Chapter 503: with translation of chapter title

For a moment the atmosphere grew heavy; nobody expected that Gu Nanxiang would actually slip away right under the noses of so many people, and up to now there has been no word of her.

It is obvious that Zheng Yan killing just Cao Maolin isn't enough; she also wants to see Gu Nanxiang's head.

If she cannot see him, that secret will remain a secret forever; she will take it to her grave.

For a moment, none of the three knew what to say.

Xiao Yin sat sullenly in a chair: "If we don't leave Yangzhou quickly, trouble will only keep growing."

This time we killed Cao Maolin, catching the Cao Clan off guard, and it was also our luck—we stumbled upon Zheng Yan by accident.

This forced Cao Maolin into a desperate move against us, revealing his weakness; otherwise dealing with Cao Maolin would be a headache.

Cao Maolin is tough enough, but the Duke of Cao is an outright tiger.

Even if we were to contend with the Duke of Cao, this home ground cannot stay in Yangzhou; it must be in Shang Jing.

Ling Feng lowered his head and said: "Prince, please entrust that woman to me; I will try to pry open her mouth."

Xiao Yin waved his hand: "Useless; the Princess Consort is right—such a woman whose heart has turned to stone fears no threat at all."

Ling Feng also grew wistful: "What should we do then?"

Gu Jiu Ling suddenly looked at Xiao Yin and said: "Prince, do you have any masters of disguise among your retinue?"

"Master of disguise?" Xiao Yin was stunned for a moment; the most skilled disguise artist in the world is none other than Ghost Hand Seven.

But he comes and goes without trace—where could we find him at a moment's notice? Still, he has a few martial artists under him who can do disguise, which we could use.

Xiao Yin looked at Gu Jiu Ling in surprise: "Jiu Ling, what do you need the disguise technique for?"

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes flickered, and she spoke haltingly, worried that Xiao Yin would misunderstand.

But the more she acted this way, the tighter Xiao Yin's brow became.

"Hmm?" Xiao Yin reached out his long arm, touched Gu Jiu Ling's fluffy head, and the corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile: "My beloved consort, what idea have you come up with?"

"Ling Feng was also right just now—we can only stay in Yangzhou for a few days."

"If we don't settle the Zheng Yan matter, we may not be able to leave Yangzhou."

Xiao Yin's hand brushed over Gu Jiu Ling's head, and she felt a tingling all over her body.

She knew this idea would anger that person, but aside from this idea, there was no other recourse.

She turned to Xiao Yin and said softly: "Prince, Gu Nanxiang is my paternal half‑sister; I have fought with her in the Gu household for years, so I know her better than anyone."

"That woman hates me most in this life, and I also know who she cares about most; therefore, Prince, I hope you will cooperate with me in staging a ruse—if we pull it off, we can capture her."

"Oh? Very well, tell me how to play this act, and I will accompany you in it."

Gu Jiu Ling took a breath, rose, and walked toward the outside, calling out loudly: "You few, come in!"

Outside there suddenly came a soft rustle of clothing brushing against branches, followed by several dark guards leaping down from the eaves.

These are the secret posts Xiao Yin set up all around; now the safety of him and Gu Jiu Ling et al. is the top priority, and at times like this one must be extra cautious.

Xiao Yin raised an eyebrow at his princess consort's antics, the corner of his mouth tinged with an indulgent smile, letting her have her way.

Now his secret posts can be dispatched at Gu Jiu Ling's discretion; Xiao Yin has granted her this authority, allowing her to mobilize ninety percent of the personnel throughout the Rui Wangfu.

Gu Jiu Ling glanced at the dark guards standing in a row before her, selected a few, and had them follow her into the Zheng Ting.

Then she asked Xiao Yin to summon the person who would do the disguise.

Two martial artists in gray robes hurried into the Zheng Ting and bowed to Xiao Yin and Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling could not help but admire Xiao Yin; every operation of his is prepared so thoroughly.

Who in the jianghu would go without the art of disguise?

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yin actually brought two disguise experts; though they cannot compare to Ghost Hand Seven's supernatural skill, they are sufficient to fool ordinary eyes.

Gu Jiu Ling then scanned the circle of young men standing before her; those youths felt a bit embarrassed under her gaze and lowered their heads.

Only one youth kept his head held high, bearing a lofty and vigorous mien, with no trace of fear on his face.

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes flashed: "You step forward; the rest of you withdraw."

The dark guards all retreated back, returning to their respective posts.

Being stared at by the princess consort, they felt no honor, their hearts nearly leaping out of their chests.

Everyone in Shang Jing knows that our prince is a giant vinegar jar; not to mention being stared at by the princess consort like this, even a single glance from her could make their heads spin.

This time, watching the princess consort look at them back and forth, even raising her hand to touch their arms and chests,

Sure enough, the prince's face had already darkened; after great difficulty the princess consort picked one out to leave, and these men felt as if they had been pardoned, as though they had walked a circuit through hell, each drenched in sweat.

But they are secret posts and cannot speak to each other; exchanging glances, they all felt a sense of having escaped death.

Gu Jiu Ling brought the selected person before Xiao Yin.

"Prince, I have chosen this one."

Xiao Yin's brow furrowed—was he picking a cabbage or what?

Has her husband died? She dares to pick a man right in front of him!

Xiao Yin's hand slowly clenched into a fist, but reason still outweighed his sour feelings; he stared fixedly at Gu Jiu Ling, wanting to see what trick this little rascal had up his sleeve.

"Hmm," Xiao Yin nodded.

Having obtained Xiao Yin's permission, Gu Jiu Ling turned to face the tall young man before her.

Although he is tall, he still lacks a bit of Xiao Yin's bearing.

Furthermore, as a secret post, his features are quite ordinary, with nothing particularly distinctive—this was also the standard the Rui Wangfu used when selecting secret posts back then.

Precisely because his features are ordinary, his malleability is also strong.

Gu Jiu Ling brought the secret post to the disguise master and said a few words.

The disguise master was instantly astonished, instinctively glancing at Xiao Yin, then obediently listened as Gu Jiu Ling finished explaining the details.

The two then took out their tools and a piece that looked like an animal skin pouch, and began to tinker with it in front of Gu Jiu Ling.

After working for over an hour, they rose and told Gu Jiu Ling: "Reporting to the Princess Consort, we must first put this thing on this young man's face."

If it fits, then after a slight adjustment, it can be finished completely by tomorrow morning.

Gu Jiu Ling nodded; given the rush, achieving this much is already quite good—what else could she dare to ask for?

"Okay, hurry up and make it."

After another half hour, the two finally finished adjusting the mask, then placed it on the young noble before them.

Gu Jiu Ling grabbed his arm and made him stand facing Xiao Yin.

Just as that hidden sentry turned to look at Xiao Yin, the teacup in his hand clattered to the ground.