Chapter 184: That's what it means

Gu Jiu Ling still wanted to say something, but Xiao Yin had already ordered the guards, put on his armor, and personally left the mansion to rescue someone.

After such a major incident, the guests felt embarrassed to remain seated and eat, and they all rose to bid farewell to Gu Jiu Ling.

The octagonal palace lanterns hanging under the eaves swayed back and forth with the night wind, casting strange, variegated shadows down onto the corridor.

Gu Jiu Ling watched the spot where Xiao Yin's silhouette had disappeared, her brows knitting tightly.

Yes, she had no evidence, she merely felt that Su Wanrou did not resemble General An's daughter; after all, dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and a rat's son will dig holes.

How could such a vicious woman possibly be General An's daughter?

But she had no evidence; it was pure speculation, and what is speculation compared to a life at stake?

Gu Jiu Ling took a breath; although her mind was unsettled, the affairs of Rui Wangfu still needed attention.

She immediately ordered the banquet in the flower hall to be cleared, and the more critical the moment, the more she emphasized defense; she personally assigned the dark guards and brave officers to raise the security of Rui Wangfu by one level.

Both the inner and outer courts had additional personnel assigned.

She returned to Peach Blossom Pavilion but still couldn't sleep; Jiu Yue comforted her, saying that for the sake of the child in her belly, she should at least get some rest.

Perhaps she was simply too tired; Gu Jiu Ling held a bowl and drank a cup of hot goat's milk, finally closing her eyes for a brief nap, though she remained half-asleep, half-awake.

She lingered until the next morning, when the sky's edge began to show the pale white of dawn, a fine day with clear skies stretching ten thousand li.

"Come here!"

Meng outside walked to the outer side chamber and half-kneeled: "Princess Consort!"

"Any news of the Prince?"

Meng lowered his head, steadied himself, his expression also anxious.

"Replying to Princess Consort, there is no news of the Prince!"

Gu Jiu Ling frowned, rose to her feet, and looked toward the outside light.

"What do you mean, no news? Are you all dead? Even if I sent a few people, could I be killed here? You, go now and send someone to inquire in Paulownia Prefecture!"

Meng had never seen the Princess Consort lose her temper before, but the Prince had instructed before leaving that they must absolutely protect the Princess Consort's safety and need not worry about anything else.

"But Princess Consort..."

With a crack! Gu Jiu Ling fiercely flung the porcelain cup she was holding at Meng's face, the goat's milk inside splashing onto him.

He hurriedly flung himself to the ground.

"Can't you understand human speech, or what? Now send people to gather intelligence; the Prince assigned you servants to my side, making you my servants—his words don't count, only mine do you truly obey."

"Everyone in this manor relies on the Prince's protection alone; if he meets with misfortune, those trinkets around your necks won't save you!"

"Yes! Subordinate will now send people to investigate the news from Paulownia Prefecture!"

Meng hastily rose and withdrew.

Gu Jiu Ling didn't know whether it was lack of sleep or worry over Xiao Yin, but waves of darkness swam before her vision as she slowly sat down in the chair.

Jinzhi led people in to pick up the shards of the porcelain cup on the floor, and Peach Blossom Pavilion fell into an unprecedented silence.

Shen Nuo rubbed his forehead, his voice hoarse: "Jiu Yue, do you think I'm over-worrying, to the point that concern throws me into confusion?"

Jiu Yue hurriedly rubbed her temples and laughed softly: "My lord also worries about the Prince, which is why he's like this; a man as divine and formidable as the Prince could hardly be dealt with by that rabble, my lord, please set your mind at ease—the child in your womb is what matters."

Gu Jiu Ling nodded: "Perhaps I really have been overthinking; never mind, let's wait a bit longer."

Gu Jiu Ling's wait, however, stretched to three days with hardly any word from Xiao Yin's side, and in Shang Jing rumors about this marriage alliance between Rui Wangfu and the Zhao family began to proliferate.

