"Heh!"
With a turn of his gaze, Ouyang Qinglin smiled. He looked at Gu Qianying, "I thought you would ask me about him, or request to see him. It seems he is not as important in your heart as this Highness."
"If I said I wanted to see him, would you agree?"
Meeting Ouyang Qinglin's narrow phoenix eyes, Gu Qianying sneered to the extreme.
Ouyang Qinglin's heart suddenly felt a pang. Beneath his red sleeve, his palm clenched, then relaxed. He walked up to Gu Qianying, looking at her at close range, "If it were any other request, I would immediately agree to it. But this request, I am afraid I cannot fulfill, for two reasons: selfishness, and for you."
"Heh? Third Highness, using the excuse of helping me to return to Xia Kingdom, remove the Empress of Xia Kingdom, and place your confidantes in every corner of this imperial palace. Such ambition, yet you describe it so touchingly? For me? Third Highness, your reason is too false, isn't it?"
Their breaths were close, Gu Qianying wanted to push Ouyang Qinglin away, but was suddenly embraced by him with one arm.
Gu Qianying frowned, "Is Third Highness angered and embarrassed because I've hit the mark?"
Ouyang Qinglin raised a finger and lightly scraped Gu Qianying's delicate nose. "Such an ungrateful little creature. I don't know what it is about you that attracts this Highness so much, that you make this Highness so infatuated!" His voice was seductive and alluring.
Gu Qianying was stunned, her mind instantly went blank. She raised her palm and struck fiercely. As Ouyang Qinglin dodged, he also released her.
"You little creature, you want to murder your husband!"
Gu Qianying's eyes were like ice, "Third Highness, misfortune comes from the mouth. Please speak with caution."
"Why should this Highness be cautious? Miss Gu personally wrote the letter of divorce. Since you are divorced from him and are no longer the Ninth Princess Consort, you are now a single woman. Then this Highness has the right to pursue you. Why doesn't Miss Gu try with this Highness? This Highness is a good man who knows how to cherish someone."
His phoenix eyes were filled with tender affection.
Gu Qianying pretended not to see it, "When Third Highness was still the Imperial Advisor, there were often rumors that Your Highness favored men. Why are you so abnormal today?"
"Only for you!"
Ouyang Qinglin uttered the words softly, his voice wicked and slightly bewitching.
Gu Qianying looked at him sharply, then suddenly smiled, "Thank you Third Highness for your favor, Qianying fears she cannot accept it. Regardless of whether Third Highness is helping himself or helping Qianying today, Qianying must thank Third Highness. However, please clarify, what must Qianying do to release my people and him?"
She knew Ouyang Qinglin better than anyone.
If there were no profit to be gained, why would he be like this?
And through the previous exchange, without much thought, she knew her five hundred disciples, Lu Zhu, Gu Yi, and these people were all in Ouyang Qinglin's hands. Nangong Mo had also been captured by him.
With such a grand gesture, he must want her to do something for him, otherwise, why would he be like this?
Gu Qianying's thoughts were correct. During the hour she was stalling for Lu Zhu and the others, Lu Zhu led five hundred disciples in green robes to force their way into Zhongyang Palace, intending to rescue Nangong Mo.
However, as soon as they entered Zhongyang Palace, they were captured by a hundred imperial guards within the Xia Kingdom's palace. Subsequently, they were all locked into a secret dark prison cell within the Xia Kingdom's imperial palace, and their eyes were blindfolded when they were captured.
Seeing that Gu Qianying's sharp eyes held no trace of tenderness, Ouyang Qinglin felt as if a stone was pressing on his heart, heavy and suffocating, making him very uncomfortable.
However, on the surface, he still wore a wicked smile, "Heh! Miss Gu is indeed smart. Since Miss Gu wishes to negotiate terms with this Highness, then this Highness will agree to you."
He walked up to her, but did not approach her. Instead, he used internal force to transmit his voice, so that only Gu Qianying could hear, "In a while, Imperial Brother will see you. I have already told him that you are the princess consort this Highness will soon marry. To ensure this act is performed well, this Highness hopes Miss Gu can cooperate properly. As long as Miss Gu cooperates well, your people, this Highness will naturally release, including him, how about it?"
"Good, it's settled then."
Gu Qianying agreed without thinking.
Her people and Nangong Mo were in Ouyang Qinglin's hands, leaving her no choice. Of course, unless... but this 'unless' could not be used now. Mutual destruction would not benefit anyone.
"Come, as a token of sincerity, come, let this Highness embrace you."
Ouyang Qinglin opened his arms to Gu Qianying, his phoenix eyes smiling.
Gu Qianying stood still, not walking over. Instead, she turned around.
She did not want to go against her heart.
Fame was never something she cared about, but she had her own bottom line.
Seeing her turn away, Ouyang Qinglin did not mind. He took two steps forward, closing the distance between them, but not touching her, leaving her room to refuse.
As he made this gesture, he glanced at the room opposite with the corner of his eye, a hint of smugness in his wicked eyes.
In the room opposite, by the screen, through the open window, one could see Ouyang Qinglin embracing Gu Qianying from behind, a scene of intimacy.
Crack!
The screen was shattered by a powerful internal force.
The man standing beside the screen, his cold eyes were enveloped in a chilling light, his entire body exuding a bloodthirsty aura.
