Chapter 107 [VIP]

Zhang Xiucai was skeptical at the time.

At the temple fair, he saw Zhou Jinnuo, surrounded by a circle of maids and servants, dressed in luxurious clothes and adorned with jewels, exuding an air of haughty pride. He took a liking to her at first sight.

He gave her the lantern with the talisman inside.

She looked at him suspiciously and had her maid give him a piece of silver.

After she left, he secretly followed her. He overheard her saying to the maid, "That scholar is probably just trying to earn his tuition. The imperial examinations are difficult; it's only a small amount of silver. You can take this lantern and play with it."

She was exactly like those opportunistic women who rejected his marriage proposals.

He followed her all the way, and later, she fell in love with him at first sight. Unfortunately, her family members were all snobs and looked down on him.

Scholar Zhang then tricked her into eloping.

He assured him confidently, "Don't worry, I will treat you well."

Officials' families are all concerned about their reputation. They eloped first, and once the deed was done, her family had no choice but to marry her off to them.

To save face, she would definitely provide a large dowry to support him until the day he rises to prominence.

If he is betrothed, she will be his wife; if he elopes, she will be his concubine. Once he passes the imperial examination, Zhou Jinnuo will only need a concubine. With his talent and character, once he achieves fame, he can even marry a princess!

The more Zhang Xiucai thought about it, the happier he became. He then coaxed her, "My mother has been looking forward to you entering my Zhang family every day."

"By the way, where's your bag?"

He looked her over from left to right and saw that her hands were empty, which made him somewhat displeased.

However, his squinty eyes darted around and he spotted Qingmei standing behind Zhou Jinnuo. He excitedly thought: This must be his future maid!

Why did you only bring one?

Zhang Xiucai grasped Zhou Jinnuo's wrist and said tenderly, "Even though you didn't bring a dowry, I won't look down on you. My mother has prepared red candles for us, and tonight we'll consummate our marriage..."

"Meow!"

Snap!

A loud slap landed on his face.

Zhou Jinnuo shook her hand, her eyes vacant as she muttered to herself, "Mother was right, I must be possessed."

If she weren't possessed by an evil spirit, why would she fall for someone with such a twisted mind?

The cool summer night breeze swept over her, dispelling the last trace of confusion in Zhou Jinnuo's mind. Her gaze became clear, completely free of those messy infatuations and bewilderment.

Zhou Liulang had been on tenterhooks all day, but he finally relaxed after hearing the slap and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

Enraged by the slap, Zhang Xiucai swung his fist at Zhou Jinnuo.

"ah!"

Zhou Jinnuo was startled. She didn't have time to dodge and could only cover her face with her hands. However, the expected pain did not come. She slowly let go and saw that Zhang Xiucai's raised arm was grabbed by Qingmei.

"You bitch, let me go!"

“I am your son-in-law. How dare you, a lowly servant, be disrespectful to your son-in-law? Believe me or not, I’ll have your master beat you to death.”

He still mistook Qingmei for Zhou Jinnuo's maid and shouted and struggled loudly.

Gu Zhizhuo walked out of the alley and stood right in front of Zhou Jinnuo, asking directly, "Who gave you the talisman?"

“A talisman.” Zhang Xiucai swallowed hard, his eyes darting around. “What talisman? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

"The talisman you put in the lantern. Who gave it to you?"

Zhang Xiucai's face turned pale instantly. Recalling that slap, he understood everything.

He said guiltily, "No! You've got it wrong."

His face stung with pain, and he thought bitterly: Zhou Jinnuo is also a woman who scorns the weak and flatters the strong, and she can easily change her mind even though he treats her so well.

That person clearly said no one would find out! Liar.

"I have no idea."

Scholar Zhang gritted his teeth and refused to admit it.

He was also well-versed in the law, and once he confessed, the consequences ranged from being stripped of his academic titles to being imprisoned or exiled.

But as long as they don't admit it, the Zhou family will never report it to the authorities. The Zhou family's daughter almost eloped with him; if they dare to take it to court, he'll just make things up, and nobody will have any face left!

"Qingmei".

Gu Zhizhuo gave a wink, and Qingmei grabbed his wrist and threw it to the ground. Having worked in the Eastern Depot for so long, she had learned some methods of interrogation.

For example, a cat catching a mouse.

Scholar Zhang fell face down with a thud. He got up in pain, spat out a bloody tooth, and then ran away without looking back.

