Chapter 134: Blacklist

Zuo Feichen gave the landscape painting and that half sheet of kid leather to Xiao Yin, then left Rui Wangfu.

Both sides now know each other's weak points, everything that needed to be said has been said, and if they stay any longer it will only be awkward.

The atmosphere in the study was a bit stifling; Gu Jiu Ling watched the tall man standing by the window, walked over and from behind embraced his solid waist.

Xiao Yin's posture paused slightly, turned and pulled her into his arms, leaned down and gently kissed her warm hair.

"It's getting late, you should go back and rest; today's matters have worn you out."

Gu Jiu Ling's face was buried in his chest, her voice a little muffled: "Prince, my maternal grandfather wouldn't have anything to do with Qi Sha Gu, would he?"

Xiao Yin was startled for a moment, then laughed, ruffling her head: "What are you thinking?"

"Your maternal grandfather is just a merchant; merchants only seek profit, and seeking profit blocks some people's fortunes. Rest assured, your grandfather's affairs are my affairs, yours are mine, you are mine..."

Xiao Yin slowly leaned toward Gu Jiu Ling's ear, his hot breath exhaling; Gu Jiu Ling tried to wrench herself from his embrace, but Xiao Yin laughed and hoisted her sideways onto a chair beside him.

He stared at her, his clear peach‑blossom eyes now filled with a different affection, hot and scorching, making the heart feel afraid.

Xiao Yin, seeing Gu Jiu Ling's gaze become more solemn, said: "Thank you for today's matter."

Gu Jiu Ling laughed: "What thanks? We, as a married pair, are like grasshoppers on the same thread; Prince, you're being too distant."

"Gu Jiu Ling!" Xiao Yin murmured her name.

"Hm?" Gu Jiu Ling lifted her eyes to the dashing man before her, looking at his peach‑blossom eyes swirling with affection, feeling that he was a little... lecherous now?

Xiao Yin whispered with a smile: "Do you like me?"

Gu Jiu Ling's body froze instantly, so... so obvious? Was it exposed?

Gu Jiu Ling's face flushed a pig‑liver hue in an instant.

She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say; to say she liked him—would that make him too smug?

Xiao Yin adored her tangled expression, pulled her tightly into his arms, and whispered by her ear with a smile: "I heard that after the first three months the child in the womb stabilizes a bit; we've been married so long, yet still..."

Ugh! Gu Jiu Ling shoved him away, scrambling out of his embrace.

She felt the situation was developing too fast, too bizarre; she was carrying another man's child, yet consummating with another man while pregnant—no matter how you look at it, it's terrifying.

"Prince, I... I'm tired, I'll go back to rest, good night!"

Gu Jiu Ling thought it best to flee this pervert first; her child's situation was still unresolved, and she dared not think of anything else.

Xiao Yin lowered his head, looking at his empty arms, forced a bitter smile and, in a hoarse voice, chuckled: "So unamusing?"

He smiled, rose slowly, and his brows and eyes grew a few degrees colder.

He must capture the guy who entered the palace that day and did something vile to Gu Jiu Ling; he intends to personally skin that person.

"Ling Feng!"

Soon Ling Feng hurried in, a trace of medicinal broth still at his lip corner; he raised his hand, carefully wiped it with his sleeve, and bowed before Xiao Yin.

"Prince!"

Xiao Yin said slowly: "Regarding the palace banquet three months ago, have those lists been clarified? How many people went to the empty rooms by the artificial hill in the Imperial Harem's garden?"

Ling Feng hurriedly bowed: "Prince, we cannot trace those who entered the empty rooms by the artificial hill; that day there were few officials on duty in the palace, all were busy with the banquet."

"There were almost no officials there, so finding witnesses is hard, but my subordinates have listed a few who went to the garden."

"Bring that list over!" Xiao Yin frowned slightly, wondering who that rogue man was.

That scoundrel had become a thorn stuck between him and Gu Jiu Ling; as long as the thorn wasn't removed, it hurt terribly.

Ling Feng knew his Prince cared about this, and dared not ask further; he devoted himself to sending people to investigate, and had already kept the compiled list ready for his lord's inquiries.

He quickly took the list from his chest and presented it before Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin took the sheet, looked down, and his eyes instantly turned a few shades colder.

Indeed, that banquet had a few people who went to the garden.

Four of Emperor Longqing's Imperial Concubines, two eunuchs from the Court of Ceremonial Affairs—no need to scrutinize these, they could never cause Gu Jiu Ling to become pregnant.

The remaining three: one was the imperial physician Song from the Medical Institute, likely taking a shortcut through the garden to check the pulse of the elderly consorts in the harem.

Doctor Song, at seventy‑three years old—a rarity—could never assault Gu Jiu Ling; he couldn't even stand steady without attendants supporting him.

And another turned out to be Xiao Wei?

Xiao Yin frowned; what was Xiao Wei doing in the garden that day?

Usually princes can only enter the palace grounds to pay respects to their mothers; otherwise they cannot freely roam. During the banquet, Consort Duan was with Emperor Longqing the whole time, so Xiao Wei certainly wasn't there to pay her respects—what exactly did he do?

"When you investigate the banquet three months ago, find out exactly what Xiao Wei did, whom he met, examine every detail; I want to know his entire itinerary that day, even what snacks he ate and how much wine he drank—myself will have it all clear!"

Ling Feng promptly replied.

Xiao Yin's expression grew increasingly grim; while the palace's coercion and seizure of women could be done by that despicable Xiao Wei, Gu Jiu Ling's matter was definitely not Xiao Wei's doing.

These years, Xiao Yin had studied the Duan family, the Cao Clan, and several princes thoroughly for revenge; Xiao Wei was just a lunatic among them.

If Gu Jiu Ling had been harmed by him originally, he would never have fled, because sleeping with the future Crown Princess was, for that scoundrel, a cause for flaunting his might.

His plan would be to wait for someone to catch him in the act, then laugh and make bold remarks to embarrass Crown Prince Xiao Ting, then covet Gu Jiu Ling's dowry, bring her into the Third Prince's residence as his concubine, while forcing the Gu family to surrender the dowry.

Xiao Yin could guess this matter even with his toes!

If Gu Jiu Ling were carrying Xiao Wei's seed, that scoundrel would already be leaping outside his Rui Wangfu to make a show, eager to write some propaganda, and would never silently slip away after committing a misdeed.

Xiao Yin's gaze fell on the last person's name.

"Tuo Ba Yu?" Xiao Yin read the name haltingly.

He hadn't expected Tuo Ba Yu to have secretly slipped into the garden that day; as a Bei Di hostage prince in Southern Qi, what was he doing heading toward the garden?

That scoundrel displayed formidable inner strength on the polo field this time, not a weak one, and also bore a red scorpion tattooed on his waist.

Tuo Ba Yu kept his secrets well; after sleeping with the future Crown Princess, he would inevitably flee—could he be waiting to be killed by Xiao Ting?

Xiao Yin's mood grew heavy, his fingers gripping the list tighter and tighter.