Gu Qianying's eyes flashed with cold light as she turned, quickly shedding her night clothes and diving into the covers. At this moment, Ji Wuyi and Cai Xia also heard the commotion and reacted immediately.
Though their complexions were still not good, their actions were still feasible.
Bai Qi pushed Nangong Mo closer, followed closely by Gu Kun and Gu Ziran with their maids. Madam Bai also arrived with her maid.
Upon entering, everyone saw the physician Ji Wuyi removing needles from the woman lying on the bed. Silver needles were inserted into all the acupoints on her head, with the maid Cai Xia attending to her.
The bed curtains fell, obscuring the woman's appearance.
"Impossible! This... how is this possible?"
Gu Ziran, who had followed them in, blurted out the words.
Everyone present, except for Nangong Mo, turned to look at Gu Ziran.
Sensing their suspicious gazes, Gu Ziran quickly stepped forward and changed her words to express concern: "Physician Ji, has Elder Sister woken up?"
Ji Wuyi did not speak or turn around, continuing his work.
Gu Ziran looked at Madam Bai and gave her a look. Madam Bai understood and immediately spoke, "Ninth Prince, this lowly servant swears to heaven that the person on the bed is not the Ninth Princess Consort."
"Madam Bai, even a mad dog doesn't bark like this!"
Cai Xia looked at Madam Bai, her words clearly protecting her Princess Consort.
Ji Wuyi, after removing the needles and packing his medicine box, still did not turn around but said, "Your Highness, will you just let others slander the Princess Consort and do nothing? Where is the dignity of our Ninth Prince's mansion?"
His demeanor was neither humble nor arrogant, quite different from his previous disposition in the Ninth Prince's mansion.
Nangong Mo frowned, his icy gaze sweeping around, landing on the open window. He paused for a moment, then after a long while, looked at Madam Bai and said in a voice as cold as ice, "Bai Qi, drag this person out and beat her to death!"
He would not spare those who slandered his wife!
"Ninth Prince! This lowly servant speaks the truth. If Your Highness does not believe me, this lowly servant can prove it to Your Highness."
Saying this, Madam Bai quickly walked to the bedside and pushed the physician Ji Wuyi to the ground. It was unclear how Ji Wuyi, a strong and healthy man, could be pushed to the ground by a physically weak woman, which was indeed unusual. However, at that moment, no one noticed these details except Nangong Mo.
The bed curtains were lifted, and Madam Bai reached out, intending to turn the woman who had her back to her.
"Slap!"
A sudden slap stunned Madam Bai.
"Get out! How dare you be so presumptuous here!"
Madam Bai, covering half her face, looked in shock at the woman who walked down from the bed – Gu Qianying.
"You... you... how can you...?"
Gu Ziran also looked at Gu Qianying, who was walking towards her, in shock.
Her mother had told her that Gu Qianying was not in the sleeping quarters, so why was she here?
"Girl, you are awake?"
Nangong Mo stared intently at Gu Qianying, his eyes filled with doting affection.
"Princess Consort!"
Cai Xia, to make her acting convincing, knelt on the ground excitedly and bowed towards the moon outside the window: "Thank you to all the gods and immortals in the sky for appearing. My Princess Consort has finally woken up. This is wonderful, truly wonderful."
At this moment, Ji Wuyi approached Nangong Mo with his medicine box and reported, "Reporting to Your Highness, after two hours of diligent treatment with acupuncture, I have managed to save the Princess Consort. I also have good news for Your Highness: the Princess Consort's delusional disorder has completely recovered, and Your Highness need not worry anymore."
"Really?"
Bai Qi asked, though he was puzzled. However, thinking that Ji Wuyi had always followed Du Chun in the mansion and learned his true teachings, it was understandable.
"That is very good."
Nangong Mo did not seem suspicious, perhaps because his entire attention was focused on Gu Qianying at the moment.
Just then, Gu Qianying happened to look towards Nangong Mo.
Nangong Mo was also looking at her.
Their eyes met.
His lips curved into a faint smile, yet it carried a hint of bitterness.
She smiled at him too.
Her smile contained three parts sincerity and seven parts pretense.
But Nangong Mo pretended not to see it and continued to smile at her.
She called him, "Your Highness."
He called her, "My wife."
Gu Ziran felt displeased, looking at Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo. Their smiles made her feel extremely dazzled.
"Elder Sister, you are finally awake, which is wonderful. You don't know how worried I, your third sister, have been about you these past two days."
Gu Ziran walked over and linked her arm with Gu Qianying's, feigning closeness.
Gu Kun, as Gu Qianying's father, also spoke at this moment, "Qianying, you are finally awake. Your father is relieved."
Gu Qianying glanced coldly at Gu Kun, then turned to Gu Ziran, who was feigning closeness, a cold smile on her lips: "Third Sister, if you have time to worry about me, your elder sister, you might as well worry about yourself first!"
Gu Ziran's delicate eyebrows furrowed, not understanding: "What does Elder Sister mean by this?"
"What do I mean? Heh!"
Turning around, she looked at Nangong Mo and asked, "Your Highness, although this is not the Ninth Prince's mansion, I wish to deal with a few people here. May I?"
Nangong Mo looked at Gu Qianying dotingly: "Of course, you may. My wife, your husband is here. Do whatever you wish. Even if the sky falls, your husband will hold it up for you."
These words made everyone gasp for a long time.
Third Miss Gu Ziran became even more jealous of Gu Qianying.
"Then I thank Your Highness in advance." Gu Qianying seemed uninterested in Nangong Mo's sweet words, only wanting his affirmation.
For Gu Qianying, she had heard such sweet talk in her previous life, but it was met with heartless betrayal and endless harm. It was evident that men's mouths were indeed deceitful, and they could not be trusted!
"If that is the case, Bai Qi, have our people arrest Third Miss Gu Ziran and Madam Bai and drag them out for fifty strokes of the rod!"
Everyone was stunned.
Gu Ziran and Madam Bai were both dumbfounded.
Bai Qi snapped his fingers.
Five or six guards rushed in. These were all people from the Ninth Prince's mansion.
Gu Kun shielded Madam Bai behind him and became angry: "Gu Qianying, what do you want to do? Ziran is your sister, and Madam Bai is also a person of the mansion. How can you treat them like this?"
Gu Kun spoke up for Gu Ziran and Madam Bai.
Gu Qianying looked coldly at Gu Kun: "Sister? Heh, Father, don't you think the word 'sister' is very ironic?"
She walked towards Gu Kun step by step: "But such a sister wanted to take my life as her elder sister, and among the people in this mansion, Madam Bai, concubine Bai, not only wanted to ruin my reputation as the Princess Consort but also wanted the Prince to distance himself from me. How can I let such a malicious person go unchecked!"
"It's a misunderstanding, Ninth Prince, this daughter did not harm Elder Sister." As she spoke, Gu Ziran said tearfully to Gu Qianying, "Elder Sister, one must be honest. What is your intention in slandering me like this?"