They got lost.
Gu Jinghong felt that she was about to die.
The bone-chilling cold had already numbed my limbs. The hot blood gushing from the wound on my shoulder was covered and frozen by the heavy snow before it could even flow down, eventually congealing into a shocking patch of red.
She had been lying in the snow and ice for far too long. At first, she was struggling to keep going with her internal energy, but now it seemed that her internal energy was almost exhausted.
Her body grew colder and colder, and her consciousness began to hover at freezing point, like a string stretched to its limit, about to snap at any moment.
In a daze, Gu Jinghong heard footsteps approaching from afar, crunching through the snow.
Calm and composed, he seemed like a master.
The footsteps stopped when they reached her.
The master's profound internal energy made Gu Jinghong clearly feel a warm sensation mixed with killing intent approaching.
Was it that cold-faced and heartless prince who sent such a skilled person to send her off on her final journey?
That's fine.
But Qin Jin was not eliminated, and her adoptive father was not saved... Was Gu Jinghong's life going to end so hastily?
Resentment and regret slowly grew in her heart. At the same time, she felt something cold and hard sweep across her face, and then a warm and solid touch brushed against her neck.
Then it seemed like a sentence was heard: "Your Highness, her breath is weak, she may not make it."
Then, an even colder voice reached Gu Jinghong's ears from not far away: "If that's the case, then deal with it."
"yes."
She heard the expert beside her answer in this way, and then he reached out to hug her.
The strong arms brought a touch of warmth, but it was ultimately weak. Gu Jinghong really couldn't hold on any longer, and her carefully designed arms naturally fell down.
"Sizzle—"
A soft tearing sound could be clearly heard in the quiet, snowy alley.
The thin, grayish-blue fabric on her shoulder ripped open with a snap, revealing a vivid, lifelike, bright red butterfly with outstretched wings, starkly imprinted on her snow-white skin.
Almost simultaneously, Gu Jinghong seemed to feel a sharp gaze directed at her. The next instant, that icy voice rang out again.
"……etc"
She heard him pause, as if needing a moment to gather his voice, before finally giving the order in a deep voice: "Take her in. Heal her at all costs."
"yes."
Having survived the ordeal... Gu Jinghong's consciousness suddenly vanished.
Outside the Prince's Mansion, the wind and snow continued.
Xiao Chengyan, however, stood there like an ice sculpture for a long time.
The swirling snowflakes fell on his broad shoulders and onto his thick eyelashes, melting into tiny water droplets that quietly slid down his hard jawline, leaving a slightly cool, damp trail.
He looked up at the sky where snow was falling in abundance.
Ten years have passed... Ah Ning.
There are still people... who remember you.
...
Consciousness was like being slowly lifted up by a warm current from the cold seabed.
Gu Jinghong's long eyelashes trembled as she struggled to lift her eyelids.
At first, the vision was hazy, as if through a veil of mist, but then it gradually became clear, and what came into view was a canopy embroidered with intricate gold cloud patterns overhead.
The air was filled with the crisp, cool fragrance of pine and cypress, mixed with a hint of bitter medicine.
Beneath her was a soft and warm brocade quilt.
Her beautiful eyes finally opened—Wang Jin's Mansion?
She actually survived and was brought here.
This thought was like a bucket of ice water, instantly sobering her up completely.
Then, she slowly propped herself up.
A wave of intense dizziness and a feeling of weakness that seemed to seep into her very bones washed over her. She looked down at her wrists, which were once slender but now appeared even more frail. The skin was a pale white, as if it had never seen the light of day, and the faint blue veins on the back of her hands were clearly visible.
More importantly, a burning, empty feeling was gripping her stomach.
...How long was she unconscious?
Just then, very light footsteps came from outside the door, and a respectful female voice rang out: "Has the young lady woken up? This servant has been ordered by the Prince to prepare some congee and side dishes for the young lady. May I bring them in now?"
Gu Jinghong felt a chill run down her spine—they, they had grasped the timing of her waking up so perfectly.
"Thank you for your trouble," she said, her voice hoarse from not having had water in a long time.
The door was pushed open, and a young girl dressed as a maid in the Prince's mansion entered with her head bowed, carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming hot rice porridge and several plates of delicate and light side dishes.
The maid placed the meal on a small table beside the couch, then stepped aside with her hands at her sides, her posture respectful.
The food is ready.
Her most reasonable excuse to test the waters, "finding something to eat," was easily blocked by the other party.
Gu Jinghong remained expressionless, eating slowly and in small bites, each bite seemingly gathering strength as his mind raced.
After finishing her meal, she gently put down her bowl and chopsticks, wiped the corners of her mouth with a silk handkerchief, and her face revealed a timely expression of gratitude and a hint of unease.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life. Thank you, Sister, for taking care of me." Her voice was soft, with just the right amount of weakness. "I wonder... how long I was unconscious?"
"The young lady has been unconscious for three days," the maid replied.
Three days! It took longer than she had expected.
She held her forehead, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, revealing a hint of discomfort: "I've been lying down for three days, and I feel weak all over, and my head is spinning. Sister, would you allow me to walk around nearby for a bit to get some fresh air?"
The maid hesitated for a moment.
Gu Jinghong added, "I dare not wander around in the vicinity of this courtyard."
Looking at Gu Jinghong's earnest and delicate appearance, and remembering that Lord Changfeng's instructions were to "take good care of her" and not to restrict her freedom, the maid nodded and said, "This servant will accompany you for a walk, Miss."