After being given the antidote, his internal force recovered. He forcefully broke through the weakness caused by the Ten Fragrance Soft Muscle Powder in his body. Ignoring the bleeding wounds on his wrists scraped by the iron chains, after leaving Zhongyang Palace, he desperately wanted to find Gu Qianying.
He hid in this room to avoid the patrolling guards, but unexpectedly, through the window, he saw the scene in the room opposite.
Gu Qianying!
Ouyang Qinglin!
Good! Very good!
Anger raged within his body, surging to his forehead. All his forbearance erupted at this moment. The silver mask clenched in his right hand instantly turned to dust. The man's exquisite face was no longer hidden. He intended to shatter the Spirit Evasion Pearl in his left hand, which everyone desired.
It was at this moment that the door of the room was pushed open, and a woman in a pink dress, accompanied by her maids and a few eunuchs, walked in.
"Hurry and search! If you still haven't found this princess's earring, I'll beat you all to death!"
The maids and the few eunuchs trembled in fear. Each of them, disregarding their posture and appearance, quickly prostrated themselves on the ground, searching the area meticulously.
The woman in pink watched as her servants searched for her earring. Bored, she took off her shoes and socks, preparing to rest on the couch. However, as she turned, she saw a face that made her heart flutter.
A banquet was held in Qianqing Palace.
First, to celebrate the return of the Third Highness, Ouyang Qinglin, who had been missing for many years.
Second, the former Empress had stepped down and was imprisoned. The coronation ceremony of the new Empress was simplified due to her advanced pregnancy and imminent labor, making it difficult for her to exert herself. This banquet was also to announce to the world that Madam Chen had been crowned Empress.
At the banquet,
Ministers of the court could bring their families, and all concubines of the harem could attend. The princes and princesses were also required to be present.
This banquet was grand and lively,
With fine wine and delicacies, songs and dances filling the air, it was in full swing.
And at the banquet, Gu Qianying saw the Emperor of Xia for the first time. He was a fat man, with a large belly, a big face, small eyes, and no imperial aura whatsoever. His tear troughs were dark, the whites of his eyes were yellowish, and his lips were pale, clearly showing signs of excessive indulgence.
After glancing at Emperor Ouyang Ting of Xia, she then looked at Ouyang Qinglin sitting beside her.
Gu Qianying truly doubted if these two were biological brothers. Their appearances were worlds apart.
One was ugly and fat, an eyesore, the other so beautiful that even women would sigh in admiration. Yet Ouyang Qinglin had told her that he and the Emperor of Xia were biological brothers, born of the same father and mother.
Gu Qianying withdrew her gaze and took a small sip of wine from the cup on the table.
Forget it. What does it matter if he's ugly? What does it matter if he's beautiful? It has nothing to do with her.
The moment she looked at the Emperor of Xia, the Emperor of Xia was also looking at her. Beautiful! Very beautiful. When he saw Gu Qianying, he was reminded of the beauty portrait that Granny Lan had presented to him earlier. Wasn't that portrait of this little beauty?
What a beautiful woman, but unfortunately, she had become Ouyang Qinglin's woman!
Wary of Ouyang Qinglin's influence and harboring some thoughts about Gu Qianying, Ouyang Ting could only suppress them for now.
Ouyang Qinglin, who saw through Ouyang Ting's thoughts, curled his lips into a wicked smile.
How could his woman be sullied by this ugly, fat man!
Although he had returned to Xia Kingdom, which he hated, it was fortunate that Gu Qianying was with him, bringing him some solace.
Years ago, his mother consort was poisoned, and his father, the Emperor, was forced to abdicate. The tragic scene was still vivid in his memory. If not for his maternal uncle, General Luo, leading five thousand elite soldiers to rescue him, his father, the Emperor, would have likely died at the hands of his elder brother, the Fourth Prince, during the coup.
After that palace upheaval, his father, the Emperor, lost his will to live after the death of his mother consort and passed away a few days later. Despite being supported by the masses and advised by his maternal uncle, General Luo, he, who should have ascended the throne, could not accept that the mastermind behind this conspiracy was his maternal uncle, General Luo.
What he could not accept even more was that the true cause of his mother consort's death was poisoning by his maternal uncle, simply because his maternal uncle wanted to control him, making him an obedient puppet in his maternal uncle's hands.
He fought a bloody battle with the Luo family. His maternal uncle died. He left the throne to his elder brother, Ouyang Ting, and then left Xia Kingdom, changing his name and disappearing. After many twists and turns, he became the Imperial Advisor of Dong Sheng Kingdom.
Although he was reluctant to return this time, compared to Gu Qianying's safety, everything else was no longer important.
As long as Gu Qianying was by his side!
Gu Qianying was the Ling Nü he had been searching for for many years, and the root of his destiny from which he could not escape and did not wish to escape.
He glanced sideways, his pair of alluring phoenix eyes filled with her reflection.
He didn't know when it started, but Ouyang Qinglin had to admit that a woman had appeared in his eyes.
Gu Qianying was naturally unaware of Ouyang Qinglin's feelings.
At present, all her attention was focused on Madam Chen, who was seated in the place of honor with the Emperor of Xia and had been crowned Empress. Empress Madam Chen, whose belly was a full circle larger than that of a typical pregnant woman, was the woman she had rescued that day?