Difficult

Xiao Heng'an asked, "Old Master Zuo, where are you hiding?"

Gu Jinning chuckled, "Of course it's the Princess's Mansion. I dug a tunnel inside the Princess's Mansion, right behind the cockfighting arena, all the way to your mansion."

Xiao Heng'an's body stiffened, and he turned to look at her, "The Prince of Jin's residence?"

"Hmm." Gu Jinning chuckled mischievously, "You forgot, our two residences are next to each other. Your training ground is only a few feet away from my cockfighting arena. Just enough space for me to put my skills to use."

Initially, Xiao Juebai intended to bestow adjacent mansions upon the two residences, which occupied the entire street. As a result, the two gates were quite far apart, and the two residences used separate street entrances to travel between them, rarely meeting each other. In addition, since the Princess's residence had not yet been officially settled, it seemed even more silent and unnoticed.

Xiao Heng'an frequently visited the Gu residence, forgetting the existence of the Princess's residence.

Thinking about it carefully, the Prince Jin's residence was set up jointly by Gu Jinning and the Princess's residence, and the servants were also assigned by the Princess's residence. It seems that the underground cave was planned in advance.

Gu Jinning teased, "How about it? We've raided your house, aren't you scared?"

Xiao Heng'an joked, "Are you digging a hole to steal a house or a person? Perhaps Yunshu Courtyard also has an entrance."

"Wow, you're so smart, you guessed that."

Gu Jinning pressed close to him, hooking her neck and whispering in his ear, excitedly recounting her plans, "I plan to start from the Princess's Mansion and dig out an underground palace connecting all directions, which will serve as the base of my Thousand Faces Sect in the capital. The Prince of Jin's Mansion will be the first stop."

The horse slowed down, and the two clung to each other, their ears close together.

Xiao Heng'an said, "If you hollow out the ground, it will be hard for the Ministry of Works not to know."

"That's why I'm digging slowly. I've stopped recently, and I'll start digging again when things are more relaxed, and I'll dig deeper, quietly, so no one will notice. Just don't tell anyone."

Xiao Heng'an smiled and didn't stop her. The street alone, with the Prince of Jin's residence and the Princess's residence, would be enough for her to dig for several years, not to mention the unfounded idea of ​​digging through the capital.

They arrived at the teahouse during their conversation. Gu Jinning invited Xiao Heng'an inside. Xiao Heng'an already knew the whole story, so there was no need for him to worry. He gave Gu Jinning a few instructions and then left in a carriage.

Upstairs, Danniang had already symbolically asked a doctor to examine her, who said that she had suffered a heavy blow to the chest and her internal energy was severely damaged, requiring slow rest and recuperation.

Gu Jinning instructed Aunt Hua to spread the word according to the doctor's words, and gave Dan Niang two bottles of medicine, one for internal use to stabilize her breathing and the other for external use to remove bruising.

She handed Dan Niang a cup of water and suggested, "You can take this opportunity to leave the city."

Dan Niang asked, puzzled, "Why are you leaving? Are you afraid of the King of Qin's retaliation?"

"No." Gu Jinning shoved the water glass into his hand and sat down on the edge of the bed to explain, "I have an important matter that I need you to handle. I was originally thinking about how to get you out of this situation, and now the opportunity is just right. If you don't go, I'll have Bai Sheng go instead."

Mentioning Bai Sheng, Dan Niang swallowed her medicine with a hint of resentment and said, "Fine, I'll go. It's rare that you remember me, how can I let Bai Sheng steal the spotlight?"

Gu Jinning took the porcelain cup, placed it on the small table, and advised, "Bai Sheng only did this because she didn't want you to work so hard. Why should you be angry with her? If I had a sister like her, I would be overjoyed."

Danniang was unappreciative, saying, "She just takes advantage of being the older sister and always makes decisions on her own without ever consulting me."

"Oh, I see." Gu Jinning nodded, resting her chin on her hand. "Then I'll tell her about your injury."

"You dare!"

