The old monk's corpse, at a speed visible to the naked eye, turned into a pool of blood.
Before the guards at the gate had woken up, Gu Qianying had already left the woodshed. In the woodshed, the surrounding piled-up items remained unchanged, except for a pool of blood on the ground.
After leaving the woodshed, Gu Qianying did not return to the main hall's sleeping quarters to feign illness.
She evaded the guards patrolling inside and outside the Ninth Prince's manor, and under the cover of darkness, went alone to Bingya Mountain. Duan Xifeng followed closely behind.
On the way, the two of them first went to "Duyi" pharmacy to get two horses, one for each of them, and rode away.
Bingya Mountain is located behind Sulingsi Temple, so arriving at Sulingsi Temple meant reaching Bingya Mountain. The two of them were in a hurry on the road and did not rest. Even so, when they arrived at Bingya Mountain, it was already past the fifth watch.
During this time, Gu Qianying sent a letter to Princess Nangong Xuanning, who lived in the palace, via carrier pigeon.
At this moment, the guards guarding the palace gates, under the coercion of Nangong Mo, opened the palace gates once more.
This matter also alarmed the Emperor.
The Emperor sent someone to summon Nangong Mo, but Nangong Mo did not go to the audience. Instead, he had his men push him directly to the Imperial Hospital.
There were people on duty at the Imperial Hospital at night. Nangong Mo led his men to surround the Imperial Hospital, and the few young imperial physicians on duty were all terrified.
Nangong Mo then sent people to arrest all the imperial physicians on duty at the Imperial Hospital and instructed Du Chun to take a few people to the Imperial Hospital to find medicine.
There were many medicinal herbs in the Imperial Hospital. Even some precious medicinal herbs were divided into several types. Among the same type of medicinal herbs, there were also fine and inferior grades. There were also some precious medicinal herbs that required the approval of the imperial physician's supervisor to be used.
But how could Nangong Mo patiently follow the rules? The locked medicine chests were all pried open by Nangong Mo's men one by one.
The imperial physicians kneeling on the ground all kept their mouths shut, and no one dared to speak. They did not even dare to breathe heavily.
Du Chun, being a physician with profound qualifications, quickly found the medicinal herbs he needed among the unlabeled precious medicinal herbs.
After finding them, as Nangong Mo and his men were about to leave, Nangong Xuanning, along with her personal maid, ran over.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, it really is you."
Nangong Xuanning ran to Nangong Mo and blocked him, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, I heard that you and Gu Qianying have already held the wedding ceremony and are married, is that true?"
"En!"
A cold, solitary word, without any extra words.
Nangong Mo did not look at her, but only ordered the guards to push him past Nangong Xuanning.
Nangong Xuanning chased after him and blocked him again, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, how can you marry that woman Gu Qianying! If you are to marry, you should marry this princess. This princess doesn't care. Today, you must go to Father Emperor and request an imperial decree in front of him, telling Father Emperor that you want to marry this princess as your consort. As for that woman Gu Qianying, this princess is kind-hearted and can let her be your concubine."
Nangong Mo frowned and looked at her, his voice icy, "Scram."
The meaning was very clear.
Nangong Xuanning stood in front of Nangong Mo, blocking him, refusing to move, "If you don't let me, this princess will not let you pass, unless you step over me today."
Nangong Mo looked at Nangong Xuanning coldly. After his icy gaze lingered on her face for a moment, he said coldly, "Act!"
With a command, the guards he brought all drew their swords.
For his girl, he would even force his way into the palace today!
Seeing the murderous intent in Nangong Mo's eyes, Nangong Xuanning was momentarily frightened. She never expected that her Ninth Imperial Uncle would want to kill her for Gu Qianying.
In fact, after learning that the Ninth Imperial Uncle and Gu Qianying had already married and held the ceremony, she was somewhat unwilling and even more angry.
However, after receiving Gu Qianying's entrusted task, the moment she unhesitatingly agreed, she had already realized that her feelings for the Ninth Imperial Uncle were not as strong as before.
Instead, she hoped that Gu Qianying's plan could succeed, because only by succeeding could Gu Qianying's plan overturn the case for General Gu and Gu Yefeng, and let them be released without guilt.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle! Xuanning can take back what she just said, but please, Ninth Imperial Uncle, accompany Xuanning for breakfast today. After breakfast with Xuanning, I will never pester you again."
Nangong Xuanning closed her eyes, speaking at a rapid pace.
At this moment, no one responded to her.
She suddenly opened her eyes.
At this moment, Nangong Mo and his entourage had already bypassed her.
She hurriedly called out to him, "Ninth Imperial Uncle! I... I have something to give you, it's... it's the old imperial consort's belongings, do you want it?"
Nangong Mo had the guards pushing him stop, turn around, and his icy gaze looked at Nangong Xuanning, "What did you say?"
