Gu Ying did not fall for it, and indifferently said, "If Mu Nanfeng really only took money to kill people, he should have shot arrows to kill us back in Bianjing City, and directly fled Bianjing with his men. Why would he go through so much trouble to bring us to this mountain stronghold where no one knows about?"
The smile on Mu Nanfeng's face gradually disappeared as he looked at Gu Ying meaningfully.
He did not expect her to see through so much. To be honest, he was a villain who did all kinds of evil, but he was not so bold as to openly kidnap people from the imperial city.
Gu Ying lightly raised her eyes and met his gaze fearlessly, seeming to understand what was going on. "I promise to give you another 100,000 taels. Tell me, who hired you to kidnap my fourth sister?"
Again! Give! 100,000!
The four bandits' breathing stilled, and they looked at Mu Nanfeng in unison.
There was a flash of resentment in Mu Nanfeng's eyes. He stroked his thick beard and spoke again, "Not bad, as expected of Zhao Changdu's woman. Alright, you saw through me."
Gu Ying looked at him. "Who was it?"
Mu Nanfeng said, "A woman."
Gu Ying's eyes darkened slightly. "What's her name?"
Mu Nanfeng grinned and said, "I rarely see such a beautiful woman, comparable to Madam Zhao.
Gu Ying frowned. A woman with exceptional looks used a lot of money to hire bandits to ruin Gu Shuang's chastity.
Who was this person? Did she have a grudge with Gu Shuang?
Or was she infatuated with Fu Xunzhi and deliberately targeted Gu Shuang to sabotage the marriage between the Fu family and Gu family?
There were not many women who admired Fu Xunzhi. He was introverted and honest, not good with words, so he did not interact much with others. She had looked into all those simple social dealings clearly.
The only variable was Shang Jiao, but she was just a penniless merchant woman who now only did small business and simply did not have so much money.
If it was someone from the Gu family, Gu Wan did not have such financial resources, let alone Wang Auntie who could only be confined at home.
Gu Jia was mentally ill and also did not have this ability.
As for others...she really could not think of anyone else who would deliberately harm Gu Shuang.
She turned to look at Gu Shuang and asked with her eyes.
Gu Shuang pursed her lips and shook her head, speaking firmly, "Sister, you know my temperament. I rarely go out except to see you. I...I really haven't offended anyone... What's more, there are few women in this world more beautiful than sister. If I had seen her, I would not have forgotten."
Gu Ying understood Gu Shuang's character, so she was even more puzzled in her heart. After all, when trying to ruin someone's reputation, anyone could be found. Why must it be the bandit leader Mu Nanfeng, who was a major concern for the court?
Connecting it to Gu Shuang and Mu Nanfeng's marriage in the previous life, she really did not know if this was someone deliberately scheming, or just the will of heaven playing tricks on people.
Or...could it be Jiang Yin interfering?
No no no, impossible!
As soon as this thought came up, she suppressed it herself. Jiang Yin had already died in Yueyang City, he could not possibly still be alive...
After hearing Gu Shuang, Mu Nanfeng laughed and said, "Alright, I won't waste Madam Zhao's time anymore. Come on, take the fourth young lady away for me. I haven't played with a woman for a long time. I'll take her virginity today."
Gu Shuang's face changed drastically as she froze there at a loss.
The two bandits came up and grabbed her. She was so scared that her mind went blank and for a moment she even forgot to struggle.
Mu Nanfeng looked at her lasciviously, stroking his chin as he grabbed Gu Shuang's delicate neck. His dark glittering eyes looked at her face. "The more I look at you, the more familiar you seem, as if I had seen you in a past life. Be sensible and let me make you feel good tonight."
Only then did Gu Shuang cry out in fear, screaming sharply, "Sister! Save me!"
Anger rose in Gu Ying. She grabbed the man's arm, "Mu Nanfeng!"
...
Bianjing, the imperial palace.
It was already late when he came out of the study room.
There were sparse stars scattered across the sky, and the thick clouds indicated it would rain soon.
Li Yang came down the white jade stairs with an unfathomable expression on his face. He looked down condescendingly at Zhao Changdu and Ye Qingchi walking ahead.
