Chapter 186: Throngs Upon Throngs

As evening approached, Gu Jiu Ling gained not the slightest bit.

She felt awful, feeling awful for Xiao Yin, who once commanded a million elite troops and was invincible in all directions, yet now had come to this end.

Everyone knew his kindness, yet everyone coldly watched him die.

Even those old generals who once highly praised Xiao Yin, for the sake of their families' interests, dared not openly stand against the imperial clan.

Everyone cleverly guessed the truth, yet each, intimidated by the truth's wicked power, dared not resist in the slightest.

Gu Jiu Ling felt so awful she didn't want to return to the Prince Rui's manor; she even worried that if she went back now, someone would send Xiao Yin's icy corpse back.

She was panic-stricken, not knowing from when his every joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness had become Gu Jiu Ling's concerns.

She also hated herself, thinking she should have been braver, more shameless, forcibly kept Xiao Yin from going to Wuzhou, and wondered if the outcome might have been different.

Gu Jiu Ling came to a hill outside the city; in another quarter hour it would be time to reach the gate of Shang Jing.

Jiu Yue glanced up anxiously at her master, who had just ordered that everyone in the manor who could walk and be of use, anyone with some martial skill, and even all the dark guards be brought here.

"Master! We..." Jiu Yue, though she guessed what the master intended to do, thought it was utterly mad, a posture of mutual destruction and marching a thousand miles to die.

Gu Jiu Ling drew a breath and slowly said: "Go to Wuzhou!"

Jiu Yue's heart leapt; she rushed to Gu Jiu Ling and knelt, saying: "Master! This servant's life is insignificant! You also know I have some affection for Commander Ling Feng; this time his fate is unknown."

"This servant's heart feels like it's being fried in oil, so painful; Master need not go, let this servant go in your place! Life and death I have grown indifferent to; please cherish your own body, consider not only the Prince but also the two little masters in your womb."

Jiu Yue kept kowtowing to Gu Jiu Ling, begging her not to take the risk, saying if there was danger, she would go herself.

Just as master and servant were locked in this stalemate, suddenly a fierce sound of horse hooves came charging toward them.

Gu Jiu Ling told Jiu Yue to rise, no need to keep kneeling and begging; master and servant hurriedly looked ahead and saw a large group of tall men in black tight-fitting uniforms, with swords at their waists, riding horses toward them.

Leading them was a youth clad in indigo-blue embroidered with silver patterns, riding a chestnut war horse at full gallop; he was handsome and arrogant, his chestnut war horse equally arrogant, even his manner of riding the military horse was wildly arrogant.

With one hand gripping the reins, the other hand drew his waist sword, then he clamped the reins tightly; if he came even a little closer, he would trample Gu Jiu Ling, who waited before him, into pulp.

Gu Jiu Ling stared fixedly as he leapt down from his horse, utterly unafraid of the horse's forehooves raised high.

The comer was precisely the Young Marquis of the Princess Manor, arrogantly lifting his head to look at Gu Jiu Ling: "When do we set out?"

Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but be surprised, then coldly said: "Weren't you together with the Elder Princess at the suburban manor?"

Cheng Ming's face flickered with unnaturalness; he raised his hand, made a half-fist, brought it to his lips and coughed once, saying: "My mother left, I didn't go, and besides, that's not important—when do we set out?"

Cheng Ming was an open and upright person; even when lying, a flush rose on his fair cheeks.

Gu Jiu Ling instantly understood: he must have acted on his own initiative, personally taking the palace guard troops out.

She still wasn't reassured: "Does your mother consent? If..."

"Whether she agrees or not is not what you should be worrying about now; the Princess Manor will be under my control in the future," Cheng Ming said, proudly lifting his head to look at Gu Jiu Ling.

"My mother is my mother, I am myself!"

Gu Jiu Ling fell silent, stepped back, and bowed slightly to Cheng Ming.

Everything was understood without words; Gu Jiu Ling accepted this great kindness.

She had always thought this youth rebellious and hot-tempered, but now she deeply thanked him for his defiance before the Elder Princess, which gave her a sliver of hope for Xiao Yin.

Cheng Ming's father was a famous general of Southern Qi; the palace guard troops he trained were not weak in martial skill. Seeing the dense ranks of black-clad palace guards behind her, Gu Jiu Ling felt her heart ease.

But then another cloud of dust rose; this time at the lead was a woman wearing tight-fitting garments and a scarlet cape.

Upon seeing that woman's face, Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but be greatly startled.

"Miss Lin?"

Lin Rujun had already leapt down from her horse; the retinue of guards behind her were from the An Guo Duke's manor, an old aristocratic family that had produced an empress, so those guards looked impressive and were formidable fighters.

Lin Rujun walked up to Gu Jiu Ling and said: "Princess Consort, you need not worry; I have brought people here to tell you that not everyone is so heartless and unrighteous—at least I am not!"

Gu Jiu Ling felt a warm glow in her heart; saying thank you now would seem rather thin.

She bowed to Lin Rujun, who panicked, grabbed Gu Jiu Ling and laughed: "What are you doing?"

How dare I accept your gift? You're slapping my face!

Having said that, Lin Rujun still felt her cheeks burning, but having taken a slap in exchange for her grandmother's consent to help the Prince Rui's manor, it was not a loss.

Gu Jiu Ling laughed and tightly embraced the lovely girl.

Next came Zuo Feichen leading a group of medicine slaves from the Precious Herb Hall, which surprised Gu Jiu Ling; although Zuo Feichen's martial skill was not weak, he had already shown his ability in the previous polo match.

But the medicine slaves following him now were merely youths with no strength to truss a chicken; bringing them along was hard to justify.

But just as she was about to speak, Zuo Feichen waved at a medicine slave, who flung out a poison needle; the birds on the tree fluttered down, landing stiff on the ground.

Gu Jiu Ling was startled; evidently this was Zuo Feichen's true medical Dao— to save lives one must first learn how to poison.

Next came a group of Imperial Guard under the Deputy Commander Zhang Ping, who arrived before Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling's expression showed some hesitation; after all, the Imperial Guard were usually lax, but they were still Southern Qi's regular troops—if they came to help, the emperor might seize on it as a pretext.

Seeing Gu Jiu Ling's concern, Zhang Ping grabbed and tore off the Imperial Guard's garments and accessories, revealing the ordinary clothing each wore underneath.

Zhang Ping clasped his hands before Gu Jiu Ling and said: "Princess Consort, these brothers I brought are on the Imperial Guard's bathing rest day; during such days they are not bound by court restrictions."

Gu Jiu Ling understood: today was the Imperial Guard's double day off; on their day off they could go out of the capital to fight, and even afterward nothing could be faulted—it would all be plausible.

Finally arrived one person, who not only stunned Cheng Ming and his group, but even left Gu Jiu Ling dazed.