A cruelly spoken sentence, yet Gu Qianying uttered it so casually, as if commenting on the pleasant weather, instilling a sense of dread.
"Good!" Nangong Mo indulged Gu Qianying's will.
"Guards, drag them all out!"
All those present in the hall were dragged out.
Now, only Lan Qingqing, protected by Du Chun, and the half-reclining wet nurse Shi Momo remained, whom no one dared to touch.
Even the few capable old women by Shi Momo's side had been dealt with.
At this moment, seeing Nangong Mo's heartlessness towards Lan Qingqing and Gu Qianying's relentless pressure, Du Chun was enraged. "You... you all!" He gently placed Lan Qingqing on a soft couch, turned around, drew the soft sword hidden at his waist, and stood protectively behind Lan Qingqing. His eyes, reddened with anger, glared at the approaching guards. "Anyone who dares to step forward will meet their death!"
"Presumptuous!"
Nangong Mo gathered his true qi in his palm, raised his hand, and swept his sleeve down. A fierce wind erupted, and a powerful force surged towards Du Chun.
Du Chun let out a muffled groan. The soft sword in his hand was knocked to the ground. He clutched his chest and retreated two steps, nearly falling onto the soft couch. He steadied himself by gripping the edge of the couch and wiped the blood trickling from his lips with his finger. He looked at Nangong Mo incredulously. "A'Mo, how could you do this to me?"
Nangong Mo looked at him, his voice unusually cold. "This is the Ninth Prince's manor. She is this Prince's consort!"
Hearing this, Du Chun laughed, a desolate sound. "Yes, this is your territory, so Qingqing and I need not stay here any longer."
With that, Du Chun picked up Lan Qingqing and walked past the guards, intending to leave.
A figure blocked his path. "Du Ya Ya, where are you taking Lan Qingqing? What's wrong with her? Is she dead? Or fainted?"
Nangong Li, unaware of what had transpired, fanned himself with a perfumed fan, blocking Du Chun's way. He looked at Du Chun with confusion, then glanced around the room. "Are you... about to fight? Who is fighting whom?" His gaze fell on Nangong Mo's face. Seeing Nangong Mo's dark expression, he strode over and fanned himself vigorously in front of Nangong Mo. "Ninth Imperial Uncle, which scoundrel has displeased you again? Come, quickly tell your nephew, and your nephew will surely beat this person until their teeth fall out!"
Although he said this, after his playful teasing, Nangong Li casually mixed in what he had heard from the servants outside, speaking nonsense, and then acted like a peacemaker, shuttling back and forth with clever words.
In the end, Du Chun did not take Lan Qingqing away from the manor. Nangong Mo was unmoved by Nangong Li's pleasantries and only looked at Gu Qianying, asking her, "Sever her meridians, or poison her into silence and banish her from the capital forever, or kill her directly. You choose, this Prince will listen to you, as long as you can vent your anger."
He could spare Lan Qingqing for the sake of Du Chun and the Lan couple, but he would not let the matter of her offending Gu Qianying today go unpunished. Everything would be decided by his wife.
Nangong Mo never imagined that his words would push Gu Qianying into the eye of the storm. For him, what if she walked in the eye of the storm? With him by her side, his wife would never have to consider anyone. Those who insulted her, those who bullied her, she had the right to destroy them at will!
If she wanted to kill, he would hand her the knife. If she wanted to torture, he would provide the means. If she wanted to spare them, he would turn a blind eye. Even if she wanted the entire empire, he would personally deliver it. This was how he doted on his wife!
Hearing Nangong Mo's words, Gu Qianying frowned. Not knowing Nangong Mo's true intentions, she immediately felt that Nangong Mo's actions were creating enemies for her.
Indeed, how could Nangong Mo be sincere towards her? It was merely a way of gaining her favor while simultaneously testing her, making her life unpleasant.
"Since the Sixth Prince has advised so, if this consort does not show respect, would that not be ungrateful? Let today's matter be settled. This consort does not wish to pursue it further. However, this consort's hands and her maid were injured due to today's events. This debt must be repaid, right?"
Having said that.