Dan Niang hastily scolded him, but realized her mistake as soon as the words left her mouth. Embarrassed, she lay back on the bed and apologized, "I'm sorry."

Gu Jinning patted his shoulder and leaned closer to him, saying, "You've vented enough, are you feeling better now? Today, you've all suffered because of me, and I'm sorry for what I did to you. You should rest for a day, and we'll leave the city at noon tomorrow."

She handed him a blueprint, saying, "Where to go and what to do are all on this paper. The task is secondary; the person is the most important. Make sure you come back safe and sound."

This was the first time in many years since her parents passed away that Danniang had heard such words of advice, and her clear eyes, which usually kept people at a distance, became misty.

He grasped Gu Jinning's hand tightly and said solemnly, "Don't worry, I will definitely live up to your expectations."

Gu Jinning gave him and his sister their lives, and he was willing to do anything for her.

Gu Jinning also trusted them. But her principle in life was: as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn.

She can send out a mission that fails, but the person must survive. If anyone is forced to risk their life, she will be furious and berate them.

Bai Sheng was scolded by her several times before he changed his habit of working himself to the bone.

She decided to break into the prison on a whim, and if she hadn't been completely desperate, she wouldn't have even known how to use Xiaoqiu and Xiaodong.

Dan Niang was too stubborn, so Gu Jin Ning was a little worried and asked Xiao Qiu to go with her so that she could be looked after.

The teahouse's leading lady went out of town to recuperate, and she deserved to be served by servants; no one could criticize that.

Gu Jinning returned home after causing trouble and, as expected, was summoned by the old man.

As soon as Gu Jinning entered the study, she knelt down in front of Gu Weiju and said, "Grandfather, your granddaughter has come to apologize."

Gu Weiju glared at her, raised his cane to hit her, and scolded, "Do you feel uncomfortable if you don't cause trouble every day?"

His hand holding the cane trembled twice, but he couldn't bring himself to hit it.

"If you dare to go to the capital city and beat the drum today, you'll dare to file a complaint with the emperor tomorrow!"

Gu Jinning muttered, "If you want to file a complaint with the emperor, just go to your uncle. There's no need to beat the drum."

Gu Weiju gently tapped her on the head, "You dare to talk back!"

"No, no." Gu Jinning covered her head, knelt down beside Gu Weiju's legs, and massaged his legs while begging for mercy. "Grandfather, I had no choice today. If I hadn't made a scene and raised the court, the Prince of Qin would have killed several innocent lives."

Gu Weiju tapped the table. “You’re always so busy. There’s a decree from the palace that your wedding is to be moved up to the eighth day of next month, the same day as the Crown Prince. That’s less than twenty days away. You can rest assured and wait for your wedding.”

"What?" Gu Jinning jumped up and said anxiously, "Why is it ahead of schedule? This is against the rules."

Gu Weiju pulled her down to sit and scolded, "What's all the fuss about? You've been getting quite intimate with Prince Jin lately, what's wrong with getting married early?"

Gu Jinning pouted and lowered her head to straighten her dress. "The Crown Prince is the main character at his wedding. If I'm on the same day as him, wouldn't I be stealing his thunder? That's not fair."

Gu Weiju said, "I won't go by your argument. The Prince of Jin is his uncle, so their seniority is there. Marrying on the same day is a double blessing. Just obey and don't have any ulterior motives."

Gu Jinning verbally agreed, but thought to herself, "No wonder Xiao Heng'an is in a bad mood today; this is the reason."

Although she cooperated with Xiao Heng'an and did not mention annulment of the engagement, she would not marry anyone until the crisis was resolved and she gained her freedom!

After leaving Gu Wei's residence, Gu Jinning was pulled away by Liang Xiaoqiao to discuss marriage matters.

Gu Jinning's wedding dress and dowry had been prepared at the beginning of the year. Liang Xiaoqiao asked Gu Jinning to take a look and let her know if there were any additions or alterations needed so that she could make the necessary arrangements.

Gu Jinning had no interest in discussing the dowry, so she said she was tired and wanted to rest, and asked Liang Xiaoqiao to make all the decisions regarding the dowry.

