Chapter 141

Now the Gu family's betrothal affair has caused an uproar in Shang Jing; the shabby, even contemptuous wedding feast, and the Lin family, who tarried in coming to fetch the bride, now claim that the Gu family's second daughter was seized by bandits on her way to deliver the bride.

It is simply beyond belief, unheard of.

The Duke of An'guo's manor seems unafraid of losing face, exposing the family scandal, and has already reported the matter to the officials; now the Gu family cannot hope to cover it up.

Various parties have gone out to the suburbs to search, yet no one knows whether the bandits, seeing the commotion, have hidden themselves or already fled; despite so many people, the two great clans, and the officials intervening, there is not a scrap of news about the Gu family's second daughter.

That matchmaker has been frightened out of her wits, babbling nonsense incessantly, and seems no longer capable of acting like a person.

At this moment, Magistrate Qiao of Jingzhao, members of the Lin family, the Gu family's eldest son Gu Cheng's people, and even Prince Rui Xiao Yin, having heard the news, rushed over.

After all, it is the Princess Consort's natal family that has encountered trouble; as her son-in-law, he cannot ignore it.

Gu Jiu Ling watched as the tall, broad-shouldered man strode in, wearing a dark black greatcoat dyed with a deep frost hue, which made his face look even more austere.

Gu Shijie and the others hastily rose to salute Xiao Yin; Xiao Yin gave a casual glance at the tear‑reddened Lin lady, a hint of mockery flickering in his eyes.

He walked up to Gu Jiu Ling, gently took her hand from behind Lin Ruojun and pulled her out, his deep peach‑blossom eyes glancing at Lin Ruojun full of warning.

Lin Ruojun's eye twitched; she silently thought, 'Are you sick?'

Even eating a woman's vinegar?

Xiao Yin took Gu Jiu Ling's hand and seated her in the place of honor; the others' faces were not pleasant, especially Gu Cheng.

He stared fixedly at Gu Jiu Ling, unable to suppress the anger welling up inside.

This time the second sister's mishap also has something to do with him.

He only thought of quickly sending the second sister into the Duke of An'guo's manor to serve as his backing, automatically overlooking the oddities he had already sensed.

He truly never expected the Lin family to pull such a trick on him; looking at Gu Jiu Ling, only she could have conceived this.

He took a few steps to stand before Gu Jiu Ling: 'Jiu Ling, regardless of past grievances, Xiang'er is also your blood sister; tell elder brother, where exactly was she taken?'

Gu Jiu Ling froze for a moment; this time she truly did not know.

Gu Shijie beside her also grew frantic, rushing to her front: 'Speak! Where have you hidden your sister?'

'You and they have had grudges before, which is understandable, but doing this now is going too far!'

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes reddened slightly as she leaned against Xiao Yin: 'Your Highness! They are bullying me!'

Xiao Yin's brows knit tightly; he slowly drew his waist sword and slapped it on the table, lifting his alluring peach‑blossom eyes and saying lightly: 'What? The Gu family lost a person and comes to cause trouble for my Princess Consort? What reason is that?'

'Enough! Magistrate Qiao!' Xiao Yin looked at the uneasy Magistrate Qiao of Jingzhao: 'When you handle affairs, you always stress evidence.'

'Today such a great incident occurred; I, the Prince, was drilling the Imperial Guard in the suburbs of the capital, and my Princess Consort spent the whole day at the Gu residence; even if I wanted to do something to the Gu second daughter, she would have had the chance!'

Magistrate Qiao's eyes flickered; the affair between the two families had become a tangled mess, he merely went through the motions, unable to make sense of it.

He hurriedly laughed: 'Your Highness is absolutely right.'

'You…' the Lin lady's face turned deathly pale at once, while Gu Cheng clenched his fists tightly, yet had no recourse whatsoever.

Gu Jiu Ling spent the whole day at the Guxiang manor; even as dusk fell she said she had finally managed to return to her natal home for a visit, missing home and wishing to rest a night in her former boudoir—this was because she had long guessed her sister would meet trouble and had preemptively removed herself.

