A moment later, when only Gu Qianying and Old General Gu remained in the room, Gu Qianying suddenly stood up, turned around, and knelt before Old General Gu.
Just as she was about to speak, Old General Gu looked at her and asked, "In front of everyone, you instructed your brother to give the Yi Jun Tang Tang token of the mansion to Crown Prince Nan Rong Qi, thereby letting Nan Rong Qi see that our Gu mansion intends to surrender to him. And a few days ago, you angered Ninth Prince Nangong Mo by returning the betrothal gifts, and then instructed your personal guard Hu Biao to secretly visit the Ninth Prince's mansion to act as a peacemaker for you. On the surface, your actions seem unreasonable, but in reality, you wish to provoke a conflict between Ninth Prince Nangong Mo and Crown Prince Nan Rong Qi. Is this true or not?"
As Old General Gu spoke, Gu Qianying gradually fell silent. This silence, in Old General Gu's eyes, was an admission.
From the moment her grandfather sent people to take away the health-nourishing pills she had sent a few days prior, she knew that everything she had done could not be hidden from her grandfather's sharp eyes.
Since that was the case, there was no need for her to deny it.
"Crack!"
Old General Gu, along with the untouched meal beside him and the usual bowls and plates placed before him, swept them all away.
Bowl fragments and soup splashed all over the floor.
In his anger, he didn't even notice that the fragments had cut his finger.
"Grandfather!"
Gu Qianying was startled. Without getting up, she crawled on her knees to Old General Gu, grabbed his hand, her eyes reddening. "Grandfather, please don't be angry. It's this granddaughter's fault. This granddaughter is guilty. I beg Grandfather to punish me."
Gu Qianying took out her handkerchief and hurriedly bandaged Old General Gu's wound.
Seeing the anxious expression on Gu Qianying's face, Old General Gu finally sighed. Before Gu Qianying could finish bandaging him, he let go of her hand and instead grasped the back of Gu Qianying's hand. "Grandfather doesn't know why you did this, but Grandfather believes you would never harm the Gu clan, nor would you gamble with the lives of your mother and brother. However, from now on, whatever you wish to do, you must prioritize your own safety. If anything happens to you, how will Grandfather, your mother, and your brother live?"
Old General Gu's voice revealed much unease.
When he learned that Gu Qianying was behind all the previous events, he found it difficult to accept.
Angering Nangong Mo and provoking a conflict between Nangong Mo and Nan Rong Qi were such dangerous actions. If they were discovered by someone with ulterior motives and exploited, their Gu mansion would face utter destruction.
For many years, he had fought on the battlefield with his grandson Gu Yefeng. Although he was known as the King of Generals in the court and among the common people, he understood the principle of "merit overshadowing the sovereign."
For this reason, he had always maintained a neutral stance amidst the princes' self-serving schemes.
Because he knew that no matter whom he supported to ascend the throne, the ultimate outcome would be "the hare dies, the hounds are cooked; the birds are gone, the bows are stored!"
However, ever since his beloved granddaughter began to plan her own affairs, his years of neutrality were instantly shattered.
Thus, within the mansion, among all the children, especially his beloved granddaughter, she was now even more in danger.
While receiving favored treatment from Crown Prince Nan Rong Qi, she also gained the favor of the current Ninth Prince Nangong Mo. This would inevitably make her a thorn in the side of those who were jealous and resentful.
Now, he was a man with one foot in the grave. He could protect his granddaughter for a while, but could he protect her for a lifetime?
Thinking of this.
Old General Gu's unease deepened, and the words he spoke became even more serious.
"Grandfather does not seek great wealth or status for you in this life, only your peace and safety. But now, it is likely that this mansion will no longer be peaceful, and every step you take in the future, even if you wish to be willful, you will not be able to!"
"Grandfather, this granddaughter understands everything. Please do not worry. No matter what, this granddaughter will never let her loved ones around her suffer any harm."
And she would ensure that those who deserved retribution would receive their due.
Gu Qianying sat in Old General Gu's room for a long time.
While they spoke, Gu Qianying did not hide certain matters from Old General Gu. However, during their heart-to-heart talk, Gu Qianying did not reveal to Old General Gu the true purpose behind all her actions.
Gu Mingyue and others were also members of the household, and Gu Mingyue was also her grandfather's granddaughter. If certain things were brought to light, her grandfather would surely be heartbroken and would naturally advise her to let go.
But how could she easily let go of the past life's grievances?
After leaving Old General Gu's room, Gu Qianying, with Lu Zhu, hurried back to the Garden Pavilion.
Nangong Mo had moved into the Gu mansion with a few servants. Her grandfather had actually agreed to Nangong Mo living with her in the Garden Pavilion. The reason given was: Nangong Mo had been suffering from a strange poison for many years without a cure. A few days ago, it was heard that the eldest daughter of the Gu family, in preparation for the triennial disciple recruitment ceremony of the Poisonous Doctor Sacred Hall, had specially consulted ancient medical books at home and studied diligently.
