Chapter 505: The Crown Prince Loves Me

The idle chatter of several women nearby kept striking Gu Nanxiang's eardrums, and Gu Nanxiang's face turned extremely ugly.

Her fingers were almost embedded into the flesh of her palm, and a thread of blood seeped out.

The black‑covered boat had docked; it was already dusk, and the surrounding scenery was not very clear.

Gu Nanxiang walked with the crowd past the pier; the crowd was like migratory birds returning home, gradually flying back to their respective dwellings.

Only Gu Nanxiang remained, helplessly gazing at the riverside shacks to the south of the city; despite so many houses, not a single one was a place she could stay.

She killed Lord Wang and framed Cao Mao Lin.

She knew Cao Mao Lin would certainly die at the hands of Xiao Yin and his men, for on Xiao Yin's journey to Yangzhou, Cao Mao Lin had several murderous intentions that had already made Xiao Yin bear a killing intent toward him.

But she didn't expect Xiao Yin's actions to be so swift—he directly sealed the gates of Yangzhou City and even stationed guards at every checkpoint for entering and leaving Yangzhou.

Gu Nanxiang wasn't stupid; it was obvious this was aimed at her.

She felt a surge of suffocating anger; this must be Gu Jiu Ling's meddling.

She was merely a small fry in the Yangzhou salt‑merchant case; they had already caught the big fish, so why bother about a nobody like her?

Back then she dared to kill Lord Wang precisely because she considered this point; she never imagined that to catch just her, they would seal the entire Yangzhou City.

At this moment Gu Nanxiang was truly dumbfounded; aside from thinking Gu Jiu Ling had ordered Xiao Yin to do this, she could think of no other reason.

She instinctively lifted her head to look at her portrait posted on a nearby wall, then quickly lowered her head, shrank against the wall base, and walked deeper into the alley.

"Gu Jiu Ling! You wretched woman!"

Gu Nanxiang had walked too hastily, and she inevitably leaned against the moss‑covered wall and slowly sat down on the ground.

She was utterly exhausted, not daring to enter a restaurant for a meal, and could only buy a few buns from remote stalls to stave off hunger.

Fortunately, the scholarly men of Yangzhou were also weak and delicate, allowing her frail, timid scholar guise to conceal her.

She kept circling inside Yangzhou City, with no way to leave; the gate guards were extremely strict, and once she hid nearby to peek, even men with a delicate appearance were singled out to a temporary shed for a strip search.

Obviously Xiao Yin and his men guessed she would dress as a man, which was practically impossible to escape.

Gu Nanxiang didn't dare stay at an inn; when tired, exhausted, or cold, she would hide in a straw stack outside ordinary homes for a nap, not daring to sleep too deeply.

She knew that if Gu Jiu Ling caught her this time, she would hardly escape with her life.

Between them lay too deep a blood feud, impossible to resolve.

At this moment Gu Nanxiang's gaze grew increasingly gloomy; she didn't know when she had started becoming like this.

Obviously she had once been a talented lady who shook the Prime Minister's mansion in Shang Jing; countless young talents bowed before her outstanding grace, and the suitors from aristocratic families nearly broke the threshold of the Prime Minister's residence.

Yes, everything changed from the moment she met the Crown Prince.

That day, that foolish Gu Jiu Ling, with spring‑filled eyes, barged into her boudoir and insisted on dragging her to see the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince was in the Qian Ting discussing state affairs with their father, and she also felt dissatisfied about the engagement between Gu Jiu Ling and the Crown Prince.

A motherless, ill‑mannered, clumsy and rude good‑for‑nothing snack, actually the future Crown Princess of Southern Qi?

Hmph! Who let her maternal grandfather be the top imperial merchant of Southern Qi, deeply favored by the Emperor?

No matter how she performed in Shang Jing, how stunningly talented she was, those aristocratic youths would whisper about her, even sympathize with her.

Such a fine young lady, yet she was merely a concubine's daughter.

The title of concubine's daughter weighed on her so heavily she could barely breathe.

And that foolish Gu Jiu Ling needed do nothing; born noble, she was even destined to become the future Crown Princess, perhaps even to reign as mother of the world?

On what basis?

She wanted that wretched Gu Jiu Ling to die!

As long as she lived a day, she would seize the status of the Gu family's legitimate daughter; she must die!

Thinking this, Gu Nanxiang decided to go with Gu Jiu Ling to have a look; if she could find any fault, breaking off the engagement would also vent her anger.

Behind that banana grove, Gu Nanxiang saw Xiao Ting for the first time.

That handsome, somewhat effeminate yet dignified and noble young man.

Just a glance, and he walked into her heart.

Only she deserved to stand beside the Heir Apparent of Southern Qi, as Crown Princess, even as Queen Mother.

Gu Nanxiang drew a hard breath, her eyes flashing with resolve.

She needed to see the Crown Prince; only he could rescue her from Yangzhou City.

Even though her body was now broken and ruined, having been cast into the mire by Gu Jiu Ling, she still knew Xiao Ting liked her.

She knew where her charm lay.

Otherwise, in countless past meetings with the Crown Prince, he would always greet her with a gentle, warm smile.

Only when facing Gu Jiu Ling would a flicker of disgust appear in Xiao Ting's gaze.

Although she had many times hinted at her feelings to the Crown Prince, such a pure‑noble man was not like those frivolous ruffians who would take liberties with her.

Gu Nanxiang knew Xiao Ting liked her.

Thinking this, Gu Nanxiang's heart suddenly gained a bit more hope.

She had once helped him with all her might to shake off that foolish Gu Jiu Ling's entanglement; out of consideration for that, he ought to help her this time too!

She really had no other way!

At that moment Gu Nanxiang felt as if new vitality had been injected into her body; she quickly leaned against the cold wall and slowly rose to her feet.

She carried her book satchel to the shallow beach by the river, and in the dim twilight she washed her dirty face clean, not daring to apply any powder or rouge, after all she was still in male attire—even if she wanted to, she had none!

The silver and jewels she had previously taken from the Cao Clan she dared not spend, instead hiding them beneath the floor of a ruined temple.

After Gu Nanxiang had packed up, she clutched her book satchel and headed toward Xiao Ting's residence.

The Yangzhou prefectural office was already occupied by Xiao Yin and his group of Imperial Envoys; to avoid suspicion, the Crown Prince naturally could not stay with them, so he took up residence elsewhere in an assembly hall.

Although the assembly hall was located somewhat off‑center, not in the heart of Yangzhou City, its construction was extraordinarily splendid and beautiful.

This time, guards of the Feather Forest Guard stood outside the assembly hall; Gu Nanxiang hid in the shadows and watched for about an hour, and indeed she saw Xiao Ting, surrounded by a crowd, enter the assembly hall.

It's just the royal guard, with nothing unusual at all.

This is the Crown Prince she has longed for; thinking of him, a sour feeling welled up in her heart.

If not for Gu Jiu Ling's meddling, she would already be the Crown Princess.

Gu Jiu Ling has made her suffer terribly—humph! She refuses to believe she can't win the Crown Prince's heart.

If she can win the Crown Prince's heart, even if her humble status keeps her from becoming Crown Princess, just managing to get into Xiao Ting's bed—even as a maid in the Crown Prince's residence—would give her a chance to turn the tables.

By then she must make Gu Jiu Ling suffer a cruel death—no, she can't let her die easily; she wants to crush her flesh bit by bit.

Gu Nanxiang's gaze grew frenzied; she drew a deep breath, slowly stepped out of her hiding place, and walked toward the hall where the Crown Prince resided.