Those guarding the entrance were filled with hostility towards Gu Qianying and the others.
The matter of the Saintess's impurity quickly spread.
Fortunately, Elder Han accompanied them, and the people present, despite their anger, restrained themselves for the moment.
That day, after the Saintess carried Tianji Wuchang out, she arranged him in a side hall where sunlight could reach.
This time, the room was no longer gloomy as before; it was simply and comfortably furnished.
Lu Zhu also sent a nimble maid to take care of Tianji Wuchang.
This maid was named Xue Zhu.
Gu Qianying, Nangong Mo, and the others followed Elder Han into the room.
What greeted their eyes was blood all over the floor.
The maid Xue Zhu lay in a pool of blood.
Beside her lay several others who had already died.
Some had their heads severed, their arms cut off, and a few had their eyes gouged out. The scene was bloody and terrifying.
Blood spread across the floor.
"What happened?"
Elder Han exclaimed.
He was the first to enter.
Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo frowned, remaining silent. They exchanged a look and then quickly moved further inside.
Du Chun, along with the Sixth Prince Nangong Li and Laolayata, entered later.
"My heavens, what is this? An assassination attempt?"
Nangong Li covered his mouth with his fan, grabbed Laolayata's wrist, and, upon entering, avoided the corpses on the ground.
Du Chun frowned slightly. He glanced at the mangled bodies on the ground and also hurried towards the inner room.
His thoughts were the same as Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo's.
Inside the inner room.
Tianji Wuchang lay on the bed with his eyes open. His face was contorted, his pupils dilated, his shrunken limbs bent in a twisted state, and black blood stained his lips. He seemed to be biting something.
Beside the bed was a wooden cabinet, its doors tightly shut.
Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo walked over, their expressions grim.
"Wife, he's not breathing."
Nangong Mo reached out to check Tianji Wuchang's breath first, his brows furrowed.
As Gu Qianying approached him, her slender fingers were placed on Tianji Wuchang's wrist.
"According to his pulse, he was poisoned..."
Before she could finish speaking, Tianji Wuchang, who had already breathed his last on the bed, suddenly moved his twisted fingers.
"Wife, his fingers moved."
Nangong Mo noticed it later and turned to look at Gu Qianying.
At this moment, Gu Qianying had already taken out silver needles and inserted them into Tianji Wuchang's vital acupoints such as Shanzhong, Shenque, Guanyuan, and Dazhui.
Nangong Mo watched from the side.
Du Chun also walked in at this time.
Seeing Tianji Wuchang in this state and noticing the silver needles on him, he had a general idea of what had happened.
As Gu Qianying was applying the needles, she happened to catch sight of Du Chun entering the room out of the corner of her eye.
She immediately said, "Tianji Wuchang has been poisoned by Qianji poison. Acupuncture alone is not enough to revive him. He also needs Ephedra, Cinnamon Twig, Perilla, and Angelica, three qian each." (Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental)
"Alright, I understand. I'll go prepare it now."
Du Chun's words were concise and straightforward.
He turned and walked out.
The silver needles in the various acupoints on Tianji Wuchang's body began to move from stillness, and as they vibrated, a glimmer of light gradually appeared in Tianji Wuchang's unfocused gaze.
"Ugh..."
Tianji Wuchang spat out a mouthful of blood, and the object he had been biting in his mouth was also spat out.
It was a small piece of fine silk fabric.
Gu Qianying picked it up and examined it.
It looked like a handkerchief used by a woman, with excellent needlework. A faint plum blossom pattern could still be seen on it.
Whose was this?
Gu Qianying fell into thought.
Nangong Mo looked at her and was about to speak when Du Chun arrived with the medicinal soup.
Before he could get close to Gu Qianying, Nangong Mo, standing beside her, immediately snatched the medicinal soup from his hands.
"Wife, the medicine is ready."
Nangong Mo stood in front of Gu Qianying.
Hearing the voice, Gu Qianying knew it was the father of her child, Nangong Mo.
Without turning around, she said directly, "In his current condition, swallowing is difficult. You help him."
Nangong Mo stared at Tianji Wuchang, who had regained consciousness but could not move, and frowned, "How do I help him?"
