Chapter 105 Chapter 105 "Gu doesn't know that this woman in the palace...
"With your voice now, that guy named Gu wouldn't be too pleased. So be careful. Say as little as possible."
Before the palace banquet, Li Xuanbai sent someone to intercept her sedan chair on the palace road and conveyed these words to her.
Uneasy, she took a deep breath.
During the morning court session, she had only climbed up a poplar tree and peeked inside, but for some reason, she happened to meet him by accident.
Is it a coincidence, or?
How on earth had he found out she was there?
They even covered their eyes with black silk.
She didn't dare to think about it too much. She kept lifting the curtain of the sedan chair and looked out fearfully.
A group of eunuchs and palace maids walked silently on the palace road, but they did not see that person.
She didn't want to confront him. Back then, when she had hidden in Song Yaojie's secret room, he had discovered her for no apparent reason. If she ran into him face to face, she didn't know how difficult it would be to explain.
Pretending to have amnesia is the worst option among the worst options, the only option left.
Turning a corner, she found herself in front of the Jinshen Hall, where the banquet was being held. She lifted the curtain and peeked out, seeing a sedan chair parked in front of the hall's spacious square.
The sedan chair was entirely black, without any decorations. It was clearly the most honorable sedan chair in the Forbidden City, yet it was as rigid and cold as if made of iron.
Without thinking, she knew who the sedan belonged to.
She lifted the curtain and glanced at Qinglian.
Qinglian immediately understood and asked the sedan bearer to walk slowly and move forward step by step.
She was in the sedan chair, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on the lilac brocade curtains, seeping in and illuminating the interior in a dim way.
He covered his chest, closed his eyes, and calmed his breathing.
After so many years in the martial arts world, she rarely felt afraid, and she had never felt so nervous.
It's really refreshing to feel so uneasy.
The sedan chair is here, and someone must be waiting outside the palace gate. She lifted the curtain and said, "Let's not go to the Jinshen Palace for now, let's go to the lotus pond next to the palace."
The lotus pond in the Imperial Garden is backed by a rockery. The water in the pond is dark green and clear like gems, and vermilion carps are swimming in groups of three or two below.
It was almost evening, the sun was setting in the west, and there was a chilly, watery air by the water. She touched her arm and said to Qinglian, "Go get some fish food."
Qinglian responded and went downstairs. Soon, she returned with a box of fish food. She took it in her hands and sprinkled it into the water bit by bit.
Schools of fish gathered and swirled in the algae-green water, making it dizzying to the eyes, pecking at the surface of the water one after another.
In fact, she knew in her heart that doing these things was just procrastination and killing time.
We will meet sooner or later.
It was really funny. When she fell off the cliff, she was still in the air, trying desperately to look at him, hoping to remember him.
But after he really saved his life, he put the person behind him and forgot about him completely within two days.
It was so clean that even when we met again, there was no luck or guilt, only guilt.
Suddenly, the dark green and gloomy water surface reflected his equally gloomy face, with his eyes bound and appearing and disappearing mysteriously, as if he had appeared out of thin air from the shadows of the trees behind him.
She glanced at him gloomily and looked away.
I was so upset that I could see him on the water surface when I was feeding the fish.
Like a ghost.
"My Lady."
She poured out the box of fish food in her hand, turned around in panic, and suddenly her foot slipped and she missed a step.
The man immediately fell into the pond uncontrollably.
But he didn't really fall down, and was held up by him.
The beads of her hairpin hit her cheek, and her heart immediately jumped into her throat.
Gu Huaijin supported her, standing neither too far nor too close, his tone of voice was neither cold nor hot, and the strength in his hands seemed intentional yet unintentional.
"Gu has been allowed to enter and leave the palace for a long time with the emperor's permission, but he didn't know there was such a lady in the palace."
She suddenly realized that he was still holding her arm, and the warmth of his hand came through the thin shark veil. She felt a little panicked and looked at Yuanxiang.
Yuan Xiang hadn't noticed him approaching, and was so frightened that she stood there in a daze. Then, as if waking from a dream, she hurriedly saluted:
"I've met Mr. Gu. My queen entered the palace two months ago after the selection, and Mr. Gu has been back in the mountains for three months, so I haven't met him yet."
"I see." Black silk covered his eyebrows and eyes, hiding his breathtaking peach blossom eyes, but making him look even more delicate and charming. "Then, Empress Zhenfei, please forgive me."
