Late at night, Yifeng Residence.
“Get away, all of you get away, help, help!”
A sudden cry for help rang out from Gu Zhan’s room, startling Zhang Liu and the others so badly that they shouted “assassins” and rushed inside.
After they burst into the inner chamber, they saw Gu Zhan lying on the bed in a white inner robe. Both hands were flailing wildly, his mouth repeatedly shouting “help,” exactly matching what they had just heard.
Everyone exchanged confused looks.
“What’s wrong with the Second Master?”
In truth, they all suspected he was possessed, but no one dared say it out loud.
Zhang Liu, usually the most quick-witted, was completely helpless this time. He did not dare wake Gu Zhan, fearing that if something went wrong, Gu Lin would blame him.
On the bed, Gu Zhan kept his eyes tightly shut, drenched in sweat, speaking nonsense. Inside, however, he was collapsing in frustration.
Were they treating this like a performance? Not a single person came to wake him up.
Only when Gu Lin arrived did Gu Zhan finally feel relieved, thinking acting was truly exhausting.
He grabbed Gu Lin’s sleeve, his face full of fear.
“Big Brother, there are so many people trying to kill me. They want to kill me.”
The fear he felt toward Gu Lin was real, so his panic was genuine as well.
Gu Lin did not doubt him. Thinking of what he had just seen, he grew furious and said in a deep voice, “Zhan’er, don’t be afraid. With Big Brother here, no one will dare touch you.”
But Gu Zhan kept shaking his head.
“There are too many of them. They said I’ve done too many evil things in the past and came to take my life.”
His usually bright and handsome face was pale, his voice trembling. He looked truly terrified.
Gu Lin patted his shoulder.
“Zhan’er has always been well-behaved. What evil things could you possibly have done? Don’t listen to nonsense.”
Although Gu Zhan was mischievous, Gu Lin controlled him strictly, and he had never caused a death. In Gu Lin’s eyes, it was all minor trouble, nothing serious.
Hearing this, Zhang Liu and the others lowered their heads, their expressions varied. Even Gu Zhan nearly slipped out of character for a moment. Such double standards unbelievable.
Gu Zhan slowly steadied his breathing and said in his original tone, as if relying on him:
“I will listen to Big Brother.”
Gu Lin’s expression softened. “Rest. You were injured, so it is normal to have wild thoughts. Sleep and it will pass.”
“Alright.”
After Gu Zhan closed his eyes, Gu Lin led everyone out.
Outside the room, Gu Lin asked sharply, “Did anyone enter Second Master’s room today?”
“Replying to Your Highness, only Miss Wen came.”
“Keep this matter quiet. Anyone who spreads it will be punished without mercy.”
“Yes, we would not dare.”
After instructing them to take good care of Gu Zhan, Gu Lin left.
Back in the main courtyard, he said, “Investigate everyone in Yifeng Residence thoroughly… Also, look into Marquis Yong’an.”
He did not think this matter was related to the Marquis Yong’an Household, but he would not ignore any possibility.
Late at night, Gu Zhan’s nightmares stopped, and everyone finally relaxed. They thought the matter had ended.
But the next night, Gu Zhan screamed again.
This time, even the Old Royal Consort was alarmed.
She held the pale Gu Zhan tightly in her arms, tears in her eyes.
“If there is any punishment, let it fall on this old woman. Zhan’er is still so young how can he endure this suffering?”
Gu Lin stood aside with a dark expression. Everyone had been investigated, yet nothing was found. This felt like a provocation to the Prince’s Estate.
Gu Zhan looked dazed and said softly, “Mother Consort… did I really do many wrong things before? I’m so scared.”
After two consecutive nights of nightmares, anyone would be afraid. No one found his reaction strange.
The Old Royal Consort became even more distressed.
“My Zhan’er has always been obedient. The heavens are truly blind to torment him like this.”
After staying with him for a while, she allowed him to rest again.
Outside Yifeng Residence, she gritted her teeth.
“Meng Li, could someone be deliberately harming Zhan’er?”
Gu Lin shook his head. “I have already investigated. Nothing was found.”
“Could it truly be a warning from heaven?”
She deeply believed in such things.
“Why would it fall on Zhan’er?”
