The eunuch following behind Nan Rong Qi covered his ears and fell to the ground.
The half-ear that had been cut off, bloody and gruesome, landed before his eyes.
Nan Rong Qi was furious, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, what is the meaning of this?"
His questioning tone was devoid of any warmth.
"The Crown Prince is of noble status. If he speaks incorrectly, this King will naturally not hold him accountable. It is only fitting that this lowly eunuch by your side bear the punishment. Today, I make my stance clear: the eldest daughter of the Gu family is the woman this King fancies. Should anyone dare to covet her, their end will be annihilation!"
Upon hearing this, Nan Rong Qi's expression shifted slightly, his fists clenched tightly within his sleeves.
He secretly vowed that in the future, he would repay this day's humiliation to Nangong Mo tenfold.
Disregarding the eunuch's screams, Nan Rong Qi kicked him, "Get up!"
The eunuch, clutching his ear, quickly shut his mouth and, enduring the pain, nimbly scrambled to his feet.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, this nephew has matters to attend to. I bid you farewell!"
Nan Rong Qi left, dragging the eunuch along with him in a dejected manner.
He had not engaged in a direct confrontation with Nangong Mo.
Firstly, he still harbored apprehension towards Nangong Mo's influence. Secondly, he felt it was not worth tearing down his years of pretense for the sake of Gu Qianying.
Although it was a pity that he could not win over Old General Gu, he would absolutely not allow Nangong Mo to gain any advantage.
A poisonous scheme began to take root and grow in his heart!
After Nan Rong Qi departed.
Nan Gong Li, though afraid to touch Nangong Mo's "sharp edges," could not resist adding a few more words, "My Crown Prince brother harbors a deep sense of revenge. Today, you have embarrassed him; who knows how he will retaliate against you in the future. You must be exceedingly careful from now on."
"You think this King fears him?" Nangong Mo replied dismissively.
To this day, he had never feared anyone, so how could he be wary of a mere Crown Prince?
"I know you do not fear him, but he is the Crown Prince, the one who will ascend the throne in the future. Offending him brings us no benefit."
Nan Gong Li had grown up in the Ninth Prince's mansion. On the surface, he was the Crown Prince's younger brother, but in his heart, he had always stood with Nangong Mo.
"If you speak of ascending the throne, it is still too early!"
Nangong Mo's words startled Nan Gong Li so much that he nearly dropped the fan in his hand.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, are you planning to make a comeback?"
Nangong Mo looked at him coldly, "Are you afraid?"
Nan Gong Li twirled his fan and smiled, "I have never known what fear is. If Ninth Imperial Uncle wishes to do something, just do it. This Prince will offer his full support!"
These words revealed Nan Gong Li's most genuine thoughts and demonstrated his affirmation of Nangong Mo.
In their casual conversation, they discussed the affairs of the nation.
It was only between Nangong Mo and Nan Gong Li that such lighthearted talk was possible.
After their conversation.
Nangong Mo's gaze fell upon Gu Qianying, who, with Lu Zhu, was about to leave the room.
"Eldest Miss Gu, are you afraid this King will be angry and blame you, hence attempting to flee?"
As Nangong Mo spoke, Nangong Li and Bai Qi, with their keen perceptiveness, left together.
As they departed, they deliberately used eight steamed buns to lure Lu Zhu away from Gu Qianying's side.
In a moment.
Only Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo remained in the room.
Facing Nangong Mo, Gu Qianying felt uneasy.
He had openly declared her to be the woman he fancied in front of outsiders. These words sounded somewhat ambiguous, though it was the outcome she had hoped for.
In the current world, the only one who could contend with Nan Rong Qi was the renowned Ninth Prince, Nangong Mo. Yet, she still felt nervous.
Gu Qianying sat opposite Nangong Mo, feigning composure, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, what are you saying? This humble subject has done nothing to anger Ninth Imperial Uncle, so why would I need to flee?"
Nangong Mo's gaze lingered on her slightly flushed face. He deliberately put on a stern expression, "Meeting with other men behind this King's back, this King will naturally be angry."
