Chapter 81: with translation of chapter title

Gu Jiu Ling coldly looked at Princess Consort of Rui and smiled: "Your Ladyship, I, your servant, truly do not know why Your Ladyship has mustered such forces; even if you wish me dead, I must die with a clear understanding, is that not so?"

Princess Consort of Rui gave a cold snort: "Good! Bring them up!"

At Princess Consort of Rui's order, the Imperial Secret Guard suddenly escorted three people to Gu Jiu Ling's presence.

Upon seeing the three people before her, Gu Jiu Ling's expression changed slightly; it was actually the Chen family of three she had sent away a few days earlier.

She furrowed her brows, staring fixedly at Chen Pozi kneeling in front: "Oh! What play is this?"

Chen Pozi had never experienced such a scene; her body trembled slightly, and the cold words of the eldest son of the Xiang mansion came to mind.

Once this matter is settled, she will be given a tavern in Jing Cheng and a life of wealth and honor, which is surely better than staying in the countryside, right?

These days, Chen Pozi, because of her daughter's opportunity, has witnessed the wealth and honor she never saw in the countryside; once a person harbors greed, it is like releasing an arrow with no turning back.

She also dared not meet Gu Jiu Ling's icy gaze, merely lowering her head and covering her mouth with a handkerchief as she wept.

"Speak! What exactly is going on?" Princess Consort of Rui's gaze fell on Gu Jiu Ling: "Why did you block the princess's carriage to file a complaint?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Pozi burst into tears: "I, your servant, am wronged!"

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"I, your servant, was still in the countryside when Princess Consort of Rui's subordinate found me, saying there was a fortune to be bestowed upon me."

Chen Pozi covered her mouth with her handkerchief and wept loudly: "Back then, I, your servant, did not know what Princess Consort of Rui intended; she was a noble, and I, your servant, had no choice but to comply, so I brought my daughter to Jing Cheng."

"Princess Consort of Rui originally ordered only the daughter to be brought, no others needed; I, your servant, kept a wary eye and also brought my family's old man along."

"Princess Consort of Rui then commanded that I, your servant, follow the princess's household; as for her secretly contacting me, I was forbidden to speak of it, so I, your servant, had to agree."

Gu Jiu Ling was utterly stunned, wondering if the world could still turn black and white upside down like this.

Originally she had not intervened in this matter, merely wishing to avoid trouble, so she let the princess's household seek that patient; she never expected it would still rebound onto her.

Gu Jiu Ling could not help but laugh angrily, coldly staring at Chen Pozi: "Fine, if you claim to be my emissary who contacted you beforehand, do you have any evidence?"

"Elder sister, just admit it—wasn't it you who sent me to the countryside to contact Chen Pozi?"

Suddenly a clear voice rang out; a flamboyantly dressed youth strode over—none other than Gu Jiu Ling's younger brother, Gu Kang.

Gu Kang coldly regarded Gu Jiu Ling: "Elder sister, you merely boasted in the princess's household that you could cure the young marquis's illness, which is why you sent me to the countryside to find a pregnant woman to cooperate with your act."

"But you cannot simply tear a child from someone's womb alive; such an inhumane act, I, Gu Kang, could never commit, and today I will uphold righteousness by sacrificing kin!"

Gu Jiu Ling could not help but laugh angrily; it turned out they had been waiting for her here all along!

She looked at her brother before her, whose face was as beautiful as jade and who possessed a fine appearance, and found herself speechless.

It must be the Gu family directing him to do this; she felt waves of chill in her heart.

The most sorrowful thing in this world is to be stabbed in the back by one's own kin.

Gu Kang made a scene before her; she had only lightly reprimanded him, never expecting him to aid the Gu family's wolves in shifting blame and framing her, her own elder sister.

Now both human and material evidence are present, and moreover it is his own younger brother who steps forward to testify, making the situation increasingly unfavorable.

Gu Jiu Ling coldly laughed: "When Miss Chen was brought to Jing Cheng, I knew nothing about it; perhaps my brother has lost his mind to utter such words."

"Furthermore, Miss Chen was unmarried, so how could she be pregnant? Moreover, the monstrous fetus taken from her womb at that time was also seen by our Grand Princess; on what grounds do they claim I extracted her fetus? It's sheer nonsense!"

Chen Pozi hurriedly said: "My daughter is married; her husband works the fields in the countryside, an honest man, and Princess Consort surely knows this."

The Chen family has completely turned black and white upside down, overturning everything before and making it appear as if she, to curry favor with the Grand Princess, arbitrarily harmed lives.

Gu Jiu Ling once again witnessed the wickedness of human nature; she had healed Chen Cuihua's illness and privately given her silver, yet now, seeing her lower her head without a word, tacitly accepting her crime, Gu Jiu Ling could not help but coldly laugh.

"Enough, you frame me like this; we have nothing more to say. The young marquis is still alive; wait until he recovers, then you'll see whether I am a perpetrator of harm or a savior of all."

Princess Consort of Rui would not grant her this opportunity, her voice deep and cold: "Now the matter of the Chen family is already known to His Majesty."

"Princess Consort of Rui is so vicious, for the sake of her reputation as a divine physician she would even harm the young marquis of the princess's household! Seize her!"

Gu Jiu Ling turned to face the Grand Princess: "Imperial sister, do you also believe these people's nonsense? I have already cured my nephew's illness; I only need to wait seven or eight days to remove the sutures, and he will become normal..."

Before Gu Jiu Ling could finish, suddenly the princess's household guards rushed out from Chengming's room, their faces drastically changing: "Terrible! Terrible! The master has vomited blood!"

Gu Jiu Ling startled, according to the anesthetic she had just administered, Chengming should by now be waking up.

Yet upon waking he vomited blood—what could this be? She hurried to rush into the room for a closer look, but was blocked outside by Princess Consort of Rui's men.

Princess Changping coldly snorted: "Do you still intend to harm the young marquis? Are you deaf? You haven't heard that the young marquis has vomited blood—quickly, someone fetch the imperial physician!"

"In this world, no one can survive after having their abdomen opened; even the Chen family maiden you have half‑killed, do you still have the face to go in and treat her?"

Princess Consort of Rui slowly said: "Seize her and send her to the Imperial Clan Office!"

As Princess Consort of Rui's words fell, the dark guard beside Gu Jiu Ling leapt down from the roof, shielding her front and confronting the Imperial Secret Guard.

Gu Jiu Ling stared steadily at the Grand Princess: "Imperial sister, do you truly not believe me?"

A flicker of doubt crossed the Grand Princess's face; she had not imagined the situation would turn out this way.

Yet she had clearly seen the tumor excised from Chen Cuihua's body earlier.

Who would have thought it would turn into a real child—could Gu Jiu Ling be concealing something?

After all, her own brother had stepped forward to accuse her; upon hearing her son vomit blood, she instantly panicked and, without regard for Gu Jiu Ling, turned and hurried into the room.

The dark guard beside Gu Jiu Ling wished to escort her away. Princess Consort of Rui slowly rose: "What? Are the people of Rui Wang Fu planning to rebel? Do they dare defy the imperial command?"