Chapter 141 [VIP]
As dawn broke, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the man's face was clearly visible.
It can't be wrong.
That's Xie Qiyun.
The coachman Qin Chen was holding down had eyes bulging with rage and shouted, "Young Master! Let me go! Do you even know who you've offended... ah!"
Qin Chen found it noisy, so he delivered a karate chop to the back of the man's neck, knocking him to the ground.
"Hey, who did we offend?"
A magnetic voice echoed the coachman's question.
"Hmph, just the heir of the Prince of Jin."
As soon as Gu Zhizhuo finished speaking, he suddenly realized what was happening and quickly turned his head to look.
The young man was still standing on the carriage shaft, the reins wrapped around his arm. Even such a vulgar action was not crude when he did it. Instead, his every move exuded the elegance of a refined nobleman.
Gu Zhizhuo: ?
He called out affectionately, "Yaoyao."
Gu Zhizhuo met his phoenix eyes. He smiled, and the upturned corners of his eyes outlined familiar lines.
"You, you, you..." she blurted out in surprise, "Cousin Xing!"
She was so focused on the carriage and Xie Qiyun that she didn't even notice that it was Wang Xing who stopped the carriage.
Wang Xing's father was the eldest son of the Wang clan, and he was the same mother as Gu Zhizhuo's mother, Consort Shu. Wang Xing was her cousin, with whom she had a very close relationship.
Even though the Wang family hadn't come to the capital for many years, they still exchanged letters every month, and every three months the Wang family would send someone from Yizhou to bring them things.
Gifts and New Year's gifts for every season have never been lacking.
Gu Zhizhuo was no stranger to the Wang family.
In her previous life, the Wang family used the power of the entire clan to help her aunt, which led the emperor to change the execution of the Gu family to exile, giving her a chance to live, meet the young master, and exonerate the Gu family.
She remembered all of these.
Wang Xing gestured with his chin towards her, as if to say: What's wrong with you?
After the refugees besieged the city, Wang Xing heard that the Prince of Jin's heir was also in the county town.
The Prince of Jin refused to allow the government to open the granaries and distribute grain, leading to a stalemate with the displaced people, which ultimately trapped him as well.
"He looks like a ghost."
Gu Zhizhuo pursed his lips and remained silent.
She looked him up and down for a while, but finally, unable to bear looking at him, she looked away.
If she hadn't recognized him as Wang Xing, she would have thought he was some kind of peacock that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
She wore a peacock blue robe with a collar trimmed with gold thread cloud patterns. Her glossy black hair was tied up with a hollowed-out gold crown, with ribbons of the same color as the robe hanging down on both sides of the crown. The ribbons were embroidered with golden lotus flowers, which were so beautiful that they hurt the eyes.
It's fortunate that he's good-looking, with handsome features, a picturesque appearance, and an elegant demeanor, which allows him to pull off such... uh, bright colors.
Wang Xing smiled, appearing like a noble young master in front of others, while winking and making faces at her from an angle unseen by others.
"Good for show." Gu Zhizhuo chuckled, covering her mouth. Just as she was about to speak, Xie Qiyun lunged at the veiled hat, reaching out to pick it up. Gu Zhizhuo was a step faster, lifting her toes and hooking the veiled hat into her hand.
"Give me!"
Xie Qiyun's voice was rough and hoarse, sounding as unpleasant as a crow's cawing. His eyes were fierce, which made his half-face appear even more ruthless.
“Cousin.” Wang Xing took the veiled hat and held it in his own hands, saying earnestly, “You can’t pick up things on the road. What if this ‘ghost skin’ on his face is contagious? Then this delicate little girl won’t be pretty anymore.”
Gu Zhizhuo automatically ignored the second half of the sentence and looked up to ask, "Ghost tearing skin?"
Wang Xing stroked his chin: "I've read some rural anecdotes, and his face doesn't look like it, does it?"
Half of his face was devoid of skin, as if it had been peeled off inch by inch by a vengeful ghost.
Gu Zhizhuo did some quick calculations, shook his head, and let out a sneer.
"It's not a ghost tearing skin."
"It's a backlash."
When Gu Zhizhuo said those two words, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Backlash? Wang Xing didn't understand and was about to ask again when he saw his delicate little cousin step on the shoulder of the Prince of Jin. Her body leaned slightly forward, and her left arm was resting on her leg.