He said "forgive me", but still refused to let go of the hand holding her arm.
Her heart was pounding and she pushed him away.
He remained silent, letting her break free without moving.
She couldn't stay any longer. For some reason, even though the man's eyes were still covered, she felt that beneath the black silk, two eyes were blazing and fierce, like drills that wouldn't stop until they opened her eyes to see.
She didn't dare to look him in the eye, so she bowed her head and was about to leave.
Just as he took a step forward with his eyes downcast, the tip of his shoe blocked a piece of the black hem of his clothes.
She didn't even dare to look up.
"Where are you going, Madam?" he asked. "I saw you feeding the fish here and didn't mean to disturb you. I was just worried you might fall into the water, so I wanted to come over and give you a heads up."
If her heels were half an inch further back, she would see the deep lotus pond; if her toes were three inches forward, she would see the hem of his clothes. She had no idea where his "carelessness" lay.
With such an intimidating aura, could it be that he recognized her?
Probably not yet. Otherwise—she looked at his calm face covered with black silk—otherwise, he couldn't be so calm.
Looking down, I suddenly noticed that there was a small mole on his neck, next to his Adam's apple.
There was a rumbling in her head.
At that moment, perhaps because they were too close, she suddenly felt that some of the air she inhaled into her lungs was the air he had just exhaled. A part of her was entangled with a part of him.
I can’t stay like this any longer. She raised her eyes and glanced at Qinglian.
"I don't know how I have offended Concubine Zhen to deserve such coldness." Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, he spoke slowly, "Gu is deeply troubled. I hope the Concubine Zhen will give me clear instructions."
Qinglian quickly walked to the two of them and bowed, "Mr. Hui. My wife caught a cold a few days ago, and her throat is not very clear, so it is inconvenient for her to speak."
He didn't answer, but looked at her silently, not knowing whether he was looking at her or not.
She felt like she was being pricked by a thorn in her back and was sweating profusely.
After a long moment, his two slightly red lips moved lightly, "So."
He didn't say anything else, but he didn't back away either.
At that time, the afterglow of the evening sun was reflected on the willow trees beside the rockery, and the light and shadows danced.
The spots of light from the ripples danced and reflected on his face.
After not seeing him for many years, he was as handsome as ever, his bones even more refined and handsome, his brows were sharp, his eye sockets were deep, and his whole body was like a piece of carefully carved jade.
Two beautiful lips, which she had kissed casually before, were slightly flushed.
She didn't want to look at it anymore, but only then she realized that although she thought she had forgotten it, she actually hadn't forgotten it at all. She even remembered the elegant curves of his lips.
She lowered her eyes, avoided his shoulder, and turned away, regardless of whether he wanted to or not.
The person in front of her said nothing, letting her pass by as if nothing had happened. His face, wrapped in black silk, silently followed her.
She didn't dare look back, her hands folded on her belly, and she walked calmly. After walking a few steps, she remembered that she had spent two days learning the Jiangnan lady's steps to conceal her identity, and she changed them stiffly.
After changing it, I felt that I was trying to hide something, and I felt a sense of weightlessness and stomach acid in my chest. I felt uneasy and embarrassed, and walked away in a panic.
By the lotus pond, the last bit of sunset was reflected on the soft waves. A man in black clothes had an expressionless face, not knowing whether he was looking or not.
After a long time, he put the right hand that had touched her under his nose and sniffed it.
*
Nan Qiongshuang sat beside Emperor Jiaqing. Below the steps were all important officials of the court. They raised their wine cups and toasted Emperor Jiaqing together.
The throne of Empress Jiaqing was vacant, and now she was the only one favored. Her seat was on the steps, where everyone's eyes were focused.
But she had no thoughts at all. She held the wine cup and rubbed her thumb on the auspicious beast carving on the cup.
This won't work.
For some reason, before she said a word, Gu Huaijin seemed to have noticed her.
Otherwise, why would he choose her and block her by the lotus pond?
How on earth did he notice that? He was even blindfolded.
Could it be that even though he has poor eyesight, he can still see?
She glanced over and saw that Gu Huaijin was now sitting at the head of the stairs, not far below her to the right, with his head lowered, not knowing what he was thinking.
She glanced quickly at him.
