Chapter 383 Unveiling the Secret (Second Update)
He was not born when the late emperor passed away, but he once accompanied the emperor to visit Consort Jing at the nunnery.
He was young then and didn't know what he had accidentally seen. It wasn't until he grew up that he realized it was an imperial edict, and judging from the content, it seemed to be an edict left by the late emperor.
He didn't mention this to anyone.
When I was a child, I didn't mention it because I didn't understand. When I grew up, I didn't mention it because I felt the matter was too serious and I was afraid of bringing disaster to the Marquis's mansion.
Not long after he stumbled upon the imperial edict, he was poisoned near Renshou Palace.
He never connected the two things, and even as he grew older, he never felt that they could be related.
As for why he didn't suspect Consort Jing's motives for stealing the imperial edict, it's because if he were in her shoes, he would have done the same.
But he thought there must be a knot in his heart, otherwise he wouldn't have stopped Gu Jiao from going to the nunnery outside the palace to treat Consort Jing.
Perhaps Consort Jing had already discovered that he had seen the imperial edict, which is why she poisoned him.
It wasn't just to frame Empress Dowager Zhuang; it was also to kill her to silence her.
After he miraculously survived, Marquis Xuanping and Princess Xinyang strengthened their protection of him, leaving Consort Jing with no further opportunities to harm him, until—
"Hey, why did you suddenly stop talking? Did you get scared out of your wits?" Gu Chengfeng waved his hand in front of his eyes. "This is nothing!"
Xiao Liulang snapped out of his reverie: "No, I was just thinking about what you just said."
That day, he went next door to find his teacher and overheard the teacher mentioning Princess Xinyang to Gu Changqing. The teacher said that he had something to ask Princess Xinyang, but he didn't hear much of it and didn't expect it to be about the imperial edict.
He thought he was asking about Consort Jing.
Gu Chengfeng, unaware that he was pondering the imperial edict, assumed he, like himself, was shocked by the fact that Consort Jing had drugged the Emperor: "I knew she was ruthless, but I never expected she would be so cruel as to harm His Majesty, did I? Even tigers don't eat their cubs, she..."
Gu Chengfeng suddenly found himself at a loss for words to describe this old hag. He curled his lip and snorted, "These past years have truly been difficult for the Empress Dowager. His Majesty and she didn't have to come to this... But, I heard that His Majesty's medicine is about to expire, so the old hag went to buy more. I wonder if she's drugged His Majesty again recently..."
Gu Jiao is at the top of the information pyramid, while Gu Chengfeng is only second. They are currently unaware that Consort Jing has given the emperor the wrong medicine.
But perhaps soon he won't even be able to rank second.
Xiao Liulang paused for a moment and said, "Wait a moment, I'll write a reply to Jiaojiao."
Gu Chengfeng's face darkened.
I only brought you some food, and you still have to write her a letter back!
If he ever dies, it'll definitely be because of the jealousy of these two!
Xiao Liulang wrote a note to Gu Chengfeng, folded it, and put it into the purse that Gu Jiao had given him.
He didn't take any special precautions to keep it a secret. First, he trusted Gu Jiao's judgment; if Gu Jiao allowed Gu Chengfeng to come, it meant Gu Chengfeng was one of his own. Second, Gu Chengfeng's ability to move freely within the Imperial Examination Hall and under the watchful eyes of the Dragon Shadow Guards was undeniable. No matter how tightly he sealed it, Gu Chengfeng would still be able to see it if he wanted to.
"Alright, then I'll make another trip. I was planning to go back to the Marquis's residence after delivering the food to you." Gu Chengfeng accepted the purse. When he mentioned the food, his eyes swept over the pastries on the table. The girl wasn't pretty, but the pastries she made were exceptionally exquisite.
"Thank you very much," Xiao Liulang said sincerely.
"If you sincerely want to thank me, give me a piece of your pastry," Gu Chengfeng said.
"No." Xiao Liulang refused without hesitation.
Gu Chengfeng: "..."
Gu Chengfeng used his lightness skill to leave the examination hall. Because he was angry, he went to Biyue Hutong without even showing himself. He simply threw the purse that Xiao Liulang had asked him to bring back onto Gu Jiao's windowsill.
Gu Jiao didn't need to guess to know that Gu Chengfeng had brought her over.
