Chapter 190 [VIP]
quiet.
In that brief moment, everyone's breathing stopped.
The Prince of Jin rushed forward, and upon hearing this, his knees buckled and he almost fell over. He stumbled over with the help of his servant.
Xie Qiyun's chest was no longer rising and falling; his cloudy eyes were staring blankly in one direction—
The Prince of Jin looked in that direction and met the still-shaken Duke of Cheng'en's gaze.
Their eyes met for a moment, then the Duke of Cheng'en waved his hands repeatedly, stepped back, and said incoherently, "No, it wasn't me! I didn't touch a hair on his head. He... he died suddenly on his own. It has nothing to do with me."
He licked his dry lips, desperately trying to distance himself from the situation: "I just touched it very lightly, it doesn't make sense, people aren't made of tofu."
"Doctor!" the Prince of Jin cried out in a heart-wrenching voice, "Quickly, fetch a doctor! A doctor!"
The servant, terrified, turned and ran.
"Yun'er, don't scare your father." Prince Jin said in a hoarse voice, squatting down in front of his son. "Wake up, wake up."
The princess arrived a step too late, her face completely pale.
"I really only touched him lightly," Cheng'en Gong clarified, "really..."
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he panicked: "Your Highness, stop pretending!"
He shoved Xie Qiyun, but Xie Qiyun remained motionless: "Young Master... Waaah!"
The Prince of Jin kicked him angrily, and the Duke of Cheng'en fell to the ground with a thud.
He fell hard, clutching his stomach and about to curse, when he looked up and met the gaze of the Prince of Jin, who seemed to want to devour him alive. He shrank back without a sound and didn't dare to make a fuss.
Prince Li hesitated for a moment, then turned and walked back.
No one else spoke. What should have been a joyous occasion was about to turn into a tragedy; it was all too sudden. Xie Qiyun was clearly able to walk to the wedding hall; could he have simply collapsed?
"The doctor is here!"
The crowd quickly made way.
The King of Jin had previously instructed his officials to wait near the wedding hall, just in case.
I never expected that this would actually happen.
The Prince of Jin cried anxiously, "Divine Physician Hua, please save my child again, I beg you."
"I will do my best."
The psychic doctor first examined her wrist pulse, then her neck pulse.
He placed one hand on Xie Qiyun's neck pulse and used the other hand to rapidly insert several needles. Xie Qiyun did not react at all; his eyes widened and two lines of blood, resembling both blood and tears, flowed from his eyes.
Doctor Hua finished acupuncture and had the other doctors come over to take his pulse. They exchanged glances, and Doctor Hua bowed and sighed, "Your Highness, the young master... he's gone."
"Your Highness, please accept my condolences."
That's all.
Yun'er, is he dead?
The Prince of Jin was stunned for a moment, then blurted out in disbelief, "Didn't you say there was still a month left? How could it suddenly... suddenly!"
His throat tightened, and he gasped for breath, almost on the verge of losing control and collapsing.
His voice was shrill: "Tell me, why!"
"The young master is suffering from a sudden surge of anger," the physician Hua sighed, her tone still calm. "The young master is frail and cannot withstand shock, anger, or exertion. He needs careful care and may have a little over a month left to live. Your Highness, I have already told you this."
“He was so angry and heartbroken that his heart was too weak to withstand it,” Doctor Hua shook his head. “He died suddenly, and there was nothing that could save him.”
Yes. The Flower Divine Doctor said so…
So, so!
The Prince of Jin glared at him and said, "Sun Xianyao! You deserve to die."
"No... I didn't. It wasn't me." Even the most outrageous Duke Cheng'en knew he had made a grave mistake. He shrank his neck and said, "Um, Your Highness has funeral arrangements to attend to, so I'll take my leave now and not disturb you any longer."
"Take him down."
The Prince of Jin clutched his chest, exclaiming in shock and anger.
The young master is dead, and the prince is furious. The servants, not daring to provoke him, rushed over and grabbed Cheng'en Gong's shoulders.
The Duke of Cheng'en panicked and shouted without restraint, "Release me!"
"I already said that Xie Qiyun died on his own, what does it have to do with me?"
"It's your Xie family's bad luck that a joyous occasion turned into a funeral."
