When she reached the shelf, she stopped.


    "It can''t be poisonous, right?" Hiding in a hard to find place, it must be something important.


    "Hard to say." Gu Yicheng replied and reached out to grab it.


    Yun Qianliang grabbed his hand, with an expression as if he was going to throw caution to the wind, "I''ll do it."


    How could Gu Yicheng take the treasure that she discovered?


    Yun Qianliang lifted up a layer of his skirt to cover his hands. It was better to just hide his position at the bottom, otherwise, it would be easy for others to discover.


    Yun Qianliang reached his hand in and discovered that it was only as thick as five sheets of paper. It was stuck closely to the bottom of the shelf and she used her hand to buckle it.


    "It''s too sticky, I can''t take it." Yun Qianliang stopped and thought that if she had the chance in the future, he could come and steal this wooden board. But as he thought about it, Yun Qianliang changed his mind. He put his hand under his nose and took a whiff.


    The smell of acid.


    Old Cloud Man was rather gluttonous, he had hidden a piece of New Year cake wrapped in paper underneath.


    "Gu Yicheng, I think you''ve lost." Yun Qianliang released his hand, "This old man ¡­"


    Gu Yicheng covered her mouth and blew the fire extinguisher, holding his down and bringing his to the window, escaping through the window.


    Along the way, Yun Qianliang broke out in a cold sweat after returning to Green Pine Academy, but she did not forget to finish what she had said earlier.


    "Old Cloud Man is actually so sad that you have to deposit a piece of New Year''s Cake until it becomes sour. Your purity can''t even be considered a gentle breeze. I have two sleeves full of the northwest wind." Yun Qianliang wiped away his previous depression and displeasure, his eyes filled with happiness, like a cat that was satisfied with its food, "I was able to grow this much, it was all due to my natural beauty."


    After Yun Qianliang finished teasing, she happily ran back to the Cloud Water Pavilion and spun a few rounds excitedly.


    He had a feeling that he was about to make a huge fortune.

 C26

    Chapter 26 - Complexity of the Palace


    The newly born sun peeked its head out from the east, reflecting the dazzling splendor of the palace. It was as if the palace was coated with a layer of shining golden light.


    Within the Clearing Hall, the officials lined up to face the golden wall where the nine dragons were coiled.


    In front of the Nine Dragons Golden Wall, a Dragon Throne was placed in the center.


    The Tianhui Emperor was in his early thirties, possessing the appearance of a previous emperor. A resolute face that was as if carved from a blade, bold and powerful, eyes like torches, body brimming with explosive power, chest wide, a mighty force that could not be matched by ten thousand men. Even though his personality had long been tempered to a state that was calm and reserved in the imperial court and his might was hard to conceal, he still gave people a feeling that he was deeply hidden.


    Even after they had discussed the matters of the court, the Tianhui Emperor still had not announced his departure. A pair of wise and astute eyes swept across the two court officials.


    "I heard a funny thing yesterday in the harem." "On the day of the son of The King''s Manor of Ning Xi''s birth, Yun Xiang Mansion pushed Madam Gu away, causing him to miscarry, and after that, Jin Wang sided with Second Miss, angering Gu Qing. This marriage of Gu Qing and direct daughter was bestowed to us by us, and we can''t stand idly by the side and watch such a thing happen. Gu Qing, why don''t you tell us more about this matter? "


    When Tianhui Emperor was discussing the affairs of the court and court in the main hall, his words made everyone who knew what had happened frightened them.


    The Tianhui Emperor gave the topic to Gu Yicheng, obviously saying that he wanted Gu Yicheng to redress the grievances, and dragged the Jin Wang into the water. The court officials below were slightly anxious, and those who could not hold their cool could not help but cast worried gazes at the Jin Wang.


    Gu Yicheng''s mouth held a smile, and looked at Song Shujin who was staring at him with a deep meaning, as he walked out and replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, this matter is a little wrong, and there is nothing wrong with asking Jin Wang for blessings to resolve it. It''s just that I''m troubling Your Majesty for worrying about this humble subject''s family matters. This humble subject really shouldn''t have done so. "


    "That is to say that Madam Gu has not miscarried?" Tianhui Emperor''s eyes shone with a cold light, his tone becoming more and more dangerous.


    Gu Yicheng ignored the pressure on the Venerable One and replied with his head lowered, "That''s right, this matter was completely due to the misdiagnosis of the quack doctor, coupled with the weak body of this humble subject''s wife, the injury from the assassination attempt on our wedding night, we were unable to recover. On the same day, we fell and did not leave any blood, this humble subject and my wife completely believes in the words of the quack doctor, and we lost our focus, which caused this matter to be far more serious and uncontrollable."


    "Such a quack doctor, keep him for the wrong people." Tianhui Emperor did not let the two people pinch each other as they wished, as his anger landed on the quack doctor.


    "Your majesty is right. Luckily, the Jin Wang sensed that something was amiss and sent someone to investigate. That quack doctor was captured and brought back to the Duke''s Mansion to interrogate. Fang knew that the other party was spouting nonsense." Gu Yicheng pushed the rest of the matters to Song Shujin quickly and cleanly, as if there was nothing else that needed to be done in the future.


    Song Shujin endured his anger, and before the Tianhui Emperor could order people to investigate, he stepped forward and said: "Reporting to the Emperor, in order to prevent the quack doctors from harming others, I have already executed that quack doctor."


    "Well done." The Tianhui Emperor flattered him perfunctorily, pinching his eyebrows, "We are tired, let''s leave the court."


    Hearing this, the eunuch standing at the side flung out his horsetail whisk, his sharp voice sending out two loud and clear words, "Withdraw."


    The officials kowtowed and respectfully sent Tianhui Emperor away.


    After Tianhui Emperor left from the side, the officials stood up and walked out.


    Outside the Palace, officials were travelling together. As people from different factions walked together, Gu Yicheng felt that he was out of place.


    Yun Qinan and Song Shujin walked side by side, and after seeing that Gu Yicheng was intentionally provoking them, they continued to walk forward.


    "Your Royal Highness, are we just going to let this matter go?" Yun Qinan asked angrily.


    Gu Yicheng started to talk about the matter of the miscarriage, telling Song Shujin''s people to stop meddling in the tax affairs and take back all the authority they had gained from Tianhui Emperor.


    Most of the court officials had handled the tax matters before, so handing over the rights of tax to those matters that could not be seen by anyone would be difficult to hide. No matter which faction it was, it would affect one''s reputation, but in order to protect it, Song Shujin would do as Gu Yicheng said, and let his subordinates hand over the authority of tax.


    Although he had managed to put out the fire the night before, and did not cause any big trouble, a lot of the records for the tax bureau had been burnt, and a huge commotion had occurred at the Tianhui Emperor. Only when Gu Yicheng did he feel at ease.


    Song Shujin looked down at the light scars on the back of his right hand, and hated himself so much that his teeth itched. He was actually going to be hurt by that bitch Yun Qianliang!


    Song Shujin turned and the two of them walked towards Gu Yicheng.


    "Yun Xiang Mansion went into a thief last night, has Gu Xiang heard of anything?" Song Shujin placed his hands behind his back, pretending to lift them unintentionally.


    "Is that so?" Gu Yicheng replied in shock, then revealed concern in his eyes: "Father-in-law is still well, he was not hurt or scared by the thieves, right?"


    "Thank you, Gu Xiang, for your concern. I am doing very well." Yun Qinan''s words were filled with anger.


    Hearing her words, Gu Yicheng curbed his smile, shook his head and sighed, then began to ponder, "Yun Xiang Mansion knew that such a serious matter had occurred because of the thieves entering Yun Xiang Mansion, and this sovereign only found out now, that cloud phase truly did not have any good intentions in marrying this duke."


    His highness and the Prime Minister''s statuses were known, but the Prime Minister had married the, and the person whom his master would love to marry was the concubinage. Even though his mother was raised to become the mistress of the family, such an unwritten rule had never been heard of, and Gao Clan''s people that clearly recognized the Qin family as the Madam of the cloud phase, and would always think that it was their concubine. The daughter she gave birth to was a direct daughter who could not be supported by Yun Qianliang.


    "Gu Xiang is too serious, it''s just a small matter, don''t disturb too many people." Yun Qinan calmed her emotions and maintained a serious attitude.


    "cloud phase is a shallow father, I, as her son-in-law, should pay more attention. Otherwise, I would definitely blame myself for not taking her family to heart."


    "My daughter has never loved such red tape, and would inevitably lose her manners. I hope Gu Xiang will not take it to heart." Yun Qinan pretended to be a good father and spoke up for his unfavoured daughter.


    "Since my body has already improved greatly, why don''t I bring my body back tomorrow to visit the cloud phase. I''ll stay here for a few days to understand the feelings of a woman in the cloud phase, and my filial piety will be perfect." Gu Yicheng stroked his chin, spoke to himself, and made his decision without giving Yun Qinan a chance to refute.


    The three of them, who had always competed against each other, walked side by side. The officials at the back looked at each other in dismay, not knowing what was going on.


    "Your Highness, could it be that between Gu Xiang and Jin Wang ¡­" A thin and small official who was standing by the side of a middle-aged man dressed in the attire of the prince''s residence felt extreme worry in his heart as he saw the group of people walking away.


    "After all, the Gu Xiang is a loyal subject. There was no sign of panic between Duke Ming and Xiang Fengkai''s brows, and only a hint of deep thought.


    Gu Yicheng''s strength could not be underestimated. Losing it to an unfavored direct daughter of the Yun Family was truly a loss.


    "In the future, don''t think too hard about court officials." Xiang Fengkai reminded as he strode out of the palace.

 C27

    Chapter 27 - Step by Step


    "Another one?" Yun Qianliang sneered, "So hardworking."


    Yun Qianliang sat on the soft bed, and was in a good mood as she took care of the flower pot that the House of the Marquis of An sent him this morning. The crabapple blossoms were planted beautifully in the white porcelain pot, and in the middle of the pot, the rocks were decorated with the beautiful flowers. A crabapple grew from the rocks, and among the tiny green leaves, the bright red flowers clustered around the branches, like a miniature view in a courtyard.


    Yun Qianliang plucked the dried up yellow leaves from the branch and placed them at the root of the Begonia.


    "Madam, the witnesses and evidence are here this time. We can arrest them now." Qiu Yue said excitedly.


    "It''s not against the law to buy arsenic. Wait until she puts arsenic in my diet, that will be the real evidence." Yun Qianliang''s face did not reveal any joy, his beautiful and calm face did not have a trace of emotion, but he kept it in his heart, "People who fish, have to patiently wait for a fish to bite. If you are so anxious, you will scare them away and wait for the bait."


    Qiu Yue raised her mouth, she thought for a moment and mischievously said: "Yes, I will go fish some other day."


    Yun Qianliang laughed softly as she shook her head helplessly. Her eyes fell on Chun Hua who had something on her mind.


    Chun Hua was a little more stable and careful, it was rare that she would make a mistake, but she stayed by Yun Qianliang''s side all year round, and her personality was not as tight as a servant in a house, and she would often exchange some witty words with her master, but since yesterday, she seemed to be very preoccupied, and even dragged her hair while she was washing herself this morning.


    Yun Qianliang did not reveal her thoughts, treating it as if he had never seen it before.


    As usual, Shui Qin returned two hours later to bring the nourishment. With his master''s instructions, he relaxed at the moment, allowing others to add more food to the tonic. But today, Xiao Cui had brought a medicine to help her remove blood stasis, using the excuse of rubbing the medicine to get rid of her, she took the chance to leave, and by the time he returned, Xiao Cui was already gone.


    Madam, Xiao Cui went to the kitchen again today. Shui Qin carried the Silver Ear Red Jujube soup, not knowing if she should put it down.


    "Put it down." Yun Qianliang made a move and said to Qiu Yue: "Bring the ants jar over, and also get a fire piston."


    "Yes." Qiu Yue turned around and walked towards the small kitchen in Green Pine Academy.


    Not long after, Qiu Yue returned with a clay pot, placed it on the side of the tray, and then removed the stones from the jar.


    Yun Qianliang walked to the side and took out a candle from the lantern. He then walked to the table and lit the candle with a fire piston, and used the candle to roast the upper part of the lid. After feeling the heat, she blew out the candle and used the candle to remove the lid.


    Yun Qianliang opened the porcelain bowl and scooped up a spoonful of silver ear soup to cool it down before pouring it into the jar.


    Witnessing all the ants in the pot die, Yun Qianliang smiled.


    "Have Steward Gu gather all the people from the kitchen into the domain clearing hall."


    Inside domain clearing hall.


    Yun Qianliang sat at the head of the table with a dark face as everyone in the kitchen kneeled down. In front of him was a pile of broken clay pots and dead ants on the ground.


    "What are you waiting for?" Steward Gu scolded with an ugly expression.


    After poisoning the owner of the house for two consecutive days, such things had never happened in Gu Xiangfu, but ever since Yun Qianliang''s marriage, the mansion''s rules seemed to have become decorations, there were always people who ignored the rules and played tricks on them.


    "Steward Gu, we really didn''t poison it." Auntie Liu trembled like a sieve. She kneeled and took two steps forward, grabbing onto Yun Qianliang''s skirt as she pleaded, "Madam, your tonifying soup was all done by Shui Qin. If it was her who poisoned them, it has nothing to do with me."


    "It doesn''t matter. I''m the one in charge, not you." Yun Qianliang cast a sidelong glance at Aunty Liu, "Whatever I want to ask next, I''ll answer truthfully. If you can''t find the person who poisoned you, then this crime ¡­"


    "This servant will answer truthfully." Auntie Liu anxiously stopped Yun Qianliang''s threat.


    "In the past two days, has anyone from the manor been to the kitchen before, especially during the time Shui Qin was working as a tonifying soup?" Yun Qianliang held her teacup, not looking at the people who were kneeling and begging for mercy.


    "This ¡­" Auntie Liu found it difficult to think about it. Since she was old and had a poor memory, she couldn''t answer her question. "Servants from the various courtyards would come and get three meals a day, and there would be a lot of people coming and going from the kitchen."


    "Xiao Cui from the Hibiscus Courtyard, she stayed in the kitchen for a long time yesterday and today." The people below warned him.


    "Steward Gu." Yun Qianliang handed over the important matter to the Steward Gu, so that others wouldn''t think that he was jealous of Gu Yicheng for pampering her. He thought that he was avenging a personal grudge and wanted to get rid of Wen MenhisSteward Gu." Yun Qianliang handed over the important matter to the Steward Gu, so that others wouldn''t think that he was jealous of Gu Yicheng for pampering her. She thought that he was avenging a personal grudge and wanted to get rid of Wen Meng.


    "Someone, bring Xiao Cui from Hibiscus Courtyard over." Steward Gu called for the two guards and went to arrest them.


    The guards rushed into the Hibiscus Courtyard, startling the servants in the courtyard.


    When Wen Meng saw the two of them bringing Xiao Cui away, she worriedly patted the back of Xiao Cui''s hands, "You go with them, I''ll come later."


    After the guard brought Xiao Cui back, Wen Meng returned to the house and hid the paper bag under the blanket into her belt. She then quickly led the other servants to domain clearing hall.


    When Xiao Cui was brought to domain clearing hall, she looked up to see the set up of tonifying soup s, and lowered her head guiltily.


    "This servant greets Madam." Xiao Cui pretended to be calm and bowed.


    "Have you been in the kitchen these two days before noon?" Yun Qianliang went straight to the point.


    "Reporting to Madam, this servant did indeed go into the kitchen. Yesterday, I went to get some of the Lilium Smelting tonifying soup for Warm Girl, and today, I brought out a medicine to help quicken the blood circulation and dissolve the blood stasis for Shui Qin." Xiao Cui explained the reason why she was able to enter the kitchen in two days, but did not mention anything else.


    Yun Qianliang nodded her head, "Shui Qin, when Xiao Cui went there, did you ever leave the tonifying soup because of her?"


    "Yes, yesterday ¡­" Just as Shui Qin opened her mouth, Xiao Cui fiercely cut her off, "Shui Qin, I''m kind enough to send you the medicine, if you dare slander me as someone who poisoned the soup, I won''t let you be complacent."


    Shui Qin hid behind Yun Qianliang in fear, and spoke in a low voice, "You did indeed push me away."


    "Madam is clear that there is a problem with the soup that Shui Qin made herself, but purposefully gave it to your servant." Xiao Cui lifted her skirt and knelt down.


    "I will definitely understand, but before that, I have something that I am very curious about." Yun Qianliang sneered, and used his spoon to stir up the Silver Eared Red Jujube soup, and when the porcelain met, a clear and crisp sound came out, Yun Qianliang''s ice cold voice sounded out, "I summoned the kitchen to investigate about the poison in the tonifying soup, and everyone has yet to leave, so the news naturally will not leak out. How did you know about the poison in the soup?"


    Yun Qianliang''s voice was light and gentle, yet when Xiao Cui heard it, it was like a huge boulder pressing down on him.


    "This ¡­ this servant came to listen to some passing servants discussing the matter of domain clearing hall investigating the poisoning." Xiao Cui tried to defend himself.


    "However, I have ordered that the servants in the manor are not to mention the matter of the poison. Otherwise, according to the family rules, if you tell me which servant told you, I will punish you as well." Yun Qianliang pressed on.

 C28

    Chapter 28 - Expulsion from the House of Prime Minister


    "Yes, yes ¡­" Xiao Cui stammered for a long time, unable to say her name.


    "Who is it?" Yun Qianliang pressed on, seeing Xiao Cui''s panicked face she was at a loss of what to do, she immediately said: "Why don''t I gather all the servants in the palace and interrogate them, and see who disregards the prohibition, speaking nonsense within the residence."


    Xiao Cui shook her head, his brain working very fast, thinking that without evidence, no one could convict her.


    "Where''s the evidence?" Xiao Cui struggled to her death, raising her head to question Yun Qianliang, "Madam, if you have no evidence, then give me a conviction. This is pure slander, and this servant does not accept this."


    Yun Qianliang watched the servant who was kneeling on the ground calmly. He straightened his back and boldly looked at the matriarch, wanting to force her to return the innocence of the maid.


    Yun Qianliang stared at her and suddenly laughed.


    The corners of the woman''s mouth bent, and her eyes were filled with a smile.


    Yun Qianliang did not like to leave the Green Pine Academy, so all he needed was a servant as his assistant, or someone to send it to the Green Pine Academy. Everyone had only seen it once, when all the servants lined up properly, she sat on the chair with an angry face.


    Outsiders said that direct daughter of the Yun family was as beautiful as a fox spirit, and had no choice but to admit that this mistress was extremely beautiful, but that day her appearance was extremely sharp, losing that beautiful look, and making people not dare to look straight at her.


    This was the first time such a dazzling smile had appeared on his face. It truly made the audience dumbstruck.


    Her smile was without the slightest bit of charm, like the sunlight that peeked out from the clouds after the rain had passed. It was fresh and warm, causing the high and mighty alienation on her body to disappear.


    "Yesterday, Cloud Water Pavilion broke into a black cat and licked the falling lotus seed soup to death." Yun Qianliang paused, seeing that the flushed cheeks of the man with a straight back gradually disappeared, she continued: "In the afternoon, Steward Gu brought two doctors disguised as servants into Green Pine Academy. After inspecting the corpses, they found out that the black cat, arsenic, had been poisoned, and thus sent a dark guard to investigate the matter. I have yet to get anyone to test for the poison in this Silver Ear Soup, do you dare to admit it yourself, or do you want me to capture everything step by step? "


    When Yun Qianliang''s words fell, Xiao Cui was already powerlessly sitting on the ground, her face ashen.


    "Not a slave ¡­" Xiao Cui was afraid in her heart, but just as she was about to reveal the identity of the man behind her, she was interrupted.


    "Just because Xiao Cui bought the arsenic, Madame knew that it was Xiao Cui who poisoned him?" Wen Meng slowly walked into the domain clearing hall. A trace of ruthlessness was hidden in her gentle eyes as she glared at Xiao Cui.


    Xiao Cui crawled on the ground and quickly retracted her gaze.


    "That''s why I''m interrogating you. I''m not going to directly invite the people from Jing Zhao Mansion to capture the criminals." Yun Qianliang replied with interest, his unrestrained laughter carrying hints of provocation.


    "Then I can tell Madam for sure, the poison wasn''t administered by my Hibiscus Courtyard''s people, because ¡­" Wen Meng paused, arousing everyone''s curiosity. He then took out a paper bag from his tightened belt and held it in front of them, "The bag of arsenic that Xiao Cui bought is with me, Madam, you should be clear about what that means, right?"


    The atmosphere in domain clearing hall instantly became tense. The servants knelt on the ground and sized up the two beauties fighting each other, feeling nervous but also excited, wanting to know the truth of this matter.


    One of them was his wife, who had been favored by the prime minister. The other was a muse whom the prime minister had always favored.


    Steward Gu swallowed his saliva nervously. He knew clearly in his heart that this matter was related to the Hibiscus Courtyard, it was just that this was not about who was smarter, so he could not interfere.


    When their gazes met, it was as though sparks were flashing in the air.


    The beautiful smile on Yun Qianliang''s face slowly faded, her expression suddenly became cold, causing the atmosphere in the main hall to become even more tense, and the temperature even dropped.


    "Warm Girl wants to play word games with me?" Yun Qianliang said coldly: "I don''t mind spending some effort to capture the owner of the medicine shop. I want to see if I can take arsenic over the scale and see if it''s right or not."


    It was still there, of course, but it wasn''t enough!


    Did Wen Meng think that just by taking out arsenic to prove that it was still there, he would be able to disrupt her thoughts and cause her to lose her self-control?


    When she was being shot in the head by a gun in a crowd of enemies, who knew where Wen Meng was hiding!


    With just one sentence, Wen Meng knew that she was powerless. She had considered Yun Qianliang''s character, so she should not have been so calm, and had purposely kept what she had used yesterday, as a backup. However, she had not expected Yun Qianliang to be so confident.


    Wen Meng''s raised hand slowly drooped, and the paper between her fingers fell to the ground.


    Wen Meng crouched down and looked at Xiao Cui in pain, tears flowing from her eyes.


    "Madam, although Xiao Cui did something wrong, is it possible for him to take it lightly on my account?" Wen Meng kneeled down, crying and begging for mercy, "She did this for my sake, if you want to punish her, then punish me."


    "What face are you worth giving me?" Yun Qianliang understood the meaning behind those words, and the words that came out sounded even more ruthless, the coldness in his eyes was extremely ruthless.


    A muse actually had the face to talk about face in front of her.


    "Wen Meng is willing to lead her to such a state, I hope that Madam can let him off this time." As she spoke, Wen Meng banged her head on the ground, begging for mercy.


    Seeing Master protecting her like that, Xiao Cui thought about how she had almost revealed her secret and felt guilty. She kneeled down and walked to Wen Meng''s side, stopping her from kowtowing again, "Miss, you did not ask for her help.


    Yun Qianliang looked at the two of them who had deep feelings for his, and laughed in his heart, if Wen Meng had stood out and admitted to his actions, she would still look up to him, but Wen Meng had pushed all the blame to Xiao Cui the moment she said it, and that foolish girl actually thought Master was good for her, and took all the blame.


    "Steward Gu, how do you think we should settle this?" Yun Qianliang passed her decision to the Steward Gu.


    "This matter was an attempt at murder, according to the law, it should be handed over to the Jing Zhao Mansion." The Steward Gu faced Yun Qianliang and gave a fair and square answer.


    "No need, just expel Xiao Cui from Gu Xiangfu." Yun Qianliang''s words lowered the punishment.


    Just a scapegoat.


    "It''s up to Madam to decide." Steward Gu said.


    "Let''s disperse." Yun Qianliang got up, and when she passed by Wen Meng, he said: "Follow me."


    After Yun Qianliang left, Steward Gu called for the guards to take Xiao Cui away. He found a trusted servant girl in the manor and told his to supervise Xiao Cui in packing up and changing the clothes worn by this servant girl.


    After Xiao Cui packed everything up, she was forcefully taken away and thrown out of Gu Xiangfu.


    Xiao Cui became a servant of the Gu Xiangfu at such a young age, she had no relationship with anyone at all, and in the end, fell to such a state. The moment she was pushed out of the Gu Xiangfu, he couldn''t hold back her tears.

 C29

    Chapter 29 - Curiosity


    Yun Qianliang walked in front, passing by the garden and the Nine Rhythm Corridor.


    After walking for a long time, he was about to reach the Green Pine Academy, but Yun Qianliang still did not speak.


    Wen Meng looked at the nearby Green Pine Academy, the place that she wanted to live even in her dreams, but now she feared stepping into the Green Pine Academy with Yun Qianliang, the place with enemies there.


    "Madam, if there''s nothing else, I''m going back to train my throat." Wen Meng said politely.


    "Before I got married, I knew that the Gu Xiangfu had a bunch of singers and dancers, but I didn''t think too much about it. The Shengxiao Singing and dancing is just a way to earn a living, if others rely on their own ability to support themselves, I have no reason to look down on those who are part of the Singer Dancer." Yun Qianliang curled his voice, his expression gradually turning cold, "But Wen Meng, from today onwards, I look down on you!"


    These words stung Wen Meng''s proud heart.


    "Why would Madame look down on me?" Just because you are the cloud phase, you relied on this identity to become the owner of the Gu Xiangfu? " Wen Meng''s gentle and charming face instantly twisted, her speech was agitated as she retorted, completely showing her unwillingness to be mediocre in her interrogation.


    After hearing those words, Yun Qianliang''s expression remained calm and collected.


    "Indeed, status and status are very useful." Yun Qianliang was not annoyed, but instead replied to the ear-piercing words, "But I do not need to have a high status to look down on you, for the matters today, if you have any backbone, I will watch and do nothing, but to push the blame onto a weak person, to protect myself, an opponent like you is truly shameless."


    "Madam, you mean that the poison was administered by me?" Wen Meng laughed without a word: "Those who are clear, themselves, if Madame has any evidence, you can hand me over to Jing Zhao Mansion for judgement."


    Without waiting for Yun Qianliang to speak, Wen Meng gracefully walked far away like a proud peacock.


    Yun Qianliang lowered her eyebrows, and spoke four words towards the back of the figure, "The ones who roam the world will be doted on."


    Wen Meng did not even understand this logic, and yet you still want to learn how to play in the palace, you are truly too arrogant.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue looked at each other, not understanding the meaning behind the four words.


    "Madam, what does that mean?" Qiu Yue scratched her head.


    "I won''t drown." Yun Qianliang curled his lips, turned and walked towards the Green Pine Academy.


    Since she knew where she was weaker, she would avoid treading on the water and would naturally not fall into a situation where she would drown.


    "If you can''t swim, you''ll drown." Qiu Yue followed up with another question, but Yun Qianliang just smiled and did not answer.


    Chun Hua did not have the mood to be happy like the two of them, "Madam, are you planning to let Wen Meng go?"


    "Chun Hua, I said to never be impatient in fishing." Yun Qianliang reminded them, "Wen Meng is unrighteous, she will definitely dig himself out, we only need to calmly wait, we can definitely catch some fish."


    As he stepped into the Green Pine Academy, he coincidentally bumped into Gu Yicheng, who was about to leave the courtyard.


    Yun Qianliang retreated two steps, stood still, and blessed herself. "Master."


    "Coincidentally, I have something to talk to you about." Gu Yicheng said.


    Search?


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes flashed with doubt, the domain clearing hall was a huge path away from the main entrance, and there were so many people gathered in the palace, couldn''t they discover that she was in domain clearing hall?


    "Lord Prime Minister, you want to climb over the wall and go back to your residence?" Yun Qianliang was surprised.


    "There is a door. It''s called the back door." Gu Yicheng looked at the person in front of him who thought he was crazy and stared at them.


    Yun Qianliang kept her surprise, pursed her lips and nodded, overturning the awkward scene, she laughed and asked: "I wonder what business does the Prime Grandmaster have with me?"


    "Tomorrow, I will accompany you back to the Yun Xiang Mansion." Gu Yicheng went straight to the point.


    Yun Qianliang''s body weakly leaned onto the servant, raising her hand to support his head, "Recently the weather has turned cold, and I''ve felt a bit of cold, so I ended up with a bunch of bad things in the Residence of Prime Minister. My head is aching, and I''m afraid I won''t be able to go back now."


    Last night, he was still investigating the Yun Xiang Mansion at night, and was about to step into the next room. It was clear that he had other intentions, which was why she did not enter.


    "Let''s talk inside." Gu Yicheng held his hands behind his back and walked out of the courtyard.


    Yun Qianliang touched her nose resentfully and had no choice but to follow along.


    The two of them walked closer to the Green Pine Academy. Yun Qianliang never stepped foot in the Qing Hu Tong, and didn''t want to entertain Gu Yicheng to the Cloud Water Pavilion either. She decided to just sit down at the stone table in the courtyard, ready to discuss things here and go back to her various places.


    "Chun Hua, Qiu Yue go back and tidy up the bed, I want to take a nap later." Yun Qianliang tactfully dismissed the two servants.


    After the two bowed and left, Chun Hua still looked back worriedly after walking far away.


    "I don''t want to be involved in this power struggle. No matter what you want to find in the Yun Xiang Mansion, that is a matter between you and the cloud phase. The stone chair was cold, and after sitting down, Yun Qianliang wanted to get up.


    "The poison in your body must have fallen on the Yun Xiang Mansion. Are you going to wait for death if you don''t return?" Gu Yicheng resolutely described the origin of the poison, his gaze landing on the person in front of him. He carefully examined the expression on her face, not moving for an instant.


    Yun Qianliang bit his lips, his delicate eyebrows slightly knitted, as if he was still conflicted.


    Gu Yicheng did not urge her, but instead looked towards the peony that was still open in the flower bed, and thought of Zhuo Qing reporting it to him before she returned home. Yun Qianliang gave a personally drawn picture of a peony to House of the Marquis of An, which her grandfather liked very much, and praised repeatedly.


    Perhaps he had heard too many rumors, and her every action surprised him.


    "Can I exchange some terms with the prime minister?" Yun Qianliang sighed, he had made a decision in his heart.


    Gu Yicheng nodded, "Within my capabilities."


    "You intentionally avoided the front courtyard, so you must have known what was going on in the manor. But if someone provokes me, I will definitely return it and it will inevitably cause some changes. After thinking about it, the best way is that in the future, my meals will be the best in the Green Pine Academy, since the Green Pine Academy has a small kitchen to use, why don''t you transfer the servant who made me the tonifying soup to the Green Pine Academy to take care of my meals. With that said, Yun Qianliang held onto his chest and laid down on the stone table sorrowfully.


    The chance to make a fortune flew out through his fingers.


    The astonishment in Gu Yicheng''s eyes fleeted. He thought that she would use this opportunity to exchange the antidote, and had actually used it in this place.


    That servant called Shui Qin came out to testify, and indirectly brought about today''s result. If there were some people who wanted to argue about it, then this servant will definitely not have a good life in the Xiang Fu, if my thoughts are more vicious, I might even lose my life. Yun Qianliang used such a huge bargaining chip, to exchange for a servant''s way of life.


    "Deal." Gu Yicheng thought for a bit, then said: "In a few days, I will borrow two mama from the House of the Marquis of An to teach you some things about beauties, so as to not let others find out when they ask about them."


    Yun Qianliang''s face reddened, "I know what I''m doing, there''s no need to specially find someone to teach me."


    It wasn''t like she was a brat that hadn''t developed yet. Someone specially came to teach her this kind of thing, it made her feel ashamed to hear it.


    "The thing under the partition is probably not what you are looking for." Yun Qianliang was a little unable to stand the hard and cold stone bench. She stood up, and leaked everything she knew, in order to express her sincerity towards their cooperation. She then stared at the peony on the flower bed for a while, before leaving, she said, "Change the flowers in this garden, if they don''t match up to the season, it would bring about trouble."


    Gu Yicheng watched Yun Qianliang''s back with interest, the corners of his mouth raised in delight, her mind thinking back to her words of "the benevolent and the loving", as the curve on the corner of his mouth deepened.


    What a woman.

 C30

    Chapter 30 - Husband and Wife "Returning Door"


    In the middle of October, the temperature in Wanshen turned cold the whole night. The cold night air beat on the doors and windows roughly, breaking the silence of the autumn night, and even the sun was covered by clouds that were dispersed by the wind. The exposed faces were once again hidden, as if they were trapped in a cloud prison, occasionally allowing people to look at the wind and show kindness to the world.


    In front of the Gu Xiangfu''s doors, a carriage was prepared by the butler. A servant and servant were moving the gifts they had prepared into a carriage.


    After the last miscarriage, Yun Qianliang stayed alone in her room, the unloved rumors had disappeared, and everyone was secretly talking about the adulterers and the evil woman.


    Yun Qianliang stood by the door and watched the servant boy carry the gifts up the carriage. She estimated the price in her heart and furrowed her brows for a long time.


    Going back to that heartless and cheap house and spending so much money? From the bottom of her heart, she really wasn''t willing to make up for this gift. Anyway, she had already been treated as an abandoned child, so this gift was worth nothing.


    After returning to his residence, Gu Yicheng went back to the Green Pine Academy to change his court uniform. When he came out, he coincidentally met Wen Meng at the Nine Winding Corridor.


    Wen Meng was standing alone at the Nine Winding Corridor, enjoying the scenery. She didn''t even have a servant by her side.


    Gu Yicheng slowed down his pace and walked towards the worried people, as if he did not want to disturb her.


    Wen Meng noticed that there was another person by her side, she immediately raised her hand to wipe the tears at the corner of her eyes, then laughed and turned to pay her respects.


    "Wen Meng greets the Lord Prime Minister." She bent her head down and put on the Yan red silk''s satin, tightly wrapping his beautiful body. He lightly twisted like a water snake, adding another layer of grace to the scenery.


    "Your servant went back to get you the zither?" Gu Yicheng looked at the worry in her eyes, and his heart was filled with emotions, his expression couldn''t help but soften a bit, his handsome smile becoming gentler, he actually managed to find a trace of gentleness in her.


    "Xiao Cui was kicked out of the Prime Minister''s residence, so the servants by her side wouldn''t understand me as well as she does, and I''m not used to it yet." Wen Meng''s smile became more bitter, and the corners of her eyes were filled with tears, "Master, Wen Meng has a presumptuous request, I wonder if master will agree to it?"


    "Tell me about it." Gu Yicheng and she stood side by side, looking out at the lakewater outside the walkway. A cool breeze blew on the creased surface of the lake, causing layers of ripples on it.


    "When Xiao Cui was in the residence, she was from the same village as Shui Qin in the kitchen. The two of them are sisters, so whether or not Prime Minister can give Shui Qin to Wen Meng, Wen Meng is willing to redeem her, and treat her well." Wen Meng pleaded sincerely, with a nervous heart she raised her head and looked at the man beside him who was so powerful that it was impossible to reach, his eyes revealing his infatuation.


    "What a coincidence, yesterday Qian Qian asked me for this servant to be in charge of food in Green Pine Academy." Gu Yicheng retracted his gaze, and did not directly refuse, but instead pulled Yun Qianliang out as a shield.


    After the gifts were packed, Gu Yicheng still did not come. He was tired from standing.


    "Chun Hua, go urge Master Ye." After Yun Qianliang finished speaking, her throat felt itchy, and she coughed uncomfortably.


    "The wind is strong outside, please wait in the carriage. This servant will be right back." Chun Hua ran off.


    Wen Meng''s mind was in a mess, when she heard the person who she admired address Yun Qianliang as so intimately, she felt hurt, and lowered her head slightly. Her throat was filled with pain, as though she had eaten a mouthful of Huang Lian, and the pain was unbearable.


    "The young master treats his wife so well." Wen Meng swallowed the bitterness in his throat, unable to smile again.


    "She is this Minister''s wife. She deserves this honor." Gu Yicheng casually replied, as if it was a matter of course.


    Wen Meng''s body shook and she almost fell to the ground.


    Chun Hua stopped in her tracks and looked at the people who were fighting in the Nine Winding Corridor. The hands that were folded in front of her stomach gripped her clothes tightly, and her worries for the past few days became more and more apparent.


    Chun Hua could not help but rejoice, the person who witnessed this scene was not her young miss.


    Chun Hua did not disturb her and turned to leave.


    Seeing Chun Hua coming back alone, Yun Qianliang couldn''t help but sigh.


    "Madame, please wait in the carriage." Chun Hua couldn''t bear to have her master stand in the cold wind, waiting for a husband who was having a reunion with a muse in the Nine Rhythm Corridor.


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, "I can''t go."


    Once she got on the carriage, she would have no room to retreat, and would only end up in an awkward situation. If she did not get on the carriage, it was just a guess from the spectators, and even if the last person did not come, she could still pretend that nothing was wrong and let the carriage driver drive around, acting as if she was saving her face.


    Yun Qianliang''s voice was a little hoarse. She cleared his throat and tightly wrapped his thin cloak around her.


    The night turned cold, and the temperature dropped rapidly. As he stood in the cold wind for a long time, the cold gradually entered his body.


    After approximately the time it took to make a cup of tea, Gu Yicheng''s large Buddha finally arrived.


    Gu Yicheng, who had arrived late, didn''t feel the slightest bit of regret. He naturally held onto Yun Qianliang''s hand that was hidden under the cloak.


    Yun Qianliang followed closely behind. The cold wind carried from the front and blew at Gu Yicheng''s body, giving off the fragrance of a woman''s makeup.


    Yun Qianliang wrinkled her nose and took a whiff, her brows unconsciously raised a little.


    She had trained her sense of smell, hearing, and memory, so she wouldn''t forget to sniff once. She was sure that it was Wen Meng''s usual powdery smell.


    The carriage travelled from the south of the city to the north of the city, passing through the same route as the bridal sedan chair on the day of the wedding.


    It took almost an hour to reach Yun Xiang Mansion. When Gu Xiangfu''s carriage stopped in front of the Yun Xiang Mansion''s gate, the gatekeeper took a look at the insignia on the carriage and quickly went to report it to the Yun Xiang Mansion.


    After a long time, the only people who came out to greet him were two to three servants in the mansion. The scene looked a bit shabby.


    Yun Qianliang supported Gu Yicheng''s subordinates down the carriage, looked at the servant who was anxiously standing in front to welcome him, and joked in a low voice: "We''ve burdened the Lord Prime Minister and caused him suffering with me."


    "It''s not your fault, Jin Wang." Gu Yicheng didn''t mind her soft and delicate hand as he held her hand behind him. When he passed by the gatekeeper, he ordered her, "Take the presents on the carriage inside."


    Yun Qianliang allowed him to hold onto his, following his actions, she recalled the words that she had said a moment ago, and immediately understood the situation, finding it to be funny, "You men are really childish sometimes, to let the Yun Xiang Mansion only entertain him, and not her son-in-law who is returning to her family. This method, even I, a woman, disdained to play with, but you two men sure have fun."


    "The childish only him." Gu Yicheng innocently rebutted and corrected her.


    "With the degree of hatred he has towards me, if you did not provoke him, would he have deliberately come to the Yun Xiang Mansion today?" Yun Qianliang had already seen through Gu Yicheng''s trick.


    "It''s lively with so many people." Gu Yicheng raised his eyebrows and admitted it.


    When you go back to the door, you still have to find Song Shujin.


    Yun Qianliang laughed and did not say a word, then led the way into the main hall.

 C31

    Chapter 31 - Enemy Gatherings


    Because of the arrival of Song Jin from Yun Xiang Mansion, the servants were busy going back and forth. When they saw Yun Qianliang and Gu Yicheng, all of their expressions stiffened; it was obvious that they did not expect the two of them to be here today.


    In the main hall, Yun Qinan and Song Que Jin were discussing trivial matters, the Qin family and Yun Qingyan were accompanying them, the butler was waiting for them, the two of them seemed to have no idea that Yun Qianliang would return to the house today, and were happily chatting.


    "This prime minister and the Jin Wang are really fated." Gu Yicheng had not even walked into the main hall, and the voice had already sounded, breaking the sound of the warm and joyous atmosphere.


    Song Jingjing and Yun Qinan stopped talking, and looked at the owner of the voice who had released such an unpleasant sound, only to see Gu Yicheng and Yun Qianliang holding hands and walking in. The two of them were dressed in purple today, looking noble and elegant.


    What made people envious was the accessories on their waists. On the half-moon jade pendant, the two of them perfectly combined into a circle.


    "Greetings Jin Wang." Walking into the hall, Yun Qianliang took out her hand, and faced the dark blue embroidered robed man''s cold face, and looked at the other person sitting upwards: "I have seen you. "Father."


    When Yun Qianliang paused for a while, she swallowed the word "father" back down her throat and replaced it with the word "strange" and "father".


    Yun Qianliang had never been self-aware, and always thought that Yun Qinan doted on sher, and called her father in a loud and clear voice. Thinking about the poison in her body, and how she was treated like a chess piece and married into the Gu Xiangfu, he was afraid that he would never be able to call her that ever again.


    Yun Qinan, he couldn''t afford it.


    "Greetings, father-in-law. I''m still feeling unwell. I came back late, I hope father-in-law doesn''t mind." Gu Yicheng respectfully paid his respects to his father-in-law, using the same unhealthy excuse as before to use as a shield.


    "You''re back. Take a seat." Yun Qinan was not in a good mood, following Gu Yicheng''s words, she looked at Yun Qianliang who was bowing politely and said: If you are not well, then there is no need to come back, the one who has suffered from the cold is still you, do not trouble Gu Xiang to worry about you.


    "Father taught me well." Yun Qianliang had a smile on his face the entire time, the care and concern he showed grew. "I heard that Yun Xiang Mansion is a thief, and as her daughter, she should naturally come back to see father because she is frightened. Seeing that father is well, daughter feels a lot more at ease."


    Yun Qinan sized up the slim and graceful woman in front of him. After the incident with the Lu family, he had crippled his wife and helped her aunt, although she had not stolen her identity as a direct daughter, he had never treated her well. As she grew older, her personality became more arrogant and willful, and he was even more unhappy, as she did not like seeing this daughter of his.


    Seeing it today, he felt that there was something different about it.


    "Why didn''t elder sister send someone to inform everyone that she was coming back today? Qingyan will be waiting for you at the door." Yun Qingyan stood up and smiled, he wanted to grab Yun Qianliang''s hand to show her friendliness, that kind and forgiving smile, it was truly charming.


    "Second Miss, it''s better not to touch shallowness. I''m afraid Jin Wang cannot afford it." Gu Yicheng dragged the person behind him and placed Yun Qianliang onto a chair, leaving him hanging there awkwardly.


    Yun Qinan could not see his beloved daughter being wronged, and had even looked at Yun Qianliang with new eyes, immediately reverting back to her original form, thinking that it was because of Yun Qianliang''s instigation that people had misunderstood Yun Qingyan, making her feel wronged.


