Chapter 717: Kongming Lantern

As soon as Yun Duo finished speaking, everyone was startled.

An auspicious day cannot be postponed, yet the bride now has to meet her former master again.

Even Bai Xiaosheng frowned slightly; he knows Yun Duo and Gu Jiu Ling are close sisters, yet Gu Jiu Ling is still a pawn in his hand.

He must use her to gain greater profit; his own wife's concern for Gu Jiu Ling makes it hard for him to act.

He was about to refuse, but a cold voice came from the sedan chair: "Your Highness, we are master and servant; now that I am married, I can no longer return to her side."

"Your Highness, are you denying us even the last chance to reminisce?"

Bai Xiaosheng was startled for a moment, then smiled faintly: "Whatever the bride says is appropriate."

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes reddened slightly as she walked a few steps to the wedding sedan, lifted the curtain, and met Yun Duo's gaze.

Yun Duo had already taken the pill Gu Jiu Ling gave her, and instantly felt her head heavy and dizzy; seeing Gu Jiu Ling, she hurriedly grasped her hand.

She didn't even know what Gu Jiu Ling had given her, and suddenly her whole body could not move.

Her eyelids fluttered, yet she still clung to Gu Jiu Ling's hand, completely unaware of the brilliant glow in Gu Jiu Ling's palm.

From Bai Xiaosheng's perspective, Gu Jiu Ling was merely leaning at the wedding sedan's window, saying a few words to Yun Duo.

He didn't mind much; after all, he still liked that girl Yun Duo and didn't want their relationship to become too strained.

Yun Duo and his own master exchanging a few words before the wedding didn't require him to step forward and stare.

After a brief moment, Gu Jiu Ling slowly lowered the carriage curtain, raised a hand, wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief, then stepped back, and Bai Xiaosheng, riding his horse, laughed: "Take good care of her."

Bai Xiaosheng nodded, turned, and dared not delay any further.

After all, he is now hiding from Xiao Yin; the arrangement hasn't been completed, and being suddenly found by Xiao Yin would be troublesome.

Nevertheless, Yun Duo is a variable by his side; under Gu Jiu Ling's persuasion, this whole marriage affair erupted.

But if Yun Duo isn't given an explanation, her fiery temperament might indeed cause trouble.

Gu Jiu Ling watched the bridal escort team walk forward, then was taken back to this courtyard by the guards Bai Xiaosheng sent.

There was Yun Duo before; now that Yun Duo has married, the courtyard suddenly feels empty.

Gu Jiu Ling slowly sat on a chair, lifted a tea cup, took a sip, and her expression remained as usual.

The servant attending her showed no sign of anything, apparently relieved.

Gu Jiu Ling slightly lowered her gaze at her palm, which was still faintly throbbing with pain and heat.

She suddenly clenched her hand tightly, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips; soon someone would come looking for her, and the more chaos she causes, the better.

At first she and Yun Duo were confined together, and Bai Xiaosheng sent many people to guard this courtyard.

Now that Yun Duo has left, the courtyard's guards must split, half to protect the new bride's safety; this makes the courtyard's perimeter defenses the weakest.

Gu Jiu Ling then went to the small garden at the back.

She hadn't stayed with Yun Duo in the warm pavilion just to embroider a worthless wedding dress.

Later, Bai Xiaosheng saw that hideously ugly wedding dress and fell into despair; the embroidery maid in the mansion worked through the night to make a new wedding dress for Yun Duo.

These days, her main task with Yun Duo has been making Kongming lanterns, each lantern hidden in her space.

Yun Duo also wondered, after making so many lanterns with the master, where does the master hide them?

One or two are easy to hide; they must have made several hundred.

With so many lanterns, Bai Xiaosheng's people would have noticed long ago, yet this time Bai Xiaosheng showed no reaction, and Yun Duo couldn't ask the master where they were hidden.

She unconditionally trusts Gu Jiu Ling; whatever the master asks her to do, she does.

Gu Jiu Ling arrived in the rear garden, with two maidservants tightly following her.

Gu Jiu Ling sighed, "In such a fortified manor, you guard so tightly, how could I possibly escape?"

"Yun Duo, my feelings for you run deep; now that you've married, my heart is uneasy, and I wish to sit here alone."

The two maidservants refused to leave; Gu Jiu Ling suddenly turned pale and scolded loudly: "Fine, if you don't give me pleasure, I'll make you also displeased."

"Tonight is your sect's great wedding day; if I cause any trouble that prevents your sect's bridal night, how will you both be able to fulfill it?"

"Your sect only says they watch over me, but never said they'd deny me even a moment alone, right?"

"If you want to cause trouble, let's all make it big."

Gu Jiu Ling seemed to summon true Qi; after speaking, she actually knocked over the wind lantern in her hand, instantly igniting the dry branches.

The two maidservants turned pale with fright, hurriedly fetched water to extinguish the fire, then, still shocked, stared at Gu Jiu Ling.

This woman is a lunatic, a complete lunatic!

"Madam, that's too much! Why are you playing with fire again?"

"We are also obeying the master; Madam makes it hard for us… we have no real role, please forgive us and don't cause any trouble."

The two maidservants, uneasy about Gu Jiu Ling being alone, had to stand at the corridor entrance watching her.

Gu Jiu Ling gave a cold smile, turned, and walked toward the back garden.

The two maidservants' sight was blocked; they were somewhat hesitant, and truly dared not go around the artificial hill to see what was actually happening.

But inside and outside the courtyard there was only Gu Jiu Ling, a frail woman without the strength to lift a chicken, so she likely couldn't cause much trouble.

Only the two maidservants didn't notice that Gu Jiu Ling had taken all the lanterns out of the space.

Packed tightly, they covered the entire rear courtyard; she used a special method to link all the Kongming lanterns together.

Gu Jiu Ling lit several key fuses with a firefold; the wind tonight was strong, and before long the Kongming lanterns rose slowly.

"Madam, Madam, what are you doing?"

The two maidservants' faces turned pale; releasing so many lanterns would tell others that something is here.

They tried desperately to bring the lanterns down, but the lanterns rose too fast to reach.

"Help! Help! Bring those lanterns down! Bring them down!"

The two maidservants shouted; the hidden guards around sensed something wrong and leapt out from their hiding places.

Some lanterns hadn't fully risen yet and were taken down by the guards.

The people in the courtyard were simply busy to the point of chaos, but Gu Jiu Ling burst out laughing.

These days have really been stifling; now we finally managed to win one back.

Soon the Kongming lanterns startled the people on the island, and even Bai Xiaosheng and others who were holding a wedding banquet ahead saw them.

Bai Xiaosheng saw that so many Kongming lanterns had risen above the courtyard where Gu Jiu Ling lived, and he was startled.

At that moment the wedding sedan had already stopped at the courtyard gate; Bai Xiaosheng dismounted, and the instant he lifted the curtain his face turned deathly pale.