Chapter 223: The Master Will Teach You How To Write the Word "Death"

Chapter 223: Chapter 223: The Master Will Teach You How To Write the Word “Death”

At Gu Manor, as soon as the first month of the new year passed and the snow began to melt, Ms. Su was eager to go to Qinghe County. She summoned Gu Qingping.

Gu Qingping had gotten married on the Lantern Festival and was now in the blissful honeymoon stage with his wife, Ms. Zhao; they were incredibly affectionate.

Gu Qingping was also a young man of twenty. Once a young man like him experienced marital intimacy, he became utterly inseparable from his wife, doting on her day in and day out.

So, when Mother Li from Ms. Su’s chambers came to call him, Gu Qingping dawdled for a good while before reluctantly making his way to Ms. Su’s Li Courtyard.

“Mother, you called for your son?”

Ms. Su said irritably, “What? Now that you’re married, you’ve forgotten your own mother?”

Gu Qingping rubbed his nose. “Of course not. Haven’t you excused us from our daily morning and evening greetings, Mother?”

“Hmph, don’t try to be clever. Go back and prepare. In a few days, we will set off to find your sister. I’ve realized that if I don’t go find her myself, none of you will.”

“So urgently? Mother, the snow hasn’t completely melted yet, and the roads will be difficult to travel.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to go?” Ms. Su’s expression hardened, her gaze fixed intently on her son.

“No, Mother, that’s not it. I’ll go back and prepare right away. Please don’t be angry.” Seeing Ms. Su on the verge of anger, Gu Qingping immediately relented. If he didn’t agree, Ms. Su would go by herself. If anything untoward were to happen to her on the journey, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

But what should he say to Ms. Zhao? Sigh! What a headache.

His wife was good in every respect, except that she disliked his still-missing sister. The reason was that when they married, his mother had left most of her dowry to his sister, which made Ms. Zhao unhappy. She believed that sons and daughters should be treated equally, or perhaps, as in her own upbringing, daughters should receive a little less. Once a daughter married out, she became part of another family, and everything she took with her then belonged to them.

“Then go back and prepare,” Ms. Su said, her expression finally softening a little.

“Yes, Mother. Your son will take his leave.”

When Gu Qingping returned to the Emerald Pines Residence and told Ms. Zhao about the matter, she immediately pouted. “My lord, I don’t want you to go. You’ll be gone for so long. What will I do if I miss you?”

“Then come with us,” Gu Qingping said, pulling her into an embrace and kissing her.

Ms. Zhao’s eyes lit up. “Will Mother agree?”

“Why wouldn’t she? You can look after Mother on the way. Father isn’t coming with us, and Mother will need someone to look after her on the road, right?” Gu Qingping winked at her.

“You’re the clever one. Alright, I’ll go with you.” Ms. Zhao was delighted; it would be nice to get out and see new places, as she had grown weary of the Capital City anyway.

The key point was that she also wanted to see her yet-unmet sister-in-law.

Outside the palace gate, Gu Xicheng, having finished his court duties, was about to board his carriage when someone called out, “Lord Gu, please wait a moment.”

Gu Xicheng turned and saw it was Qingchen.

He took a few steps forward, about to offer a salute, but Qingchen stopped him. “Lord Gu, there’s no need for formalities. This King has something to tell you. I wonder if Lord Gu has a moment?”

Something to tell me?

Gu Xicheng was puzzled. He had no dealings with the King of Qing; they rarely even exchanged words. What could the King possibly have to tell him?

Qingchen observed Gu Xicheng’s frowning, distrustful expression and said softly, “Gu Qingli.”

Gu Xicheng was stunned and blurted out, “What does Your Highness mean by this?”

“We are very well acquainted.”

A heavy feeling settled in Gu Xicheng’s heart.