Gu Jiao tossed the medicine bottle into the air.
As expected, Gu Chengfeng caught the hair growth serum with a nimble spin.
He landed in front of Gu Jiao's window and said angrily, "You just throw it away like that! Aren't you afraid of giving it to the wrong person? Humph!"
Having said that, he took Gu Chenglin's medicine and disappeared into the endless night.
Gu Jiao took out the note from her purse—"Knowing the contents of the imperial edict, do not act rashly, wait for my return."
When she read the first two sentences, Gu Jiao's heart was not stirred at all. However, when she read the last sentence, the corners of her lips curved into a beautiful arc.
"Wait for me to come back..." Gu Jiao murmured the last four words, resting her elbow on the windowsill and gazing into the distance.
Why am I a little happy?
Gu Jiao's upturned lips couldn't be suppressed.
"Hello!"
Gu Chengfeng suddenly returned, hanging upside down from the roof beam, his head dangling outside Gu Jiao's window, almost face to face with her.
The difference is that Gu Jiao's face is upright, while his face is upside down.
Gu Jiao looked at the uninvited guest who was ruining the atmosphere: "What?"
Gu Chengfeng said, "There's something I forgot to tell you. Your husband was poisoned at the examination hall."
Gu Jiao's expression turned cold.
"Luckily I arrived early, just in time..."
Before Gu Chengfeng could finish speaking, Gu Jiao had already leaped out of the window, using one hand to brace herself against the windowsill.
Gu Chengfeng stared in disbelief: "Uh... well, I haven't said the second half of my sentence yet."
With Gu Jiao's current skills, sneaking into the examination hall shouldn't be a big problem. Although the examination hall is large, its layout is simple, and all the examiners live in the Jingyi Pavilion.
Xiao Liulang had just finished washing up and was wearing only a thin undergarment. He turned off the oil lamp on the table and was about to go to sleep when someone gently knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Xiao Liulang came to the door, removed the bolt, and gently opened the door.
The person outside the door was not any of her colleagues, but a petite figure in black, wearing a gaudy mask.
The eyes beneath the mask shone like a celestial river, illuminating the darkest corner of his heart.
He stared blankly at her, and at his own dazed reflection in her pupils, momentarily forgetting to react.
"You two, go and take a look over there!"
The voice of a guard could be heard from not far away.
Xiao Liulang quickly reached out and pulled her in, pulling her head into his arms. He held her with one arm and quickly closed the door with the other.
Almost the instant he bolted the door, the guards outside arrived.
"You two, go check over there. You two search this courtyard. You come with me!"
"yes!"
Gu Jiao was held tightly in Xiao Liulang's arms. She didn't move, but blinked her big, bright eyes at him.
Xiao Liulang raised his index finger and gently placed it on his lips.
Gu Jiao understood.
She understands without saying a word!
Achoo!
But I couldn't stop sneezing!
The masks were all knocked askew!
"What's that noise!"
A guard walked towards Xiao Liulang's room.
“It’s me,” Xiao Liulang said in a normal tone.
"It's so late, is Lord Xiao still awake?" the guard asked from outside the door.
Xiao Liulang held Gu Jiao tightly, not daring to move an inch: "She's asleep, but you guys woke her up again."
"I'm sorry." The guard outside the door cupped his hands in apology. "Our brothers found a guard who had fainted near the kitchen. He seems to have been unconscious for a long time. We don't know if some thief has broken in. We are currently searching the examination hall under orders. Please bear with us, Lord Xiao."
Gu Jiao took off her crooked mask, but he was holding her tightly and she couldn't break free, so she simply buried her head in his arms.
Xiao Liulang's heart skipped a beat, and his breathing became heavy. He composed himself and said, "I haven't heard any noise here. You should go and check on the officials."
"Yes," the guard replied.
"Brother, we haven't found anything here."
"There aren't any over there either."
"Walk!"
The guards left Jingyi Pavilion one after another. Xiao Liulang listened carefully to their footsteps and made sure that the last guard had gone far away. The surroundings became quiet again.
However, neither Xiao Liulang nor Gu Jiao moved.
There were no lamps lit in the room; only the faint moonlight peeked in through the paper windows, making it almost dark.
The night was quiet.
