Chapter 83: Uprooting the Roots

Princess Changping stared intently at Gu Jiu Ling; this time she truly did not want to release the scoundrel Gu Jiu Ling, yet half of her body felt numb, tingling, even a little itchy, and she couldn't help panicking.

Gu Jiu Ling had only just given Princess Changping a single dose of anesthetic; this trick couldn't fool her for long, so a swift, decisive action was the only option.

She now had to return to the Princess's residence; the imperial physicians could manage basic Chinese medicine, but they were utterly incapable of the postoperative observation and care required after such a major surgery.

If Cheng Ming truly died, it would be an uncleanable stain even if one leapt into the Yellow River.

She suppressed her impatience, stared steadily at Princess Changping, let out a light laugh, then plopped onto the ground and said, "Changping, didn't the imperial aunt tell you that ignoring the elders' advice brings loss right before your eyes?"

"If your face were ruined beyond repair, turned into a hideous monster, even your brother Gu Cheng would refuse to deal with you!"

"Shut up!" Changping wanted to kill this treacherously cunning woman.

Gu Jiu Ling sneered, "Fine, I'll shut up, but let me kindly remind you that the poison I administered will take effect in at most half an hour; think that through."

Princess Changping's expression wavered; this whole scheme was still orchestrated by Gu Cheng, and her mother consort seized the chance to expand the plot, even alarming the emperor.

The goal was to suppress Prince Rui; lately Prince Rui had become a bit unruly, and the emperor was well aware.

But Prince Rui was once the war god of Southern Qi, held considerable prestige in the army, and they could not openly kill him for fear of losing popular support; thus they targeted Gu Jiu Ling instead.

I originally came to the Imperial Clan Office just to mock Gu Jiu Ling, to harshly humiliate her before her death, but I didn't expect to be caught off guard right away.

If Gu Jiu Ling were released now, neither the mother consort nor the emperor could give an explanation.

But if we don't release her, what about her face?

Seeing Gu Jiu Ling actually sitting there, composed and unruffled, made her even more uneasy.

"Fine! I agree!" Princess Changping said in a deep voice.

A faint smile curled at Gu Jiu Ling's mouth as she slowly rose: "Good! Very good! He who knows the times is a hero!"

"Stop!" Princess Changping said gravely: "You are only permitted to go to the Princess's residence; if you go elsewhere, you become a wanted criminal ordered captured by the emperor, and even I cannot protect you!"

As long as we coax this scoundrel into giving her the antidote, we can later have someone kill her outside, fabricate an excuse that Gu Jiu Ling fled with a crime, making her death mysterious and untraceable.

Gu Jiu Ling shrugged: "Fine! Only to the Princess's residence!"

"Where's the antidote! Give it to me first!" Princess Changping glared at Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling chuckled lightly: "Changping, do you think I'm foolish? If I give you the antidote now, how will you keep me locked here?"

"Antidote, huh! Easy enough! When we reach the Princess's gate, I'll give it to you; if I don't, I'm a dog! Okay?"

Princess Changping's eyes flickered slightly, and she thought to herself, "You're quite the dog right now."

She snorted coldly, turned, and gestured to the two jail guards to release her; the guards clearly looked frightened.

Gu Jiu Ling was a serious offender sent in by Noble Consort Duan; could they just let her go like that?

Princess Changping had to produce the mother consort's seal, and only then did the two men unlock the chains on Gu Jiu Ling.

Gu Jiu Ling loosened her limbs, feeling relieved; had Princess Changping not lunged at her earlier, she wouldn't have been able to give her that needle.

She walked to the cell door, glanced at the Princess Changping, who seemed eager to devour her, and said lightly, "By the way, let me remind you of something."

The poison I used is called "Half‑Step Madness with a Smiling Laughter"; its after‑effect is strong. If you don't want it to spread, you cannot walk normally—you must hop forward. Even after taking the antidote, you must keep hopping for seven days; a single misstep would bring unthinkable consequences!