"Lord Cheng'en, watch your words." Prince Li frowned unhappily and rebuked coldly, "Haven't you made enough of a scene yet?!"
What do you mean by "the Xie family is unlucky"? Does the Xie family lack the fortune to sit on the throne and rule the world? Anyone who says such a thing should be dragged away and beaten.
“Alu,” Prince Li advised, “release Duke Cheng’en first. Sit down and talk things over. Qi Yun’s body is barely cold. Can you bear to let him lie on the ground like this?”
"Quickly help the princess sit down. Can't you see she's already bent over?"
"Where is the doctor? Go check on the Princess Consort quickly, lest she have a heart attack. She went with the Prince."
Prince Li gave the order repeatedly, and the nanny quickly came over to help the princess. Someone else brought her a chair to sit down, and Physician Hua went over to take her pulse.
“Ah Lu,” Prince Li sighed, “you must take heart in your grief.”
"Sheng'er, quickly go and help your father."
Xie Sheng lowered his head and obediently went to help Prince Jin, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes.
"Uncle Wang."
Prince Jin shook off Xie Sheng, gritted his teeth, pointed at Duke Cheng'en, and said with resentment, "I am not reconciled, I am not reconciled... Yun'er should not have died."
His heart ached terribly, and tears streamed down his face.
"Yun'er will survive!"
After the bridal sedan chair entered the house, Yun'er's spirits immediately lifted; the marriage alliance must have worked.
If Sun Xianyao hadn't been so unreasonable and the wedding had gone through, would Yun'er have survived? It was Sun Xianyao who killed Yun'er.
"Uncle Wang, I want him to pay with his life!"
The Prince of Jin's eyes blazed with hatred, which terrified the Duke of Cheng'en, who quickly tried to distance himself: "Your Highness, it really wasn't me..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Prince of Jin drew his guard's sword with murderous intent and stabbed him.
The sword, filled with hatred, pierced his chest.
"A-Lu! Don't be impulsive."
Prince Li grabbed his arm in a hurry, and the sword tip deflected a few inches before piercing through the body of the Duke of Cheng'en.
"Ahhh!" Duke Cheng'en screamed in agony. His legs trembled and his whole body went limp. He instinctively grabbed the sword with his hands, his palms stained with blood.
"I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die..."
A suspicious puddle of water appeared on the ground.
Blood splattered from the tip of the sword, splashing all over his face.
This is my own blood, blood, blood...
I'm going to die!
"Quickly, quickly, help me..." Cheng'en Gong cried, "I was wrong, I was wrong. Don't kill me."
Prince Li, fearing someone might die, said, "Alu, calm down. I will definitely give you an explanation for this matter."
The Prince of Jin drew his sword with a backhand motion, but the blood-stained tip of the sword only went out an inch before his movement suddenly stopped. His arm was held horizontally, maintaining the motion of drawing the sword, and he remained motionless.
Prince Li thought he was listening to advice: "Give me the sword."
He reached for the sword, and when his palm pressed against his forearm, it felt damp and sticky. When Prince Li looked up, his scalp tingled.
His palms were covered in blood.
It wasn't his own blood, of course; it was—
"A-Lu?"
The Prince of Jin stood stiffly, without any reaction.
Today was a joyous occasion, so he changed into a festive robe. Although it wasn't very obvious, a closer look revealed patches of dark red and black marks spreading across the fabric.
Prince Li gently nudged him, and Prince Jin swayed from side to side, but remained motionless.
Seeing that things were going badly, Prince Li cried out, "Alu! Alu!"
"Doctor, come quickly."
The Prince of Jin fell straight backward and crashed to the ground.
The servants rushed over to cushion his fall.
"Father."
Xie Sheng cried uncontrollably, his forehead covered in sweat. He thought to himself: My father can't be harmed; he hasn't even asked for a crown prince for me yet.
Prince Li cried out in a panic, "Chen'er, come and see what's wrong with him?"
How could he fall so suddenly! The Duke of Cheng'en, who was stabbed in the back, is still standing.
The guests were stunned by what they saw. Didn't the Prince of Jin's residence consult the auspicious day for their wedding? It was just too unlucky.
