Ji Xinglan clambered up in the jolting carriage, tottering over to Ji Wujing. Leaning close to his ear, he whispered, “Mother bought you another gift, it’s in her sleeve!”
Though the voice was soft, it was loud enough for everyone in the cramped carriage to hear.
Ji Xinglou lightly kicked his sister’s leg, rolling his eyes as he said, “You’re so dumb. She definitely wants to give it to him when we’re not around, so she can have some alone time with Father. Girls and their thoughts, ugh!”
Gu Jianli was startled, her thoughts interrupted. She stared at the two children in shock, unable to decide whether to be angry or amused. After a long pause, she squeezed out, “That’s not true!”
She quickly glanced at Ji Wujing, hastily clarifying, “They’re just talking nonsense!”
Gu Jianli reached out to grab the babbling Ji Xinglou, who immediately shouted, “Stepmother is hitting the child!”
As he finished, he made a face at Gu Jianli, but before his hands could fully retract, Ji Wujing had already pulled him over. Ji Wujing laid him across his lap, pulled down his pants, and gave Gu Jianli a look, saying, “Spank him.”
“Stop fooling around!” Gu Jianli hurriedly pulled Ji Xinglou into her arms, dressing him and fixing his clothes. She noticed his little face had already turned red.
Gu Jianli sat him on her lap, handing him a newly bought puppet to play with. She ruffled Ji Xinglou’s hair, wrapping her arms protectively around him.
Ji Xinglou glanced at Ji Wujing’s expression, stubbornly muttering, “Where there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather.”
Before Ji Wujing could glare at him, he shrank back into Gu Jianli’s arms, tossing the puppet aside and wrapping his small hands around her arm.
Gu Jianli, somewhat taken aback, tightly held onto Ji Xinglou, casting a reproachful glance at Ji Wujing. “Xinglou is not a little child anymore. You can’t hit him like this.”
Ji Wujing’s gaze swept over Ji Xinglou’s freckled face, withdrawing in irritation as he closed his eyes to rest.
Gu Jianli looked at Ji Wujing, slowly frowning.
Ji Xinglan leaned in close to Gu Jianli’s ear, whispering, “Every year on our birthday, Father is always in a bad mood.”
The carriage suddenly jolted, causing Ji Xinglan to tumble sideways. Fortunately, Gu Jianli caught her in time.
Outside, Changsheng was calling out, and the sound of a woman crying and pleading could be heard. Gu Jianli lightly knocked on the carriage door, asking, “What’s going on?”
“Second Miss Gu!” a maid cried out.
Recognizing the familiar voice, Gu Jianli opened the door slightly, seeing Lin Shaotang and a maid blocking the carriage. The maid was Long Yujun’s personal maid, whom Gu Jianli knew.
Lin Shaotang stepped forward, his bright eyes filled with both joy and urgency. He said, “This maid is looking for you but dared not go to Xuanjing Sect. I intended to escort her, but I unexpectedly ran into your carriage here!”
Gu Jianli gave Lin Shaotang a distant nod and turned to the maid, asking, “Did Yujun send you?”
“Our young lady and master had a terrible quarrel. She’s threatening to hang herself with white silk. I couldn’t dissuade her, and with the master and mistress not in the capital, I had no choice but to seek you out. She often praises your wisdom and is willing to listen to your advice…”
Gu Jianli glanced around, noting that the carriage wasn’t far from the Yu residence. It seemed Lin Shaotang and the maid had just left the residence when they encountered her.
Gu Jianli hesitated. Today was Ji Xinglou and Ji Xinglan’s birthday, and she had just promised to cook for them tonight. But she only hesitated for a moment, knowing that life was more important. She explained to the two children that she needed to handle some matters first and would cook for them later. Then, she informed Ji Wujing and, with Jixia’s help, got off the carriage.
Ji Wujing suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at Lin Shaotang, saying, “Let Changsheng follow.”
Gu Jianli agreed.
When Long Yujun got married, Gu Jianli had visited the Yu residence, so it was not unfamiliar. The maid led Gu Jianli to a side hall, saying she would fetch Long Yujun before hurriedly retreating.
As for Lin Shaotang, he stopped at the inner courtyard.
Gu Jianli waited in the side hall, speculating about what might have happened to Long Yujun. She stared at a landscape painting on the wall, her brow slowly furrowing. She asked Jixia, “Where is Changsheng?”
“He’s just outside, keeping watch.”
Gu Jianli nodded. Just as she was about to speak, she heard footsteps.
It turned out there was a discreet back door in the side hall. A woman entered through this door, but it wasn’t Long Yujun. The woman appeared heavily pregnant, as if she was about to give birth.
Gu Jianli glanced at the woman’s swollen belly, instinctively guessing that Yu Changhuai must have had someone in the house before marrying Long Yujun, driving her to such distress.
Gu Jianli’s gaze moved up to the woman’s face, finding it vaguely familiar. Moreover, the noble air between her brows suggested she was no mere concubine.
“You don’t remember me,” the woman said with a gentle smile.
Sun Yinlan.
Gu Jianli suddenly remembered. She took a step back, staring in shock at the woman who shouldn’t be here.
“Look at me, I’m in no condition to cause trouble. Don’t be quick to call that servant in.” Sun Yinlan supported her lower back and slowly sat down in a chair. She smiled at Gu Jianli, speaking softly, “I only wish to have a few words with you.”
Gu Jianli collected herself, calmly looking back at her and asked, “Is Long Yujun not in trouble?”
“Yes, it wasn’t her idea to bring you here. She’s not in the residence today.”
