Chapter 86: Weak Body
On the way back, Shaman fell into a state of worry. She kept thinking, her gaze, which had turned from indifference to sorrow, lingering on Xie Huailing. After much internal struggle, trust in Xie Huailing's choice prevailed, and all she could offer was complete trust.
Shaman let out a long breath, sometimes light, sometimes heavy.
Xie Huailing wanted to comfort her, but she didn't want to see her subordinate looking like this. Her decision was certainly risky; even setting aside the fact that she had developed some feelings for Shaman, she knew she was jeopardizing Shaman's career: "Just relax, I'll take care of everything."
Shaman rarely heard her say such things, and she didn't know what to feel. Strangely enough, when she met Xie Huailing's gaze again, in his deep and empty eyes, the last bit of worry she had left was completely erased, leaving her as calm as a snowfield where a swallow had flown by, without any extra sound.
She asked herself honestly, and then suddenly realized, why be so worried? In this world, how many people could possibly harm Xie Huailing?
Perhaps, there isn't such a person. Shaman then realized she was being too tense.
She calmed down and asked Xie Huailing about her plans. This time, Xie Huailing didn't keep her in suspense; she told her everything as soon as she asked. Her next step was to wait about a day to give the Southern Prince's Mansion time to react, and then find a suitable time to go out and offer them an opportunity.
Xie Huailing didn't believe the Southern Prince's Mansion would choose to cut off the clues or put on some disguise. Firstly, in their eyes, her suspicions had already been sown, and with her abilities, it was only a matter of time before she found out. Secondly, that princess was known for her swift and decisive actions in handling the aftermath, showing little mercy to anyone and completely lacking any compassion. What other option could she possibly have besides taking Xie Huailing's life without hesitation?
Even if she didn't want to see Xie Huailing, she had to take action, and once she did, whether or not they met was no longer up to her.
Shaman already had a ready-made excuse for going out: a batch of goods that the Beggars' Sect planned to deliver to the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion needed to be inspected, and it was perfectly reasonable for Xie Huailing to go and take a look. Next was the matter of the guards for the day. The Southern Prince's Mansion was after Xie Huailing's life, which meant a fierce battle for Shaman. She had to simultaneously protect Xie Huailing closely and meticulously set up an ambush without revealing that it was a trap—the challenge was immense.
Fortunately, Xie Huailing had already thought it through. All she had to do was tell Shaman. Although it sounded like something a sleepwalker would say, she told Shaman to focus on setting up the ambush and let her make her own arrangements as her bodyguard.
Shaman was taken aback to be moved from her close position at such a crucial moment. Despite the many suspicious points, she didn't press Xie Huailing for answers, merely nodding, showing no intention of figuring out his intentions.
Only then did Shaman begin to understand why Yang Wuxie always silently accepted all of Su Mengzhen's decisions.
.
Day and night pass in a blur. The daytime clouds, like the hem of a young girl's skirt, shyly flutter across the sky and then disappear, carrying away someone's soul. Azure skies follow closely behind, and then the moon, with its own unique charm, slowly climbs to the treetops, brushing away all the youthful innocence with a flick of its finger.
In this scene, a single camellia blooms, its fragrance lingering, while two figures stand side by side in green.
The camellia was a new gift, the only one of its kind, placed in a porcelain vase. The person who gave it to it was far from stingy, so this camellia was definitely no ordinary camellia.
Pure white jade, like the moon moving eastward, even purer at night, like fragrant snowflakes in the hair; standing gracefully among the real flowers, seemingly fragrant even without fragrance, quiet as a willow in the shadow of a corner, its slender jade-like form makes it all the more beautiful.
However, the generous fellow didn't seem to think it was very valuable, nor did he expect to win anyone's favor with it. He didn't offer any introduction, just left it there on the porcelain vase, saying to itself: "I've found out everything I could for you about the Southern Prince's Mansion."
