Chapter 398

Gu Jiu Ling's face darkened instantly; it was dinner time, and Jiu Yue came in carrying a food box.

"Master, today we have your favorite mixed pork trotter soup; the back kitchen maids stewed it for a full double-hour!"

"Master..." Jiu Yue turned around, only to find Master standing by the flower wall, staring straight outside through the viewing window on the wall, feeling as if possessed by something unpleasant.

She panicked at once, hurriedly walked over to Gu Jiu Ling's side, and also looked outside through the viewing window on the flower wall.

Besides the green bamboo leaves, there seems to be nothing at all—what is the master looking at?

"Master?"

"Shh!" Gu Jiu Ling signaled her to be quiet.

Jiu Yue hastily closed her mouth, even her breathing became cautious.

She looked at the master as if she were listening intently to something; after a while, Gu Jiu Ling's face turned grim as she slowly asked, "How long has the prince been gone?"

Jiu Yue hurriedly replied, "In reply to master, the prince has been gone for about two double-hours."

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes flickered slightly, and she instantly let out a cold laugh.

"Come over and listen!"

"Are there any bird calls outside in the woods?"

Jiu Yue froze for a moment, not understanding what the master meant—why would we listen to bird calls out of the blue?

She also focused her hearing; shortly after, her face twitched slightly in confusion, and she blankly looked at Gu Jiu Ling.

"Master, it's so quiet!"

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes grew colder, she looked toward the lush green forest outside, and her eyes gradually narrowed.

"When the prince came here to see me before, he brought many reinforcements; the birds in the woods were startled and naturally didn't dare fly back, so it was normal for the woods to be silent with no bird calls then."

"But the prince's people have already left for two double-hours, and moreover most of those hidden guards are distributed on the outskirts, so they wouldn't come near the residence this side; the hidden guards here have already been arranged inside the residence."

"Such a vast dense forest actually has not a single bird call, and moreover it's already the time when tired birds return to their nests, yet there is absolutely no movement—how could that not be strange?"

"Heh! There's only one possibility: someone is still hiding in the woods outside, frightening those birds so they dare not fly back."

"Moreover, these people could break through the outermost guards' protection—perhaps..."

A flicker of coldness passed through Gu Jiu Ling's eyes: "There really are a lot of internal spies!"

Jiu Yue had been following Gu Jiu Ling for a while; upon hearing this, she suddenly understood.

"This likely means someone has broken through the outermost layer of defense, probing toward the master's inner residence from this side."

"Although the prince's relationship with the master has cooled somewhat, the prince is absolutely faultless toward the master."

"Earlier, when the master purchased this residence, the prince had discussed in detail with his own master how to station those hidden guards and how to protect this residence."

"Although the master lives separately from the prince, the young heir and the young commandery princess reside here; the prince cannot possibly ignore his own bloodline!"

"Having come this far, the prince would certainly not secretly send people over to surveil."

"Since those people hiding in the woods outside are not the prince's men, who else could they be? They must harbor ill intent."

"Master, what should we do? I'll go to the Prince Rui's residence right now to tell the prince about this!"

"No!" Gu Jiu Ling felt a surge of anger and resentment rising in her heart.

She coldly laughed: "The prince's hidden guards outside are certainly not all fools."

"Those who have been by the prince's side for so many years are certainly not ordinary people."

"Since these people are sneaking around and want to reach my head, they must be connected to those around the prince; otherwise, how could they get in?"

"Master, could it be the prince's own people? Have they gone mad? Master, you are their princess consort—how dare they?"

Gu Jiu Ling let out a light laugh, turned to look at Jiu Yue, and there was a hint of weariness in her eyes.

She stared at her and said, "Jiu Yue, you've been with me from Peach Blossom Island all the way to now—along the way, what do you think of the attitude of those around the prince toward me?"

Jiu Yue gathered herself and said, "They have always been very courteous toward the master..."

Jiu Yue suddenly covered her mouth and fell silent.

"Yes, it's merely courtesy."

"Especially the Li family father and daughter we met at the manor last time—Miss Li Yinggu of the Li family seemed to harbor a grudge against our master."

"Even Ling Feng, that scoundrel, although he has been taking extra care of her these days, to the master he is merely polite, lacking the former reverence and affection."

"Before, when we were at the Prince Rui's residence, everyone upstairs and downstairs later grew fond of the master; this time the feeling has changed."

Jiu Yue doesn't know what's going on, but overall she just feels that things have become different.

"Yes, they're all quite polite, but each one wishes I were dead!"

Gu Jiu Ling's face looked unpleasant; she slowly sat back beside the desk, but the food on the table felt oppressive in her heart, and she didn't want to take a single bite.

"Although Xiao Yin has let her go, for her sake he could overlook her maternal grandfather's affair."

"But back then, too many people died in Qi Sha Gu; everyone who later followed Xiao Yin by his side had a close relative who perished in Qi Sha Gu."

"Therefore, over these years, those who have followed Xiao Yin by his side have been utterly loyal to him, never betraying him."

"After all, avenging grudges has become the wish of all of them."

It has already become the obsession of all of them.

Gu Jiu Ling should have understood their feelings, but who the hell understands her feelings?

Now she still harbors doubts about her maternal grandfather's deeds from back then, not knowing why he would do such a self‑damaging, harmful act.

She always feels that there is some earth‑shattering secret in it, one that they have not yet uncovered.

Even if we step back ten thousand steps, even if it really was her maternal grandfather who caused the calamity, she was just a little girl then; what fault did she have?

One by one, they climb the pole to pick a fight with her?

Gu Jiu Ling understands that the people around Xiao Yin will bind her maternal grandfather's debt to her for a lifetime.

They think Gu Jiu Ling loves Prince Rui, and these petty, fragmented, wimpy feelings, she must keep them in her heart.

No matter what, she must grind her teeth and swallow blood.

On what grounds? Who isn't doing this for the first time?

On what grounds? Since the people around Xiao Yin bully her, she has to watch this one's face and that one's face.

Screw your face!

Whoever makes her suffer, she'll make them suffer a hundred times over.

No indulging them!

"No!" Gu Jiu Ling looked at Jiu Yue. "Go find Yun Duo and have her bring our people over to see what sort of goods they are."

"Remember not to disturb the Prince's people."

Jiu Yue froze for a moment, feeling that the master no longer trusted the Prince's people either.

She hurriedly replied, turned, and strode out quickly.

Yun Duo's martial arts have improved a lot these days; this time she's practicing in the rear courtyard.

Gu Jiu Ling sat at the table, looking at the full spread of dishes, and suddenly lost her appetite.

She no longer contested, even left the Rui Wangfu, giving full face to those around Prince Rui—what more do they want from her?

Can't she live in Shang Jing?

She has faked her death and retreated from the world, yet they think it's not enough and insist on taking her life.

Heh! Since they want to play, then let's really play.