The implication in his words was exceptionally clear, but Gu Qianying pretended to be oblivious, "Ninth Imperial Uncle is joking. This humble subject has no connection with Ninth Imperial Uncle. Why should Ninth Imperial Uncle be angry if this humble subject meets with others?"
The tea set on the eight-immortal table had, at some point, been moved.
Now, the distance between Nangong Mo and Gu Qianying had become even shorter.
"The token of love has been given, and you still wish to go back on your word?"
Token of love?
Gu Qianying was very confused.
Before she could speak, Nangong Mo pointed to the jade pendant at Gu Qianying's waist.
"This jade pendant belonged to my mother. My mother once instructed this King that should he find someone he fancied in the future, he should give it to her as a token of love, and as a symbol of the future Ninth Princess Consort."
Gu Qianying was stunned. She had never known that the jade pendant Nangong Mo had casually given her was so precious.
"This humble subject did not know this jade pendant was so valuable. If Ninth Imperial Uncle wishes to have it back, this humble subject has no objections."
Nangong Mo's expression darkened. He suddenly leaned forward, staring into her eyes, and said word by word, "Setting aside the matter of the jade pendant, everyone knows you are the woman this King fancies. What, must this King leave a mark upon you before you are willing to admit your relationship with this King?"
His clear voice was laced with a tone that made her blush.
As he spoke, her reflection was the only one in his phoenix eyes.
Gu Qianying's cheeks burned as if she had suffered heatstroke.
She felt like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, rising with extreme speed, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, this humble subject has matters to attend to. I bid you farewell."
As if being chased by a fierce tiger, she slipped away very quickly.
Nangong Mo watched her retreating figure, his mood greatly improved.
His girl was still as adorable as ever.
As Gu Qianying left the tea house with Lu Zhu, Lu Zhu asked on the way, "Miss, why is your face so red?"
Gu Qianying touched her face and fabricated a reason, "The tea was too hot, it was the heat."
Lu Zhu scratched her face and nodded, "Oh, I see. Then from now on, your servant will prepare cool tea for Miss, it won't be hot to drink."
Gu Qianying: "..."
After Gu Qianying left the tea house, Nangong Mo and his entourage also departed.
Upon returning to his mansion, Nangong Mo instructed the hidden guards outside to continue protecting Gu Qianying's safety.
On the other side, he ordered Bai Qi to investigate the officials who had been closely associated with the Crown Prince in court recently. Then, he was to find a pretext to remove them or investigate them for dismissal, thereby warning Nan Rong Qi and also retaliating against him.
What Nangong Mo said was not mere empty words!
Thus, the struggle between the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, Nan Rong Qi, and the Ninth Prince, Nangong Mo, began.
On the bustling street.
A man dressed in ragged clothes knelt at a street corner, a blade of grass stuck in his hair, and a sign hanging on his body reading "Selling myself to bury my father."
The man was robust and clearly possessed some strength.
Among the passersby, several wealthy merchants wanted to buy the man and take him back to their households as guards, but the man refused.
This was because the man had made a rather interesting request.
He was willing to sell himself, but only if they could defeat him!
This peculiar request amused everyone.
Reduced to such a state, yet still possessing such backbone, this person must be foolish!
However, it was precisely the wealthy young masters who were idly strolling on the street who found amusement in this, sending their subordinates one after another.
The man possessed some skill, and some of the servants who only knew rudimentary martial arts were no match for him.
The young masters present, seeing their subordinates fall one by one, were unwilling to accept defeat and ordered their household guards, who were skilled in martial arts, to come out and spar with the man.
Like a martial arts arena, more and more people came to compete with the man.
The man selling himself to bury his father and requiring a fight quickly attracted more attention.
Gu Qianying, accompanied by Lu Zhu, squeezed into the crowd. When the opportune moment arrived, she pulled Lu Zhu and pushed through the crowd, walking forward.
"My servant can spar with you a bit!"