Chapter 395: Do you suspect Qiao Chu?

Yue Yun instantly grew tense: "Master is sick? What illness?! Is it serious? Why did he suddenly fall ill?!"

She let go of Fang Wu and grabbed Qiao Chu's shoulder.

Fang Wu furrowed his brow, also concerned, walked over and asked Qiao Chu: "How did Master fall ill? Wasn't he fine yesterday?"

Yue Yun glared at Fang Wu, was satisfied that he also squeezed over, but for now didn't bother with him.

Qiao Chu said: "It's nothing serious; he can eat and sleep, just needs proper rest, so don't let Master worry."

Yue Yun pressed her lips, looked displeased at Fang Wu, and told Qiao Chu: "Then I'll go see Master!"

"You'd better come another time; Master and Senior Uncle have important matters to discuss."

Fang Wu relaxed upon hearing that.

Yue Yun, seeing this, shouted again: "Don't think you can just let this go! Once Master feels better, I will surely expose you to his face!"

"I am upright and have nothing to fear; Senior Sister, you need not resort to such nitpicking and intimidation!" Fang Wu flicked his sleeve.

"Hmph! So you claim to be upright and fearless! Let you be smug for a few days, but even if we can't disturb Master for now, you've committed an offense—fact—and should first be confined!" Yue Yun insisted relentlessly.

Fang Wu stared in disbelief: "Why should I be confined when I've done nothing wrong? Besides, this matter isn't for Senior Sister alone to decide!"

"You!" Yue Yun gritted her teeth at Fang Wu, "Fine! Then let all the junior disciples judge together whether you should be confined!"

Fang Wu naturally refused: "Only Master can issue such an order!"

"Qiao Chu! Tell me—what should we do?!"

Perhaps because that day was long past, or perhaps because Yue Yun is now full of fire, she had completely forgotten the frightening glance Qiao Chu once gave her, and now she is again being pushy.

Qiao Chu breathed a little harder than before, looked at Yue Yun, and said: "I came out because Master heard you making a fuss outside."

His words succeeded in making Yue Yun shut her mouth; she stomped her feet unwillingly and stormed off angrily!

Qiao Chu said to Fang Wu: "Junior Brother Fang, you should go back too."

Fang Wu clasped his hands: "Thank you, Senior Brother."

Qiao Chu turned and returned to the Heavenly Palace.

Qilin asked him why he had been gone so long, what had actually happened outside.

"Nothing much; it's just that Senior Sister, upset over some trifles, wanted to come see you for judgment, I told her you were ill, she exchanged a few pleasantries and left." Qiao Chu said nonchalantly.

He didn't mention Fang Wu's matter at all.

Qilin let out an oh, "Didn't she come in causing a fuss to visit the sick?"

Qiao Chu: "Master indeed knows Senior Sister well; naturally she caused a scene. I told you and Senior Uncle had important matters to discuss, so she left."

"You did well, little Chu; it's fine, you may go about your business."

"Disciple, I'll take my leave first."

Gu Rongjin watched Qiao Chu's retreating back, then suddenly said: "Qilin, your little disciple is truly sensible; seeing you ill, a few words and he smoothed things over."

"What do you want to say?" Qilin asked.

Mu Yuanzhi: "You mean what happened outside just now wasn't actually a small matter?"

"I don't know whether it was a small matter or not, but outside just now there were clearly two sets of footsteps; Qiao Gongzi only said it was Miss Yue alone, and there was another? What was the point of her making a fuss? Qiao Gongzi didn't say a word about it—whether he didn't want to worry Master or something else, I can't guess."

Qilin looked at Gu Rongjin: "Do you suspect Qiao Chu?"

"Not to that extent." Gu Rongjin said, "But your little disciple is definitely often hiding things from you; I can be certain of that—I'm not trying to drive a wedge between you and your disciple."

Qilin fell silent.

He was usually confident in his judgment of people, yet he kept thinking of Pei Shangling—how, on the spot, Pei Shangling had led him around in circles, a memory still fresh.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Qilin, there's something I just recalled that I think I should tell you."

Qilin: "About Qiao Chu?"

Mu Yuanzhi nodded: "Last night was very late; I saw Qiao Chu returning from outside, heading toward your place—do you know?"

She hadn't thought much of it last night, but now that Gu Rongjin mentioned it, she felt she should ask Qilin.

Qilin shook his head: "I went to sleep and never woke up; no one reported his coming to me."

"I'll talk to him later."

He still wanted to trust Qiao Chu.

All day, Mu Yuanzhi and the others stayed in the Heavenly Palace; only at night would they go to the Underground Palace, and the two little tots fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed.

Gu Rongjin rested his chin on his hand, twirling his brush, and said to Mu Yuanzhi: "Little Yuanzhi, do you think we should ask His Majesty for more leave? Just say the Third Prince is also here, and we have some matters to attend to?"

"You actually just want to take the chance to report to His Majesty that you and the Third Prince met here, right?" Mu Yuanzhi instantly understood.

"Clever! Truly my wife!" Gu Rongjin laughed, pinching Mu Yuanzhi's cheek, "After all, the wily old emperor surely already knows this; I must speak truthfully."

Mu Yuanzhi chuckled: "Even with the emperor far away, you dare call His Majesty wily and crafty?"

"This is fact; half of my praise is in there!" Gu Rongjin said, "Nothing can escape his eyes; honest reporting brings more trust between ruler and subject, which is good—and extra leave would be a pleasant bonus!"

Mu Yuanzhi also propped her head up, looking at him: "Then how do you plan to report this?"

"Didn't I just say that? Be frank; besides, this isn't something that needs hiding—say it and it's said."

Mu Yuanzhi nodded in agreement: "You're right; let's do that."

"All right, I've written it." Gu Rongjin began fluently drafting a letter to the new emperor, "By the way, I should also mention Xiao Yichen's matter to His Majesty obliquely."

"No one has reported Xiao Yichen's news to Qilin for so long; surely he must have run into trouble." Mu Yuanzhi frowned.

She recalled last night's probing gaze, which involuntarily brought Xiao Yichen to mind.

Of course she didn't tell Gu Rongjin about this baseless speculation; after all, maybe she's just jumpy—one can't bring up something so insubstantial that even intuition can't call it, just to discuss it.

If that were the case, they'd be busy to death.

Gu Rongjin nodded while writing, "This Xiao Yichen is like a centipede that dies but doesn't collapse—even exiled, he can still stir up trouble; could he really have boarded the ship of Cold Dew Stronghold?"

I can't believe his former colleagues have sunk to this! Another disgrace of Frost Descent!

"Tomorrow I'll go to the valley and see if I can drag Andelu out!"

"You weren't supposed to wait for him to come to you? Why are you going to look for him? What if he's like Yun Jing Lou and you can't beat him?" Mu Yuanzhi said anxiously.

Gu Rongjin: "Wife, you're making me lose face like this!"