Chapter 337: Exile

Mu Yuanzhi listened and felt embarrassed for him; who would believe that if it were anyone else?

The new emperor said: "You remain as before, serving as a chief clerk at the Imperial Astronomy Bureau, assisting the National Teacher."

His meaning is clear: the Imperial Astronomy Bureau still venerates the National Teacher.

"Alright, I'm also tired; you all may withdraw." The new emperor waved his hand.

Everyone withdrew in response, except Pei Di, who stayed behind.

Mu Yuanzhi turned to look at Pei Di, then left together with Gu Rongjin; the witch doctor walked last, and after they exited the main hall, he called out to them.

"Do you two still have something to ask me?" the witch doctor smiled at them.

Gu Rongjin did not particularly like the witch doctor's face; it was too alluring, making one feel uneasy just looking at it.

Mu Yuanzhi inexplicably asked: "Do you know A Zi?"

"I have met her." the witch doctor said.

!!

Mu Yuanzhi herself did not know why she asked that, nor did she expect him to actually know!

"Tell me in detail."

Gu Rongjin did not quite understand Mu Yuanzhi; A Zi is dead, why does she still care? Could it be that even in such a state A Zi could still escape death? If so, that would be too unbelievable.

"Actually there's not much to say; I once helped her once, because I owed her a favor, I helped her rescue Pei Yunxi, and this Pei Yunxi is the one you know." the witch doctor laughed.

Mu Yuanzhi suddenly recalled that Concubine Deng Jieyu had previously mentioned there was a gender‑ambiguous masked person aiding Pei Yunxi.

Gu Rongjin: "You've certainly been up to a lot of shady dealings."

"Young Master Gu, you flatter me."

"I'm not praising you……"

Mu Yuanzhi: "Then what other bad things have you done?"

"That's hard to say; after all, I'm either doing good or doing bad, and sometimes doing good is actually bad—for example, saving Xiao Chuchu, which in the Princess's eyes is naturally bad." the witch doctor said.

Mu Yuanzhi: ……

"You'd better behave yourself; next time you won't be so lucky." Gu Rongjin said, then realized something was off: "Wrong, although you have redeemed yourself through merit here, what does that have to do with Pei Shangling? He will still come to settle scores with you."

Witch doctor: "Regarding this point, Young Master Gu need not worry; I have my own way of dealing with it."

Mu Yuanzhi also didn't care how he would respond; she brought the topic back to A Zi: "Master Si, do you think A Zi is dead?"

"This kind of question requires me to cast a divination."

Gu Rongjin: "Then go ahead and divine!"

Only then did the witch doctor take out an extraordinarily luminous night pearl; judging by its material, it should be a Eastern Sea night pearl.

Mu Yuanzhi had never seen such a large night pearl before; the one Pei Shangyan gave her was far smaller.

"Your night pearl is worth a city."

"The Princess truly lives up to her title; her discerning eye spots treasure—this Eastern Sea night pearl is priceless, beyond price." the witch doctor laughed, "But in my hands its sole purpose is for divination."

"Divining with a night pearl?" Mu Yuanzhi had never heard of such a thing.

Gu Rongjin also wondered how one would divine with a night pearl.

"I've only heard of divining with turtle shells or plant leaves, never with a night pearl."

"This is a divination art unique to the Black Sea; it's normal that Young Master Gu hasn't heard of it."

The witch doctor said, sitting cross‑legged, one hand gripping the night pearl, the other covering it, closing his eyes as his long, beautiful fingers wandered over the pearl.

Mu Yuanzhi and Gu Rongjin sat opposite each other on the stone bench, watching the witch doctor divine; curious palace attendants peeked in, wondering what they were doing.

"Do you believe he can divine like that?" Gu Rongjin whispered to Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Hard to say; it touches on my blind spot of knowledge."

To be frank, if the National Teacher produced such a night pearl for divination, I would believe it, but this witch doctor—I still maintain a doubtful attitude.

But since she asked, I'll take it as one possible answer.

After a moment, the witch doctor opened his eyes, exhaled gently, and withdrew the night pearl.

Mu Yuanzhi asked: "How was it?"

"Dead." the witch doctor laughed.

Gu Rongjin: "Your words carry no hidden meaning, do they? I feel there's more beneath the surface."

After being divined by this fellow, he felt somewhat uneasy.

The witch doctor curled his lips: "At least the answer this night pearl gives me is this."

He replaced his hood, as before revealing only the lower half of his face: "I, your humble servant, take my leave now."

Mu Yuanzhi watched the witch doctor's retreating back, silent; Gu Rongjin pinched her cheek: "What's wrong, little Mu Yuanzhi, why so grave? Do you think this Master Si is talking nonsense?"

"I'm merely thinking that death doesn't necessarily mean true death."

Just like her, she has obtained a chance to start over.

"? What do you mean? I don't get it—when a person dies, does the spirit still live? Borrowing a corpse to return the soul? Seizing the soul and capturing the spirit?" Gu Rongjin exclaimed wildly.

Mu Yuanzhi did not laugh; she said: "Who knows?"

"Alright, stop wandering in thought; you've been bewitched by that demon's heresy." Gu Rongjin took Mu Yuanzhi's hand: "Everything's settled; now we must relax properly, nurture the pregnancy, and await the arrival of our little one!"

Mu Yuanzhi nodded with a smile: "Exactly, let's go home!"

The case of Pei Biao's assassination of the crown prince was transferred to the Imperial Court of Justice for handling; all involved parties—Xiao Yichen, Xiao Chuchu, and the chief culprit—were exiled, to be carried out after autumn.

In the capital Jingcheng, the Xiao mansion, once all the rage, fell into decline, while the Grand General's mansion was restored; Mu Yuanzhi and Gu Rongjin moved in.

During this period Mu Yuanzhi devoted herself to nurturing the pregnancy at home, only occasionally going out for walks; she did not know what method the witch doctor used, but Pei Shangling seemingly had no intention of settling scores with him, and of course she herself did not care either.

In the blink of an eye, she had already completed a full ten months of pregnancy, nearing delivery; the new emperor ordered two imperial physicians to reside temporarily at the Grand General's mansion as acting mansion physicians, and also selected several steady midwives from the palace to stay at the mansion ready for duty at any moment; Pei Di also frequently came to visit Mu Yuanzhi.

Gu Rongjin spent each day in anxious anticipation, not knowing whether his wife's labor would come early or late, constantly waiting; the new emperor specially permitted him recently to skip court audiences and remain at home to properly care for his wife.

"You guys like this, making me a bit nervous." Mu Yuanzhi from time to time needs to take a deep breath to relax; it's clear she is indeed a bit nervous.

"You, as a doctor, can't be nervous—take a deep breath with me!" Gu Rongjin demonstrated.

"You still have the nerve to say that, it's all your fault, you make me the most nervous!" Mu Yuanzhi complained.

Qilin: "You can't blame him either, senior sister, this is your first pregnancy, I'm also very nervous."

"Little Qilin, how come you're also speaking up for him? You're making me even more nervous!"