    "Qian Chao, Jin Wang has already settled this matter. Don''t try to ruin Qingyan''s reputation with your temper." Yun Qinan turned her head to look at Song Yingjin''s expression, seeing that her actions had gained taciturn approval, she became bolder and bolder, "Hurry and apologize to Qingyan."


    Yun Qianliang originally wanted to take up his teacup and quietly drink her tea, ignoring the battle. Hearing the word "apologize", she blinked and put the tea that was brought to his mouth down.


    It was none other than Gu Yicheng''s doing, it wasn''t related to her at all. Ifhe couldn''t bully Gu Yicheng, she would just use her as a show of force to bully Gu Yicheng, treating him like a soft persimmon.


    "Father, may I ask, what reason do I have to apologize to my sister?" Yun Qianliang raised her gaze, and the heavenly eyes looked straight into his furious eyes, although her words were a question, the discontent in her eyes was clear, a question.


    "Qian Qian, why are you talking to your father?" Now that he was in Yun Xiang Mansion''s territory, she definitely had to settle the score with Yun Qianliang for her daughter, "After causing such a ruckus and making your father lose face, do you think that it''s not enough?"


    Yun Qianliang stared at Qin family with interest, ridicule could be seen from the serious look on her face, as if she was watching a play.


    After the Qin family finished speaking, she pursed his lips and smiled.


    That was her usual smile when provoking others. The more confident and calm she was, the more amiable and beautiful she would be.


    "Thieves entered the manor. Although my father wasn''t scared, I felt that everyone was scared. Otherwise, why would you be so rude?" Yun Qianliang smiled curiously, looking pure and innocent.


    "Father and Mother didn''t know that Big Sister and Brother-in-law had returned today, and coincidentally, Jin Wang had come to visit them at their residence. Qingyan was worried that the guests wouldn''t be good enough, so he let Housekeeper Liu wait by the side, and didn''t receive Qingyan in time. Please don''t be angry, Big Sister."


    Yun Qianliang spoke a lot of words, causing his throat to hurt even more, she felt that it was a little painful, thinking that it was to add fuel to the fire, she picked up her tea cup to moisturize his throat, the water in the tea flowed down his throat felt much more comfortable.


    "In my opinion, Jin Wang being here in Yun Xiang Mansion today is not a coincidence." Gu Yicheng saw that she was not feeling well, and took over the conversation, pointing the spear at Song Shujin, "It''s just that I have no intention of bringing this up with cloud phase, and will be bringing Drifting Water back to the residence to visit father. I was originally going to instruct Jin Wang to not come over these few days, so as to not catch up with my interest. It seems like I have made a mistake in my calculations, I did not expect the Jin Wang to be so interested in my family.


    Gu Yicheng shook his head, his face was filled with regret, as though he was really unwilling to let go of his wife.


    Hearing that, Yun Qianliang''s gaze turned to Song Shujin, but in the eyes of Song Shujin, there was coldness, and just as he was about to warn him, she indifferently retracted his gaze, as if giving an unimportant gaze to an admirer, which made Song Shujin extremely angry.


    Yun Qingyan slowly paced back to his seat and looked at the handsome man sitting on the seat in front of his with an injured gaze. His delicate eyebrows were knotted, allowing others to see that she was troubled and wronged, but not destroying his beauty.


    "Gu Xiang has the ability to speak nonsense. This king understands." Song Shujin retorted expressionlessly.


    Hearing that, Yun Qingyan heaved a sigh of relief, and stopped complaining.

 C32

    Chapter 32 - Self-awareness


    Yun Qianliang was a heartless person, just like now.


    In the middle of the awkward silence of the main hall, Yun Qingyan was clearly relieved from those words. Even the others couldn''t help but be anxious from the smoke rising from the sky.


    Yun Qianliang''s bright and beautiful face turned rosy, the indifference in her eyes when he glanced at Song Shujin had changed, and her eyes had a strong desire to watch a good show.


    "Jin Wang''s attitude towards me has regressed." She smiled, a smile that dyed her amorous eyes. It was as if a flower was about to bloom in the corner of her eyes. Her eyebrows were like a painting, and her eyes were like a crescent moon.


    Everyone couldn''t help but look at her. Even the ladies couldn''t help but feel a bit envious.


    That incredibly beautiful face was like a masterpiece created by God. In order to match this figure, he had also sculpted her most exquisite facial features and most beautiful facial features. Without a doubt, she was a favored child of the heavens.


    In the past, Yun Qianliang always shamed his face. He was both beautiful and beautiful, but it was inevitable that he was a little vulgar and his domineering attitude completely destroyed his advantage, to the point that he had the appearance of a fox spirit. But the current Yun Qianliang really knew how to take advantage of herself. As long as his expression was a little gentler, that sort of flirtatious expression would carry gentleness, like the spring waves in March that could captivate a person''s heart.


    Yun Qianliang acted as though she did not know, and continued: "In the past, Jin Wang hated me, but I have never stirred up too much emotion, and even more so, it is impossible for me to truly be angry, but now, you wish for nothing more than to skin me."


    In the past, he disliked her and directly ordered her to leave. However, this restrained anger meant that she had truly stirred up his emotions.


    Gu Yicheng had seen too much of that face, so he was somewhat immune to it.


    It was true that he had seen a lot, but he had seen it from the shadows, so it wasn''t as open and honorable.


    Although it was breathtaking, it was still a performance after all, so it did not stir up too much people''s hearts. Compared to what the Princess Xi had done, it was way too weak.


    "It''s already too late for Jin Wang to be interested." Gu Yicheng desired nothing more than to stir up more trouble than chaos.


    "Shallowly, don''t talk nonsense." Qin family reprimanded him.


    "I had always been curious why Qingyan would be called concubinage after you became Qingyan''s legal wife. "It was only after we got married that I realized ¡­" Yun Qianliang paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping past the Qin family and her mother, and the redness on their faces faded away. The former was angry, while the latter was unresigned. In the end, Yun Qianliang''s gaze fell on Yun Qinan who was sitting in the right seat, and slowly finished her sentence, "So it was just my family that did this."


    Speaking to this point, Qin family finally understood that Yun Qianliang had come back to cause trouble.


    Yun Qianliang''s throat was really uncomfortable. After speaking a few words, her throat immediately became dry and she wanted to cough.


    Yun Qianliang hated letting his enemies see his weakness. When she thought about what would happen next, she felt a little frustrated.


    "Father and Jin Wang have some things to discuss, so I''ll head back to Xiao Sheng Yuan first. I''ll eat with Father during lunch time." Saying that, Yun Qianliang stood up, then turned to the two unsightly faces and left. However, she did not bring Gu Yicheng away.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue went back to the Xiao Sheng Yuan to clean up. This time, she brought 13 or 14 guards with her, and when they saw Yun Qianliang coming out, the two of them immediately followed, leaving the Gu San to continue waiting outside.


    Compared to the Gu Xiangfu, he felt that the salary of the Yun Xiang Mansion was truly higher. In truth, the Gu family was the one who had made the country, and their foundation was many times better than the Yun Xiang Mansion, just that they looked clean and honest.


    Yun Qianliang left the house and blew at the wind. His nose sneezed, making her realize that something was wrong.


    Although her physical strength was greater than that of an ordinary girl, her foundation was still lacking, not as good as her well-trained body.


    Thinking about it this way, Yun Qianliang laughed in the bottom of her heart. After returning to the door, he became ill, and if word of this were to spread, would outsiders think that she was under too much pressure to go home, and would cause a bit of harm to the Yun Xiang Mansion?


    If she had to, she wouldn''t mind blowing the wind and getting sick.


    However, Yun Qianliang''s method of killing a thousand enemies to harm herself was useless. A outer garment draped over her body, bringing with it a faint scent of makeup, mixed in with the cold aura, as though it had been dispersed.


    The ancients dressed elegantly and wore several layers. Below the outer garment, there was still a brocade robe that could be seen.


    Yun Qianliang''s footsteps paused slightly as she calmed herself down and pulled the outer garment on her body a little tighter.


    "Why are you still waiting outside?" Gu Yicheng calmly walked beside her with his hands behind his back.


    "I was worried that you would put me down and ruin my reputation." Yun Qianliang told the truth of his thought, and then coughed lightly.


    What Gu Yicheng wanted to do, she could not hold back. She had already done what he wanted Gu Yicheng to do, she was only in a passive position, and was willing to do anything for Wen Meng to delay her, and could only wait for the next order.


    She was already having a difficult time at the Prime Minister''s Estate. She didn''t have any chips left in her hand and her life was getting more and more miserable.


    But there was no helping it, she had already lost her wager in his hands. She was the one who had brought him suffering, so she had to suffer.


    "Why did you come out?" Yun Qianliang didn''t lose out and threw a question over.


    "Two fists is no match for four hands. Retreat strategically." Gu Yicheng had never liked to do things that made one feel bad.


    He had already entered the Yun Xiang Mansion. As long as he was still here, Song Shujin felt that there was hidden danger. He would inevitably come to the Yun Xiang Mansion to join in the fun and gather diligently.


    Yun Qianliang did not make a sound, and only coughed occasionally when it was difficult to endure.


    "I know about Wen Meng''s matter and I''m not at ease. Aren''t you angry?" Gu Yicheng tried to probe.


    Yun Qianliang was startled, he did not expect him to take the initiative and mention this matter.


    "There''s nothing to be angry about." Yun Qianliang laughed, "For now, I don''t want to make an enemy like you."


    A man dotes on that girl, and he knows that she has done bad things, yet he still accepts her without any regrets. This shows that he is willing to ignore right and wrong for her sake, and she can''t possibly lick her face and say that she wants to wake him up from the perspective of justice?


    Moreover, he had done a foolish thing in his consciousness. He doted on her and unconditionally protected her. If he was angry, he would be able to solve the problem by saying what was right and wrong.


    This was also why she didn''t retaliate even though she knew that Wen Meng was the mastermind.


    It was not to give face to Wen Meng, but to fear the Gu Yicheng behind her.


    But this was just this, if Wen Meng were to offend her, her retaliation would definitely make Wen Meng regret her actions in this world.


    With these thoughts in his mind, Yun Qianliang couldn''t help but think of his mischievous behavior in the main hall, and those words that left a deep impression in her mind.


    Before being selected as a secret service agent, the instructor who taught her fighting techniques had always praised and belittled her. When she was selected as a spy and hid in the enemy camp, Yun Qianliang would always think of that phrase at the most difficult times.


    Once activated, she would grow fangs that could kill the enemy. Once this species caught the scent of the enemy, it would not stop until it was dead.


    Yun Qianliang, she is a wolf that has yet to be killed!

 C33

    Chapter 33 - Activities in the night


    The flowers in the courtyard were planted by Lu Yao. Over the years, the gardener had come to the courtyard several times, and Qin family had mentioned many times that he would like to regrow some flowers for the Xiao Sheng Yuan. However, Yun Qianliang always rejected him.


    This was the shadow of Lu Yao that was the only thing that could be found within the Yun Xiang Mansion.


    Yun Qianliang led her people through the courtyard and arrived at the backyard. Her throat felt uncomfortable, and she only told Gu Yicheng a few important places.


    Yesterday, when he found out that Gu Yicheng would bring her back, Yun Qinan still sent people to clean the courtyard, and the servants had already moved their things into Xiao Sheng Yuan, while Qiu Yue brought his people to pass on the gifts, of which only Chun Hua was waiting for.


    Chun Hua squatted on the roof and smelled a pot of ginger tea using the stove. When she saw his master come in, he stood up to welcome him.


    After entering the room, the warmth came again. Yun Qianliang took the outer garment away and passed it back to Gu Yicheng, who put it back on.


    After that, Chun Hua carried the teapot and entered the house. Seeing that the outer garment had returned to the original owner''s body, she walked towards her without batting an eyelid.


    "Madam, please drink some ginger tea to warm your body and not catch a cold." Chun Hua poured a cup of hot ginger tea and placed it in front of Master. Then, she hesitantly looked at the man sitting on the side, who was sizing up Xiao Sheng Yuan. due to etiquette, she unwillingly asked: "Master, do you want a drink?"


    "Madame has caught a bit of cold, please prepare some for her." Gu Yicheng waved his hand.


    "Indeed, I feel a bit uncomfortable. You must be careful." Yun Qianliang held his teacup, and stared at the hot air.


    "When Madam was still in Yun Xiang Mansion, she didn''t like Jiang garlic." Chun Hua replied sullenly, looking a little like she was deliberately competing with him.


    Gu Yicheng glanced at the servant who held hostility towards him, and then looked at Yun Qianliang.


    Yun Qianliang raised the corner of his mouth and nodded as she admitted it.


    Indeed, she didn''t like Jiang Ya, or perhaps it should be said that she actually disliked the taste of Jiang Ya.


    In the past, due to her special status, she could not have weaknesses. She had been forced to eat before.


    Yun Qianliang picked up the ginger tea, blew his red lips lightly, and then slowly drank it all. He didn''t even frown.


    Chun Hua watched her master finish her wine and not fill her up again.


    Because no one in Gu Xiangfu would care about her preferences, they had to eat them whether they liked her or not, forcing them to accept things they disliked calmly. The more indifferent their master was, the more Chun Hua cared about his master''s situation.


    "Chun Hua, bring the furnace inside." The warmth that came from when Yun Qianliang first came back, disappeared after she sat for a while. It was as if a gust of wind had entered her back, making him feel cool.


    Chun Hua brought the furnace in, and Yun Qianliang moved a small stool over to sit on it. She stared at the burning coal in the stove and spoke out lazily, raising a serious question.


    "In these days in Yun Xiang Mansion, how do I live?" Yun Qianliang placed his hands on his knees, placed his head on his arms, and tilted his head to look at Gu Yicheng, "Although we have been married for a long time, and are considered a loving couple to outsiders, but in reality, we have never fallen asleep together. In Gu Xiangfu, even without a servant, we are not allowed to enter.


    "There''s always a first time." Gu Yicheng was unaffected by the sudden change of events.


    Yun Qianliang snorted, extended his hand out, made a hand gesture of counting money, and opened her palm.


    "You still have to pay for this?" Gu Yicheng frowned slightly.


    What did she think she was?


    "You still want me to ¡­" Yun Qianliang suddenly stood up, halfway through her words, her head suddenly felt dizzy, the scene in front of her eyes seemed to be spinning, in that moment, she could hear people talking, but she could not hear them clearly.


    Gu Yicheng quickly stood up and supported the person who was heading towards the furnace.


    The round stool in front of the table fell to the ground, rolled twice, and was stopped at the table leg.


    Yun Qianliang leaned against him for a while, the dizziness in her head gradually receded, and the feeling of it slowly returned.


    "You have a fever." Gu Yicheng touched her forehead and solemnly told her.


    Yun Qianliang raised her hand to distance herself from the two of them, as she took half a step back to pull the distance between them.


    "It''s fine. I just need to rest for a while." Yun Qianliang walked in, "Go ahead."


    It was late autumn and the night was quiet. There were a few stars scattered above his head.


    The silence in Yun Xiang Mansion was suddenly broken as candles and flames lit up one after another, followed by sounds.


    Outside of the Xiao Sheng Yuan''s door, Gu Shisan and Gu Shisi stopped the butler and bodyguards of the Yun Xiang Mansion. Both parties had their own opinions and the atmosphere became tense.


    "Yun Xiang Mansion is making trouble for the assassins. Prime Minister is worried for Eldest Miss and Young Master''s safety and has sent us here to protect you. Isn''t it shameful for Imperial Guard Gu to stop us like this? Can we not go in to protect you?" The Housekeeper Liu relied on his numbers and his words were not inferior to others. His despicable appearance made people disgusted.


    "The guards of the Gu family will naturally protect the safety of my master and his wife. It is not up to you, a steward, to insist that we are capable. How can you allow yourself to slander my master?" The sword that Gu Shisan was using to face the door did not move at all, it was so threatening that it stood right in front of him.


    "This is the Yun Xiang Mansion!" The Housekeeper Liu warned.


    Yun Qianliang was unconscious, but he was struggling within the nightmare. Her ears were sensitive to sound, and the quarrels outside stimulated her drowsy consciousness, pulling his back from her nightmare.


    Yun Qianliang opened his sleepy eyes and frowned. He then heard the window of his room being gently pushed open and two figures entering through it. The air was still filled with the smell of blood, which caused Yun Qianliang''s frown to deepen.


    Both of them quickly took off their night clothes as they entered the room.


    After changing into his regular clothes, Gu Yicheng walked towards the bedside, raised the green cloth covering the bed and prepared to pretend to be taking care of someone. Just as he lifted the corner, he saw that under the dim candlelight, the beautiful person was staring at him with wide open eyes.


    "I woke up just in time to get rid of the people outside." Gu Yicheng''s hand merely paused for a moment, and continued his actions.


    Yun Qianliang stared at him for a long time before lifting up his body and stepping off the bed.


    "If you''re in a hurry for something like that, you can tell me." Yun Qianliang''s voice still carried a sickly hoarseness and weakness, but from her mouth, it was filled with coldness and indifference, like a frozen lake in the middle of winter, so cold that not a trace of emotion could be heard.


    Since she had promised to do it, her illness could not be a reason for suspending her mission.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes looked at Gu San who was carrying a bag of clothes with him, her gaze landed on Gu San who was bleeding profusely, there was a line of blood on her left arm, it was inconspicuous under the dark color of the clothes, but it could not be concealed from the people who wanted to investigate.


    Yun Qianliang walked in front of the dressing mirror and opened the cabinet on the right. She took out the black needle and thread, and casually took out a box of rouge.


    "Give me the package." Yun Qianliang''s words were unquestionable.


    Gu San looked at Master who was standing beside the bed. Seeing him nod his head, he then handed over the package.


    Yun Qianliang opened the package and poured the rouge onto the bloodstained night attire. He used the rouge to suck the blood, and used the scent to cover the smell of blood. Then, she spread out the bag and sewed two stitches into the corners of the bag.


    "Pick up the needle." Yun Qianliang pointed to the darker roof behind the bed.


    Seeing that Yun Qianliang had finished explaining, the two of them went over to the screen to grab the capes on it, and without giving them any chance to reject, the two of them accepted their orders and took care of two corners, and then threw the four needles onto the roof. The black cloth bag was placed on the wooden board, and added to that, after looking at it carefully, it did not seem like there was any problem.


    Yun Qianliang put on the cloak, and the way the two of them looked at her was already different from before. The former was interested, while the latter was surprised.


    "Sorry." Yun Qianliang walked to the front of Gu San and apologized coldly. He then pulled out the sword from Gu San''s body and slashed at his left arm that was drenched in blood, then she threw all the teapots in the room to the ground and roared, "Useless."


    Yun Qianliang''s voice rang out in the Xiao Sheng Yuan and everyone facing each other outside the courtyard were stunned.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue came out to serve him quickly, only to see Yun Qianliang coming out angrily. She was still holding onto the sword that had cut Gu San, and he walked out angrily, which caused people to be afraid.


    "Miss, what is this about?" Chun Hua naturally greeted her as she was in a rush.


    "Scram." Yun Qianliang swept the place with her cold eyes, looking extremely intimidating.


    Gu Yicheng and Gu San were in the room, looking at each other, they stared at the sword wound, which completely overlapped with the injury they had suffered earlier, and did not deviate at all.


    "This prime minister''s wife is truly astonishing." The light in Gu Yicheng''s eyes was dark and undefined, his mouth was curled up sinisterly, and after he finished speaking, he changed into a worried expression and followed him out.


    Yun Qianliang raised her sword and walked out, the anger and impatience in her eyes could be felt from far away.


    "Try again!" Yun Qianliang stood inside the courtyard, the sword in her hand was pointed at Housekeeper Liu''s right eye, a cold light shooting out of his eyes. In this broken night, her hoarse voice actually made people feel an endless amount of killing intent.


    "Qian Qian, don''t be angry." Gu Yicheng went up to coax them, and turned to give the Gu San a sinister warning: "The next time you anger the Madam, I will personally take action!"


    "Gu San knows his wrongs." Gu San kneeled on one knee, clutching the wound on his left arm, admitting his mistake.


    "I''m not angry anymore, I''ll get someone to change the pot of tea." Gu Yicheng explained the reason behind this "tragedy"


    "For the sake of the prime minister, I''ll let you off this time." She threw the sword in her hand next to Gu San''s feet.


    Gu San picked up the sword and sheathed it back into its sheath. "Thank you Madam for your kindness."


    Yun Qianliang coldly snorted as she turned her head to look at the Housekeeper Liu and the guards outside the door. "Housekeeper Liu brought a group of guards to my Xiao Sheng Yuan in the middle of the night.


    Housekeeper Liu was so frightened by the scene that his legs went limp. He was barely able to stand after being supported by someone.


    Hearing that, the Housekeeper Liu did not dare act rashly again. Pushing away the two people who were supporting him, he stepped forward and bowed.


    "Reporting to Eldest Miss, the mansion is making trouble for the assassins. Master is worried about the safety of you and Gu Xiang, let us look for the assassins to see if they have broken into the Xiao Sheng Yuan, and also stay to protect Eldest Miss and Gu Xiang."

 C34

    Chapter 34 - Statement of position


    "I see, so it''s because of father''s good intentions." Yun Qianliang emphasized the word ''good intentions'', his extremely angry face had a smile that was not a smile, and it added to his cold tone, "It''s rare that father still has the heart to care about my life and death, this kind of decision I take."


    Yun Qianliang held onto her cape tightly, and signaled the two who were blocking him with their hands. The two of them simultaneously pulled their swords away, retreating to block the entrance of the courtyard, allowing Su Yun to enter Xiao Sheng Yuan.


    Housekeeper Liu waved his hand, and the guards behind him filed in.


    Yun Qianliang quietly sat in the small hall of the Xiao Sheng Yuan, watching the butler smile and fear in her heart, watched the bodyguards going back and forth in the Xiao Sheng Yuan, rummaging through the Xiao Sheng Yuan, there was a big commotion.


    After the time it takes for an incense to burn, the guards returned to report. There were still Yun Qianliang''s room that had not been searched, and there were no traces of them anywhere else. Housekeeper Liu panicked even more, but had to muster up his courage to discuss with Yun Qianliang.


    "Eldest Miss, only your room has not been investigated, what if the assassin hides in your room? I''m afraid that it would not be beneficial for you and the Gu Xiang." Housekeeper Liu was kind enough to remind him, but under Yun Qianliang''s attentive gaze, he guiltily lowered his head, not daring to look those eyes in the eye.


    "So Yun Xiang Mansion actually treated his married daughter and son-in-law like this?" Gu Yicheng sat upright on the left side of the bed and drank some cold tea. He scoffed at Housekeeper Liu''s persistent actions, "Slight, since Father-in-law does not trust you and I, and thinks that the two of us may be hiding assassins, why not let Housekeeper Liu personally lead people to investigate and prove our innocence."


    "Darling is right." Yun Qianliang faked a smile: "Chun Hua, bring Housekeeper Liu in for a check, don''t let people mess up the room, after we get everything tidied up, let me rest."


    "Don''t worry Madam, Chun Hua will definitely watch it well." Chun Hua accepted the order and walked towards the Housekeeper Liu, "Housekeeper Liu, please."


    Housekeeper Liu glanced at the mess in the Xiao Sheng Yuan, and with an embarrassed expression, he followed Chun Hua and left.


    After leaving his own people in the small hall, Yun Qianliang put away his weird expression, supported himself with his head and rubbed his exhausted forehead. His mind started to wander as he thought about what had happened tonight.


    She knew that Gu Yicheng had travelled to the Yun Xiang Mansion for a certain item, but she did not know what exactly that item was yet, but looking at the situation tonight, the Yun Xiang Mansion had hidden the item very well, and needed Gu Yicheng to personally act. The people who protected the item had great martial arts skills, so even if Gu Yicheng and the Gu San joined forces, they would still be unable to accomplish anything, and one of them was even injured.


    According to her knowledge, Yun Qinan was a person with deep ambitions, but he had started from scratch, he did not have the ancestor''s achievements on him, and after the Lu family fell, he did not have any family to rely on, although he held the position of the Right Premier in the imperial court, compared to the other officials, Yun Qinan''s family background was much weaker, and he might not even have the strength to recruit experts to serve him.


    Tonight''s matter was either Song Shujin participating in it, borrowing people to protect the important object in Yun Qinan''s hands, or Song Shujin truly wanted to obtain it. He sent some experts to wait for an opportunity and discovered that there was someone who wanted to help him. This way, it would explain why Song Shujin thought so highly of Yun Qinan. The reason was that Yun Qinan had an important information in her hands.


    Yun Qianliang opened her eyes, rubbing the center of her brows, she stopped.


    Both the Crown Prince and Minister Zuo had spent a lot of time and effort to get it. If it wasn''t for the information that was detrimental to both of them, it might have been something that could change the political situation in the capital!


    The Housekeeper Liu led the guards out disappointedly, like a rooster who had lost a duel.


    "It seems like the result is out." Gu Yicheng put down his teacup and waited for Housekeeper Liu to announce the results.


    "There are no signs of assassins in First Miss''s room. First Miss and Gu Xiang can rest in peace. I will take my leave now." Housekeeper Liu replied with a smile, he led the guards away and their gazes landed on the injured Gu San, he stopped his steps and asked, "Gu Xiang''s guards are injured, do you want to look for a doctor to take a look?"


    The prime minister said that an assassin had been injured, and that the guard had been injured. Was it really such a coincidence?


    Gu San stood straight, his eyes looked towards the female owner who had injured her, and he could only see disdain and annoyance in her eyes, but he still tactfully rejected her, "It''s just a small wound, there''s no need to worry."


    "Let the doctors in Yun Xiang Mansion see, otherwise others will think that I, Yun Qianliang, do not treat servants as human beings." Yun Qianliang did not appreciate his kindness at all, the word "servant" coming out of her mouth was truly insignificant.


    "Yes." Gu San clenched his teeth and suppressed his anger.


    Housekeeper Liu realized that there was a secret atmosphere between master and servant, he pretended not to see, "Imperial Guard Gu, after you."


    "Wait a moment." Yun Qianliang called out to Housekeeper Liu who was about to leave.


    Housekeeper Liu turned around and asked, "Is there anything else Eldest Miss needs?"


    "Housekeeper Liu is going to report to father, then help me pass on a message." Yun Qianliang sat upright, she raised her hand to brush off the loose black hair on her temples, and laughed coldly, "If this assassin was rushing towards the Yun Xiang Mansion, he should not have barged into the Xiao Sheng Yuan, and the Housekeeper Liu did not bring anyone else to search for him, instead, he went straight to the Xiao Sheng Yuan, it is likely that he came for the people of the Gu Xiangfu, but whether we go back to live in the old courtyard, or live in another place, only the people of the palace knows, I hope father does not look into the people of the manor too much, and do not just look at the outsiders, and ignore the thieves of the manor!"


    Housekeeper Liu''s heart quivered as cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    What he meant was that this farce of an assassin tonight, was caused by the Yun Xiang Mansion killing him?


    "This little one will definitely carry it out." Housekeeper Liu quickly replied and brought him to find a doctor who was raising the Gu San to check on his injuries.


    Housekeeper Liu had been probing the Gu San the whole way, but he was in a very bad mood. He was completely ungrateful to Housekeeper Liu''s kindness and consolation, like a diamond body that had no hole to enter, holding onto his aura and standing there, letting people show their goodwill and win over everyone. He was just like a diamond statue that could not even listen to a single word, a dead thing.


    In the end, the Housekeeper Liu simply ignored him and led him to the courtyard where the doctor lived. After confirming that the sword wound was the only thing on his body, he arranged for a servant to accompany him.


    When Housekeeper Liu arrived at the study room, there were two solemn looking guards standing guard. He walked to the door but was not stopped, he directly pushed the door open and entered, then closed the door behind him.


    "What''s the situation?" Yun Qinan was anxious while waiting.


    The thing in his hand had already been exposed, not only did Gu Yicheng want it, but there was also that person who helped him out from the shadows coveting it. If it wasn''t for the fact that he had protected the item well, he was afraid that it would have already been snatched away by the people who were watching over him before Gu Yicheng could come to look for it.


    "Prime Minister, I have not discovered anything." Housekeeper Liu stared at the huge pressure and reported the results of the search.


    Sure enough, after hearing the report, Yun Qinan flew into a rage and slammed her palm on the table.


    "Nothing." Yun Qinan picked up the inkstone from the table and threw it towards the Housekeeper Liu, "The clues are so obvious, we didn''t manage to find any evidence, what''s the use of this method?"


    Using the momentum when he was kneeling, Housekeeper Liu dodged Yan Tai.


    "Lord Prime Minister, please calm your anger. After I received your order, I immediately led some people to the Xiao Sheng Yuan. Unfortunately, there were Gu Xiangfu guards blocking me, so I was unable to go in to investigate in time." Housekeeper Liu slightly raised his head. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw that Yun Qinan''s anger had increased, and hurriedly replied: "But I suspect that there''s a problem with Eldest Miss."


    Hearing that, Yun Qinan''s anger filled her heart, "What''s wrong with that piece of trash?"


    "When I brought my men there, I argued with the Gu Xiangfu''s guards for a long time. According to Eldest Miss''s pampered personality, when she rested, she was the one who could not be disturbed by servants. She had to get up and punish her, but this time, Eldest Miss only came out from her room after a long time. When the young miss came out, she was holding a sword in her hand, and the Gu Xiang bodyguard''s left arm just happened to be injured, according to the Gu Xiang, the bodyguard had offended the young miss, and was injured by the young miss, doesn''t the young master feel that something is amiss? " Housekeeper Liu explained all his suspicions.


    Yun Qinan calmed down and started thinking.


    As he gave the order to search the Xiao Sheng Yuan, he recalled the figures of the two assassins and the speed at which one of them made his move. He confirmed that it was very likely to be Gu Yicheng, but he didn''t expect that the result wouldn''t be as good as he had expected.


    "When I left, the eldest young miss even had me deliver a message to the prime minister." Housekeeper Liu secretly heaved a sigh of relief in his heart, and passed on Yun Qianliang''s words to him, bringing his anger to Yun Qianliang in exchange for his own relief.


    "What does she mean?" Yun Qinan was so angry that her chest was moving up and down, her face flushed red, her eyes became ruthless, "After she married Gu Yicheng, she thought that he could fly onto a branch and become a phoenix, how dare he suspect me, and bring disaster to Yun Xiang Mansion!"


    Yun Qinan pondered for a long time and made a decision about Yun Qianliang''s punishments.


    Yun Qianliang had arranged for her to die in Gu Xiangfu, so if he wanted her to die, he could do so anytime. Right now, the most important thing was to get Gu Yicheng out of Yun Xiang Mansion.


    Gu Yicheng had already detected the thing in his hands, and could no longer leave the wolf in the mansion.


    "Go and invite the young miss." After Yun Qinan calmed down, she instructed them carefully.


    When the Housekeeper Liu came to invite them again, the gates to the Xiao Sheng Yuan''s courtyard had already closed.


    Housekeeper Liu knocked hard on the door and shouted loudly.


    Yun Qianliang had slept for a long time in the day, but after this incident, she lost all sleep. A group of people sat quietly in the small hall, listening to the commotion outside.


    Yun Qianliang sighed lightly and finally got up.


    "I''m afraid we''ll need to make a decision now. Are you sure you want to go?" Gu Yicheng reminded her.


    Tonight would be a turning point, and Yun Qianliang''s choice would determine her life and death. Once she gave up on the Yun Family, the poison that was buried in her body would probably act up, and if she gave up on the Gu Xiangfu to save himself, there would be no place for her in the Gu Xiangfu either.


    "I can only say that I am neither a person with emotions nor a heartless person." Yun Qianliang resolutely walked out.


    The Yun Family had already abandoned her, and even if they helped the Yun Family, she would still be pushed to death by them. Gu Yicheng, on the other hand, still had some feelings of partnership towards her, so there was no need to worry.

 C35

    Chapter 35 - Interutilization


    "Eldest Miss, you can go in." Housekeeper Liu invited the person to the study room''s entrance and retreated out of the study room''s courtyard. He waited outside the moon gate to prevent anyone from intruding.


    Yun Qianliang crossed the threshold and walked into the study.


    Yun Qinan was seated behind her desk, waiting for her to come. Upon hearing the sound, he raised her eyes and looked towards the door.


    Yun Qianliang had changed into a moon-white dress with a moon-green cloak embroidered with plum blossom smoke. The lanterns and flames that were placed under the eaves at the entrance were reflected on her fair and reddish face, giving his a rosy and glossy appearance. She walked through the night. The cold night mist was like smoke that was rippling on her body. He was dazzlingly beautiful, as if he was an enchantress that had walked out into the night to attract souls.


    As Yun Qinan looked at that face, the image of the person in the portrait appeared in his mind. It was also a breathtakingly beautiful face, but the corners of the person''s eyes kept concealing her worries.


    Yun Qinan pinched the center of her brows, shaking off the beautiful images in her mind, and said to her daughter who was walking into the study: "Close the door."


    Yun Qianliang turned his body to the side, turned her head and looked at the empty Qing Hui courtyard, in the end, she still turned around and embraced the two sides of the door, and then closed it.


    "It''s already deep into the night, why hasn''t father rested yet?" Yun Qianliang seemed to have forgotten the incident with the Assassin that caused a huge ruckus.


    "Come over and sit." Yun Qinan waved towards Yun Qianliang, telling her to sit in the chair opposite the desk.


    Yun Qianliang walked over obediently and sat down obediently, like an obedient girl.


    "You are a premature baby, born a little one. In the blink of an eye, you have grown into a slender and graceful young lady. You are now a married woman." Yun Qinan talked about the past under the candle flame, as if she had aged a lot. The candle flame swayed in the wind that blew in through the window, and landed on the side of his face, which still retained the handsome face of her youth. There was an additional calmness and vicissitudes, as well as a hidden shrewdness and calculation in her eyes.


    "Daughter''s family will always be married when she reaches her prime." Yun Qianliang replied indifferently.


    "That''s right, a girl can''t stay in a girl''s university." Yun Qinan sighed, she seemed to be a kind father, "In the day, your mother will be watching, so there are many things that I shouldn''t ask.


    Yun Qianliang nodded and listened carefully.


    "Qian Qian Qian, have you ever blamed your father? You and Jin Wang were already betrothed to each other, but your father allowed Qing Yan to have very close interactions with the Jin Wang, so much so that later on, you committed suicide and almost lost your life. " Yun Qinan took note of the expression of the person in front of him, afraid that he would miss out on anything strange.


    Yun Qianliang was startled, a look of loneliness flashed past her eyes, but she smirked and laughed: "There is a good saying: To know that I am fortunate is to lose my life. In the past, I was no longer stubborn, so there is no need for Father to feel guilty about it. "


    "Are you really uninterested in the Jin Wang?" Yun Qinan kept asking.


    Yun Qianliang nodded, "I do."


    The more attached she was, the more heartless she became. When she decided to discard an item, even if the other party begged her to be kind, she would remain indifferent, and would even be stingy with her charity.


    The Yun Family was something she had to abandon, and Song Shujin was also someone she had to.


    When the two were of no use, they were less valuable than trash in her eyes!


    "It''s a good thing that you can give up, your mother had committed crimes and was sent to a bitter and cold place, that year I did my best to make your mother my concubine, and that I had to protect your life and mother''s. But at that time you had already developed deep feelings for the Jin Wang, and marrying a Jin Wang with your status would only lead to suffering, becoming an uncrossable joke in the Royal Family." Yun Qinan continued to explain the reason for him objecting to her marrying the Jin Wang, it was true meaning, but in Yun Qianliang''s eyes, her actions now were more like a joke.


    "In the past, the imperial edict stated that the sin of not being able to marry into the family, and my father still resolutely made my mother into an aunt. This caused my mother to suffer every day, and finally perish." Yun Qianliang''s clear eyes looked at her father who was pretending to be affectionate and benevolent, the scheme in his eyes was deep, but it was unable to hide from her eyes. She spoke of the past calmly, to the point where his words could not be heard.


    "You are still young, there are too many things that you do not understand. If I do not do that, once Yun Xiang Mansion falls, court officials will look for all kinds of ways to fight against Yun Xiang Mansion, how can I protect you and your daughter?" Yun Qinan explained anxiously, trying to redeem her fatherly image.


    "Then, did you manage to protect it?" Yun Qianliang asked.


    Yun Qinan was momentarily at a loss for words. There were many words stuffed into her throat, making him unable to say a single word.


    The cold wind outside the window rapidly beat against the door and the windowsill. The atmosphere in the study was eerily quiet. Facing that quiet person, his heart actually felt a sense of oppression, causing him to feel a little nervous.


    Yun Qianliang saw his reaction, and only pursed his lips and chuckled.


    Yun Qianliang frowned, the shadow of his eyelashes falling on his eyelids caused his to become more calm and collected.


    "Father, you can say what you want from me." Yun Qianliang didn''t mince his words, the light in her eyes was hidden by the shadows, and the only thing that could be seen on her face was the reflection of the candle flame, giving off an indescribable sense of loneliness.


    Yun Qinan withdrew her amiable face, her eyes filled with alertness and shrewdness.


    "Do you know the purpose of Gu Xiang coming to the Yun Palace?" Yun Qinan said cautiously.


    "Purpose?" Yun Qianliang repeated in confusion, then shook her head, raised her eyebrows and revealed an uneasy look in her eyes, "I do not understand father''s meaning, could it be that Gu Xiang is lying when he accompanied me back to the sect, and the reason why he came to Yun Xiang Mansion is real?"


    Yun Qinan stared at her frowning eyebrows, as well as the unease in her eyes. He did not reply immediately, guessing at the extent of the mutual understanding between his and Gu Yicheng, guessing that if he dared to make the relationship between them clear with Housekeeper Liu, she already had the confidence to occupy a seat in the Gu Xiangfu, but today he claimed that he did not understand the purpose of his words, and the credibility was very low.


    "Qian Qian, don''t tell me you ¡­" Yun Qinan''s face turned dark, "You must be testing me out?"


    Yun Qianliang fearlessly met that pair of cold eyes and did not say anything for a long while.


    The two of them were planning on a psychological battle to see who would retreat first.


    However, the more emotions Yun Qinan revealed, the more stable she seemed. She just sat there and quietly looked at the people in front of his, without a guilty conscience or fear, as time passed, her advantage became more obvious.


    Yun Qianliang''s stability had been accumulating throughout the year, so even in the face of death, he had to remain calm.


    "I thought Father would understand why all of this was happening tonight."


    After a long while, Yun Qianliang finally spoke out helplessly, and with victory in her hands, she gave in.


    Yun Qinan remained unfathomable, waiting for her next words.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes looked at the shelves that held all sorts of treasures, her gaze accurately landing on the shelf where the things were kept, "Father said something nice earlier, and said that it was good for me to not marry the Jin Wang, I understood father''s difficulties, and married the Gu Xiang, so will father forgive my daughter''s difficulties in the Gu Xiangfu, and make me the secret for marriage?"


    "What secrets does Yun Xiang Mansion have?" Yun Qinan looked over, her breathing paused, and her eyes turned away in a blink of an eye.


    "It''s dates, right?" Yun Qianliang nimbly said five words.


    "You were the one who broke into the study the night before?" Yun Qinan was startled, his eyes full of shock.


    Suspicion surfaced in Yun Qianliang''s heart, she instantly concealed her emotions, her eyes turning as she smiled and nodded.


    "It''s you! It''s actually you!" Yun Qinan fell down onto the chair from the blow and repeated the same sentence in a low voice.


    After a long while, Yun Qinan finally recovered from the shock, and for the sake of not leaking anything in front of Yun Qianliang, she forced herself to respond.


    "You came back this time for my secret?"


    "Yes." Yun Qianliang admitted it.


    "My things do not belong to you." Yun Qinan blurted out.


    Yun Qianliang thought for a while, then laughed: "Does father not plan to listen to my conditions?"


    Yun Qinan did not say anything else. She was determined to keep the secret, so that Yun Qianliang would not take it away from him.


    Yun Qianliang let out a long breath and stood up leisurely. However, she still stated her conditions and gave Yun Qinan time to think.


    "Use a secret. In the future, if Yun Xiang Mansion is in trouble, I will protect you once." The self-confidence between words was hard to ignore under the candlelight.


    This cunning change caused Yun Qinan to hesitate in her heart.


    The two groups of people who helped him tonight were already keeping a close eye on that secret, so it was likely that the Jin Wang might be worried about sending someone to spy on him. Furthermore, it would be inappropriate to hand that secret over to the Jin Wang for the time being.


    "Take away the thing under the partition." Just as Yun Qianliang was about to open the door and leave, Yun Qinan suddenly let out a sigh of relief.


    "Tomorrow, the Gu Xiang will come personally to retrieve it." Yun Qianliang opened the door and walked outside.


    When Yun Qianliang returned to Xiao Sheng Yuan, she found Gu Yicheng still waiting in the small hall.


    Under the candlelight, the handsome face of the man lost its craftiness. Warm candlelight flickered on his face, rendering his facial features somewhat gentle. His deep eyes watched the woman that entered the room, and his deep gaze was as if he was gazing at an old friend that he hadn''t seen for a long time.


    "Got it?" Gu Yicheng put down the teacup and stood up to welcome them.


    "What are you trading for the things under the partition in the study?" Yun Qianliang opened her mouth to do business.


    Gu Yicheng stroked his chin and thought deeply. She loved money and also cherished his life, this was definitely the most valuable thing to her ¡­


    "The antidote."


    "Deal." There was no surprise in Yun Qianliang''s eyes, "Tomorrow, I will look for the old man for it."


    Gu Yicheng absent-mindedly nodded and asked a reminder, "When can I get what I want?"


    "Hard to say." Yun Qianliang frowned.


    Yun Qinan was already one of the people on Song Shujin''s boat, but she still kept that secret to the death. She didn''t even give up the secret that Song Shujin was lusting after, which showed how cautious he was.


    "But I can guarantee that you won''t be able to get it, and Song Shujin won''t get it either."


    Yun Qinan was so cautious that she had no choice but to be cautious.


    "As long as it doesn''t fall into the hands of others." Gu Yicheng relaxed the conditions, "Rest."


    After Yun Qianliang left, Yun Qinan stayed in the study room for a long time, thinking about what she had said before he left.


    "It''s true that some things are good, but whether or not I can afford it requires me to consider it thoroughly."


    If a powerless person got such a big secret and was unable to protect his opponent, his life would be in danger.

 C36

    Chapter 36 - Playing All


    The sky had just turned white, and there were shadows of people walking around in Xiao Sheng Yuan.


    Gu San quietly appeared outside the room and lightly knocked on the door. He unnaturally coughed a few times before reminding his, "Master, it''s time for the court to begin."


    Inside the room, the candles had all been extinguished and the dim room was completely silent.


    Gu Yicheng opened his eyes.


    Gu Yicheng sat up, he tilted his head and looked at the lady who was sleeping peacefully inside the bed. She was lying down on the bed with her bedding wrapped around her, her breathing shallow, the fragrance of her body lingering at his nose the whole night.