The renowned physician, carrying medicine, had finished examining the princess and then rushed over. Just as he knelt down, someone called out, "Doctor, the young master... he's turned into a corpse!"
It melted?
What does "化了" mean?
Prince Li was so shocked that he couldn't process what was happening and turned around in a daze.
"Please stop looking."
Xie Yingchen stood in front of him and helped him sit down.
Xie Qiyun's sleeve was torn off by Cheng En Gong, revealing his arm. Originally, there was still half flesh on his arm, with the white bones clearly visible. But now, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the flesh and blood melted like ice and snow, turning into a pool of blood and completely turning into a pile of skeletons.
The Duke of Wei was so frightened that he trembled.
He thought about what Gu Zhizhuo had said at Sanliting, and the repeated "cause and effect" seemed to explode in his ears like muffled thunder.
Duke Wei secretly moved closer to Xie Yingchen.
Thankfully, he wasn't too stupid and hadn't gone down a dead-end path. He made up his mind that he wouldn't leave the Crown Prince's side for a single moment today, and would be absolutely loyal from now on.
The wedding hall was completely devoid of joy; it was chaotic, with servants running around like headless flies.
Footprints were left on the red wedding cloth that had fallen to the ground.
Of the three masters in the household, two fainted and one died.
The entire mansion was plastered with bright red "double happiness" characters, which was extremely ironic.
Even the guests waiting in the backyard for the banquet to begin heard some noise and whispers among acquaintances.
Not to mention others, even Madam Gu, who is usually rather oblivious to the outside world, noticed it.
The invitation to the Prince's wedding banquet was sent to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence in a proper and formal manner. The Dowager Lady loved excitement and had just been promoted to the position of Dowager Consort of the Prince's residence, so she was eager to show off. Gu Zhizhuo and Gu Zhijiao decided to accompany her to sit and make her happy.
"Zhuo'er, haven't you finished the wedding ceremony yet?"
"This has been going on for far too long. Could something have happened?"
Being in the inner courtyard wasn't exactly just waiting idly; you could listen to some opera, have people to talk to, and even receive flattery, so the wait wasn't too tedious.
From that moment on, the servants became hurried and their faces showed no joy.
"It should be."
Gu Zhizhuo smiled and said, "The servants are collecting the red silk."
She gestured with her chin toward the old lady.
The two-story opera stage offered a panoramic view. The old lady squinted to see what was happening. In the distance, all the red silk hanging on the water corridor was gone. The maids and servants were using long bamboo poles to take down the red lanterns, cover them with a layer of white gauze, and then hang them back up.
"Someone's dead?" the old lady exclaimed in shock.
One by one, the red lanterns in the mansion were covered with white gauze, and from a distance, they looked like white waves surging in.
Who died?
"That's really bad luck."
"No wonder the wedding ceremony has been delayed."
Whispers arose one after another, and some people muttered "bad luck" in dissatisfaction.
Too.
If it is a funeral, the family of the deceased must announce the death before anyone can attend; otherwise, they will be tainted by the family's bad luck.
A stern-faced head maid hurried up the steps and respectfully curtsied, saying, "Your Highness, Your Highness."
"Ladies and gentlemen, my young master has just passed away."
"Our princess has also fallen ill and is unable to entertain us. The wedding banquet is cancelled today. Please come elsewhere."
Her attitude was extremely humble.
"Grandma, we're going back."
Gu Zhijiao helped her up. It was rare for the Grand Madam to go out and play, and she obviously hadn't had enough fun yet. In particular, she had only heard two acts of the play, and there was still more to come, so she wanted to see more.
Gu Zhizhuo understood and smiled, "Let's go to Xiangxi Tower."
That's more like it. The old lady was satisfied. She took Gu Zhijiao's hand and left the theater, with the maids following behind.
Gu Zhizhuo sent Qingmei to the front to check on the situation.
When they arrived at the ceremonial gate, Gu Zhizhuo had just helped the Grand Madam onto the carriage when Qingmei hurried back and reported, "Miss, the eldest son-in-law wants you to wait a while."
"Is there something you need, Chen'er?" The Grand Madam lifted the curtain. She liked Xie Yingchen quite a bit and quickly said, "Let Jiaojiao accompany me back."