He was so scared that he kept looking back as he ran. Before he knew it, his shoulder slammed into the outer wall of the teahouse.

Click.

A barely audible sound exploded in my ears.

Gu Zhizhu shouted, "Watch out!"

She quickly grabbed Qingmei and Zhou Jinnuo and ran backward.

A deafening crash echoed in my ears, and the teahouse collapsed.

Dust filled the air, choking people and causing them to cough incessantly.

Zhou Liulang rushed over, too frightened to speak. He frantically fanned himself with a folding fan in front of them, trying to blow away all the dust.

"What happened?"

"The house collapsed!"

"Someone is trapped underneath!"

The surrounding area was in chaos, and the rumbling sound of the collapse attracted everyone who was nearby.

The dust gradually settled.

Gu Zhizhuo covered his nose and looked towards the teahouse. The two-story teahouse had collapsed, and all the walls had crumbled down, trapping Zhang Xiucai under the layers of bricks and stones.

A crowd gathered around, making a commotion. Some shouted to call the authorities, while others tried to move the bricks and stones to rescue the people.

Only Zhang Xiucai's head and one arm were visible. The arm was twisted at an odd angle, and it was unclear where he was injured. Blood was flowing out continuously, and under the lantern light, it was particularly glaringly red.

Zhou Jinnuo's eyes widened, his face turned deathly pale, and his knees went weak.

Gu Zhizhuo covered her eyes and whispered, "Don't look."

Zhou Liulang was incredulous. He belatedly asked, "Sister, Fourth Sister, are you both alright?" His voice trembled.

If they had been any closer... Just thinking about it terrified him; his heart almost stopped.

"No."

When the teahouse collapsed, Miss Gu stood in front of him and then covered her eyes with her hands.

Although she knew what had happened, she had seen almost none of those horrific scenes.

Gu Jia's sister is such a kind person.

"Meow."

Zhou Jinnuo hugged the cat and comforted it, "Don't be afraid, your sister is here."

"It's a backlash."

Gu Zhizhuo stared at Zhang Xiucai and explained in the simplest terms, "It's karma and retribution."

Evil spells like the Blessing Incantation are too easily entangled in karma.

The moment Zhou Jinnuo is completely freed from the curse, Zhang Xiucai, who used the talisman, will suffer a backlash.

"So that's how it is!" Zhou Liulang understood. He said bitterly, "Serves you right!"

If they hadn't begged Master Qingping and had actually let Fourth Sister elope with him, Fourth Sister's life would have been ruined.

Using such evil magic to harm a young woman is no different from human trafficking. He deserved to be crushed to death.

"I'll go take a look."

Gu Zhizhu handed Zhou Jinnuo to Zhou Liulang, making sure to turn her face away so she wouldn't see, and walked straight to Zhang Xiucai, briefly taking her pulse.

The person was still breathing, but their pulse had almost stopped.

Even a god couldn't save him.

While passersby and nearby residents were still busy moving bricks and stones to rescue the man, Gu Zhizhuo half-squatted down, inserted a silver needle into his crown chakra, and kept him alive until his last breath. He asked, "Who gave you the talisman?"

"Help me, please..."

His confused eyes were filled with fear.

"Who gave it to you?"

Gu Zhizhuo gives no hope to those who cannot be saved.

"Yes, yes..."

Scholar Zhang stretched out one finger and pointed it forward with all his might.

"yes……"

His voice trailed off, and his last breath escaped, leaving him staring wide-eyed in death.

"The police are here!"

"Officer, I'm here!"

"Hurry, hurry up!"

Several officers patrolling nearby rushed over upon hearing the news, and were stunned when they saw the collapsed teahouse and the people trapped underneath. There hadn't been an earthquake, and all the surrounding houses were fine; how could this one have collapsed?

"It's hopeless."

Gu Zhizhuo removed the silver needles, finished speaking, and left.

The foreman wanted to know what was going on, but Zhou Liulang called out to him, "Brother Liu."

"So it's Young Master Zhou." The head waiter turned around, smiled, and cupped his hands in greeting. "You're here too."

For a playboy like Zhou Liulang, there was no one he didn't know, from all walks of life. He put his arm around the headman's shoulder and said warmly, "I saw the teahouse collapse with my own eyes. If you have any questions, just come to the mansion and ask me."

Zhou Liulang tossed a purse over: "Treat the brothers to drinks."

Okay!

"Young Master Zhou, you're busy."

The foreman shouted that they should carry the person out first.