    "Master, the time ¡­" The voice of the Gu San once again sounded outside the door.


    "He''s up." Gu Yicheng replied snappily. He lifted the blanket and got off the bed, and then unwittingly placed it on Yun Qianliang''s body.


    "You want to suffocate me?" Yun Qianliang cursed as he pulled out an arm from the blanket and removed the blanket that covered his head. Then, he stared at Gu Yicheng''s back.


    After a while, Yun Qianliang leisurely withdrew her gaze. Yan Chun yawned and unwillingly got up.


    Gu Yicheng went to the neighboring bed to change the official uniform, while Chun Hua and Qiu Yue served her as he stood up.


    Usually in Gu Xiangfu, no one would see her, but when Gu Yicheng went to court, she was still sleeping on the bed and did not stand up to send him off, but when they were in Yun Xiang Mansion, they had to show off their love and kindness to their husband, dressing up for him and sending him out.


    When Yun Qianliang sent Gu Yicheng to the Yun Palace entrance, a carriage was already prepared outside the door, but Yun Qinan had not yet arrived.


    This was also why Gu Yicheng decided to wait for his father-in-law to come out while he had enough time.


    When his son-in-law returned, the both of them would go to the imperial court together. Otherwise, in the eyes of outsiders, they would think that the two families were at odds.


    Yun Qianliang had a smile on her face, and pretended to be virtuous and dignified looking, but she secretly despised Gu Yicheng''s actions in his heart. She did not put the marriage in his heart, and still pretended to be filial and filial as she waited for her father-in-law in the cold wind.


    The two of them waited for around the time it took to make a cup of tea before Yun Qinan came out fully dressed in the company of the Qin family.


    "Father." Yun Qianliang bowed in greeting.


    "Master, it''s really different if you look at her. She always loves to stay warm in bed when it''s cold. She refuses to get up no matter what. Now she even knows that she has to wait for her husband." Qin family laughed while holding the handkerchief, and teased the young couple, her smile showing her gentleness and happiness.


    "How can we be at home when we''re married?" Yun Qinan replied straightforwardly, she only glanced at Yun Qianliang slightly, and called for Gu Yicheng to head to the imperial court, "It''s getting late, don''t miss the timing."


    "Father-in-law, please." Gu Yicheng respectfully took half a step back and allowed Yun Qinan to take the first step.


    The left and right sides were equal in position, but in the end, the position of the Minister of the Left was still slightly higher, and Gu Yicheng''s family had a deep foundation, so they had more power and influence than Yun Qinan, and they treated him like an elder.


    Yun Qinan looked at Gu Yicheng with praise, and started to walk towards the carriage.


    Gu Yicheng did not mind, the smile on his face was still somewhat unrestrained, but when he turned to look at Yun Qianliang, his unrestrained manner turned into deep love. He placed his palm on her head and gently caressed her neatly combed hair.


    "Freezing Sky, don''t stay outside for too long. Be careful while you stay in the house to keep warm." With that, he untied the cloak around his body and wrapped her up like a dumpling. "Bind her into a dumpling, and it will not affect our shallow beauty."


    "Naughty again." Yun Qianliang bashfully struck him lightly on her chest, her lips were pursed into a shy smile, as the corners of her lips lifted happily. She looked at him with eyes full of unconcealable joy, and gently warned him, "Be careful on the road."


    Gu Yicheng supported the back of her head and kissed her forehead, "I''m up."


    Watching the carriage leave, Yun Qianliang and Qin family returned.


    Just as he entered the door, the Qin family beside him could not help but start talking.


    "At first, when you caused yourself to commit suicide, you were still worried that you would be worried about the Jin Wang and not want to get married. The day of the wedding, I was worried that you wouldn''t be able to get it off my mind, so I sent a wedding lady to watch over you. He was wiping away the tears in his eyes as they fell, "Qian Qian Qian, I know how you feel about Jin Wang, but don''t be too wronged in Gu Xiangfu. It''s fine if you can''t do it, but we direct daughter don''t need to please Gu Xiang and live the life."


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes turned slightly, looking at the woman beside him who was comforting her with sorrow, she sneered in her heart.


    Using Jin Wang to provoke Yun Qianliang was indeed the right decision.


    Unfortunately, the time was no longer on her side.


    "Because of the engagement I made with the Jin Wang earlier, I always turned a blind eye to other men, which led me to narrow my eyes to the point where I thought that the only outstanding man in the world was the Jin Wang. The Gu Xiang was really dissatisfied at the time of the marriage, not to mention that he caused me to suffer so much on the day of the wedding. Yun Qianliang started to complain along with the Qin family.


    "I know, marrying the Gu Xiang has wronged you." Qin family held Yun Qianliang''s hand with one hand and stroked her haggard face with the other, "Look at her face, where is his rosiness when he''s at home. If I knew earlier, I would have persuaded your father to let you marry to Jin Wang. "


    "Are you not afraid of Qingyan getting angry when Mother says that?" Yun Qianliang deliberately asked.


    "You foolish child, how can Qingyan compare to you?" Qin family gently pinched her tender cheeks.


    Yun Qianliang laughed coldly in her heart as she calculated her next move.


    "Mother loves me dearly." Yun Qianliang raised his hand and placed it on Qin family''s hand, rubbing it on her palm like a cat, as though he was wary of the servants in the house, he pulled Qin family to the side and said: "Mother, if I am to speak the truth, will you help me?"


    The Qin family''s eyes revealed a smile of satisfaction, he was as cautious as Yun Qianliang, and said softly: "Did you really suffer grievances in Gu Xiangfu?"


    Yun Qianliang frowned. His clear eyes were filled with mist, as if grabbing onto her lifesaver, he tightly grabbed onto Qin family''s arm, his tears falling down without a sound, causing Qin family to feel anxious.


    "Child, if you have something to say, then say it properly. Why are you crying like this?" Qin family wanted to wipe her tears, but he held both his hands tightly, unable to do so.


    Qin family could not help but feel annoyed. Her mouth was dry from trying to persuade Yun Qianliang.


    Yun Qianliang immediately stopped after seeing this, she tried her best to hold back his tears, and casually wiped the tears off her face with a handkerchief, "Sorry about that."


    "Let''s not talk about these foreign words. Tell me what grievances you have suffered, or else mother would not be able to help you." Qin family held Yun Qianliang''s hand considerately throughout.


    Yun Qianliang looked around, seeing that no one was around, she went closer to Qin family and whispered: "Gu Xiang poisoned me."


    Before he finished speaking, Qin family covered Yun Qianliang''s mouth.


    Seeing her frightened look, Yun Qianliang was even more sure that the person who poisoned her was Qin family.


    "Qian Qian Qian, you can''t just randomly say that. Do you have any evidence?" Qin family made a gesture of silence, only after seeing Yun Qianliang nod her head did she release the hand that was covering her mouth.


    "When I was in the Yun Xiang Mansion, my mother should have known about my body, but after marrying into the Gu Xiangfu, I always took medicine. A few days ago, there were servants in the Gu Xiangfu who poisoned me, so I secretly recruited a doctor to check my pulse, and only then did I find out that I had been poisoned for a long time. Yun Qianliang pleaded in a spoiled manner: "Mother, if you want to save me, if you can escape from this suffering and marry Qingyan and I into the Jin Mansion, I am willing to be a little girl."


    "Isn''t Gu Xiang very good to you? And even got you pregnant? " The Qin family probed him step by step in order to figure out the truth. Not only did he have to get rid of the playful Yun Qianliang, he also had to get rid of the Gu Xiang in order to guarantee that Yun Qingyan would be able to successfully marry the Jin Wang.


    Yun Qianliang quickly shook her head, "Mother might not know this, but the Gu Xiang did indeed love me dearly, and allowed me to carry his flesh and blood. But he had an extremely strong possessive nature, and the past between me and the Jin Wang became a knot in his heart, that''s why he wanted to use poison to tie me to his side."


    "I know about this matter. I will definitely find an opportunity to tell your father about it. You should return first and not tell anyone about the poison." The Qin family comforted the frightened Yun Qianliang, in case this situation would become bad for her.


    Yun Qianliang nodded hesitantly, reminding Qin family over and over again to help her. Only when Qin family agreed to help did he finally leave.


    When he returned to the Xiao Sheng Yuan, Yun Qianliang coincidentally met Yun Qingyan who had woken up early to take a walk. By her side, there was only one personal maid left ¡ª ¡ª Ming Liu.


    Seeing that Yun Qianliang was alone, the two of them walked towards her.


    "Greetings elder sister." Yun Qingyan was blessed, and supported the willow tree to move it gracefully.


    "Yes." Yun Qianliang answered indifferently. After her tears, his eyes were red, compared to the exquisite Yun Qingyan, he was in a sorry state, but she stood there facing the light, the light from the sky shining on her face, shining like white jade. She stared meaningfully at the person blessed by his, and smiled slightly. Yun Qianliang went forward to help his up, and took the initiative to express her goodwill, "Qingyan, please do not take offense to The King''s Manor of Ning Xi''s matter. After all, I am only a woman from the backyard.


    "Since the matter has been resolved, elder sister must have helped. Qingyan can''t blame elder sister." Yun Qingyan replied obediently, and then his face blushed red as he said: "If not for elder sister, Qing Yan would not have known that she has such a high position in the Jin Wang''s heart, and would have to thank elder sister for that."


    Yun Qianliang''s smile stiffened, her face changed and she forced out a smile, "If Little Sister really wants to thank me, then why don''t you speak up for me in front of Jin Wang?"


    Hearing that, Yun Qingyan''s elegant and gentle Liu Ye frowned, hesitating in his heart.


    "Elder sister, are you trying to ¡­" Yun Qingyan was extremely beautiful, and whenhe frowned, she revealed his delicate look, causing anyone who saw his to feel pity. He was truly just like Lin Dai Yu who came out from a book.


    "Seeing that I didn''t make myself clear, I have caused sister to misunderstand." Yun Qianliang laughed, "A few days ago, Jin Wang made an appointment to meet me about my sister. It''s probably because my collar was stained with dirt, he wanted to help me remove it, in the end, I reacted too fiercely and injured the back of Jin Wang''s hand. Don''t you think that in the future, my sister and I will have an unpleasant time with Jin Wang, how would that not hurt our relationship? Therefore, I would like to ask little sister to say a few kind words on behalf of big sister to ease the tension. "


    "Elder sister, if you say so, let Qingyan give it a try." Yun Qingyan agreed with difficulty.


    "Then I''ll be counting on little sister."


    Only when the entire drama was done could it be considered good!

 C37

    Chapter 37 - Plan Disturbed


    At noon, the two prime ministers returned late, and the family had a reunion dinner in the main hall.


    At the table, Yun Qianliang''s actions were as usual, but when Gu Yicheng did not see it, he revealed a solemn expression, and did not arouse any suspicion towards her earlier words. Instead, it was Gu Yicheng who was considerate to her, taking care of everything personally, if it was anyone else, they would misunderstand and think that she was important.


    After the meal, Yun Qianliang sang her own play extremely well.


    After lunch, Yun Qianliang thought that Yun Qinan would call him to the study room to retrieve her things, so she returned back to Xiao Sheng Yuan first. However, the moment Yun Qianliang stepped into the Xiao Sheng Yuan, he returned.


    "You got it?" Yun Qianliang was curious.


    If Jin Wang finds out about this, he will definitely doubt Yun Xiang Mansion''s loyalty to him. cloud phase is not an easy person. Gu Yicheng took out the flat wooden box he had hidden in his sleeve. The things inside were given to him by the carriage, "Do you want to see?"


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, "Not interested."


    Gu Yicheng changed the topic of their conversation, "Then pack up and go back to the Gu Xiangfu."


    Yun Qianliang looked at him in confusion, "Have you given up?"


    "The Jin Wang sent their family''s aides to the Yun Xiang Mansion and arranged for Yun Qingyan to enter." Gu Yicheng kept the flat wood box properly and turned serious.


    "You saw it?" Yun Qianliang was surprised.


    "I just happened to meet him when I got back." Gu Yicheng''s tongue touched his cheeks.


    The person who came was Jin Mansion''s aide ¡ª Ji Qichi.


    She had heard that Ji Qichi had schemed well, and was secretly referred to as Song Shujin''s advisor. Anyone who was able to be Song Shujin''s advisor, must be talented, and in order to prevent him from stealing the secrets of the Yun Xiang Mansion, Song Shujin had put in a lot of effort.


    Ji Qichi knew clearly that he was in Yun Xiang Mansion when he returned, and had even purposely revealed herself in front of him, in order to force him to retreat from Yun Xiang Mansion.


    He retreated, not because he was afraid that Ji Qichi would be too scheming, but because the opponent was too troublesome to deal with, and it would be inconvenient to leave Yun Qianliang here to deal with him.


    Yun Qianliang called a servant over to pack up everything. She also packed all the things that she couldn''t take with his when she got married.


    While the servants and guards were busy cleaning up, Yun Qianliang sat in the hall and continued with the previous topic of conversation.


    "He brazenly released them into the Yun Xiang Mansion. Aren''t you afraid that the emperor will suspect them?" Yun Qianliang laid on the soft bed and waited leisurely.


    Although the current Tianhui Emperor and Song Shujin were brothers, the Tianhui Emperor viewed the powerful Song Shujin as a threat to the Emperor, so how could he allow Song Shujin to collude with the Emperor?


    "The other party''s background is hard to find. The emperor doesn''t have direct evidence, so he can''t make a move against the Jin Wang." The color in Gu Yicheng''s eyes had become much darker than usual. His pitch-black eyes were like a vortex and they were incomparably deep. The ten thousand thoughts hidden within them had all been covered by darkness.


    Yun Qianliang''s finger lightly knocked on the short table, thinking about how sshe had misled Qin family, he stopped her tapping and her face sank.


    As long as she knew that Yun Qianliang was having a difficult time, she would easily let her guard down. Furthermore, her own thoughts were not meticulous enough, and could easily fall into a trap set by someone else, but if Qin family took out all of these things to discuss with her, she was afraid that the other party would see through her intentions.


    "When people are down on their luck, even drinking water would cause them to grit their teeth." Yun Qianliang punched on the short table.


    Her front legs were buried properly, Song Shujin''s men were inside the Yun Xiang Mansion, and she was a person who could change the situation at any time. It was unknown if it was because of her bad luck, or if Song Shujin had already been wary of her and was worried that she would cause trouble in the backyard of the Yun Xiang Mansion.


    Yun Qianliang got up, and ran back to her room, picking up a few important things to put away, telling her servants to leave everything else behind.


    If she was suspected of her intentions, she would definitely guess that Qin family would still let her live after she found out that she was poisoned.


    On the other side, in the Smokey Cloud Courtyard where Yun Qingyan resided.


    Ji Qichi entered the Yun Xiang Mansion in the name of protecting Yun Qingyan and was ordered to monitor the situation of the Yun Xiang Mansion. Although she was staying in the Yun Xiang Mansion as a bodyguard, she was still an aide of the Jin Mansion.


    "I''ll have to trouble advisor Ji to take care of me in the next few days." Yun Qingyan''s gentle eyebrows curved up, revealing a beautiful smile.


    "Second Miss is too polite. Jin Wang''s orders are part of my duty." Ji Qichi nodded politely.


    Ji Qichi''s looks were extremely good, even the girls were envious of her fair face.


    He was tall and elegant, wearing an ice blue top quality silk shirt with elegant bamboo leaf patterns embroidered on its snow-white edges. He was a tall and elegant figure, wearing an ice blue top quality silk shirt with elegant bamboo leaf patterns embroidered on its edge.


    "Military Advisor Ji has always been helping Jin Wang with important matters and sending him to protect Qingyan. It''s truly a waste of his talent." Qin family was so happy that he could not hide the smile at the corner of his eyes, the corners of his mouth curled up to the back of his head.


    "He''s only a scholar, so he can''t be considered a great talent." Ji Qichi''s humble smile continued to stay on the corner of his mouth.


    "Military Advisor Ji Ning is being too modest." Yun Qingyan agreed.


    Ji Qichi smiled as she received the praise. She quietly drank her tea without saying much.


    Qin family thought back to what she heard in the morning. She thought that since Jin Wang valued her daughter so much, if she could bring Gu Yicheng''s weakness to the Jin Wang, the chances of her daughter marrying into the Jin Mansion would be even greater.


    "Qingyan, take someone to help the Military Advisor clean up." Qin family found someone to lead the way.


    Yun Qingyan stood up sensibly, bowed to the two, and left before taking all the servants in the house with him.


    There were only two people left. Ji Qichi drank her tea quietly and waited for Qin family to speak.


    The Qin family was very sincere, he did not put on airs and told his everything that he knew.


    After hearing what the Qin family said, Ji Qichi''s gentle smile became more interesting.


    "Did the Madam Gu really personally say anything about poisoning?" Ji Qichi put down the teacup to confirm.


    The Qin family nodded, "It was indeed what she said."


    "That Madam Qin might have fallen into a trap." Ji Qichi''s lips curved into a smile. His face was fair and clear, like a snow lotus on a mountain without a speck of dust. Her smile was magnificent as if he was embracing the stars and moon.


    "Is the news fake?" Qin family started to feel uneasy.


    "Of course." Ji Qichi confidently answered, "Gu Xiang is cunning and cautious. With his methods, if he really wanted to use poison to threaten people to stay, he should have kept some poison that is not easy to diagnose. How would Yun Qianliang notice it so easily and even allow her to speak carelessly? It seems that Madam Yun had fallen into a trap, and Yun Qianliang was even aware that she had been infected by a poison for a very long time. "


    Qin family was shocked, her face turned white.


    The poison in Yun Qianliang''s body was definitely not related to just her life. If she followed the line of poison, it would most likely lead to many more things happening in the future.


    Qin family uneasily twisted her handkerchief and rolled her eyes nervously, trying to think of a way to change the situation.


    Ji Qichi took note of the reaction, the gentle and clear voice was like a cup of Spirit Calming Tea, soothing people''s nervous emotions, "Madam Yun, do not worry, Yun Qianliang''s chess piece is related to the Jin Wang, leave this matter to me."


    "Military Advisor Ji means ¡­" Killing intent surfaced in Qin family''s eyes as he made a gesture with his hand around his neck.


    "It depends on Jin Wang''s decision." Ji Qichi replied.


    Ji Qichi went back to the Smokey Cloud Courtyard and wrote a note on the ground. She then blew the whistle of a pigeon under the eaves of the house.


    A moment later, the snow-white pigeon spread its wings and flew over, landing on his raised hand.


    Ji Qichi wrapped the white cloth around the pigeon''s body, and with a light toss, it flew away.


    Ji Qichi leaned on the pillar under the roof and stared at the green grass in the courtyard, deep in thought.


    Yun Qianliang?


    Could it be that she was trying to survive under the protection of her mother and chose to hide herself, otherwise how could she know how to test the Qin family?


    "Military Advisor, Gu Xiang is preparing to leave." A man appeared in the dark.


    "I know." Ji Qichi dismissed the hidden guard and walked towards the entrance of the courtyard.


    Gu Yicheng retreated so quickly, it did not seem like he was doing in the past.


    When the Qin family found out that Yun Qianliang was preparing to return to the Gu Xiangfu, she became anxious. Once she enters the Gu Xiangfu, it would be hard to take Yun Qianliang''s life.


    "Dashi, it''s rare to come back, do you want to stay for a few more days?" Qin family held onto Yun Qianliang''s hand and refused to let go.


    "There''s something I need to do in the manor, so I can''t stay for long." Yun Qianliang forcefully retracted his hand, and hid beside Gu Yicheng, not allowing the Qin family to keep him.


    When they passed by the small path in front of the main gate, there was a man dressed like a gentleman standing on the small path while facing the wind.


    He was sent by the Jin Mansion?


    When Yun Qianliang walked in front of him, she looked around.


    The other party nodded with a smile. His eyes were pure and clean, and his aura was clean and refined. He didn''t seem like someone with a shrewd mind.


    After Yun Qianliang left the residence, Ji Qichi followed the people from the Yun Xiang Mansion to send people out. It was just that he stood a little further away, like she was a spectator.


    Yun Qianliang observed the people who were far away from him from the corner of her eyes.


    "Qian Qian, let''s go." Gu Yicheng called out softly and held her hand, rubbing his thumb on her palm.


    Yun Qianliang retracted her gaze and took her leave.


    The two of them turned around and boarded the carriage that was already prepared. It was just that this carriage was very plain and did not have the symbol of a Gu Xiangfu.


    After the two boarded the carriage, the people of Yun Xiang Mansion turned back one after another.


    Yun Qianliang held onto Gu Yicheng''s hand tightly, stopping him from speaking and instructing him to drive, indicated for the people around to keep quiet and listen carefully to the footsteps outside.


    Only after everyone from the Yun Xiang Mansion had walked in did Yun Qianliang relax her expression and let go of Gu Yicheng''s hand.


    Gu Yicheng instructed the driver to drive, the carriage slowly drove away from Yun Xiang Mansion.


    Yun Qianliang''s face became gloomy, and along the way, she remained silent.


    When she was at Xiao Sheng Yuan, she had asked around about Ji Qichi, but Gu Yicheng only said that he was an expert in strategy and strategy, and was an expert in the art of military force. He was one of the generals under Song Shujin, and as long as he had ambition, he would definitely become a pillar of the imperial court.


    But when they heard his footsteps just now, they were clearly from the Martial Competition!


    It was difficult to hear, but her hearing was extremely good, and she could still hear the sounds. But those who did not know martial arts did not excel in controlling their strength, and when they walked, the sounds would be heavy, and they would stagger along with the sounds they were used to, or their feet would be uneven so their footsteps would be different.


    However, although Ji Qichi''s footsteps were softer than ordinary people, it did not sound like the footsteps of a martial cultivator. There was one thing revealing that he knew martial arts, the strength of each of his kicks was extremely uniform, to the point that within the many footsteps, she was able to instantly hear the difference.

 C38

    Chapter 38 - Hiring a car to beg for mercy


    Yun Qianliang''s gaze swept across Gu Yicheng and he could see her intelligence clearly, but she did not say a word.


    "If you want to say it, say it." Gu Yicheng pinched the center of his tired brow, supporting his head with one hand, he glanced at the weird person out of the corner of his eyes.


    Yun Qianliang was slightly taken aback, but shook her head, "I didn''t mean to say."


    "Is that so?" Gu Yicheng sat upright, "Just nice, I have something to say."


    Yun Qianliang gestured an invitation towards him, signalling to him to listen attentively.


    ''Recently... '' Just as Gu Yicheng started to speak, something unexpected happened.


    A figure suddenly rushed to the front of the moving carriage and stopped in the middle of the road. Thirteen tightened his reins to stop the horse in front of him. Only then did he manage to avoid the tragedy that was happening on his horse.


    The atmosphere inside the carriage was a bit ambiguous. Gu Yicheng used his arms to support the carriage, causing Yun Qianliang''s body to feel as though she was trapped in front of him. She raised his head and sat, while he naturally lowered his gaze to look at her, as though he was gazing at his deeply.


    "Master, Madam, are you alright?" Nervous greetings came from outside the car.


    "¡­" Yun Qianliang hurriedly shifted her gaze away, steadied her mind, and said with a low voice. "Thank you."


    The moment the change happened, Gu Yicheng reacted quickly, stabilizing the body before Yun Qianliang lost her balance, so her actions was inevitably the most suitable method.


    Gu Yicheng withdrew his body and returned to his original position.


    "Master, madam?" Another noise came from outside the car.


    "No problem." Gu Yicheng asked, "What happened?"


    Xiao Cui impulsively rushed out to stop the carriage, and when she saw the horse hooves raised up high, she fell to the ground in fright. She still had a lingering fear from the danger, her legs were as soft as noodles and she was unable to stand up.


    Xiao Cui crawled to the front of the horse carriage while kneeling, and lay on the ground crying as she begged for mercy.


    "Madam, Xiao Cui knows her wrongs. Please give him a chance." Xiao Cui kowtowed and begged for mercy.


    Hearing that, Yun Qianliang frowned.


    Initially, because of some unforeseen event, the hearts of a group of people were in suspense. Because of such a thing, it was unavoidable that the commoners would watch. In just a moment after she frowned, the discussions of the commoners could be heard outside.


    Gu Yicheng held up the attitude of watching a good show, and faintly smiled at the person who sighed, "Qian Qian Qian, how do you plan to do this?"


    "Send him away." Yun Qianliang ordered.


    She knew that she wasn''t a good person. She had already made way by not returning the favor with the same methods towards the people who had harmed her. She should know how to appreciate this kindness rather than stop the carriage and beg for forgiveness in front of a crowd.


    The majority of the people sympathized with the weak. Xiao Cui''s actions were undoubtedly putting herself in a position of weakness and wanting her to compromise.


    The Gu San was ordered to go forward to settle some matters, but Xiao Cui was too shameless and refused to leave. She allowed the Gu San to stop him, and using her men and women''s defense to rush towards the horse carriage, the commotion became even louder.


    Yun Qianliang sighed, and brushed off the hair at her temples, "I''ll go out and take a look."


    Yun Qianliang got up and got out of the carriage.


    Gu Yicheng''s extended hand froze in midair, his brows furrowed, as he retracted it.


    Yun Qianliang got out of the carriage, and immediately sensed the anger from the crowd. She walked calmly in front of Xiao Cui, and stared condescendingly at the servant who climbed over to grab her skirt.


    "Madam, please spare Xiao Cui, she will repay you no matter what." Xiao Cui tightly held onto the soft fabric in her hand, as if she was holding onto straw to save her life, and was not willing to let it go.


    "Let go." Yun Qianliang said with a cold face.


    Those two cold words were like icicles smashing against his heart.


    Xiao Cui raised her head to look at the cold face at the origin of the voice, and when she touched the emotions in the eyes, she was terrified, and started to shrink back. Her fingers that were holding onto her skirt subconsciously released a bit of her strength, but the desperate situation had forced her to the point where she had no other choice, so she could only shamelessly beg.


    Immediately, Xiao Cui kowtowed heavily, dodging the piercing gaze.


    "Madam, please spare Xiao Cui for the sake of how many years Xiao Cui has worked for the prime minister''s residence." Xiao Cui moved out of the way to plead.


    "If you know what''s good for you, you should know that I have already shown you mercy. Otherwise, if you were to be convicted by the law, your head would have long been separated from your body." Yun Qianliang''s solemn voice sounded out, there was no room for any doubt, "With grievances, and debts, the one you should be holding back, is not me."


    Just as Xiao Cui was in a daze, Yun Qianliang withdrew his skirt and turned to walk towards the carriage.


    Before getting onto the carriage, Yun Qianliang ordered: "Chun Hua, give her ten silver."


    It all depended on how she did it.


    Returning to the carriage, Yun Qianliang heaved a sigh of relief, but opened the curtain of the carriage to look outside. The people around them followed the carriage, indignantly saying nasty words, and the nasty words that came out never stopped, there were even people who picked up things beside their hands and threw it at the carriage.


    Seeing that, Yun Qianliang quickly closed the curtain and went back to her seat. She asked curiously: What did you do to make people so angry?


    "I don''t think there''s anything wrong with that. It''s just a few political opinions on tax matters." Gu Yicheng slowly peeled the tangerine in his hand, as he replied as if it was a matter of course.


    Yun Qianliang was immediately dumbstruck. She looked at the items that flew in from the palanquin curtain, then looked at the man who was still in the mood to peel the orange.


    "You propose a tax increase?" Yun Qianliang blinked his eyes.


    "That''s the message from the palace." After Gu Yicheng peeled off the skin, he began to clean the layer of white clothes.


    Yun Qianliang blinked again, "So you didn''t mention it?"


    "I did mention it, so I endured their scolding, smashing cars, and other disrespectful acts. If not, do you think scolding the imperial court officials is child''s play?" Gu Yicheng still maintained his unconcerned attitude.


    Yun Qianliang opened her mouth a few times but was unable to say anything. She was angered by Yue Yang''s natural attitude to the point that he did not know how to refute.


    "Want some?" Gu Yicheng handed over the freshly peeled orange in his hand, and added another word, "Calm down."


    "As expected of the prime minister. I can see that I''m angry." Yun Qianliang was overwhelmed by the gesture, but her action of snatching the tangerines was extremely violent. After taking them, she stuffed them one by one into her mouth, and after stuffing them in, she clapped her hands and no longer laughed.


    Seeing that she was still angry, Gu Yicheng reached out and took the oranges from the fruit plate.


    This fire didn''t seem to be easy to extinguish.


    Seeing that, Yun Qianliang pressed his hand down, stopping him from acting leisurely, she said in all seriousness: "Gu Yicheng, I had thought that you had the reputation of being a scoundrel, and stayed in the imperial court for so long, and was even able to fight the Jin Wang. You must definitely be a cunning old fox, I never expected that you had such a hole in your head, to be confused and angered by others."


    Can the politics of tax increases be published at will? The people could drown him with a single mouthful of saliva, but he actually admitted to it with a look of peace of mind.


    The commoners outside would only throw some eggs and stones, the vegetable leaves were already considered polite. If they really met someone who had gone too far, they would throw in a lethal weapon!


    "Someone has to mention it." Gu Yicheng withdrew his hand and wiped his finger with a wet handkerchief. With a voice as cold as ice, he said, "Gu San, throw him off."

 C39

    Chapter 39 - Road Blocks


    "Ahh!"


    As Gu Yicheng''s voice fell, the carriage started to move, the entire street was filled with voices and shouts, and among them, the sounds of galloping horses could be heard. The horses were galloping, causing the spectators to panic as they ran, and the clamor was like a cloud of dust, they were being trampled on by the horses'' hooves.


    Yun Qianliang held her breath and focused in listening to the slight noise, the sounds from the rubble drowning out the panic filled screams for help, there were at least 10 experts lying in ambush around the area.


    In the chaos, Chun Hua who was casually grabbed by the shaft of the carriage fell down.


    "Chun Hua!" Qiu Yue''s face turned pale white, she leaned forward and grabbed the falling person.


    Hearing the voice behind him, Yun Qianliang''s solemn face revealed unprecedented seriousness, her indifference that seemed to be carved into her bones seemed to have instantly disappeared, as though this person was born with a solemn and upright appearance.


    "Gu Yicheng, let''s talk about the deal at the end." Yun Qianliang''s voice was as calm as water amidst the chaos.


    "Talk about it at this time?" Gu Yicheng''s tone became more cheerful as he became more interested in the person at his side, "What other conditions do you have in your hands that are enough for me to exchange?"


    "Myself!" Yun Qianliang''s red lips leaked out three words, and his eyes that had sunk into the Ancient Pond Lake revealed hidden emotions.


    Under Gu Yicheng''s astonished gaze, Yun Qianliang''s clear voice sounded out once again.


    "Make sure that my two girls are safe and sound, I will be of use to you." Yun Qianliang''s calm eyes looked into the probing eye.


    An undercover agent was a wolf that had been hiding inside the enemy''s body all year round. Before receiving any orders, this wolf had to be in a deep sleep in order to be able to sleep better.


    She was used to lying in wait, waiting for her contact to give orders. Therefore, she got rid of her identity and came to this strange world, not taking the initiative to attack. But now, she was a lone wolf, so she had to rely on herself to determine whether or not she should awaken and reveal her claws!


    "Interesting." Gu Yicheng did not give an accurate answer, and instead, got more excited.


    "You only need to answer me. Are you not going to make this deal?" Yun Qianliang did not smile.


    "It depends on whether you have the ability to do so. This time, you owe me." Gu Yicheng smirked and ordered in a cold voice, "Gu San, leave the city."


    The horse carriage sped up, and the sound behind him gradually died down. Yun Qianliang heaved a sigh of relief.


    Gu Yicheng had already expected that someone would attack him, so after leaving the city, he casually packed up his sleeves and belt, but with a sword leaning on the side of his legs, the atmosphere became more serious, unlike his relaxed appearance.


    "Can you use a sword?" Gu Yicheng loosened the jade on his sleeve.


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, "I only know some martial arts."


    She was proficient in all kinds of martial arts in her previous life, so she was able to use it. However, this body was too different from her previous body. Her attacks might not be able to achieve the same effect as the previous ones.


    "Seems like it''s quite useless in this contest." After Gu Yicheng was done, he gave his evaluation.


    Yun Qianliang did not retort, and the carriage stopped along with his words.


    The sounds of arrows piercing through the air mixed with the clashing of blades. Yun Qianliang immediately laid down and dodged sharp arrows.


    Gu Yicheng sat steadily, only moving his body and head to avoid the arrows shooting at him. He looked at the man lying on the ground with a smile, "Qian Qian Qian, you only care about your own safety, aren''t you too heartless?"


    "I believe that your strength does not need my reminder." Yun Qianliang smiled.


    She had sharp ears and could easily dodge long-ranged attacks. Therefore, when she heard the sound of arrows piercing through the air, she had already determined the position in her mind. She knew that hiding in the limited space was safer.


    Gu Yicheng was a martial artist, it was impossible for his not to notice that someone was plotting something, so she didn''t need to remind him.


    "If you want this, then you really can''t use it." Gu Yicheng pulled out an arrow and wiped it with his finger.


    "If the prime minister is afraid, he can protect me for free." Yun Qianliang didn''t mind ashe retorted. In the corner of her eyes, she was full of energy again, but the light in her eyes had not faded at all.


    "How can you bear the name of my treacherous official?" Gu Yicheng shook his head and rejected.


    After saying this, his eyes became cold and his expression became serious. His finger lightly twirled the arrow in a circle and then he fiercely threw it out.


    In the blink of an eye, a big blade slashed down from the sky, the carriage split into two, and Gu Yicheng leapt out from the side with his person.


    When Gu Yicheng appeared, he immediately provoked a group attack, causing several weapons to flash past his eyes, all of them were blocked.


    The small forest path was quiet and devoid of people. Only the sounds of swords and sabers could be heard.


    "It is truly disrespectful of you to make a move against my wife in front of me." Gu Yicheng taunted, he turned his wrist slightly, causing the sword to deflect the enemy''s attack towards Yun Qianliang. He turned his body, changing Yun Qianliang to a safe place behind him, the sword struck the enemy''s right wrist, he made a tricky move, causing the enemy to have no choice but to signal for retreat.


    Just as he retreated, the enemy had already arrived, so Yun Qianliang could only rely on his many years of experience to avoid the danger, but he could not care about anything else.


    She only saw that the sword had cut her beautiful neck, and in that moment, it failed to retract its momentum, and almost stabbed at Gu Yicheng.


    Fortunately, Gu Yicheng reacted quickly and managed to avoid the attack with his sword.


    "Qian Qian, this isn''t good." Gu Yicheng alarmingly complained, he then picked up his sword and attacked, causing the situation to change.


    But before Yun Qianliang''s guilt filled her heart, Gu Yicheng''s attacks suddenly became stern, he pulled Yun Qianliang''s hand and suddenly flung him into the air, leaving her position behind. Like the wind, she swept her sword across the enemy troops, her every move was extremely sharp.


    When Yun Qianliang was about to be attacked, he had already grabbed onto Yun Qianliang''s hand and pulled him back.


    "¡­" Yun Qianliang''s guilt was directly fed to the dog.


    She did not want to arouse too much suspicion, and even more so, did not want Gu Yicheng to overestimate her, so she did not want to reveal too much.


    Yun Qianliang avoided Gu Yicheng''s hands, and her body dodged to the side while falling lightly to the ground. Her gaze fell on the weapon closest to him, the one that avoided the fight and the attackers, and then nimbly rolled to the side to pick up her weapon to protect herself.


    Yun Qianliang held onto the sword in her hand, her thoughts moving, her martial arts being weaker, she could only focus on dodging, defending, then using her intelligence to win, she could not avoid using the method that consumed the most energy.


    Gu Yicheng took note of her movements. He happily raised his eyebrows and focused on dealing with the enemies around him.


    His killing intent rose as his moves directly flew towards his face.


    Amidst the flying leaves, the figure in black clothes was surrounded by the enemies. Like an eagle fighting in the sky, his sword flew up and down, slashing the tranquility on the ground. Every move he made was filled with killing intent and blood color.


    That was the most dazzling light in the sky, and no one could match it.

 C40

    Chapter 40 - Unidentified Persons


    Yun Qianliang''s roundabout way of trying to catch the chicken was extremely tiring. Sweat covered his forehead, and the light in his eyes and the decisiveness in her actions were not affected at all. She was like a warrior who had experienced hundreds of battles. Even though she was physically and mentally exhausted, she was still tense.


    After Gu Yicheng finished dealing with the enemy by his side, he jumped to Yun Qianliang''s side and used the back of his hand to stab the sword into the enemy''s chest.


    The Gu family''s hidden guards followed the retreat in unison, but the direction they were retreating towards wasn''t the return of the city.


    In the darkness, Ji Qichi stared fixedly at where Gu Yicheng and the rest were retreating to, his eyes gloomy and unreadable, as though there was a light that was about to shoot out from his eyes, but she had concealed it extremely well.


    "Advisor, are we not going to make a move?" A dark guard dressed in plain grey clothes asked for instructions from behind.


    "Go investigate the origins of these people." Ji Qichi unhurriedly ordered. When he spoke, he hid all the emotions in her eyes, like a tyrannical lion hiding its true colours, pretending to be friendly with its prey.


    "But Prince''s orders ¡­" The dark guard was not convinced of his actions, and since the other party was the highest commander of this operation, he did not dare to ignore his words and act on his own.


    "I will tell you where the prince is." Ji Qichi stopped the persuasion with a single sentence, causing all the hidden guards to retreat.


    The dark guard was unwilling, so he could only accept the order and retreat.


    Ji Qichi spurred his horse to the place where the fight had taken place. There were more than 10 corpses lying on the ground, he jumped off his horse and took off the mask on one of the corpses.


    Ji Qichi shook the mask in her hand, it was sealed well, only revealing two eyes. She thought about it, then put on the mask again and followed the direction she escaped to.


    After escaping to the front of a broken house, Gu Yicheng put the person down and pushed Yun Qianliang towards the door.


    The Gu family''s secret guards had exposed the two lords, each lying in ambush in their surroundings. When the enemies arrived, they would give them a surprise.


    "Let''s go in." The two words landed firmly in front of the quiet and empty ground.


    Yun Qianliang lowered her eyes and looked at his hands, using brute force to resist the inner strength, his hands were already numb and did not feel anything, holding onto the sword as though she was nothing, at the moment, she was not able to control his strength.


    "Be careful!" Yun Qianliang turned and walked into the broken house, and casually closed the door.


    Yun Qianliang hid inside the door, seeing the assassin close in on him, Gu Yicheng used his sword to block the door, the blood on the blade edge of the sword looked gloomy and terrifying.


    The Assassin raised his sword and rushed forward, his target was Gu Yicheng.


    The cold wind rustled in the forest as the sword danced and whistled in the air.


    Gu Yicheng''s eyes were solemn like a cold star, with a flip of his wrist, the long sword danced in the air, his body spinning in mid air as Sword Qi appeared.


    Several dark guards jumped out, attacking the enemy from the back, trying to get rid of the master.


    He brandished his longsword, his movements piercing through the air.


    The battle outside was intense, but Yun Qianliang had to stop behind the door.


    Yun Qianliang leaned on the door, and stared fixedly at the person who appeared in the broken house, his clear and cold eyes.


    She slowly moved her hand away from the door and moved her feet from the doorway to the side. Her eyes moved from the sword to the mask that only revealed her eyes.


    "Ji Qichi." Her red lips moved slightly as three words came out of her mouth.


    Yun Qianliang pursed her lips and laughed, then stood by the door.


    Ji Qichi''s sword pointed at Yun Qianliang, following her movements, heard the cool voice say out the three familiar words, and his mind became slightly perturbed.


    How did she see through him?


    Ji Qichi did not reply, she raised her sword and walked towards Yun Qianliang.


    After hearing him take two steps, Yun Qianliang lazily leaned against the wall and smiled. "It''s really you!"


    Previously, she only felt that their bodies were similar, so she spoke to probe him. After he took two steps forward, the unique sound of his footsteps allowed her to immediately confirm that the person who wanted to kill her was Ji Qichi.


    Footsteps?


    Ji Qichi paused, her eyes drooping as she stared at the tip of her shoes in a daze.


    Could it be that all the previous speculations were completely wrong? The Second Miss that the Yun Family doted on as a treasure was not the descendant of that person, and that that person''s true descendant was none other than the haystack direct daughter Yun Qianliang?


    It was the first time that Ji Qichi doubted his own plans, she only guessed his identity after hearing him speak.


    Yun Qianliang leaned against the wall, her eyes sizing up the structure of the broken house, trying to think of a way to escape.


    "The Jin Wang sent you to kill me. It seems that the poison in my body was indeed administered by the Qin family. That''s why they impatiently wanted to kill me after I probed them so that they could silence me." Yun Qianliang lowered his head, the tip of his foot lightly touching the ground, drawing circles on the ground.


    Ji Qichi quietly listened to what she had to say, and thought about his next plan, should he make a move on the person in front of his?


    But in the moment of hesitation, Ji Qichi thrusted the sword in her hand towards her.


    With the sound of the door breaking, a figure quickly appeared in front of Yun Qianliang, protecting her under his body.


    The long sword pierced his shoulder blade, Gu Yicheng could only groan in pain.


    Yun Qianliang suddenly raised his head to look at Gu Yicheng. His red lips were slightly opened and his eyes were filled with shock.


    The sword that had pierced his shoulder blade remained in his body, and blood dripped onto the back of her outstretched hand. The warm blood made her feel hot.


    A figure floated in, he had already stabilized himself, the muslin hat on his head was still swaying, and the sword in his hand was already at Ji Qichi''s neck.


    "Let them go." The man ordered coldly.


    Ji Qichi gradually loosened her grip on the sword, her eyes were as alert as a beast, but just as he was about to release the sword, she suddenly tightened her grip on the sword, turned her body, and used her elbow to attack the person behind him, and changed the situation.


    The person reacted very quickly. He struck out with the Falling Sky Sword, and the two swords clashed.


    Gu Yicheng leaned his hand on the wall, lowered his eyes and looked at the shocked people, retracted his arm, and laughed: "This debt is big enough."


    "Why?" Yun Qianliang asked in disbelief, unable to understand his actions.


    "This Dowager loves heroes to save beauties." Gu Yicheng turned his shoulders, and looked at the two who were fooling around in the house, "You know them?"


    Yun Qianliang followed his line of sight, frowned and shook her head, "The one who killed me was Ji Qichi."


    The other one, she thought it was Gu Yicheng''s man.


    Gu Yicheng nodded and did not join the battle. After observing for a while, he took Yun Qianliang away.


    The assassins died on the ground outside the house, the Gu family''s guards had already come to receive them, ignoring Ji Qichi and the mysterious savior inside, they organized the scene and left the outskirts.