Gu Zhizhuo agreed. If it weren't for something urgent, the young master wouldn't have made her wait.
"Jiaojiao, take Grandma to the Xiangxi Tower, and invite Weiwei and the others to come along too." She raised her chin and said, "Just mention my name, and you'll definitely get a seat."
The old lady was shocked: "You've booked a private room at the Xiangxi Pavilion for a long time?"
I guess so!
That proud and smug little expression screams "problem child," a brat who parades through the streets on horseback, bullying men and women... Just like the Grand Madam's seventh brother in his youth!
Gu Zhizhuo: ?
Why.
The old lady patted Gu Zhijiao's hand, thank goodness, there's still one who hasn't gone astray.
She lowered the curtains with satisfaction.
People came out of the ceremonial gate one after another, their voices, the neighing of horses, and the sound of wheels all mixed together.
The servant is fetching a red lantern.
In a short time, the Prince of Jin's mansion seemed to have been transformed into a mourning hall, oppressive and deathly.
Watching the carriage disappear into the distance, Gu Zhizhuo said as he walked, "Go ahead."
"The Prince of Jin's heir is dead. They were about to get married, but the Duke of Cheng'en changed his mind and refused to go through with it. He made a scene and angered the Prince of Jin's heir to death." Qingmei recounted what she had heard from the servants, describing how the Duke of Cheng'en lifted the veil and how he pointed his finger at the Prince of Jin and cursed him. Gu Zhizhuo listened as if he were there himself.
"The Prince of Jin and his wife have also fallen."
As they were talking, Gu Zhizhuo found a black lacquered carriage, which belonged to Xie Yingchen.
She planned to wait in the carriage.
I looked up and laughed.
Chongjiu sat on the carriage saddle, idly playing with his whip like any ordinary coachman.
Upon seeing her, he greeted her, "Miss Gu."
Gu Zhizhuo hopped onto the carriage, sat down next to Chongjiu, and said with a smile, "You're back?"
"yes."
After Chongjiu left the manor, he first found the horse he had hidden, then took a shortcut around the manor and rode back all the way. He spurred his horse and rode for a full hour before finally arriving.
"Did you succeed?" Gu Zhizhuo asked in a low voice.
"yes."
Chongjiu took the bright yellow imperial edict out of his bosom, then pushed it back and threw it into the carriage.
As a trained martial artist, his movements were so fast that even Gu Zhizhuo, who was sitting next to him, could only see a blur.
"Let me see."
Gu Zhizhuo climbed into the carriage and picked up the imperial edict.
Looking at the bloodstains on the imperial edict, she raised a slight frown.
Xie Yingchen had originally prepared a blank imperial edict, which he had deliberately aged to be used as a substitute. However, this edict was covered in blood, so the fake one they had prepared was obviously useless.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't elaborate, but asked, "Has Xiangyang not returned yet?"
"not yet."
As always, he was concise, and after finishing his sentence, he added two more words: "Safety."
As long as it's safe. Xiangyang is quick-witted and won't make any mistakes.
Qingmei, who was outside, asked curiously, "How did you two manage to do that?"
Chongjiu spoke to her calmly, as if he were talking about someone else's affairs.
After listening for a while, Gu Zhizhuo's eyes lit up, and he waved to the outside, saying, "Young Master."
Xie Yingchen came with the Duke of Wei; to be precise, the Duke of Wei, still shaken, followed closely behind him.
Her smile put Xie Yingchen at ease, and his steps became lighter. Seeing that Chongjiu had returned, he nodded slightly without saying a word.
“Lord Duke.” Xie Yingchen stopped in front of the carriage. “Prince Li is getting old and may not be able to hold on. Go and help him.”
"Is this a task for me?!" Upon hearing this, the Duke of Wei was overjoyed. Forgetting his fear, he hurriedly said, "Your subject will go immediately."
Xie Yingchen entered the carriage.
"Young master."
Gu Zhizhuo handed over the imperial edict, saying, "It was brought back by Chongjiu."
This imperial edict must be the late emperor's last will and testament, which is of special significance to Xie Yingchen. Gu Zhizhuo specially waited for him to return so they could read it together.
A note from the author:
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
