The room instantly fell silent. Gu Qianying knelt in the front hall, her head bowed.
After a long while, she slowly spoke.
"This commoner does not know, nor does what she thinks necessarily align with what the Grand Tutor values."
Her words were somewhat strange, leaving Su Qingqing momentarily bewildered.
"What do you know? Speak it, and be done with it. Su Yuxi is dead now. Are you afraid this Grand Tutor will take your life?"
Gu Qianying did not wish to discern the truth or falsehood in her words, but she was certain of one thing: if she revealed that she had guessed the identity of the mysterious woman who had sought her consultation, the next step would undoubtedly be swords clashing within the room.
Thus, she naturally would not speak the truth.
"Replying to the Grand Tutor, although I do not know who that esteemed guest is, I do have some doubts and great confusion regarding her identity."
Gu Qianying piqued the Grand Tutor's interest, making her even more concerned about her own life.
"Oh? Does a physician like you require knowledge of a patient's identity for a consultation?"
She could not understand what Gu Qianying was trying to convey.
The atmosphere in the room was tense, as if swords were drawn.
Gu Qianying finally raised her head, her gaze meeting the eyes of the person on the main seat.
"I do not care about the identity of the person I consult, but this patient's identity makes things difficult for me. It's not that I cannot treat her, but rather I wish to ask the Grand Tutor, how do you want me to treat her?"
These words left Su Qingqing momentarily speechless.
She was the one seeing the patient, and now she was being asked how to treat her. Was it possible that everything this person had done before was an act, and she knew no medicine at all?
However, all the competitions had been personally set by Su Qingqing and Han Xintong, and neither of them would have leaked any questions.
Therefore, Gu Qianying's ability to remain here was indeed due to her true skills.
Seeing the Grand Tutor's expression grow increasingly grim, Gu Qianying knew her plan was succeeding and proceeded to explain her words.
"Grand Tutor, when I took the esteemed guest's pulse, I discovered that she had no illness at all. On the contrary, she was pregnant and with child. Her pulse indicated that she was already seven or eight months along. In such a case, the Grand Tutor, that esteemed guest, or any physician would have known at a glance. Yet, you still made her the subject of our competition. It is precisely this point that I, Qianying, do not understand."
After hearing her explanation, Su Qingqing breathed a sigh of relief.
So, it was merely a query about the woman's identity. She closed her eyes and spoke after a long pause.
"Since she is referred to as an esteemed guest, her identity is naturally confidential. I will not blame you for your curiosity, but if you harbor any ill intentions, then do not blame this Grand Tutor for being impolite."
With her saying this, Gu Qianying felt somewhat at ease. Regardless of what happened, she could rest assured for the time being.
"Yes, this commoner has no further questions and will only focus on taking the esteemed guest's pulse and obeying your commands."
After replying to Grand Tutor Su, she safely returned to her own chambers.
During the time Gu Qianying was taken away, Aunt Wang had already instructed the servants to clean and tidy the room.
Upon her return, she could reside there comfortably and without worry.
As the night deepened, the cuckoo bird outside had already called three times.
Gu Qianying got up and walked to the door. Hearing the faint snoring sounds from outside, she finally felt at ease. She then walked to the other side and opened the window.
With a slight lift of her hand, she launched the signal flare that Duan Xifeng had asked her to carry.
It was a silent, flashing signal flare, and a bamboo slip could be attached to it with a note.
Gu Qianying quietly sent out her message.
"Let's hurry up a bit." Outside the city, in the mass grave, two guards were heaving and puffing as they carried Su Yuxi's corpse here.
"This eldest daughter of the Su family always looked so slender and delicate. I didn't expect her to be so heavy even after being bled dry."
Another guard complained.
He disliked doing such unlucky work.
"Enough. You've taken the money, so stop dawdling. Didn't Aunt Wang instruct us to confirm if the person was truly dead before throwing her far away?"
The other reassured him, and they had indeed walked quite far.
One of them again checked the corpse's breathing and pulse. After confirming she was truly dead, he exerted force and tossed her onto a nearby grave mound.
The wolf howls at midnight were particularly clear. The two men shivered and quickly ran back towards the city.
The sound of their footsteps gradually faded, but the mass grave did not become quiet.
After ensuring no one else would come by, a man's figure appeared beside the grave mound.
"Tsk, tsk. If I hadn't arrived in time, you probably would have died again from fright even if you had woken up."
The man muttered to the corpse, then brushed the damp soil off Su Yuxi's body and slung her over his shoulder.
At the other end of the mass grave, a carriage was parked at the intersection. Hearing footsteps from within, the coachman hurriedly looked up.
"Mr. Meng, you've finally come out. This place is truly eerie."
After bowing, he quickly stepped forward and lifted the carriage curtain.
A neighing sound echoed, and the coachman tightened the reins.
"Sir, where are we going?"
The person inside looked at the night sky. "Back to the Yi Jing Pavilion."
"Alright, sir. The carriage is turning around. Please be careful."
The coachman, having received the instruction, turned the carriage around and headed back the way they came.
The person in the carriage glanced at the corpse lying beside him, then opened the paper slip in his hand.
"Qinghua, go to the mass grave at midnight tonight to rescue someone. She is wearing a lotus root colored skirt, and her heart has been pierced by my willow leaf dagger. Be sure to bring her back and take good care of her."
The paper slip contained only this line, yet Meng Qinghua recognized Gu Qianying's handwriting.
He touched the ink marks on it and couldn't help but shake his head.
"You girl, you never look for me for good deeds, but you don't forget to call me for such dangerous matters."
Although he said this, Meng Qinghua was still grateful that she thought of him first when she needed help. She had written to him a few days ago, asking him to wait in the Nan Yi Kingdom.
He had initially thought it would be something good, but after a few days of trouble, he was ultimately tasked with saving someone.
The Yi Jing Pavilion was not far from the outskirts of the Nan Yi Kingdom. By dawn, the carriage had arrived.
Seeing a familiar figure at the entrance, Meng Xiangxiang quickly ran out.
"Brother, who is this person you've brought back?"
Su Yuxi had not yet woken up. To avoid any mishaps, Gu Qianying had given her a sufficient dose of medicine.
Meng Qinghua first gestured towards the room.
"It's a long story. Go into the room and help this young lady with the antidote first, then I'll explain."
Meng Xiangxiang looked surprised. She glanced at the woman's face, then checked her pulse, confirming that she had taken a feigned death medicine.
This kind of medicine was not used lightly unless in a critical situation. Although she didn't recognize the woman, her life must have been very important.
Thus, she quickly helped her brother carry the person into the room.
Throughout the day, due to the lingering effects of the medicine from the night before, even after being given the antidote, the person continued to sleep.
This lasted until dusk.