    Just as Gu Yicheng and the rest left, the savior that came along did not have any intentions of fighting anymore, he threw a Smoke Bomb on the ground and left.


    Ji Qichi did not keep up with him as she walked out of the smoke region calmly and took off the mask on her head.


    Ji Qichi deeply gazed in the direction that the mysterious person disappeared in, the expression in her eyes dark and heavy.


    The reason why Yun Qianliang appeared to help out when she was at a disadvantage was obviously because of Yun Qianliang''s safety. Seems like he should change her direction and investigate Yun Qianliang''s situation.


    Ji Qichi rubbed her forehead, then placed her finger on her lips and whistled, and a horse slowly came out from the forest.

 C41

    Chapter 41 - Heartforce Heartbeat


    When they returned back to the city, the city was already under martial law. Strictly inspecting the citizens entering and exiting, the patrols in the city were also strengthened, in order to prevent the assassins from harming the nobles in the city and affecting the City Guard.


    He didn''t want too many people to know about the matter of Gu Yicheng''s injuries, in order to prevent others from taking advantage of the situation. Thus, he went back to the residence and entered through the side door, after which Gu San went to the House of the Marquis of An and invited Fructus Ligustris Sativus to the residence to treat him.


    Yun Qianliang was still dressed in his blood-stained clothes, and upon seeing that the Fructus Ligustris Sativus had finished checking his pulse, she anxiously asked: "How is it?"


    "Fortunately, I managed to clear away the poison in time and did not endanger my life." Fructus Ligustris Sativus heaved a sigh of relief.


    Yun Qianliang, who was still in suspense, finally calmed down and sat down.


    In the beginning, no one noticed that Gu Yicheng had been poisoned, but on the way back, Gu Yicheng broke out in a cold sweat on the horse carriage, his face becoming even more pale white, and his consciousness becoming blurry too quickly, only then did she realise that something was amiss.


    Pulling his clothes apart, he noticed that the color of the blood flowing out of the wound had turned dark.


    At that moment, Yun Qianliang''s reasoning was exceptionally clear, he absolutely could not die, or else she would be dead.


    She had to suck the blood out for him to make sure he was safe.


    When Fructus Ligustris Sativus finished writing the prescription, he arranged for people to immediately go get the medicine.


    Then, Fructus Ligustris Sativus started to treat her wounds. Yun Qianliang guarded the entire battle from the side with rapt attention.


    During this time, Chun Hua and Qiu Yue brought out a clean outer garment and changed the blood stained outer garment on them. Yun Qianliang quietly allowed her two servants to torment him, her gaze never leaving the bed for a moment.


    The night had gradually darkened, and the candles in the room had been lit.''s serious expression was reflected in the candles, causing everyone in the room to not dare to make a sound.


    The Evening meal on the table was already cold, Yun Qianliang only had a few mouthfuls, and was no longer in the mood to use it.


    When Chun Hua came in to clean up, seeing that there were still a lot of food left on the table, she was worried and wanted to advise her otherwise. But when she saw the unconscious man on the bed who had woken up to drink her medicine, she swallowed her words back and silently put away the cold dishes.


    Outside the door, the Gu San was worried that the thieves would not give up and attack the Residence of General. He had arranged for double the number of secret guards to protect it.


    Seeing Chun Hua carrying out an almost untouched meal, when the Gu San closed the door, she worriedly looked inside.


    Yun Qianliang was still seated at her position in the daytime, looking at her bed in deep thought, he sighed and closed the door.


    "Keep the food warm, just in case the prime minister wakes up at night. The prime minister and his wife can easily use it." Gu San warned.


    "Alright." Chun Hua replied meekly.


    During the latter half of the night, the temperature had become much colder.


    Yun Qianliang glanced at the furnace, and finally reacted.


    Yun Qianliang walked to the bed and looked at the unconscious people, her pale white face was extremely calm, only her breathing was a bit heavier, otherwise, she would undoubtedly be asleep.


    "Gu Yicheng, why did you save me?" Yun Qianliang''s voice was filled with confusion and confusion, "Even if I owe you a favor, you don''t need to block that sword for me."


    The room was very quiet. Other than her voice, there was only the sound of his heavy breathing.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes were shrouded with a layer of indescribable emotion. It was no longer as carefree as it was in the past, nor was it cautious like it was in a serious situation. It caused people to feel very sad.


    In the instant that Gu Yicheng appeared in front of her, besides being shocked, more emotions surged in his heart.


    She was a martyr''s widow and had grown up eating a hundred meals in the military compound. She was educated in the military district.


    At the age of seventeen, when her guardian had been killed on a mission, she had felt a surge of anger. In the same year of the college entrance exam, she had resolutely taken the exam and had been accepted into the police academy with outstanding grades.


    Having spent two years at the police academy, having been trained by the military as a child and performing exceptionally well, she had been selected as an undercover agent and had begun a close training program. She was the youngest of all the agents, but she refused to admit defeat.


    Perhaps she had the blood of a secret service agent in her bones. At the age of twenty, she received her first undercover mission, and after a year of undercover work, she managed to solve a major international crime.


    However, in the business of undercover agents, it was not easy to do.


    Inside the enemy''s territory, there were too many things to be abandoned and too many things to bear.


    The instructor had once told her that as a spy, she would never be allowed to see the light of day. She had no name after death, and in the hearts of her family and friends, she would always be a bad person.


    Before her death, she had been undercover for three years in a drug trafficking organization. In order to gain trust, in order to gain access to the core intelligence, she had almost always risked her life for every single operation. Alone in the enemy camp, she had more than once tried to put her life on the line by firing at her companions.


    For an undercover agent like her, being able to die well was a good thing. The protection of others was simply an extravagant request.


    In this lifetime, there had never been anyone who blocked in front of her, to protect her from the injuries in front of her, but Gu Yicheng still rushed over like that, protected her in his arms, and gave her everything.


    "Gu Yicheng, you earned it." Yun Qianliang suddenly said with a light smile.


    Yun Qianliang walked to the window, leaned her head on the window frame, and looked out at the boundless night sky, the corner of her mouth raised slightly.


    She would remember this favor. She would definitely repay it a hundred times in the future.


    That night, Yun Qianliang stayed inside the house until the sun rose.


    The next day, Yun Qianliang woke up from the knock on the door. She raised his eyes to look at the man on the bed, who was still in deep sleep.


    Yun Qianliang slept on the bed for less than an hour, his arms were a little numb, so after she got up, she swung his arms and walked towards the door.


    Gu San knocked twice and did not disturb the people inside again. He waited outside the house for a while.


    When Yun Qianliang opened the door, Gu San was preparing to leave.


    "What is it?" Yun Qianliang opened the door slightly, seeing that Gu San was looking in, she shook her head: "I did not wake up, but I was well last night."


    The Gu San retracted his gaze calmly, his expression became solemn, and relayed the information he just received, "Xiao Cui is dead."


    Yun Qianliang''s face changed, then she stepped out of the door and closed it, and asked: "When did it happen?"


    "The corpse that just happened this morning probably died yesterday." The Gu San answered honestly.


    Yun Qianliang frowned and thought, yesterday''s assassination attempt on Gu Yicheng and herself, after it was known, the entire Gu Xiangfu was in a panic, if Wen Meng used this chance to kill Xiao Cui who was aware of the poison, it would be the best time.


    "Send someone to investigate." Yun Qianliang instructed.


    "Your subordinate has already sent people to investigate." "After Gu San received the news, he had already arranged for people to investigate. The reason why he came to report was for another reason," This matter has already alarmed Jing Zhao Mansion, where Xiao Cui was previously a servant of the Prime Minister''s Estate, I''m afraid that Jing Zhao Mansion''s people will send people to invite Madam to identify her corpse.


    "Don''t worry, I know what to do." Yun Qianliang accepted the responsibility and said to Gu San: "I will go back and prepare."

 C42

    Chapter 42 - Identification of corpses in the county yamen


    In the hall of Jing Zhao Mansion, two doors were open, and two were facing the opposite direction.


    A golden plaque hung in the middle of the hall, displaying a three-foot-long magic table on the high platform. On the table, there were four treasures of the study and an arrow quiver. Behind the table, there was an overseer''s chair, with an arrow rack on the left and a black folding fan on the right.


    The first yamen runner stood on either side of them with a baton in his hand, looking straight ahead with a solemn expression on his face.


    On the left, a peachwood chair was placed in front of the bailiff, and a woman sat at the head of the pew.


    Yun Qianliang was seated on a blue lotus flower dress, holding a teacup and leisurely tasting the high quality green spring water. Her movements were graceful, dignified and graceful, as he sat there like a noble lady watching a play to savor some tea.


    Two attendants carried a stretcher into the lobby. They placed the stretcher on the ground and removed the white cloth covering the body, revealing the dead man''s face for easy inspection.


    On the armchair sat the official uniform, and Jing Zhao Fu Yin, who was wearing a black veil, looked at the man tasting the tea, and then looked at the corpse that was brought in, carefully asking: "Madam Gu, do you see whether the deceased was a servant of the clan?"


    Hearing that, Yun Qianliang pursed her lips with a smile, and said to Gu Shisan who was behind him: "Go take a look."


    Today, in response to the assassination attempt from yesterday, she had specially brought along guards to protect them when she left, leaving Chun Hua and the two girls in the residence without them coming out.


    Thirteen walked out from behind him and went up to confirm.


    In a short moment, Thirteen returned and reported while leaning forward, "Madam, it''s indeed Xiao Cui."


    Yun Qianliang nodded his head, he placed down the teacup and said: "Xiao Cui was indeed once a servant in Gu Xiangfu, but a few days ago she was kicked out of Gu Xiangfu, and yesterday she even stopped me and my master from begging for mercy. This is something many citizens know, Master Zhao can call me to ask."


    "I naturally trust the words of the Madam Gu, but can you tell me what mistake the servant girl has committed and she was expelled from the Gu Xiangfu?" Zhao Guangxian smiled and agreed with Yun Qianliang''s words. Seeing that she did not immediately reply when he asked her about the wrong things, he added: "Of course, if it is not convenient to speak of it to the outside world, Madam Gu does not need to answer."


    "There''s nothing to say." Yun Qianliang smiled lightly, the awkwardness instantly disappeared, and she replied lightly: It''s only killing the Mistress.


    Yun Qianliang''s casual six words shocked Zhao Guangxian to the point that cold sweat broke out all over his body. Killing the Gu Xiang''s wife by poison, reporting such a huge matter to the Jing Zhao Mansion was enough to convict this slave of a crime, even if she died, she deserved to die. Yet, he had to trouble Yun Qianliang to identify the corpse of this damned person, wouldn''t others misunderstand that he wanted to uphold justice for this slave?


    Zhao Guangxian immediately became nervous, and used the silk handkerchief to wipe the sweat off his forehead.


    "This servant dared to poison the matriarch. I guess he deserved it." Zhao Guangxian flattered and tried to please her.


    "You deserve it." Before Yun Qianliang even finished her sentence, Zhao Guangxian, who was in the hall, secretly heaved a sigh of relief, but he did not expect Yun Qianliang to stand up and walk to the dead body in the middle of the hall, "It''s just that, it''s a servant from Gu Xiangfu who went out.


    She wore a jade colored dress, and the jade green outer garment hung onto the snow-white dress. At the hem of her skirt was embroidered a large area of blooming lotus flowers, lightly swaying along with her movements, like a spring breeze blowing past, ruffling the water in the pool, causing the lotus flowers planted in the pool to lightly sway.


    She had a refined and graceful temperament. Standing beside a corpse, she was like a pure lotus that had just emerged from the mud.


    "Yes, yes, yes." Zhao Guangxian hurriedly pandered and quickly walked down to his side. He carefully probed by his side, "How does Madam Gu plan to deal with this slave who poisoned the Mistress?"


    "A slave servant, if there was no one behind her, they would not dare to harm her. If they couldn''t catch her mastermind, they would make her pay with her life. It was just an unintentional act of venting her anger." Yun Qianliang replied unhurriedly, her words revealing the extraordinary bearing of the Sect Leader Mother.


    Hearing her words, Zhao Guangxian nodded his head in agreement, and then looked at the beauty standing beside the corpse.


    It was rumored that the direct daughter of the Yun family was a complete idiot, and this explanation was not something that the idiot could speak of.


    Yun Qianliang squatted down and pulled up the white cloth to the left of the corpse, then she began to carefully examine it.


    Xiao Cui''s hair was in a mess, there were traces of it being torn off, some of it had already been torn off and wrapped around her hair, but her clothes were still in good condition, and only the wound on her abdomen could be seen.


    Yun Qianliang reached out her hands towards the corpse''s face, stopping it.


    "Madam Gu can''t be forgiven, your status is noble, how can you touch such a unlucky person?" Zhao Guangxian then scolded the servant: "Hurry up and bring him down, otherwise we''ll dirty your eyes."


    "No problem." Yun Qianliang raised her left hand to stop the servant from carrying the corpse away, her right hand continued to move, and landed on Xiao Cui''s face, she used two fingers to push open Xiao Cui''s eyes, and after looking at her eyes carefully, he moved her hand to her mouth, opening her mouth.


    Zhao Guangxian was even more afraid to guess at the person in front of his. When ordinary women saw the corpses, they would inevitably turn pale, and not to mention personally inspecting them, they would not even dare to look twice at them. However, not only did this master dare do so, he seemed to be extremely proficient in it?


    Seeing that, Gu Shisan was surprised, in that moment, he kept his surprise and looked at Zhao Guangxian, telling him not to disturb the people who were inspecting the corpse.


    Gu Yicheng had eighteen servants close to him, but other than having extraordinary skills, they had their own strengths and were the right hand men of the Gu Xiang, regardless of whether they were in the capital city or the government, their reputation was not small, and would often follow beside Gu Yicheng, many of them appearing to represent the Left Prime Minister, and being lower ranked than the Minister of the Left, they would all be courteous to him.


    Zhao Guangxian received the hint and did not dare to act rashly. He waved his hand to stop the bailiff and waited cautiously.


    Yun Qianliang checked her nose and mouth, then took off her clothes to check her wounds.


    The fatal wound was indeed a knife wound on the abdomen. According to the wound, the entire body of the knife had been stabbed into the abdomen.


    Not by accident, but by premeditated murder.


    "She was eating when she died?" Yun Qianliang withdrew her hand and stood up.


    Zhao Guangxian quickly ordered the servant to fetch water, and replied: "Yes, Xiao Cui died with a steamed bun in her hand. corona did not discover any poison after the examination, so she was thrown to the dogs to be fed."


    Yun Qianliang walked towards the copper basin that was brought over, and a pair of white and tender hands entered the cold water. She carefully washed the fingers that had touched the corpse, and then suddenly spoke out, "The time of death is around the eleventh hour, and if one is familiar with the person, then they may have obtained it in their name."


    "How do you know?" Zhao Guangxian asked doubtfully.


    When he woke up today, he had received news that a female corpse had been found in an alley on Jia Kang Street. The person reporting the case claimed that it was the carriage used by the deceased to stop the Gu Xiangfu yesterday, and was a servant of the Gu Xiangfu.


    From the time I received the news this morning, from the time I brought the corpse back to when I examined it in corona, to when I went to Gu Xiangfu to request for someone to identify it, it took less than two hours.


    In this period of time, he had already sent people to the scene of the crime to investigate and search for clues. Even now, no one had replied him, and Yun Qianliang only examined the face and wounds of the deceased to conclude such a conclusion.


    "As far as I know, Xiao Cui is not a frugal servant. Most of the silver coins are for rouge powder and dresses, it is likely that she did not save any silver coins to lead a life, if not she would not have ran into a desperate situation and begged for mercy. She was a servant who could not even afford to eat, she would not have had the money to spare. After Yun Qianliang washed his hands, she took out a handkerchief and wiped off the water stains on his hands, and walked towards the seat she was sitting in earlier, unperturbed by her doubts, "If it was the Master Zhao, would they call you out while we are eating?"


    "What if it''s an employer?" Zhao Guangxian proposed another idea, "She is anxious to find a job to support himself, so if he loses the chance, it is possible for her to quickly catch up."


    "Seeing her employer is more prudent, if she really wants this job, how could she do such a disrespectful thing as walking while eating? If the other party is really an employer, or if he is approaching Xiao Cui using the name of his employer, then that steamed bun should not be in his hands, and should be kept well in his hands. " Yun Qianliang''s words were very clear, and after thinking about it carefully, she felt that it made more sense.


    "This official understands, thank you Madam Gu for your advice." Zhao Guangxian thanked him excitedly.


    Yun Qianliang smiled and nodded, she picked up the teacup and drank a mouthful of tea to moisten her throat, and when she put down the teacup, she heard her clear and cold voice say his intentions, "I heard that the officials of Jing Zhao Mansion have already surrounded the crime scene to prevent outsiders from entering, I wonder, can you get some documents from the Master Zhao, and let me take a look at the crime scene?"


    After taking over the case and finding out that Xiao Cui was Gu Xiangfu''s slave, she purposely avoided the hours of the brunch to invite them. While waiting, Gu San would send guards to investigate, and when she went to the scene of the crime, her surroundings were already being watched by the Jing Zhao Mansion. The guards could not alert her, and did not go into the alley to investigate.


    "We haven''t captured the thief yet. Madam Gu was attacked by an assassin yesterday. What if you ¡­" Zhao Guangxian was worried that the person in question could not be explained, hence he was troubled and did not dare agree.


    "I have the protection of a secret guard around me, and I also have the official from Jing Zhao Mansion at the scene of the crime. I believe that this trip will be very safe." Yun Qianliang''s words were ingenious as he praised Jing Zhao Mansion''s strength secretly and explicitly.


    "If Madam Gu really wants to go, then this humble official will send someone to escort him." Zhao Guangxian hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing with great difficulty. He also counted to be escorted by the Jing Zhao Mansion guards.


    "Thank you, Master Zhao." Yun Qianliang''s smile deepened.


    After he had arranged for the Prefecture''s guards to accompany him, Zhao Guangxian personally saw Yun Qianliang out of the Jing Zhao Mansion. His attitude towards was no longer as cautious as before, but filled with admiration and respect.


    "Master Zhao, please wait." After exiting the Prefecture, Yun Qianliang stopped in her tracks and said with good intentions: "No matter what the outcome of this case is, I will handle it properly. Master Zhao doesn''t need to feel too much pressure, just do my best."


    Hearing this, Zhao Guangxian instantly felt the burden on his shoulders lighten, but he became more motivated as he gently smiled: "With Madam Gu''s understanding, this official will definitely do my best to investigate this matter and give you an explanation."


    Yun Qianliang laughed and bid farewell, and left under the watchful eyes of the citizens of Prefecture.


    Zhao Guangxian looked at the horse carriage that was driving away, and sighed in his heart: This girl has a clear mind, her methods are truly exquisite.

 C43

    Chapter 43 - Struggling of Love Enemies


    Xiao Cui died in an alley behind the street on Jia Kang Street. The alley could only barely fit three people side by side, there were no residents in the surroundings, and the alley led to a ruined city god temple. The narrow alley was dark and humid during the daytime, and when the sun was about to set, the sky slowly darkened, making it even harder to see inside the alley.


    The street hawkers'' cries filled his ears, making him bustle with noise and excitement.


    Yun Qianliang retreated to the corner of the alley, where she could see the bustling scenery around the corner.


    "It is indeed a good place." Yun Qianliang looked at the people walking past, "Let''s start at a place with fewer people, people might see us going in, but this is a busy city, Evening meal s are busy doing business here, even if there is a person walking into the alleyway, killing people and walking out, the number of people will increase, so the killer does not need to worry too much about drawing attention to himself."


    The alley led to the run-down temple, and from the corner to the City God Temple, there was still some distance. Normal people would bring their people to the ruined City God Temple and make their move, in case someone found out when they committed the crime, or when Xiao Cui shouted for attention, but the murderer had moved around the corner, and could be said to be very daring.


    "Madam Gu is right. After Jing Zhao Mansion took over the case, she sent people to the surroundings to ask about it, but none of the surrounding merchants had any impression of the events of yesterday evening, so they asked who had entered the alley, and they did not get any useful leads." A man dressed in the attire of a Jing Zhao Mansion official walked into the alleyway, walked closer, and greeted with a cupped fist, "Greetings Madam Gu."


    Yun Qianliang looked at the righteous man in front of him. He was dressed in the simple uniform of a bailiff, but he did not look as simple as the other bailiffs, and his entire body was filled with tenacity, his eyes were sincere and he was upright.


    "This is my son from Master Zhao ¡ª ¡ª Zhao Yuanqi. He passed the examination and entered the Jing Zhao Mansion half a year ago. He is currently a servant from the Jing Zhao Mansion." Gu Shisan warned her quietly.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes became interested, "Young Master Zhao is too polite."


    Zhao Yuanqi stood up straight and lowered his hand, asking excitedly: "Madam Gu is interested in this case?"


    "In the end, you were once a servant in the Gu Xiangfu. Yun Qianliang replied calmly, his tone was not shy because the other party was a man. He spoke naturally and unrestrainedly to Zhao Yuanqi about matters related to the case, "If Young Master Zhao does not have any clues, then I might as well provide you with one."


    "Please speak, Madam Gu." Zhao Yuanqi''s eyes were excited and excited.


    "Yesterday, when Xiao Cui stopped the carriage to beg for forgiveness, I had a servant give her 10 taels of silver. Before coming here, I had never heard the matter of money from the Jing Zhao Mansion before, so Young Master Zhao, why don''t you follow this line and investigate for a bit, perhaps you can find some clues along the way." Yun Qianliang told the only clue she had.


    The reason why he did not mention the money previously was probably because someone from the Jing Zhao Mansion was leading them by the way. He thought that if he let his men investigate along the line, he might be able to find the culprit, but seeing how passionate Zhao Yuanqi was, it did not seem like he was going to allow his subordinates to do such a thing.


    At this moment, in the tea house across the alley, Xiang Siyu was currently sitting and sipping tea near the window. However, ever since he noticed Yun Qianliang''s figure, she no longer focused on sipping tea, and his relaxed state of mind also turned into one of anger.


    On the day of the wedding, Yun Qianliang made her look bad in front of everyone present, so she had always kept this grudge in his heart.


    "Princess, do you want this servant to teach Yun Qianliang a lesson in your place?" The purple-clothed servant girl serving by the side saw that her master was in a bad mood and took the initiative to tame him.


    "Don''t meddle in matters like Zi Wei." Xiang Siyu retracted his gaze, and no longer looked in that direction.


    When the news of this morning spread, she had already known that there were servants dying in this place. The case was currently being investigated by the Jing Zhao Mansion, and even though she didn''t like Yun Qianliang, as the princess of Duke Ming Palace, she couldn''t look for trouble at this time, in order to avoid being tainted with a stench.


    Zi Wei answered listlessly, dispelling her thoughts, but continued to observe the situation there.


    When the Gu San appeared, Zi Wei saw it with a glance. Her eyes lit up as she said in delight, "Princess, isn''t that the Gu Xiang''s personal guard, the Gu San?"


    Xiang Siyu looked over, and indeed, he saw Gu San walking towards the other side of the street.


    Gu San walked over from the teahouse, then Gu Yicheng ¡­


    Xiang Siyu''s face revealed a joyous expression, the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably as he raised his hand to adjust his sideburns and appearance, like a young girl whose heart had just opened. He expectantly asked a servant, "How''s my makeup today? Isn''t today''s dress too beautiful? "


    Xiang Siyu loved to dress up beautifully, and today he was even wearing a rose-red peony dress. The big peony blooming on her skirt made his look even more beautiful, as if he was blended in with a brocade, making his look even more beautiful.


    "Princess looks beautiful and alluring, does this dress match her looks very well?" Zi Wei''s mouth was as sweet as honey.


    Xiang Siyu smiled bashfully, stood up and left, then walked downstairs.


    Gu San quickly walked to the opposite side of the street and politely nodded at Zhao Yuanqi. He cupped his fist and said to Yun Qianliang: "Madam, Master Chu is waiting for you at the teahouse across the street."


    Hearing that, Yun Qianliang casually looked towards the direction she pointed, only to see a beautiful lady dressed in beautiful clothes shamelessly walking towards Gu Yicheng who was sitting by the window.


    "A disaster." Yun Qianliang muttered softly.


    Gu San looked over, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. With your face, you dare say that others are trouble?


    "Is Madame coming?" Gu San asked.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes turned, facing the pair of questioning eyes, she finally understood the meaning behind those eyes. "Check if there are any clues that were left out here."


    "Yes, sir." Gu San cupped his fists and nodded.


    "Thirteen, let''s go." Yun Qianliang called the people she brought out and walked to the teahouse on the other side.


    Xiang Siyu quickly walked towards the window seat, his recent footsteps couldn''t help but slow down as his eyes stared at the handsome man, he turned his face to look at the pair of people walking towards him, the cold corners of his eyes making him look soft, falling into the shallow sunlight, as though he was immersed in warm light.


    "Siyu greets Gu Xiang." Xiang Siyu smiled and turned, as she opened her mouth to call back Gu Yicheng''s attention.


    Gu Yicheng''s face revealed impatience, when he turned around, his mouth had a smile of respect, and bowed to Xiang Siyu.


    "Greetings Princess Anping." He bowed and his attitude was polite and distant.


    The bashful expression on Xiang Siyu''s face faded slightly, and a sour feeling surfaced in his heart. He was extremely dissatisfied with the man in front of his being separated, but she still smiled and withdrew his bow, allowing the person who greeted his to get up.


    "Gu Xiang is one of the pillars of the dynasty. I can''t afford to shoulder the burden of being a princess when I think of Wu Yu. In the future, it''s best if Gu Xiang doesn''t get along with me." Xiang Siyu looked at the person who had bowed his head lovingly, restraining the impulse to lift him up with his own hands, and spoke politely.


    "If you don''t bid your farewells, then don''t hesitate to pay your respects." Gu Yicheng replied.


    Xiang Siyu''s smile became stiff, he maintained his bearing, sat opposite to his and changed the topic, "Recently, a new batch of tea leaves from First Pin Residence have entered, they are fragrant and have a sweet taste, it is rare to have a chance today, I wonder if I can have a chance with Gu Xiang to taste them?"


    "I''ve come here to find a wife. I''m afraid I don''t have the time to drink tea with the princess." As he spoke, Gu Yicheng''s gaze had already landed on Yun Qianliang, who was walking into the teahouse. He stood up and walked towards the door, and her large palm naturally wrapped around her two ice-cold hands in a considerate manner. She placed them on her chest to warm them before walking back to the table with her.


    Xiang Siyu''s face was ugly as he stared at the two. His hands slowly tightened around his sleeves.


    "Greetings Princess Anping." Yun Qianliang placed both of her hands on the left side of her waist.


    "Madam Gu is too polite." Xiang Siyu forced a smile, as though a mere five words were squeezed out from between his clenched teeth.


    Yun Qianliang smiled and sat down next to Gu Yicheng, she took the cup of hot tea that Gu Yicheng had passed to him and held it warmly in her hands. She then said to the man who had a change in expression, "The princess and I are really fated to meet, we can even work together outside, it seems like today is a good day."


    Yun Qianliang did not mean his any harm, but with Xiang Siyu''s words, no matter how he listened to it, Xiang Siyu felt that it was just giving her more trouble, that Yun Qianliang was purposely trying to provoke her.


    Gu Yicheng laughed softly, but did not explain.


    Yun Qianliang doubtfully swept a glance at him from the corner of her eyes, thinking that maybe Xiang Siyu had deliberately come to look for him.


    "I heard that Gu Xiang was assassinated yesterday. I wonder if Gu Xiang was injured?" Xiang Siyu was clearly concerned about him.


    "I''ll have to trouble you, Princess. I''m fine." Gu Yicheng changed his posture and stared at Yun Qianliang with tender eyes.


    Xiang Siyu had some unspeakable difficulties in his heart, but he thought that it would be better if Gu Yicheng could see her. She was definitely more suitable than Yun Qianliang to accompany him by his side.


    "Although the Madam Gu is an evil woman passed down in the capital, she is, after all, an extremely weak woman. With yesterday''s situation, she must have been scared stiff and did not dare to make a move." Xiang Siyu revealed a look of worry, but her eyes were filled with provocation.


    "Yi Cheng said he would protect me. Although the situation is dire, but with him by my side, what do I have to fear?" With that said, Yun Qianliang turned his head to the right, facing the pair of blazing eyes, his eyebrows bent like crescent moons, and his smile became even wider, his aura turning extremely cold and gentle. Yun Qianliang looked away shyly, and said with a softer voice, "But he told me to hide, so I was worried, and had no choice but to listen."


    "I didn''t know that the Madam Gu was so timid. When a person they love is in danger, they only care about their own safety." Xiang Siyu taunted him with disdain, but when she looked at Gu Yicheng, his eyes were piercing, and he said anxiously: "If it was me, I would definitely be able to fight alongside him, and protect his safety."


    When Yun Qianliang heard his straightforward declaration, light leaked out of his eyes. His gaze moved about, looking intriguing, and only his clear voice could be heard.


    "In this world, love is all about fate. When fate comes, it cannot be stopped; when destiny is gone, it cannot be left." Even though there are two mutual feelings, there are also enemies. I believe that knowing each other in love is nothing more than me having the appearance that he loves, and I am happy with everything that he has. That is enough, if you mind too much, you will not be pure anymore. "

 C44

    Chapter 44 - Detection of Suspicion


    "The imperial court is complicated, the Madam Gu is often in the backyard of the mansion with no detailed information. In the face of power and benefits, a suitable person is far more important than being fond of him." Xiang Siyu stared straight at the man who revealed her tender feelings, with hope in her eyes.


    Yun Qianliang''s face revealed a look of concern as she frowned, "Princess, please be cautious, I do not know what intentions Duke Ming Palace has, I hope that you do not speak of such suspicious words again, and cause my Gu Xiangfu to suffer."


    The benefits of power were not trivial.


    "Also ¡­" Xiang Siyu was apprehensive, and wanted to explain to Gu Yicheng urgently. In his desperation, he nearly called him by name, and only when he realized that something wasn''t right did he change his words.


    It was because she was agitated by Yun Qianliang''s words that she lost her composure.


    "Princess, there is no need to apologize to me. You are not related to my Gu Xiangfu at all, and the one who caused this disaster is also the Duke Ming Palace. It has nothing to do with me." Gu Yicheng retracted his gaze, and looked at Xiang Siyu with his cold eyes.


    Xiang Siyu looked at that face that had turned cold. The estrangement he displayed was like a natural moat that stretched across the two of them, impossible to cross even if one wanted to eliminate. This clear difference made Xiang Siyu''s heart hurt, and his hatred for Yun Qianliang grew even stronger.


    If Yun Qianliang had not scolded her, how could she have spouted nonsense?


    Xiang Siyu glared at Yun Qianliang fiercely, the hostility in her eyes hard to conceal.


    "There are still some important matters that need to be taken care of within the manor. This prime minister and Madam will take his leave first." Gu Yicheng stood up first.


    Xiang Siyu wanted to urge his to stay, but he did not say a word the few times, she knew it was not appropriate to stay, and Gu Yicheng would only give her face, she could not lose face in front of everyone, so he could only remain silent.


    Yun Qianliang laughed helplessly in her heart, and got up to leave.


    Seeing Master staring at her figure in a daze, Zi Wei became anxious and worried, and consoled her, "Princess, your status is noble, sooner or later Gu Xiang will see you in a good light. At that time, if you want to, the position of Gu Xiangfu''s Madam will be easy for you to obtain."


    "What do you know?" Xiang Siyu scolded his impatiently.


    If Gu Yicheng really cared about his status and position, then why did he have to obediently marry Yun Qianliang that unfavoured direct daughter? With his position in the imperial court, if he was determined not to marry, even the Tianhui Emperor couldn''t do anything to him!


    But he had to accept the decree to bestow the marriage, and on the day of the wedding, he protected Yun Qianliang, making it difficult for her.


    Xiang Siyu punched the table heavily, his unwillingness to die grew in his heart.


    That person should be hers!


    Yun Qianliang followed Gu Yicheng and left, the investigation on the other side of the street had just ended, and Gu San was currently bidding Zhao Yuanqi farewell and returning to the carriage.


    "Reporting to the Prime Minister and Madam, we did not find any useful clues." Gu San stood beside the carriage and reported.


    "There''s no rush. Let''s go back first." Gu Yicheng asked indifferently.


    "Yes."


    Gu San jumped onto the shaft of the carriage and drove off.


    "How did you find out?" Gu Yicheng rubbed the wound on his shoulder.


    "The result is the same." Yun Qianliang glanced at his movements, then turned back to look, "The culprit is bold and cautious, the purpose is clear, we can only determine the time of death, and determine the suspected range, we still need to investigate further."


    "It seems you still have a clue." Gu Yicheng took his hand away and said with interest: "You know the culprit very well, it''s just that you don''t have any evidence, is what you said right?"


    Yun Qianliang nodded, his gaze clear. "It''s actually not difficult to obtain evidence."


    She was sure that the mastermind behind the murder case was Wen Meng, and his methods were to purchase the culprit. From the way the culprit chose the location, the hour, and the other actions, she could roughly deduce the culprit''s personality. It would not be difficult to capture him, but the most difficult part was whether or not she wanted to take the risk to kill the person Gu Yicheng cared about.


    "You suspect Wen Meng." Gu Yicheng cracked the answer that she purposely did not say.


    "Wen Meng is the person who benefits the most, the person who gets the most dislike." Yun Qianliang said straightforwardly, "The evidence of Xiao Cui poisoning me earlier is indisputable, but based on her personality of begging for forgiveness at the cost of her life, she would never have the guts to commit the murder of the mistress without anyone instigating and supporting her. And the only person in the Palace who can be trusted and was willing to bear the responsibility at that time is Wen Meng. Before Xiao Cui died, she caught a taxi and begged for mercy. If Wen Meng knew about this, he was worried that the poison killing everyone here would be exposed.


    Gu Yicheng was quiet for a moment, following that, he stared at Yun Qianliang with his sharp eyes, and spoke with astonishing words: "There''s another person who is equally suspicious."


    After a long while, she looked away and smiled, "You are right, she wanted to poison me. I have a motive to kill her, but unfortunately, my every move since I entered the Gu Xiangfu was watched by your people, and you know very well that I have never done anything about it."


    Returning to the Gu Xiangfu, Yun Qianliang had already made a decision in her heart.


    Walking into the Green Pine Academy, at the fork in the road, Yun Qianliang stopped.


    "Gu Yicheng, call Wen Meng over to the Qing Hu Tong."


    Gu Yicheng frowned, then started walking towards the Qing Hu Tong.


    Yun Qianliang looked at the figure of her back as thoughts churned in his heart. His beautiful eyes were deep and unfathomable.


    It was not until the figure entered the Qing Hu Tong that a cold voice sounded out, "Gu San, invite them in."


    "Madam, don''t mind me." Gu San smiled apologetically.


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, "No."


    Come on, that''s a subtle word.


    After Gu San left, Yun Qianliang slowly strolled into the Qing Hu Tong to wait.


    The interior was cool like water, making people feel as if the interior of the Qing Hu Tong was cold and secluded. The sunlight that shone in from outside brought with it a sense of warmth, and the room was so cold and overbearing that it seemed to want to disperse the warmth, in order to prevent anyone from feeling deep and quiet.


    Wen Meng walked over with a zither in her arms. After buying the zither, her footsteps paused for a moment, and then she walked in warily.


    When Yun Qianliang looked over, the happiness was still on her face, and there was only hostility in her eyes.


    Gu Yicheng would occasionally go to Hibiscus Courtyard to listen to music when he was in a good mood. He was a little lacking the mood to choose a courtyard or other places with a wide field of vision, so he had never invited the Singer Dancer s of his manor to the Green Pine Academy.


    Today, he had sent his close servant, Gu San, to invite him in, and it was also the Green Pine Academy who entered. Wen Meng could not help but misunderstand.


    "Greetings Madam." Wen Meng hugged her zither and bowed.


    Yun Qianliang quietly stared at her, his eyes that were like frost staring at the beautiful and delicate face, capturing the expression that flashed past.


    Not long later, Wen Meng was already tired, her calves trembled, her heart was filled with grievances, but she stubbornly refused to make a sound.


    "Rise." Yun Qianliang opened her mouth and shifted her gaze away from Wen Meng, "Gu San, ask Chun Hua to brew a pot of tea here."


    Wen Meng stood up, held onto the guqin tightly and stood in the center of the hall.


    Yun Qianliang raised her chin and pointed to the right, "Sit."


    "Wen Meng would not dare." Wen Meng''s warm and delicate cowardice was completely different from what it used to be.


    Yun Qianliang sneered in her heart, her expression did not change at all.


    "Xiao Cui is dead."


    Following that, the good guqin in Wen Meng''s arms landed on the ground. A muffled sound came out from the corner of the guqin as the guqin vibrated with a few ear-piercing notes, causing Wen Meng to freeze on the spot as if she was struck by lightning.


    "How could that be?" Wen Meng''s body softened and fell to the ground.


    Just then, footsteps came from within the Qing Hu Tong, Yun Qianliang heard the light footsteps coming from inside the house, but the person inside did not come out, he only stood at a place where he could hear the two clearly, and did not move after stopping.


    Yun Qianliang sighed, the outcome of this matter was probably already decided.


    After a long while, Wen Meng finally snapped back to reality. She tearfully kneeled on the ground and pleaded, "Madam, please be the judge for Xiao Cui and ensure that her murderer is found. I can''t let her die so randomly."


    Yun Qianliang smirked, "I only said that Xiao Cui died. How do you know that Xiao Cui didn''t commit suicide but was killed by someone?"


    Wen Meng shivered and quickly shook her head, "Xiao Cui is cheerful and lively, she will definitely not commit suicide."


    "The meaning behind your words is that she has a clear conscience regarding the matter of poisoning me?" Yun Qianliang asked.


    No matter if it was because he felt guilty about the matter of her death or because he had nowhere else to go, Xiao Cui had the chance to commit suicide.


    "This matter ¡­" Wen Meng was speechless.


    "You''re right, Xiao Cui died by his hands." Yun Qianliang gave people a breather to catch their breath, it was only a breather, "But this news hasn''t spread yet, you in Gu Xiangfu only heard one sentence and you already know that Xiao Cui died a violent death. Seems like Jing Zhao Fu Yin has come to ask for your help to solve this case."


    "I''m only guessing based on my understanding of Xiao Cui over the years." Wen Meng blinked his eyes quickly and beads of perspiration trickled down his forehead.


    Although she had bought a murder victim and her hands were not stained with blood, this was the first time she had done such a malicious thing. It was hard to avoid a guilty conscience.


    Yun Qianliang stood up and walked in front of Wen Meng, then bent down to help him up, "Don''t worry, even if Xiao Cui is no longer Gu Xiangfu''s servant, taking into consideration the past, I will still get the culprit to bring him to justice."


    Wen Meng heard the clear words, and her entire body shivered, she felt as if her hands were shackled, locking her tightly, causing Wen Meng to stand up and quickly withdraw her hand, and Blessed Body thanked him.


    "Did you hear about yesterday''s matter?" Yun Qianliang unconcernedly retracted his hand.


    "Madam, what might you be talking about?" Wen Meng was smart this time.


    "I gave Xiao Cui 10 taels of silver for her to take care of. After she died, the silver was no longer in her sight." Yun Qianliang could clearly see that Wen Meng had trembled all of a sudden, and her smile became even sweeter and friendlier, and she kindly provided information related to the case. "Since that silver ingot is my private money, I like to mark it to prevent others from stealing it. I have already reported to the Jing Zhao Mansion to check the silver ingot. I believe that they will soon find the person who took the ingot to buy something. "


    "I hope so." Wen Meng replied fearfully.


    "Go back." Yun Qianliang benevolently let them go.


    Wen Meng turned and picked up the guqin, who fell to the ground, and slowly walked out.


    Yun Qianliang stared at her stiff back, and said with a raised voice. "Wen Meng, you must be careful."


    A bold and careful person would definitely not be willing to be a petty person who buried himself in the dust and live on.

 C45

    Chapter 45 - The growing interest


    "Thirteen, keep an eye on her." Yun Qianliang rubbed her glabella in exhaustion.


    "Should I hand the culprit over to the Jing Zhao Mansion after capturing him?" Gu Shisan asked.


    Yun Qianliang pondered for a while, then said: "Bring them back for questioning first, hand them over after receiving all the confessions."


    Wen Meng was a restless person, if she did not have a handle on Wen Meng, then there would be an endless stream of troubles in the backyard, and she did not have the heart to fight with him again and again, so holding her in her hands was the best idea.


    Gu Shisan retreated after receiving the order, and turned to look at where Gu Yicheng was hiding.


    "Haven''t you heard enough of the Prime Minister''s corner?"


    With that said, Gu Yicheng walked over with his hands behind his back, and sat on the sandalwood chair on his left.


    "You think I''m lying?" Yun Qianliang heard his praise, and smiled: "There really is one, so if you dare touch my Cloud Water Pavilion''s money, I''ll definitely let you have it."


    She had a strange hobby of marking money. Paper and money were convenient, and gold and silver were much more inconvenient. However, she was used to it.


    "Do you love money that much?" Gu Yicheng looked at her curiously.


    It was easy to understand why the poor loved money. It wasn''t common for a rich girl like her to love money.


    Yun Qianliang was slightly stunned, his eyes turned, and his curled up eyelashes flapped like butterfly wings.


    The spies could not have weaknesses, but the lurking quest required a human''s weakness. Only with a weakness would the enemy think that they could control it. Fishing required tools, and if the lurker was bait, then the human''s weakness would be hooks with fishing lines.


    Money was the most vulgar thing, but it was the easiest thing to lack.


    For the corruption of money, it was simple and crude.


    After approximately half a cup of tea''s worth of time, her red lips had bent and her eyes were like crescent moons. Yun Qianliang revealed a bright and relaxed smile, as sonorous and forceful words jumped out of her red lips, "There is."


    Gu Yicheng stared at the smile that was as bright as a flower, a faint light flashed in her eyes, shining like a myriad of stars.


    Gu Yicheng felt that the young lady in front of him was finally no longer hiding in the fog, playing hide and seek. She parted the layers of white fog around her, and with the light of early summer, she stepped into the world.


    The corner of her mouth curled up into a smile that carried the aura of a fire that could cause the world to tremble, as if she was about to overthrow all other living beings.


    Gu Yicheng''s tongue swept across his gums, the interest that surged in his heart making his heart itch.


    "I am in a good mood today and have decided to help you." Gu Yicheng slapped his hand on the table and said, "Tonight, we will sing and dance as much as we can, let''s drink and chat merrily. How about it?"


    "Sure." Yun Qianliang was in high spirits as she magnanimously agreed.


    Wen Meng would not easily believe her words, she had to wait and see before she could take action. Tonight, the Shengpeng Dance prevented her from escaping, so time was of the essence.


