"Gu Qianying, wake up! Hurry up and get up for me, I'm scared."
Nangong Xuanning, who had originally intended to have Gu Qianying carry her back, now found herself carrying Gu Qianying.
Along the way, Nangong Xuanning complained quite a bit.
"Gu Qianying, are you a pig? How can you be so heavy?"
"Gu Qianying, I really want to leave you here to feed the female ghosts!"
Along the road, Nangong Xuanning spoke to herself to relax.
As she carried Gu Qianying through the herb garden, a gust of wind suddenly swept by.
A dark figure stood behind her.
Nangong Xuanning did not notice.
Suddenly, the person raised their palm and brought it down swiftly.
"Mmmph"!
Nangong Xuanning's body went limp, and she slumped to the ground.
Gu Qianying, who was on her back, slipped off.
A pair of slender, well-defined hands suddenly supported her back, gently lifting her.
Moonlight scattered.
Under the moonlight, his face, adorned with only a half silver mask, was revealed, breathtakingly handsome.
As he turned with Gu Qianying in his arms, he leaped lightly, arriving at a place devoid of people, filled with green grass and leaves, where a thatched hut stood.
He carried her into the hut, carefully laid her on the bed, then sat beside her, watching her quietly.
Raising his hand, he gently clasped her right hand and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
At this moment, the door of the thatched hut was pushed open from the outside.
A man in black entered.
After kneeling on one knee, he respectfully presented a small white jade bottle in his arms to the man.
The man looked up, gently placed Gu Qianying's right hand down, then took the small white jade bottle offered by the man in black, opened it, and poured out a black pill.
The man put the pill in his mouth, then leaned down and sealed Gu Qianying's lips.
The man kneeling on the ground kept his head bowed the entire time, not daring to leave or make a sound.
A moment later, the man sat up straight.
The man in black respectfully handed over a white handkerchief.
The man took it, wiped the juice of the melted pill from the corner of his mouth, and then returned the white handkerchief to the man in black.
"Dispose of it cleanly."
The man in black replied, "Yes, Master."
After the man in black left.
The man sat by the bedside, staring at Gu Qianying for a long time.
Only when Gu Qianying, in her unconscious state, furrowed her brow slightly did the man rise. Reluctantly, he picked up Gu Qianying and turned to leave the thatched hut.
As they left, two men in black appeared, following closely.
One held a torch, and the other carried a bucket of water.
In a moment.
A clean and tidy small thatched hut instantly turned into ruins, and all traces within were scattered by the wind.
Meanwhile.
The man, carrying the still unconscious Gu Qianying, returned to the place where he had first carried her away.
The same place, the same posture.
Before leaving, he woke Nangong Xuanning.
When Nangong Xuanning woke up, the man had already been gone for a long time.
"What happened to this princess? Did I fall asleep?"
Nangong Xuanning mumbled a few words, then continued to carry Gu Qianying back.
After she carried Gu Qianying back to the room where they were staying, Gu Qianying still had not woken up.
Zi Jin and Zi Yin, upon seeing the unconscious Gu Qianying, were extremely worried.
They had been sent by their master with the primary mission of protecting the safety of the eldest daughter of the Gu family.
But now, the eldest daughter of the Gu family was unconscious. If their master found out about this, they would surely be punished.
While they were worried, Zi Yin checked Gu Qianying, but Gu Qianying's pulse was normal. She was also confused as to why the person remained unconscious.
As for Nangong Xuanning, she feared Gu Qianying might truly die. After checking Gu Qianying's pulse and being unable to determine what was wrong with her body, out of concern, she called a young medicine boy from the Poisonous Doctor's Pavilion to invite their highly skilled physician to examine Gu Qianying.
The young medicine boy looked troubled, "This little master, our physicians do not easily treat outsiders. Moreover, you are participants in the disciple selection assessment. By rights, you are not allowed to see the physicians here during the assessment."
"What? Not allowed to see? What kind of broken rule is this!" Nangong Xuanning blocked the young medicine boy. "I don't care, you must call a physician over to examine her immediately, otherwise, I will have my Imperial Father tear down this entire place."
Nangong Xuanning was arrogant and domineering.
The young medicine boy eventually compromised. Just as he was about to leave to fetch the physician, Lan Qingqing walked over, stood before Nangong Xuanning, and whispered into her ear, "Princess Royal, Qing'er has always felt that you are the most suitable person to be the Ninth Prince's Consort. But the Ninth Prince's eyes are only on the eldest daughter of the Gu family now. If this eldest daughter of the Gu family suddenly disappears, then even if the Ninth Prince wants to marry her, he won't be able to. At that time, the Ninth Prince's Consort will naturally be yours, Princess Royal."
"Nangong Xuanning suddenly turned her head to look at her, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Lan Qingqing was the only woman living in the Ninth Prince's mansion. Nangong Xuanning had always disliked her and had wanted to rush to the mansion several times to drive her away.
But for many years, she had heard from the wet nurse in the Ninth Prince's mansion that the reason Lan Qingqing was kept in the Ninth Prince's mansion was: firstly, her Ninth Imperial Uncle was repaying the kindness of the Lan couple from years ago, and secondly, it was for the convenience of having someone to personally take care of her, who had been ill for a long time. Besides, the wet nurse also said that for many years, her Ninth Imperial Uncle had always treated Lan Qingqing with a cold attitude.
Hearing this, Nangong Xuanning felt that Lan Qingqing was not a threat. She could find a way to drive her away after marrying into the Ninth Prince's mansion in the future.
At the moment, after hearing Lan Qingqing's words, Nangong Xuanning felt a little swayed, but this thought was quickly dismissed by Nangong Xuanning.
If Gu Qianying were to disappear at this time, how could she eat delicious roasted sweet potatoes again?
If she were to make a move on Gu Qianying now, she would have to wait until she had eaten enough roasted sweet potatoes. Once one gets tired of a certain delicacy, one will no longer eat it, right?
"Princess Royal, Qing'er has always been thinking of you."
"Oh, since you are thinking of me, then after this assessment is over, you don't need to return to the Ninth Prince's mansion. I find you annoying, and I find you appearing before my Ninth Imperial Uncle even more annoying!"
Nangong Xuanning gave Lan Qingqing a disdainful look and ignored her.
Lan Qingqing's face stiffened at Nangong Xuanning's words.
She had wanted to say something more, but Nangong Xuanning no longer paid attention to her.
She was filled with anger but could only worry in vain.
Meanwhile, for Gu Qianying, after the young medicine boy invited the physician, the physician first checked Gu Qianying's pulse and only said, "The person is fine. She will wake up when it is time."
Leaving these words, the physician departed.
Zi Jin and Zi Yin guarded Gu Qianying for a long time.
Nangong Xuanning sat on the other side, impatiently waiting for Gu Qianying to wake up.
At Chou hour, the fourth watch.
Everyone had fallen asleep.
A dose of sleeping powder drifted in through the crack in the curtains.
Zi Jin, Zi Yin, who were guarding the bed, and Nangong Xuanning, all three slept soundly, deeply.
The door was gently pushed open.
A figure flashed inside.