"Does anyone know him? Does anyone know where the teahouse owner lives?"

"Be careful, don't let it collapse again!"

Zhou Liulang withdrew his gaze: "Fourth Sister, you and Miss Gu go back first. I'll stay and take another look."

This area is a red-light district, and it's packed with people. If he stays any longer, he'll definitely get a beating from Brother Can. Just thinking about it makes his skin ache.

Turning into the alley, some got into the carriages, others led their horses. After watching them leave, Zhou Liulang turned back.

Gu Zhizhuo didn't say a word the whole way. When they got back to the courtyard, she flicked her whip and leaned back on the chaise longue. Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting dappled shadows on her face.

Qiongfang quietly turned on the light and poured her a glass of warm water to cool her down.

After drinking the water in one gulp, Gu Zhizhuo held the back of his head with both hands and leaned back against the soft, large pillow.

I didn't expect the backlash to come so quickly.

I was almost there and hadn't even had a chance to ask him where the talisman came from.

Gu Zhizhuo closed his eyes in deep thought, his fingertips lightly tapping on the chaise longue.

After thinking for a while, she simply got up, sat cross-legged, and took out the counting rods she always carried with her.

For a divination to be accurate, there are actually many limitations.

The closer the blood relation to her, the less predictable her fate becomes.

Similarly, when it comes to Taoist practitioners, the divination results become inaccurate.

Gu Zhizhuo could only start with Zhang Xiucai and work his calculations backward little by little.

They kept casting hexagrams and calculating.

Hmm.

Gu Zhizhu stared at the result of the counting rods with a strange expression.

Qingmei leaned closer to look for a while: "Miss, what does this mean?"

She's been following the girl for so long, but she still can't understand these things.

"The upper trigram is 'lake,' and the lower trigram is..."

Qingmei's eyes were vacant.

Gu Zhizhu smiled and said in the simplest terms, "According to the divination, Zhang Xiuren failed the imperial examinations repeatedly, and was arrogant and thought he was not appreciated, so he became cynical. Then, he met a benefactor."

Qingmei stared at the black wooden signs, completely baffled as to how she could have figured them out.

Her eyes sparkled as she pressed on, "Anything else?"

Gu Zhizhuo pointed to one of the counting rods with his finger and said, "According to the divination, this nobleman believes that his life is so miserable because no woman is willing to marry him, serve him, bear his children, and take care of his sick mother. Therefore, the nobleman will give him a marriage match."

Qingmei looked away from the counting rods and blinked.

"Right? That's so inexplicable." Gu Zhizhuo pushed the counting rods away and yawned. "I guess I'm just too tired, so I'm not calculating correctly."

Three drumbeats sounded outside.

"It's past midnight, young lady, you should go to sleep..."

Qingmei's voice softened, and she gestured for Qiongfang to be quiet.

She fell asleep.

Qiongfang asked in a low voice, "Should we wake the eldest young lady up and have her sleep in the inner room?"

"Let her sleep. The young lady is a light sleeper. I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep if I wake her up." Qingmei went inside and brought out a thin blanket to cover her. "You go and rest too. I'll stay here and watch over her."

Gu Zhizhuo turned over and buried her face in the pillow.

The ritual was extremely taxing, comparable to receiving a set of long needles. She slept soundly until 3:45 AM, then hurriedly went to Ronghe Hall.

After she finished paying her respects, the old lady's disdain was even greater than the day before. Finally, she couldn't help but grumble, "Look at you! You're always running around outside, and you've gotten so tanned." Every word she uttered was filled with displeasure. "Chen'er said he'd send someone to propose marriage in a few days, and you're all so dark, it's hardly appropriate!"

The old lady covered her face with her sleeve, she could hardly bear to watch anymore.

It's also because Chen'er has a good temper that she lets her act up.

"It's not black at all! That's an exaggeration." Gu Zhizhuo was unconvinced and coaxed the old lady away with a whole box of pearl powder by acting cute and charming.

Apply a face mask at night!

Leaving Ronghetang in high spirits, Gu Zhizhuo's fatigue vanished. She planned to visit Zhang Xiucai's stall, but after only a few steps, Gu Zhijiao hurriedly called her back from behind.

"Big sister."

So Gu Zhizhuo stopped and turned around to wait for her.

A moment later, Gu Zhijiao ran over and asked, "Big sister, are you going out today?"

