"If it is possible, this humble subject is immensely grateful."
Gu Qianying stood in place, unmoving, a sly smile playing on her lips.
Under her "desperate attempt" treatment, Nangong Mo's legs had occasionally regained some slight sensation. However, for him to get out of his wheelchair and walk on the ground was impossible, let alone carry her into the sedan chair?
Was Nangong Mo not afraid of his tongue slipping with such a jest?
Nangong Mo was silent for a moment.
He looked at Bai Qi, who stood outside the sedan chair: "Bai Qi!"
Bai Qi immediately understood.
With a raise of his hand, several hidden guards quickly emerged from the crowd, surrounding the sedan chair.
Before Gu Qianying could react to what Nangong Mo was planning, she was suddenly pushed from behind by a pair of hands.
Her feet not yet steady, her body lurched forward.
A large hand suddenly grabbed her, yanking her forcefully.
As she turned.
She found herself sitting on Nangong Mo's lap.
Face to face, looking at each other at close range.
Time seemed to stand still.
The several guards who had been standing around had, at some unknown time, already departed.
Bai Qi, with great consideration, gently lowered the veil on the sedan chair.
"Lift the sedan!"
Four sedan bearers steadily lifted the sedan chair.
Nangong Li, holding his fan, followed leisurely on horseback.
Nangong Xuan Ning, who had originally walked out with Gu Qianying.
Seeing Gu Qianying enter her Ninth Imperial Uncle's sedan chair.
She stamped her foot in anger, though she did not resort to the unreasonable behavior of before.
Instead, accompanied by her personal maid, she got into the carriage returning to the palace.
"I haven't seen that scoundrel Gu Yefeng for several days. Go, send someone to bring Gu Yefeng to the palace. Say that I summon him."
"Princess, isn't that a bit inappropriate? After all, you are a princess, and General Gu is merely a..."
The personal maid stammered, appearing to want to say more but hesitating.
Nangong Xuan Ning glared at her, interrupting: "Did you just disobey my command?"
The personal maid quickly admitted her mistake: "This servant dares not. This servant merely..."
"Enough, enough. I simply wish to summon Gu Yefeng. Just do as I say, why are you so long-winded?" Nangong Xuan Ning's expression was impatient.
"Yes, Princess."
"Mm, I am thirsty. I want to drink tea."
Nangong Xuan Ning leaned against the soft rug, toying with an empty teacup, a smile curving her lips.
Gu Qianying, you stole my Ninth Imperial Uncle, so I will steal your brother, Hmph!
On the other side.
The wind blew.
The veil was lifted by the wind.
Nangong Mo's posture of holding Gu Qianying remained unchanged.
Those who saw Nangong Mo holding Gu Qianying through the veil were filled with envy and jealousy.
"Wow! This is incredible, incredible! Look, the Ninth Prince is actually holding the eldest daughter of the Gu family. Ahhh, I can't take it anymore."
"Hmph! She's just a vixen who knows how to seduce people, what's so great about that!"
"How is that possible? How can the Ninth Prince hold another woman! I don't want this."
On the street, sounds of envy and jealousy "drowned out the crowd."
And at this moment.
A guest dressed in red, wearing a bamboo hat, seated by the window of a teahouse, repeatedly cast their gaze towards the magnificent sedan chair moving along.
A hidden guard dressed in black robes walked in and knelt on one knee: "Master, Old General Gu and the others have been apprehended. Gu family's eldest son, Gu Yefeng, has also been confined in the Crown Prince's mansion. Furthermore, as you instructed, the family backgrounds of the people around the eldest daughter of the Gu family have been investigated. As you predicted, the guard Hu Biao, whom the eldest daughter of the Gu family bought from the street a few days ago, his identity is indeed not simple.
And his wife is a princess of the Northern Song Kingdom who has been missing for many years. After the Gu mansion incident yesterday, this person, carrying a jade pendant of unknown origin, single-handedly broke into the palace to see the Emperor. However, he has now been captured by the Crown Prince's men and imprisoned."
Listening to the report from the person at his feet, the man in red slowly raised his eyes to look at him: "Oh? Such interesting things are happening?" He casually picked up a peeled lychee and put it into his mouth before slowly speaking, "Could it be that there is a precious item that can save the Gu family from their predicament, which is why that person acted this way?"
The hidden guard kneeling on the ground thought for a moment and replied, "Reporting to Master, this subordinate is thinking, could this item be related to what the old madam's attendant was holding that day? Only that could move the Emperor to compassion."
The lychee in the man in red's hand entered his mouth, his fingers stained with lychee juice.
The hidden guard immediately respectfully handed over a white handkerchief.
The man in red took the handkerchief, wiped his fingers, and then dropped it at his feet: "Mm, if that is the case, then if that item truly falls into the Emperor's hands, it might indeed be able to save the entire Gu family."
"Then what is Master's intention..."
The man in red glanced out the window, a sinister smile curving his lips: "Isn't Hu Biao's wife a Northern Song princess? Such a distinguished guest, how can your Master not entertain her on behalf of our Emperor? The two countries are friendly nations after all."
"Master's intention, this subordinate understands."
The hidden guard rose, about to leave, but was stopped by the man in red: "Notify the Crown Prince, don't let Hu Biao die. He must be allowed to fully utilize his value."
"Yes, Master."
After the hidden guard left, the man in red also stood up.
"Someone."
Another hidden guard came forward and knelt on one knee: "Master!"
"The show has begun. Prepare the sedan. This National Preceptor must also go and witness the excitement. Such an interesting grand play, wouldn't it be a pity if there were no official guests to watch?"
"Yes, Master."