Gu Qianying suddenly walked up to Bai Qi. Without a word, she snatched the whip from Bai Qi's hand and walked towards Du Chun. Disregarding whether Du Chun was still holding Lan Qingqing, she began to whip Lan Qingqing fiercely.
Lan Qingqing was whipped awake, crying and screaming in Du Chun's arms. A bloody gash was torn on her face by the whip.
Du Chun held Lan Qingqing tightly and turned his back to Gu Qianying. As Gu Qianying whipped him several times, Du Chun's back was immediately torn open, bleeding profusely. He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain.
Seeing Du Chun like this, Gu Qianying ignored him and shouted, "Miss Lan, the injuries on Physician Du's body are because of you. Furthermore, you falsely accused this consort of theft first today and then incited the Prince to punish this consort. Your malicious intent deserves death. However, seeing Physician Du's actions for you, this consort can spare you. But in the future, if you make mistakes like today, do not blame this consort for being impolite!"
She then retracted the whip, turned around, and casually threw the blood-stained whip towards Shi Momo's side. "Wet nurse, this consort is returning this item to you. Take it!"
Shi Momo's expression froze. Looking at the bloody whip beneath the bed, fear washed over her. At the same time, it was as if she had been slapped, as Gu Qianying's actions had utterly humiliated her.
Hatred for Gu Qianying surged in her heart.
Damn little slut, you wait!
At this moment,
Gu Qianying looked at Nangong Mo and suddenly said, "Prince, the wet nurse is gravely ill and requires treatment. This consort needs a few days of rest. Today, this consort was shocked, and cannot see patients for the next few days. Therefore, let the wet nurse wait!"
She would wait until she was in a better mood!
"Mmm, good, this Prince will agree to everything you say." Nangong Mo looked at Gu Qianying, his eyes filled with tenderness.
If she was unwilling, he would never force her. However, in the next few days, he would send people to try and find other highly skilled physicians. This was not because he doubted Gu Qianying's medical skills, but because he did not want to be ungrateful for Shi Momo's nurturing kindness.
Gu Qianying did not expect Nangong Mo to agree so readily when she suggested delaying the treatment of Shi Momo.
Could it be that Nangong Mo wanted her to treat his leg first?
She thought that in Nangong Mo's heart, his own leg was more important than Shi Momo's long-standing illness.
Indeed, if one does not act for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them!
"Oh, Prince, this consort suddenly remembered something. Earlier, some meddlesome individuals unanimously believed that this item in this consort's hand was stolen from the Prince."
Saying this, Gu Qianying took out the black beast-faced jade token that Steward Qi had given her in front of everyone.
She believed that if this item was not given to her with Nangong Mo's consent, Steward Qi, no matter how much he valued his life, would not have dared to give it to her behind Nangong Mo's back.
"This item was given to you by this Prince through Steward Qi. Which blind fool dares to falsely accuse the consort like this? Drag them out and have them beaten to death!"
Inside the room, everyone was instantly terrified into silence.
No one was foolish enough to step forward and become a target.
Following Nangong Mo's words, Gu Qianying looked at the crowd. Wherever her gaze fell, the person she looked at would lower their head, hold their breath, and not dare to look up.
Her gaze suddenly fell on Shi Momo, and her voice was clear and cold. "Wet nurse, did you hear? This item was personally gifted by the Prince, not stolen by this consort."
Nangong Mo's indifferent gaze fell upon Shi Momo.
"Shi Momo!"
A single address clearly indicated Nangong Mo's attitude.
Shi Momo's expression changed instantly, her heart tightening. Her face no longer held the stern and arrogant expression from before. After coughing several times, she repeatedly said, "This old woman is old and seriously ill, hence I am unable to manage the affairs of the inner courtyard."
Saying this, Shi Momo had someone take out another white jade token from a box hidden beneath the bed. One black jade and one white jade, one symbolizing the management of the manor's front courtyard affairs, and the other symbolizing the management of the inner courtyard affairs.
This naturally included some of the Ninth Prince's manor's shops and external properties.
"Please, Consort, accept this item. From now on, the affairs of the inner courtyard will be managed by the Consort."