Through the cold, damp mist, Gu Ying and Jiang Yin's eyes met.
Gu Ying unconsciously clenched her fists, her heart skipped a beat, and her petite face tightened slightly. She had expected that Jiang Yin would come, but did not expect him to come so quickly.
"Miss Gu, I advise you to release Prince Shu immediately. Can you bear the charge of harming the imperial heir?!" Jiang Yin exclaimed.
Jiang Yin was caught completely off guard by Gu Ying's audacity in directly pointing the spearhead at Prince Shu.
Even though he had already been reborn and knew that Prince Shu did not ascend the throne in the end, the current Prince Shu was still his greatest backer. He could not let Prince Shu die in Yueyang City, otherwise even if he lived to return to Bianjing, he would not get away easily facing the cunning Noble Consort Xiao.
Jiang Yin's brows furrowed deeply. Initially, when he had not yet awakened the memories of his past life, Gu Ying had been reborn before him. But she was just a young lady of an inner chamber, whose plots and plans were only small matters of love and affection in the inner chambers. At most, she had climbed up a marriage with Zhao Changdu, who held high power and authority.
She could not meddle in court politics and power struggles.
But now, he truly felt that after she had followed Zhao Changdu, she had begun to hinder his grand cause.
Gu Ying gritted her teeth, and the corners of her lips curled up into a faint smile. "Do you not even know in your heart if I'm talking nonsense?"
This was a "mute riddle" between the two of them. He refused to believe that she was unafraid of him exposing all her secrets!
Jiang Yin's blood surged furiously, his anger rising to the heavens. Back then when he had not yet awakened the memories of his past life, Gu Ying had been reborn before him. But she was just a young lady of the inner chambers, whose plots and schemes were only small matters of love and affection among the inner chambers. At most, she had climbed up a marriage with Zhao Changdu, who held high power and authority.
She could not intervene in court politics and power struggles.
But now, he truly felt that after she had followed Zhao Changdu, she had begun to hinder his grand cause.
Gu Ying gritted her teeth, and the corners of her lips curled up into a faint smile. "Do you not even know in your heart if I'm talking nonsense?"
This was a "mute riddle" between the two of them. He refused to believe that she was unafraid of him exposing all her secrets!
Jiang Yin's expression turned icy cold, his eyes deep and murky. "Gu Ying, are you not afraid at all?"
This was the "mute riddle" between them. He refused to believe she was not afraid of him revealing all her secrets!
Gu Ying's spirit stirred sharply...
She was afraid...very afraid, but so what?
At worst, it would be a fight to the death, and she would drag him down to Hell with her for eternal damnation.
Thinking of this, her gaze grew even more resolute. "Go ahead if you have the ability. Let's see if you can take Prince Shu from my hands today!"
Jiang Yin's face turned icy.
With Jiang Yin and the guards from Yueyang Prefecture present, Li Yang laughed smugly, "Jiang Yin, hurry, take Gu Ying down for me! And kill all these lowly commoners for me too!"
"On what grounds should you kill us?!" A man suddenly stood out, gritting his teeth and roaring angrily, "We don't deserve death!"
That man's voice grew louder and louder. His honest and upright face was full of indignation...
At first, when Gu Ying had let them speak, no one had dared to stand out.
Li Yang was the emperor's son. They were of low status, how could they defy imperial power?
But looking at the young lady standing by Prince Shu's side, her husband working day and night for their sake, she herself disregarding danger, specially bringing an imperial prince here and tying him up, everything she did was for them.
Anyway, there was no medicine yet that could cure their illness. Since they were already dying, what more did they have to fear? Even in death, they would bring down someone higher in status!
Dragging down a noble prince, it was worth it!
After a period of silence in the courtyard, more and more people began to stand up one after another, layers upon layers of angry accusations ringing out, "Don't let him leave! Let him fall ill! Make him suffer the same as us! If we die, we die together!"
"That one surnamed Jiang can't leave either!"
Everyone gradually began to chime in, "That's right! Make him suffer the same as us!"
"We barefoot commoners do not fear the shod! We dare to pull the emperor down from his horse!"
"Why should he be able to rest easy in the government residence while we cannot live? If we cannot be cured, he should not think about living either!"
An old granny stumbled forward, facing Li Yang she spat disdainfully.
"Pei!"
Li Yang instantly turned deathly pale in fright.
That old granny did not say another word, tottering away to disappear namelessly into the crowd, yet she elicited a round of applause from everyone.
Li Yang was so angry he raised his leg to kick the old granny.
Gu Ying narrowed her eyes, and in a flash her figure moved to shield the old granny, while not forgetting to return a kick that sent Li Yang tumbling head over heels.
"Hahahahaha!"
The courtyard erupted into raucous laughter.