The hidden guard whistled, and his companions would prepare a carriage or sedan outside the teahouse.
As the man in red descended the stairs with his hidden guards, he casually scanned the people upstairs and downstairs: "Look at these pairs of interesting eyes. Coincidentally, this National Preceptor is lacking some good ingredients for the medicinal wine I am brewing. When you do your work, do not be too gentle. Do not spoil these beautiful eyeballs for this National Preceptor."
"Yes, Master, this subordinate obeys."
The man in red walked out of the teahouse and got into a carriage.
As the carriage wheels rolled away.
Suddenly, over a dozen people in black robes entered the teahouse.
The main door of the teahouse was slowly closed.
"Ah, help! Please don't kill me!"
Screams for help echoed in the hall.
Soon.
Blood stained the floor.
Pairs of bloody eyeballs were held in the hands of several hidden guards, who placed them into black boxes.
The main door of the teahouse was pushed open from the inside.
Several hidden guards departed together.
After they left, curious people on the street went to investigate.
Inside the hall, bodies were strewn everywhere, and blood flowed like a river.
Among those who looked, some fainted from fright, while others hid to the side in terror.
And on the other side.
Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo were on their way back to the mansion in the same sedan chair.
A man on horseback, riding furiously, blocked the sedan chair. Upon seeing Nangong Mo's private carriage, he immediately dismounted and shouted, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, something's wrong, something's wrong! Something has happened, something has happened!"
Nangong Li's robes were stained with a small amount of dust, and his hair was somewhat disheveled by the wind. When he rode over, he was in such a hurry that the expensive folding fan he often played with had somehow gotten lost.
In such a disheveled state, he hardly looked like a noble prince.
But at this moment, he could not afford to care about such things.
The sedan chair stopped, and Nangong Mo looked up at him, asking quickly, "What has happened?"
He had never seen Nangong Li so disheveled, so he assumed something major must have occurred.
"The Gu mansion, the Gu mansion has had an incident. Old General Gu has been arrested, and his eldest grandson Gu Yefeng has also been detained in the Eastern Palace by Crown Prince Nan Rongqi..."
A gust of wind blew.
A figure suddenly passed by Nangong Li.
Before Nangong Li could finish his words, he looked up and saw that one person was already missing from the sedan chair.
He turned his head to glance at the receding figure pushing through the crowd, then turned to look at the person sitting in the sedan chair with a very cold expression.
"Why have I not received any news?"
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, how would your nephew know? Your nephew only heard about such matters after returning to the mansion."
"Bai Qi, go and investigate if this is true. If it is true, then find out the entire sequence of events. Also, mobilize all your contacts within the palace to ensure the safety of Gu family's eldest son Gu Yefeng and Old General Gu."
Nangong Mo had always been composed, calm, and resourceful, quickly making appropriate decisions when faced with matters.
No matter what happened, the first priority was to ensure the safety of Old General Gu and Gu Yefeng.
He knew that these two were very important to Gu Qianying.
"Yes, Master."
Bai Qi took his orders and left.
Nangong Li had become Nangong Mo's bodyguard.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, your nephew also finds it truly strange. We both knew nothing about the incident at the Gu mansion. Could it be because we were both busy at the Poison Doctor's Sacred Hall during those two days? But that doesn't make sense either?"
"Someone deliberately orchestrated this. You and I have become clowns in the eyes of the spectators of this play."
"What? Someone deliberately orchestrated this? Ninth Imperial Uncle, you mean...?"
Nangong Li suddenly looked at Nangong Mo, feeling extremely shocked.
He was a prince, and his Ninth Imperial Uncle was the renowned Ninth Prince.
Who in the court did not try to curry favor with them? How dare anyone oppose them?
Therefore, the person who committed this act must not be some muddle-headed official, but someone with at least more power than him. Thus, this person might be... the one in the Eastern Palace!
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, what should we do next? The reason he made a move at this time is likely because he doesn't want you to marry the eldest daughter of the Gu family. Indeed, if you were to marry the eldest daughter of the Gu family into your household, her backing would be even greater than his, so he naturally wouldn't let Ninth Imperial Uncle have your way."
"However, Ninth Imperial Uncle, you need not worry. If the Gu family falls into ruin, your nephew can help you find another good family."
Crown Prince Nan Rongqi's methods were not only despicable and shameless but also cruel and ruthless. Furthermore, he had the sinister and venomous National Preceptor Ouyang Qinglin assisting him.
Confronting them head-on, he feared that Ninth Imperial Uncle would suffer a loss.
Rather than harming the enemy by a thousand and hurting oneself by eight hundred, it was better to watch from the sidelines and preserve oneself.
"I will marry Gu Qianying!"
Nangong Mo's tone was firm.
Hearing this, Nangong Li knew that his Ninth Imperial Uncle would definitely intervene in the Gu family's current predicament.
Nangong Mo first ordered people to carry him back to the mansion. After changing into his court attire, he was then pushed by Nangong Li and hurried into the palace.
On the way.
He received several letters from Bai Qi.
According to the letters, he understood the entire process of Old General Gu's imprisonment.
"Let's not see the Emperor first. You and I will go to the Eastern Palace to demand the person."
Nangong Mo changed his decision to see the Emperor at this time and instead had Nangong Li push him to the Eastern Palace.
Upon arriving at the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Nan Rongqi refused visitors, citing a cold requiring rest.
At the same time, he even stationed several highly skilled guards outside the hall.
At this moment, Nangong Mo glanced at the guards and, with a raise of his hand, over a dozen hidden guards appeared simultaneously.
"Kill them and break in!"
Nangong Mo's eyes were filled with coldness.