    However, in order to protect Wen Meng, she used this move too stealthily, using the name of helping her. In reality, it prevented Wen Meng from finding the culprit, so as to remind her that she should calm her mind and not lose her composure.


    Since they were going to exchange blows, she would accompany them to the end.


    Wen Meng''s character might not be as strong as Gu Yicheng''s, she would definitely be able to hold on.


    Yun Qianliang left the Qing Hu Tong with light steps and took her usual nap. She spent her afternoon practicing calligraphy and painting, passing away her free time.


    The sun was waning, birds were flying back to the forest, the sky was completely dyed red, and the Gu Xiangfu''s singing and dancing feast had just begun.


    The song and dance feast was in the garden, surrounded by elaborate palace lights, and early beauties were dancing to the sound of the music.


    Yun Qianliang used the Evening meal to delay them for a while, but by the time she arrived at the garden, it was already too late.


    She led her servant into the light, which illuminated her beautiful face, adding to her charm.


    Yun Qianliang usually did not care about dressing up, but tonight, she specially made some makeup for Ying Huanhuan and put on the Hundred Water Dress with the red plum embroidered on it.


    Walking slowly towards her, her dress sleeves were like water, lightly rippling.


    Yun Qianliang walked past the beautiful woman and arrived at the place where she was holding a wine jug and listening to music and watching dancing.


    "I''m late, please forgive me." Her eyebrows slightly lowered as she spoke in a soft voice. Her expression was so gentle that it seemed as if it could be squeezed out.


    "Qian Chao, this song and dance feast is for you, but you came late. I''m afraid you won''t be able to make it if you forgive me." As if Gu Yicheng was drunk, he narrowed her eyes to look at the beauty in front of him.


    Yun Qianliang smiled, then walked to his own seat, picked up her wine jug and cup, and once again returned to his seat.


    "I will punish myself with three cups of wine. Is this acceptable?" Yun Qianliang asked.


    "Yes, yes." Gu Yicheng said.


    "Madam." Chun Hua worriedly called out softly, attempting to stop her.


    Yun Qianliang waved her hand and poured herself a pot of wine. She downed three cups in one go, and in the end, upended the wine cup.


    Gu Yicheng put down the wine jug and clapped in satisfaction, "As expected of this prime minister''s wife, your alcohol capacity is extraordinary."


    Yun Qianliang smiled and agreed, then walked towards her seat.


    Wen Meng was playing the zither and singing very close to the seats in the middle. She heard Gu Yicheng''s words very clearly, and when she played the zither, she couldn''t help but misunderstand, causing the dancers to be at a loss. Fortunately, she reacted in time and did not stop because of her mistakes, and continued to play and sing, which the dancers immediately coordinated with.


    The sound of the zither was melodious and gentle like flowing water.


    The song was sweet and melodious.


    The dancers'' figures were enchanting, their waists slightly twisted, and their arms were nimble as they rotated gently.


    At the end of the song, the dancers stood in a row.


    Gu Yicheng straightened his body and called Wen Meng forward.


    "Wen Meng, play a tune that the Madam likes. If you please the Lady too much, I will reward you." Gu Yicheng threw a flirtatious glance at Yun Qianliang.


    Usually, she would only play the zither and sing for him, she could be considered his soulmate. But tonight, she would be inviting him for a feast, and without a doubt, he would treat her as a entertainer for fun.


    Wen Meng forced out a smile, bowed and asked: "I wonder what songs Madam would like to hear?"


    "If it''s a tune I like, I''m afraid Miss Wen Meng won''t be able to play it." Yun Qianliang opened her mouth and a clear aroma wafted out.


    "Although Wen Meng is not as good as the court musician, Wen Meng is definitely not an ignorant person. As long as Madam can explain it, Wen Meng can try."


    Yun Qianliang shook his head and poured some wine into a silver wine cup that was embedded with gems. He placed it under his nose and took a light sniff.


    "This wine is cool and beautiful because it has been brewed for a long time, and because it has been buried in the soil of the wine field. This is its entire life." "And you ¡­" Yun Qianliang paused, his eyes that were as clear as the vast sky stared straight into those eyes that wanted to compete with her, "Your song contains arrogance, unwillingness, jealousy, and grievance, and you have broken the original taste of the song to the point where it makes people not satisfied listening to it. Lady Wen Meng, tell me, how can you play such a play that is filled with passion and drive me crazy? "


    Yun Qianliang''s words landed on the floor and directly pierced into their hearts.


    It was clearly a gentle and fair evaluation, but it felt like a knife was stabbed into Wen Meng''s heart.


    Wen Meng pursed her lips, staring fiercely at Yun Qianliang, she squeezed out three words from between her teeth, "I didn''t."


    "In terms of playing the zither, I might not be as skilled as you, but in terms of listening, I''m definitely an expert among them. In the tune you played just now, you made three mistakes, and you even made five mistakes in the high and low notes and rotations. Am I right?" Yun Qianliang asked lightly in return.


    Wen Meng was speechless. She had indeed been disturbed, but she had to admit her fault in front of Yun Qianliang.


    "Madam probably doesn''t understand the zither, so she mistook it for mistakes and mistakes." Wen Meng quibbled.


    Everyone said that the direct daughter of the Yun family was just an idiot, she did not understand the zither at all.


    Hearing this, Yun Qianliang did not get angry at Wen Meng''s mockery and instead laughed.


    Yun Qianliang stood up, walked to the place where the guqin was placed, and sat down on the low chair.


    The zither made a single sound, a simple tune.


    Immediately after, Yun Qianliang strummed every string on the zither once, and the combined sound of the strings once again sounded out. Only then did she stop his actions that seemed as if he was trying to cause trouble.


    Yun Qianliang exhaled, imitating Wen Meng''s posture previously, she placed both of her hands on the guqin, and used her fingers to lightly stroke the strings of the zither.


    This was the first time Yun Qianliang had touched a zither, and his playing techniques and finger techniques were unfamiliar to his, so her melody was very slow and intermittent. Although the sound was still lacking in quality, at least the tune that she had played was no different from the one Wen Meng had played before.


    After the last note ended, Yun Qianliang retracted her hand and asked: "Master, is this the song Miss Wen Meng played just now?"


    "Exactly." Gu Yicheng replied, his smile becoming more sincere.


    "Miss Wen Meng, you also said that I do not understand the zither, but just by listening to me, you can reproduce your melody, do you think that I would hear wrongly?" Yun Qianliang pretended to randomly pull a few strings, and it did not seem to be in tune, but it was actually a bit ear-piercing, "Are these the wrong places?"


    Wen Meng''s face became even uglier, but she arrogantly raised her head, refusing to admit it.


    Yun Qianliang laughed and stood up to leave the guqin.


    Originally, she had no intention to argue with Wen Meng, but looking at her arrogant demeanor, her stomach full of evil intentions started to stir up, purposely causing Wen Meng to lose face in front of everyone.


    "Tonight, I owe it to the prime minister to set up this song and dance feast for me, but unfortunately, I''m just an embroidered pillow. I really can''t understand these elegant songs and dances, so after disturbing the prime minister''s feast, I''ll punish myself." Yun Qianliang walked back to his seat and straightforwardly punished himself with three cups of wine.


    "Continue." Gu Yicheng waved his hands, allowing Song Wu to continue.


    Gu Yicheng got up and sat beside Yun Qianliang, supporting his head with her hands, a pair of intoxicated eyes filled with interest. She turned his head to look at the person who had drunk her heart''s content and laughed: "Qian Qian Qian, you thought that this apricot wine was good to drink, so you found a reason to drink the penalty wine."


    "Why do you have to expose me if you want to see through me?" Just as she was about to speak, her wrist was grabbed by Gu Yicheng, and in the next moment, her hand was snatched away, and all the good wine was poured into Gu Yicheng''s mouth.


    "You have too much strength after drinking this wine, so drink less." Gu Yicheng smiled as he held onto the wine cup that she had used before.


    Yun Qianliang rolled her eyes as she was unwilling to speak directly.

 C46

    Chapter 46 - Trust


    The next day at dawn, Yun Qianliang woke up early.


    After experiencing the assassination, Yun Qianliang had especially despised this body that lacked brute strength and poor physical qualities. At that time, she had wanted to train everyday in the future, not to the level of his body in her previous life but to the point that she would be able to survive in times of crisis.


    This body was a little weak, Yun Qianliang did not dare to be too harsh on herself, so she simply ran ten laps around Green Pine Academy, and slowly trained.


    The winter morning brought along a bone-piercing chill. She wore a ponytail and clothes that weren''t considered thick. At first, she was shivering from the cold, but her calves were trembling. She had to run two laps to get used to it.


    Gu Yicheng got up and prepared to go to court, the Gu San took some medicine to change the medicine for Master. Listening to Gu San reporting that Yun Qianliang was jogging in the courtyard, Gu Yicheng walked over to the window and opened it.


    In the distance, Gu Yicheng saw a petite figure running happily in the dark sky. Before long, she reached them.


    Gu Yicheng held onto the window with both of his hands, and shouted to the people running towards him, "Qian Qian Qian, come and help me apply the medicine."


    Yun Qianliang''s footsteps did not stop as she looked at the window that was filled with light. Gu Yicheng''s tall body stood there, facing the shadow of the light, and although her expression could not be seen clearly, her eyes seemed to be looking at someone who was deep and calm, very black, so dark that it seemed to have an indistinct light.


    Yun Qianliang thought that in the end, he had to take care of the wound for her. As a person, one shouldn''t be merciless and unruly, treating such a small matter like this had already been mentioned by the other party.


    Yun Qianliang stopped at the window with her legs, and walked towards the window, "Move aside."


    Gu Yicheng turned his body to the side, only to see Yun Qianliang using both hands to support the window, using all the strength in his body, her waist and legs twisted, and she easily flipped over the window.


    Gu Yicheng''s surprise completely changed in an instant. He raised his hands to cover half his face, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as he laughed silently.


    "Hurry up, don''t waste time." Yun Qianliang walked towards the table that had medicine and bandages on it.


    "Good, good, good." Gu Yicheng said three words in a row. Even though the smile on his face had stopped, he could not hide the joy on his face. On the contrary, it was because he could suppress it and it seemed like there was a little love hidden in the depths of his eyes.


    Yun Qianliang calmly undid his belt and tore her shirt, revealing the wound on her left shoulder blade.


    He was already injured, but he had to pretend that he was fine in front of outsiders. He even drank quite a bit last night, causing him to become angry from the injury.


    "Hands up." Yun Qianliang started to remove the bandage.


    Gu Yicheng obediently raised his hand, looking at her with drooping eyes. His face was serious, and the way he removed the bandages on his body was gentle and proficient, causing him to feel uncomfortable. He opened his mouth to break the quiet atmosphere, "What are you planning to do today?"


    "Find a way to catch the killer." Yun Qianliang casually answered.


    Immediately after, the atmosphere became quiet again. Gu Yicheng shifted his gaze elsewhere and stared at the Golden Sore Medicine in the tray.


    After Yun Qianliang removed the bandages, Gu San handed over a wet towel. She naturally received it, and used the wet towel to gently wipe the bloodstains around the wound.


    He put down the wet towel and reached for the Golden Sore Medicine. His five fingers were white and tender, neither fat nor thin. They looked really good.


    Gu Yicheng stared at the hand, his eyes landed on her body again. In his mind, he could see her watery eyes after drinking the alcohol last night.


    "Gu Yicheng, you cannot be careless with your injuries, it''s a good thing that you did not injure any muscles or bones, if not your left arm would be crippled sooner or later." Yun Qianliang poured the Golden Sore Medicine onto the wound, carefully wiped it out, and then wrapped it with bandages to bind it. After a circle around, it did not slip and scatter, and was as neat and tidy as a doctor''s bag.


    "Yes." Gu Yicheng agreed obediently, then felt that he deserved it a little, and then said: "The mansion isn''t safe, if I don''t let others see me drinking it would be hard to dispel my suspicions, the Jin Wang is waiting for me to make a mistake, how can I let him do as he pleases?"


    "Ji Qichi is someone from the Jin Wang, right?" Yun Qianliang was suspicious.


    Ji Qichi had personally stabbed him, but Song Shujin did not know about it.


    "Yes, but Song Shujin doesn''t seem to know that he knows martial arts, so he naturally wouldn''t leak out the news of me being injured." When this person was mentioned, Gu Yicheng frowned.


    If he wanted to gain power and power, he could fight for it himself. But since he was concealing the matter of the Martial Competition, it was obvious that he did not want to receive too much attention, the two of them contradicted each other and it was even harder to determine what his intentions were.


    Yun Qianliang rolled up the bandage smoothly and said seriously: "Gu Yicheng, do you want to check with me?"


    Before they were married, he had already investigated her information to the end of the day. Of this, she would definitely think of it, if there really were things that he had not found out, she could just tell him, why would she waste so much time and effort investigating them?


    "I always felt that something was off. For example, the assassination attempt the day before yesterday, when you just reported that you wanted to increase the tax, there were a lot of people who wanted to kill you. At this time, it is most suitable for people to blatantly make a move and then give up on those who oppose increasing the tax. Ji Qichi''s appearance is also strange, he doesn''t seem to be on the same side as the previous group of people, then the people before would not be the people Song Shujin sent to kill me, my character has indeed provoked many people previously, but in the end, it is a grudge between girls, do you need to put me to death? " Yun Qianliang was very uneasy in her heart. That unease came from an unknown source outside her memories.


    During the conversation in the study room that day, he had inadvertently discovered that in Yun Qinan''s heart, she, her humble daughter, was actually a person who trespassed into the Yun Xiang Mansion''s study room.


    suspected that it was her who barged into the study, it was simply a fantasy, and there was nothing to say about it, but he suspected that such a useless person had appeared too suddenly, causing others to feel suspicious.


    Ji Qichi was curious, to kill a weak girl like her, did he even need to apply poison on his sword?


    "I''ll look into this." Gu Yicheng understood in his heart, he did not say much to her.


    Yun Qianliang packed her stuff and continued jogging.


    Gu Yicheng stood up and was about to change the official uniform s behind the screen. When he stood up, the jade pendant at his waist lightly swayed, he lowered his head and stared at the jade pendant for a while, then called out to Yun Qianliang who wanted to flip out the window.


    "Wait a moment." Gu Yicheng took a jade pendant from his waist and walked towards the window, "This is for you."


    Yun Qianliang held the knot on the jade pendant and waved it in front of her eyes. The round jade pendant was carved with shallow lines that covered the entire jade pendant like it was a maze.


    "Rewards for bandaging?" Yun Qianliang was not very satisfied.


    Compared to the jade pendant, she preferred practical things such as money.


    "You only have thirteen by your side, fourteen is not enough, take this jade and go to Zheng''an Pawnshop, the shopkeeper will bring you to pick." Gu Yicheng explained.


    "I don''t want it." Yun Qianliang rejected it and returned the jade back to him.


    Although she was too useful to him, it did not mean that she was willing to sink deeper and deeper into the struggle for power.


    Jade pendants had different meanings. After receiving her, they would move closer to the whirlpool of power and influence.


    Gu Yicheng frowned, looking at the hand in front of him, he was annoyed.


    She knew that this jade pendant was priceless, and it was equivalent to him personally coming here. The Gu family''s secret guards as well as the Gu family''s subordinates all around the place had to obey orders.


    "I have my reasons. You must take it." Gu Yicheng forcefully dispelled the thought of returning.


    "Fine." Yun Qianliang retracted her tired hands and hung the jade pendant on her waist, "But we haven''t caught the culprit yet, I need to investigate the case. I''m not free right now, let''s talk about the pick later."


    Gu San stood at the side and looked at the piece of jade changing owners. He wanted to say something, but he endured it in the end.


    "Forget it." Gu Yicheng said helplessly, "Gu San, go pick one for her."


    "Yes." Gu San accepted the order and asked: "What kind of servants does Madam want?"


    Yun Qianliang frowned, she was selecting the people who would be by her side in the future, and she had to pick some that would look good for him.


    Seeing Yun Qianliang in a difficult situation, the Gu San understood and said: "Madam is not in a hurry, I can think about it slowly."


    "No need." Yun Qianliang spoke out her own request, "Just pick a few to get rich."


    Gu Yicheng could not hold back his laughter again, he covered his mouth and laughed, his eyebrows arched even further.


    Lucky person, this was a description?


    Gu San''s eyebrows twitched, he modestly asked, "What kind of person is considered to be rich?"


    "Luck, fortune, luck, and loyalty." Yun Qianliang counted with her fingers, "To be able to gather all of them is for the best, if not, then at least I have a chance."


    Gu San: "..."


    How are you picking the attendants? You''re clearly looking for someone suitable to go to the casino.


    "That''s all. You can decide on the rest." Yun Qianliang flipped out of the window and continued her jogging exercises.


    Yun Qianliang''s figure gradually moved further and further away, submerged in the shallow darkness.


    Gu San waited for Master to change before he could not resist asking, "Master, do you believe in Madam?"


    Gu Yicheng, who was changing his clothes behind the screen, moved smoothly.


    "Gu San, don''t you think she''s fun?" Gu Yicheng asked, and it was hard to hide the smile in his words.


    "Then, you gave the secret token to Madam here to play with her and probe if she would hand it over to Yun Xiang Mansion or Yun Xiang Mansion?" The Gu San had always been concerned about Yun Qianliang and his little affair with the Jin Wang, and suspected that she would betray the Gu Xiangfu.


    "No, I just wanted to." Gu Yicheng answered lightly and thought of a matter, then instructed: "Inform me where my wife will go in the future, and there is no need to report to me about anything she has done. If she wants to do anything, she can only secretly help, and cannot be stopped."


    Since he decided to give the secret token to Yun Qianliang, he wouldn''t pursue the matter of her and Song Shujin''s past.


    From today onwards, she was his wife, and he had no intention of letting her go.


    If all of these were her methods of acting, he wouldn''t mind learning from the Tianhui Emperor and doing a wicked deed. In any case, he already married into her family, so it wouldn''t be easy for him to leave her.

 C47

    Chapter 47 - Joint acting


    After the brunch passed, Yun Qianliang went to her study room to stay for a while. When she came out, she held a piece of paper in her hand.


    "Fourteen." Yun Qianliang shouted.


    Gu Shisi who was guarding the courtyard walked in quickly, "What orders does Madam have?"


    "Send this slip of paper to Jing Zhao Mansion." There was a slip of paper between Yun Qianliang''s forefinger and middle finger. The elegant little boy wrote two lines of words loosely, "Let them come with more heroic spirit."


    Gu Shisi took two steps forward and accepted the slip of paper. After looking at the contents, he rolled up the slip of paper and said, "This subordinate will go right away."


    Yun Qianliang was slightly surprised, he slowly retracted her hand, "Are you in a good mood?"


    Last time, when she was doing something, she had said that one of the two needed to stay by her side, so she sent Gu Shisan out to watch over him.


    "As usual." Gu Shisi replied with a rule.


    "That means I''m different today." Yun Qianliang saw through his change in just one sentence. Thinking about what he had gotten in the early morning, Yun Qianliang took off the jade pendant with labyrinth patterns on it. He flung it with his fingers, "Because of this jade pendant?"


    Gu Shisi looked at the dancing jade pendant, he suddenly knelt down on one knee and asked anxiously: "Where did Lady Jade get this from?"


    When Qiu Yue heard that, he became extremely angry, and bellowed: "Imperial Guard Gu, what do you mean by that? My Young Miss is a dignified Right Premier of the direct daughter. She has seen many precious things, but would she steal a jade pendant from the Gu Xiangfu? "


    "Madam, this is definitely not my intention." Gu Shisi quickly explained, "It''s just that this jade pendant is really special. The Prime Minister never leaves his side, which is why this subordinate was rude and offended the Madam."


    He only obeyed Yun Qianliang''s words because of the orders that she received from the Lord this morning. She wanted to act according to the Lady''s wishes, but she did not expect Yun Qianliang to have a secret token.


    According to legends, this object was an important keepsake for three generations. It was truly difficult to imagine it appearing in the hands of another.


    "Don''t worry about it. It was given to you by your master in law. You can ask if you want to." Yun Qianliang stopped swinging his body and returned it to her waist so that it wouldn''t break the precious jade pendant.


    "This subordinate does not dare, and since Madam says yes, of course I do. This subordinate does not dare to doubt you." Gu Shisi quickly expressed his opinion.


    Giving the secret message to Yun Qianliang meant that the Lord Prime Minister approved of her identity. As his subordinate, he had no right to question her! Must obey.


    "Hurry up and do something." Yun Qianliang waved her hand.


    After Gu Shisi left, Yun Qianliang couldn''t help but place her hand on the jade pendant. From Gu Shisi''s attitude, it was as if she was holding the jade pendant to make her subordinate see Gu Yicheng himself, why would he give it to her?


    The benefits of being with someone on one''s own?


    Compared to Yun Qianliang who still had the mind to tangle with a piece of jade, the lady in Yun Xiang Mansion was like an ant on a hot pan.


    After the Qin family learned that the assassination attempt had failed, and Yun Qianliang was still alive and well, she felt extremely high in her heart, and it was difficult for him to land on the ground.


    And from that day onwards, Ji Qichi who had just entered the Palace never returned. She had the heart to ask for help, but he could do nothing about it.


    For two consecutive days, the Qin family struggled to sleep, night after night.


    "Mother, many years have passed, and the evidence is long gone. You don''t have to worry too much, it''s not worth hurting your body." Yun Qingyan supported Qin family to walk in the garden, comforting his gently.


    "Yan Er, there are a lot of things that you don''t understand." Qin family patted her hand and looked ahead. She was anxious, the scenery around her still did not dispel the gloom, but as time passed, she became more worried.


    In the past, it was hard for Yun Qianliang to make a sound, but he held it tightly in his palm and did not do anything. But now that Yun Qianliang was leaning on the big tree that was the adulterer, Minister Zuo, she had to be on guard and make his plans earlier.


    It wasn''t easy for her to stabilize her position as the Right Premier''s wife, so how could she let others pull her down?!


    Seeing that the worry on the Qin family''s face had not disappeared, Yun Qingyan said, "Mother, if you are worried that Yun Qianliang will discover the truth, why don''t I secretly pay a visit to the Jin Mansion and beg the Jin Wang?"


    "Absolutely not." "In the heart of the Jin Wang, you are like a fairy that does not touch the mundane world. You are gentle and kind, how can you let that slut dirty your own hands? You definitely cannot do such a thing."


    "I will not directly ask Jin Wang to kill Yun Qianliang, as long as..." Yun Qingyan leaned towards Qin family and whispered a few words into her ear.


    After he finished speaking, Yun Qingyan''s face was full of confidence and a smile, but Qin family was a little hesitant.


    "Will doing this affect how Jin Wang thinks of your father?" The Qin family was worried.


    "With the Jin Wang''s disgust towards Yun Qianliang, this matter can only be blamed on her. Father is merely forced to be helpless." Yun Qingyan laughed like a cunning fox. Her smile did not match her gentle and gentle appearance and was rather cunning, "Leave this to me, Mother. Don''t worry."


    "Fine." The Qin family nodded reluctantly.


    Yun Qingyan was decisive in her actions. Once she made a decision, she immediately asked her personal servant, Ming Liu to deliver a greeting letter to Jin Mansion.


    Zhao Guangxian led a team of Prefecture servants to the Gu Xiangfu. Seeing how grand the battle was, the Steward Gu immediately understood and went out to welcome them.


    "I wonder why Master Zhao is here today?"


    Zhao Guangxian raised his hand to stop the convoy, and replied: "I came here today to investigate, for the sake of the Steward Gu."


    "Master Zhao, please." Steward Gu retreated to the side and invited him into the residence.


    After waiting for people to enter, he called for a servant to instruct him to report to the Green Pine Academy.


    Zhao Guangxian left his subordinate outside and led Zhao Yuanqi into the domain clearing hall.


    Yun Qianliang walked into the domain clearing hall in his purple silk dress. He walked over leisurely, his atmosphere was graceful and her entire body was cold, but when he saw the corner of his mouth rise, the coldness and alienation on her body instantly shattered and disappeared without a trace.


    "Master Zhao, Young Master Zhao." Yun Qianliang nodded politely.


    "Greetings Madam Gu." The father and son duo stood up to greet him.


    Yun Qianliang smiled and made a gesture to sit up.


    "It''s been hard on the Master Zhao regarding Xiao Cui." Yun Qianliang said meaningfully: "Steward Gu, find all the people within the residence who are familiar with Xiao Cui here."


    Steward Gu was clever and alert, upon hearing the meaning behind Yun Qianliang''s words, he knew that Yun Qianliang had already started meddling in this matter, and the main character of this show was the graceful and calm lady sitting in front of him.


    "This old servant will do it now." Steward Gu withdrew.


    Roughly a quarter of an hour later, Steward Gu brought a servant from his residence over, and quite a few Singer Dancer s were invited.


    Before even entering the domain clearing hall, Wen Meng saw the officials standing in two rows outside of the hall, her heart was thumping hard, even her breathing had become hurried, causing her to slow down, and the people behind her to slow down as well.


    "Miss Wen Meng, please." Steward Gu warned him in time.


    Wen Meng calmed her spirit down, sped up her footsteps and took the lead to enter the domain clearing hall.


    "Master Zhao, Young Master Zhao, this is Xiao Cui''s previous master ¡ª ¡ª Wen Meng." Yun Qianliang said as he pointed to the person who had stepped across the threshold.


    The Zhao father and son turned to look at the person. The person was beautiful, wearing a beautiful dress that wrapped around her body. As she walked, her waist gently swayed, as if she was walking in the middle of the water.


    Zhao Guangxian took a glance at it as per usual, and did not dare to look any further.


    Everyone knew that the Gu Xiang had not gotten married yet and had raised a group of Singer Dancer s within the palace. After getting married with Yun Qianliang, Ye Shengge did not even kick the Singer Dancer s out of the palace. Although there was a rumor that the Gu Xiang doted on the newly married wives, which woman would tolerate her husband leaving behind a group of beautiful women within the palace?


    Thinking about it this way, even the prettiest girl, Zhao Guangxian, would not have the heart to look, for fear of angering the main character.


    Zhao Yuanqi looked at Wen Meng twice, but when he looked at Wen Meng, he did not seem perverted or prejudiced at all, instead, he looked extremely comfortable.


    The people who came were mostly women, with three attendants standing at the end.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes swept across Wen Meng and landed on the lady beside her. She was not familiar with the Singer Dancer and had met a few times during her walk in the flower garden.


    Amongst all the Singer Dancer s, she was not the most beautiful, the most talented. Her actions were no different from the others, but this girl''s eyes hid an unyielding gaze.


    Wen Meng also would not admit defeat, but the difference between the two was too huge.


    Su Qing''s refusal to admit defeat was because she was strong in her heart and did not lose herself, but Wen Meng''s refusal to accept defeat was equivalent to using any means possible to climb up!


    "Xiao Cui is dead." Just like how Yun Qianliang told Wen Meng yesterday, she spoke the truth calmly.


    With that said, the domain clearing hall was in an uproar for a moment, before calming down.


    Su Qing frowned, and subconsciously looked at Wen Meng.


    Wen Meng was guilty, seeing Su Qing''s direct reaction, she became angry in her heart, and asked with an impatient tone: "What are you doing?"


    "Nope." Su Qing retracted her gaze and did not say anything.


    Wen Meng was nervous in her heart, and an evil thought arose in her mind.


    Yun Qianliang coughed lightly, and swept Wen Meng with a warning gaze.


    Wen Meng quickly lowered her eyes and collected her emotions.


    "These two are Jing Zhao Fu Yin and Young Master Zhao." Yun Qianliang laughed as she identified herself as one of the two uninvited guests in the hall, "Master Zhao came here today to investigate the matter of Xiao Cui''s death, so the two of you must answer truthfully in a moment, you can''t hide it from me, otherwise, I won''t be able to protect you if something happens."


    When Yun Qianliang said this, the Jing Zhao Mansion began to handle the cases in accordance to normal procedures, and started to interrogate him one by one.


    During this time, Yun Qianliang quietly sat and drank her tea, not interfering with the interrogation.


    Xiao Cui had been in the Gu Xiangfu for more than five years, and was familiar with most of the servants in the palace. Within the Gu Xiangfu, there were two batches of servants, and after a few people, there were still new people who filled in the gaps.


    Su Qing was Xiao Cui''s previous master, so she had entered the house earlier than the other dancers, and was the first one Gu Yicheng brought back.


    After Wen Meng entered the house, she became deeply loved by Gu Yicheng and gained the authority to manage the household. Wen Meng immediately took Xiao Cui away and became a first-class slave in the Hibiscus Courtyard, serving him closely.

 C48

    Chapter 48 - Wind and Rain Eve


    The interrogation lasted two hours and was not over yet.


    Gu Shisi received the news from outside and rushed to domain clearing hall.


    Gu Shisi was tall and big. Dressed in a black riding suit, he passed by the domain clearing hall s who were surrounded by chirping birds and birds, and his aura immediately became exceptionally strong.


    Gu Shisi walked over to Yun Qianliang, bent down and whispered something into her ear, then straightened his body and waited for her instructions.


    Yun Qianliang frowned slightly, he knew that Wen Meng was the one who asked the questions, and it didn''t matter if he listened or not, but he wanted to take the chance to understand more about the Gu Xiangfu''s internal situation, so that he could take action in the future.


    Zhao Guangxian looked at Yun Qianliang in a daze, seeing that she was in a difficult situation, and the interrogation would not end anytime soon.


    "Madam Gu has something to attend to, I will definitely inform you of the progress of the case." Zhao Guangxian turned and said.


    "Then I''ll be troubling Master Zhao." Yun Qianliang got up, and Fu Er instructed the Steward Gu s who were waiting in domain clearing hall, "Steward Gu, don''t bother everyone in Jing Zhao Mansion."


    "Mistress, don''t worry. This old servant will definitely properly entertain Master Zhao and the others." The Steward Gu replied.


    Yun Qianliang smiled apologetically, and quickly left the domain clearing hall.


    After exiting the domain clearing hall, Yun Qianliang asked: "Master, are you still in court?"


    "It is already time for the assembly to begin, but the two prime ministers were called into the imperial study by the emperor." Gu Shisi told them the situation in the palace.


    "The kings of the court are not here?" Yun Qianliang''s frown deepened.


    "Jin Wang has already returned to his residence."


    Leaving two prime ministers alone, the Tianhui Emperor is not simple at all.


    Yun Qinan had no son, no one could help him gain power in the imperial court, and so she could only marry and marry.


    On the surface, Yun Qinan was a member of the Tianhui Emperor, but she had secretly formed a faction with Song Shujin. The Tianhui Emperor probably wanted to suppress the Yun Family and take this opportunity to investigate the depths of the two prime ministers.


    Yun Qianliang walked back to the Green Pine Academy, but did not go there.


    In the hall of the Qing Hu Tong, there was a man dressed in the robes of a Yun Xiang Mansion servant sitting inside. Seeing that Gu Shisi was following behind a lady, the two of them walked over, and before he even entered the house, he had already stood up.


    Yun Qianliang walked into the Qing Hu Tong and saw the people inside the house. She felt that they looked familiar, but felt that something wasn''t right.


    "This must be Madam, right? This subordinate, Gu Shi greets Madam, and wishes Madam eternal youth and love with the Lord Prime Minister. " The man bowed in greeting. His playful words didn''t match with his youthful, lively appearance. It was a complete contrast to his face of thirty years old.


    "Aren''t you Uncle Zhang?" Qiu Yue saw the familiar face, and was extremely shocked.


    "You know him?" Yun Qianliang asked.


    Qiu Yue quickly nodded her head, as she was shocked and found it hard to digest this fact.


    "Madam, this is Uncle Zhang, the person in charge of the servant in the Old Master''s Courtyard." Chun Hua replied and looked at Gu Shi in surprise, only that Uncle Zhang''s voice was hoarse and gloomy, and was slightly different from Master.


    "Oh, they were made to sound hoarse after taking some raspy medicine." Gu Shi frankly answered his question.


    Chun Hua was confused. Facing the familiar face, voice and actions were unfamiliar, and her heart felt weird.


    "Did he use a disguise technique?" Yun Qianliang exclaimed.


    In the past, he had always watched TV, but after filming with the same actors, he had only heard that the technique was superb. In reality, Yun Qianliang admired the abilities of the ancients, and their technique could be said to be perfect.


    "Madam has good eyesight." Gu Shi praised casually with his sweet mouth.


    Yun Qianliang stared at Gu Shi for a good while, as though she was admiring a work of art, until she found some weak points that were difficult to be noticed.


    "Yun Qingyan went to the Jin Mansion?" Yun Qianliang retracted the surprise in her eyes.


    "Exactly." Gu Shi straightened his body and answered, "Qin family won''t be able to sleep at all these days, I''m afraid that Madame would investigate the matter of the poison and find out about her body. Yun Qingyan probably went to Jin Mansion to take care of Mother''s worries, I still need to prepare as soon as possible to prevent myself from falling into danger."


    Yun Qianliang pondered, the intelligence in his eyes could not be ignored, and after a moment, she asked a question that did not make any sense, "Which door did she enter, Jin Mansion?"


    Gu Shi was suspicious, and did not understand the meaning behind his words, "Side door."


    "So what if she squeezed me out of the position of Jinwangfei? A mere concubinage trying to obtain the position of Chief Consort is just a pipe dream. If I were to enter the Palace through the side door today, I''m afraid in the future, I will only be able to sit in the position of lateral consort. Pity my good sister, she doesn''t understand the meaning behind it and wasted her cleverness in plotting against me in the past. "


    When Yun Qianliang was still engaged to Song Shujin, and had visited the Jin Mansion many times, when he went there alone, the Jin Mansion had always only opened the side door, allowing her to sneak in. But every time she invited Yun Qingyan to go with his, the Jin Mansion would open the main door and invite people in.


    Later on, when she occupied this body and recalled these matters, the way she treated her in such a different way was clearly meant to humiliate her.


    "Madam, you mean that the Jin Wang will not marry Yun Qingyan to the Chief Consort?" Gu Shisi said.


    There were still rumors in the capital that the reason the Jin Wang rejected the marriage was because the real person was the Yun Mansion''s Second Miss and the Jin Wang was openly and secretly protecting Yun Qingyan. In the capital, it was no longer a secret.


    "Who knows?" Yun Qianliang laughed indifferently.


    It was a huge issue, and for the time being, he could not come to a conclusion.


    "How should I deal with Yun Qingyan?" Gu Shi asked, he did not understand the person in front of him.


    "You want to borrow the Jin Wang''s hand to kill me? I''m curious, but she has disguised herself as a gentle and kind person in front of the Jin Wang, so how will she be able to jump over the Jin Wang to kill me?" Yun Qianliang was confused, she turned his eyes, and in the next moment, she frowned, her expression changed greatly. She slammed his hand on the table fiercely, a storm brewed in his eyes, she gritted her teeth and squeezed out three words, "Yun Qinan!"


    Yun Qianliang''s grip on the table tightened, and her knuckles turned white.


    "Fourteen, you go ¡­" Yun Qianliang suddenly paused, and rubbed her forehead, "If you leave, I''ll be in danger."


    "Madam has a secret token. As long as you give me instructions, I will have someone take care of it for you." Gu Shi''s eyes swept across the jade pendant on his waist, but he did not reveal any surprise. He calmly accepted the fact that this was the master of the secret message, and said, "Or maybe Madam would like to personally go to Zheng''an Pawnshop to pick a person to use."


    Secret message order?


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes fell on the jade pendant at her waist, her fingers caressing the lines on it, trying to find out what they were, but the lines seemed to be untraceable, it was just like a maze.


    "Go check on Jin Wang''s trip in the next few days, it''s going to be fast." Yun Qianliang moved his finger away, the color in his eyes gradually deepening, "I''m returning to Yun Xiang Mansion."


    It was obvious that he wanted to use this to deal with Yun Qingyan when he was in a difficult situation. Since he had turned hostile, there was no need for her to care about the blood relations between them and show mercy to the Yun Xiang Mansion!


    She will return anyone who wants her dead!


    At this time, Yun Qingyan was implementing her plan inside the Jin Mansion.


    In the Jin Mansion''s garden, there was an exquisite pavilion, a clear and beautiful pond and water corridor, as well as a large rock garden, an ancient stage, jade and exquisite looking buildings. In the Jin Mansion''s garden, there were exquisite and exquisite pavilions, as well as a quiet and beautiful pond and water corridor, there were large rock garden, as well as ancient and exquisite stage, as well as jade and exquisite


    Inside the garden, there was a warm pavilion. On three sides, there was a movable long screen that blocked the cold wind. On the screen, there was a beautiful painting of a crane, and at the entrance, there was a thick curtain lightly swaying in the wind.


    Incense and a warm stove were placed inside the pavilion to disperse the cold air blowing in from the outside.


    Song Shujin was sitting cross-legged around the tea table in the pavilion. Wisps of steam were rising from the table and his face looked blurry due to the hazy water vapor.


    Lu Zhe led Yun Qingyan outside the Warm Pavilion, "Your Highness, Second Miss Yun is here."


    "Come in." Song Shujin''s cold voice seemed to carry a bit of heat.


    Lu Zhe opened the curtains, and Yun Qingyan walked in leisurely, and saw that the man inside had already changed out of his court uniform, and his face was flushed red.


    "Qingyan, see you ¡­" Just as Yun Qingyan was about to bow, she was interrupted.


    "You and I don''t need to bow in private." Song Shujin raised his head and looked at Yun Qingyan, "Come and drink a cup of tea with me."


    "Yes." Yun Qingyan walked over shyly.


    Seeing that Song Shujin had not touched the tea leaves, Yun Qingyan took a piece of cloth from the table and wrapped her hands with it to remove the teapot''s lid.


    As the lid of the pot was lifted, a strong aroma of tea wafted out.


    "This tea is made just right. It''s just right time for it to be brewed. Qingyan, pour a cup of tea for you." Yun Qingyan covered the teapot with the lid, took out a tea bowl from the teacup on the left and placed it in front of him, then picked up the teapot and poured the tea into it.


    Boiling tea was different from making tea. The method to drinking tea was different, but Song Shujin preferred to Boil tea.


    In order to get what he wanted, Yun Qingyan had specially requested the tea ceremony to teach him.


    "Please have a try, Your Highness." Yun Qingyan brought the tea in front of Song Shujin, her tone filled with anticipation.


    Song Shujin looked at the eagle in the teacup and curled his lips. "Only you understand this king''s thoughts the best."


    "This is Qingyan''s fortune." Yun Qingyan''s face flushed red, he withdrew his eyebrows in embarrassment and went back to sit at the opposite side.


    "You said that there''s something urgent, but why are you in such a hurry?" Song Shujin asked with concern.


    "I had no intention of knowing that when Big Sis returned, she went to the study late at night to meet Father. It seems that she took something from Father." I had no intention of knowing that when Big Sis returned, she went to the study late at night to meet Father. Yun Qingyan lifted his head, his small face full of worry.


    "Do you know what it is?" Song Shujin asked from the bottom of his heart.


    "I don''t know." Yun Qingyan shook his head in distress, thought for a while and said: "Qingyan remembered something, that day father told me before, that he would prepare a new dowry for me, at that time, I still don''t know what Qingyan''s intentions were, but it is possible that it is related to this. But why does elder sister need Qingyan''s dowry when she''s already married? "


    "If you want to know, This King will investigate it for you." Song Shujin said with good intentions, smiling as he comforted Yun Qingyan.

 C49

    Chapter 49 - Dissension


    Yun Qianliang walked into the main entrance of the Yun Xiang Mansion with a cold expression, her body of cold, shocked attendants did not dare to stop him.


    "Eldest Miss." When the Housekeeper Liu heard the news, he quickly ran over to welcome them.


    "Where is the Aunt Qin?" Yun Qianliang did not stop, her cold gaze sweeping across Housekeeper Liu.


    Hearing that special form of address, Housekeeper Liu was slightly shocked. He braced himself and asked: "Reporting to Eldest Miss, there''s no one like Aunt Qin in the residence. Did you find the wrong person?"


    Yun Qianliang sneered, she stopped and stared at Housekeeper Liu, causing her scalp to go numb and her head to droop.


    "Housekeeper Liu, you are considered an old man in the manor, so you should be familiar with the rules of the underworld. Do you not have some points in your heart?" Yun Qianliang''s voice was light and slow, every word was shocking to the point that she was perspiring, she did not dare to say more.


    Housekeeper Liu swallowed his saliva, not daring to reply.


    In the entire capital, there had never been anyone who had adopted an aunt as their legal wife. To put it nicely, it was a couple who had fallen in love, but in other words, they had lost their souls due to the aunt''s enchantment, which was displeasing to the ears. Usually, the women and officials would not dare to say too much due to their husband''s lower status, and would treat him with courtesy, but in the end, they could not cover their mouths.


    Housekeeper Liu was a butler supported by the Qin family, so he naturally did not dare to ask whether or not these were the rules.


    Unable to hear the answer, Yun Qianliang swept her cold eyes across the Housekeeper Liu and headed towards the courtyard.


    Seeing that, Housekeeper Liu immediately sent people to inform Qin family and to wait outside the palace. When Yun Qinan came out, she invited people to return.


    Yun Qianliang walked all the way to the Hua Yi Hall, where there was a servant guarding the entrance.


    Seeing Yun Qianliang, who was already married, bringing along her guards who were walking over majestically, the two servants looked at each other and were confused.


    "Greetings, Eldest Miss." The servant bowed and stopped Yun Qianliang from entering the courtyard.


    "Get out of the way." Yun Qianliang was in a bad mood, he intentionally revealed his anger on her face. Her face was originally extremely beautiful, flirtatious and arrogant, with an angry look on her pretty face.


    "Eldest Miss, Madam is resting, you can''t go in." The attendant said hurriedly, unwilling to back down.


    Yun Qianliang snorted, and looked at the guards behind him.


    Two guards walked out from the back, and the two of them quickly grabbed and dragged the two servants away. The two servants did their duty, but their arms were in pain and they even spoke words to stop her.


    The Qin family had always been beautiful, the flower beds in the courtyard only grew peonies, and all of them were expensive varieties such as Yao Huang and Wei Zi. She even fixed a pond with a goldfish in the courtyard, the water in the pond was from a mountain beside the pond and it took a lot of effort and money just to create the lake. Furthermore, there was a layer of white sand at the bottom of the pond, where the sunlight shone like a full pool of jumping lights on the surface of the water.


    Yun Qianliang had always liked the scenery there, and would often stay in the Huai Yi Yuan and the Qin family. After obtaining this body, he would always feel displeased when he saw the beautiful scenery.


    Qin family came from a small family, and her family wasn''t rich. After marrying Yun Qinan, he relied on his prime minister son-in-law to his business rise, and the last Qin family was adopted as his wife. The Qin family even begged Yun Qinan to help her family find a job in the imperial court, so on one and two occasions, he went to the Qin family to lead a successful life.