Furthermore, a few days prior, when the eldest daughter of the Gu family treated the wet nurse of the First Madam, she discovered that the First Madam had been poisoned and cured her.
From this, it could be seen that the eldest daughter of the Gu family had some medical skills.
Therefore, Nangong Mo had brought a few servants to seek medical treatment.
On the day of seeking medical treatment, for convenience, it was also feasible for him to reside in the same place as the doctor treating him.
Although Gu Qianying was a woman and he was a man, which would not sound good if it got out, Nangong Mo's reputation and methods outside were undeniable.
Since he entered the mansion, no one had dared to criticize Gu Qianying.
Thus, Nangong Mo settled in with peace of mind.
However, as they were not yet married, he resided in the side room of the Garden Pavilion.
As for the matter of the betrothal gifts, Nangong Mo assumed that Gu Qianying was not satisfied with the gifts he had sent, considering them too meager. Therefore, upon his arrival, he had Du Chun prepare a new set for him.
The conditions for preparation were naturally ten treasures of the world, a hundred priceless items, several chests of tens of millions of gold, and two houses in excellent feng shui locations.
And Du Chun would naturally need some time to prepare these.
At present, Gu Qianying watched the man sitting opposite her, leisurely drinking her tea and eating her food, feeling extremely displeased.
"Come and eat something with this king."
Nangong Mo raised his well-defined hand, poured a cup of tea for Gu Qianying, and pushed the plate of exquisite and appetizing red plum pearl incense towards her.
He hadn't eaten a bite yet, thinking that women would like this dish.
Gu Qianying glanced at him but did not move.
Nangong Mo looked at her and frowned, "What? Don't you like these?"
Gu Qianying remained silent.
Nangong Mo turned to look outside the door, his voice cold, "Bai Qi!"
Bai Qi rushed over.
Nangong Mo ordered him, "Go and buy all the dishes from the number one restaurant in the world for this king. There must be at least one that the Ninth Princess Consort likes."
"Yes, Master!"
Bai Qi took the order, turned, and flashed out.
Gu Qianying was stunned.
All the dishes?
No! That wasn't the point. The point was, when had she become the Ninth Princess Consort?
"No, no, no, Ninth Imperial Uncle, this is not necessary..."
Gu Qianying got up and walked over, eager to explain something, but upon meeting Nangong Mo's icy gaze, she swallowed and immediately changed her address to Nangong Mo: "Ninth Imperial Uncle, actually, there's no need to trouble yourself. I'm not hungry."
Sitting at the same table with someone she wanted to drive away but couldn't, she really had no appetite.
"Hmm? Not hungry? You mean you're so full from just looking at this king's handsomeness that you're satisfied?"
Gu Qianying: "..."
It was rare in the world for someone to be so narcissistic.
"No, it's that I'm really not hungry."
As if she could be hungry! She was full of anger!
She had finally made Nan Rong Qi believe that her Gu clan intended to curry favor with him, so that Nan Rong Qi would lower his guard against the Gu clan, and thus be able to heavily rely on her brother Gu Yefeng in the future grand scheme for power. When the time was ripe, she would then betray him with a heavy blow!
As for Nangong Mo, she would play hot and cold with him, allowing Nangong Mo to attribute all his anger to Nan Rong Qi's deliberate actions, thereby stirring up conflict between the two.
But despite all her calculations, she never expected Nangong Mo to go against the grain and bring his people to live directly in her mansion. Although he claimed it was for her to treat his legs, how could she not see that this was Nangong Mo's possessiveness at play?
To have provoked such a possessive man, her luck was truly infuriating.
"Not hungry? If that's the case, then... this king will eat, and you will just watch."
"..."
A moment later.
The enticing aroma of food wafted through the room.
Stir-fried chicken breast, braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork ribs, Taibai fish head, copper coin pork, stir-fried gardenia flowers, white cut chicken, wild bamboo shoots with meat.
Squirrel mandarin fish, De Yue chicken, Xi Shi playing with the moon, honey-glazed ham, cordyceps imperial duck, biluo shrimp, date paste cake, Suzhou style boat snacks, and other delicious and exquisite dishes met Gu Qianying's eyes.
But Gu Qianying remained seated, not picking up her chopsticks.
Nangong Mo ate them bite by bite in front of her, not forgetting to praise them.
"The number one restaurant in the world truly lives up to its name. This squirrel mandarin fish is tender and crispy, and the taste is excellent. This..."
As Nangong Mo continuously described how delicious and wonderful those dishes were, Gu Qianying's stomach, which had not eaten for a long time, ungratefully growled.
Grumble!