"Princess Consort!"
Cai Xia called out to her.
Without turning back, she said, "Return to the Ninth Prince's manor and await orders."
Cai Xia paused for a moment, then understood that the "return" Gu Qianying spoke of was to the Gu manor.
Outside the Gu manor's gate lay an injured servant boy. Bloodstains dotted his chest, and he was on the verge of death.
Gu Qianying dismounted and quickly walked over.
The dying servant boy suddenly clutched her skirt hem, his voice intermittent, "Quick... quick... save... save..."
Before he could finish his words, he breathed his last.
Gu Qianying stepped into the Gu manor, only to be met with the sight of numerous fallen bodies and a strong scent of blood.
Avoiding the corpses, she frowned and, passing through the front courtyard, arrived at the main hall.
The hall was empty, but a large patch of bloodstains on the ground was evident.
Gu Qianying followed the trail of blood, searching, but still found no one.
The entire Gu manor was deserted, with no survivors found.
Seeing this, Gu Qianying then went to check the residences of the concubines and ladies. Again, no one was there, and besides a few female corpses lying on the ground, she saw no one else.
Her father, Gu Kun, Madam Han, and the two concubines were nowhere to be found.
Nor were their shadows among the dead.
This meant they might still be alive!
Who on earth dared to spill blood and massacre the Gu manor in broad daylight?
As she pondered, a figure suddenly entered her sight.
"Quick, go... you must go..."
A pair of blood-stained hands suddenly grabbed her. She turned her head and saw Madam Bai, covered in blood.
Madam Bai's face was as pale as paper. Her abdomen was wounded by a sword, and blood flowed between her legs. Her swaying body collapsed entirely after uttering those words.
Gu Qianying quickly supported her, "Who is it?"
As she asked, Gu Qianying immediately began to treat Madam Bai's wounds, but Madam Bai pressed her hand down, "Don't bother with me... don't bother with me, you hurry and go... they... they want to deal with you... deal with you..."
Her words were intermittent.
Suddenly,
A group of guards rushed in from outside the door, surrounding Gu Qianying.
Following closely behind were the Deputy Minister of the Grand Court of Revision and his subordinates.
"The Ninth Princess Consort, resentful from being poisoned by her third sister, has retaliated against her maternal family, slaughtering the entire Gu manor. Guards, seize this wicked woman!"
"Yes!"
All the guards present drew their swords and pointed them at Gu Qianying.
Gu Qianying became the target of many guards.
She scanned everyone with a cold smile, finally looking at the Deputy Minister, "I originally thought the Deputy Minister of the Grand Court of Revision was a person of integrity and uprightness, but I didn't expect him to be no different."
Her contempt was evident in her words.
"If the Ninth Princess Consort is willing to beg for mercy and hand over what was found from Master Gu, this Deputy Minister can plead with His Highness the Crown Prince to spare your life."
Upon hearing this,
Gu Qianying laughed, "Heh! So, what you want is that thing. It seems my good father is not dead. Not only is he not dead, but he has also cooperated with you to put on such a show. It appears you are all birds of a feather."
The Gu manor was faked to be massacred, and she returned alone under everyone's watch. This would solidify the notion outside that she had retaliated against her maternal family out of deep resentment.
This was killing two birds with one stone.
Firstly, they could use this pretext to search the Gu manor and ascertain if her grandfather and brother were still alive.
Secondly, they could force her to hand over the treasure map, and to outsiders, she would appear to be the one who had committed a monstrous crime.
Thus, even if she died here today, it would be a just punishment!
What a clever plan, truly a clever plan.
And this had all been calculated from the beginning, from the moment she returned for her first visit.
Thinking of this,
She suddenly remembered Prince Nan Gong Mo, the Ninth Prince.
She was still the Ninth Princess Consort. With such an event occurring, logically, Nan Gong Mo should have already received the news, but why was there no action?
Did he intend to discard her, or did he wish to watch the tigers fight from the mountain, becoming the mantis that catches the cicada while the oriole waits behind?
"Ninth Princess Consort, you should surrender. Otherwise, this place will be your burial ground. If you die, I can still obtain what you have hidden on your person, but in that case, you would have died in vain. Therefore, this Deputy Minister advises you not to oppose His Highness the Crown Prince. As long as you live, there will always be wood to burn. Ninth Princess Consort, am I right?"
Her persuasion, in Gu Qianying's eyes, was quite amusing.
"Lord Deputy Minister, but I, this Princess Consort, simply do not wish to live a life of subservience and compromise. I also do not wish to associate with you immoral scoundrels!"