    The Qin family would not use that much money to spend on the Qin family, so Yun Qianliang had a general idea of where the money for the pond was from. It was all his mother''s dowry!


    Qin family laid on the soft roof to rest. She was annoyed by the noise outside.


    "Chang Liu, have you gone out to see what is happening?" Qin family supported his head forcefully, as if he was a sickly beauty.


    Chang Liu slowly walked out of the house. Before she even entered the house, she saw Yun Qianliang leading the others over, seeing that her expression was strange, she immediately turned around and reported back to the house, "Madam, Young Miss has barged in."


    "That bitch?" Qin family had not been able to rest well for many days.


    "My mother was close to me in the past, so she never would have thought that she would call me this in secret." Yun Qianliang directly walked into the room, but when she heard the ear-piercing title, she still laughed at herself.


    Qin family shuddered, and all the sleepiness in her head disappeared without a trace.


    "It''s because this servant is insensible, causing me to feel annoyed, so I couldn''t help but curse." He still pretended to be a loving mother as he smiled gently, "A few days ago I heard that you and Gu Xiang were assassinated. I was worried about whether you were injured and couldn''t rest properly for a few days, and was just thinking of finding a time to look for you."


    "How could I dare trouble mother?" Yun Qianliang did not greet the Qin family like he usually did, he walked towards the seat of honor and sat on the seat of honor. He glanced at the servants in the room and said coldly: I have something to say to mother, everyone else can leave!


    Yun Qianliang''s aura was strong and her actions strange, causing the Qin family to be on guard.


    "You may leave." Qin family waved away her slave.


    As the servants left one after another, Chang Liu was even more worried. She stayed outside the door to look around, not daring to walk too far.


    "Qian Qian, what happened to you?" Qin family did not ask about the matter of Yun Qianliang sitting in the seat of honor, and instead sat at the bottom.


    "What''s wrong?" Yun Qianliang repeated, and in the end, revealed a cold smile, her eyes clear and bottomless, "How could this Aunt Qin not know the purpose of my return?"


    Just one sentence was enough to cause Qin family to instantly change her expression. She hardened her face and was about to teach Yun Qianliang a lesson, "Qian Qian, what nonsense are you spouting? I am your father''s wife, and no longer an aunt. "


    She had been tainted half her life with the words Aunt Qin. Because of these three words, her daughter had been born with such a inferior daughter.


    "What? You''ve been sitting in your position for too long and have forgotten that your identity is incorrect. Are you being unreasonable?" Yun Qianliang purposely emphasized the word ''exciting'', and the smile on her lips stung people''s eyes.


    Aunt Qin forced herself to hold back her anger and smirked as she said angrily: "For your father''s sake, I won''t bother with you."


    "What right do you have to quarrel with me?" Yun Qianliang laughed, a sarcastic tone overflowing from her lips, "I am the legal and proper wife of the current Minister of the Left, I have a title order, and you are just a lady who doesn''t understand the laws and regulations. In terms of status, I will give you a slap, and you will have to bear with it."


    "I raised you for so many years. I treated you better than my own daughter, but I didn''t expect you to be so ungrateful!" The Qin family chided angrily, "I want to see how others will look at you if this gets out."


    "Aunt Qin said to raise it with poison?" Yun Qianliang asked in reply, smiling innocently.


    "Don''t slander me!" Qin family retorted, as if she was anxious to throw away this hot potato.


    "Whether it is true or not, you are also well aware of why Yun Qingyan has come to Jin Mansion today." Yun Qianliang told them all the shameful things she knew, "Using the things I took from Yun Xiang Mansion, using Jin Wang''s hands to kill me, Yun Qingyan actually thought of a good plan, but unfortunately, this matter will only cause you guys to dig your own graves."


    "What did you do to Yan Er?" Qin family panicked.


    "She is still in Jin Mansion, what can I do to her?" Yun Qianliang''s finger caressed the cold jade bracelet on her wrist, her eyes slightly cold, her calm eyebrows filled with shrewdness and intelligence. She smiled deeply and lightly tapped the jade bracelet with his finger, releasing a clear sound, "I have come here to give Aunt Qin a reminder, the sins of heaven can be done, but the self-inflicted sins can never be kept alive. Do you think that Song Shujin is such a scheming person? "


    Qin family, who was concerned about her precious daughter, stood up and walked out. She wanted to call this servant to find out where Yun Qingyan was.


    However, Qin family was stopped by Liu An when he reached the door.


    "Scram." Qin family lost her temper immediately.


    Liu An stood upright as if he did not hear anything, the sword in his hand flashed, blocking the Qin family.


    "Yun Qianliang, are you trying to cause trouble?" Qin family''s mask was finally torn apart, revealing a face filled with disgust. The flesh on her cheeks trembled in anger, and the head of Jin Bu shook even more violently.


    "You''re right." Yun Qianliang slowly got up, and approached the Qin family step by step, his voice cold. "I will definitely return the evil deeds that you and your mother have done for me."


    Her eyes were like venomous snakes, and the cold light in her eyes was like sharp blades that shot towards Qin family.


    Qin family nervously swallowed his saliva, but he still forced himself to hold on to her face, not wanting to lose it under her pressure.


    Yun Qianliang stood in front of her, pointed at her heart, and whispered into his ears: "You''re so useless, yet still know some things about Song Shujin that are unknown. Guess if Yun Qingyan will be able to use Song Shujin''s blade to kill me, or if she will make Song Shujin think that your life will only be a bad thing, and if she wants to use me to get rid of you?"


    Seeing that Qin family had followed her train of thoughts and realized the drawback of his actions, his face became deathly pale. He opened his eyes in shock and started to sweat profusely.


    Yun Qianliang went around Qin family and headed out.


    When she left, Qin family''s legs were as soft as noodles. She dropped on the ground and hurriedly ran forward to support her.


    Yun Qianliang was halfway there when she saw Yun Qinan rushing over.


    "Greetings, father." Yun Qianliang bowed slightly.


    Seeing the stance behind Yun Qianliang, Yun Qinan was unsatisfied: "Why did you bring so many people to the Yun Xiang Mansion?"


    "I was assassinated by some people a few days ago, so naturally I have to bring more people with me when I go out." Yun Qianliang casually replied. His attitude towards Yun Qinan had long since lost the usual camouflage of filial piety and respect.


    "Why are you looking for your mother so ferociously?" Yun Qinan was too lazy to bother about it.


    "Speaking of which, it was all because of Father." Yun Qianliang''s eyes turned cold, and asked sharply: "It was clearly a wishful transaction, yet Father unilaterally revealed my secret, is father really that good?"


    Yun Qinan''s old face turned white after being exposed, but she remained vigilant: "How do you know about this?"


    "Then congratulations on raising a good daughter." Yun Qianliang impatiently warned, "If father treats me like this, don''t blame me for being merciless. Since I agreed to your condition, I can use you with the people in the household at any time, and at that time, the trouble in Yun Xiang Mansion will have nothing to do with me."


    With that, Yun Qianliang flicked her sleeves and left.


    "To the Zheng''an Pawnshop."

 C50

    Chapter 50 - Zheng''an Pawnshop


    In the west side of the capital city, there was a cross road separating the four branches. In the east side, most of the people were living and in the west side, most of them were playing. In the west side, there were two types of shops, but in the east side, in the west side, there was a cross road separating the four branches.


    The Zheng''an Pawnshop was located in the west side of the city in Helan Workshop.


    Gu Yicheng held his hands behind his back and was about to walk into the Zheng''an Pawnshop, but he noticed with his sharp eyes that the carriage of the Gu Xiangfu was slowly approaching them.


    Zheng''an Pawnshop''s shopkeeper was currently taking inventory of the pawns inside the pawnshop''s counter. When she saw the people outside through the railings, her heart shook, and she called for the shop assistant to take the pawns out and put them away, before coming out from behind the counter to welcome them.


    "Master." The shopkeeper was in his prime and had a strong physique. He had been practicing his stance in the business all year round. "Is the first young master here to find some good goods or to appraise treasures?"


    The shopkeeper had said ordinary words, but everyone knew what he was implying.


    When the Left Premier went in and out of the pawnshop, it was really inappropriate. Gu Yicheng would come every half month, so as to prevent political enemies from being suspicious, he would come by the name of being mischievous. Right now, the people in the pawnshop were mostly valuable items.


    "Today, if you want to find some good stuff for Mrs. Benchmark, the best would be some good jewelry that could make Madam''s appearance even more beautiful." Gu Yicheng said disrespectfully, his manner and actions were like those of a popinjay of some rich family.


    Gu Xiangfu''s carriage stopped in front of Zheng''an Pawnshop, and Gu Yicheng walked to stop in front of it.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue took the lead to get off the carriage, and when they saw Gu Yicheng walking towards the carriage, they sensibly stood to the side.


    Yun Qianliang got out of the horse carriage, and was surprised by Gu Yicheng''s brilliant smile. Seeing him extend his hand towards her, she obediently placed it in his palm.


    Gu Yicheng held her hand, and used a little strength to drag his out of the carriage and into the pawnshop.


    "Didn''t you say that you''re busy investigating and don''t have the time to come?" The two of them walked side by side, and Gu Yicheng replied.


    "It''s not as important as staying alive when investigating." Yun Qianliang pretended not to hear the meaning in his words, and glanced at the wound on his shoulder faintly discernible from the corner of her eye, then unceremoniously went back, "Master, you can do your best. If something goes wrong in the future, Chenqie will not take responsibility."


    Yun Qianliang looked ahead, and from the corner of her mouth, she had a light smile, dignified and elegant, with a calm and gentle atmosphere.


    The Zheng''an Pawnshop was the biggest pawnshop in the capital, not only did they receive the pawns, they also bought those dead and valuable antique treasures, some rich people who liked to collect would come to see them, but those rich and powerful people who only bought and showed off or set them up rarely came to pawnshop them, some precious things that were not preserved well were old and were not kept well, causing people to resent it, so those who came were knowledgeable people.


    The pawnshop was divided into two areas, the pawnshop''s counter was on the left side, and the goods for sale were on the right side. Inside was a resting area for entertaining customers, decorated with ancient decorations.


    After the shopkeeper took their seats, he asked the shopkeeper to bring them some antiques and jewelry for them to choose from.


    "Please wait a moment, young mistress. I''ll go prepare the goods now." The shopkeeper entered the backyard from the side.


    Gu Yicheng held a glazed blue and white porcelain bottle in his hands. The white bottle had a view of the bustling streets, he turned the bottle and looked at the painting on the bottle carefully, and then knocked the bottle''s mouth and bottom, looking like he was really buying antiques.


    Yun Qianliang looked at the pawnshop''s terrain, and then retracted her gaze after a long while, and started to look at the neatly arranged hairpins in the tray. There were golden hairpin s with gems embedded, pure colored jade hairpins, and exquisite workmanship.


    "Pick and see." Yun Qianliang said to the two servants standing behind him: "Your two birthdays are almost here, each of you pick out a piece of jewelry you like, and consider it as me giving them a birthday present in advance."


    Hearing that, Gu Yicheng''s appraising of the antique made him pause for a moment unnoticeably, and his mood rose up happily.


    He loved money, but was willing to spend it on his own people.


    "Madam, you don''t need it. The gifts are too precious, and this servant dares not accept them." Chun Hua and Qiu Yue looked at each other, then waved their hands and rejected him. Qiu Yue, who was dazzled by the sight, lowered her head even more, not daring to look, afraid that she would be mistaken as someone who liked them.


    "It''s up to you guys to choose, but you won''t listen to me, right?" Yun Qianliang purposely made a face to misunderstand their intentions.


    "Madam has misunderstood." Chun Hua anxiously explained, "This servant and Qiu Yue are servants, there is no place for you to wear such precious jewelry, even if you buy it you would just leave it there, so don''t waste Madam''s money."


    "Who says no, are you not allowed to marry in two days?" Yun Qianliang said seriously.


    After Chun Hua and Qiu Yue heard these words, they walked to the front and knelt down, their eyes red, "This servant only wants to follow beside Madam and beg Madam to not chase us away."


    Yun Qianliang never thought that the two would be so excited, she only thought that there would be a day when women get married, sooner or later, the two of them would give their all to her, she had to quickly prepare a good dowry, so that others would not see through it.


    "Marriage does not conflict with following me. What are you thinking?" Yun Qianliang considerately reached out to help her up. Seeing that the two servants'' eyes were red to the point of tears, she consoled them without waiting for anything, "Gu San, 14, Liu An and the others are all not bad. You can marry the people in the house.


    "Madam, you''re making fun of us again." Qiu Yue''s face was thin, it turned red just like that.


    Yun Qianliang''s mouth was full of nonsense, unable to laugh.


    "Hurry up and pick it, otherwise I''m really angry." Yun Qianliang waved his hand.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue hesitated to pick out the jewelry, but those two who looked at the precious treasures didn''t dare to look at it.


    Yun Qianliang leaned her elbow on the armrest of the chair, and raised her hand to support her forehead.


    She hadn''t even given up on the idea of packing her bags and leaving. She had even advised them to search for the people in the mansion. Wasn''t that just fooling around? If they really did find her, and if one day she leaves Gu Xiangfu, wouldn''t the two girls'' bad temperaments make them abandon their husbands and leave with her?


    He accidentally made his way onto the path of evil.


    "Qian Qian. My birthday is about to arrive." Gu Yicheng finally saw enough and put down the porcelain bottle, telling Yue Yang full of anticipation.


    Yun Qianliang looked up at him, then continued to support his forehead in regret.


    "Aren''t you going to give me a birthday present?" Gu Yicheng continued to shamelessly ask for more.


    "You have to send him off?" Yun Qianliang was confused.


    In order not to provoke her after marriage, the palace did not dare to send a mama to teach her any more. Even the people sent by the Gu Xiangfu were chased away, to the point that she could not figure out what was going on in there.


    Gu Yicheng nodded seriously, "I have to send them off."


    Yun Qianliang thought for a long time and came up with an idea.


    "Fourteen, go buy me a few pieces of wood that are fine, fine, and sturdy. Then buy me a set of tools for carving."


    "Madam, you''ve even sent me such precious jewelry, only giving me a few pieces of wood?" The Gu San could no longer bear to watch and cried out for justice.


    In the eyes of the madame, the young master was not even equal to a servant.


    "Disliked? "Alright then, I''ll take my leave." Yun Qianliang was anxious to make the decision, as though he was waiting for the words to save money and trouble.


    Gu Yicheng secretly stared at Gu San and quickly said: "If you don''t mind, I happen to be short on wood."


    Yun Qianliang smirked. Wooden? Are you kidding me?


    You want to cheat money!


    After approximately the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the manager came out from the rear courtyard.


    "Madam Prime Minister, the goods are ready. Please follow me." The manager bowed to invite the others in.


    "You guys wait outside." Gu Yicheng got up and brought Yun Qianliang to the backyard.


    The backyard of the pawnshop was connected to three or four other shops in the area. They were well-arranged, spacious and secluded, with a sense of seclusion. Occasionally, there were traces of debris in the dirt on the road leading to the backyard.


    The more distant fields were planted with unknown flowers. The flower bud was small and exquisite, and the flowers were clustered one by one.


    Yun Qianliang took a light sniff of the strange fragrance in the air. Initially, it was light, but after it entered her nose, he felt a strong fragrance.


    Yun Qianliang covered her nose with her silk handkerchief and walked towards the flower bed.


    "Madam, you can''t ¡­" The manager wanted to stop him.


    Gu Yicheng raised his hand to indicate for him to be quiet and wait.


    Yun Qianliang walked in front of the flowerbed and picked a flower bud that had bloomed well. She stared at the tender yellow stamen within for a long time, then brought the flower close to his nose and moved the silk handkerchief away. Taking a light breath, he covered his mouth and nose with the handkerchief once again, and inserted the flower that had been plucked into the soil.


    "See what?" Gu Yicheng asked the person who walked back, pretending not to know anything.


    "Drunken Fragrance." Yun Qianliang revealed the secret of the flower bed with a glance.


    Her five senses were very good. Although the other four senses were not as sensitive as her hearing, they were still much better than the average person''s five senses.


    At first, when she smelled the strange scent of the flower and walked closer to feel dizzy, she knew that the flower bush was not simple.


    "Is his sense of smell good too?"


    "Not bad." Yun Qianliang followed the shopkeeper in front who was leading the way.


    Gu Yicheng touched his chin, and quickly followed.


    There were only two chairs placed in the room, making it seem very spacious. The windows of the room were all covered in a layer of opaque oil, causing the room to be lit up by candles in broad daylight.


    There were twenty men in uniform in the room, arranged in two rows for easy observation.


    "Greetings, Lord Prime Minister." They were neat and orderly, ready for battle.


    Gu Yicheng nodded and sat on one of the stools, "Pick one."


    Yun Qianliang roughly looked at the guards and said: "Four people in a group, from the door to the front."


    Yun Qianliang held the armrest with both hands and tapped his index fingers on the armrest. When the guard was about to move, she closed her eyes and carefully listened to the sounds of his footsteps and the rubbing sounds of his clothes as he waved his arms. He borrowed the sound to distinguish the opponent''s martial arts level, characteristics and weakness.


    After everyone had finished walking, they lined up.


    "I want them all." Yun Qianliang said loudly.


    "Sure." Gu Yicheng smiled craftily as he stared at her, "However, I have a condition."


    Yun Qianliang shook her head with a look of disappointment.


    He said that he could go to Zheng''an Pawnshop to pick out the person with this jade pendant, and even started to talk about the conditions.


    Men, what you''ve said can only be ignored.


    "Apart from money, there''s nothing else." It was more important to stay alive.

 C51

    Chapter 51 - Misunderstanding


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue were picking around in the pawnshop, telling the pawnshop assistant to take out some of the cheapest jewelry for them to look at, but this was a pawnshop, the treasures that they received would not be displayed, and the cheapest jewelry here was also worth a lot, making it difficult for the two of them to find it.


    Especially for Chun Hua, she had always been worried about Master''s situation in the Gu Xiangfu, and knew that she could only use that money on blades, not carelessly spending it.


    "Chun Hua, Chun Hua." Hiding behind the door, Qiu Yue stuck her head out and anxiously called for Chun Hua.


    Chun Hua quickly walked over, and just as she wanted to see what was so interesting, she saw that she had been pulled by Qiu Yue and hid behind the door.


    "Hide yourself, don''t let anyone see." Qiu Yue lowered her voice and said, then pointed to a figure on the street, "Look and see, is she the singer from the house?"


    Chun Hua stuck her head out and looked in the direction Qiu Yue pointed. A woman dressed in white, and wearing a veil, was walking slowly on the street. She did not have a servant following behind her, she was just strolling around by herself.


    "It''s her." Chun Hua also recognized the veiled lady.


    "I wonder what he''s planning." Qiu Yue said unhappily: "Why don''t we follow them so that the venomous woman won''t think of a way to harm our Lady."


    Chun Hua held onto the person who said that wind was rain, and said solemnly: "You can''t go, what if something happens to Madam?"


    "Fine." Qiu Yue replied bitterly, and continued to lie behind the door to observe.


    Chun Hua let go of Qiu Yue and was no longer in the mood to care about Wen Meng''s matters. Recalling the scene she saw at the Nine Winding Corridor, it was as if a thorn was stuck in her throat.


    Chun Hua turned to look at the guards in the room, to confirm that they did not hear what the two had said.


    Seeing that the two of them were acting weirdly, and since they were Yun Qianliang''s servants, Gu San found it inconvenient to speak, and pretended not to see them.


    Gu Yicheng and Yun Qianliang came out from the rear hall. Qiu Yue hurried forward to make her report, but was stopped by Chun Hua.


    Chun Hua looked at Gu Yicheng vigilantly, then went closer to Yun Qianliang and whispered into her ears, "Miss, we saw Wen Meng walking past the shop in a panic just now, so we had to turn our heads to check on the situation."


    "In which direction?" Yun Qianliang asked without hiding anything.


    She dared to make people stare at Wen Meng in front of Gu Yicheng, so she was not afraid that she would come and argue with her.


    Wen Meng frequently turned her head, and was extremely likely to discover that she was being followed, but she could also be testing if she was being followed, since she did not completely believe what Wen Meng had said, but she did not dare take the risk, and would definitely think of a way to resolve her worries.


    "To the east." Qiu Yue replied.


    "Manager Xu, I''ll have to trouble you to send someone to the east to look for Gu Shisan. Help him out for a while." Yun Qianliang''s eyes turned slightly as smoke started to circulate in his head, making him smile faintly.


    "This little one will do it right away." Manager Xu turned around and returned to the rear hall.


    "Have you chosen?" Yun Qianliang saw that the two of them had nothing in their hands.


    "Madam, how about we forget about it?" Chun Hua hesitated.


    "Chun Hua, don''t mention it." Yun Qianliang raised her eyebrows.


    "This ¡­" Chun Hua became more hesitant.


    As the saying goes, if you eat someone while their mouth is soft, then you will have to use someone else''s hand.


    She didn''t like the fact that the Gu Xiang Lord was partial to the muse, and even more so didn''t want to give up her master.


    "If Madam really wants to give Chun Hua her jewelry, why not give the hairpin in the jewelry box to Chun Hua?" Chun Hua took the initiative to request the things that Yun Qianliang had, without spending any money, and did not let her master have any good intentions either.


    Yun Qianliang remembered that hairpin flower, it was made from black sandalwood and it had orange flowers on it. The green leaves matched well, the tip of the hairpin had carved into a deer lying cross-legged, the workmanship was not considered good, it was noble in the artistic conception, but she felt that the hairpin of the ebony had aged a little, and was not suitable for young girls to wear, hence Chun Hua kept it in the jewelry box.


    "That ebony hairpin is not suitable for people your age." Yun Qianliang advised.


    "Chun Hua just so happens to love those charming things. Chun Hua spoke sincerely, she was unwilling to choose from the accessories in the pawnshop, "Furthermore, the hairpin was personally picked by Madam, so Chun Hua believes in Madam''s judgement."


    "Madam''s eyesight must be extremely good. Qiu Yue also wants to choose from Madame''s jewelry." Qiu Yue sweetly followed along with giving up such a great opportunity. Her heart was filled with sincerity, and was unable to find a single trace of reluctance or reluctance towards these precious items.


    Yun Qianliang sighed in his heart, in the end, she was not strong enough, so he had to meticulously calculate her livelihood. Originally, she was worried that she might not be able to live a good life, and wanted Gu Yicheng to pay for it, but he did not expect that the two girls would see through her situation so clearly.


    Using her own body to exchange for Gu Yicheng to protect the two girls, was truly a good deal.


    "Whatever, I thought too early about the dowry. I''ll get it again in the future when I have the chance." Seeing the two servants let out a sigh of relief, Yun Qianliang felt funny and warm in his heart.


    In the end, Gu Yicheng still chose to put on an act.


    After exiting the Zheng''an Pawnshop, Yun Qianliang reckoned that Jing Zhao Mansion would have finished his interrogation and returned. If she went to the Jing Zhao Mansion now, he would be able to gather all the information he needed, and would be able to take advantage of the situation. He decided to make a trip to the Jing Zhao Mansion before returning home.


    "Master, I ¡­" Just as Yun Qianliang wanted to leave, she was interrupted before she could finish, "It''s rare that you have nothing better to do, how about I accompany Madam on a stroll?"


    "Just now in there, you said that other than money, everything else is fine, but now you want to go back on your word. No wonder those other officials from the other families always said that women turn hostile as quickly as flipping books." Gu Yicheng sighed as he shook his head, he was like a man who had been abandoned to his death, but in the blink of an eye, he started to have a temper, "I don''t care, if you don''t accompany me, I will just stay here and not leave."


    "Whether you want to leave or not won''t be a problem for me." Yun Qianliang was a person who didn''t care if it was soft or not.


    With that said, Yun Qianliang walked towards the carriage, and did not even give a look to Gu Yicheng who was acting shamelessly.


    "Ai, the world is so cold." Gu Yicheng exclaimed loudly with interest, "In the past, my husband was the heavens, my wife had to obey her husband''s commands. But now, it has changed, this woman has a better appearance, she doesn''t put my husband in her eyes anymore."


    Gu Yicheng''s short sentence instantly attracted countless of discussions from the citizens, and no matter if it was male or female, they all criticized Yun Qianliang for it.


    "Which family''s madam is this? Do you not understand?" Some men helped criticize him indignantly.


    "Which family''s girl is so insensible?" There were women who hated a poor education.


    "If I have such a wife, I will break her legs."


    Yun Qianliang smiled as if she had not heard anything. The criticisms of those who had nothing to do with him, were neither painful nor itchy to her.


    In her years as an undercover spy, she had suffered much more abuse and humiliation than those words. Even when she came across her former companions, she had been met with swords and guns.


    How could she, a person who walked through a barrage of bullets, be knocked down by a few words from someone else?


    Yun Qianliang leisurely boarded the horse carriage, blocking out all the criticism and curses from the outside and instructing Liu An to drive.


    In an era where men were inferior to women, they would never allow women to provoke their sovereignty. In fact, they were even afraid that women would turn over and blindly oppress them, and women were already so used to this kind of life that they would gradually forget about resisting. Instead, they would treat those who tried to change as unusual beings.


    Yun Qianliang understood this, and became even more relieved.


    Gu Yicheng saw that this trick was not effective and thought quickly. Before Liu An drove, he had already "entered" the room and openly occupied a seat in the horse carriage.


    "If the Madam won''t accompany me, so will I." Gu Yicheng laughed as if he had gotten away with something, tidied up his untidy clothes, and then left after a long time without seeing the carriage, he said to the outside: "Liu An, you can leave now."


    "Gu Yicheng, you must be really bored right?" Yun Qianliang no longer held that respectful attitude, and directly called him by her name.


    "You must have the time to accompany Madam." The person who had tidied up the clothes revealed a well-behaved appearance.


    Yun Qianliang frowned, "I don''t need you to accompany me there."


    It was best not to disturb each other, lest they become entangled in the future and make things difficult for themselves.


    "It doesn''t matter. I can barely treat it as you accompanying me if I stay by your side." Gu Yicheng swiftly changed the topic, and rejected her several times, not showing any trace of anger. Instead, he repeatedly moved closer to her.


    Yun Qianliang pursed her lips, shifting her gaze away and took a deep breath, her expression filled with impatience and disgust.


    "Gu Yicheng, I don''t like to play with those empty games, if you have something to say, say it." Yun Qianliang exhaled a breath of foul air, restraining the impatience in his heart, he revealed a serious expression, "I am your legal and proper wife, and according to our relationship, you and I should love each other, but you and I are well aware, since the name of this marriage exists, and I have already promised you that I will not leave you, at least when you still need me, you do not need to use such a method to tie me up."


    "Means?" Gu Yicheng squinted his eyes and stared at Yun Qianliang in danger.


    "Your heart belongs to someone, yet you''ve suddenly changed your attitude towards me. Your words are ambiguous, and your actions are odd. Isn''t this method?" "You and I are trapped in cages and live together because of the imperial edict. I know you have someone you like, but you have to marry me because you have no choice. I will recognize my own identity, and take care of the right and wrong ¡­"


    "Wait a moment." Gu Yicheng interrupted him.


    Yun Qianliang kept quiet and did not say a word.


    "From what you''re saying, I want to board two ships?" Gu Yicheng laughed and revealed the hidden meaning in her words.


    This was a big misunderstanding.


    "Yes." Yun Qianliang answered firmly.


    Although his words were not pleasant to hear, they were very suitable for his actions.


    Gu Yicheng couldn''t help but curl his lips and laugh heartily.


    His handsome face, when he smiled, was filled with benevolence and benevolence.


    After a long while, when Yun Qianliang was about to fall out, Gu Yicheng finally stopped laughing.


    Gu Yicheng forced himself to smile and asked: "When did you hear that I have a family?"


    "I have eyes that I can see for myself." A look of disdain appeared in Yun Qianliang''s eyes.


    Love but do not dare to admit it, scum man do!


    "Looks like your eyes aren''t as good as your ears." Gu Yicheng smiled and got tired, he leaned on the side of the carriage and explained, "Wen Meng and I are not like how you see us."

 C52

    Chapter 52 - Progressive Toxicity


    In the study, Yun Qianliang was currently flipping through the records sent over by the Jing Zhao Mansion, the records of the interrogation were already organized into a file for future reference, and inside it, the time of the servants entering the palace was recorded in detail, as well as the master who served them. Yun Qianliang had only briefly seen their relationship, but what Yun Qianliang cared the most about was still the interrogation between Su Qing and Wen Meng.


    Su Qing had been in the palace for more than five years, and she was not allowed to talk about being pampered, but when she first entered the residence, she had specially arranged for servants to serve him, and the servants to personally prepare everything for him. The treatment of the servants could be said to be extremely good, but after Wen Meng''s arrival, the mansion''s limelight gradually changed, the treatment becoming worse off by the day, the servants that Wen Meng served were taken away, and on the basis of the mansion''s rules, they were not assigned servants to serve him.


    However, Wen Meng''s interrogation was watertight, and did not find any mistakes. Instead, it made people suspicious.


    Yun Qianliang lazily supported herself with her head, her fingers lightly tapped the table as her gaze moved back and forth between the two files.


    "Madam, I saw that you have not been in a good mood lately, so I decided to make some tonifying soup s to replenish your vital energy and blood." Shui Qin brought a portion of tonifying soup and carefully placed it on the desk, in case there was anything important to be done.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes fell on the tonifying soup, her fingertips stopping her tapping, "It''s probably because I haven''t rested well recently."


    "Madam has something that this servant is not worthy of saying." Shui Qin hugged the tray, hesitating.


    "In the Cloud Water Pavilion, as long as you have no ulterior motives, there are no rules. If you have something to say, just say it." Yun Qianliang straightened her head and retracted her arm. She rubbed her glabella in fatigue and leaned back to rest.


    "Xiao Cui is just a servant. Initially, she still had the heart to poison Madam. Shui Qin was extremely confused.


    "Shui Qin, you misunderstood, I am not as kind as you think, I have my own reasons for investigating the culprit, as for capturing him, it was only along the way." Yun Qianliang closed the scroll and placed it in a corner before heading out, "Bring the tonifying soup to my room."


    Shui Qin placed the tonifying soup back into the tray and carried it along as she followed Yun Qianliang''s footsteps.


    Chun Hua and Qiu Yue were cleaning up in the outer room, and when they saw Yun Qianliang return to his room, they felt slightly more at ease.


    "Put down the tonifying soup. I''ll drink again later." Yun Qianliang walked straight towards the dressing table.


    "Madam, please drink while it is still hot. This servant will come to clean up later." Shui Qin put down the tonifying soup and exited the dorm room, closing the door as she did so.


    Yun Qianliang went closer to the copper mirror, and looked at the person in the mirror. In the blurry copper mirror, she could see a bright and charming face, but his expression was haggard, the green black in his eyes was not thick, but revealed a deep sense of exhaustion.


    Hiding this poison in his body would always be a disaster. He must think of a way to obtain the antidote from the Qin family.


    Chun Hua knocked twice on the door, but she did not hear any reply from inside.


    Seeing Yun Qianliang sitting worriedly in front of the copper mirror, Chun Hua''s worry grew even stronger.


    She had been worried that her master would notice that her complexion was getting worse. She had purposely put on makeup when she was dressing up, trying to hide it, but she didn''t like to put on makeup when she wasn''t going out, so she didn''t put on any makeup this morning.


    "Ma''am, is there something wrong with you?" Chun Hua took light steps forward.


    "If you''re not feeling well, tell this servant that you shouldn''t hide this from us." Chun Hua pretended to believe and got up to help Yun Qianliang walk to the side. Chun Hua blew on the tonifying soup to cool it down and brought it in front of Yun Qianliang, "I heard from Shui Qin that this is supposed to replenish your vitality, so please drink and rest while it''s hot."


    Yun Qianliang looked at the brown colored soup in the white porcelain bowl with a displeased expression.


    However, with only half a bowl, Yun Qianliang was unable to drink anymore, and put down the bowl.


    "Take it away." Yun Qianliang pushed the bowl further away, and looking at the direction of the Qing Hu Tong through the window, he asked: "Has Master Xi returned home?"


    "He hasn''t returned yet." Chun Hua carried away the bowl of soup and replied worriedly.


    "When the Lord Prime Minister returns to his residence, I''ll ask him to come to the Cloud Water Pavilion." Yun Qianliang explained.


    "This servant understands." Chun Hua complied with her words, took the bowl and prepared to leave, allowing Yun Qianliang to rest. However, after walking for a bit, she was still unable to suppress the strong feeling in her heart, and turned back.


    Chun Hua put down the bowl of soup and kneeled down beside Yun Qianliang.


    "What are you doing?" Yun Qianliang wanted to help him up, but her hands were grabbed instead.


    Miss, Chun Hua knows that she is a servant, she should not say anything. Chun Hua held tightly onto her tender white hands, and called out the name she hadn''t called him for a long time, looking at this master with eyes full of love and love, that kind of gaze and emotion already far surpassed master and servant, "But seeing young miss like this, this servant really cannot help it."


    Chun Hua shook her head, with tears in her eyes, "Miss, let''s leave this place."


    Yun Qianliang was startled, he wanted to support Chun Hua to stop, she maintained his supporting stance, and looked at Chun Hua solemnly.


    Yun Qianliang asked: Why are you leaving?


    "Your servant saw it." Chun Hua asked in confusion, causing doubts to arise in her heart.


    "What did you see?"


    "On the day of our return, Miss sent me to urge the Prime Minister. I saw him and the singer from the Residence having an intimate meeting in the Nine Rhythm Corridor." Chun Hua revealed the truth that day, "This servant originally thought that as long as Gu Xiang sees Miss''s good fortune, she will definitely like Miss, and from then on, they will be in love and love each other, and their heads will be white. But Gu Xiang, as a mere singer, ignored you and made things difficult for you, this servant really cannot bear to see Miss being humiliated like this in Gu Xiangfu, rather than endure it and endure it, I might as well leave this cage of a house and live a peaceful life without any disputes. This servant and Qiu Yue have already thought about it, as long as Miss is willing to leave, we will definitely follow you. "


    Chun Hua''s bold words moved Yun Qianliang quite a bit.


    Yun Qianliang sighed as he curled his lips, her brows growing more and more indifferent.


    "To me, other than life and death, everything else in this world is idle business." Yun Qianliang opened her mouth and spoke in a cool and indifferent tone, clearly speaking a few words in an unrestrained manner, but she felt as if she had seen through the vicissitudes of life and hid within them.


    "But ¡­" Chun Hua wanted to retort.


    Yun Qianliang caressed her hair and laughed: "Chun Hua, I do not live by relying on those illusory feelings, no matter if it''s love or kinship, if others give it to me, I will keep it well, if not, I will not force it, nor do I have any hopes, you do not have to feel sorry for me, you just have to understand that every decision I make is for my own good."


    In her previous life, she had dedicated everything she had to the country, to the bright red faith. She did not have feelings for the faith, and in the face of the bigger picture, she had always restrained herself.


    "Then Miss shouldn''t let yourself be wronged." Chun Hua wiped her tears, and repeatedly mentioned.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, I''m not a person who is bullied and refused to retaliate." Yun Qianliang''s personality was even more vicious than wolves, if there really was someone who dared to touch her principles, then she would be the fiercest.


    Chun Hua nodded as she carried the bowl of tonifying soup away with bloodshot eyes.


    Yun Qianliang stared at the door that was closed, and could not help but sigh, she truly lived a useless life.


    "You do have two loyal servants. No wonder you were willing to use your freedom to exchange for the lives of those two." Gu Yicheng flipped open the window and entered. He casually picked up a box of rouge on the dressing table, opened it to smell it, and then placed it back with interest.


    "Yeah." Yun Qianliang''s face was filled with pride, and couldn''t help but exclaim: "Those who truly treat me as their own in this world, either have already been exiled in cold lands or have passed away in the Yellow Springs, all these years I have exchanged many servants by my side, only my mother from back then gave me these two girls who never left me. They are slightly older, but treated me like a daughter, I, as a person who can''t protect myself, can''t give them anything, at least for one day, and I will definitely keep them safe and sound."


    "It''s their fortune to have a master like you." Gu Yicheng walked over and stared at that face, and frowned, "If your strength doesn''t work, you can tell me, and I can help you."


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, and said respectfully: "It''s probably caused by the poison."


    Gu Yicheng sat down and pulled Yun Qianliang''s wrist, pushing her sleeves up high and forcefully feeling her pulse.


    "Other than being a bit superficial, I can''t see anything out of the ordinary." Gu Yicheng pulled up his sleeves, only to realize that her hands were cold, as if he had just taken them out from ice water. The cold felt a little strange, "Do you feel cold?"


    "I don''t think so." Yun Qianliang withdrew his hand and placed it in front of his body, "I just don''t understand, how exactly did the poison in my body trigger? Based on what I have said before, why would the poison in my body act up at this time when it wasn''t before my marriage? "


    Right now, it was a busy autumn, so he didn''t have time to worry about finding an antidote. His outburst at this moment was too much of a burden.


    "Indeed, this is not the time. There are many banquets at the end of the year, so there is no need for ordinary banquets. However, not long after we were married, this is the first time we are attending as the Left Premier''s madame." Gu Yicheng told her in detail that he was worried that her body would not be able to take it, "I will get the antidote as soon as possible, rest assured."


    Yun Qianliang thought for a while, she had some ideas in her heart, "You don''t have to disrupt the plan, I can think of a way to cure the poison myself, but I am not at the end of my rope, you don''t have to be in a mess because of me."


    He had been trying to find an antidote for her, but to no avail. Presumably, the matter was a little difficult, and using a secret to exchange for the antidote, she had yet to obtain a secret. Naturally, she could not force him to come in search of an antidote.


    Besides, if they tried to force it, it would be a huge problem. They had better not act rashly.

 C53

    Chapter 53 - Available


    Three days later, following Jing Zhao Mansion''s investigation of the money and giving out a bounty to the outside, the range of the culprit gradually shrank. Every day, Jing Zhao Mansion would pass on the news to Gu Xiangfu and claim that they were preparing to report the progress of the case to Yun Qianliang.


    Relying on the fact that he was in charge of the household''s affairs in the past, and that he had connections with the people of the mansion, Wen Meng pitifully used his master''s and servant''s names to gather information from the mouths of the guards.


    The street was full of residents. The poor people on the street could not afford to buy a stall in the government office, so they could only set up a stall in front of their house. The business here was not as good as on the street; at most, they could only make a living on the street.


    If he met a rich person that day, he would be able to earn a lot of money, enough for his family to spend more than a month.


    However, this place was filled with all sorts of people. Other than good people, there were also all sorts of people.


    In the name of protection, they charged high protection fees to the common people. Most of the money they earned from hard work fell into the hands of those hoodlums, and the common people could only swallow their anger.


    Wen Meng lowered her head and walked quickly, afraid that she would attract other people''s attention. Her head was always pressed down, and she wore a plain servant dress with a veil, which could be considered the upper class among the poor citizens. However, she did not attract too much attention by just looking at her clothes, and did not seem to be the servants of a wealthy family.


    Wen Meng crossed the small street and arrived at the end of the remote street before knocking on a room at the corner.


    The room was simple but not dilapidated. The door frame and windows were covered with oiled paper to block the light. A black cloth was draped over the frame, coincidentally covering the person inside.


    Wen Meng looked at it for a bit and then heard a sound from within, and then a man opened the door.


    Wen Meng pushed open the door and walked in so that no one would see him.


    The man closed the door disdainfully and entered the room.


    "Miss, I''m afraid it''s not appropriate for you to come to me at this time, is it?" The man was of medium height, with a slightly bulging forehead, a narrow face, and a darker complexion. He looked like a sturdy young man who had been working in the fields all year round.


    "You still have the face to say that if it wasn''t for your hands and feet being dirty, I would have come to find you?" Wen Meng was extremely furious, the consecutive days of news had already caused her to be unable to sit still.


    She and Xiao Cui had been together for many years, and knew that if Xiao Cui did not obtain any benefits, she would definitely reveal the truth, which was why she had the urge to kill. Previously, when she was singing, she heard someone say that there were various kinds of people on the east side street of Biantou Workshop.


    "I know. The Jing Zhao Mansion has been keeping an eye on us for the past few days, so I didn''t go out at all." Shi Yong sat on the bench, he stepped on it and poured himself a bowl of water to drink.


    "I gave you so much money and you even stole 10 taels of silver. Do you know that the Jing Zhao Mansion is currently searching everywhere for this silver ingot?" Seeing the other party not caring at all, Wen Meng became even angrier, walking over to the table and pointing at him.


    "It''s only a single ingot of silver, how could he find any money?" Shi Yong did not mind, and used his hands to rub his itchy ears, threatening arrogantly.


    "Young lady, I heard that you wanted me to kill that person as a servant of the Gu Xiangfu. Now that the Jing Zhao Mansion and the Gu Xiangfu are on close pursuit, if you don''t give me more money, I can bring your secret and run away. "


    "I''ve already given you enough money." Wen Meng''s anxious eyes turned cold.


    "Those people didn''t know that the other party was from Gu Xiangfu, so their prices were naturally lower. But now that you have offended the Gu Xiangfu, you are in a difficult situation. Your fifty silver is not even worth a dime." Shi Yong picked at his nails and wiped them on his clothes.


    "If you weren''t greedy for money, how would you have fallen for someone else''s trap?" Wen Meng asked with a cold smile.


    "I''m only responsible for killing people." "Give me another five hundred silver, and I will immediately leave the capital. I will take all the evidence of you buying the murder far away with you."


    "How could I have that much money to give you!" Wen Meng really couldn''t take out that much money.


    "Then don''t blame me, I heard that the Gu Xiangfu''s wife is the cloud phase''s daughter, you women are plotting, I''m afraid she would be happy to buy this evidence." Shi Yong turned hostile. After he found out about the situation, he could no longer stay in the capital. He could only hide inside his house every day, not daring to go out.


    How could he let go of such a good opportunity?


    "You''re threatening me!" Wen Meng glared at the rogue in front of him.


    "It''s not a threat. It''s just a good deal." Shi Yong explained cunningly: "Five hundred gold. Give it to me tomorrow before the city gate locks.


    Yun Qianliang had long suspected her, but she did not inform Jing Zhao Mansion to capture her and interrogate her to force her to testify. Instead, she allowed her to do so because he wanted her to take advantage of him!


    Wen Meng clenched her teeth, unwilling to admit defeat.


    She wouldn''t let Yun Qianliang have her way just like that. It wouldn''t be that easy to win against her.


    At this time, Wen Meng''s heart was already filled with killing intent towards the person in front of her who was a threat to her, but it was not suitable for him to do anything.


    "Alright, I''ll meet you tomorrow evening at the temple near the murder case. I''ll give you five hundred silver." Wen Meng let out a relaxed breath, his tone slightly softened, and agreed to the other party''s unreasonable request.