Gu Huaijin remained unmoved, perhaps not noticing.
Her heart calmed down a little, she picked up the chopsticks, and glanced at him twice more seemingly unintentionally.
His profile was incredibly handsome, and when he was silent, even gods and ghosts dared not approach him.
She fanned herself with a round fan, leaned back uneasily, and leaned back in her chair.
"...Is everything okay in the mountains these days?" She only listened to half of Emperor Jiaqing's words.
"Everything is fine in the mountains. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."
"How's your Wuliang Xinfa training going, sir? Has your realm been greatly improved?"
Gu Huaijin nodded: "Break through the seventh level."
Upon hearing this, the civil officials in the hall did not react much, but the military generals were all shocked.
Chang Da raised his glass to congratulate: "The Wuliang Heart Method has broken through the seventh level. Doesn't that mean it has reached the highest level? If that is true, Mr. Gu is the only successor of the Heart Method in the world, and the only one to have reached the highest level in the past three hundred years."
Gu Huaijin said modestly: "Not as good as Mr. Zhu." The old leader of Wuliang Mountain seemed to have the surname Zhu.
On the stairs, Li Xuanbai said with a smile, "The mastery of the mental method will harm the body. How is your health now?"
"Fair enough. Thank you for your concern, Regent."
"Isn't it said that one cannot get angry when using the mind method? If one gets excited, the mind method will regress and backfire, harming the body?"
"Gu has not been excited for a long time. All worldly affairs are but mirages, so why bother yourself with such trivial matters?"
"Oh, that's quite unconventional." Li Xuanbai smiled, propping up his cheek. "Sometimes, sir, you're too calm. I really want to see you get angry, so angry that you vomit blood."
After saying this, he glanced at Nan Qiongshuang vaguely.
Nan Qiongshuang held the wine cup in her hand and immediately clenched it.
When the important officials in the hall heard his words, they were all shocked, lowered their heads and pretended not to hear.
Emperor Jiaqing was stunned when he heard this. He turned his head to look at Li Xuanbai but said nothing.
"I'm sorry to disappoint the Regent." Gu Huaijin didn't care. "Since I started practicing the mental method, the only time I saw bloodshot eyes was during the first few months."
"Indeed. After all, after what happened, there is nothing that can shake you, sir." Li Xuanbai smiled, waving his folding fan intermittently.
The atmosphere in the hall grew even more depressing, and no one dared to speak. Gradually, two or three guests stood up, repeatedly asking to wash their hands, and quietly left the table.
Gu Huaijin did not answer.
Emperor Jiaqing picked up the wine cup and knocked on the small table: "Prince Regent."
Gu Huaijin smiled: "Indeed."
Nan Qiongshuang took a deep breath, her chopsticks frantically picking at the dishes. She wanted to pick up some blanched choy sum, but when she looked up, she saw Gu Huaijin facing the steps, looking at someone. Her hand trembled, and she picked up a piece of braised lion's head.
"Prince Regent, there is no need to mention the past." The events of the Tianshan Sect had a wide impact and were known to everyone in the martial arts world. Even Emperor Jiaqing, who was high up in the government, had heard of it.
Li Xuanbai didn't want to cause any more trouble, so he rested his chin on his hand, tapped the edge of the table with his fingers, and picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks.
Nan Qiongshuang breathed a sigh of relief. Qinglian, who was serving beside her, picked up the wine jug on the small table and filled her cup in due time.
She took the wine cup and kissed it.
Emperor Jiaqing: "I, too, hate spies. I have entrusted the Feiyu Guard to you, sir, to help you catch that spy as soon as possible, tear out his heart and bones, and peel off his skin and tendons."
She lowered her eyes, smiled, and calmly put down the wine cup.
When he raised his eyes, he met one of the ministers below the stairs.
The man was sitting next to Chang Da. His face was as rosy as his burly father's, his hair was sparse, and his face was so round that it could roll two miles if kicked. When he saw her looking at him with a smile, he was stunned for a moment, then quickly smiled.
The lecher mentioned by Wu Dao is Chang Da’s son, Chang Zhong.
She quickly looked away, feeling unlucky.
Suddenly, I felt that something was wrong and glanced at it.
Gu Huaijin, who had been looking at the three people on the stairs with an expressionless face since the banquet began, turned his head slightly, with his face tied with black silk, towards Chang Zhong.
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