Chapter 74: Fire broke out in the rear courtyard

As soon as Gu Jiu Ling finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room grew somewhat oppressive.

If it's truly as the master said, the skin on Ya Nu Hou's neck was peeled off alive; then her burned appearance, her poisoned mute voice — just thinking about it is a terrifying conspiracy.

Gu Jiu Ling coughed once: "It's fine; in this world, paper can never ultimately contain fire; sooner or later the truth will come to light."

First take good care of her; after her injuries heal, then slowly ask her questions.

Gu Jiu Ling slowly rose, seeing that it was also late; today she had nearly lost her life, naturally she was tired.

She fixed her gaze on Ya Nu lying on the bed, sighed and said: "Ya Nu, Ya Nu's shouting is also unpleasant to hear."

She wandered destitute, and ended up by my side, even saving my life; this is also a fate between us.

Jiu Yue, tonight you and Yun Duo will stay by her side to look after her; when she wakes, tell her I have given her a new name.

Gu Jiu Ling thought and said: "Just call her Jinzhi!"

Jiu Yue quickly responded, while Yun Duo on the side was secretly startled; the Princess Consort really likes the character "jin".

Gu Jiu Ling lay down on the bed and fell asleep, feeling as if she were paralyzed.

Previously she had encountered a plague and fallen seriously ill; her body still hadn't recovered, and following Xiao Yin she encountered this ordeal; this time she felt aches all over, as if she had been beaten.

She then started having nightmares, still being pursued; she gasped heavily, and just as she fell into despair, suddenly she felt a hand slowly stroking her forehead.

She instantly woke up, meeting Xiao Yin's pair of shimmering, affectionate peach-blossom eyes.

She stared at him; his night attire was still on, not knowing what mischief he was up to in that outfit, mysterious and secretive, even carrying the dampness of night dew.

This time he sneaked silently into her bedroom, crouching like a monkey beside her, which startled Gu Jiu Ling.

Xiao Yin turned over and lay beside Gu Jiu Ling, flicked his distinctively jointed palm, and complained: "Really, you sweat so much, it's filthy."

Gu Jiu Ling's eye twitched: "Don't use your noble hand to touch this old lady's forehead!"

"Prince, in the future when you come to see me, don't sneak around; it's frightening in the middle of the night."

Xiao Yin snorted coldly, noncommittal: "The entire Rui Wang Fu is mine; I can go wherever I want."

"Alright!" Gu Jiu Ling chose to keep silent.

Xiao Yin seemed not intending to leave, propping his head on his arm, lying sideways beside her; after a long while he slowly said: "I am not doing this for the throne."

The word "throne" is too sensitive; Gu Jiu Ling instantly lost all sleepiness.

Xiao Yin didn't look at her, but slightly turned his head toward the moonlight filtering through the carved window lattice.

"Have you heard of Qi Sha Gu?"

Gu Jiu Ling's mind stirred; is this going to be a night-long candlelit talk with her?

She hurriedly nodded and said: "Qi Sha Gu… I've heard of it; it seems the Prince was there before…"

The following words Gu Jiu Ling couldn't say in front of Xiao Yin; one couldn't say, "Prince, I've heard of that place; that's your life's Waterloo, defeat piled high, chased and burned, even the root of your lineage was crippled."

She wanted to say it, but dared not.

Xiao Yin slowly said: "In Qi Sha Gu there is a huge pit, equivalent in size to the palace's Taiye Pond."

"In the bitter cold of winter, it's freezing, the wind fierce, always feeling as if it could blow a person's bones apart."

Xiao Yin's voice is very pleasant, with a hint of magnetism.

"The Bei Di cavalry regiment drove our people into the deep pit; they are Bei Di's most fierce cavalry, unlike the intelligence we previously obtained."

"Tens of thousands of cavalry, among them also Southern Qi scouts."

Gu Jiu Ling's heart leapt; she turned her face to look at Xiao Yin lying beside her.

The moonlight was bright, covering his handsome features, making his skin appear very fair.

He whispered: "We were betrayed by our own; our warhorses stumbled and couldn't run, our provisions were poisoned, and our ambush positions were all known to the enemy."

