The night wind swept in, the moonlight was faint, and a hundred flowers released their fragrance.
Inside Mingyue Pavilion,
A calming and elegant scent of incense drifted through the room. Beside the jade bone screen, Gu Qianying lay on a silver-lacquered imperial concubine couch covered with fox fur. A Persian gold-engraved soft blanket was draped over her. Her hair, unbound, cascaded loosely, with strands hanging from the chair, resembling a stunning ink painting, exquisitely beautiful, a peerless beauty in the mortal world.
Before the couch, the maid Caixia gently fanned with a pale pink round fan.
Originally, her mistress had granted her two days of rest, but Caixia couldn't help but worry. How could the mistress be without a trusted confidante?
Gu Qianying closed her eyes to rest, her mind still vividly recalling the events of her past life. Tonight, she was again sleepless.
She thought that perhaps on the day her great revenge was achieved, she would be able to sleep peacefully.
From the first day she married into the Ninth Prince's manor, she had, according to her original plan, established a foothold within the estate.
Regardless of whether the people in the Ninth Prince's manor feared her, or gossiped and cursed her behind her back, she had, after gaining Nangong Mo's trust, unexpectedly met someone she never thought she would see. It was precisely because of that person that her original plan had changed somewhat.
However, it had also brought her considerable gains.
Lost in thought.
A figure suddenly flashed outside the window.
With her profound inner strength, she could clearly sense that beneath the person's steady breathing, there was no hostility towards her.
She slowly opened her eyes, and Caixia's fanning motion ceased.
"Is the Consort sleepy? Would you like this servant to add more incense?"
Since she began serving the Consort, she had never seen her mistress sleep. After only two days of contact, she learned that the Consort often suffered from insomnia.
Incense had a calming effect; she wondered if it could help the Consort fall asleep.
"No need."
Gu Qianying lifted the soft blanket and sat up.
Caixia quickly put down the round fan and helped Gu Qianying put on her shoes.
"I'm a little hungry. Is there anything to eat in the small kitchen?"
Caixia was momentarily stunned. She thought the Consort had never eaten late at night, but she immediately replied, "This servant can make Fuling cake. Does the Consort like it?"
"Mm, go and prepare it."
"Yes, this servant will go now." Caixia happily ran off.
If she couldn't sleep, perhaps eating something would help her fall asleep. It was a good idea.
After Caixia left.
Gu Qianying went to the desk, picked up a brush, and drew a portrait on Xuan paper. Her calligraphy flowed like clouds and smoke, with strokes like mist.
As she finished, she placed the completed portrait into a bamboo tube and tucked it into her sleeve.
Turning, she picked up a wine pot, poured two cups of wine, sat down, picked up one of the cups, and said in a faint voice, "The wine is ready. Aren't you coming out?"
As her voice fell,
The window opened from the outside, and a dark figure flipped in.
"Hahaha, it's my nephew disciple who knows how to be filial, me, his martial uncle."
Duan Xifeng, dressed in night-traveling attire, sat opposite Gu Qianying. As he reached for the cup of wine before him, he flicked his hand, pouring all the wine onto the ground. He then turned and glared at Gu Qianying, "What is this?"
"Qingxiang powder. Last night, I was bored and specially concocted this medicinal powder for that silver snake. There's a little left, perfect for you to drink."
Duan Xifeng frowned, "For me to drink? Why? This martial uncle is not sick, nor poisoned."
Gu Qianying drank the wine in her hand in one gulp, her tone indifferent, "Kidney deficiency with dampness, excessive stomach fire, breath exhales foulness."
As soon as she finished speaking,
Duan Xifeng almost jumped up, "You... you said this martial uncle has bad breath?"
As he said this, Duan Xifeng deliberately exhaled and sniffed his hand.
Then, he put his hand down with extreme disdain.
Duan Xifeng pulled away from Gu Qianying, keeping a distance from her.
Gu Qianying looked at him indifferently, "Did you eat your own medical skills? Can't you diagnose it yourself?"
Duan Xifeng glared at her, "Your master, Old Man Bai, has excellent medical skills, but that doesn't mean this martial uncle is the same. This martial uncle focuses on the path of external appearance."
Gu Qianying glanced at the strands of hair on the sides of his cheeks and chuckled, "You were born ugly, and no amount of dressing up can make up for it."
"..."
Duan Xifeng was furious, "Gu Qianying, you shrew..."
His words immediately changed tone when he saw Gu Qianying playing with the short sword in her hand, "Heh heh, you are beautiful, the most beautiful. Not only are you beautiful, but you are also kind."
