Chapter 91

Gu Jiu Ling had just seen off Zuo Feichen, and hadn't even caught her breath when the steward outside came rushing over in a panic.

"Master! Master! Princess Changping has arrived!"

Gu Jiu Ling blinked, then immediately understood, and couldn't help letting out a cold laugh: "Go check the front hall!"

She hurriedly led people to the front hall, but as she stood at the doorway she saw two palace guards carrying a soft sedan chair entering through the gate of Rui Wangfu.

Sitting in the sedan chair was Princess Changping herself, her face covered by a veil, only her eyes visible, full of anger and hatred.

Thus the sedan chair stopped at the door of the main hall; seeing Gu Jiu Ling blocking the entrance, they had no choice but to set it down.

Two maidservants hurried over to help Princess Changping out of the sedan; she glanced left and right, and all the servants—whether carrying the chair or helping her down—turned their backs.

Gu Jiu Ling watched with interest, arms crossed; this time Princess Changping's gaze at her held even more obvious hatred.

"Oh! Isn't this my dear niece!" Gu Jiu Ling chuckled, "What gentle breeze blew my dear niece here?"

"A humble abode gains splendor! A humble abode gains splendor!"

Princess Changping's face twitched slightly; she wished she could kill Gu Jiu Ling, but dared not act.

That night, Xiao Yin's killing look was practically her nightmare.

But after Xiao Yin took Gu Jiu Ling away, Gu Jiu Ling still hadn't given her the antidote; now she lives in constant anxiety, afraid even to walk the road, and although her face shows none of the festering symptoms Gu Jiu Ling mentioned, she still feels a tingling misery.

Princess Changping ignored Gu Jiu Ling, suddenly lifted her leg and hopped onto the threshold of the front hall, nearly making Gu Jiu Ling laugh out loud.

She turned and followed her in, watching Princess Changping bounce along like a big rabbit, which looked quite lively.

Princess Changping hopped to the edge of a chair and sat down, her heart in turmoil, wanting only to get the antidote quickly; she lifted her eyes and coldly stared at Gu Jiu Ling seated in the place of honor: "Where's the antidote?"

"You should know it was this princess who brought you out of the Imperial Clan Office; otherwise, the one who broke into the Imperial Clan Office would have been Xiao Yin—do you think my imperial father would let him off?"

Gu Jiu Ling's lips curled slightly, revealing a hint of coldness; she had never seen such a shameless person.

"If it weren't for these lowly schemers plotting against me and Xiao Yin back then, could they have caused all those later troubles? And now they refuse to comply?"

"However, Princess Changping is after all a royal princess; otherwise she'd have been killed long ago by a packet of rat poison."

"Now Xiao Yin hasn't yet reached the point of showing his hand to the emperor, so she can't act freely either."

"But looking at this arrogant, domineering lowlife before her, Gu Jiu Ling feels especially displeased."

"The antidote? I do have it, but..."

"Gu Jiu Ling!" Princess Changping sprang to her feet, glaring at her, "Are you seeking death?"

"I am a princess of a state; how dare you toy with me, going back on your word? At worst, we'll go see the emperor!"

"Tsk!" Gu Jiu Ling rubbed her ears, "Look at you—how do you get worked up just from talking?"

"I never said I wouldn't give it to you, but we agreed you'd send me to the Grand Princess's mansion gate, and I'd give you the antidote—yet you didn't even do that!"

"That's not..." Princess Changping suddenly fell silent, slowly sat down, and stared fixedly at Gu Jiu Ling.

"That's not because halfway through, Xiao Yin burst out killing; just thinking of that killing god, she didn't dare act in Rui Wangfu, and she barely calmed her expression."

"Speak! What exactly do you want?"

Gu Jiu Ling steadied herself, looked at Princess Changping and smiled: "We need more money!"

Princess Changping's eyes flashed with contempt: "How much silver will it take for you to give me the antidote?"

Gu Jiu Ling raised a finger: "Not much—one hundred taels per pill!"

Princess Changping was somewhat surprised; given Gu Jiu Ling's nature, it didn't seem like she'd demand a hundred taels for a single pill?

She had thought it would be a thousand taels per pill, but it's only a hundred—she didn't know what to say.

Thereafter she fixed her stare and said: "Fine! This is what you said—no going back!"

"No regrets!" Gu Jiu Ling laughed innocently.

"Someone! Bring the silver!"

One hundred taels of silver, Princess Changping still had; she could produce it from her person.

"My dear niece, you're straightforward!" Gu Jiu Ling grinned like a cat that got the cream, slowly pulling a thumb-sized small bottle from her bosom.

The bottle was so small that if you didn't look closely, you'd think Gu Jiu Ling was holding nothing at all!

Gu Jiu Ling ordered Jiu Yue to fetch a white sheet of paper and place it squarely before Princess Changping; she took the tiny bottle, walked carefully to Changping, unscrewed the cap, and ever so carefully tipped out a single pill—so tiny it was barely visible, several times smaller than a mouse dropping.

"You..." Princess Changping stared dumbfounded.

"Wang's Baochi Pill!" Gu Jiu Ling laughed proudly, "Specifically for your Smiling Half-Step Collapse!"

"But you see, one pill probably won't cure your poison—you'll need... several bottles!"

"One hundred taels per pill—fair and square, suitable for young and old!"

Princess Changping's face changed instantly, her body trembling slightly with rage.

Gu Jiu Ling gave her a light smile; actually this fool wasn't poisoned at all, but teasing her like this was quite fun.

Princess Changping fixed her gaze on the bottle in Gu Jiu Ling's hand, which probably held several dozen pills; at a hundred taels each, several dozen would be...

... several thousand taels of silver, not a small sum.

"My opinion is, if you want to eradicate the toxin you need a full course—about seven or eight bottles."

Princess Changping almost choked, gritting her teeth and suppressing a facial twitch: "Could... could it be cheaper?"

Gu Jiu Ling pondered: "It's not impossible; how about this: this bottle contains sixty pills, at a hundred taels each that's six thousand taels per bottle; seven bottles would be forty-two thousand taels, I'll knock off the change—just give me forty thousand taels."

A killing intent flickered in Princess Changping's eyes; Gu Jiu Ling smiled: "This is already a family discount—your Imperial Uncle has a violent temper, so don't think of stealing or robbing by illegal means; his temper... isn't very good, you know?"

After an hour, Gu Jiu Ling sat in the study counting banknotes, her smile hardly fading.

The maidservants attending her also smiled with pursed lips, thinking their mistress was perfect in every way—just a bit money‑mad; but her maternal grandfather's house is the Du family of the Nine Pastures royal merchants, so that makes sense.

Having obtained the silver, Gu Jiu Ling naturally felt pleased, pouring it all into her own clinic; before she knew it, late summer had arrived.

That early morning, Jiu Yue came in to report good news!

"Master! Master! The Prince has returned!"

"Good!" Gu Jiu Ling laughed, quickly threw on a robe and headed toward the front gate, striding straight out the door; her heart felt a hint of longing and excitement after their parting.

"Prince!" Gu Jiu Ling hurried out of the main gate, and suddenly the expression on her face froze there.

Just then, Xiao Yin reined his horse to a stop at the gate, a splendid carriage trailed behind him, and from it two delicate, charming women slowly stepped down.