Chapter 400: Creating Opportunities

Yun Duo was sent away by Gu Jiu Ling to have a meal, and at this moment Jiu Yue also carried tea and snacks to Gu Jiu Ling's study.

Gu Jiu Ling focused on the ledger before her, but in fact she had no mind to calculate these accounts anymore; a bigger problem lay before her.

She previously thought there was a traitor beside Xiao Yin, but she didn't expect this traitor's background to be so great—actually colluding with the Bei Di people; are these people crazy?

You should know that back then Xiao Yin led the Azure Dragon Army in several life-and-death battles with the Bei Di, and the two sides had long been mortal enemies.

At this time they actually still colluded with the Bei Di people; if Xiao Yin found out, he could skin them alive.

Jiu Yue saw her master's face darken to the extreme, and couldn't help feeling some pity for her master.

All this way, the master has indeed not had it easy; she didn't expect such a big obstacle in her relationship with the Prince, and for a moment this obstacle seemed impossible to overcome.

She tentatively asked: "Master, why not tell the Prince about this?"

Gu Jiu Ling slowly shook her head.

"You don't know, the people around the Prince who can come here to protect his son and daughter are all his trusted aides."

"If we now lack full confidence and evidence, and merely rely on speculation and a piece or two of clothing to have the Prince purge his own entourage, this in itself is nonsense."

"Moreover..." Gu Jiu Ling lifted her gaze to Jiu Yue, a hint of bitterness seeping from the corner of her mouth as she spoke slowly: "There is something I have never told you. Since I myself have no clue either, it's fine to let you in on it now."

Jiu Yue froze for a moment, not knowing what important secret the Princess Consort had to tell her.

Yet seeing the Princess Consort's appearance, she always felt a flutter of anxiety in her heart.

Gu Jiu Ling looked at Jiu Yue and said: "The Prince has been investigating that wrongful case from seven years ago; now the masterminds of those Qi Sha Gu wrongful cases have been found."

"Who is it?" Jiu Yue blurted out, and because of her relationship with Ling Feng, she was especially concerned about the Qi Sha Gu matter.

Gu Jiu Ling looked at Jiu Yue and said: "It is my maternal grandfather, Du Yushan."

As soon as Gu Jiu Ling's words fell, Jiu Yue's face turned deathly pale; she opened her mouth but couldn't utter a word.

Gu Jiu Ling looked at her with a bitter smile and said: "This is why I cannot now tell the Prince everything."

"Otherwise the Prince might tolerate me for the sake of these two children, or because of my two children he might also purge those people around him."

"But if he did that, in the eyes of those around him the Prince would be seen as bewitched by this demoness of mine, causing his mind to be clouded, and instead it would provoke even more of his entourage to act against me."

"In their view, as long as I, the granddaughter of their enemy, remain alive for a day, their Prince will be bewitched by me for a day; then our relationship would have no chance of turning back."

Gu Jiu Ling couldn't help but let out a cold laugh, slowly lifting her gaze to the window's indigo-blue horizon; the few scattered stars sprinkled across it actually added a touch of mystery.

"It's a pity I, Gu Jiu Ling, am not the sort who yields to manipulation and swallows my anger; since I want the Prince to step forward, I must obtain solid evidence to leave them speechless and keep them away from me thereafter—I am not without temper."

Jiu Yue took a long while to regain her composure; no wonder Ling Feng's attitude had been a bit odd these past days—back then she even thought this guy might be crazy.

How could she be in such a state toward her own master? For this reason she had also been at odds with Ling Feng, and the quarrel had continued until now; it turns out there was such a profound reason behind it.

Jiu Yue felt a surge of anxiety: "Master, what should we do now? Those people have already probed the vicinity of our residence; the next step might be unfavorable to the master."

Gu Jiu Ling's brows knit tightly, a flash of cold icy frost crossing her eyes: "Indeed. The most frightening thing in this world is not fearing thieves who steal, but fearing thieves who take a liking to you."

"They probe our residence's vicinity every day, and we don't know when they will strike."

"But since they have already set their sights on us, we can instead create an opportunity for them to act."

Jiu Yue froze for a moment: "What do you mean by an opportunity to act? Do we even have to wash our necks clean and let them come kill us?"

Gu Jiu Ling beckoned to Jiu Yue and whispered a few sentences low into her ear.

Upon hearing it, Jiu Yue's face changed and she hurriedly said: "Isn't that too risky?"

Gu Jiu Ling softly laughed: "He who is unwilling to risk his child cannot catch a wolf."

"They actually intend to deal with me like this; we must certainly open the door to receive guests."

Although Jiu Yue did not approve of her master's risky behavior, along the way she had come to firmly believe in the master's words.

"Go find Li Qiao'er; this matter is known only to the few of you, no one is to speak of it outside. Not even the Prince's side may leak a hint."

"Yes," Jiu Yue turned and hurriedly left the study, stepping into the night.

Gu Jiu Ling slowly sat at the table; not long after, Yun Duo finished her meal and hurried to the study.

Today's errand left Yun Duo uneasy even while eating; what she discovered startled her—turns out there is also a traitor beside the Prince?

It is actually colluding with the Bei Di side; isn't this clearly detrimental to our own Princess Consort?

She realizes that in this situation the Princess Consort will surely break the deadlock and will inevitably have some matters to entrust to her.

"Yun Duo, please run an errand to find Gui Shou Qi and ask this person to make something for me; price is no issue."

"Also go and send a notice to Second Master, inviting him to come here for a discussion; I have matters to consult with him."

After everything was arranged, Gu Jiu Ling then returned to the warm pavilion.

The nanny had already placed the two babies on her bed; Gu Jiu Ling lay beside the children, looking at their tender faces and cute little smiles, the stone weighing on her heart loosened a bit, and her mood was not so bad.

For two consecutive days Xiao Yin did not come; Gu Jiu Ling knew Emperor Longqing wished Xiao Yin dead, and these days he was probably being watched closely.

These days the people watching Gu Jiu Ling from all around have not withdrawn, indicating they too are seeking an opportunity.

Gu Jiu Ling decided to give them this opportunity.

Seven days later Gu Jiu Ling rose early, took Yun Duo and Jiu Yue aboard a relatively light carriage, and then rode the carriage to a temple in the suburbs first.

The two children were ordered by Gu Jiu Ling to be sent to the clinic by the wet nurse.

These days she had heard that Zuo Feichen had already returned to the clinic; handing the children to Zuo Feichen's care, she trusted him relatively.

Although Zuo Feichen now hates Xiao Yin, hating him to the point of an itchy jaw, yet seeing these two adorable children, he actually likes them quite a bit.

These two little ones were also delivered by him assisting Gu Jiu Ling in childbirth.