"If that is the case, then this Deputy Minister can do nothing but kill you and reclaim what is hidden on your person."
With that, he turned his face and ordered the leading guard, "The Ninth Princess Consort is stubborn and resists to the death. This Deputy Minister, acting on the orders of His Highness the Crown Prince, will have this wicked woman dealt with on the spot. Kill her!"
After the Deputy Minister of the Grand Court of Revision issued the order, he left.
The Gu manor's gates slowly closed. The gap between the two doors narrowed.
Through the gap, someone saw the woman surrounded by numerous guards standing as steady as a mountain, composed, with a murderous glint in her eyes. She took out her handkerchief, unfolded it, and covered her eyes.
The guards, seeing this, thought it was merely a death struggle, a deliberate act to mock them.
Without any weapons, and being a weak woman, how could she be a match for them, guards with martial arts skills and strong physiques?
However...
The wind blew, raising dust.
The hem of Gu Qianying's skirt fluttered in the wind. Her palm lifted slightly, gathering internal energy. Under her sleeve, silver needles were flung out.
Three or four guards fell instantly.
They died before they could even draw their swords.
This made the remaining guards wary and realize that Gu Qianying was not just a weak woman without the strength to even truss a chicken.
"Let's attack her together and kill her!"
The leading guard captain was the first to step forward, holding his long sword, and attacked Gu Qianying from behind.
Sensing the killing intent from behind, Gu Qianying swiftly dodged it. As she turned, relying on her perception of the external auras, she suddenly grabbed the guard captain by the neck. Her fingers tightened, and after snatching the sword from the guard captain's hand, she directly twisted the guard captain's neck.
Seeing this, the guards became fearful of her, but no one dared to retreat.
They had received the order to kill, and naturally, no one dared to disobey!
Gu Qianying released the guard captain, still blindfolded, and beckoned to the remaining guards.
At the same time,
Elsewhere, in a dilapidated woodshed, Cai Xia's limbs were bound, her mouth gagged, and she sat on a pile of dry grass. Beside her, also bound, was Meng Qier, the beauty by the Crown Prince's side.
The two sat opposite each other.
Meng Qier tried to use a sharp-edged stone she found on the ground to rub and loosen the ropes binding her wrists, but after several attempts, she still couldn't free herself.
At the same time, she was very puzzled. She had disguised herself very successfully beside Nan Rong Qi, and even she herself had long forgotten that her real name was Lan Qing Qing. In what way had she, who was extremely cautious, made a mistake and exposed her identity?
She couldn't understand.
Cai Xia glanced at her. Sensing that she likely had something in her hand that could loosen the ropes, Cai Xia slowly shuffled towards Meng Qier.
Both their mouths were gagged, and they were silent, but through their eyes, a tacit understanding was reached.
Meanwhile,
In a side room not far from the woodshed, Ouyang Qing Lin, dressed in a magnificent crimson robe, sat in a grand armchair, leisurely sipping tea. At this moment, a subordinate serving him approached and reported, "Master, Lord Gu and his beloved concubine Madam Han have already taken up residence in the outer residence."
Ouyang Qing Lin glanced at him, "Hmm, I know. How is it with His Highness the Crown Prince?"
The eunuch continued to report, "Reporting to Master, the Crown Prince's people have already lured away the Ninth Prince. Judging by the current time, the Ninth Prince is likely already..."
He put down his teacup and stood up, "Hmm, very good." A hint of coldness flashed in his charming eyes, "Let our people begin their actions!"
The subordinate knelt on one knee, cupped his hands, and received the order, "Yes, Master. However... Lord Gu had someone deliver a message saying that some of the places marked on the treasure map are places he has been to. Therefore, after this success, he hopes that when Master and His Highness the Crown Prince go treasure hunting, they will bring him along."
"Hmm? His tone is quite bold!"
"Then Master, what should we do?"
His charming eyes looked at him, a sinister smile playing on his lips, "That outer residence has been uninhabited for years. Some parts are not very stable, or a fire could easily break out. Do you understand?"
With this hint, the subordinate immediately understood and quickly said, "Yes, Master, this subordinate understands."
As he was about to leave and retreat, Ouyang Qing Lin called him back, "Convey my oral order: the Ninth Princess Consort must not be killed. Her life must be preserved for me."
"Master, but... but... His Highness the Crown Prince has already ordered the Deputy Minister of the Grand Court of Revision to kill the Ninth Princess Consort without mercy!"
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through.
The figure before him flashed past.
The subordinate looked up. The room was empty except for him; his master had already vanished.