This fierce look is exactly the same as when he was a child... no, it seems exactly the same as when he was a child.
Wang Xing rubbed his temples, naturally accepting the fact that his little cousin wasn't so spoiled.
"The heir of the Prince of Jin?" Gu Zhizhuo stomped his foot and sneered, "Heh, your shamelessness is quite interesting."
"Let go of our young master!"
Fang Zhe and the coachman shouted in unison.
Judging from his clothes and demeanor, this groom was clearly no ordinary groom; he was most likely one of Xie Qiyun's bodyguards.
"The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is going too far."
"When we return to the capital, we will certainly inform the Prince..."
Qin Chen slapped him twice, kicking whoever was making a fuss.
Gu Zhizhu didn't even turn her head. She looked down at Xie Qiyun and asked, "Three years ago, was it you who put those talismans on my father, Duke Zhenguo Gu Taotao's coffin?!"
Upon hearing this, Xie Qiyun looked up in astonishment, as if asking: How did you know?
"A few months ago, wasn't it you who sent my father's head to Aur City?"
Xie Qiyun's shoulders were trembling, and even though he didn't say a word, his guilty eyes said it all.
"Did your skin start peeling back in July?"
Xie Qiyun: !
His eyes were wide open to the extreme, and Gu Zhizhuo's gloating face was reflected in his dark pupils.
Gu Zhizhu clapped his hands and laughed, "You're about to die."
She was very happy and laughed joyfully, but as she laughed, tears involuntarily slid down her cheeks like pearls that had fallen from a broken string.
"Here you are."
Just as Qingmei was about to take the handkerchief, Wang Xing handed it to her first.
The handkerchief was folded into a neat square, and the clan emblem of the Langya Wang clan was embroidered on one corner.
Gu Zhizhuo took the handkerchief, but instead of wiping her tears, she clenched it tightly in her palm.
"You're talking nonsense!"
Xie Qiyun tilted his head back and shook his head vigorously.
His face was filled with fear and unease.
The dawn light shone on him, and blood dripped from the half of his face that had lost its skin. The flesh was faintly black and emitted a putrid stench.
"Whether it's nonsense or not, you know the answer yourself."
"You seemed to enjoy putting up the talismans, didn't you?"
"Cause and effect, retribution."
Gu Zhizhuo said in a cold voice.
Master said that the Zhuyin Incantation suppressed Father's soul and the Gu family's fortune; such evil magic is extremely vicious. Everything has its cause and effect; after the Zhuyin Incantation is neutralized, the caster will inevitably suffer a backlash.
She had been waiting.
However, she did not see any backlash from either the Prince of Jin or the Emperor.
She once thought that the backlash would fall on Changfeng, but in the end, Changfeng was fine too.
After all the twists and turns, it turned out to be Xie Qiyun.
Xie Qiyun personally affixed the talismans and participated in the ritual, harboring malice towards his father. Thus, he became the one performing the spell.
The curse tormented Father's soul for three years.
Its backlash was equally insidious; instead of killing Xie Qiyun immediately, it tormented him little by little, leaving him unable to live or die.
"Now I actually hope you die slowly, however..."
Gu Zhizhu stared at his thin, bony limbs and withered, dry hands, and laughed even harder, even laughing out loud without restraint.
She curled her fingers and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes: "I'm afraid you won't be able to wait that long."
Xie Qiyun's half-intact face gradually turned white.
Half red, so red it's dripping blood.
Half of it was white, a white devoid of any blood.
It was as terrifying as a vengeful ghost.
Xie Qiyun understood what Gu Zhizhuo meant.
Is he like this because of those talismans he pasted on his face?
"No, no..."
Back then, he accompanied his father to Shangxu Temple. Master Changfeng instructed him to cut off Gu Taotao's head and burn his body to ashes. He then mixed Gu Taotao's ashes with cinnabar to draw a set of talismans.
Then, he was instructed to paste all the talismans on the coffin, inside and out.
Looking back on those days, Xie Qiyun couldn't help but shudder.
At that moment, Xie Qiyun wasn't afraid; he was only excited.