"Take care on your way back, Prince Zhao," he said, holding his hands in his sleeves. The corners of his mouth were raised lazily, somewhat smug and nonchalant, but his tone revealed an inexplicable delight.
Zhao Changdu's phoenix eyes narrowed as he expressionlessly watched Li Yang pass by him.
Li Yang sneered lightly, feeling even more elated as he thought of everything his imperial concubine mother had done for him.
Xia Zixi's people were already waiting on the road Gu Ying would take when leaving the palace to kidnap her.
As long as she got through tonight, Gu Ying would become the talk of the town as an abandoned woman. Then he would find a way by any means to get her into his prince's estate, whether by changing her identity or taking her as a matter of course. He had to make this woman who had captivated him become his imperial consort.
Right now, he had no time to contend with Zhao Changdu and the others.
He had to immediately leave the palace to see Gu Ying and be intimate with her.
"This Prince Shu has been secretly forming cliques and selling offices and nobility titles behind His Majesty's back recently, becoming increasingly unscrupulous. What's wrong with him? So openly trying to seize power? The Emperor isn't dead yet, this dream of his is a bit premature," Ye Qingchi said coldly as he watched Li Yang's retreating figure.
Zhao Changdu was silent for a while without answering.
From the moment he stepped into the study room, he had felt a vague unease in his heart.
"Huai'an."
Huai'an stepped forward, "Master."
Zhao Changdu's voice was cold and clear, his dark long lashes lightly dropped, casting two beautiful shadows on his eyelids. "Have Prince Shu tied up and thrown into a brothel."
"Yes sir!" Huai'an grinned and left to carry out the order.
Ye Qingchi was a bit surprised. He turned to ask, "Changdu, what's going on?"
A mere Prince Shu, was also worth him being so concerned?
Zhao Changdu's gaze focused for a moment, feeling inexplicably nervous in his heart. "Nothing."
Just as he had just stepped out of the palace gates, he saw Yin Zhu, who was usually expressionless, waiting by the carriage outside the Prince's estate. "Prince! Bad news! Something happened to Madam!"
Zhao Changdu's heart tightened, his eyes instantly darkening.
"What happened?"
Gu Ying did not fall for it, and indifferently said, "If Mu Nanfeng really only took money to kill people, he should have shot arrows to kill us back in Bianjing City, and directly fled Bianjing with his men. Why would he go through so much trouble to bring us to this mountain stronghold where no one knows about?"
The smile on Mu Nanfeng's face gradually disappeared as he looked at Gu Ying meaningfully.
He did not expect her to see through so much. To be honest, he was a villain who did all kinds of evil, but he was not so bold as to openly kidnap people from the imperial city.
Gu Ying lightly raised her eyes and met his gaze fearlessly, seeming to understand what was going on. "I promise to give you another 100,000 taels. Tell me, who hired you to kidnap my fourth sister?"
Again! Give! 100,000!
The four bandits' breathing stilled, and they looked at Mu Nanfeng in unison.
There was a flash of resentment in Mu Nanfeng's eyes. He stroked his thick beard and spoke again, "Not bad, as expected of Zhao Changdu's woman. Alright, you saw through me."
Gu Ying looked at him. "Who was it?"
Mu Nanfeng said, "A woman."
Gu Ying's eyes darkened slightly. "What's her name?"
Mu Nanfeng grinned and said, "I rarely see such a beautiful woman, comparable to Madam Zhao.
Gu Ying frowned. A woman with exceptional looks used a lot of money to hire bandits to ruin Gu Shuang's chastity.
Who was this person? Did she have a grudge with Gu Shuang?
Or was she infatuated with Fu Xunzhi and deliberately targeted Gu Shuang to sabotage the marriage between the Fu family and Gu family?
There were not many women who admired Fu Xunzhi. He was introverted and honest, not good with words, so he did not interact much with others. She had looked into all those simple social dealings clearly.
The only variable was Shang Jiao, but she was just a penniless merchant woman who now only did small business and simply did not have so much money.
If it was someone from the Gu family, Gu Wan did not have such financial resources, let alone Wang Auntie who could only be confined at home.
Gu Jia was mentally ill and also did not have this ability.
As for others...she really could not think of anyone else who would deliberately harm Gu Shuang.
