Chapter 279: with translation of chapter title

Xiao Yin stared fixedly at Gu Jiu Ling, waiting for her answer.

Obviously, if Gu Jiu Ling cannot persuade Xiao Yin, Xiao Yin will surely detain her and lock her up in the Peach Blossom Pavilion.

This matter mainly involves the Imperial Tutor Mr. Wen; even someone like Xiao Yin cannot step in to settle it.

Mr. Wen is a model for scholars worldwide; if he is harmed, not to mention Xiao Yin, even Emperor Longqing could not shield this criminal.

Obviously, it is now impossible to protect Gu Kang by force; the only way is to save Mr. Wen and let him speak.

Only then can the truth come to light, but looking over the whole Shang Jing, probably only Gu Jiu Ling can save Mr. Wen.

The imperial physicians need to administer acupuncture; Mr. Wen's injury is to the brain, requiring a craniotomy.

Only the modern medical equipment in her space can save lives; even so, Gu Jiu Ling dares not guarantee she will succeed.

This inherently involves a gamble; she dare not give Xiao Yin any guarantee, because she herself does not know how things will go?

Gu Jiu Ling focused her gaze on Xiao Yin and said, "I don't know."

Xiao Yin's face turned ashen; what do you mean, you don't know?

Gu Jiu Ling took a deep breath, looked at Xiao Yin, and said, "Your Highness, I have never seen such a situation before."

"I am not an immortal; I cannot predict everything."

"I only know there is still a sliver of hope, and I must strive for it."

"Gu Kang is after all my younger brother; if I do not go to save him and just stand by, I fear I will not sleep well at night."

Xiao Yin firmly blocked her path.

Gu Jiu Ling sighed, stepped forward, grabbed his hand, shook it lightly, lifted her eyes to Xiao Yin and said, "Your Highness, when you were trapped in Qi Sha Gu, were you ultimately unwilling to believe that your imperial brother would strike against you?"

"You lost your birth mother at a young age, raised beside Empress Dowager Ning'an; although the dowager did not treat you well, did you not long for that to be true familial affection?"

The two words "familial affection" finally defeated Xiao Yin's reason; his body involuntarily trembled slightly.

Indeed, he is actually the one least interested in imperial power.

He greatly enjoys the wild winds beyond the frontier, the exhilaration of galloping across the battlefield with his brothers; he even thought that after helping his imperial brother consolidate the borders, he would go to the frontier to herd horses and sheep, marry a shepherdess, have many children, and live together with his old comrades—what a carefree, unfettered life.

But his imperial brother needs him, so he advances without hesitation.

It is nothing more than being unable to escape those two words, familial affection.

But familial affection was devoured by Emperor Longqing's dog; he will never escape the shadow of Qi Sha Gu for his whole life.

Those brothers all died, leaving only him, this monster.

Gu Jiu Ling fixed her gaze on Xiao Yin and said, "Your Highness, I do not want my younger brother, when he needs me, to be forever disappointed in the word familial affection."

"But when he previously harmed you, why did he not speak of familial affection?" Xiao Yin could not help but let out a low growl.

Gu Jiu Ling instead gripped his hand more tightly: "The present Gu Kang is not the former Gu Kang, Your Highness; I do not wish to be a cold person, nor will I be cold toward Your Highness in the future."

"If Your Highness needs me, I will advance despite ten thousand people; I am Your Highness's last line of defense, never to change!"

Xiao Yin's heart was suddenly struck hard; his body trembled slightly, and he immediately pulled Gu Jiu Ling into his embrace.

He gritted his teeth, enunciating each word: "Gu Jiu Ling, if anything happens to you at Nan Shan Shu Yuan, I will slaughter those pedantic scholars in blood."

"It's merely that I no longer care for face or reputation; I want their lives!"

"If you truly die there, I will marry again, take eight or nine hundred women, and each night revel on your grave to spite you!"

Xiao Yin was already so angry his speech was incoherent; Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but chuckle, just how much does this man love her?

Even if she were dead, he would still bring his wives, big and small, to dance for her—does he think she would be lonely in the afterlife?

As Xiao Yin's curses trailed off, Gu Jiu Ling could no longer make out what he was scolding.

Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but wryly smile, echoing his words in succession.

Xiao Yin released her, shoved her away impatiently, and looked at Ling Feng: "Go fetch my Longquan Sword!"

Ling Feng stared blankly for a moment, then turned and walked out.

The Longquan Sword is a treasure bestowed by the former emperor; it has accompanied Xiao Yin in battles for years, equivalent to his immunity-from-death token.

After Xiao Yin returned from Qi Sha Gu, someone originally used the excuse that he commanded poorly, delayed the battle, and sought to execute him.

At that time, the battered Xiao Yin relied on this sword to escape death; even Emperor Longqing greatly feared this sword.

Xiao Yin shoved the Longquan Sword directly into Gu Jiu Ling's bosom; she knew how important this sword was to Xiao Yin, and before she had joked about wanting to touch it, but Xiao Yin would not let her, saying that only the sword and his wife could be touched by others.

Gu Jiu Ling joked, "What about self-touch?" His wife touching his sword, he said he feared hurting her, and told her to play with something else on the side.

This time was her first contact with the Longquan Sword; though it looked like a fine treasure, she did not expect it to be so heavy, with substantial weight.

Holding it, she felt its heft; even more, she was like an eight-foot monk unable to grasp its meaning, she lifted her head in astonishment toward Xiao Yin.

Xiao Yin, displeased, took the sword back from Gu Jiu Ling's bosom and handed it to Yun Duo, who stood aside.

"Hold the sword well for your master; if anything goes wrong, I will take your life!"

At that moment, Yun Duo embraced the Longquan Sword, her face flushed with excitement; this is the number-one sword under heaven; for martial practitioners, not only to hold it personally, but even to glimpse it once is like ancestral graves sprouting green smoke, a fortune cultivated over eight lifetimes.

Yun Duo nodded eagerly in her excitement, almost breaking her aloof little heroine persona.

Xiao Yin raised his hand to ruffle Gu Jiu Ling's hair, speaking softly: "This sword was granted by my father emperor; countless Tatars have died beneath it."

"Take it to Nan Shan Shu Yuan; no matter how troublesome those pedants are, they cannot show disrespect to the late emperor! Moreover, they cannot disrespect the martyrs who died for Southern Qi on the battlefield!"

"Your Highness!" Gu Jiu Ling did not expect Xiao Yin to actually produce the Longquan Sword; she was profoundly shocked inside.

You must know the Longquan Sword is more important than Xiao Yin's life; even when he was at death's door in Qi Sha Gu, the only thing he brought out was this sword.

It is said that when Xiao Yin suffered grave injuries and fell unconscious, the Longquan Sword was always by his side.

Gu Jiu Ling still had something to say, but Xiao Yin had already helped her put on her hood, fastened the strap gently, and smiled softly: "Go; if you delay any longer, Mr. Wen cannot wait."

Gu Jiu Ling then dared not linger; she hurriedly took Yun Duo and Jiu Yue out, while behind them a dark mass of Xiao Yin's covert guards followed.