Now he can only swallow this indignation, yet a living person has vanished without cause!

His chest heaved violently, the color drained from his face; after all, Gu Nanxiang is his blood sister—how could he not be anxious?

Xiao Yin tightly gripped Gu Jiu Ling's hand, gently patted the back of her hand, lifted his gaze coldly toward the Gu family: 'My Princess Consort is a most delicate woman, timid as well; do not frighten her.'

'We have searched every place we should; this can only be said to be bad luck for the Gu second daughter. Of course I will continue to order the Imperial Guard to look, but whether we can find her is beyond my control.'

'My Princess Consort is frail and pregnant; I will not keep you waiting any longer,' Xiao Yin said, rising slowly while taking Gu Jiu Ling's hand, 'Come! Let's go home!'

The single word 'home' gave Gu Jiu Ling an inexplicable sense of ease.

She obediently followed behind Xiao Yin, stepping out of the Gu residence; even if the Gu family tried to stop her, they could not.

Thus, amid the turmoil, this matter turned into a headless case.

The Gu and Lin families even took the lawsuit before the emperor himself, yet Emperor Longqing had no recourse at all.

He could not blame the Lin family, after all it was the Gu family who insisted on sending their daughter to another's home; the Lin family's bridal procession had sent only two people, which was somewhat at fault, so they were fined a sum of silver to compensate the Gu family, counted as consolation money.

However great that fault, at most the Shang Jing populace would say the Lin heir's luck was poor—having just taken on a beautiful concubine, he was intercepted by bandits.

As for the rest, nothing could be said against the Lin family; on the contrary, the Gu family, having offended a crowd with their earlier banquet, saw their reputation and prestige plummet in a straight line.

After seven days, the person was still not found; the matter gradually faded from the Shang Jing populace's debate topics, replaced by others.

The once highly esteemed Gu Nanxiang, famed throughout Shang Jing as a talented lady, now seemed as if she did not exist in this world.

On the bustling street, in a street‑side teahouse, in the easternmost private room on the third floor, two women sat at the table sipping tea.

Fine Mishan silver‑needle tea, along with tasty snacks, the two chatted with great rapport.

Gu Jiu Ling looked at the radiant‑featured eldest daughter of the Duke of An'guo's manor, Lin Ruojun; although Shang Jing noblewomen deemed her coarse and out of place among them, to Gu Jiu Ling she was truly a frank, lovable young lady, merely with a somewhat explosive temper.

'Here, a gift for your child!' Lin Ruojun pushed a parcel toward Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling hastily opened the parcel to find two pairs of tiger‑head shoes, two tiger‑head caps, one pink, one blue, embroidered with tiny tigers so lifelike they looked adorable.

'Wow! Did you embroider these? So cute! Thank you!' Gu Jiu Ling exclaimed from the heart.

Lin Ruojun gave a light laugh: 'I don't have that skill; my mother herself embroidered them, saying it's to thank you.'

Gu Jiu Ling pressed her lips, smiled, and put the parcel away; she cannot embroider, the children's clothing are prepared by the manor's embroiderers, yet no one matches the Lady Li of the Duke of An'guo's manor in such fine work.

The duchess herself personally embroidering items for her child—this affection she truly felt weighty.

She steadied herself, looked at Lin Ruojun, and lowered her voice: 'Just where have you hidden the person?'

Lin Ruojun glanced around, rose to shut the window, with Jiu Yue guarding the doorway.

Only then did she look at Gu Jiu Ling, her brows furrowing: 'My elder brother is soft‑hearted; he cannot bear to take a life.'

'According to my grandmother's view, we should have killed her outright and be done with it, but my elder brother thinks that wretch does not deserve death, so he had a human trafficker sell her.'

'In the borderlands where Bei Di and Xi Rong meet, human traffickers often buy and sell Central Plains women; she was likely sold to the frontier, and what happens afterward is beyond our control.'

Gu Jiu Ling's brows knit; she felt the Lin heir showed a bit of womanly benevolence.

But this is the Lin family's affair; she could say no more.