The celestial music parted the aloofness, revealing a layer of mist that kept people at a distance. She had waited long enough. Xie Huailing's gaze fixed on his eyes, and she said, "You should have investigated long ago."
Her gaze was very effective on Gong Jiu, and the young man spoke a little faster: "I also want to do it sooner, but the journey is long and involves some old matters, so it will really take some time."
"Old stories?" Xie Huailing tapped his fingers lightly on the teacup.
Gong Jiu had become accustomed to these things in just a few days. He refilled her tea and said, "It's an old story. The people I planted in the Southern Prince's mansion know a few maids who were sold long ago and have dug up a lot of old grievances, but we'll talk about those later."
He said, "What you want to hear first is what the Southern Prince's Mansion is going to do, and what the Southern Prince's Mansion is plotting against the Beggars' Gang."
Then, without Xie Huailing needing to reply, as long as she kept looking at him and never looked away, he would continue talking without stopping, sharing everything he knew.
"Among the nobility, there are also different ranks. It is based on profit and power. People with similar blood do not necessarily have similar status. My father understood this principle well. When he was still of sound mind, he never slacked off in his duties to the court. Only after handing it over to me did the Taiping Prince's Mansion achieve its current glory. However, this path is not easy to walk. Not everyone can walk it well, nor is everyone suitable for it."
Gong Jiu pushed the teacup towards Xie Huailing and said, "The Prince of the South—perhaps I should call him Imperial Uncle, but let's just call him that for now—is that rather inappropriate person. He has the will but not the strength; that's exactly what he is. Over the years, he has accomplished little in court affairs and has no connections in the martial world. He has nowhere to turn and is just living off his family's wealth. But to call him a fool would be an understatement. It's just that his talent can't support his ambition, that's all."
The tea was still warm, with a lingering fragrance. Xie Huailing took a small sip and replied, "You mean, all that the Southern Prince's Mansion is doing is for the Southern Prince's ambition, to expand his power?"
“Of course it is, but it’s not just that.” Under her “Isn’t this obvious?” look, Gong Jiu explained gently, making her point even clearer, “There are many kinds of ambition, and ambition is not the ultimate goal of people.”
He mentioned something Xie Huailing didn't know, a secret from the imperial court: "The Southern Prince's Mansion is secretly supporting the Sixth Prince."
Interference in the succession planning?
Xie Huailing was not surprised, though. It was rare for a power transition to be smooth sailing, with constant scrambling and infighting. She said, "If it's about seeking the support of the martial arts world for the sake of helping the emperor rise to power, then it's not surprising."
After speaking, Gong Jiu surprisingly wore a thoughtful expression, his fingertips tracing his chin as if carefully choosing his words. The candlelight cast flickering yellow light on his refined profile, adding to his air of mystery and unfathomable depth.
“Perhaps it’s not entirely about the merit of following the emperor.” He spoke slowly. “I used to think so too, but this time, after a thorough investigation of the Southern Prince’s Mansion, I unexpectedly learned something.”
He looked at Xie Huailing, their eyes meeting, making sure she heard every word he was about to say: "Prince of the Southern King, my cousin, I haven't seen him since he was ten years old. The royal family only says that he is frail and sickly, needs to rest and recuperate, and practices martial arts to maintain his health, and is not suitable to receive guests. This time, I specially ordered someone to come up with some methods so that I was able to see his true face."
Gong Jiu paused deliberately for a moment before continuing meaningfully, "I just learned that my two cousins look exactly alike, without the slightest difference."
A bird's cry suddenly rang out outside, startling the birds into flight and leaving only emptiness. In a flash, numerous clues connected, a chilling sensation rising up to the bone, belatedly revealing an absurd yet astonishing truth. Xie Huailing's mind went blank, a sharp light flashed, as if the night had receded, and her delicate heart grew heavier with each shock, yet also calmer with each passing moment.
Before long, she understood, and her turmoil subsided as she said, "So they were going to play the trick of substituting a cat for the prince, which is why they first put a 'prince' in their hands. This is truly..."