By the morning of the fourth day, Gu Jiu Ling could no longer sit still; she went straight to the palace to request an audience with Empress Dowager Ning'an and Emperor Longqing.

This matter might have blown up; Xiao Yin went there and didn't even raise a splash—what kind of ordinary marauder could pin two great war gods in a narrow valley?

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes turned cold; she followed behind a eunuch along the palace's side corridors.

If those people were marauders, then their leader must be laughing now from his seat in the Hall of Supreme Harmony!

Gu Jiu Ling was led by a eunuch into the Hall of Mental Cultivation; having just left Empress Dowager Ning'an's Palace of Kindly Benevolence, aside from her feigned concern, she would not care whether Xiao Yin lived or died—instead, her expression remained calm, and even the corners of her mouth betrayed an irrepressible upward twitch.

These man-eating creatures probably don't even bother to put on a show of decency anymore.

Eunuch Wang had her wait outside, went in to make the report, and then escorted Gu Jiu Ling into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

She found it awkward to kneel with her belly protruding, so Emperor Longqing waved a hand: "Rise, no need for excessive ceremony."

Gu Jiu Ling fixed her gaze on Emperor Longqing and said: "I implore Your Majesty to grant justice! My lord the Prince has had not a whisper of news for three days, showing that the marauders in Paulownia Prefecture are truly ruthless; I, your subject, beg Your Majesty to dispatch troops for rescue! If delayed, I fear it will be too late."

Gu Jiu Ling nonetheless struggled to kneel and knocked her head to the ground before Emperor Longqing.

Emperor Longqing held his brush, writing something at his desk, not setting it down for a long while before finally lowering the imperial brush and gazing at the kneeling Gu Jiu Ling.

He sighed: "Prince Rui is besieged by marauders in Paulownia Prefecture; I feel deep sorrow!"

Gu Jiu Ling kept her head lowered, kneeling, a hint of sarcasm flickering in her brows and eyes: "If you truly feel sorrow, then send troops to rescue him!"

What good is feeling sorrow just with your lips? Damn it!

Emperor Longqing slowly rubbed his forehead: "He is my own younger brother; when such a thing happens, I too feel anguished."

"But the state has its laws, the family its rules; mobilizing troops concerns the fate of the nation—it's not as simple as saying 'adjust' and troops will move."

Gu Jiu Ling's fingers dug hard into the cracks of the bluestone floor, her eyes sinking as she grasped the general idea.

"Like this: you go back and wait for news; I will think of a solution myself. You may withdraw!"

Not even a pretense of perfunctoriness.

Gu Jiu Ling drew a hard breath and performed the triple kowtow of "long live the emperor" in thanks.

She stumbled out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, not wishing to collide with Crown Prince Xiao Ting in the palace side corridors; Xiao Ting had come today to present policy proposals to his father the emperor.

These days Emperor Longqing felt his constitution worsening further; as for who would succeed him, he naturally needed to examine these princes carefully.

Seeing Xiao Ting dressed in dark-purple princely robes, wearing a seven-beam crown, he bore an air of refined nobility.

Gu Jiu Ling's mood had sunk to rock bottom; she had no intention of actively greeting the Crown Prince, merely turning her body, planting her feet, and nodding—counting it as a greeting.

She paused only that instant, then turned and walked toward the outer palace passage.

"Gu Jiu Ling, he won't be coming back!" Xiao Ting's voice carried a hint of schadenfreude, though not overt; that lofty, pitying tone made Gu Jiu Ling want to slap him to death.

"What does Your Highness mean?" Gu Jiu Ling turned around and looked at Xiao Ting, who was standing behind her.

The palace path was empty, except for the two palace attendants Xiao Ting had stationed not far away.

The wind whistled all around, Xiao Ting gave a faint smile, and that smile was very cold.

"That's exactly what Aunt Wang understood!"

Gu Jiu Ling's fingers, hidden in her sleeve, tightened little by little.