    "Don''t try any tricks." Shi Yong unconfidently revealed a stern expression.


    "I''m just a weak girl. Are you afraid of me?" Wen Meng scoffed at him, purposely provoking him.


    "It''s a deal." Shi Yong said cautiously.


    Wen Meng nodded and left Shi Yong''s residence. As if he had arrived before, he left the eastern side street in a low voice, met up with the servants and servants that went out to purchase, and returned to Gu Xiangfu together.


    Gu Shisan looked at Wen Meng and asked the people of Zheng''an Pawnshop to keep their eyes on Shi Yong, in case she ran away, he went back to report.


    Wen Meng''s personality was untouchable, Shi Yong''s existence was a threat to her, and she would probably not leave anyone alive. Especially after she reminded him, Wen Meng wanted to beat her a little, and would definitely kill her to silence her.


    "This subordinate understands."


    Gu Shisan had secretly captured and imprisoned them in the dungeon of the Suburban Courtyard. On that day, he personally interrogated them and those who were about to arrive in the Zheng''an Pawnshop were sent to the Gu Xiangfu as guards and sent into the Green Pine Academy. All of them were sent to the for Yun Qianliang''s orders, but Yun Qianliang had selected seven of them to be assigned to the various courtyard guards.


    The next day, he received a report regarding his investigation of Song Shujin''s trip.


    "Jin Wang is cautious, it is difficult to find his whereabouts, this subordinate only received some information. Jin Wang will meet with Second Miss Yun at Qu Jiang Hu recently, and will even leave the capital once, but we do not know whether this information is true or not." Gu Shisi told them all the information he obtained from his investigations, "This subordinate wants Gu San to help me take note of this, I hope there will be a result."


    "I know." Yun Qianliang played with the wood in his hands attentively, but after hearing the report he did not have much of a reaction.


    Then, Gu Shisan came back from the outside with a cold aura.


    "Madam, that Shi Yong is a person who refuses to listen to words no matter how hard he is forced to do it. He refused to speak a single word, and when he knew that we need him to testify, he became even more confident and kept quiet?" After the two nodded as a form of greeting, Gu Shisan bowed and reported back.


    "What a hard bone." Yun Qianliang put down the carving knife in her hand and placed the wood to the side. She raised her eyes and said: "Don''t worry, don''t let him die.


    "Then the Jing Zhao Mansion ¡­" Gu Shisan asked.


    "Go to the Jing Zhao Mansion and tell them the truth. Tell them it is related to the Gu Xiangfu and I need to personally interrogate them before I can hand them over." Yun Qianliang paused for a moment, then continued: If Master Zhao is in a difficult situation, tell him, he can let the citizens know that the criminals have been caught, but the criminals still have a few unsolved cases in their hands, they need to investigate thoroughly, and when that time comes, they will be convicted, so they can give the citizens an explanation, and that way, he will have a good reputation, and will not insist on having people.


    Gu Shisan asked: "Are we still going to investigate the suspense?"


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, she did not say the details, "Just hand over the information in our hands, and the rest can be left to the Jing Zhao Mansion to busy themselves, so that they will not have the time to ask for more."


    Just like when Gu Shisan came, his lightness skills silently left the Green Pine Academy without alerting anyone else in the manor.


    When Thirteen left, the Gu San that he hadn''t seen for a long time appeared.


    Since that day when Gu Yicheng and his room had parted on bad terms, Gu Yicheng had never been seen in Green Pine Academy. Candles occasionally lit up in Qing Hu Tong, and it was only Steward Gu who went to the study room to retrieve the items for Master, before leaving after.


    Yun Qianliang had been very busy recently, he did not have the mind to care about him, nor did he want to care about where Gu Yicheng went.


    "Madam, Master asked me to tell you that the Emperor has sent the Jin Wang to the Tan Yue City to conduct a private tax investigation, and he will be leaving soon." The Gu San spoke concisely and went straight to the point.


    "Fourteen, go investigate everything that has happened in Tan Yue City recently. There are no details, I want to know everything." Yun Qianliang immediately responded the moment he finished speaking. It was obvious that he had been waiting for this news.


    Gu Shisi accepted the order and did not stay too long in the Cloud Water Pavilion. Since there were many guards in the shadows in the Green Pine Academy, with Yun Qianliang''s safety guaranteed, he could safely leave and do things.


    When only Yun Qianliang and his servant were left in the room, Gu San asked a question that he shouldn''t have interfered in.


    "Has Madame and the Lord Prime Minister quarrelled?"

 C54

    Chapter 54 - Freezing atmosphere


    Yun Qianliang once again picked up the wood that was not yet carved and polished into a shape, she did not even raise her eyelids, "Between your family''s young master and I, we are not those couples who talk about love and love, or who get jealous of each other. I even turned a blind eye towards the things that Wen Meng was allowed to do, what else could we possibly argue about?"


    The other day, when he heard that she had not left him with no other choice, Gu Yicheng guessed her thoughts. She had said that the path she was going to take was to plot against the Jin Wang, and at that time, he had said a few words to her.


    "Qian Chao, you can try relying on me." He spoke with sudden sincerity, not a joke.


    That was her answer, she remembered.


    "I''m sorry, I only believe in myself right now."


    She was always in a dangerous situation. Other than her, her companions who were connected to her boss all had to be wary of her, afraid that something might happen to her when she logged on and that her identity as a spy was on the verge of being exposed. In that situation, she was used to believing in herself.


    To her, when Gu Yicheng was his trade target, both parties were profitable and trustworthy for the time being. But if this relationship did not exist, Gu Yicheng''s biased treatment of Wen Meng would be hard for her to trust him for, other than according to her principles.


    "The prime minister has been busy these past few days, and has not been able to sleep or eat. Madam, why don''t you serve him well and persuade him to return so that he won''t tire himself out." It was rare for the Gu San to take over the position of master and servant, and interfere in the master''s private affairs. However, he really could not watch any longer, the relationship between the two masters was at a stalemate, and he could only watch helplessly as the prime minister troubled his body.


    "Surrender?" Hearing those two words, Yun Qianliang frowned, the carving knife in his hand drew a mark on the wood, and when she noticed it, she looked at the damage done, and his frown deepened, "What does it have to do with me if he leaves by herself without a word, why should I go and beg him to come back?"


    "That''s right. It''s one thing for the young master to treat my master badly, but why do you have to lower yourself to his level?" Qiu Yue growled in dissatisfaction as she bent down to pick up the tools on the table.


    "It can''t be called a request, it''s just ¡­" The Gu San explained.


    It had nothing to do with her stature, but rather, she did not feel that she was in the wrong.


    There are some things you can''t give me right now, so why pretend to put on a show later on and put on a show for the whole thing?


    "It''s not good to cause a huge ruckus." Gu San was still struggling.


    "Which husband and wife in this world doesn''t quarrel? Not to mention my arrogant and reckless personality, even if I were to be a bit unruly in the eyes of others, it wouldn''t seem like I was pretending to be in love, and there''s nothing wrong with it." Yun Qianliang''s self-deprecating words caused everyone to be speechless.


    Gu San''s words of persuasion were stuck in his throat, he could not utter a single word, and in the end, could only resign himself to his orders and leave.


    "Chun Hua, help me pack. I need to leave the capital in a few days." Yun Qianliang took the cloak that was on the shelf in front of the door, and after putting it on properly, he walked out of the warm room, "I''m going to the courtyard to take a walk."


    As the New Year approached, the weather grew colder and colder.


    The north wind whistled, chillingly cold.


    Yun Qianliang strolled along the bluestone path, looking at the red plum planted into the courtyard.


    The precious peony flowers in the yard had all been moved into the garden, and would only be transplanted back during the flowering season next year. In the winter, the red plum flowers were more suitable for this season''s occasion, they were gorgeous, but they did not seem out of the ordinary. Compared to the unseasonable peony flowers, the red plum flowers were much easier to accept.


    Yun Qianliang walked along the bluestone path, circling around Hongmei. She conveniently picked a few that looked good, and prepared to put them back in her house to put them on, so that Qiu Yue wouldn''t complain that the color in her room was too plain.


    Her white, goose-like eyes fluttered down from in front of her eyes. Yun Qianliang stopped in his tracks and looked up at the sky.


    He saw scattered snowflakes falling from the sky. They were light as goose feathers, yet they were also like dandelions falling from the sky.


    "It''s snowing." Yun Qianliang muttered.


    Yun Qianliang raised his hand to catch a snowflake in front of his. The icy cold snowflake landed on his palm, but she actually could not feel its cold intent.


    She stared at the snowflake in her palm. Slowly, the snowflake melted into water, wetting her palm.


    "I thought I could turn you into ice along the way." Yun Qianliang pursed his lips and laughed to himself.


    As Gu Yicheng stepped into the distance, he saw a beautiful scenery.


    In the scattered snow, there was a light black dress with a moon-white cloak covering it, and a circle of pure white rabbit hair at the corner, making her face look even more exquisite and small. She had a bouquet of bright red plums between her left arms, which were especially dazzling in the simple and elegant moon-white light.


    She tilted her head slightly upwards as she looked at the falling snow with a smile on her face. Her pair of beautiful eyes were pitch black and bottomless. The corners of her eyes were slightly raised as her smile was as bewitching as the night.


    In an ordinary courtyard, the color of light and red seemed to have become a unique color. She was born in white and stood in front of the snow-covered red plum blossoms.


    Seeing that it was snowing outside, Qiu Yue did not bother to clean the sawdust inside the house, instead, she quickly found an oil-paper umbrella and rushed out of Cloud Water Pavilion.


    Gu Yicheng quickly walked into the courtyard, his footsteps crossing the path and stopping Qiu Yue''s anxious figure, "Give me the umbrella."


    With unwillingness in his eyes, Qiu Yue looked at the person standing in front of the red plum blossom and said, "Madam, your body ¡­"


    "I know." Gu Yicheng quickly replied as he took the oil-paper umbrella from Qiu Yue''s hands and walked towards the person who was standing in the snow and refused to move.


    Seeing that, Qiu Yue gave up and ran back to the Cloud Water Pavilion.


    Under the roof, Chun Hua was holding onto an umbrella, preparing to come out, but seeing the situation, she had no choice but to put it aside.


    "Chun Hua, what exactly do you think Gu Xiang wants to play?" Qiu Yue patted the snow on her head, puzzled.


    "I don''t know." Chun Hua forced a smile, the worry in his eyes grew deeper, but there was nothing he could do. "I''ll ask Shui Qin to make some soup to warm his body, so that Madam won''t catch a cold."


    With that, Chun Hua opened her umbrella and walked towards the kitchen.


    "I wonder when this snow will fall and whether it will affect my journey. I need to prepare more ¡­" Yun Qianliang retracted her hand, and placed her right hand on the red plum tree branch between his left arm, turning around, wanting to turn back. But just as he was about to do so, her voice suddenly stopped, a look of surprise and worry flashed past his eyes, and then, he hid his strange emotions.


    "You didn''t realize it was me." Gu Yicheng saw through her disguise with a glance.


    With her sensitive ears, she should have recognized the sound of footsteps a long time ago, but she didn''t.


    "A moment of absent-mindedness." Yun Qianliang explained while smiling, and easily changed the topic, "Gu San even asked me to go find you just now."


    "You talk too much." Gu Yicheng chided in dissatisfaction, "Your health is not good, once it snows you should go and hide."


    He held onto his umbrella and turned around. After waiting for a while, he finally walked away, and Yun Qianliang had no choice but to follow behind him.


    "How could the prime minister understand the strange hobbies women have?" Yun Qianliang frowned, his words revealed his mischievousness, "Also, Master doesn''t think that if I were to sacrifice my beauty for you to see, it will make the next step go even smoother?"


    "Your body isn''t suitable to go." Without waiting for Yun Qianliang to explain herself, Gu Yicheng rejected him with a serious face.


    "Of course I will." Yun Qianliang was also a strong leader. She would never be able to get back what he had decided to do no matter how hard he tried.


    The poison in her body had already affected her body more and more. She had to find the antidote as soon as possible, she had to go to Tan Yue City.


    Gu Yicheng stopped in his tracks, and stared at the person beside him. The coldness in his eyes was like snow, "Would you rather drag this body to Song Shujin to get the antidote than talk to me about it?"


    Did she really need to do so much of the stuff that caused him to be at a disadvantage?


    In a matter of life and death, she restrained her superb acting skills and let her take advantage of the loophole.


    "Gu Yicheng, I am a person who has been hiding myself in the darkness all year round, I know better than anyone else how to survive in the darkness. You pulled a person who has always been living in the darkness into the light and gave me an important order badge, then you told her, you can trust me and rely on me. You might think that you have trusted me, but the other party should understand your intentions, but I have no way of making such a hasty decision."


    "In this precarious situation, I have no one to rely on. If I want to live, I have to fight for my life myself, so I can''t afford to lose at all."


    In the silence of the snow, she withdrew her playful thoughts as her words resounded with force.


    "Even if I said I would get you the antidote, would you still go?" Gu Yicheng felt helpless in his heart, it was the first time he felt that the person in front of him had a strength that could not be destroyed, and he was unable to control it.


    Using a secret to exchange for the antidote was originally a transaction between the two of us, but right now I have no bargaining chip, so you taking the antidote for me is unfair, it''s my fault for scheming against Song Shujin, I have a clear conscience, but I can scheme against someone who has saved me, I will feel uneasy. Yun Qianliang lowered his eyes and avoided the burning gaze.


    If he hadn''t saved her, she probably wouldn''t have been so constrained.


    "In the end, you still won''t believe me." The emotions in Gu Yicheng''s eyes faded like the tide, and he once again took a step forward.


    "Yes." Yun Qianliang was indeed honest.


    "The reason." Gu Yicheng asked, his tone returning to his usual relaxed joke.


    Yun Qianliang was silent for a moment, her thoughts unknown, but in the end, she still answered truthfully, "There are two of them. Firstly, I do not understand you well enough, and secondly, you let Wen Meng do as she pleases to contradict my principles."


    Although she endured these things, she would not allow such actions to cross the line.


    After that, Gu Yicheng no longer spoke, and sent his back to Cloud Water Pavilion in silence.


    Gu Yicheng put away the umbrella and walked towards the Qing Hu Tong without saying a word.


    "Before I leave the capital, I want to make a trip to the House of the Marquis of An." Yun Qianliang said to his back.


    "I''ll arrange it." Gu Yicheng replied without turning his head.


    Yun Qianliang retracted her gaze, turned and went back into the hut, and the two of them seemed to nod casually.

 C55

    Chapter 55 - Support


    "As expected of the Little Yun girl." Marquis of Anguo laughed out loud as he looked at the painting on the table.


    A picture of a crane standing on the table, green pine standing proudly in the middle of the mountain rocks, cranes spreading their wings soaring in the sky, the posture of the lifelike.


    The mountains and the waters were verdant and full of vitality.


    "As long as grandfather likes it." Yun Qianliang smiled lightly as he accompanied Marquis of Anguo in admiring the painting.


    "Yes, master Hou." Qing Zhuo happily placed the Pine Crane Year Prolongation diagram into the box and placed it in the study room.


    The Marquis of Anguo called out to Yun Qianliang passionately, pointing to the valuable furnishings in the house, he explained everything clearly, even where they were suitable for, he could not wait to call the butler to pack up all the good things in the house, only then would Yun Qianliang be satisfied.


    Yun Qianliang smiled as she listened, and often praised the man in front of him in accordance to his interest, causing him to be extremely happy, and then with a few words, she gave up on the idea of giving the Marquis of Anguo a gift.


    Gu Yicheng sat by the side of the table, sipping his tea and waiting. He quietly listened to the excited discussion of the two people, as if he was listening to them talk.


    When Qing Zhuo came back and saw that Gu Yicheng was the only one sitting in front of the table while sipping his tea, he took the initiative to go up to him.


    "It''s rare for the prime minister to take the initiative to bring his wife to see the marquis. The marquis has been looking forward to it for a long time." Qing Zhuo stood by the side and swept her eyes across the two people who were admiring the large bronze blade, then said: "This Yun family''s direct daughter is rather special, ordinary women would never be interested in weapons, but she looks like she likes them more than those antique jades."


    Gu Yicheng turned to look, only to see that Yun Qianliang was standing in front of the large bronze blade, eager to give it a try.


    The blade was even longer than her, and its weight required two small soldiers to carry it. The large bronze blade had killed countless of enemies and was stained with blood, even after being placed in the middle of the hall for so long, the Guardian still felt that its power was still there, causing people to feel that it was filled with killing intent.


    Yun Qianliang caressed the blade, her eyes brimming with a different look.


    She had not been in good spirits these days, and her complexion looked a bit worse. Even though she had put on makeup to cover her unsightly face, she still lacked a bit of spirit. She looked weak and weak, like an eggplant that had been frosted by frost.


    "She''s indeed different from the other girls." Gu Yicheng drank his tea and replied.


    Qing Zhuo saw his reaction, and could not help but feel it was funny, when had she ever seen her master treat any girls differently?


    of the Duke Ming Palace had pursued the Lord Prime Minister for many years. In terms of looks and looks, they were all upper class, and in order to please the Lord Prime Minister, she had specially asked him to learn the whip art, but to no avail. The Lord Prime Minister had not been moved at all, how did he end up with the notorious Yun Family evil woman?


    "Is the Madam well?" Qing Zhuo detected a few clues and recalled the incident with the poison.


    Hearing that, Gu Yicheng frowned, he was annoyed, it took him a long time to relax his brows, "How is the matter that I asked you to do?"


    "It''s a little tricky." Qing Zhuo''s expression became serious, "With the help of the experts, the Qin family''s progress is slightly slow."


    "As soon as possible." Gu Yicheng instructed.


    With that, Yun Qianliang pushed the Marquis of Anguo back, and before she could stop, excitement showed on her face.


    Gu Yicheng set down the teacup and shot a glance at the old man who had taken over his wife in disgust. "Why are you talking so happily?"


    "This is a secret between me and the Little Yun girl." Marquis of Anguo stared back at Yun Qianliang, unwilling to admit defeat. He turned and blinked his eyes, looking at Yun Qianliang, full of provocation.


    "Right." Yun Qianliang pursed her lips and laughed, he was extremely proud.


    Marquis of Anguo promised that if she could give birth to a child and a daughter for the Gu family, he would give her the large blade. Having children was a little difficult for her, but she felt that there was still room for negotiation.


    Compared to those gold and silver jewelry and antique jade artifacts, the value of that large bronze blade was even more attractive.


    Yun Qianliang pushed the wheelchair to the side of the table, but did not rest.


    "Little Yun girl, wait a moment. Sit." Marquis of Anguo restrained the smile on his face and stopped Yun Qianliang from pouring tea for him. He pointed at the seat beside Gu Yicheng with a serious expression and asked her to sit.


    Yun Qianliang was perplexed, but she still walked over obediently and sat down.


    Marquis of Anguo sized the two of them up seriously, his serious eyes were filled with worry, the two strands of beard at the corner of his mouth even rose up, as though he had lost all of his vigor, and as if he had aged a lot.


    After a long while, the Marquis of Anguo looked at Yun Qianliang guiltily. "Little Yun girl, my grandfather has let you down."


    "Grandfather, where did you come from?" Yun Qianliang was confused and panicked.


    "Grandfather knows all about the Gu Xiangfu, so there''s no need for you to hide it for him." Marquis of Anguo explained the reason as he said with a face full of self-blame, "Yi Cheng''s mother left early, and father is a bastard. He taught people well, and brought them into the ditch."


    "I really don''t know what grandfather is talking about." Yun Qianliang thought hard as to which matter in the palace would alarm the Marquis of Anguo.


    "This brat hasn''t returned to the manor for a few days. Is this true?" Marquis of Anguo said bluntly.


    Yun Qianliang suddenly realized and quickly explained, "Grandfather is mistaken, the Prime Minister has been busy with political affairs these past few days and has forgotten to eat and sleep, afraid that I would have to shoulder the burden ¡­"


    Marquis of Anguo raised his hand to stop Yun Qianliang from explaining.


    "Little Yun girl, don''t speak up for him." The Marquis of Anguo sighed, "If he is really afraid of you worrying, then he should take away all the Singer Dancer s in the mansion. Although Grandfather is out of doors, I know everything that happened outside, so the death of that servant must be related to the Gu Xiangfu women, right?"


    Yun Qianliang remained silent as the smile on her face slowly faded.


    "I will take care of this matter." Gu Yicheng promised.


    "The best solution is to clean up the backyard!" Marquis of Anguo looked at him sternly and scolded him angrily.


    This time, it was Gu Yicheng who turned silent.


    The old man brought it up again. Seeing that Gu Yicheng had not spoken up about it and did not give a definite answer, Marquis of Anguo''s temper rose as well. With a cold glare, he slammed his hands on the table to demand the result.


    "Just tell me today. Are you going to chase those women out or not?"


    "I will take care of my internal matters." Gu Yicheng refused to back down.


    Yun Qianliang sighed in his heart, she had specially come to visit the Marquis of Anguo, to deliver the Pine Crane Year Prolongation Map, and was thinking that it was time for the end of the year, but she had to leave the capital to do something, just in case the Marquis of Anguo wanted to meet her, it would be easy for people to misunderstand his if he refused to come alone, so he specially came to inform him, who would have thought that the Marquis of Anguo knew everything about the Gu Xiangfu.


    This time, she had miscalculated.


    Yun Qianliang''s mind raced, with a thought, she abandoned her camp and allies.


    "Grandfather, in fact, this is the reason why Qian Chao came here so lightly." Yun Qianliang stood up and walked over to Marquis of Anguo''s side, using both hands to support the wheelchair, and asked in an aggrieved tone, "You don''t know how much the Lord Prime Minister has gone overboard."


    When Marquis of Anguo saw his grandson''s wronged appearance, his protective heart rose up as he comforted: "You and Grandfather said that Grandfather will help you teach him a lesson."


    Yun Qianliang whimpered and nodded repeatedly.


    The shallow side of my body should have been properly dealt with by my mother. Now that Jing Zhao Mansion has already announced to the outside world that she has caught the culprit, the shallow side should be at ease, but as this matter involves the backyard, I could not help but feel disheartened and wanted to go out to relax. Yun Qianliang lowered her eyes and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her eyes.


    "Why do you accuse her so harshly?" Marquis of Anguo was furious, he grabbed the teacup in front of him and threw it towards the man.


    Yun Qianliang quietly looked up, and only revealed a helpless expression, making him suffer.


    If she was still standing by Gu Yicheng''s side, then this would be the end of the matter.


    Gu Yicheng dodged the teacup and allowed it to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.


    "Her body ¡­" Gu Yicheng was about to retort to stop the situation from happening.


    "He is bullying my family! No one stands up for me!" Yun Qianliang immediately inserted needles into her body, preventing Gu Yicheng from ruining her plans.


    "I''m not dead yet!" Marquis of Anguo was furious and shouted, "You are allowed to bring your woman back to your house, why can''t Little Yun girl take a break? "She was originally a pretty girl, but look how long you''ve been working for her. What do you want to do now that she''s been crippled by you?"


    Yun Qianliang nodded in agreement as she massaged Marquis of Anguo''s shoulders.


    Marquis of Anguo was very fond of his grandchild''s wife, and enjoyed Yun Qianliang''s filial piety. He felt that his grandson was too shameless, and wanted to teach him a lesson.


    "She wants to leave the capital to relax."


    Amidst Marquis of Anguo''s slightly noisy lecture, Gu Yicheng pinched his temples and interrupted everyone''s words with a single sentence.


    "Little Yun girl, you want to leave the capital?" Marquis of Anguo asked in disbelief.


    Yun Qianliang hesitated for a while before slowly nodding.


    Gu Yicheng spread his hands: "At this time, Li Jing is free, if there''s a chance, would you compensate me with a wife?"


    "Grandfather, you don''t know, but the Prime Grandmaster suspects that I did something to that servant. If I didn''t catch the killer, I would have suffered this injustice." "If I don''t get some free time in the capital, I''m afraid I won''t be able to live my life." Saying that, Yun Qianliang forced out two drops of tears.


    Just as expected, after hearing Yun Qianliang''s last sentence, Marquis of Anguo immediately made a decision.


    "Go, we have to go."


    As long as he could continue living this life, not only would he be able to relax in the capital, he would even be able to relax in his neighboring countries.


    "Grandpa is still the best." Yun Qianliang wiped his tears, revealing a gentle smile, "When Qian Qian comes back, he will definitely bring Grandfather some fun gifts."


    When he got up, Yun Qianliang proudly blinked his eyes at Gu Yicheng.


    I was afraid that you were going to make things difficult for me, but now you''re poking me in the back, you think this is fun?

 C56

    Chapter 56 - Interest


    "Continue acting." Returning to the carriage, Gu Yicheng spoke out loud.


    Yun Qianliang was in a good mood, upon hearing that, he chuckled, and with a strange look, she asked: "Master, could it be that you want to help me pay for my journey?"


    "It''s not like I don''t have anything to discuss when I''m satisfied with my performance." Gu Yicheng made a request to her as if he was inviting all of them.


    "Forget it, I can''t hide if I don''t dare to offend him." Yun Qianliang laughed and said to the driver: "To Jia Kang Street."


    It was already dark in the winter evening. The cold wind was blowing and the temperature had dropped considerably.


    There were two doors in front of the curtain of the carriage. The cold wind blew outside, and inside, there was a warm stove.


    Yun Qianliang leaned heheread against the carriage, his eyes drooping down as she stared blankly at a place where she was lost in thought. Occasionally, his eyelids would twitch, but she forced herself to focus once more, unwilling to close his eyes to rest.


    Gu Yicheng sat upright, as his deep eyes calmly rested on her body, "I''ll call you when it''s time."


    "Thank you very much." Yun Qianliang replied softly. His voice was weak.


    Yun Qianliang''s body was exhausted, but his thoughts were abnormally active, and he had only closed her eyes to rest. If the carriage''s speed changed at all, she would open her eyes to take a look, and then continue to close her eyes to rest.


    "Grandfather said that your birthday is the day of Mid-Autumn." In the silence, Yun Qianliang suddenly opened his mouth.


    "Yes." Gu Yicheng admitted it.


    Yun Qianliang moved her lips, she tilted her head and stared at the handsome face, and sighed.


    "This good guy''s life was ruined by your temper." Yun Qianliang shook her head and said regretfully.


    He had a lovely face, but he did something infuriating.


    If not for the fact that Marquis of Anguo knew that her birthday was in the first month and wanted to give her a birthday feast, she would have asked Gu Yicheng about his birthday in the past. She would have been deceived and believe that his birthday was coming up, she planned to get Lu Ben out of there quickly.


    She had spent so much time and effort on this thing, but his words had turned out to be a simple bluff.


    "That''s how you can be confident." Gu Yicheng purposely pulled up a strand of hair and played with it between his fingers, "With my looks, I enjoy being a lady. It''s much easier to handle things."


    Yun Qianliang carefully studied that face, it was as though she was looking at a sculpture. His angular face was extremely handsome, with eyebrows that flew straight to her temples, and under her nose was a sexy lips, like the color of a crabapple petal. There was a playful smile on his face, which had a bad taste, and her outer appearance looked extremely loose, but the light in her eyes made others not dare to look down on him.


    She was extraordinarily elegant, amorous, and dainty.


    "Seems like the Prime Minister has overdone it." Yun Qianliang joked joyfully, "Could it be that those Singer Dancer s in the palace ¡­?"


    "My appetite is good, but I''m also picky." Gu Yicheng replied meaningfully.


    Yun Qianliang smiled and nodded, she no longer paid any attention to him, but the corners of her eyes did not contain any anger nor evasion.


    The ruins of the ruins were piled up, the roof walls were covered with cobwebs, thick dust fell to the ground, and the surroundings were dark. The inside of the temple was extremely terrifying.


    Wen Meng was dressed in light attire and wrapped up in her cloak tightly. She was holding a cotton package in her arms as she nervously walked back and forth in the run-down temple, waiting for Shi Yong''s arrival.


    After walking back and forth twice, Wen Meng confirmed the dagger hidden in her sleeve.


    This was not the first time she had tried to kill someone, but it was the first time she had done it herself. She was unavoidably afraid in her heart, afraid that if Shi Yong found out, she would be harmed, but when she thought about how if Shi Yong did not die, she would be facing an even greater crisis.


    She could not lose everything she had, so Shi Yong had to die.


    Wen Meng''s killing intent became stronger and her anxious heart had calmed down.


    Yun Qianliang went from the alley to the run-down temple. The sky was dark, and she could not see anyone outside the run-down temple, so she could not see their faces from a distance. Such a sky was perfect for doing evil.


    She began to walk towards the door of the dilapidated temple, which had long since lost its color. The plaque at the entrance of the broken temple had long since fallen to the ground, allowing anyone to step on it and destroy it.


    Upon stepping into the courtyard of the dilapidated temple, a gust of cold wind blew against their faces, stirring up the dust on the ground.


    Yun Qianliang lit up the lanterns in front of his, and walked through the courtyard.


    When Wen Meng heard the sound and saw the light outside, her heart thumped like thunder. She lowered her footsteps and hid herself somewhere, so that no outsiders would notice her presence.


    Yun Qianliang stood at the entrance of the original two doors and said loudly: "Come out."


    Wen Meng, who had just finished concealing herself, heard the voice she didn''t want to hear the most.


    Why would Yun Qianliang come here?


    After waiting for a while, there were still no signs of people coming out. Yun Qianliang was in no hurry, she held up a lantern and lit it up, sizing up the ruined house shrouded in darkness, and looking at the accumulated dust, she waved his hands in disgust.


    Wen Meng was not smart enough to kill people and keep their mouths shut. She chose this place to kill because she wanted to confuse the previous matter and make the people here feel like this place was unlucky and dead, but in truth, this was not a good place to kill people.


    Compared to how cautious and bold Shi Yong was when he committed the crime, Wen Meng was as easy as pie.


    If she wanted to kill Shi Yong, she could only do it unexpectedly.


    "You don''t need to wait, he won''t come." Yun Qianliang said in a leisurely manner, "Looks like you really were forced into a corner. All you think about is how to silence them, you didn''t pay attention to any news from the Jing Zhao Mansion."


    Wen Meng''s heart pounded like thunder. She slowly stood up and walked out of the house while holding her bag tightly with both of her hands.


    was fully dressed, although she was not in a bad state of being exquisite, she dressed very nicely, and did not look awkward at all. Unfortunately, in front of that indifference, Wen Meng''s actions and actions were enough to make her feel ashamed.


    "Why would Madame come here?" Wen Meng made the first move.


    "You still want to pretend to be innocent?" Yun Qianliang held up the lantern, letting the light of the candle illuminate the face in front of him.


    "I don''t know what the Lady is talking about." Wen Meng raised his hand to block, and then dodged.


    Yun Qianliang shook her head, "Stubborn."


    Wen Meng sneered, and picked up the bundle in her arms, saying haughtily: "Yun Qianliang, even if you catch the culprit, what can you do to me? "Don''t think that I don''t know. If you truly had the ability, you would have already sent me to the court. However, you came here to pick on me, meaning that you could not touch me."


    Yun Qianliang smiled calmly, encouraging her aura.


    She took off her cape and revealed her exquisite makeup and a smile on her face, as she slowly walked towards Yun Qianliang. Yun Qianliang ¡­


    "The Prime Minister treats me differently. As long as he protects me, you won''t be able to touch me for even a second." With that, she threw the package in her hands towards Yun Qianliang ruthlessly. Her ferocious face was like a mistress who had gained power, bullying a weak servant with a trace of satisfaction.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes became serious, she immediately used her right hand to grab Wen Meng and twisted her wrist slightly. The fingers on the hand that pulled out the dagger became deformed from the pain, and the dagger fell out of her hand.


    Yun Qianliang kicked the dagger away and threw Wen Meng to the ground.


    A series of movements were agile and smooth like flowing clouds and flowing water.


    Yun Qianliang bent down and patted her face, smiling like a bad guy, "It is indeed different. Gu Yicheng is outside, the moment you walk out from here, from now on, no one can compare to you in Gu Xiangfu."


    Wen Meng crashed onto the dirty ground, her sinister face was twisted due to the excruciating pain. She glared at Yun Qianliang with her bloodshot eyes, the rise and fall of her chest made it difficult for her to say a single word.


    She really did not want Gu Yicheng to see her in such a miserable state, and the reason why she came here, was even more so unknown to others.


    Wen Meng clenched her fists, the arrogance at the bottom of her heart seemed to be her bottom line, causing her to become more bold.


    She used all her might to push Yun Qianliang away, reaching out to grab the lantern in Yun Qianliang''s hand, she only had one thought, destroy everything in front of her. As long as she erased all these, her ugly side would never be revealed to others.


    However, when Wen Meng was trying her best to take away her lantern, she did not let go. Instead, she grabbed onto Wen Meng''s shoulder, and carried her onto her body, pretending to be Wen Meng trying to throw her down.


    The two of them fell to the ground. Yun Qianliang turned the lantern upside down and lit it with a candle flame.


    There were a lot of dried grass and fallen leaves inside the broken temple. As the lantern was ignited, all the junk around it was quickly set ablaze. The wind was blowing away the dry grass and leaves, making a lot of stuff burn.


    "Wen Meng, this is the interest from poisoning me. Yun Qianliang''s eyebrows curved as she laughed like a bad child. The flames reflected in her eyes made her look like an evil ghost.


    Wen Meng realized that she had fallen into her trap, and wanted to stop him immediately, but Yun Qianliang held her back. In a moment of desperation, her movements inevitably became rough, and she tried to think of a way to escape.


    Flames burned in the ruined temple, the red light dazzling in the darkness.


    Soon after, Yun Qianliang heard footsteps heading towards the direction of the ruined temple. It was just that recently, due to the effects of the endotoxin, his ears were not as good as before, so he was unable to hear which footsteps he heard earlier.


    But even so, for the current Wen Meng, there was no need to care if it was true or not.


    "He came looking for you." Under the firelight, her delicate and flower-like face was pale, but it was reflected in the red light.


    Yun Qianliang let go of Wen Meng and laid on the ground weakly, allowing the anxious Wen Meng to do whatever she wanted to her.


    Wen Meng was self-righteous, but she did not know that when she stepped into this place alone, everything was just a trap.


    To her, killing someone on the left was simply a matter of raising one''s hand with a knife. To think that she would retaliate in such a way was thinking too mercifully of her.


    Just like what Wen Meng said, they were unable to bring Wen Meng to justice because of Gu Yicheng, but they might not kill anyone if they tried to fight back. The true torture was psychological destruction, and it was far more painful than death.


    If it was in the past, when she was using this method, it would be easy for her to be seen through, but it just so happened that her body was unwell recently, and Wen Meng was an anxious rabbit, everything was fine, she wouldn''t take any interest to make herself feel wronged.

 C57

    Chapter 57 - Action in Departure from the Capital


    "You didn''t see her like that, like a defeated rooster." Qiu Yue chanted excitedly, the embroidery needles danced back and forth in her hands, not landing on the plain brocade cloth. She was so excited that she started dancing with joy, as if she was a storyteller in a restaurant.


    Yun Qianliang leaned on the side of the bed, her hand holding a stack of information related to the Tan Yue City, and focused on reading.


    The Tan Yue City was only a day''s journey away from the capital, and was the only way to enter the capital from the east.


    In the past, the Tan Yue City took up a lot of land, but its population was smaller compared to other cities. It had been used as a military base, and even now, the Tan Yue City was still slightly different from other cities. Because they were closer to the capital, in order to prevent any unexpected situations, there had always been an army stationed in the city.


    Due to all of these reasons, the imperial government specially sent out officials to administer the army, just in case that the local officials of the Tan Yue City had more authority than the ordinary officials of the Prefecture, so that the two sides could balance each other out and prevent the army from losing too much power.


    Yun Qianliang noted down the situation, and finally picked out a letter that contained Tan Yue City''s recent situation.


    Yun Qianliang stared at the two words on the letter like a tornado. She chuckled and placed a stack of information on the bedside table.


    "Madam, you must be very happy as well." When Qiu Yue heard this, she became even more pleased.


    "Not bad." Yun Qianliang replied softly. She lifted the quilt, put on her shoes and got off the bed.


    Yesterday, she had put on a good show, and even faked it, when she was rescued from under Wen Meng''s body, she suddenly fainted, and really brought the victim back to life. The rest of the things were all done by Qiu Yue when he woke up and heard him chattering.


    She suddenly fainted, probably because of the poison in her body, but it just happened that at that moment, Wen Meng had decided to take the blame.


    It was said that Gu Yicheng, who had caused a huge ruckus last night and knew that she had a chronic poison in her body, suddenly went into a rage in the middle of the night and sent someone to the palace to get his imperial physician. The news that she was sick had spread this morning.


    Yun Qianliang fell into a deep slumber and only woke up today at noon.


    When he woke up, Wen Meng''s position in Gu Xiangfu plummeted. He had already sent over the Tan Yue City''s information, and even Yun Xiang Mansion''s people had faked to come visit him.


    "You can''t get out of bed yet. You need a good rest." Qiu Yue put down the embroidery in her hands and stepped forward to stop her.


    "It''s not that delicate." Yun Qianliang brushed away her hands and instructed: "Help me pack my clothes, I''m going on a long journey."


    "If the prime minister finds out about this, this servant will definitely be scolded to death." Qiu Yue recalled the people who were so angry last night and couldn''t help but shiver, even though she was still afraid, "This servant doesn''t even know if the Lord Prime Minister likes the Madam, or is he just putting on an act?"


    "You''re not afraid of me because you''re afraid of him?" Yun Qianliang made fun of his own servant.


    Gu Yicheng told her that she was sick because he knew more or less about the Tan Yue City.


    "My Miss isn''t scary." Qiu Yue stuck out his tongue mischievously, turned around, and went to pack up his clothes.


    "That was before." Yun Qianliang walked to the screen with the outer garment and tore it off before dressing it up, "My situation is different now. Have you never thought that one day, I would become ruthless in order to protect myself?


    Qiu Yue tilted her head to look at the beautiful woman. She stood there facing the light, her straight and straight back like a mountain that couldn''t be bent.


    Qiu Yue raised her smiling face, she then said resolutely, "This servant knows, Miss does not."


    Chun Hua, who had stopped in front of the door, heaved a sigh of relief with a gentle smile on her face.


    "Miss is a woman of character and lives as she pleases. However, she is not a person who does not distinguish between right and wrong. She is a person who does not understand black and white." Chun Hua walked in and placed the gift she brought in on the table, then walked over to the screen to help her master change.


    Yun Qianliang''s hand that was tied to her belt slightly paused. Thoughts churned in her eyes like a tide, but they were quickly suppressed.


    "What''s that?" Yun Qianliang looked away and handed the task of changing clothes to Chun Hua.


    "Thirteen said that he is a tonic sent by the House of the Marquis of An. He must be handed over to Madam." Chun Hua bent down to tie up the Purple Iris flowers on her waist, and then smoothed out the wrinkles on her dress. "I heard that the Marquis of Anguo is a secluded place, and even the royal family doesn''t like to join in the liveliness.


    "Marquis of Anguo and the Gu family elders have some friendship." Yun Qianliang was not in a position to talk about this secret relationship.


    "Speaking of which, Madam also gave the peony painting to Marquis of Anguo." Chun Hua recalled the location of the peony painting and remembered that they had met each other before.


    Once he was dressed, Yun Qianliang walked towards the dressing table. Chun Hua picked up a black sandalwood comb to comb her hair.


    "The bun from before I left the pavilion." Yun Qianliang explained.


    Moreover, her goal was for her to be involved with Song Shujin, so she decided to tie up with the married woman, and accidentally bumped into her when people saw her, causing them to be unable to say anything.


    When he walked out of Cloud Water Pavilion, Gu Shisan had already gathered all the guards in the courtyard and was ready to go at any time.


    "You have to bring that many people with you?" Yun Qianliang counted the number of guards, and it was like a small patrol team in the city. This way of leaving the city, it was no different from showing off, she loved to keep a low profile and act the best, the kind that did not reveal their wealth.


    "It''s not a good time right now, go out and ask for a doctor." It''s not a good time right now, go out and ask for a doctor. Gu Yicheng leisurely walked over with his hands behind his back.


    "Bring four guards and one servant is enough." Yun Qianliang argued, "It''s not like there are no hidden guards."


    Her chess piece''s death was the most valuable thing to the Gu Xiangfu, but this time, the departure from the capital was actually very safe.


    "The situation in the Tan Yue City is much worse than what you have seen. Although the Jin Wang was ordered to quietly submit to the private search tax, on the surface, many things have already been forbidden, and your movements and authority have been restricted. Once you enter the city, you will be targeted, and once you come into contact with the Jin Wang, you will definitely be mistaken as an accomplice. Gu Yicheng explained the situation to her seriously, treating it as if he had given her a warning in advance, so that he wouldn''t realize the worst situation for himself when he arrived at Tan Yue City.


    Yun Qianliang was a sensible person, at least she thought so.


    "I see." Yun Qianliang replied.


    The necessary items for the carriage to travel had already been prepared outside the Gu Xiangfu, and the butler and servant were waiting for a long time at the door.


    When Yun Qianliang saw the commotion outside, shshewas stunned. She did not know which royal relative was planning to go out for a stroll, but after knowing the situation in Tan Yue City, he remained silent and accepted their good intentions.


    "Madam, please take me with you." Qiu Yue reluctantly supported Yun Qianliang with one hand, while holding Chun Hua''s hand with the other.


    "I''ll be back in a few days. Take care of the house for me." Yun Qianliang comforted her and patted the back of his hand.


    Yun Qianliang withdrew her hand, walked to Gu Yicheng''s side and asked: "Does Master still have anything else to say to me?"


    Gu Yicheng looked at the slim and graceful woman in front of him. Her black hair was half-rolled, and a few wisps of cold wind brushed past her hair, causing her white and tender cheeks to flutter playfully. He did not have a deep impression of Yun Qianliang, who had yet to leave the pavilion.


    Gu Yicheng held her hand, and placed one hand on her hair. He fiddled with the hairpin with tassels, and helped her straighten her messy hair, and said gently: "Be a smart person."


    Yun Qianliang''s fingers stiffened, and slowly tightened as she held onto the object in her hand.


    "Alright." It was just one word, gentle and soft.


    "Be careful on your way." Gu Yicheng pinched her soft and tender hands, and let go of his fingers to allow her to leave.


    With the help of a servant, Yun Qianliang got onto the carriage, the guards mounted their horses and galloped away to protect the carriage.


    Only after the carriage had disappeared around the corner did Gu Yicheng withdraw his gaze and return to the manor.


    Returning to the Green Pine Academy, the tenderness in Gu Yicheng''s eyes completely disappeared as he solemnly ordered, "Have Zhong Tai and the others follow along."


    "Lord Prime Minister, are you really worried that the officials of the Tan Yue City will do something so disrespectful?" Gu San was shocked.