Gu Xuewen escorted Gu Jinning back to her residence, asking on the way, "Sister, are you unhappy? Don't you like Prince Jin quite a bit?"

Gu Jinning declared, "Liking someone and getting married are two different things. Do you want me to get married soon?"

Gu Xuewen quickly replied, "Of course I don't want to. I can't bear to part with my sister."

Gu Xuewen hugged Gu Jinning's arm, rested her head on her shoulder and said coquettishly, "I'm still waiting for you to tell me more interesting stories about the martial arts world."

Gu Jinning said listlessly, "Let's wait a while. I'm feeling really annoyed lately."

Gu Xuewen suggested, "How about we go watch a Cuju (ancient Chinese football) match? You love excitement."

Gu Jinning waved her hand, "No, no. I'm already part of the excitement myself, how can I have the mind to watch the excitement?"

"Alright," Gu Xuewen said with a hint of regret, "then I'll have to go by myself."

Gu Jinning instructed, "Have your older brother take a vacation to go with you. It's not good for a girl to go out alone. The city has been too noisy lately."

"Okay. I'll go find my brother now."

Gu Xuewen hugged Gu Jinning and left happily.

Gu Jinning sighed, "What a beautiful age!"

Qinglian laughed and said, "You're not old yet, but you've already started to feel sentimental about spring and autumn."

Gu Jinning pouted and turned to go into the pavilion. She had to find a way to postpone the wedding.

After much thought, she couldn't come up with a safe solution. After all, this was a done deal, and if she made any more noise, it would only arouse Xiao Juebai's suspicion.

In the middle of the night, Gu Jinning finally couldn't resist and climbed into Yunshu Courtyard to find out Xiao Heng'an's thoughts.

Xiao Heng'an frankly admitted that the Emperor had already decided on the matter during the daytime court session, and he would present the betrothal gifts in three days. As for what would happen after that, every day before the wedding day was uncertain.

He told her to wait and see and not to rush.

Gu Jinning sighed and resignedly said, "I think there are only two things that can put the wedding on hold: either a funeral in the palace or a change of rulers in the Xiao Kingdom."

After saying that, Gu Jinning felt it was inappropriate and quickly added, "I was just venting, just pretend you didn't hear me."

The crescent moon hangs low in the night sky, casting a hazy, frosty white light through the veil of clouds. The countless stars steal the moon's brilliance, shining dazzlingly.

On the rooftop, Gu Jinning and Xiao Heng'an sat side by side, gazing at the dazzling stars, their hearts filled with a myriad of emotions.

If His Majesty could be tolerant and employ talented people, the Xiao Kingdom would be like the countless stars in the sky, coexisting with the moon and shining brightly in their own way. Unfortunately, he is unwilling to sacrifice even a little of his own light, only wanting to be the sun that reigns supreme over everything.

Gu Jinning asked, "Xiao Wangshu, do you blame me?"

Xiao Heng'an replied, "I don't blame you, I understand you."

Gu Jinning looked at him, her eyes, tired from the day, regaining their sparkle. "We agreed that I would only start a family after I have my freedom. If you can't wait, I won't force you. You can always have other options."

"Then I'll have no choice but to marry you." Xiao Heng'an looked directly at her, joking, but his eyes were filled with deep affection.

"Ah!" Gu Jinning touched his earlobe, sighed heavily, pouted, and joked, "This really puts me in a dilemma."

The two then smiled at each other, and Gu Jinning rolled into Xiao Heng'an's arms, saying, "Let's talk about it later. There's still a long way to go."

The frogs by the pond were asleep, and the sparrows had retreated into their cages to rest. All was quiet. Gu Jinning laughed and played wildly, trying to break through the desolate atmosphere of the moonlit night.

Xiao Heng'an held her tightly, letting her truly feel his warmth, calming her restless heart, and making her feel a sense of belonging to a home.

"Xiao Wangshu, I want a house, a house that belongs only to us."

"Okay, it will happen."