Xie Huailing said sarcastically, drawing out the last syllable, "That's incredibly stupid."
Gong Jiu clearly agreed with her opinion, but did not comment further. When it comes to royal secrets, especially scandals like this, the wisest approach is to leave it at that; after all, he was still too close to the situation to know the full story.
Turning the topic back to the initial plan, Gong Jiu continued, "Therefore, it is clear why the Southern Prince's Mansion colluded with Nangong Ling in an attempt to control the Beggars' Sect. They needed to expand their influence in the martial arts world and accumulate strength for their grand plan. The Six and a Half Hall and the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion are not easy to deal with and difficult to control, while the Beggars' Sect, though seemingly aloof, is not actually a monolithic entity internally. With a young leader like Nangong Ling who harbors resentment and is easy to manipulate, it was only natural that they would agree to this."
Xie Huailing nodded slightly in agreement. After a moment, she brought up his earlier words and asked, "You said earlier that you also uncovered some old stories?"
Gong Jiu responded lightly, his expression suggesting that he found this matter more interesting than the "substitution of the crown prince" scheme, saying, "It's a rather interesting old story."
He rarely showed interest in anything, which was unexpected. He took the initiative to say, "I wonder if Miss Xie remembers when I mentioned my cousin to you that she was treated very poorly in the Prince's mansion and was often bullied by her sisters. She could only live peacefully for a few days when the Prince occasionally thought of her. Until a few years ago, when an epidemic struck and she was the only one of the two or three daughters in the Prince's mansion to survive, she was granted the title of Princess and her life was changed."
Xie Huailing's heart stirred, and without thinking, she stared at him intently.
She remained silent, not out of doubt, but out of certainty. His unspoken meaning was like a piece of paper floating on the water to her; he concealed everything, yet she understood it all.
Gong Jiu admired her quick wit and insight; her intelligence made her exceptionally beautiful. He studied her intently as he spoke, “My people found out that one of her personal maids died of the plague. Afterwards, she went to the maid's brother and sister-in-law to ask for the clothes the maid had worn before her death, ostensibly to keep them as a memento and burn some incense. And before her sisters fell ill, she truly showed them ‘forgiveness’ and ‘sisterly affection,’ frequently visiting them.”
"Incidentally, not long after her sisters died one after another, the Princess of the South, who had a bad temper and loved to torment her concubines and children who were not her own, also died in depression."
Xie Huailing pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What exactly was her life like in the Prince's mansion before?"
Gong Jiu recalled the information she had gathered and what she had seen and heard. Her tone remained calm, which only highlighted the cruelty of the truth: "It was far from a good situation. Her birth mother came from a humble background and had long since fallen out of favor. She was working under the Princess of Nan, and her circumstances were unimaginable. The Princess of Nan was very harsh in managing her household. She was violent and ruthless, and the servants in her household were used to flattering the powerful and bullying the weak... It seems that when she was about ten years old, her birth mother hanged herself in her room, and it seems that she even died in front of her."
Xie Huailing listened quietly until Gong Jiu finished speaking, then she abruptly and coldly commented, "Being able to be ruthless is a good thing. In that case, she is the only truly intelligent person in the Southern Prince's Mansion."
“It’s a pity.” She paused, her eyes clear and sharp, “It’s still not ruthless enough.”
After saying that, she stopped talking about it, took a sip of the still-warm tea to moisten her throat, and said, "Tomorrow night, you'll come out with me."
"Okay." Gong Jiu didn't ask any more questions and immediately agreed.
Before Xie Huailing could finish speaking, she casually added, "It's time to fulfill the deal between us."
With a firm expression, Gong Jiu's reverie abruptly ended. He stopped staring at her face and looked again for her hesitation, but he couldn't find it; she hadn't wavered for him. He said, "That's truly a pity."
"There's nothing to regret."
"The orchid is dewy, a thing without intention," Xie Huailing said slowly.
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