64 Interrogation
◎Yuan Le, is a girl◎
Although the tone was one of negotiation, it actually did not leave the ministers any room to refuse.
The doctor who can serve His Royal Highness Prince Zhao must be a world-famous master of medicine.
Gu Ningxi clenched her hands into fists under the quilt, and her heart beat faster when the words entered her ears.
She remained calm: "Your Highness means well, but...is it not necessary?"
"Why?"
"It's just a minor injury. It's not worth Your Highness mobilizing so many troops."
"What if I don't think it's a waste of time to mobilize so many troops?" Lu Jing didn't miss Gu Ningxi's expression. "The doctor is on the way."
"Your Majesty..." Gu Ningxi's eyelashes trembled slightly. He could not find a better reason and was forced into a corner step by step.
"That's all," she suddenly heard the person on the other side say, "It's up to you."
Yuan Le was still injured, and he couldn't bear to push her too hard.
Gu Ningxi's eyes flashed with surprise, and Lu Jing continued, "If the injury doesn't improve, then we must ask Doctor Zhou to take a look."
His Royal Highness Prince Zhao gave in, and Gu Ningxi said softly, "Thank you, Your Highness."
A thin layer of cold sweat broke out on her palms. At that moment, she was already thinking about taking the medicine at the bottom of the box to confuse the pulse record.
But that is the last resort.
Lu Jing stared at the man before him. Taking Yuan Le's pulse was just a pretense. Seeing Yuan Le's hesitant attitude only confirmed a suspicion in his mind.
There’s no need to rush in these two days, Lu Jing thought.
It won’t be too late to settle the matter with Yuan Le slowly after finding the evidence.
Outside the tent, the maid respectfully announced that she wanted to deliver the freshly brewed medicine to Lord Gu.
Gu Ningxi glanced at His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, and when he nodded, he said, "Come in."
The bitter aroma of medicine dispelled the previous atmosphere. According to the eldest girl's instructions, a small dish of candied fruit was also prepared on the tray.
Gu Ningxi took the medicine bowl and lowered her head to drink the medicine, just avoiding the gaze of His Royal Highness Prince Zhao.
Lu Jing handed her a candied fruit and gave her some instructions on how to recover from her injuries.
He said, "Drink the medicine and get some sleep."
Gu Ningxi nodded silently, knowing that it was not appropriate for him to stay any longer given his identity. Lu Jing stood up and left the tent.
The sun was shining brightly, and outside the tent there was a bustling atmosphere. Not only was the eldest daughter of the Gu family there, but others had also come to see Yuan Le.
"Your Highness, Meng Ting, pays homage to His Majesty Prince Zhao. May Your Highness live in peace and prosperity."
Lu Jing's eyes fell on him, and her tone did not allow for argument: "She's asleep, you don't have to go in again."
In the two rare encounters with His Royal Highness Prince Zhao, Meng Ting felt the coldness of his superior as always.
"Yes, Your Highness, I thank you for telling me."
Gu Ningwan saw the guests off on behalf of her sister and told the servants to stay outside the tent and report to her any news.
…
The sunset glow is brilliant, and the mountains in the distance are shrouded in the golden glow of the setting sun.
"woke up?"
Gu Ningxi slept until dusk. Gu Ningwan had some nourishing meat porridge prepared. She had dinner brought to her bedside and watched her sister eat.
Gu Ningwan said, "General Meng came to see you once while you were asleep, and my second uncle also sent someone to inquire about you."
Not many people in the camp knew that Xier was injured. After all, Second Uncle was an elder in the Marquis' Mansion, so Gu Ningwan did not ask anyone to hide it from him.
But it seems that my second uncle is just perfunctory in his superficial efforts.
Gu Ningwan sighed. The relationship between the first and second branches was delicate due to the dispute over the title. Toward her and Sanlang, the second branch's uncle and aunt appeared somewhat benevolent, but towards Xi'er, the second uncle was accustomed to venting his anger. After all, it was Xi'er's birth that had thwarted the second uncle's dream of having his cousin become the heir to the marquisate. Furthermore, the second aunt, close to her mother, had always been indifferent to Xi'er, Madam Meng's daughter.
Xier has been sensible since she was young and rarely takes the cold words of these adults to heart.
Gu Ningwan pushed a plate of seasonal vegetables closer to her sister and asked, "Why are you so depressed?"
Gu Ningxi stirred the spoon and told her sister about her worries: "During the day, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao wanted to find a doctor to treat my injury, but I refused."
Gu Ningwan pondered, "Although Chinese medicine practitioners may not be able to tell the gender of a baby by taking the pulse, the doctors around His Royal Highness Prince Zhao are extremely skilled, so we must be on guard."
Even though it was inappropriate to refuse the kindness of the superior, Gu Ningwan felt that Xier did the right thing.
"Sister, what should I do if His Royal Highness Prince Zhao finds out my identity one day?"
The ending of the dream was clear. If she didn't want to be locked up in the deep palace and wanted to continue serving as an official outside, she had to hide her identity.
She had no choice.
Gu Ningwan didn't know either. She could only comfort her sister, "Fortunately, this time we had the help of our cousin from the Meng family. We finally escaped with no danger."
When Xier complained to her that Madam Meng had told her cousin her identity without her consent, Gu Ningwan was quite disapproving in her heart.
Although Mrs. Meng trusts her nephew, and although her cousin Meng is of pure character, the more people who know about this, the more danger there will be.
But gradually, Gu Ningwan understood Mrs. Meng's painstaking efforts.
Xi'er is already a girl of marriageable age. She usually hangs out with court officials. Sometimes after work, she has to go to drinking parties with her colleagues for socializing, so she has to be protected by someone.
This cousin of the Meng family is the most suitable candidate, and the Meng family has pure kinship and does not have so many calculations of interests.
While Madam Meng's actions were undoubtedly inappropriate for the Marquis's family, Gu Ningwan understood that her grandfather and father had only considered the Gu family when they sent Xi'er to assist the Crown Prince. Madam Meng, on the other hand, cared only about her own daughter's safety.
Gu Ningwan was deeply moved. Her mother naturally loved her, but her love always came second to that of Sanlang.
When she was young, she felt that it was unfair and she still remembers her mother's expression and words when she mustered up the courage to confront her mother.
"How can you compare with your brother? Your brother will inherit the family business and support the mansion in the future. When you get married, won't you still have to rely on him to support you?"
It seems that things have always been like this. Only men can support the family and continue the family business.
But despite her mother's repeated admonitions, Gu Ningwan never truly believed. Just like Xi'er, her talent and abilities far surpassed Sanlang's. If women were given the same opportunities to study, they wouldn't necessarily be inferior to men.
But such an opportunity is not easy to come by.
Gu Ningwan looked at her sister and realized that she herself was destined to be confined to the inner house.
I only hope Xier can get what she wants and realize her life ambitions.
A smile appeared on Gu Ningwan's lips, as if it was a perfect ending for her.
…
After recuperating in the tent for two or three days, Gu Ningxi was able to walk as usual.
The camp was peaceful and the hunt was drawing to a close.
At the same time, on a rather quiet night, His Royal Highness Prince Zhao led three or five light cavalry and left the Jiuyun Mountain camp at night.
Heading eastward, the sound of horse hooves broke the tranquility of the official road, and finally we arrived at a secluded courtyard at the end of the hour of the Ox.
"What did you find out during the interrogation?" Lu Jing dismounted and threw the horse's side to the attendant.
Cheng Wen's face showed frustration: "Your Highness, please forgive me."
Four days ago, His Highness sent a pigeon message, ordering them to investigate Gu Ningxi's identity. The closest clue was Miss Yinyue, who was originally a maid in Gu's courtyard and later married to His Highness's personal guard Xunzhou.
I thought she was a young and weak woman, so interrogating her should not be difficult.
But after repeated questioning, Yinyue refused to utter a single word. She insisted that she did not know many things and did not reveal a single useful word.
But they had already found out clearly that Yinyue was a maid who served Lord Gu closely in Leyouyuan. How could she not have noticed anything?
They used both soft and hard tactics but to no avail, and at one point they used torture instruments, advising the girl not to seek suffering.
She was clearly terrified, her whole body shaking like a sieve, but she stubbornly said, "My master said that His Royal Highness Prince Zhao is kind-hearted and would not lay hands on women and children."
With just one sentence, he defeated them.
They brought out the torture instruments just to scare the girl.
Now they had no choice but to take the person under careful protection and bring him to the villa to see His Highness.
Cheng Wen was not in a position to explain this task, but His Highness also ordered him to investigate the relationship between Lord Gu and General Meng, and he did have some clues.
Cheng Wen submitted a secret report: "Your Highness, General Meng entered the capital four years ago and met Lord Gu shortly thereafter."
At that time, His Highness had already left the capital, only three months apart.
Lord Gu's relationship with General Meng was quite ordinary, and he did not introduce General Meng to the Eastern Palace.
Lu Jing's gaze was fixed on one section. Cheng Wen said, "Your Highness, although this house is under the name of Lord Gu, it was purchased by Lord Gu and General Meng together."
"Together?" Lu Jing pondered over the word.
Cheng Wen quickly added, "Your Highness, from the start of the business to the inspection of the mansion, everything was done personally by Lord Gu and General Meng. General Meng also recently rented out the mansion, so it's likely he won't be living there for a while."
The report was thrown on the table, and a servant outside the room announced, "Your Highness, Miss Yinyue has been brought here."
…
The moonlight was as cold as frost, making people shiver unconsciously.
Yinyue knelt in the room. This wasn't her first time meeting His Royal Highness Prince Zhao. But this time, Master Gu wasn't there, and she didn't know why she had been brought here, so she felt uneasy.
She was not stupid and knew that the only matter worthy of being personally interrogated by His Royal Highness Prince Zhao was related to Lord Gu.
She made up her mind that even if it came to the last resort, she would not betray Lord Gu.
Looking around, there were no torture instruments. Yinyue repeated the words of Lord Gu over and over again, trying to give herself more peace of mind.
The room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
Yin Yue didn't dare to breathe as she listened to the superior's calm words: "In Leyou Courtyard, besides the crime of deceiving the emperor by disguising as a man, are there any other crimes?"
A loud bang, like thunder exploding beside my ears. This was the biggest secret in Leyouyuan. How, exactly, did His Royal Highness Prince Zhao know about it? Yinyue's body swayed uncontrollably, barely able to kneel.
When she hesitated for a moment, an official scolded her, "Why don't you answer?!"
Yin Yue kowtowed hurriedly: "No more, no more. Your Highness, please understand, Master Gu... Master Gu..."
Yinyue couldn't utter a complete sentence, a thousand words choking in her heart. She wanted to say that Lord Gu was such a kind-hearted man, never having done anything against his conscience during his time as an official, and even more so caring towards servants like them. He shouldn't have died like this. Yinyue touched her forehead to the ground, her whole body drained of all strength. She thought again, if Lord Gu couldn't be saved, what would happen to her parents and sister back at the Marquis' Mansion?
Yin Yue's mind went blank, and overwhelming despair surged through her body.
With her reaction like that, there was nothing Lu Jing couldn't understand.
"If you tell the truth, I can protect her and your family as well."
Just like a drowning person holding onto a piece of driftwood, Yinyue was lifted up.
"This king never breaks his word."
Things have come to this point, Yinyue has no choice.
Lu Jing confirmed a second time: "Gu Yuanle, is she really a woman?"
In a trance, Yinyue seemed to be transported back to the day she first entered Leyouyuan as a child. She was born into a family of the Marquis, her family's servants in the Gu Mansion. She was only seven or eight years old that year, and the maids in charge brought all the children born into the same family to the front courtyard, where the housekeepers selected them before presenting them to the Marquis. With such a grand ceremony, they all thought they were being chosen to serve in the courtyard of the old master and the old mistress.
After rounds of screening, Yinyue was finally left behind, anxiously waiting for her new destination.
There were two other people who stayed with her. They were all born and raised in the Marquis' Mansion and had never left.
Unexpectedly, the new master she was about to serve was exceptionally kind, as if fate had blessed them. Compared to the people in Sanlangjun Courtyard, who were always at risk and would be reprimanded and punished by Madam Shen for the slightest mistake, they were very lucky to serve in Leyou Courtyard.
At that time, she was still wondering whether she would have the opportunity to become Erlangjun's concubine in the future.
After serving in Leyouyuan for two years, one person was sent away, but she stayed.
It was also from that time that she was allowed to know the most unspeakable secrets of Leyouyuan.
Yin Yue's face turned pale as paper and she kowtowed, "Your Highness, ...Yes."
【Author’s words】
Stacking armor, in fact, Xiao Lu has been 70% to 80% sure, and he just confirmed it at the end. Even if there is no Yinyue, Xiao Lu can still find out after he suspects it, but he just accelerated the progress. This really can't be blamed on the female goose and Yinyue, woo woo woo
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