    For the past few years, the capital had been at peace, there were open rivalries and covert struggles between the officials, and the factional battles had intensified, but very few incidents had happened that allowed the Gu family to mobilize. As a result, the remnants of the Gu family army had been hiding in the shadows for many years, sharpening their abilities.


    "Qin Yue is the closest to the capital, and she caught people darkening the sky under the lanterns. This goes to show how bold she is." Gu Yicheng paused for a while at the side of the road in the courtyard, and in the end, walked back to the Qing Hu Tong, "Why would you be willing to be forced to retreat into the mountains as a rascal when you''re used to being an Overlord?"


    "But the Jin Wang is after all a royal relative. If the Jin Wang loses his life, the officials of the Tan Yue City will also be held responsible." Gu San really could not believe that a mere magistrate would have the guts to do so.


    Gu Yicheng''s eyes were as cold as ice, "This is Tianhui Emperor''s good plan, to let the people of Jin Wang fight against the people of Tan Yue City, no matter which side loses, he will always win."


    In the imperial court, some methods were clumsy, but in terms of ruthlessness, there was always someone who surpassed him.


    Song Shujin might not be a good person, the Tianhui Emperor might not be.


    From catching enemy spies to proposing to raise taxes, everything was progressing step by step.


    The Tan Yue City''s private tax was something that would affect the entire body.


    This was just the beginning. After this, the world would be thrown into turmoil, and those hidden evils would be revealed. The real method and cruelty were yet to come. It all depended on who could stabilize this situation.


    "In that case, isn''t the prime minister afraid that the madame will get involved in this matter?" The Gu San was worried.


    Gu Yicheng lowered his eyes and stared at the hand he had raised, and thought back to the feeling and smiled.


    This woman was really good.


    Like a cat, his heart began to itch even before she meowed.


    "With the army in Tan Yue City, it would be easy for Song Shujin to arouse suspicion in Tan Yue City by going there privately. This time, the Tianhui Emperor cupped his hands and delivered the opportunity to him, he will definitely seize it." Gu Yicheng put down her hands behind his back, "Right now, I can''t leave, and she insists on going. With her intelligence, she wouldn''t be unaware, she knows that he can''t retreat just like that, and he''s still determined to go. I might as well bring her into the trap."

 C58

    Chapter 58 - Constant Invitation


    "Have you heard? The evil woman of the Yun Family ran away from home. "


    "The direct daughter of the Yun family that married the Gu family''s treacherous official?"


    "That''s right, it''s her! I have a cousin who is a city gate guard. He was on duty yesterday afternoon and said that he saw someone leaving the capital and did not return even after the city gate was closed. " The speaker was very gloating.


    "Didn''t I already say that these two wouldn''t be able to get close? How could the temper of the direct daughter of the Yun family allow her own husband to have women, but look at the many women the Gu Xiangfu has, they must be overturning the heavens. " After hearing the news, the woman who sold vegetables embellished the news to the bystanders.


    After a while, there were many different opinions.


    In just a night''s time, the interesting things that were discussed on the streets and alleys of the capital were all the troubles in the back courtyard of the prime minister, as well as the outrageous affairs of the direct daughter of the Yun family. The story of Li Jing seeking medical treatment had long been thrown out of the window.


    Gu Yicheng was not in a hurry to leave the imperial court, so he was in no mood to chat with his colleagues. Before they could even talk about the matters in the imperial court, the topic had reached the rumors they had heard while they were on their way to the imperial court.


    "In the end, the marriage between you and the Miss Yun was bestowed by the Emperor. It''s fine if you cause a ruckus in the palace, but do not leave your family. Otherwise, wouldn''t it be slapping the emperor''s face and making him think that the Emperor was pointing at the wrong marriage?" The forty year old man walked beside Gu Yicheng, his wrinkled face full of kindness. His pace was not fast, but it was steady, and he was none other than the noble tutor of the dynasty, Liu Boying.


    When Liu Boying was young, he was sent by the late emperor to teach the princes a lesson. In the battle for the throne, he protected the position of Tianhui Emperor and persuaded several old officials to support him, but he was a person who valued power and authority above that of the official and when he asked the Tianhui Emperor to resign and return to his hometown, he was rejected and forced to stay in the capital to assume the position of Grand Tutor. He also gained the trust of the Tianhui Emperor and was one of the few officials who were clean.


    "Yicheng, you have to listen to a word of advice." Another year old official sincerely patted his shoulder, "Only by destiny can we be husband and wife. Although the two of you are forcefully tangled together, how many people do not have this kind of fate. You are a dignified seven foot man, yet you still have to go against a woman?"


    "Milords, this really isn''t happening." Gu Yicheng was extremely helpless.


    He was usually elegant, his eloquent image deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Within the imperial court, he was like a fish in water, adept at swimming and able to get on the good side of anyone. Everyone enjoyed his tactful interaction with them.


    Everyone in the Town Hall came over to ask him if the rumors were true or false, but he had already admitted to it. He didn''t expect that the rumors would be so outrageous that they would cause anyone to worry about him.


    "If you don''t have to deal with this matter, why would you stay at home in such a cold weather?" The official who spoke at the end, snorted and glared at Zheng Yuantang, and then smashed his fist onto Gu Yicheng''s back ruthlessly.


    Zheng Yuantang was once a deputy general under Old Gu''s command, standing guard at the border all year round after the war had ended. A few years ago, he had only returned to the capital from the border, and had left a habit of being quick, accurate and ruthless.


    Gu Yicheng pretended to be in pain and coughed twice, then he rubbed his back: "Take it easy, if you break it, how am I going to take care of my wife?"


    "It''s good that you know how to take care of him. Hurry up and get him back. Don''t let any rumors spread outside." Liu Boying nodded with some gratification, "Did she tell you where he went?"


    "I''ll leave it to you to worry. This really is a misunderstanding." Gu Yicheng patiently explained the situation, "Recently, he has been suffering from superficial discomfort, and it is hard to tell if he is truly unable to treat it completely. Previously, I heard that there was a Divine Doctor who was heading towards the capital from the east, but was unable to do so.


    "Is that true?" Zheng Yuantang was skeptical.


    "Seriously, I really want to just let her walk away like that. I don''t want to bother with her anymore. Why would she send so many people to escort me?" Gu Yicheng almost swore to let the two take the letter.


    It wasn''t easy for him to overturn this matter from his two elders and send them back to their respective carriages, sending them off with his eyes.


    Gu Yicheng returned to his carriage and saw the group of foppish young masters gathering in front of his carriage to wait.


    Seeing him walk over, the three of them pretended to bow towards him.


    "Greetings, Minister Zuo."


    "Wait a moment." Gu Yicheng waved his hands in annoyance.


    court officials s were of different ages, and it was even more rare to find someone with a high authority like Gu Yicheng at such a young age. However, every generation would inevitably rely on their family to sneak into the government, and these people were all around the same age as Gu Yicheng. In their eyes, Gu Yicheng had brought the silkpants to the imperial court, and they admired him a lot.


    Others would not be ashamed if they were to learn Gu Yicheng as their scoundrel, but how could a man of blood be restrained by rules?


    Thus, both sides had their own policies and strategies.


    On the surface, they pretended to be respectful to this treacherous official, but in private, they were truly convinced!


    "Boss Gu, I''ve sent someone to order a table at the Apricot Flower Hall. Are you taking advantage of the fact that your tigress is no longer having fun?" The man in the lead flicked his thumb, pointing in the direction of the Apricot Flower Hall.


    Gu Yicheng''s movements when he boarded the carriage paused, he then pretended that nothing had happened and sat in the carriage, and started listening to the voice of the man inside.


    "The Ministry of War is missing a person to watch the furnace. I recommend you to go tomorrow."


    With that, the carriage rolled away from the Chaoyangmen.


    "Boss Gu." The man in the lead chased after the horse carriage for two steps, but the horse was leading the horse carriage so quickly that he couldn''t stop it in time. He had no choice but to stop with a bitter face.


    The two popinjays walked over and patted him on the shoulder in sympathy. "My condolences, Ziji," they said in unison.


    "What did I do wrong?" Cheng Ziji puffed up his cheeks, and rested his tongue on his left cheek.


    "You said eldest son''s wife." Xu Mu replied sincerely.


    "That''s what they say outside." Cheng Ziji emphasized, "I''m not the only one."


    "So we increased our taxes." who was on the right side said in a sympathetic manner.


    "Forget it, the tax increase has nothing to do with women." Cheng Ziji slapped their hands away, and the three of them walked forward together, "Those singers from Gu Xiangfu are still here, how can they help raise the taxes of a woman?"


    "It''s normal for a hero to be sad and a beauty to pass away." Saying that, Su Suyin sneakily asked: "Have you seen the direct daughter of the Yun family before?"


    "Why haven''t I seen it before?" Cheng Ziji did not care, and was even a little angry: "Usually, that group of young mistresses would spend some time together, and I have seen them a few times during my big sister''s feast."


    Although he was a popinjay in the capital, a playboy who loved to play and had been to the Smoky Willow Lane many times, he had already opened his eyes to the matter of beauties. Even for girls like Yun Qianliang, who only had beauties, who had bold personalities and did not have brains, even he did not respect them and directly married the person he worshipped.


    "I''ve asked Zhao Yuanqi about the matter of the Gu Xiangfu''s servants before. That brat is praising boss''s wife." With one hand behind his back, Xu Mu played with the fan in his other hand while pretending to be a refined scholar. He clicked his tongue twice, "Zhao Yuanqi rarely praises people, and it''s even more rare for him to praise a woman when he can hear her. It made me really want to see how boss is reprimanding his own wife."


    The three happily chatted as they walked towards the Apricot Flower Hall. Their chatter quickly changed to that of a girl from the Apricot Flower Hall.


    Gu Yicheng left the palace and made a trip to the Suburban Courtyard. He stayed there until dusk and only returned to his residence in a hurry before the city gates closed.


    "Master, you''re back." The Steward Gu welcomed you out of his room and informed him of the important matter. "Before dusk, the court officials sent someone to invite you to the Apricot Flower Hall for a banquet. Many officials were there, do you want to send someone to reject the invitation?"


    "No need." Gu Yicheng did not get down from the carriage, "I will go personally."


    The night was dark, and the lights were bright.


    In Qingfang Street, red lanterns hung from the eaves of houses in groups. As far as the eye could see, the orange lights seemed to gather like a myriad of stars.


    Wearing red and green outside the shop, a coquettish woman was recruiting guests. She was dressed in a light gauze and her fragrance was intoxicating. It was the perfect time to be in high spirits.


    Inside the Apricot Flower Tower, a group of officials were seated in a banquet, surrounding the center of the hall for the fans to sing and dance. The assembled officials were drinking wine and drinking cups, happily chatting with the beautiful ladies.


    Gu Yicheng was seated in the middle of the hall. He was seated alone and his status was incomparably noble.


    The rules of the pavilion were also different. Here, one could not see any of the dirty methods used, and those who wanted to climb up to become a noble could rely on their own abilities, while those who wanted to become a noble had to ransom for their young lady. Those who did not buy a good night''s night could not acknowledge others.


    As for how long they could stay in the noble residence after exiting the Apricot Flower Hall, which kind of favor they got was the ability and life of the girls.


    "That''s all?" Gu Yicheng asked in lack of interest.


    The official who was in charge of the east withdrew his playful thoughts and called a halt to his singing and dancing, going over to please this person who was about to be invited to the banquet.


    "Gu Xiang does not like singing and dancing, and has other performances. Do you want to change them?"


    "Is this what you meant by ''nice to look at''?" Gu Yicheng raised his chin, pointed at the group of people who were waiting for orders, and said a few words right on top of that, "Ominous, dull, fake, and most importantly, not looking well."


    Everyone present went silent. The young lady of the Apricot Flower Hall was famous for her outstanding appearance. Her last sentence was really a bit unreasonable.


    The official who was in charge of the east started sweating. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat off his forehead, but could not say anything.


    One of the officials was quick-witted and quick to flatter.


    "Indeed, compared to Madam Gu, these young ladies are like clouds and mud." The official pushed aside the beautiful person beside him and spoke like a gentleman.


    Gu Yicheng''s gaze turned stern, his pitch black eyes looked as deep as the abyss, there seemed to be countless sharp blades inside.


    "My family is shallow from a prestigious family, and has a title. How could they allow others to make such a scene?" His expression was as cold as ice and snow. His eyes were incredibly sharp, and the dangerous aura he exuded felt as if it were being entangled by evil spirits.


    At this moment, the lively atmosphere was about to turn chilly. The officials did not dare to let out a single sound, and the failed officer was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and apologized, kowtowing while trembling and begging for forgiveness.


    "If there''s a next time, it''s better to replace the position of an envoy as an envoy."


    Gu Yicheng left with these words, leaving the group of people looking at each other in dismay.

 C59

    Chapter 59 - Coincidence


    Blue brick with lacquer, white horse with fresh mud.


    Those who usually loved to come to the teahouse to drink tea and hear about books walked to the door and saw that the two guards were inexplicably nervous. Their hearts were filled with fear and hesitation as they stepped into the teahouse. After entering, they did not forget to turn their heads to see if there was a mistake.


    When the waiter saw that the guests were panicking, he hurriedly greeted them with a smile, "Please come in, sir."


    The guests tidied their clothes and swaggered in.


    The atmosphere in the teahouse was tense and cautious. There were two people guarding the stairs that led to the second floor and the corridor to the left of the second floor.


    There was a storyteller in this teahouse. The story he told was strange and had new meanings. Many customers would be invited to listen to him, making the teahouse very crowded.


    Yun Qianliang sat on the second floor at the viewing stand right above the left side of the storyteller. Not only could he hear her words carefully, he could also see the expressions of all the people listening.


    She had been in Tan Yue City for a day, wandering around to understand more about Tan Yue City.


    The prosperity of the Tan Yue City was comparable to that of the capital.


    Although the rich were rich, they were rich to the point where they could not afford to waste any time. As far as they could see, there were many streets in the city where people could amuse themselves and kill time. Among the ten shops, one was a place for the rich to enjoy themselves, which was extremely corrupt.


    Yun Qianliang held a piece of silver and played with it patiently. The tea on the table had turned cold, so she pushed it away while drinking.


    Chun Hua stood up, and then took the cup of tea that was completely cold, and went to the first floor to find a waiter to exchange for a pot of hot tea.


    The teacher dressed as a scholar knocked on the wooden pestle and ended the story. He took a bottle of tea from the table and drank a mouthful of water. The guests urged him to continue.


    Yun Qianliang stopped playing with the silver, he knocked on the table and started to talk.


    "Sir, you are talking about matters of the mortal world, I am really confused." Yun Qianliang''s expression was cold, his voice was calm and steady amidst the clamor, "We were born in the mortal world, and suffered from the hardships of the people, why didn''t Mister tell us about the people''s lives?"


    There were guards around her and servants accompanying her. Being in the teahouse, she had already attracted quite a bit of attention. At this moment, her voice attracted quite a bit of attention as everyone looked towards her.


    Yun Qianliang was still dressed like a little miss, his black hair was half pulled back, and the beads on his head were shining, but she was wearing a veil, making it impossible for people to see her face, but his figure and actions under the embroidered clothes, were enough to cause people''s hearts to tremble, making them more curious about her appearance.


    "The government will naturally worry about the people''s livelihood. As a common citizen, it''s useless for me to talk about it. Besides, books are a piece of cake for people to listen to. The people''s hardships may not be too heavy." The storyteller looked up at the second floor with a calm gaze, as if he were looking at an ordinary person.


    "Sir, you are a very tactful person." Yun Qianliang got up, walked two steps towards the direction of the column, and looked downwards, "There is a saying, ''Seeing is believing, hearing is believing,'' and Mister always speaking of false matters, which is rather boring."


    "Then what does Miss want to hear?" the storyteller asked humbly.


    "The truth, only the truth can be counted as a hundred forms of human nature, revealing the true meaning." Yun Qianliang replied.


    "Truth is a private matter. I can''t say, I can''t say." The storyteller shook his head and looked away.


    "Then, I''ll be making things difficult for you, Teacher." Yun Qianliang then gave up, returned to his seat, and continued drinking tea and listening to the books.


    The atmosphere in the crowd was not very peaceful. From time to time, there would be people looking at them.


    Yun Qianliang sent someone to investigate and when they came back, they leaned over and whispered a few words into her ear.


    "Return to the inn."


    Yun Qianliang led the group of people and left in a grandiose manner.


    After they left the teahouse, a carriage came up to greet them. She boarded the carriage and left.


    The teahouse was bustling with noise and excitement, even the young masters and daughters of the Tan Yue City did not see such a stance.


    "Which noble family is this, to have so many guards outside?" The nice customer looked at the horse carriage as it left, asking the waiter about the matter.


    "It sounds like a noble from Beijing." The waitress came back a few times with tea and listened to some idle chatter.


    "No wonder the shelves are so big."


    Song Shujin only brought a guard to Tan Yue City on the surface, in order to hide his identity, he disguised himself as a son of a rich family and an attendant. He dressed normally, and after entering the city, he did not go to a inn or stay in the Imperial Family Courtyard, only finding an inn to stay.


    After finding an inn, the two of them strolled around the street in order to get a better sense of the situation.


    As the guards escorted the carriage through the street, the two of them moved aside as if they were civilians. They turned around as they saw the man who was driving past and pretended to look at the items on the stall.


    After the carriage passed, Lu Zhe looked at the guards and muttered: "Master, isn''t that the people from the Gu Xiangfu? Could it be that Gu Xiang came to the Tan Yue City ahead of us? "


    Song Shujin''s cold eyes only glanced at the passing carriage, and he took the things in his hands, "Pay up."


    Yesterday, he was still at''s side, he had ridden over, and Gu Yicheng could not be ahead of him, and the person in the carriage could not be Gu Yicheng.


    That cold and detached face of hers that was distant from him surfaced in Song Shujin''s mind.


    Yun Qianliang!


    She had just left the capital at the right time, and the timing was right after Tianhui Emperor had sent him there to search for personal taxes.


    Gu Yicheng sent her to the Tan Yue City to interfere with the matter of the Tan Yue City''s army?


    Was Yun Qianliang really that capable?


    "Send people to investigate the purpose of Yun Qianliang''s visit." Song Shujin instructed.


    "Look at the direction the carriage is heading towards, it just so happens to be in the same direction as the inn we are staying at." Lu Zhe said.


    Song Shujin frowned his cold brows, feeling annoyed. He lost all will to read the situation and returned to the tavern.


    There were already guards surrounding the Pure Wind House. In an instant, the inn became a sitting cage, with people monitoring the entrance and exit of the inn.


    Song Shujin secretly checked secretly, the Tianhui Emperor obviously did not want to reveal his identity, once he found out the evidence, he would have to return to the capital, and at that time, he would send someone to deal with the matter of officials secretly collecting taxes, and if people found out his identity, the evidence would be insufficient, and the Tianhui Emperor would have a reason to punish him, how could he let Yun Qianliang do anything bad?


    Song Shujin walked into the tavern full of anger, his whole body was cold and no one dared to approach him.


    He walked upstairs. The tavern was filled with Gu Xiangfu bodyguards defending against all odds, preventing any bad people from taking advantage of the situation. The atmosphere was even bigger than a palace lady going out to play.


    In front of Song Shujin''s room, he coincidentally met Gu Shisan exiting the room, and the room happened to be right next to his. This coincidental change made him even more enraged, and made him wish he could just directly order Yun Qianliang to be chased away.


    Gu Shisan noticed the person who arrived, a look of surprise flashed past his eyes, and he immediately nodded his head at his opponent.


    Song Shujin snorted, his footsteps paused as he brushed past them, "Tell your master to take the people outside away."


    "I am truly sorry, but my master''s safety is more important, and the guards cannot leave." Gu Shisan rejected him righteously.


    He had received the news only at the teahouse. Jin Wang had arrived at Tan Yue City, and had stayed at the Fresh Breeze Inn, if one really said that it was not fate, he felt that it was done intentionally. However, when Master decided to stay in this inn, Jin Wang was still in the future.


    "This is an order." Song Shujin used his status to pressure others.


    Gu Shisan was not an easy target, "This customer, what identity does he have to give me orders?"


    "You ¡­" Just as Lu Zhe wanted to teach him a lesson, he was stopped by a glare from Song Shujin.


    "Is this the rule of your Gu Xiangfu?" Song Shujin''s eyes were cold and harsh, his gaze aimed straight at Gu Shisan.


    "This customer is really funny." The door of the guest room opened, and Yun Qianliang gracefully stepped out, her eyes calmly looking at the angry man, his words sharp, "How about my Gu Xiangfu''s rules, it''s not a place for an outsider to discipline me."


    "Dismissed." Song Shujin''s words were filled with orders.


    Yun Qianliang laughed, looking straight into the eyes, she looked at the guards in the inn, and when he retracted his gaze, the curve of his lips became deeper.


    "Even normal people would know that they shouldn''t be provoked when they see this. This guest has a strange temper. Not only did he attack me, but he even gave me an order after knowing that I was the Left Premier''s wife. I''m getting curious about the identity of this young master." Yun Qianliang intentionally picked up the pot, "I am in the backyard, and do not know of the powerful people in the imperial court, but to be able to be above my husband, I am afraid he is only a noble in the palace, could it be that Young Noble is ¡­"


    The rest of the story was unspoken, but her feigned panic was enough to make anyone suspicious of his identity.


    Although Yun Qianliang appeared to be in fear, her eyes were smiling.


    "I can''t be considered a noble person, but this young lady''s ostentatious manner prevented me from returning to my room." Song Shujin suppressed his anger and calmed himself down to answer, the arrogance of the young masters increased a bit, "I spent money, so I will enjoy what I deserve."


    Song Shujin walked past the guards and into the room next door.


    The door next door slammed shut, and the smile on Yun Qianliang''s face immediately disappeared.


    It was fine if they were in the same inn, but he was even staying next to her. What kind of bullshit fate was this?


    "Send people inside. Arrange two more people to stand guard tonight." Yun Qianliang withdrew her arrogant and willful attitude and made some arrangements for the guards, "After nightfall, arrange two people to patrol outside the window, do not be careless."


    The other party had been staring at her since she entered the city. If Song Shujin''s identity was not concealed, the other party''s plans to deal with him would implicate her in danger, causing her to be cautious.


    "Madam, please be at ease. After nightfall, your subordinate and the fourteenth will take turns keeping watch." Gu Shisan had already made the proper arrangements.


    Yun Qianliang nodded and went back to his room. She glanced at the neighboring room with disdain and sincerely did not care about this strange fate.


    Even though she came here for Song Shujin, but she did not seek for such a deep fate. Since she gave it to him just like that, how could she be reasonable?

 C60

    Chapter 60 - The Solemn and Solemn Doctor


    The next day, Song Shujin went out early. When he went downstairs, Yun Qianliang was eating at the first floor, and the guards who accompanied him took up most of the table on the first floor. The other guests were scattered around the tables, and Song Shujin walked across the table with a cold expression, as if he had offended Yun Qianliang.


    Yun Qianliang laughed sarcastically, drinking the chicken porridge in front of him, and pretended not to see anything.


    "Miss, the godly doctor''s side has already made arrangements, we can go over today." In front of outsiders, the guards all called her Miss.


    "Prepare the car." Yun Qianliang said.


    After the brunch passed, Yun Qianliang went to visit the legendary genius doctor.


    The people of Tan Yue City, regardless of whether they were sick or not, lined up in long queues to let the divine doctor take a look at their own situation. Every day, there would be a lot of people waiting in line in front of the medicine hall, and if they did not finish looking on the first day, the medicine hall would arrange for them to be taken care of, and on the second day, the people would line up in front.


    On the day that Yun Qianliang went to the Tan Yue City, he went to the infirmary to look around. The queue was too long, so she asked the subordinate to line up according to the rules, but the symptoms she saw were special, if this genius doctor really had some ability and could see that she was poisoned, then it would be inconvenient for her to let others know about her own situation. Thus, she made her subordinates inform him of the inconvenience beforehand.


    The Godly Doctor''s clinic was only a small one located in a quiet place. There were two banana trees planted in front of the clinic. The leaves on the banana trees had withered and turned yellow.


    Yun Qianliang only brought six guards with him to the infirmary, while the rest stayed at the inn to protect the carriage. Therefore, when the carriage arrived at the infirmary, the citizens in line only looked at it with curiosity, thinking that some big family had heard of the genius doctor''s name and wanted to see the medicine, hence the citizens did not discuss about it too much.


    Yun Qianliang walked straight into the infirmary, and the people ranked in the top three came out to pay their respects.


    Yun Qianliang waved her hands, she did not want to disturb the genius doctor who was visiting, and quietly waited at the side.


    "This servant had thought that the genius doctor must be over a hundred years old. I didn''t expect him to be so young." Chun Hua said softly.


    "I didn''t expect it either." Yun Qianliang looked at the man who seriously checked his pulse.


    His hair was black and his clothes were white. His expression was calm, as if he was an immortal that never left the world, untainted by the mundane world.


    After the Godly Doctor checked the pulse, he asked the middle-aged man for a few words. Then he took a pen and paper and wrote down the prescription.


    "Apply the medicinal powder to the wound. It will only take two batches of medicine to clear the wound." He put down the pen and handed the prescription to the patient with a warm voice.


    The patient took the prescription, stood up, bowed, and limped away.


    One of the people behind came to a table and sat down. He took the initiative to put his hand on the cloth bag.


    In front of the Godly Doctor''s pulse, out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the colorfully dressed woman waiting at the side. He politely nodded his head.


    Yun Qianliang nodded and smiled, she was silent.


    The crippled old uncle held the prescription as he walked in front of Yun Qianliang.


    "Uncle, can I take a look at this recipe?" Yun Qianliang quickly took two steps forward and called out to the old man.


    The old man was a farmer, dressed in coarse hemp clothing and wrapped in a cotton-padded jacket. When he heard someone call out to him, he saw that it was a woman dressed in luxurious clothing.


    "Thank you, uncle." Yun Qianliang received the medicinal formula, but his eyes fell on the hands that were handing it over. Both of his hands were covered with frostbite, and the back of his hands were cracked, not a single piece of it was good. Yun Qianliang''s eyes turned serious as he looked at his uncle''s injured leg, "This medicine can treat leg injuries?"


    "That''s right, this lady also understands medicine?" The old man answered with a trembling voice.


    "Not really. I just got to know some pharmacology." Yun Qianliang laughed and retracted his gaze to look at the recipe.


    Other than three or four common herbs, the rest of the herbs required were hard to find. Ordinary medicine stores wouldn''t use them, so they had to go to the medicine stores to get all the herbs. Moreover, they were all the cheapest herbs, and the recipes were definitely suitable for poor citizens.


    Earlier, when she saw a rare but cheap medicinal herb, she was slightly curious about the medicinal formula.


    "Thank you, uncle." Yun Qianliang returned the medicinal formula to his uncle.


    The old man asked worriedly, "Miss, is there anything wrong with the prescription?"


    "Don''t worry, uncle. This recipe is very good. The ingredients used in it are both practical and cheap. As long as you follow the recipe and buy them, you will definitely not lose out." Qing Yun Ge comforted his gently.


    Hearing that, the old man''s eyes were filled with tears. He raised his scarred hands to wipe his tears as he continuously said, "A good person, a good person."


    The poor citizens of the queue echoed, one after another thanking the young genius doctor.


    Yun Qianliang looked at those people in line, their clothes were all of the lowest quality fabric, and most of their clothes were patched up, revealing their skin, but the severity was different.


    These people were probably the victims of the rich and flourishing Tan Yue City. Most likely, none of them were sick or sick like this, so they could only endure if they could.


    "I see that the Tan Yue City is more prosperous than the capital, why is everyone living such a rough life?" Yun Qianliang asked despite knowing the answer.


    "Miss, it''s hard to explain in one sentence."


    "Those are the days of the rich. A while ago, the imperial government increased the taxes and the lives of the commoners became more and more difficult."


    The commoners shook their heads, not daring to speak a word.


    Yun Qianliang remained silent. The matter of the increase in taxes by the imperial government was closely related to Gu Yicheng, she did not ask about the reason why, and it might be good for people in other places, but for the citizens of Tan Yue City, two taxes were already hard to bear.


    "Miss, no wonder ¡­" Gu Shisan was silent, worried that she would misunderstand her master, so he explained him.


    "I know." Yun Qianliang interrupted him.


    The matter regarding the private tax had erupted after the tax was raised, Gu Yicheng proposed to increase the tax in order to expose the fact that they were secretly collecting it. If this matter was not resolved, the lives of the citizens of Tan Yue City would become even worse.


    Outsiders could not understand what he was doing, but she had to understand and believe.


    The Godly Doctor gave the prescription to the patient, and had the little kid next to him to help him meditate. Then he stood up and walked towards Yun Qianliang.


    "Miss, follow me." The Godly Doctor invited the person to the innermost hall of the infirmary.


    Yun Qianliang followed him into the inner hall. Inside the hall, there was a simple bed, as well as tables and chairs, for the treatment of heavily injured patients. There was still the thick smell of herbs in the room, and the air was slightly bitter.


    The two of them sat down and Yun Qian took out her hand generously. "Sorry for the trouble."


    The Godly Doctor smiled, a pair of white hands resting on her wrists.


    He did not reveal his emotions to the crowd like some doctors. From beginning to end, he had a faint expression on his face, and it was difficult to guess what the result of his pulse examination was, whether it was good or bad.


    "Has young lady been feeling weak recently?" The Godly Doctor retracted his hand and began to question the doctor.


    "Indeed, in the past few days, I have often been tired and sleepy, and my complexion has not been good. However, I''ve been taking a pill these past two days and my body is recovering a bit. " Yun Qianliang took out the prescription that Gu Yicheng had given her before he left, "This is the prescription."


    The Divine Doctor took the prescription and examined it carefully, and then came to a conclusion.


    The poison that the young lady was infected with is the Chrysanthemum Grass, which has a special poison, unlike the tyrannical poison, it can torture people to the point that they wish they were dead. At that time, the poison from the cocoon grass would slowly exhaust a person''s Profound Qi, and during the autopsy, the corona would only think that it was because their bodies were weak. The genius doctor carefully examined the poison, and then returned the prescription to Yun Qianliang, "This prescription can help you recuperate your symptoms for a short period of time, but it''s not the antidote."


    "Does mister have a way to cure the poison?" Yun Qianliang had already expected the results after putting away the medicinal formula properly.


    The Godly Doctor shook his head, "This poison is hard to see. If no one has specially cultivated it, then it would be impossible for this poison to exist."


    "Thank you, Godly Doctor." Yun Qianliang stood up and expressed his thanks before leaving.


    "Hold on." The Godly Doctor stopped him.


    "Godly Doctor, is there anything else?"


    "Miss, can you explain the situation in detail? I would like to study the poison of the cocoon grass and maybe find a way to cure it." The Divine Doctor politely asked, but when he saw that she didn''t answer, he explained as if he was afraid of being misunderstood: "Don''t worry Miss, it''s not that I want to test you, but ¡­"


    As he finished speaking, he felt ashamed to the point of not being able to continue.


    Yun Qianliang smiled slightly, "Divine Doctor, you overestimate yourself. It''s just that I don''t really understand whether some of the symptoms are due to me or due to poison. I don''t know how I should answer your question."


    "Young lady, please speak your mind. As a doctor, I have my own judgement." The Godly Doctor put on a professional attitude.


    "My five senses are much better than normal people''s. In the past, I could already tell who a person is by their sound and smell, as long as they were close to me. But after the poison was released, I couldn''t do it anymore." Yun Qianliang did not reveal the entire situation, so as to not arouse the suspicion of others.


    "This is indeed caused by the poison of the Time Cocoon Grass. Lady, your body will become weaker and weaker. After the poison becomes serious, you will not be able to hear anything or smell anything. Your perception of the outside world will disappear bit by bit."


    Yun Qianliang laughed at herself, but was not too worried.


    "If Divine Doctor has a way to cure him, I hope that Divine Doctor can send someone to the Gu Xiangfu to deliver a letter. Goodbye."


    Yun Qianliang walked out of the inner hall. The line outside was still very long as she rode away.


    "Chun Hua, you and Fourteenth go to the city''s largest medicine dealer, buy all of the medicinal ingredients and send them to the infirmary."


    She had lived her life for the country, and seeing the people suffer, she couldn''t bear it anymore.


    After Yun Qianliang left, the inner hall window was pushed open, and a man jumped in.


    "Lonely, are you sure it''s her?" The man asked anxiously.


    She sighed and said, "She is wearing a veil, so I can''t even see her face. How can I confirm it?"


    "Didn''t you already ask?" The man shamelessly sat on the bed with his hands behind his back.


    "You are right to doubt her. She admitted that her five senses are better than most people, but that alone is hard to be sure." Silence brought the cloth bag from the table into the medicine box, then she said, "I''ve already lured the person over to you. As for the rest, you can check for yourself."

 C61

    After two consecutive days, Song Shujin left early and returned late, busily investigating the issue of private taxes. His people had already snuck into the midst of the citizens, stealthily infiltrating Tan Yue City, gathering information related to private taxes from all over the place, and even sneaking into the official''s residence to investigate at night.


    Yun Qianliang pretended not to know, and continued to buy herbs in the Tan Yue City, and delivered them to the God Doctor''s clinic, allowing the citizens to catch medicine for free. But afterhee left that day, she did not go to the clinic again, and just played around with his people, like he did two days ago, watching and listening to books. Other than doing nothing, she continued to ask about the Tan Yue City in front of everyone.


    On the third day, Gu Shisan, who had sensed Yun Qianliang''s intentions, could no longer hold himself back.


    "Why does the young miss need to help the Jin Wang protect them?"


    Yun Qianliang sat at a noodle stall by the side of the road and looked at the place where the noise was coming from.


    Unable to get an answer, Gu Shisan was a little anxious.


    Gu Xiangfu and Jin Wang were two different factions within the imperial court, and the enmity between the two parties was not small.


    Yun Qianliang''s recent actions were obviously done to mislead others, making the officials of the Tan Yue City think that she was just a pretence. The people who were sent to investigate the private tax were all hiding in her guards, and the number of people who were secretly watching them these two days was too many.


    "Madam!" Gu Shisan shouted anxiously.


    "Huh?" Yun Qianliang came back to reality and recalled her memories again after a while. She answered slowly with half a beat, "I didn''t help him."


    "For the past few days, you have been asking around the city about the situation of the Tan Yue City. You clearly wanted them to misunderstand that the Emperor has sent people to hide our guards." Gu Shisan exposed her plan and reminded her: "Gu Xiangfu and Jin Wang will not be the same from the beginning, you must think twice before acting."


    Yun Qianliang withdrew her interested gaze from the commotion, and turned to look at the person who had warned her, the unwillingness to accept and the doubt in his eyes were undisguised, as though he wanted to let her see it.


    "Customer, here''s your noodles." Boss Mian brought over a bowl of steaming hot noodles and placed it in front of Yun Qianliang.


    Yun Qianliang took out a pair of bamboo chopsticks from her chopsticks, picked up the bowl and walked forward to stand.


    There was a skinny old man outside the noodle stall. He had a stooped body and was holding a thin boy in his arms. Both of them were wearing tattered clothes but the old man tightly wrapped the kid up.


    It was still cold, but the two of them were still trembling.


    "Old man, feed the child." Yun Qianliang squatted and held the face in front of the old man with both hands.


    The old man shivered in fear. His hands trembled as he received the bowl of hot soup.: "Thank you."


    "Thank you elder sister." The little boy thanked him obediently. His voice was weak, as if he was sick.


    "The Calm Heart Medical Store in the east of the city of the old man is able to receive medicine for free. Your grandson seems to be sick, take him to see it." Seeing the old man nod his head, Yun Qianliang picked up the noodles and fed it to the little grandson. Her hands were shaking as she untied the warm cape on her body and placed it on the child''s body.


    "Young lady, you are a good person, a good person." The old man cried.


    Yun Qianliang stood up and walked back to the noodle stall. When the cold wind blew against her body, it only dispersed a corner of the haze in her heart.


    Chun Hua stood up, wanting to give the cape to Yun Qianliang.


    "No need." Yun Qianliang stopped them, her eyes staring at the noise not far away, "Thirteen, you have a opinion towards me, don''t you? I had some disputes with Jin Wang, so you decided to be preconceived, and when you found out that my actions were slightly related to what Jin Wang was doing, you thought that I had a personal relationship and wanted to help him. "


    Gu Shisan was embarrassed that he was seen through, but he did not deny it.


    "My reason for coming here is very obvious. If I can''t find anything that can make the Jin Wang feel good, then I shall design a show to trap him. Before I came here, I didn''t think about interfering with the private tax matter, and I even intentionally tried to avoid it." Yun Qianliang remained calm on the surface, he was unable to understand her emotions. He was too calm, as if his heart was not at this place, "What I do doesn''t matter, but if what I do is not based on the lives of the people, how can I be at peace in this world?"


    Yun Qianliang walked towards where the noise came from, where there were a lot of civilians.


    Song Shujin was surrounded in the middle, the corners of his lips tightly pursed as he faintly suppressed his anger. His hawk-like eyes were filled with suppressed rage, as if a storm was about to arrive.


    A man laid on the ground, wailing and moaning, pestering Song Shujin to the point where he didn''t want to let go.


    "He didn''t hurt her." Yun Qianliang stepped over the commoners and stood at the side with the few people around him.


    He came at them head-on, stabbing himself with a knife, framing them. It was pure porcelain.


    Yun Qianliang sat at a noodle stall and watched the entire process.


    She strolled along the street, and noticed that the people around her were conversing their gazes, and the way they looked at her was a little strange, so she found a noodle stall and sat down, and ate a bowl of hot broth noodles with them. She wanted to waste time with them, and wanted to see what tricks these people had, but in the end she saw Song Shujin walking over from afar.


    At that time, she understood that this group of people were not here for her. Song Shujin had attracted the attention of the officials of the Tan Yue City.


    In her opinion, Song Shujin should not have come to the Tan Yue City in this way.


    The matter of the private tax was kept secret for many years without being exposed. The Tianhui Emperor had sent people over to investigate the private tax in front of all the officials, saying that they were secretly investigating, but in reality, the officials of the capital had already informed the Tan Yue City of the news, they were sure that even the portrait of Song Shujin would be sent over to them to identify the real person.


    Song Shujin only changed his identity, and brazenly entered the Tan Yue City without concealing his identity, which easily exposed his identity.


    "He didn''t hurt her." Yun Qianliang repeated herself in front of everyone.


    Today, she didn''t wear a veil, revealing a face that was like a summer flower, unforgettable to behold.


    "Girl, you can''t just randomly speak when you see him looking good." The man on the ground grimaced in pain and spoke without thinking, describing people as the kind of girl who didn''t know what to do.


    "I''m sitting at the noodle stall over there eating noodles. I can see it very clearly." Yun Qianliang pointed to the stall on the street, which was right in front of his. As long as there was any movement, she would be able to see very well from that direction.


    "How could you see it clearly while you were eating the noodles?" Some people in the crowd began to heckle and shout.


    Yun Qianliang heard the man shouting, and felt that there was something different about him. Calming and penetrating, he looked towards the little brother who shouted, and smiled coldly: "Little brother is a martial arts expert, why not take a look at this brother''s injuries."


    "What nonsense are you talking about, I''m just an ordinary labourer." The young man rubbed his nose and retorted.


    "Your voice is sonorous and full of spirit, spreading far and wide. Only martial arts cultivators with their qi rising from their dantian would have such a voice." Yun Qianliang explained her reason why, then walked over to the man who was lying on the ground. He subconsciously wanted to avoid him, but after thinking about how his wound was real and withdrawing the momentum of dodging, he laid on the ground like a dead pig unafraid of being boiled.


    Song Shujin stood there with a darkened face, her sharp eyes focused on Yun Qianliang who was squatting down and inspecting the other party''s wounds. Between her brows hid intelligence and intelligence, her eyes were as calm as the ocean, as though there was thousands of universe hidden within the thick ink that couldn''t be dissolved.


    Lu Zhe touched Master, trying to persuade him to take the chance and leave.


    Song Shujin did not move, his eyes stared straight at Yun Qianliang as if he was looking at a monster.


    That was not the Yun Qianliang he knew in his life, but this woman who had known him for some time. Ever since their last meeting, she had never once felt unfamiliar to him.


    He had been obsessed with Yun Qianliang for many years, and in the end, he still had a little impression of her, and wasn''t like how he had seen his in the past few days.


    Yun Qianliang stood up, and turned to look at the person who was staring at her, showing a normal reaction.


    "This brother here also knows martial arts, right?" Yun Qianliang took out silk handkerchief and wiped her hands, then said indifferently: "I just saw your hand that was covering the wound, tiger''s mouth, palm, four fingers and four fingers were covered in a thick cocoon, it is a cocoon that has been formed using the sword all year round."


    "In my opinion, you are just rich people protecting each other. You are deliberately bullying us poor citizens, and you don''t want to give us a chance to live." The man cried.


    "If you really want to live, then you should be in a hurry to find a doctor to treat your injuries, and not stay here for too long. All sorts of indications indicate that you are well aware that your injuries are light and you won''t die, and thus, you used your companions in the crowd to stir up trouble.


    The spectators were confused and suspicious, but after hearing that they were scammed, they became angry, and did not help the others denounce Song Shujin.


    The look in the eyes of the man lying on the ground changed. He looked at the man in the crowd and suddenly picked up the sharp knife that fell to the ground and leaped up, thrusting towards Yun Qianliang.


    In the blink of an eye, the crowd burst into action.


    "Miss." Chun Hua exclaimed.


    The sharp blade was right in front of him, Yun Qianliang''s folded hands tightly gripped the thin dagger hidden in his sleeves.


    Song Shujin appeared out of nowhere and pulled Yun Qianliang''s arm, pulling him behind him to avoid the sharp blade. He lifted his leg and kicked the man far away, causing him to fall onto someone else''s stall.


    Yun Qianliang''s eyes flashed, and the calculations disappeared from his eyes in the blink of an eye. She quietly moved his hand away and shot a look at Gu Shisan who was rushing over, telling him to deal with the people who had been monitoring her for the past few days.


    She wanted to force Song Shujin to accept her favor, or win over Song Shujin''s respect, and help him get rid of his identity as a chess piece!


    When they met on the street, the people fled in panic.


    A group of people dressed in civilian attire appeared from all directions. They drew their weapons and surrounded Shi Mu.


    Only now did Yun Qianliang understand that Gu Yicheng''s worries were reasonable. The people here were used to overlords, so they naturally had the guts to kill the current dynasty''s Jin Wang. This kind of disrespectful act was very convenient for them!


    And she also understood Song Shujin''s intent of brazenly entering the Tan Yue City.


    "Prince, you go first." Seeing that something was wrong, Lu Zhe covered his master and left.


    "Let''s go." Song Shujin held the sword in his right hand, while his left hand violently pulled at Yun Qianliang.