What did the King of Qing mean by suddenly telling him he was very familiar with Li’er? How did he know about Li’er? In the Capital City, the official story was that Li’er had died suddenly, not that she was missing. Gu Xicheng truly wanted nothing to do with this King of Qing. A rebel, through some unknown machinations, had actually been enfeoffed as a king and had his ancestry recognized by the imperial clan! This was truly the greatest joke under the heavens; such an absurd thing had never happened in all of history. To claim he lacked methods or motives was an insult to intelligence—even a three-year-old wouldn’t be fooled. Yet, their Emperor had done precisely that. His wife was already preparing to go and retrieve Li’er, and they knew her whereabouts. Why would he need to listen to anything the King of Qing might say? Besides, hadn’t Ping’er said Li’er was in a small village in Qinghe County, Qiyang County? How could the King of Qing possibly know Li’er, who was thousands of miles away? There, Li’er was merely a village girl. Whatever the case, Gu Xicheng had no desire to listen to anything this ominous King of Qing had to say.

In that brief moment, a multitude of thoughts had raced through Gu Xicheng’s mind.

Thus, he cupped his hands and said, “Your Highness, many people in this world share the same name. I did indeed have a daughter named Gu Qingli, but she passed away suddenly some time ago. I shall not take up any more of Your Highness’s valuable time. I have matters to attend to at home and must take my leave.”

With that, Gu Xicheng turned, boarded his carriage, and departed.

Qingchen watched the carriage disappear in a cloud of dust, not a hint of annoyance on his face, only a profound, knowing gaze.

“Master,” Secret Guard No.1 called out.

“It’s nothing. Let’s head back,” Qingchen said, raising a hand to stop Secret Guard No.1.

This old fox Gu Xicheng is far from simple. Trying to win him over using Gu Qingli is impossible. Even if he were won over, their relationship would inevitably fracture sooner or later, given his ties to Xiao Yunjing. Today was merely a probe. In the future, he would never use such a person. It is said that a new emperor brings new officials. While not all are replaced, some prominent families and key ministers cannot be easily dismissed. Their roots run deep; uprooting them all at once could severely impact the very foundations of the nation. It must be done slowly.

In the carriage, Secret Guard No.1 glanced at his master and said, “Master, the one in the palace wishes to see you.”

“I will not see her.” Qingchen was extremely vexed at that moment. That morning, he had received news: Xiao Yunjing had found Gu Qingli, and moreover, Gu Qingli was pregnant.

When he previously heard Gu Qingli was missing and couldn’t be found, he had decided to let go and not search for her again. But hearing she was pregnant with a child made him feel incredibly disturbed. How could she carry another man’s child?

“Master, the one in the palace said that if you do not see her, she fears she will lose control.”

“Lose control of what?”

“It is unclear. That was the message relayed by the palace staff.”

Qingchen’s mind raced. His eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them. He said in a frigid tone, “Send the Red Messenger. If she doesn’t behave, replace her.”

Qingchen surmised the woman’s true intentions were hidden. A disgraced woman, a mere pawn, yet she dared to harbor designs on him.

“Yes,” Secret Guard No.1 nodded.

「That night.」

In Huayang Palace, Chu Xiong, after some time with Concubine Mei, fell into a deep sleep.

Lately, he had been in excellent spirits. The burden of Beijing had been cast off, Qingchen had been subdued, and Daqian was at peace. He could finally rest easy.

At that moment, a red shadow flickered within the bedchamber. The Red Messenger appeared and roughly seized Concubine Mei.

Concubine Mei’s face was flushed, but when a hand suddenly clamped around her throat, the color drained instantly, leaving her deathly pale.

Seeing it was the Red Messenger, her heart leaped. “R-Red Messenger, y-you—”

The Red Messenger flung her to the floor, looking down with cold indifference at the endlessly trembling Concubine Mei. “I am here today to deliver a message,” she stated icily. “You are to conduct yourself with propriety, follow all arrangements, and harbor no inappropriate ambitions. If you dare to cause trouble, the Master will ensure you understand the very meaning of death.”

“COUGH, COUGH, COUGH… Red Messenger, I… I haven’t… I just wished to see the Master,” Concubine Mei stammered, trembling uncontrollably with fear.

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