"Hahaha, well done Lady Boss! With that mouthful of spit, it'll be hard for him not to fall sick!"
"He'll die too! He'll suffer the same as us! Now I fear nothing! Just let me die!"
Li Yang shook with rage, his teeth chattering. After panicking for a good while, his entire body toppled to the ground in an odd posture as he yelled furiously, "You lowly commoners! All of you...stay away from me!!!"
Seeing the enraged crowd that even Jiang Yin's large force could not control, the corners of Gu Ying's eyes curved up happily. "Looks to me like Prince Shu has also been infected with the plague already. This is fantastic news! Your Highness, you should just stay here peacefully from now on and wait for the doctors to research and produce the medicine, hmm? Or rather, we are short on manpower in Yueyang, so why don't you order people to enter the city from a few nearby prefectures, to provide additional manpower and medicine? Otherwise, if no one gets cured of their illnesses, you'll have to suffer along with everyone, won't you?"
Looking at Gu Ying's blossoming smile, Li Yang no longer felt a shred of fanciful thoughts about her. His lips trembled as he stammered, "Gu Ying...you cheap sl*t...you will suffer retribution...I...I am Imperial Father's...most beloved son...you actually dare...dare to harm me..."
Gu Ying was wholly indifferent. Seeing that Li Yang was about to be scared unconscious, the depth of her smile undiminished, she pulled him up from the ground.
Yet Jiang Yin's face remained icy as he strode towards her in a few large steps. "Gu Ying, this is the last time I will say this - release Prince Shu!"
Gu Ying pressed her lips tightly together, took over the longsword in Huai Ying's hands, and walked over to stand in front of Jiang Yin, slowly taking up a dueling pose against him. "I refuse to release him! If you have the guts come and take him!"
Jiang Yin's blood boiled furiously, wrath clouding his vision. He casually snatched a long blade from the hands of a soldier by his side, and with a wave of his large hand, directly hacked down towards her face.
The sharp edge of the blade sliced through the air, the icy sword aura bursting forth. Gu Ying narrowed her eyes, also raising her hand to swing the longsword.
Just as she was about to counterattack, she suddenly sensed a vague shadow flashing ghost-like before her eyes.
She did not even clearly see that person's silhouette before she felt her waist being gripped tightly, the longsword in her hand forcibly snatched away. Meanwhile, Jiang Yin, who had hacked at her, was lightly flicked up by the man's longsword in hand, his body flying out like a fired arrow.
Through the cold, damp mist, Gu Ying and Jiang Yin's eyes met.
Gu Ying unconsciously clenched her fists, her heart skipped a beat, and her petite face tightened slightly. She had expected that Jiang Yin would come, but did not expect him to come so quickly.
"Miss Gu, I advise you to release Prince Shu immediately. Can you bear the charge of harming the imperial heir?!" Jiang Yin exclaimed.
Jiang Yin was caught completely off guard by Gu Ying's audacity in directly pointing the spearhead at Prince Shu.
Even though he had already been reborn and knew that Prince Shu did not ascend the throne in the end, the current Prince Shu was still his greatest backer. He could not let Prince Shu die in Yueyang City, otherwise even if he lived to return to Bianjing, he would not get away easily facing the cunning Noble Consort Xiao.
Jiang Yin's brows furrowed deeply. Initially, when he had not yet awakened the memories of his past life, Gu Ying had been reborn before him. But she was just a young lady of an inner chamber, whose plots and plans were only small matters of love and affection in the inner chambers. At most, she had climbed up a marriage with Zhao Changdu, who held high power and authority.
She could not meddle in court politics and power struggles.
But now, he truly felt that after she had followed Zhao Changdu, she had begun to hinder his grand cause.
Gu Ying gritted her teeth, and the corners of her lips curled up into a faint smile. "Do you not even know in your heart if I'm talking nonsense?"
This was a "mute riddle" between the two of them. He refused to believe that she was unafraid of him exposing all her secrets!
Jiang Yin's blood surged furiously, his anger rising to the heavens. Back then when he had not yet awakened the memories of his past life, Gu Ying had been reborn before him. But she was just a young lady of the inner chambers, whose plots and schemes were only small matters of love and affection among the inner chambers. At most, she had climbed up a marriage with Zhao Changdu, who held high power and authority.
She could not intervene in court politics and power struggles.
But now, he truly felt that after she had followed Zhao Changdu, she had begun to hinder his grand cause.
Gu Ying gritted her teeth, and the corners of her lips curled up into a faint smile. "Do you not even know in your heart if I'm talking nonsense?"
This was a "mute riddle" between the two of them. He refused to believe that she was unafraid of him exposing all her secrets!
Jiang Yin's expression turned icy cold, his eyes deep and murky. "Gu Ying, are you not afraid at all?"
This was the "mute riddle" between them. He refused to believe she was not afraid of him revealing all her secrets!