Nangong Xuanning felt a little guilty looking at Nangong Mo, but thinking that things had come to this, she had to bite the bullet and continue, "She left something and entrusted Father Emperor to give it to you, but for so many years, Father Emperor has never mentioned it to you, right?"
Nangong Mo looked at her, said nothing, but raised his hand.
The guards pushed him to Nangong Xuanning.
"Continue!"
Nangong Mo's voice was very cold.
Nangong Xuanning hesitated for a moment, then hardened her heart, "The reason Father Emperor has not given you the old imperial consort's belongings for so many years is that he thinks you are not worthy, you are not worthy..."
As she spoke, Nangong Xuanning could clearly feel the killing intent emanating from Nangong Mo's body becoming stronger and stronger, which made her voice grow smaller and smaller until it became silent. Then she quickly changed the subject, "However, when I was young, I often opposed Father Emperor and often stole his treasures from him. These things also included the things the old imperial consort left for you. And to this day, Father Emperor has not discovered that the things he hid were already replaced with fakes and stolen by me."
"Where are the things?" Nangong Mo asked coldly.
"In my sleeping quarters. If Ninth Imperial Uncle wants them, accompany me for breakfast, and I will give them to you. Otherwise, I will... I will eat them, and you won't get them even if you want them!"
As she said this, Nangong Xuanning's palms were sweating. She was extremely nervous.
After all, not everyone could withstand the Ninth Imperial Uncle's wrath.
"Take me there!"
Nangong Xuanning was stunned for a moment, then quickly asked, "Where?"
"To accompany you for breakfast."
Nangong Mo's voice remained as cold as ice.
Nangong Xuanning smiled, "Good, good, good, I'll go prepare now."
Watching Nangong Xuanning, with her personal maid, happily walk quickly towards her sleeping quarters.
The light in Nangong Mo's eyes dimmed slightly.
He pressed the button on the armrest of his wheelchair, turned his wheelchair around, and ordered the guards and Du Chun, who was following behind with the wrapped medicinal herbs, "You go back first to administer medicine to the Consort. I will stay here."
Du Chun was worried and refused to leave, "Your Highness, absolutely not. This palace is too dangerous. Please let me stay and accompany you!"
The person in the palace had wanted Ah Mo's life for more than a day or two. At this time, Bai Qi had not followed. Leaving Ah Mo alone here, wasn't this giving that person an opportunity? This was not acceptable, absolutely not acceptable!
Nangong Mo looked at him, said nothing, but his cold, unoffendable eyes and the powerful aura he exuded, which shook people's hearts, made Du Chun lower his head weakly, "Yes, Your Highness."
A moment later,
Nangong Mo and his men split up.
Nangong Mo had a guard push him to Nangong Xuanning's sleeping quarters.
The remaining guards, led by Du Chun, left the palace.
Outside the palace, Nangong Li, who was waiting for them, saw that only Du Chun and a few others had come out. His Ninth Imperial Uncle had not come out, and he was extremely shocked.
After understanding what had happened, Nangong Li abandoned Du Chun and the others and went alone to Nangong Xuanning's sleeping quarters.
"You all go first, I, this prince, will go find Ninth Imperial Uncle. It's late at night, and with a man and a woman alone, I'm really afraid that Xuanning, that girl, will do something to Ninth Imperial Uncle in a fit of passion."
Everyone: "..."
"Okay, hurry up and go!"
Du Chun was very supportive of Nangong Li doing this. With Nangong Li guarding Nangong Mo, he was also relieved.
At this time, it was already past the fifth watch, and the sky was getting light. The palace maids and eunuchs who worked in the palace would prepare breakfast for their masters at the Shi hour.
However, the breakfast in Nangong Xuanning's sleeping quarters was intentionally delayed.
During the meal, Nangong Xuanning was dawdling, making small talk to delay time.
However, she did not overdo it. She knew very well that with Ninth Imperial Uncle's intelligence, if she was too deliberate, he would see through it.
Meanwhile, Du Chun and a few others had a difficult journey back to the manor.
After encountering obstruction from unknown individuals, they then encountered several assassins.
While dealing with the assassins, he was injured, and the medicinal herbs he carried were thrown into a cliff by the assassins. Afterward, he used a signal flare to summon more hidden guards to accompany him to search for the medicinal herbs all over the mountain.
As for Gu Qianying.
After she and Duan Xifeng had consecutively killed two horses, they finally arrived at Bingya Mountain.
The area around Bingya Mountain was covered in ice and snow, with no birds in flight and piles of bones everywhere.
Even the two dead horses they had brought were instantly encased in ice.
"The temperature here is vastly different from Sulingsi Temple. Can you endure it?"
Duan Xifeng circulated his internal energy, allowing the true qi to flow throughout his body to make him feel less cold. However, even so, he still wrapped his robes tightly.
As he spoke, he looked back at Gu Qianying.
However, Gu Qianying did not respond to him. But when Duan Xifeng saw Gu Qianying draw her short sword and walk towards him, he was stunned, "Niece, what are you doing?"