It was rare for Gu Zhijiao to make a special trip to see her, so Gu Zhizhuo said, "It's nothing, it's fine if we don't go out. Let's go sit in the pavilion in front."

Anyway, Scholar Zhang is dead, so it won't make a difference in a little while.

As she spoke, she took Gu Zhijiao's hand.

It's already mid-July, and the sun is blazing. Just walking outside makes you sweat profusely.

The pavilion was built by the water, with an ice basin inside and a thin veil around it to block the heat. Lifting the veil and stepping inside, you immediately felt a cool breeze.

"Please sit down."

Gu Zhizhuo had a maid bring over fruit syrup and a bowl of fruit ice with ice cubes.

After she took a few sips and wiped the sweat from her face with a warm handkerchief, Gu Zhizhuo casually fanned himself and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"

Her voice was soft, and the breeze from the fan felt cool on her face. Gu Zhijiao smiled shyly and took out a piece of silk paper that had been folded twice.

"It's this one."

"I didn't know if you needed it, but I brought it here for you to see."

She leaned forward, her face showing a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

Gu Zhizhuo picked up the silk scroll, and just as she opened it halfway, her phoenix eyes suddenly lit up. She was quite familiar with the pattern; it was exactly the same as the one Xie Jing had left in Tianxi Tower last time.

When the silk paper was fully unfolded, it indeed contained a complete diagram of the crossbow structure.

"This is?"

Gu Zhijiao pursed her lips: "That day, I saw my older sister watching, so I drew it from memory."

Gu Zhizhuo repeated in disbelief, "You drew it from memory?"

Gu Zhijiao nodded.

She was extremely curious: "When did you see the whole picture?"

"When His Highness the Third Prince came back to get it, he was in a hurry and only managed to grab a corner. When the silk paper was unfolded, I saw it."

Gu Zhizhu recalled for a moment, and it seemed that was indeed the case. But this only took a breath or two at most before Xie Jing folded the silk paper and put it into his sleeve pocket.

Gu Zhijiao said softly, "I can never forget any painting or calligraphy I've ever seen since I was a child."

"Photographic memory?!" Gu Zhizhuo grabbed her hand, almost jumping for joy. "Second sister, you're amazing!"

Gu Zhizhuo has a good memory, but he's still far from having a photographic memory.

Moreover, Jiao Jiao's skill can't be simply described as having a photographic memory!

Gu Zhijiao's eyes crinkled into crescents as she shyly covered her lips and laughed, "Big sister, will this be useful?"

Gu Zhizhuo spread the silk paper out on the octagonal table and pointed it out to her: "This should be a repeating crossbow."

After seeing the complete blueprints, Gu Zhizhuo confirmed that the blueprints depicted the Divine Arm Crossbow, which the First Emperor had used in the Imperial Guard.

She remembered that it was at the Emperor's birthday banquet that Ji Nanke, who was then the Crown Princess, presented a repeating crossbow as a birthday gift. Ji Nanke said it was called the Divine Arm Crossbow, which she had made herself and could fire ten arrows in succession. After having it tested, the Emperor was overjoyed and praised Ji Nanke as a great lucky star.

Ji Nanke was enjoying unparalleled popularity.

That should be a few years from now.

Unexpectedly, in this life, Ji Nanke actually took out the Divine Arm Shield ahead of time.

Or is it because she wasn't as successful as she was in her previous life, so she wanted to use the Divine Arm Crossbow to turn the tide?

Oh, right. Ji Nanke always seems to know some strange and unusual things: crossbows, smallpox vaccination, salt production methods, new-style spinning machines…

Seeing her deep in thought, touching the blueprints, Gu Zhijiao didn't disturb her. Gu Zhijiao was always patient and could find enjoyment even when sitting alone.

"The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more than enough and give to those who have less than enough."

Gu Zhizhuo silently recited this sentence.

My master often said that the Way of Heaven is without emotion, so it will always rationally decide the best path for the world.

It chose Ji Nanke.

It's because Ji Nanke is a possessed being; she will bring unique benefits to the world that others don't have.

Therefore, Heaven bestowed upon her abundant fortune, helping her become the Crown Princess, thereby influencing imperial power and the well-being of the people.

Gu Zhizhuo put down the blueprints, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

This repeating crossbow was not designed by Ji Nanke; at most, she simply copied it. Therefore, it has a fatal flaw that she failed to discover.

Knowing what something is but not why it is is of no benefit to the world.

Heaven has made a mistake.

A note from the author: