Chapter 208 Chapter 208 is the only genuine version...
"Big sister, be careful."
"good."
Gu Zhizhuo rubbed the soft tops of their heads and said with a smile, "Be good."
She put on Qingmei, took out the jade lion from the stable, and went straight out the door.
The front of the Zhenbei Palace was in shambles, with charred broken wood strewn across the ground. The palace's plaque hung high, intact, though the gleaming golden characters had been dimmed by the black smoke.
The compass shows that the fire disaster is in the north, and the people of Liang should be planning to use the north wind to push the fire to its extreme.
The wind fuels the fire, and once it starts, it spreads like wildfire.
Why.
The capital is too big, and just knowing "the North" is obviously not enough.
"Shenmao."
"Me?"
Gu Zhizhuo lifted up Shen Mao's two front paws, turned its furry little head towards him, and asked with a smile, "Is there any place you want to go?"
The ending of her tone was long and soft, as if she was coaxing an innocent child.
"Meow."
It looked at her blankly, its eyes wide and round.
Shen Mao shook his ears, looked left and right, then tilted his body and pretended to pounce to the left, with the tip of his tail slightly raised. Meaning, cat, go there!
Meow! Quick!
"Can't!"
Gu Zhizhuo coldly rejected it. ——In that direction was a place selling fried crispy white noodles.
"Keep thinking."
Shen Mao's ears drooped and his whiskers hung down.
When passing through the alley, Gu Zhizhuo's gaze lingered on a broken wall for a moment. The mottled bloodstains on the wall had not yet dried. An iron arrow fell to the ground, and the arrowhead was dark red.
Gu Zhizhuo neatly wrapped the reins around his hands a few times and called out "Gee!" softly. The jade lion moved at the sound, its four hooves exerting force. Amidst the flying dust, the dense sound of horse hooves sounded like drumbeats.
The wind whistled past her ears. Gu Zhizhuo held the compass steadily in his right hand, and his fingertips could clearly feel the slight vibration of the magnetic needle.
The streets and alleys of the capital are somewhat deserted.
Shortly after the Liang people surrounded the Zhenbei Palace, the empress dowager issued an imperial decree, ordering the city gates to be closed and even mobilizing the imperial guards to guard the city gates.
The tense atmosphere in the capital was like a taut string. The people didn't know what was going on and most of them stayed indoors.
Gu Zhizhuo could ride his horse at full speed without worrying about hurting anyone.
We arrived at North City in less than half an hour.
The horse's speed gradually slowed down, and the cat in her arms suddenly moved. It raised its furry paws and pressed them on the compass with a snap.
Gu Zhizhuo immediately pulled the reins.
The compass needle suddenly stopped and pointed steadily to the fork on the right.
"Meow."
The tabby cat rubbed her chin, and its golden pupils shrank into a thin vertical line.
Gu Zhizhuo lowered his head and asked, "Walk this way?"
"Meow."
"Okay."
"Qingmei, come this way."
Gu Zhizhuo listened to the cat's words, shook her wrist, pulled the reins lightly, and the jade lion rushed into the right fork.
The sound of horse hooves was as rapid as rain. Gu Zhizhuo held up the compass to start hexagram again. She lowered her brows and eyes, muttering to herself.
The capital has always been known for its "poor south and humble north". The streets and alleys of the north city are narrow, and all kinds of people mix together. It is the most populous and chaotic urban area in the capital. Gu Zhizhuo had to slow down his horse.
Arriving at the North City, Chen Mao and Luo Pan took turns guiding her further north, and soon they reached the edge of the North City. This place was like another world, with low and dilapidated houses densely packed together, one after another, all built haphazardly with straw and wood.
People sitting on the ground with nothing to do can be seen everywhere.
Gu Zhizhuo seldom came to North City in both of his lives, and his brows were furrowed.
There were too many forks in the road, and the alleys crisscrossed each other. The compass needle kept spinning for a long time without stopping.
She was dressed in luxurious clothes and had an extraordinary demeanor. She was obviously a daughter of an official family and attracted a lot of attention.
"Miss." Qingmei came closer, pulling the reins, and whispered, "North City is in chaos, and this is an enclave of North City, even more chaotic. Please don't separate from me."
"Look there."
Qingmei gestured for her to look to the left. In a corner of the alley, four or five men with ferocious faces sat, staring intently at Gu Zhizhuo. When they saw her looking over, they pretended to lower their heads and whisper to each other.
"They're a group of human traffickers who specialize in delivering girls to second- and third-rate private kilns." Qingmei finished speaking, then added, "They're the kind of people who would knock girls unconscious and kidnap them on the street."
As one of the spies trained by the East Factory, Qingmei knew much more about these secret matters than Gu Zhizhuo.
"Yo."
Perhaps noticing they were looking, one of the men stood up, swaying as he walked, and said in a frivolous tone, "Girl, are you two here looking for someone? My name is Wang Xiaosi, and I'm very familiar with this place. If you want to find someone, just ask me..."
As he spoke, he suddenly raised his hand, and a cloud of powder blew over him with the wind, carrying the strong odor of low-quality knockout drugs. Gu Zhizhuo's eyes turned cold, and his right hand drew a crossbow from his waist.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
whoosh!
The iron arrow flew through the air and pierced Wang Xiaosi's shoulder, and blood gushed out of his wound.
The iron arrow was so powerful that the tip of the arrow grazed his ribs when it passed by. He curled up in pain, spitting out mouthfuls of blood, but it was not fatal.
The group of men gathered together were startled and scattered like birds and beasts.
Gu Zhizhuo threw a pill to Qingmei and took one for himself. The drowsiness caused by the knockout drug quickly dissipated.
"Identify him." She said to Qingmei, "After today's matter is over, tell the Jingzhao Yin that if he takes the salary but doesn't work hard, then he should quit."
Things have their priorities, and she has no time to pay attention to them now.
"yes!"
Gu Zhizhuo suddenly had an idea, turned over and dismounted, walked to Wang Xiaosi who was shouting and screaming, she grabbed his collar and lifted him up.
"I'm asking you."
Wang Xiaosi's face was distorted with pain, and he forced himself to shout, "You, why don't you ask who I am? If you dare to touch me, I will kill you, you bitch!"
Gu Zhizhuo held the iron arrow stuck in his shoulder with his left hand and asked softly, "Is that so?" Then he twisted his arm violently.
“Ahhhhhhhhh.”
Wang Xiaosi screamed heart-wrenchingly, his tears and snot all mixed together, his face full of pleading.
Cat Shen meowed excitedly, his tail brushing against her wrist.
"Will you talk properly now?"
“Yes.”
"You said you are familiar with this place?"
“Yes, yes.”
"I'm asking you, was there a stranger passing by just now? Someone who obviously doesn't belong in North City."
"without……"
Gu Zhizhuo held the exposed part of the iron arrow in his hand and said, "Think about it carefully before answering."
The corners of her mouth curved up slightly, frightening Wang Xiaosi so much that he shuddered and racked his brains to think over and over again: "Yes, yes!"
"Yes, there were five or six men, two of whom were carrying a large bucket each."
Wang Xiaosi just wanted to get rid of this demon quickly. His voice was trembling and out of tune: "I don't know what's in the bucket. It's sloshing around. It seems like water, very heavy."
"I even touched it secretly and found this."
He pulled a wolf tooth necklace from his sleeve pocket. Wang Xiaosi thought he could sell it for a few bucks, so he kept it. Gu Zhizhuo recognized it as a wolf tooth amulet from the Liang Kingdom.
Found the right one!
So the barrel should contain kerosene.
"Where did they go?"
"First turn left, then right, then left again, and turn into the second alley..."
"Is everything you said true?" Gu Zhizhuo asked while counting on his fingers.
Wang Xiaosi covered his shoulders and cried repeatedly, "Yes, yes! Auntie, I dare not lie to you."
I really didn't lie.
Qingmei: "Miss, do you want to wait for others to come?"
Gu Zhizhuo tilted his head slightly, feeling the wind blowing across his cheek.
"It's too late."
The alley was narrow and winding, and the houses were closely packed together. This alley alone was packed with at least a thousand people.
Once the fire started and the wind blew, the fire would spread rapidly along these straw houses and rotten tile houses, devouring them completely.
"Let's go take a look first."
Gu Zhizhuo rode ahead and said to Qingmei, who was following closely beside him, "If it's really impossible, I won't try to be stubborn."
Qingmei: "..."
Won't you be stubborn? I don't believe it! Humph, if something is impossible, the girl will definitely make it "possible"! Qingmei's eyebrows are curved, this kind of girl, she likes it the most.
The cat crawled out from Gu Zhizhuo's arms and lay on the jade lion's horse head, scratching its mane with its little paws, and the tip of its tail trembled excitedly.
The jade lion turned its head and snorted at it unhappily.
Meow meow!
"Jade Lion, don't look around, be careful not to bump into it."
"Hold on tight, cat."
Gu Zhizhuo pulled the reins and the horse sped up a bit.
They ran quickly through the narrow alley in the direction pointed by Wang Xiaosi. The further they went, the more excited the cat became, with its ears standing straight up, as if there was something ahead that it was looking forward to.
"Meow!"
The jade lion took the lead and jumped out of the alley. The vision suddenly brightened a little. Gu Zhizhuo subconsciously narrowed her eyes. Then, a strong smell of kerosene hit her nose, choking her throat.
Her eyes swept across and stopped at a familiar figure not far away.
Multifaceted.
Not far from Duoleng, there was a carriage parked. The carriage was covered with curtains, and it was unclear whether there was anyone inside.
Around them were four or five men lying in a mess, all wearing coarse clothes, with hideous knife wounds on their chests or backs, having been killed by a single blow.
The surrounding ground and walls were mostly wet, and the strong smell in the air clearly indicated that kerosene had been spilled. One of Duoleng's men held a lit tinder in his hand and was about to throw it.
"Duo Ling!"
Gu Zhizhuo called out in a cold voice.
Duo Leng turned around and looked over: "Is it you?"
"Grand Prince." Gu Zhizhuo greeted him with a smile, as if they were old friends. "Shall we talk?"
She jumped off the horse holding the cat.
Duoleng knew her intention as soon as he saw her. This Miss Gu was a tough nut to crack and she kept frustrating him.
I don't know where this news came from, but it actually found its way here!
Duo Leng deliberately said frivolously, "Miss Gu, if you have anything to say, please speak slowly later. Perhaps Miss Gu... wants to talk in detail in my tent, just the two of us?"
"What if we're talking about your life or death?" Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "For example, why did the prince come to the capital this time?"
"Let me guess. You had no intention of sending the bride from the beginning. You just 'accidentally' heard Prince Liang talking about the fierce internal strife in the Great Qi Dynasty, so you volunteered to go, right?"
Duoleng's eyes suddenly turned cold.
His first reaction was that she had placed someone around him.
Gu Zhizhuo observed her expression and said with a smile, "That's right, it's just to escort the bride, why should we bother you, Prince?"
Gu Zhizhuo's arm holding the crossbow was tense.
A direct attack was the least safe, as there was kerosene everywhere. Even if she could kill them with one arrow, once the tinderbox fell, the fire would immediately jump up, and when the wind blew, everyone would be doomed.
"Miss Gu, if you want to delay, you're probably going to be disappointed."
The tinderbox was still burning, and the sparks fell on the kerosene, suddenly starting a small flame.
The flames flickered a few times, then turned into green smoke and dissipated into the air.
Gu Zhizhuo's breathing stagnated, his expression expressionless: "Delaying time? So the eldest prince wants to run away."
She clasped her arms across her chest, leaning her back against the jade lion's horse, holding the tabby cat in her arms to prevent it from jumping off due to excessive excitement.