"What about the matter you asked me to investigate?"
She spun the long sword in her hand, then put it down. Gu Qianying stood up and walked to the window, her gaze fixed on the vibrant and beautiful Lycoris radiata blooming in the moonlight.
Speaking of serious matters, Duan Xifeng immediately became serious, "Before General Gu and Gu Yefeng had their accident, Crown Prince Nangong Qi secretly met with the Imperial Tutor Ouyang Qinglin. After their accident, as you predicted, some people planted in the army by Crown Prince Nangong Qi began to stir, making small moves. Furthermore, on the day of their accident, in addition to the betrayal of Hu Biao and the collusion of the Crown Prince's men, the people of the Han clan behind Madam Han also participated. After this incident, within the Han clan, Han Yuxuan, the eldest son of the Han family, has now been promoted to the position of Dean of the Hanlin Academy. This person is the son of Madam Han's elder brother and the eldest legitimate son of the Han family. Madam Han treats him like her own son."
Gu Qianying turned around, her coldness tinged with a bloodthirsty glint, "Han Yuxuan!"
Duan Xifeng walked over, "And another thing, a few days ago, the maid Lu Zhu, whom you asked me to find, has been located."
Gu Qianying suddenly looked at him, her voice filled with excitement, "Where is she?"
Duan Xifeng picked up the wine cup opposite him. There was a little wine left in the cup. He dipped his finger in the wine and then wrote three words on the table: Nu Yi Lou.
"She's actually there!" Gu Qianying's eyes flashed with cold light.
Nu Yi Lou was a place where slaves, sold by human traffickers at the price of ordinary pork, were imprisoned. On the surface, those imprisoned there only had to do hard labor all day, waiting for their buyers to take them away as servants. But in reality, anyone with a decent appearance would be bought by people with peculiar tastes and subjected to torture at will. Some were even directly fed to animals before being resold.
Moreover, those selected underwent extraordinary torture, and very few survived. Those who survived were then eligible to be chosen by "guests."
Picking up the long sword placed on the table, Gu Qianying prepared to go out.
When her grandfather and elder brother had their accident, and she was betrayed by Hu Biao, Lu Zhu, her mother, and Granny Wang must have suffered greatly in the manor. After she left the Poisonous Doctor's Sacred Hall and returned to the manor, apart from her mother and Granny Wang, she had never seen Lu Zhu. Later, she heard that Lu Zhu had been sold off by Madam Han. Where she was sold to was unknown. During this time, Gu Ziran had tried to stop it but failed. She had even sent people to the Poisonous Doctor's Sacred Hall to notify her, but the disciples outside the hall did not allow outsiders to enter, so she only learned of the events in the manor after returning.
Seeing Gu Qianying about to go out, Duan Xifeng immediately stopped her, "You can't. You are the Ninth Prince's Consort now. If you go alone, Nangong Mo will surely know."
"So what! I'm saving my maid, what does it have to do with him?"
Lu Zhu was a simple-minded and genuinely loyal maid. Gu Qianying could not possibly abandon Lu Zhu in that man-eating Nu Yi Lou and do nothing.
"Do you know who runs this Nu Yi Lou?"
Gu Qianying looked at Duan Xifeng and asked coldly, "Who?"
"Bai Yi Tang!"
Gu Qianying frowned, "Who is Bai Yi Tang?"
Duan Xifeng walked past her and went to the desk. With a light leap, he sat on the desk and casually played with a brush that had not been dipped in ink. "Bai Yi Nan is Bai Qi's cousin, and Bai Qi is a favored subordinate of Nangong Mo. Do you think this matter has nothing to do with Nangong Mo?"
As he said this, a fleeting dark glint flashed in the corner of Duan Xifeng's eye, which Gu Qianying did not notice.
A moment later, Gu Qianying calmed down. She said, "I agree to what you told me before."
"Really?" Duan Xifeng seemed somewhat surprised.
Gu Qianying turned to look at him, a mocking smile rising on her lips, "Isn't this the effect you wanted?"
Duan Xifeng put down the brush in his hand and smiled awkwardly, "Look at you, it's as if I, your martial uncle, am bullying you. Alright, alright. If you want to see that maid immediately, this martial uncle will rescue her without a second word. Look at you, getting angry with me, what for?"
Saying this, Duan Xifeng jumped down from the desk and came before Gu Qianying. He reached out his hand, intending to pinch Gu Qianying's cheek. However, the outstretched hand was gently withdrawn upon seeing Gu Qianying's icy gaze.
"You enter the manor and become Nangong Mo's concubine!"