Duke Gu Taotao, the Duke of Zhenguo, was such an arrogant person, yet even after his death, he was still at the mercy of others.
"impossible."
"No way!"
Xie Qiyun's voice trembled, his pupils were filled with terror, and a chill ran through him, reaching his very bones.
It is indeed July.
Before the turmoil in the Western Frontier, he initially noticed a small patch of skin, no bigger than a fingernail, on his ear after enjoying himself with his concubine. He assumed it was a scratch from his beloved concubine's fingernail and paid no attention to it. Later, the patch of skin failed to heal, dried out, and slowly curled up. Within two days, the skin peeled off, revealing a bloody wound.
He applied some ointment, thinking it would heal quickly.
No result!
More and more skin peels off, and every morning when I wake up, there is a small piece of dry skin, about the size of a fingernail, on the side of my pillow.
It was as if a vengeful ghost was sleeping beside him, peeling away his skin inch by inch.
Xie Qiyun consulted several doctors in that desolate place in the Western Frontier, but none of them could cure him.
Xie Qiyun originally intended to go to the Xu Temple to exorcise evil spirits, but then the people rebelled again, and the mob besieged him in the city.
When Xie Qiyun left Western Xinjiang, the wound on his face was only the size of a thumb, and his skin had become dry and brittle, running from his ear to his chin.
He brought three hundred men with him from the Western Regions. Along the way, his skin became drier and drier, and he grew thinner and thinner. Even though he ate a lot every day, it was no use. Soon, he was so tired that he could only walk a few steps after getting off the carriage and was panting.
Xie Qiyun felt that something was definitely wrong with his body.
After traveling light and leaving the others behind, they hurried back to the capital. Who would have thought that there would be such a thing as refugees?
Last night, his face was so itchy that it woke him up. He scratched it, and as a result, a large piece of his face was scratched off. When he saw his grotesque reflection in the bronze mirror, he was utterly horrified.
Xie Qiyun was terrified.
He told Fang Zhe that he had to deal with the refugees; he didn't want to stay there any longer.
"Useless thing."
He was cursing Fang Zhe, saying that he couldn't even handle this rabble.
He desperately grabbed Gu Zhizhuo's foot, which was on his shoulder, and pleaded, "Let me go back, please take me back quickly. I will not pursue this matter today."
"No, please investigate, Your Highness."
"Otherwise, it wouldn't be fun at all."
Gu Zhizhuo kicked his hand away, and his toe "accidentally" brushed against Xie Qiyun's skinless cheek. Xie Qiyun was in excruciating pain and covered his face with his hands again.
How fierce!
The refugees felt a stinging pain on their faces, but were secretly overjoyed.
Hit him again! Kick him to death. Some even rolled up their sleeves, wishing they could do it themselves.
Gu Zhizhuo glanced at them, and they all became obedient.
Gu Zhizhuo curled the corners of his lips and said in a businesslike manner, "The Prince of Jin, Xie Qiyun, on his way back to the capital to report on his duties, mobilized troops without cause, interfered with county affairs, and intended to harm the people of Daqi. His crime will be decided upon his return to the capital."
"Magistrate of Yihe County"
The county magistrate, who had been knocked over by the carriage, got up, clutching his hand, and stumbled over, his head and face covered in dust.
Gu Zhizhu frowned, stepped forward and pinched his right shoulder. Before the magistrate could even cry out, with a "click," his dislocated arm was put back in place.
Hey, it doesn't hurt anymore.
Gu Zhizhuo said coldly, "I've said it before, no one in the county town is allowed to leave."
"This humble official has informed the young master." Seeing that she even dared to hit the Prince of Jin's son, the county magistrate lowered his stance even further, "telling the young master not to go out."
Wang Xing said to Gu Zhizhuo, "I heard you were here and wanted to come out to find you, but I saw him secretly get into the carriage, so I followed him."
"Rowing" is one of the six arts of a gentleman, originally referring to driving a chariot, but later also to riding a horse. But whether it was driving a chariot or riding a horse, as the eldest son of the direct line of the Langya Wang family, Wang Xing learned it from a young age and was proficient in it.
Wang Xing originally thought that someone was afraid of the epidemic and wanted to escape.
I never expected this.
"Yes, yes." The magistrate wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled gratefully at Wang Xing.