"That wasn't an encounter battle; it was more like we were sold by our own to the Bei Di people, who together with the Bei Di drove us like livestock into the deep pit."

"No reinforcements, no food or water, no warhorses; we dragged our sick bodies and held out for a whole month."

"Inside the pit, corpses lay everywhere, layered upon each other; burning oil flowed in, many severely ill people hallucinated and rushed into the flames, being burned to charcoal."

"I can hear……"

Xiao Yin's face was covered with a layer of deep sorrow, the sorrow so thick it seemed unable to dissipate.

He inhaled, feeling as if he were about to drown in his own memories.

Xiao Yin solemnly said: "Jiu Ling, I can hear their wails, their unwilling angry low growls, their cries of longing for hometown and kin……"

"They are all very young; the youngest soldier beside me is only twelve, he died before my eyes, yet I was powerless."

"This weeping has lasted a full seven years!"

At this moment Gu Jiu Ling even forgot to breathe, not daring to speak, simply staying by his side.

After a long while Xiao Yin let out a low laugh, the laugh strange, like a night owl in the dark, his voice hoarse as he said: "I spent seven years to obtain a list."

"Those we fought hard to protect stabbed us in the back; do you think I can let them go?"

Xiao Yin turned his face to look at Gu Jiu Ling; Gu Jiu Ling's heart raced wildly; at this moment Xiao Yin seemed very unfamiliar to her.

She hurriedly said: "Absolutely cannot let them go! Not a single one of those little trash can be left!"

Xiao Yin let out a low laugh, rubbed Gu Jiu Ling's hair, and said: "Right, not a single one can be left."

"By the way, this I'll return to you."

Xiao Yin took out a slip from his bosom and handed it to Gu Jiu Ling; she was startled and quickly took it.

"Your dowry list, I'm returning it all to you, and I've also added some silver as compensation for your several times of supporting the Prince!"

Gu Jiu Ling's eyes instantly lit up; she sprang up and repeatedly thanked Xiao Yin.

But Xiao Yin coldly stared at her: "Don't think that taking the silver lets you escape my grasp, enter my scheme, and think you can withdraw easily; understand?"

"That day you clung to the Prince's leg, begging him to marry you, after which there would be no possibility of separation for us."

Xiao Yin smiled faintly: "In my domain, there is no divorce, only widowhood!"

Gu Jiu Ling felt her heart pound with shock and fear.

Damn it! So vicious!

She can't leave him now, after all, just having money isn't enough; you also need power to be able to go!

Xiao Yin, on the other hand, didn't scare her anymore; he got up and left the Peach Blossom Pavilion.

Gu Jiu Ling simply couldn't sleep soundly; she woke up the next morning with two dark circles under her eyes.

The mute servant, that is Jinzhi, came over with Yun Duo and Jiu Yue accompanying her, and knelt down to kowtow to Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling felt sympathy for this girl, and besides, she owed her a favor, so she naturally kept her close and took good care of her.

Unexpectedly, the front courtyard steward said that Bei Di's little prince, Tuo Ba Yu, requested an audience, and Gu Jiu Ling jumped in surprise.

She had completely forgotten about Tuo Ba Yu—how did he suddenly think to come see her at the Rui Wang Fu?

She hurriedly got up, tidied herself up, and went to the front courtyard.

At this moment, Xiao Yin in the East Garden had also finished preparing, ready to go out and meet Xiao Zheng; now he was on Xiao Zheng's side.

As he walked toward the Wangfu gate, he told Ling Feng, 'Recently assign a few dark guards to watch the Princess Consort, keep a close eye on her.'

Ling Feng blinked, then quickly said, 'Just now Tuo Ba Yu came, and he brought a lot of nourishing gifts.'

Xiao Yin gave a cold smile and said, 'I'm not acquainted with him; just have the steward send him away, and say I'm not in the manor.'

A strange flicker crossed Ling Feng's face as he whispered, 'It's not for you, my lord; they're looking for our Princess Consort.'

Xiao Yin's steps froze in place, his face darkened, and he turned and walked toward the front hall.

'Prince! Prince! Aren't you going to see the Sixth Prince?' Ling Feng hurriedly followed after him.

'See what? The rear courtyard is on fire!' Xiao Yin's face turned pallid, and his steps quickened even more.