"You…" Princess Changping snapped, "How can one hop while walking?"

Gu Jiu Ling smiled: "Good! You must obey the doctor's words!"

She turned and left the cell; Princess Changping's gaze was as cold as frost, staring hard at Gu Jiu Ling's back, grinding her teeth, then suddenly she pressed her legs together and hopped toward the doorway.

The two guards were instantly dumbfounded.

"What are you staring at? Keep looking and I'll gouge out your eyeballs!" Princess Changping glared.

The two guards hurriedly lowered their heads.

Gu Jiu Ling followed the hopping Princess Changping forward; though it was satisfying to tease her, the pace was rather slow. Just as they finally reached the doorway, Princess Changping's carriage was already waiting outside.

Princess Changping stood beside the carriage, troubled; this time she had slipped out without any palace maids, and she couldn't simply walk onto the carriage.

She dared not let the poisonous woman Gu Jiu Ling assist any longer, so she forced a nearby guard to hoist her onto the carriage, a complete loss of face.

Gu Jiu Ling also boarded the carriage.

The carriage headed toward the Princess's residence; it was deep night, the streets quiet, with few pedestrians.

Princess Changping stared at Gu Jiu Ling, pausing after each word: "Gu Jiu Ling, if you dare later to lie to me about the antidote, I have countless ways to make you die a thousand, ten thousand times!"

Gu Jiu Ling smiled: "Don't worry, I'm as good as your elder; I won't deceive a child!"

Princess Changping was about to speak when a shrill war‑horn blast rang out, followed by a hail of arrows raining down on the carriage where Gu Jiu Ling sat.

Gu Jiu Ling's complexion changed instantly; she grabbed Princess Changping's head, and the two of them fell flat together.

Arrows whizzed past their heads; though Gu Jiu Ling wanted the little scoundrel dead, dying together would leave a hundred mouths unable to explain.

If Emperor Longqing raged, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But who had the nerve to attempt an assassination on Princess Changping?

Wait, perhaps they intended to kill her, not caring even about Princess Changping!

Ah!! Princess Changping screamed.

"Get down!!" Gu Jiu Ling kicked her out of the carriage, then flipped, clutching her abdomen, also rolled down, dragging Princess Changping into the space beneath the carriage.

The dense arrows nearly turned the carriage into a porcupine, but the dead spot beneath the carriage remained untouched.

At this moment, in a dark private room on the second floor of a teahouse sat a stern‑looking young man, without a candle, sitting in the gloom, sipping alone.

His icy gaze fixed on the carriage in the street, his eyes flashing with a cold sheen.

The curtain of the private room lifted, and another young man sat beside him, glancing outside and chuckling softly, "Gu Cheng! That carriage not only holds Gu Jiu Ling but also Princess Changping!"

"Are you not planning to become the prince consort? What if the princess's life is harmed?"

Gu Cheng replied coldly, "Such a fool, how could I look after him?"

"Even if we wound her, the Duan family would think it was done by Xiao Yin's side; who could suspect us?"

"Moreover, Xiao Wei is too reckless; the more reckless, the less likely to survive. You and I are both staff of the Crown Prince; some truths we see we keep silent about. What do you think, Heir Apparent Zheng?"

Zheng Qi, the Heir Apparent of the Cheng'an Bo mansion, shivered inwardly; this person truly is ruthless!

He kindly reminded, "It's a good thing she's also your sister; wouldn't keeping her as a trap for Xiao Yin be bad? Moreover… these past few days haven't you noticed the Crown Prince's attitude toward Gu Jiu Ling has shifted a bit? If you act like this… might the Crown Prince be displeased?"

Gu Cheng smiled faintly, "Gu Jiu Ling is not a simple woman; keeping her will sooner or later become the Crown Prince's disaster. A short pain is better than a long one; cutting the weed at the root is the best strategy!"