Chapter 351 Caught Running Away (Third Update)
Xiao Jingkong didn't get home until almost dark. As he entered the door, he took a deep breath, composed himself, and made sure Jiaojiao didn't see him upset about Xiao Jin.
He poked his dimples, smiled, and adorably went into the house!
After Gu Jiao finished chopping firewood and tidying up the medicinal herbs, she turned around and saw the little guy hopping and skipping over.
"You're back?" she said.
"Okay!" Little Jingkong ran over and stretched out his short arms. "Jiaojiao, let me help you carry it!"
"Take this." Gu Jiao scooped a small ladle of medicinal herbs from the large basket and gave it to him.
"Okay!" Xiao Jingkong happily picked up the small ladle and carefully returned to the main room without spilling a single herb.
After dinner, Gu Jiao went to pack Xiao Jingkong's things.
The little guy always makes a mess of things and never puts them back properly.
Gu Jiao discovered that something was missing while tidying up.
Most of Xiao Jingkong's things were stored in different boxes. Gu Jiao usually wouldn't open those boxes without permission, not because they looked tattered, but because she respected her child's privacy.
However, some things are directly exposed, such as that little abacus.
"Clear the sky," Gu Jiao called out.
"Hmm?" Xiao Jingkong, who was arranging the chicks in formation in the main room, walked in and tilted her head to ask, "What's wrong, Jiaojiao?"
"Where did your abacus go?" Gu Jiao asked suspiciously.
Little Jingkong's eyes darted around: "I left it at the clinic!"
"Really?" Gu Jiao thought for a moment, "But I just finished tidying up the little box you left at the clinic today, and I didn't see your abacus."
Xiao Jingkong blinked and said, "Oh, I just forgot, I... lent it to Brother Chu Yu! He said he'd return it to me in a while!"
Xiao Jingkong rarely lies; he has a very good reputation, so Gu Jiao did not suspect him.
After leaving the east room, Xiao Jingkong clutched her chest and let out a long sigh of relief.
He was terrified! Jiao Jiao almost found out, but luckily he's a clever little devil!
It rained in the evening, and Gu Yan's bodyguards returned to report that the road was difficult to travel. Gu Yan and Gu Xiaoshun stayed at Nan Xiang and Master Lu's house, and the two would go directly to Qinghe Academy from there the next day.
Nan Xiang and Master Lu liked Gu Xiaoshun and Gu Yan very much, so Gu Jiao had no worries and asked the guards to bring two sets of clothes for the two of them.
Meanwhile, the old Marquis, encouraged by Gu Yan and Gu Jiao, felt he had received unprecedented support. He had lived his whole life for the Zhao Kingdom and for the Marquis's family business. Apart from the life-or-death battles on the battlefield, he had hardly ever done anything daring in private.
He worked diligently and conscientiously his whole life, but perhaps because he was getting old and didn't have many years left to live, he didn't want to leave any regrets in his life.
For as long as I lived for others, I betrayed her for just as long.
In the few days he had left, he didn't want to let her down again.
Fortunately, the military force cultivated for His Majesty has been successfully trained, and Gu Changqing has grown up. With a successor in the Marquis's mansion, he can finally rest easy.
"Go and summon the young master," the old marquis ordered.
"Yes." The servant went to Gu Changqing's courtyard and called Gu Changqing over.
Gu Changqing looked at the old Marquis sitting in the main seat, whose expression was clearly different from usual, and said calmly, "It's so late, does Grandfather have something to discuss with me?"
The old Marquis gave him a deep look. This was his grandson whom he had raised single-handedly. He had poured all his heart and soul into him, even more so than he had into his son, Gu Chong.
And he lived up to expectations, growing into the person he had always dreamed of being.
The old Marquis handed him two tokens of different materials: one was the token of the Gu family army, and the other was the token of that secret army.
"What does Grandfather mean by this?" Gu Changqing asked curiously.
The old Marquis looked at him and said solemnly, "You've grown up, and some responsibilities should be handed over to you. I may not live to see the day when the Gu family army is revitalized, but I hope you can see that day."
"Why can't I see it?" Gu Changqing asked calmly.
The old marquis hesitated, then squeezed the corner of the table and said, "I have my own plans, you don't need to ask any more questions."
Gu Changqing gave a cold laugh, not without sarcasm, and said, "Grandfather always has his own plans, just like that incident back then!"
Having said that, he turned and left without waiting for the old lord to ask him what the specific matter was.
He accepted the token.
He is a family man, and he will do his best to shoulder both his rights and his responsibilities.
The old marquis watched his grandson's resolute departing figure and sighed helplessly.
After that, he had his servant summon Gu Chengfeng and Gu Chenglin.
They were all his grandsons, and he naturally loved them too, but he didn't value them as much as he valued Gu Changqing, nor did he cherish them as much as he did Gu Yan.
This is probably the tragedy of not being able to have it both ways. She is neither as capable as Gu Changqing nor as delicate as Gu Yan, so she naturally receives less attention.
When the day of parting finally arrived, the old Marquis felt a deep sense of reluctance.
He glanced at the two of them, intending to say some sentimental words between grandfather and grandson, but when he saw Gu Chenglin's newly grown bald head, his lips twitched!