A bad thought crossed his mind.
Could his wife possibly want to...?
Gu Qianying still did not turn around. She withdrew the silver needles one by one and made a shallow cut with a dagger at the eight major acupoints on Tianji Wuchang's body.
As the black blood flowed out, Tianji Wuchang's darkened lips gradually softened.
Only then did she turn her head and reply, "Feed him mouth-to-mouth."
"What?"
Nangong Mo was extremely surprised.
Du Chun smiled silently at the corner of his mouth.
Look... someone snatched the medicinal soup from his hands, and now their retribution has arrived!
He leaned against the carved window, supporting the windowpane with one hand, his white hair gently swaying in the wind. Under the sunlight, his gentle and elegant face became even more beautiful.
In contrast, Nangong Mo's handsome face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
He gritted his teeth and asked, "Is this really necessary?"
Gu Qianying smiled at him, "You or me, be quick and choose one."
For someone unable to swallow, they could tilt their head back, pry open their mouth, and force-feed. Secondly, there was mouth-to-mouth feeding. Of course, a third method was to use a hollow bamboo tube for feeding.
However... she suddenly wanted to tease Nangong Mo.
Besides, there was also...
She turned her gaze to the closed wooden cabinet not far away. The corners of clothes were caught between the two doors.
Seeing this, a meaningful smile played on her lips, "Husband, choose quickly, otherwise..."
This play wouldn't be as interesting.
Nangong Mo: "..."
Just then, the Sixth Prince and Laolayata entered noisily.
Without thinking, Nangong Mo handed the medicinal soup in his hand to the Sixth Prince Nangong Li and ordered him, "You feed him the medicine."
"Feed what medicine? Who am I feeding?"
The Sixth Prince Nangong Li was completely bewildered.
Laolayata was also confused.
She looked at Gu Qianying, then at Nangong Mo, and became even more perplexed.
What had happened?
"I'll do it."
Gu Qianying took the medicinal soup from the Sixth Prince Nangong Li's hand.
"No! I forbid it."
Nangong Mo resolutely snatched the bowl of medicinal soup from Gu Qianying's hand and handed it back to the Sixth Prince Nangong Li.
"Hurry up and feed him, with your mouth!"
Nangong Mo commanded coldly.
The Sixth Prince Nangong Li immediately exploded.
"What? With my mouth? Ninth Imperial Uncle, do you want to kill me?"
Nangong Li secretly glanced at Laolayata.
Laolayata took out her short knife and played with it, her sharp eyes glaring at Nangong Li.
If you dare to do that, I'll cut your mouth off directly!
Nangong Li shivered, raised his hand, and tugged at Nangong Mo's sleeve, as if trying to please him or beg for mercy, "Ninth Imperial Uncle... Your nephew still wants to live a few more years. You should feed the medicine yourself."
Nangong Li decisively handed the medicinal soup in his hand back to Nangong Mo, and then... dragging Laolayata, he ran out as if fleeing for his life.
As they left, he kindly pulled Du Chun along.
Well... when only Nangong Mo and Gu Qianying were left in the room.
Nangong Mo took a deep breath, exhaled, pushed Gu Qianying aside, "Wife, let me do it."
Gu Qianying shifted slightly to the side, making space, "Okay, then be quick. After this medicine is administered, Tianji Wuchang will immediately recover, and he will be able to speak and walk."
Nangong Mo sat reluctantly by the bedside. As he took a sip of the medicinal soup and bent his head down.
"...Creak..."
A sound suddenly rang out at this moment.
Gu Qianying and Nangong Mo both looked towards the source of the sound.
It was the sound of the two doors of the wooden cabinet being slightly pushed open.
Someone was there!
Nangong Mo's cold eyes narrowed, and he struck with his sleeve.
Crack! The two doors of the wooden cabinet instantly shattered, and a figure rolled out from inside.
At the same time, Gu Qianying deftly took the medicinal soup from Nangong Mo's hand, turned around, pried open Tianji Wuchang's mouth, and poured the medicine down.
A woman in a blue dress with elaborate hairpins lay on the ground, her head bowed. When she looked up, her gaze met Gu Qianying's cold eyes.
Gu Qianying's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, "It's you?"