She turned to look at Gu Shuang and asked with her eyes.
Gu Shuang pursed her lips and shook her head, speaking firmly, "Sister, you know my temperament. I rarely go out except to see you. I...I really haven't offended anyone... What's more, there are few women in this world more beautiful than sister. If I had seen her, I would not have forgotten."
Gu Ying understood Gu Shuang's character, so she was even more puzzled in her heart. After all, when trying to ruin someone's reputation, anyone could be found. Why must it be the bandit leader Mu Nanfeng, who was a major concern for the court?
Connecting it to Gu Shuang and Mu Nanfeng's marriage in the previous life, she really did not know if this was someone deliberately scheming, or just the will of heaven playing tricks on people.
Or...could it be Jiang Yin interfering?
No no no, impossible!
As soon as this thought came up, she suppressed it herself. Jiang Yin had already died in Yueyang City, he could not possibly still be alive...
After hearing Gu Shuang, Mu Nanfeng laughed and said, "Alright, I won't waste Madam Zhao's time anymore. Come on, take the fourth young lady away for me. I haven't played with a woman for a long time. I'll take her virginity today."
Gu Shuang's face changed drastically as she froze there at a loss.
The two bandits came up and grabbed her. She was so scared that her mind went blank and for a moment she even forgot to struggle.
Mu Nanfeng looked at her lasciviously, stroking his chin as he grabbed Gu Shuang's delicate neck. His dark glittering eyes looked at her face. "The more I look at you, the more familiar you seem, as if I had seen you in a past life. Be sensible and let me make you feel good tonight."
Only then did Gu Shuang cry out in fear, screaming sharply, "Sister! Save me!"
Anger rose in Gu Ying. She grabbed the man's arm, "Mu Nanfeng!"
...
Bianjing, the imperial palace.
It was already late when he came out of the study room.
There were sparse stars scattered across the sky, and the thick clouds indicated it would rain soon.
Li Yang came down the white jade stairs with an unfathomable expression on his face. He looked down condescendingly at Zhao Changdu and Ye Qingchi walking ahead.
"Take care on your way back, Prince Zhao," he said, holding his hands in his sleeves. The corners of his mouth were raised lazily, somewhat smug and nonchalant, but his tone revealed an inexplicable delight.
Zhao Changdu's phoenix eyes narrowed as he expressionlessly watched Li Yang pass by him.
Li Yang sneered lightly, feeling even more elated as he thought of everything his imperial concubine mother had done for him.
Xia Zixi's people were already waiting on the road Gu Ying would take when leaving the palace to kidnap her.
As long as she got through tonight, Gu Ying would become the talk of the town as an abandoned woman. Then he would find a way by any means to get her into his prince's estate, whether by changing her identity or taking her as a matter of course. He had to make this woman who had captivated him become his imperial consort.
Right now, he had no time to contend with Zhao Changdu and the others.
He had to immediately leave the palace to see Gu Ying and be intimate with her.
"This Prince Shu has been secretly forming cliques and selling offices and nobility titles behind His Majesty's back recently, becoming increasingly unscrupulous. What's wrong with him? So openly trying to seize power? The Emperor isn't dead yet, this dream of his is a bit premature," Ye Qingchi said coldly as he watched Li Yang's retreating figure.
Zhao Changdu was silent for a while without answering.
From the moment he stepped into the study room, he had felt a vague unease in his heart.
"Huai'an."
Huai'an stepped forward, "Master."
Zhao Changdu's voice was cold and clear, his dark long lashes lightly dropped, casting two beautiful shadows on his eyelids. "Have Prince Shu tied up and thrown into a brothel."
"Yes sir!" Huai'an grinned and left to carry out the order.
Ye Qingchi was a bit surprised. He turned to ask, "Changdu, what's going on?"
A mere Prince Shu, was also worth him being so concerned?
Zhao Changdu's gaze focused for a moment, feeling inexplicably nervous in his heart. "Nothing."
Just as he had just stepped out of the palace gates, he saw Yin Zhu, who was usually expressionless, waiting by the carriage outside the Prince's estate. "Prince! Bad news! Something happened to Madam!"
Zhao Changdu's heart tightened, his eyes instantly darkening.
"What happened?"