"Go and requisition a few tents to imprison them," Gu Zhizhuo said, referring to Xie Qiyun and his group.
She had considered having the magistrate take them back to jail, but then worried they might bring the plague into the city, so she decided to keep them under her nose.
"You dare!"
Fang Zhe struggled to sit up.
Gu Zhizhuo responded with a "Hehe".
"You've already hit her, why ask her if she dares?" Fang Zhe finally came to his senses, his face turning ashen. He looked at Xie Qiyun, who was rolling on the ground clutching her face, and changed his tone, pleading, "Our young master is seriously ill and we must rush back to the capital to find the imperial physician. Please, Miss Gu, show mercy..."
However, appealing to emotions requires that one "have emotions" to do so.
If there's only hatred, this approach is completely useless.
"Don't worry, he won't die. I guarantee your young master will make it all the way to the capital."
"Even if all the skin on your face falls off, you won't die. You still have the skin on your body, right?"
A pleased smile curved Gu Zhizhuo's lips. Even if he was about to die, he could save him; the more he cared, the more fun it would be to endure the days slowly.
"Magistrate of Yihe County"
"My surname is Ping."
"Magistrate Ping, you may go about your business."
"Yes, yes, I will go and procure them immediately."
Qin Chen threw all three people onto the carriage so that he could keep an eye on them.
The magistrate of Ping County left in a hurry. He had just been hit by a carriage, and his thigh was probably injured. He was limping as he walked.
"Cousin Xing, you should go back too."
Gu Zhizhuo said to Wang Xing.
Wang Xing didn't come into contact with the refugees, so it's not too late for him to go back now. Besides, Wang Xing couldn't possibly go out alone; most of the people he brought are still in the county town, and they must be very worried.
Wang Xing smiled gently: "How can I let my cousin be in danger while I am safe and sound in a mansion?"
One moment, Wang Xing looked like a refined young nobleman; the next, he tucked his folding fan into his waistband and rolled up his sleeves.
Yet, when he performs this action, it appears so elegant and noble.
Gu Zhizhuo: "..."
She seemed to understand why her maternal grandfather had been so eager to send her cousin Danling back to her parents' home as soon as her aunt mentioned marrying her cousin back to her parents' home.
My head hurts.
"Fine, if I'm not going back, I'm not going back." Gu Zhizhuo said, "Cousin Xing, please help distribute the porridge."
Gu Zhizhuo touched it, pulled out a purse of pine nut candies she had made herself, and tossed it to him.
My two older cousins have loved eating the candy my mother makes since they were little. These days, she and my cousin Danling made two batches of candy, including pine nut candy and orange candy.
Wang Xing reached out and caught it steadily. He opened the pouch and his dark, star-like eyes lit up instantly.
"Wages".
"Work hard!"
Gu Zhizhuo said with a smile.
"Don't worry, cousin, go ahead and get busy."
Wang Xing scooped a large spoonful of porridge for each of the displaced people in line, without his hands shaking at all.
The refugee holding the bowl of porridge trembled involuntarily. If he hadn't misheard, this young nobleman was the fairy maiden's cousin, and even her cousin wasn't afraid of the plague, yet he was here taking care of them.
He took a big gulp of porridge, and the warm porridge flowed down his throat, making him feel all warm and cozy.
People's hearts were at ease.
There is food.
If the whole family can survive, what is there to complain about?
"Go up."
Qin Chen pushed Fang Zhe onto the carriage last, then pulled the carriage over to the side of the road, unloaded the horses, and ordered two soldiers from the Thousand Machine Battalion to guard it.
The carriage of the Prince of Jin was extremely spacious; even three people could be thrown in without feeling cramped.
"Young Master!"
"Young Master..."
Fang Zhe crawled towards Xie Qiyun and helped him up.
Fang Zhe only knew that Xie Qiyun was ill. After arriving in Yihe County, the young master had not shown his face. He never expected that he would be so ill.
Xie Qiyun shook him off, covered her face in panic, and huddled in the corner of the carriage.
He suddenly noticed something, raised his hand, stared intently at it, and his pupils gradually contracted.
His breath caught in his throat for a moment, followed by a terrified scream.
"Ah—" Yuexia Lige
The skin on his little finger was completely gone.
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