Gu Jinghong wrapped the plain-colored cloak that had been prepared around her tightly and walked unsteadily out of the warm pavilion.
Just as she stepped out the door, she heard the maid say to the guard, "The young lady has just recovered from her illness and would like to get some fresh air in this area. I would appreciate it if you could look after her a little longer, guard."
Gu Jinghong smiled obediently on the surface, but couldn't help feeling strange feelings about the Prince's Mansion.
It seems that the prince's governance methods were very skillful, and the prince's mansion was also very strict in its rules, with even a maid being so cautious and careful.
In the blink of an eye, the guard replied, "Yes."
Gu Jinghong, her slender figure wrapped in a plain cloak, walked unsteadily and slowly, with maids and guards accompanying her, following at a distance of half a body length behind.
After walking for a long time, Gu Jinghong spoke softly: "The long corridor is deep and winding, the carved beams and painted rafters are solemn and magnificent, the trees and flowers are lush and verdant, and the scenery changes with every step. The name of the Prince Jin's Mansion is well-deserved."
The guards and maids followed behind, nodding silently, their guard no longer as wary as before.
Gu Jinghong, who was walking in front, seemed to be casually looking around, but in fact he had memorized every house, corridor and scenery in the mansion, as well as how many steps he had taken between each pair of places, the layout of the buildings, and how the guards patrolled.
Then, the memorized information is quickly constructed, superimposed, and deduced within the sea of consciousness—
Steps: 120 steps, turn left into the corridor.
Guard patrol interval: approximately one incense stick's time, three people in a team, the route is fixed and unchanging.
The layout of the mansion is symmetrical along a central axis, with the main hall towering in the north and the study hidden on the west side.
The edges of the stone steps in this corridor are unusually worn, indicating that people often walked here, leading to a secluded side courtyard.
The floor tiles in the westernmost warm pavilion are laid in a direction slightly different from those in the surrounding area, indicating that there must be a mezzanine underneath...
After pondering for a while, Gu Jinghong had already constructed an architectural plan of the Prince's Mansion in his mind.
When they reached a corner of a corridor with intricate carvings and a view slightly obstructed by several thick pillars, Gu Jinghong leaned against one of the pillars, seemingly unable to withstand the cold wind, swayed slightly, and coughed softly a few times.
"Miss, be careful!" The maid instinctively took half a step closer, wanting to reach out and help her.
Just as the maid reached out and her gaze was drawn to her own body and movements, Gu Jinghong, with her left hand concealed by her cloak, flicked a tiny pearl that had been held between her fingers toward a clump of holly bushes to her side and behind her.
"despair."
A very faint sound came from the pearl hitting the artificial rock.
The guard's hearing was incredibly sharp; he almost instinctively looked in the direction of the sound, his gaze sweeping towards the source.
In that instant, under the cover of the pillars, Gu Jinghong lightly touched the ground with her toes, her figure disappearing into the shadows like wisps of smoke, and silently slipped into a fork in the path leading to the west, half-hidden by a huge bonsai tree.
The guards and maids only saw a flash of the plain cloak before their eyes. When they looked again, the delicate figure who had been coughing while leaning against the pillar had vanished into thin air, leaving only the plain cloak in front of them!
The two hurriedly went around the pillars, but found the path deserted and empty. In the distance, there were craggy artificial hills and lush flowers and trees, but not a single person in sight.
"Miss, young lady?" The maid, clutching the cloak, suddenly changed her expression, hurried into the path, looked around blankly, and a layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on her forehead.
Where are they?!
The guard's expression changed drastically. He immediately reached for the hilt of his sword at his waist, his eyes instantly locking onto the only fork in the road.
He slowly scouted ahead and quickly whispered to the maid, "Quickly, go and report to Lord Changfeng!"
Gu Jinghong concealed herself behind the shadows of the artificial hill, her gaze sweeping over the distant figure clutching an empty cloak, looking around in panic. Then, she turned and disappeared into the deeper shadows of the courtyard, like a drop of water merging into a cold pool, stealthily making her way towards the western end of the Prince's mansion.
Her figure moved like a phantom, skillfully dodging the occasional obsequious servants who passed by. At the same time, based on the clues she saw, she quickly sketched out the hidden network of the Prince Jin's mansion in her mind... When she reached a seemingly ordinary warm pavilion on the west side, she paused.
This warm pavilion is located in a remote area, but the corridor connecting it seems deliberately redundant, as if it is isolated invisibly.
More importantly, the bluestone used for the exterior walls of the warm pavilion has an indescribable subtle difference in color from the adjacent buildings, which is difficult for anyone but someone with a sharp eye like her to distinguish.
Most importantly, the edges of the blue bricks in front of the warm pavilion have unusually deep and smooth wear marks, which are not caused by ordinary footsteps, but rather seem to be... frequently subjected to the friction of being crushed by heavy objects or frequently opened and closed.
The entrance to the secret room is most likely hidden inside this warm pavilion; all you need to do is find the mechanism or key to open it...
Just as her fingertips were about to touch the seemingly antique carved wooden door of the warm pavilion, trying to sense the subtle airflow through the cracks or find a possible mechanism—
A deep, calm voice, devoid of any discernible emotion, rang out from just inches behind him, like a bell suddenly tolling in the dead of winter, its hum striking directly into Gu Jinghong's ears.
"Young lady, are you... lost?"
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