He held her in his arms, their breaths mingling in his ears, and the sound of his own heart pounding like a drum.
"I didn't knock that guard unconscious. I didn't hit anyone."
Gu Jiao said.
"Hmm." Xiao Liulang responded vaguely, gently releasing his arms from her. The darkness concealed the blush on his cheeks. "Why did you come here so late?"
"Gu Chengfeng said someone poisoned you." As Gu Jiao said this, her fingertips were already on his pulse.
“I didn’t eat,” Xiao Liulang said. “The guard who fainted must be the one who was supposed to bring me dinner.”
"The pulse is fine," Gu Jiao asked. "Is the food used to drug me still there?"
Xiao Liulang approached the table in the dark, took out a tinderbox and lit the oil lamp: "Take it away, I left a little bit of scallion that was drugged."
As he spoke, he took a small porcelain bottle out of his bundle.
Gu Jiao poured out the chopped scallions, examined them carefully, and then her face darkened: "It's arsenic."
Someone actually poisoned her husband with arsenic!
Her little fists indicate that they are itchy!
Looking at her fierce little expression, Xiao Liulang couldn't help but laugh.
He raised his hand and gently rubbed the top of her head: "I'm fine. I didn't fall for it this time. The other party should have guessed that I was exposed and won't make another move for a while."
At least he won't make a move at the examination hall again.
"You came all this way in the middle of the night just for this?"
In his view, this was a trivial matter. From the moment he returned to the capital, he had already anticipated that the road ahead would be full of thorns.
"I will find the murderer," Gu Jiao said earnestly.
"Okay." Xiao Liulang smiled slightly and stroked the tuft of hair on her head that was blown up by the wind.
It's strange, he never used to do this.
They maintained the status of husband and wife, but their relationship was far from that of a married couple. They were more like guests living under the same roof, each with their own space and not interfering with the other.
From what point did their boundaries begin to blur? And from what point did their plans start involving each other?
Xiao Liulang lowered his head and chuckled.
"What are you laughing at?" Gu Jiao asked.
"No." Xiao Liulang shook his head.
I just couldn't help but chuckle.
As for what he was laughing at, he seemed to know, yet also seemed not to.
"By the way, what exactly was written on Consort Jing's imperial edict?" Gu Jiao skipped over the question of how she knew the contents of the edict.
Xiao Liulang seemed to finally understand what he was laughing about; he was happy.
Being with her, he never seemed to worry about her asking questions that would put him in a difficult position, and of course, he wouldn't deliberately try to find out things she didn't want to answer.
This isn't a cautiousness born from a deep understanding; it's a natural intuition stemming from our personalities.
Xiao Liulang said, "That was an imperial edict left by the late emperor before his death, which contained very important information."
To call it important is an understatement; it was something that could shake the very foundations of the imperial court.
Gu Jiao asked, "Is it related to your great-aunt?"
Xiao Liulang nodded: "Yes."
It must be related to her great-aunt, otherwise the Dowager Consort Jing wouldn't have used it as a trump card for so many years.
Gu Jiao continued to speculate: "Did the late emperor agree to his great-aunt ruling from behind the curtain?"
If the late emperor had agreed, then the aunt would not have had to suffer so much criticism. The fact that Consort Jing held this imperial edict in her hands undoubtedly brought great obstacles to the aunt's path to regency.
Xiao Liulang shook his head: "No."
Gu Jiao changed the direction of her guess: "So it's about telling Auntie not to interfere with the imperial court?"
"No, not exactly." Xiao Liulang shook his head again.
Gu Jiao gave a strange "hmm": "It can't really be an imperial edict ordering my aunt to be buried alive with the late emperor, can it?"
Xiao Liulang fell silent.
Gu Jiao knew the answer as soon as she saw his expression.
The imperial edict issued by the late emperor before his death was indeed to order my aunt to be buried alive with him!
This made Gu Jiao even more puzzled: "But why did Consort Jing keep an imperial edict ordering my aunt to be buried alive with her? She and my aunt were so at odds, and she wished she could get rid of her as soon as possible, so why would she hide the imperial edict?"
Xiao Liulang's gaze deepened: "Because the imperial edict... the concubines who were to be buried with the late emperor were not just my aunt, but also Consort Jing."
(End of this chapter)
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