Raising her eyes, she smiled faintly, "That's right, the emperor has been defeated, and you, the eldest prince, have no choice but to flee. Otherwise, does the eldest prince still want to rely on the few thousand men under your command to occupy the capital?"
"Oh, I almost forgot, your people can't even occupy the Zhenbei Palace."
Gu Zhizhuo's voice was light, but every word was as sharp as a knife. Duoleng's face darkened when he heard it, and his subordinates had murderous glares in their eyes.
The emperor was defeated, and even Duoleng was defeated.
By burning down the capital, he could not only vent his anger, but also take advantage of the chaos to escape, and then no one would care about him.
Duoleng was so angry at her that he said coldly, "Miss Gu is really sharp-tongued."
He gestured, "Since Miss Gu wants to come and see me off, why don't you just stay?"
Three or five Liang people surrounded Gu Zhizhuo with knives raised fiercely, and Qingmei guarded them beside them, watching them intently.
"It doesn't matter whether you leave or not." Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile without any fear, "Prince, even if you escape from the capital, it's hard to say whether you can return to your royal city alive."
"Do you really not understand, or are you pretending not to understand?" She brushed her fingers across Cat Shen's sleek fur and sneered, "Your king has given your life to me, Daqi."
"Impossible!" Duoleng threw his hands, his voice filled with uncontrollable anger. "The people of Daqi are cunning. Don't try to sow discord between them."
"Why not?"
Gu Zhizhuo's brows instantly turned cold. He took a step forward towards the knife in Liang Ren's hand, and said imposingly: "The King of Liang is jealous of you and hates you. How is this different from the Emperor being jealous of my father and hating my father?"
"Four years ago, you discussed this with the Emperor. Four years later... my brother discussed this with the Prince of Liang as well."
Duoleng narrowed his eyes and stared at her intently.
Four years ago, Gu Taotao often had to stop his attacks because of the lack of supplies and food in the rear. Duoleng could see at that time that the Emperor of Daqi was jealous of him and disliked him.
Duoleng wrote a letter, in which he proposed that as long as Daqi gave Gu Taotao's life to Daliang, Daliang would withdraw its troops and sign a peace agreement.
The Emperor of Daqi actually agreed and personally clipped Daqi's wings.
Gu Zhizhuo met his gaze without showing any weakness, and shattered his illusions word by word: "Prince Liang also gave your life to Daqi! In exchange for Daqi not tearing up the letter of peace for five years."
Duo Leng: “…”
He clenched his fists suddenly.
Gu Zhizhuo's tone was filled with temptation as he continued, "By the way, according to your Liang Kingdom's tradition, if you die, will the one who inherits your wives, concubines, and children be the King of Liang, or the King of Liang's second prince?"
The second prince is the biological son of Prince Liang.
She heard from the young master that the King of Liang wanted to pass the throne to his biological son, but the first heir was Duoleng.
Duoleng's princess was snatched from another tribe and was known as the most beautiful woman on the grassland. Duoleng and the second prince fought fiercely over who would get her. Duoleng finally won by relying on the power of his mother's tribe.
The younger brother will inherit the throne after the elder brother dies. If he dies, his wives, concubines, and children will be inherited by the second prince, including this beautiful woman who is the apple of his eye.
Gu Zhizhuo raised his phoenix eyes slightly, "You broke off relations with Daqi here, lost all your men, and died in a foreign country. As a result, the King of Liang and your second prince brother took advantage of you. One of them got rid of you, a great threat to their heart, and the other got your beloved wife and concubines."
"You are so generous."
Duo Leng was filled with rage and subconsciously took two steps forward, wanting to grab her neck and tear her apart.
His steps suddenly stopped again, and his hands froze in mid-air.
She smiled faintly, without any fear, and even with a hint of provocation.
Duo Leng slowly lowered his hands, clapped his hands twice, and laughed in anger: "Miss Gu, it really is..."
"Good trick."
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