Gu Ying's spirit stirred sharply...
She was afraid...very afraid, but so what?
At worst, it would be a fight to the death, and she would drag him down to Hell with her for eternal damnation.
Thinking of this, her gaze grew even more resolute. "Go ahead if you have the ability. Let's see if you can take Prince Shu from my hands today!"
Jiang Yin's face turned icy.
With Jiang Yin and the guards from Yueyang Prefecture present, Li Yang laughed smugly, "Jiang Yin, hurry, take Gu Ying down for me! And kill all these lowly commoners for me too!"
"On what grounds should you kill us?!" A man suddenly stood out, gritting his teeth and roaring angrily, "We don't deserve death!"
That man's voice grew louder and louder. His honest and upright face was full of indignation...
At first, when Gu Ying had let them speak, no one had dared to stand out.
Li Yang was the emperor's son. They were of low status, how could they defy imperial power?
But looking at the young lady standing by Prince Shu's side, her husband working day and night for their sake, she herself disregarding danger, specially bringing an imperial prince here and tying him up, everything she did was for them.
Anyway, there was no medicine yet that could cure their illness. Since they were already dying, what more did they have to fear? Even in death, they would bring down someone higher in status!
Dragging down a noble prince, it was worth it!
After a period of silence in the courtyard, more and more people began to stand up one after another, layers upon layers of angry accusations ringing out, "Don't let him leave! Let him fall ill! Make him suffer the same as us! If we die, we die together!"
"That one surnamed Jiang can't leave either!"
Everyone gradually began to chime in, "That's right! Make him suffer the same as us!"
"We barefoot commoners do not fear the shod! We dare to pull the emperor down from his horse!"
"Why should he be able to rest easy in the government residence while we cannot live? If we cannot be cured, he should not think about living either!"
An old granny stumbled forward, facing Li Yang she spat disdainfully.
"Pei!"
Li Yang instantly turned deathly pale in fright.
That old granny did not say another word, tottering away to disappear namelessly into the crowd, yet she elicited a round of applause from everyone.
Li Yang was so angry he raised his leg to kick the old granny.
Gu Ying narrowed her eyes, and in a flash her figure moved to shield the old granny, while not forgetting to return a kick that sent Li Yang tumbling head over heels.
"Hahahahaha!"
The courtyard erupted into raucous laughter.
"Hahaha, well done Lady Boss! With that mouthful of spit, it'll be hard for him not to fall sick!"
"He'll die too! He'll suffer the same as us! Now I fear nothing! Just let me die!"
Li Yang shook with rage, his teeth chattering. After panicking for a good while, his entire body toppled to the ground in an odd posture as he yelled furiously, "You lowly commoners! All of you...stay away from me!!!"
Seeing the enraged crowd that even Jiang Yin's large force could not control, the corners of Gu Ying's eyes curved up happily. "Looks to me like Prince Shu has also been infected with the plague already. This is fantastic news! Your Highness, you should just stay here peacefully from now on and wait for the doctors to research and produce the medicine, hmm? Or rather, we are short on manpower in Yueyang, so why don't you order people to enter the city from a few nearby prefectures, to provide additional manpower and medicine? Otherwise, if no one gets cured of their illnesses, you'll have to suffer along with everyone, won't you?"
Looking at Gu Ying's blossoming smile, Li Yang no longer felt a shred of fanciful thoughts about her. His lips trembled as he stammered, "Gu Ying...you cheap sl*t...you will suffer retribution...I...I am Imperial Father's...most beloved son...you actually dare...dare to harm me..."
Gu Ying was wholly indifferent. Seeing that Li Yang was about to be scared unconscious, the depth of her smile undiminished, she pulled him up from the ground.
Yet Jiang Yin's face remained icy as he strode towards her in a few large steps. "Gu Ying, this is the last time I will say this - release Prince Shu!"
Gu Ying pressed her lips tightly together, took over the longsword in Huai Ying's hands, and walked over to stand in front of Jiang Yin, slowly taking up a dueling pose against him. "I refuse to release him! If you have the guts come and take him!"
Jiang Yin's blood boiled furiously, wrath clouding his vision. He casually snatched a long blade from the hands of a soldier by his side, and with a wave of his large hand, directly hacked down towards her face.
The sharp edge of the blade sliced through the air, the icy sword aura bursting forth. Gu Ying narrowed her eyes, also raising her hand to swing the longsword.
Just as she was about to counterattack, she suddenly sensed a vague shadow flashing ghost-like before her eyes.
She did not even clearly see that person's silhouette before she felt her waist being gripped tightly, the longsword in her hand forcibly snatched away. Meanwhile, Jiang Yin, who had hacked at her, was lightly flicked up by the man's longsword in hand, his body flying out like a fired arrow.