Gu Jianli’s expression remained calm, but her mind replayed Lin Shaotang’s every move from the past.
“It’s not me who wants to talk to you, but… the Second Prince has some questions for you. Due to propriety, he couldn’t come himself, so he sent me.”
In an instant, Gu Jianli already guessed what Ji Yan wanted to ask. She still inquired, “What does the Second Prince want to ask?”
“It is said that on the day the late emperor passed, you happened to be at that pavilion. Concubine Li took her own life, and none of the eunuchs, maids, or guards on duty that day survived. The only one who knows the truth… seems to be you.”
Gu Jianli’s expression didn’t change as she replied, “The noble consort was deeply affectionate and followed the late emperor. The servants failed to do their duties, leading to the emperor’s peril, and their subsequent punishment was natural. As for me, I merely survived under the consort’s protection.”
Sun Yinlan was silent for a moment before speaking again with a hint of melancholy, “The current emperor is inherently suspicious, ruthless in his pursuit of the throne, and has harmed many.”
Gu Jianli wasn’t surprised by Sun Yinlan’s words. The royal battles for succession have always been bloody.
Sun Yinlan observed Gu Jianli’s expression and continued, “On that day, you were the only one who knew the truth. Why did the emperor spare your life? Thinking it over, it’s likely because he needed to use the Prince Wuxian. But now the court is stable, and the Prince Wuxian has retreated. Do you really think the emperor won’t silence you?”
“I know nothing, there’s nothing worth silencing me for,” Gu Jianli said calmly.
“Really?” Sun Yinlan curved her lips into a smile, lowering her voice. “Is the name on the imperial edict truly the emperor’s?”
Gu Jianli’s heart skipped a beat.
Sun Yinlan had a maid present a brocade box. She smiled and said, “This is a scar-removing medicine I found in the borderlands. It might be useful. You can give it a try. Of course, if you’re not confident, you can have a physician examine it first.”
Gu Jianli had Jixia put it away. She also understood Sun Yinlan’s purpose in meeting her, and found a reason to leave. Sun Yinlan did not stop her, smiling and saying that she was unable to see her out due to her condition.
Throughout, Gu Jianli’s expression remained calm, leaving Sun Yinlan unsure of her thoughts.
Ji Yan entered through the back door, thoughtful. “I didn’t expect your desire to kill Ji Lan to be so intense. After all, you grew up together and were once engaged.”
“There’s no need for such words,” Sun Yinlan frowned, a sudden pang of pain in her abdomen.
Ji Yan immediately put away his sarcasm and stepped forward, asking with concern, “Are you about to give birth?”
Sun Yinlan bit her lip.
Gu Jianli had just left the Yu residence when Lin Shaotang hurried after her.
“Lady Ji!”
Gu Jianli stopped and turned to look at him.
Lin Shaotang opened his mouth, wanting to say something but unsure where to start. His usually bright and innocent eyes were uncharacteristically serious and tinged with guilt. He bowed deeply to Gu Jianli, saying, “Shaotang apologizes to you, madam.”
Gu Jianli responded, “I had suspected Young Master Lin approached me with an ulterior motive. So this was it.”
Lin Shaotang straightened, meeting Gu Jianli’s gaze. He wanted to explain but felt there was no need. He suddenly smiled, his dimples deepening, returning a bit of his usual innocence.
Gu Jianli slightly bent her knees in a courteous return, then turned and left.
Lin Shaotang watched her retreating figure, his smile slowly fading. “This way?” What did she mean by this way? Did she think he was working for the Second Prince? Lin Shaotang opened his folding fan, fanning himself lightly with a self-mocking smile. Power and influence are like mud and dung, not worth his disdain.
His fanning slowed, and his gaze fell on the bamboo painting on the fan. All traces of indifference disappeared, leaving only sorrow.
A carriage awaited Gu Jianli in front of the Yu residence. Before boarding, she glanced at the maid standing in the corner, pausing for a moment before saying, “When Yujun returns, tell her I will visit again in a few days.”
The maid’s face turned red and then white.
Gu Jianli boarded the carriage to go home. On the way, she thought about many things, growing more vexed the more she thought. She lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, watching the passing scenery. As the carriage turned a long street, she suddenly saw a figure that looked very much like Ji Jingyi standing by the wall, seemingly waiting for someone. Perhaps he was out buying medicinal herbs again.
Ji Jingyi looked around, waiting for a long time before discreetly boarding a soft sedan that turned into a small alley, stopping in front of an inconspicuous carriage. After getting permission, he boarded the carriage.
Ji Lan elegantly sipped his tea, asking, “Didn’t you say that once the poison of the Heart-Eating Powder was neutralized, you could identify the other poison in his body?”
Ji Jingyi replied anxiously, “Ji Zhao smashed the antidote to cure his wife and child of their smallpox!”
Ji Lan squinted his eyes, gripping his teacup tightly. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, I saw it with my own eyes from the shadows!”
Ji Lan slowly released some of his grip on the teacup and asked, “How does Ji Zhao treat that child?”
“Aside from the time Ji Xinglou caught smallpox, Ji Zhao never cares when he’s beaten or scolded. He pays less attention to him than Gu Jianli does. A beauty’s scent and a hero’s tomb… It was also Gu Jianli who went to find Ji Xinglou first during the smallpox incident. I suspect… Ji Zhao’s last mobilization of Xuanjing was also Gu Jianli’s idea,” Ji Jingyi muttered, head bowed.
“Gu Jianli—” Ji Lan repeated the name slowly.