Gu Lin was helpless. He wanted to say there was no such thing as a heavenly warning, but he did not want to be scolded.
“Tomorrow, we should invite Monk Kongyuan to the residence to properly ask how to resolve this.”
At the mention of “Kongyuan,” Gu Lin’s eyes darkened slightly, but he did not stop it.
Inside Yifeng Residence.
Gu Zhan was uneasy. Whether he could leave the residence depended entirely on the Old Royal Consort.
According to the original host’s memories, she was extremely superstitious. After two nights of nightmares with no external cause found, she would likely think he was possessed and take him to Zhen’guo Temple for months of fasting, chanting, and scripture copying.
Gu Zhan sighed.
Mother, for the sake of our decades of future mother-son relationship, please do not fail me.
He had taken over this body, so he would naturally fulfill filial duty on behalf of the original owner.
The next day, Monk Kongyuan was invited to the Prince’s Estate. After hearing the Old Royal Consort’s account, he said he needed to see Gu Zhan in person before making a judgment, so they went to Yifeng Residence.
It was Gu Zhan’s first time seeing Monk Kongyuan. He looked kind and benevolent, like a true enlightened monk.
After carefully examining Gu Zhan’s face, Kongyuan slowly turned his prayer beads.
“Female benefactor, your son has a darkened forehead. He is indeed afflicted by evil. If not discovered early, there will surely be bloodshed in the future.”
Gu Zhan: “……”
If this man is a true enlightened monk, I will stand upside down and eat something unmentionable.
He was clearly faking it.
The Old Royal Consort believed him completely and quickly asked, “What should be done, Master?”
“To remove the evil energy, he must stay close to the Buddha.”
She had already considered this. “Then I will take Zhan’er to Zhen’guo Temple tomorrow. But is there any other way to stop his nightmares?”
“There is,” Kongyuan said calmly, “and this method, female benefactor should already know.”
The Old Royal Consort immediately understood, frowning slightly.
“You mean his marriage?”
“That is correct. That woman’s fate is too strong. His current misfortune is related to her. If the engagement is broken, he will recover.”
The Old Royal Consort wavered. She had already considered breaking the engagement after learning that Wen Yunyue and Gu Zhan were incompatible in fate. Now she believed it even more.
Gu Zhan suddenly looked up.
This monk was ruthless. He knew very well what breaking an engagement would do to a young woman’s reputation, yet he still said it.
Even as a modern person, Gu Zhan knew how devastating it was.
Although he desperately wanted to end the engagement, he would never use such a method. This was forcing Wen Yunyue toward death.
She was only fifteen.
Gu Zhan said angrily, “Miss Wen and I are clearly a match made in heaven. How does it become incompatible in your mouth? Are your skills greater than the abbot of Zhen’guo Temple?”
Their original compatibility reading had been done by the temple’s abbot.
Kongyuan remained calm.
“I would not dare compare with my senior brother. But as the abbot, he may not be entirely free from worldly influence.”
This clearly implied bribery.
Gu Zhan laughed coldly.
“So you think the abbot was bribed? By me?”
“Of course not.”
Then it must be Wen Yunyue.
“This marriage was forced by me. Miss Wen could have refused.”
Kongyuan remained indifferent.
“Fortune readings are a matter of belief. I do not force belief.”
This made Gu Zhan look unreasonable instead.
He gritted his teeth.
This old fraud!
The Old Royal Consort grew even more displeased seeing Gu Zhan defend Wen Yunyue, but since he refused to break off the engagement, she dropped the matter for now.
After the monk left, she said gently, “Zhan’er, you will go to Zhen’guo Temple with Mother tomorrow for several months to purify the evil.”
“I will listen to Mother.”
The Old Royal Consort felt even more pity for him.
Gu Lin returned from court and asked, “Have we found who is behind Kongyuan?”
Zhang Liu shook his head. “We are still monitoring him. No results yet, but Prince Lang is the most likely suspect.”
The current Emperor had no heirs and would choose a successor from the imperial clan. The strongest contenders were Gu Lin and Prince Lang.
Gu Lin’s expression darkened.
“Continue investigating. Increase surveillance on Prince Lang.”
He could not afford to lose without knowing why.