I can't get anything out of it!
He also gave the two of them a token and some family assets, which were to be kept by Gu Changqing until the two of them got married and started their own families.
He also kept one for Gu Yan, which he had already sent to the secret guards, to be handed over to Gu Yan at the appropriate time.
Gu Jiao got married. A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; he didn't leave her a token, but considering her devotion to Gu Yan, he still gave her a sum of money.
It was also in the hands of the secret guards.
Lord Gu has gone to repair the road and is not at home.
However, the old Marquis didn't even think about this invisible son.
After explaining everything, the old Marquis left the Marquis's residence that very night.
Gu Chenglin stared blankly at the token in his hand, its purpose unknown, and asked, "Second Brother, don't you think Grandfather is acting strangely today?"
Gu Chengfeng glanced at the token, then looked at the boundless night, and said thoughtfully, "It is quite strange."
The night was dark and the wind was high.
The capital city has shed its daytime hustle and bustle, becoming a quiet, isolated city.
In the hazy night, a dark figure leaped across the walls and rooftops, sneaking into the palace like a ghost.
A patrol of Imperial Guards passed by.
Since the assassination attempt on Consort Jing, the palace has been reinforced with increased security, and the number of imperial guards has doubled.
"Hey? Did you hear anything just now?" a guard asked.
His companion said, "No, did you hear that?"
The remaining companions all shook their heads.
The first imperial guard scratched his head in confusion: "Maybe I misheard." He glanced back at the impregnable palace walls. In addition to their patrols, there were also imperial guards and secret agents lying in ambush at the four corners of the walls.
If someone really did infiltrate, surely they wouldn't be able to hide it from everyone?
"Let's go! Let's patrol ahead!"
The Imperial Guard marched forward in neat formation.
Shortly after they left, a figure hidden in a tree soared through the air towards Huaqing Palace.
He was extremely familiar with the palace's defenses, and managed to sneak into Huaqing Palace without being seen by any of the imperial guards or top palace guards.
Consort Jing was kneeling in a small meditation room, striking a wooden fish and chanting sutras.
Suddenly, a dark figure flashed in and appeared behind her.
However, just as the dark figure was only three steps away from her, another shadowy figure swooped down from the roof beam, holding a long sword that gleamed coldly, and stood in front of her.
Dragon Shadow Guard!
The old marquis was astonished.
"Stop!" Consort Jing said.
The Dragon Shadow Guard lowered his longsword.
"Step down," said Consort Jing.
The Dragon Shadow Guard leaped up and darted out of the window.
The old Marquis knew about the Dragon Shadow Guards. They were a group of assassins that the late emperor had bought from the Yan Kingdom at great expense and secretly trained for many years to become the Dragon Shadow Guards under the late emperor's command.
He hadn't expected to see the Dragon Shadow Guard by Consort Jing's side.
"you……"
He suddenly got stuck.
If His Majesty gave all the Dragon Shadow Guards to her, does that mean her situation isn't as bad as she imagines?
"Why are you here?" Consort Jing stared at her.
The old marquis met her gaze and it took him a long time to find his voice: "I heard that you encountered assassins in the palace and were almost ambushed by something sent by the Marquis of Xuanping."
Marquis Xuanping was investigating the case in a very high-profile manner, and all the civil and military officials in the court had heard about it.
The old Marquis naturally didn't believe that Marquis Xuanping and the old Imperial Academy Chief would frame Consort Jing. However, this was precisely the terrifying aspect of the incident: the murderer was lurking in the shadows, making it truly impossible to guard against.
Consort Jing lowered her eyes and sighed, "I'm fine."
She put the wooden fish stick back on the table.
When the old marquis saw the injury on the back of her hand, his brow furrowed: "You're injured!"
Consort Jing lowered her hand and covered the back of her hand with her sleeve: "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."
"Was it done by that person from Renshou Palace?" After thinking it over, the old Marquis concluded that the person in the entire palace who least wanted Consort Jing to return was Empress Dowager Zhuang!
All of this might have been secretly orchestrated by Empress Dowager Zhuang!
Consort Jing lowered her eyes, smiled bitterly, and said, "Don't make things up without evidence... We can't beat that one."
Her pitiful and aggrieved appearance aroused the old marquis's fiery temper.
Given the old Marquis's usual temperament, since he's already here, he might as well go all the way and assassinate Empress Dowager Zhuang at Renshou Palace to avenge her!
But the old Marquis came today to take Consort Jing away. He is a man of plans and will act according to his plans. Empress Dowager Zhuang can kill her another time.
He took a deep breath and said, "I saw the Dragon Shadow Guard just now and hesitated about whether to do this, but since she is so arrogant, it's not appropriate for you to stay any longer. I'll take you away now!"
Consort Jing was taken aback: "W-what?"
The old lord said, "Don't worry, I will avenge you, but I will also not betray your kindness again. I will take you away now!"
After saying this, he grabbed Consort Jing's wrist and walked out.
The two had just arrived at the door when they bumped into the Emperor, who had come to visit Consort Jing.
It's past midnight! Surprised? Unexpected?
(End of this chapter)
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