Chapter 658: Rescue

Gu Jiu Ling didn't expect Ling Feng to come over; she got up and walked to the outer room.

Jiu Yue lifted the curtain to let Ling Feng in; seeing his face was truly tense and solemn, she couldn't help but feel a jolt in her heart—could there be another major matter?

Isn't this preventing people from resting properly?

"What do you need?" Gu Jiu Ling sat upright in the main seat, looking at Ling Feng, who was bowing respectfully.

Ling Feng hurriedly knelt and kowtowed to Gu Jiu Ling, saying, "Please, Princess Consort, save my life!"

Gu Jiu Ling's hand holding the tea cup paused slightly: "Save a life? Whose life?"

Ling Feng hurriedly said, "Please, Princess Consort, save Meng!"

Gu Jiu Ling froze there; she had already released that boy from the space earlier, thinking nothing was wrong, after all Xiao Yin was busy with Yingzhou City affairs and hadn't inquired further.

Upon hearing that Meng had encountered trouble, Gu Jiu Ling's expression changed slightly.

"What happened to him?"

Gu Jiu Ling knew Meng's martial arts were not weak; even when she was trapped in Yingzhou City, with only Meng by her side, she had settled every problem neatly.

Ling Feng hurriedly replied, "In response to my lord, this morning the Prince somehow flew into a rage, summoned Meng to the main hall, and has already struck him thirty times with military rods; if this continues, he will either die or be crippled!"

"Master, you also know, the Prince's family law is severe; those military rods are much thicker than the rods ordinary families use to punish servants."xiumь. com

"No one in the whole manor dares to speak a word for Meng; now perhaps only you, my lord, can say something."

"Please, Princess Consort, consider Meng's days of following by your side; intercede for him before the Prince and give him a chance to live."

Gu Jiu Ling had already risen; there was no need to beg for that word.

She now understood that Xiao Yin's punishment of Meng was also because of her; originally Meng was placed by the Prince beside her to protect her and also to restrain her, yet they ended up colluding, and he accompanied her to Yingzhou City.

In Xiao Yin's eyes, this behavior was sheer nonsense, the circumstances quite serious.

After Xiao Yin conquered Yingzhou City, he had many things to do, yet he did not pursue this matter.

Moreover, her and Meng's antics in Yingzhou City this time played a key role in eliminating the eight great clans; merit offsetting fault, Xiao Yin shouldn't punish her to this extent.

Gu Jiu Ling walked toward the front courtyard; Jiu Yue and Yun Duo hurriedly followed.

Jiu Yue quietly asked Ling Feng, "How is the person now?"

A flicker of anxiety crossed Ling Feng's eyes: "He hasn't lost consciousness yet, but he's lost a lot of blood; I hope it's not too late."

Gu Jiu Ling hurried forward, taking three steps at a time, and soon after passing the flowered corridor arrived at the front hall.

Indeed, a crowd of servants knelt black‑and‑thick on the ground, all having come from Shang Jing.

These people had originally been watching Gu Jiu Ling, but after the Princess Consort went missing, Jiu Yue and Yun Duo came together to Yingzhou to personally apologize to Xiao Yin.

Initially they were deceived by the Princess Consort's ruse, and with Miss Jinzhi assisting from the side, they still didn't notice that the Princess Consort had already left the capital; by the time Steward Zheng discovered it, it was too late.

The sound of military rods striking flesh came from the courtyard, making listeners' scalps go numb.

"Stop!"

Gu Jiu Ling hurried over and looked at Xiao Yin, who was seated beneath the eaves of the main hall.

Xiao Yin wore a cloud‑white brocade robe, leaning lazily in his chair.

He had originally intended to deal with those slaves from Shang Jing, but he didn't expect that, in the eyes of those Shang Jing slaves, his words would go unheeded.

He had repeatedly urged them to protect the Princess Consort well, yet they ended up letting her escape like a cicada shedding its shell, leaving no trace.

This is Gu Jiu Ling's good luck—she advanced step by step in Yingzhou City.

"That girl really is lucky; to this day he can't fathom how Gu Jiu Ling managed to bring Meng and Lord Li through that narrow passage."

"If she had taken a single wrong step, that place would likely be Gu Jiu Ling's burial site."

"Those people kneeling before him, under normal circumstances, might not even keep their heads."

Xiao Yin finally found time today to deal with these people, and in the process to establish authority, but he didn't expect his prestige to be still unformed when a clear voice rang out.

Gu Jiu Ling hurried over and interrupted his family law.

"Your Highness!" Gu Jiu Ling understood why Xiao Yin was punishing these people; she stepped forward and stood in front of Meng.

The guards carrying out the family law hastily retracted their rods, for if they accidentally injured the Princess Consort, ten of their heads wouldn't be enough to atone.

The instant Xiao Yin heard Gu Jiu Ling's voice, he could no longer remain seated.

Both hands rested on the armrests, then he slowly straightened his body.

His hands, gripping the armrests too tightly, turned white at the joints as he desperately suppressed the urge to rise and walk toward her.

"What brings the Princess Consort here?" Xiao Yin, still irked by this morning's banknotes, said testily.

Gu Jiu Ling was furious beyond measure—wasn't this a case of feigning ignorance?

Gu Jiu Ling glanced coolly at the guards holding the rods; the two retreated repeatedly, at a loss, looking toward their own lord.

At this moment, in the eyes of the Azure Dragon Army, Gu Jiu Ling's prestige was nearly on par with the Prince's—no, sometimes the Prince even had to gauge the Princess Consort's expression.

Gu Jiu Ling coldly regarded the man before her; last night's tenderness and passion seemed to have vanished completely.

"Please, Your Highness, spare Meng."

Xiao Yin replied indifferently, "What does this have to do with the Princess Consort?"

Gu Jiu Ling blinked, feeling that his words carried a hint of jealousy no matter how she listened.

"Isn't it just that this morning she said those things that annoyed him, and now he's taking it out on Meng?"

Gu Jiu Ling simply walked over to Meng: "Each person bears responsibility for their own actions; I'll help you up—go rest and heal first."

Meng sucked in a breath, painfully lifting his head: "Th… thank you, Princess Consort… but… I, as a subordinate, failed to protect you; the Prince's punishment is… what I deserve."

Although Meng's skin was split and flesh torn from the beating, he remained conscious.

How could he dare let the Princess Consort help him up? That would be pure suicide.

He had previously let the lady escape and then followed the Princess Consort to Yingzhou, causing this great disturbance.

If the Prince didn't have him executed, that was already giving him three‑tenths of face.

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes flared; she bent over and seized Meng's arm: "Since you are my servant, whether to strike or punish is my say—others don't count."

Unexpectedly, Meng seemed to have used a thousand-jin drop, clinging tightly to the stool.

Gu Jiu Ling is, after all, a woman; how could she possibly pull the highly skilled Meng up from the stool?

Unless Meng gets up himself, Gu Jiu Ling gritted her teeth, turned and looked at Xiao Yin seated in the place of honor: "You make him get up."

Xiao Yin couldn't help but secretly sneer, "Is he dead?"

In his presence, pulling and tuging with other men; if it weren't for his sweetheart, they'd have been dragged out and chopped already.

At this moment, Xiao Yin recalled the few silver notes Gu Jiu Ling had given him that morning, his face darkening slightly: "Your servant? He's still the one I gave you; since you said this morning that you wanted to sever ties with me, Xiao Yin, having nothing to do with me, then how did my people become yours?"

As soon as Xiao Yin finished speaking, Gu Jiu Ling clenched her fist; this guy is purely asking for a beating.