"You all pay your respects to the Third Prince, you all pay your respects to the Ninth Prince. May the Third Prince live for ten thousand, ten thousand, ten thousand years, and may the Ninth Prince... live for ten thousand years."
The crowd knelt.
"Rise, all of you," Nangong Li said, playing with his fan.
He had originally intended to visit the Ninth Prince's manor today, but he encountered the Ninth Imperial Uncle, Nangong Mo, on the way. Upon hearing that the Ninth Imperial Uncle was coming to the military camp, he naturally followed.
He had heard about the plague in the military camp, but he was always a leisurely prince, indifferent to court affairs. He was merely very curious as to why his Ninth Imperial Uncle, who never concerned himself with court matters, would suddenly be so interested in coming to the Shence Army. When he saw Gu Qianying dressed as a man, his doubts were immediately resolved.
So, the future Ninth Imperial Consort was here, and that's why his Ninth Imperial Uncle had followed!
At this moment, Nangong Mo's gaze had not left Gu Qianying since the moment he first saw her.
And at this moment, Gu Qianying was also looking at Nangong Mo.
Why did he come?
And why did he so high-profilely reveal her identity in front of everyone? What was the meaning behind it?
After kneeling, the crowd began to murmur amongst themselves.
"What? The Ninth Imperial Consort? So, she's actually a woman?"
"But I heard that the Ninth Prince is to marry the eldest daughter of the Gu family. So, she's the eldest daughter of the Gu family? General Gu's granddaughter?"
At this moment, General Gu and the Great General Gu Yefeng walked over after discussing matters with several senior generals.
"Grandfather, Brother."
Gu Qianying walked towards them.
Since her identity had been revealed, there was no need to hide it any longer.
As Gu Qianying spoke, the surrounding generals, who had been discussing, were greatly shocked.
It was indeed Gu Qianying, the eldest daughter of the Gu family and General Gu's granddaughter!
"Eldest Miss, I apologize for my earlier offense. I was blind and did not recognize your eminence. I hope Eldest Miss will forgive me."
The Deputy General Qi Xing, who was very adept at assessing the situation, hurriedly apologized to Gu Qianying after learning of her identity.
Gu Qianying looked at him coldly, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment. Only when she saw a hint of displeasure in Nangong Mo's brows did she slowly say, "General Qi, ignorance is not a crime, it's fine. However... regarding General Qi's accusation of me being a malicious person who stole military secrets, I would ask General Qi to explain to the Ninth Prince. I, this young lady, am not the person General Qi described. Do not let the Ninth Prince believe slander and misunderstand my character."
As soon as Gu Qianying finished speaking, Nangong Mo's anger flared. "Heh! There was such a thing?"
The air around them turned chilling. Nangong Mo looked at Deputy General Qi Xing with cold eyes.
"Slap, slap, slap..."
Deputy General Qi Xing immediately knelt and slapped himself. "I was wrong. I was talking nonsense. I beg the Ninth Prince's magnanimity to spare me."
The Ninth Prince's methods were terrifying, and Deputy General Qi Xing naturally feared him.
"Bai Qi, cut off this man's tongue!" Nangong Mo said indifferently, looking at Qi Xing as if he were already dead.
"Ninth Prince, I beg your forgiveness. I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong..." Qi Xing knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.
General Gu and Gu Yefeng did not intercede for Deputy General Qi Xing. How could they speak for someone who slandered the person they cherished the most?
Bai Qi drew his sword and took a few steps forward.
Gu Qianying suddenly stopped him. "Wait."
Qi Xing thought Gu Qianying was going to plead for him and quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude. "Thank you, Eldest Miss, for your mercy."
Gu Qianying did not look at him, only saying, "The tongue still needs to be cut off. But before it is cut off, shouldn't General Qi hand over what he prepared?"
Everyone looked at Gu Qianying, their faces filled with confusion. Deputy General Qi Xing was even more so.
"The cause of this plague was an infected rat, which General Qi secretly brought in. His intention was to frame my grandfather for this plague incident, thereby raising suspicion of my grandfather corresponding with the enemy. Ultimately, once my grandfather was convicted of treason and imprisoned, General Qi would replace my grandfather's position."
Everyone was stunned by Gu Qianying's words.
"This... no, right? Eldest Miss Gu is joking, isn't she?"
"Yes, how could the Deputy General be such a sinister villain?"
"Right, it's impossible, absolutely impossible."
Although Deputy General Qi Xing was hot-tempered and a bit overbearing in his dealings, these were minor issues. But if he truly spread the plague deliberately as Gu Qianying claimed, intending to kill the old general, that would be a major crime punishable by death. How could the Deputy General do such a thing?
The crowd did not believe Gu Qianying's words. Deputy General Qi Xing also cried out his innocence.
Gu Qianying ignored the incessant chatter of the crowd and suddenly walked up to Nangong Mo, looking at him, and asked earnestly, "Ninth Imperial Uncle, do you believe this humble girl?"
When she looked at him, her gaze was clear, and she appeared calm and composed.
"I believe. Whatever you say, this King believes," he said, looking at her.
The warm sun shone down, bathing Nangong Mo in golden light! His eyes still held only her.
Gu Qianying was completely stunned. Her mind replayed Nangong Mo's words from earlier: "I believe. Whatever you say, this King believes." The weight of those words was immense, and she felt a sense of daze, as if it were not quite real.
Collecting her thoughts, Gu Qianying turned around and said to Bai Qi, "Guard Bai, by now my personal maid, Lu Zhu, should have found what I asked for. Her delay in coming means she must have gotten lost again. Go and search for her and bring her back. Before you came, I specifically asked my grandfather to take my maid Lu Zhu to the rooms where the soldiers are staying. Firstly, to have them clean and disinfect the soldiers' rooms, preparing to control the plague. Secondly, to find the evidence left by General Qi that harms others. Guard Bai, hurry, find her quickly. Oh, she's dressed as a man, so she might be difficult to recognize. Keep your eyes sharp and search well."
Bai Qi glanced at Nangong Mo. Seeing that Nangong Mo did not object, he quickly said, "Yes, Eldest Miss." The eldest daughter of the Gu family had not yet married into the royal family, so he dared not address her directly as the Princess Consort.
Bai Qi left the crowd. At this moment, no one noticed that as Bai Qi left, several individuals who had been constantly observing Deputy General Qi Xing's expressions also quietly slipped away.
At this time, Deputy General Qi Xing, after crying out his innocence, stood up and glared at Gu Qianying. "Eldest Miss, I have no enmity with you. Why do you falsely accuse me and try to put me to death?"
The crowd expected Gu Qianying to explain, but they only heard her lazily say, "Because you deserve to die!"
"You..." General Qi was choked with anger.
Meanwhile, within the crowd, those who had followed Bai Qi's departure were moving through every corner of the Shence Camp. They finally found Lu Zhu, dressed as a man and holding an object, in an inconspicuous place within the military camp. Suddenly, two or three figures surrounded Lu Zhu. Before Lu Zhu could react, those figures were simultaneously apprehended by people who appeared from behind.
"Grandfather, it's time to cast the net." Gu Qianying's voice was heard.
Bang!
Among the captured individuals, two of them attempted to break free and escape, but were kicked to the ground by Gu Qianying, who had arrived.
A moment later, a small portion of the soldiers in the Shence Camp were apprehended. These were all individuals who obeyed Deputy General Qi Xing, and none of them had been infected with the plague.