Xiao Yingxun was filled with confusion, while Gu Lingwan greeted him simply, “Your Highness.”
The greeting was simple, but his internal thoughts were far from it: Hmph, you two-faced Xiao the Second, you big villain. You look like a human on the outside, but you are despicable, shameless, ruthless, and cruel.
The internal cursing caused a vein in Xiao Yingxun’s temple to twitch. Meanwhile, he analyzed the situation internally, certain that something must have happened for the young man before him to suddenly be cursing him so harshly.
Gu Lingwan, tired of cursing internally, picked up his jade chopsticks to grab some meat and regain his strength, but the man beside him spoke: “The Heir seems to be in low spirits?”
Gu Lingwan flashed a fake, sweet smile. “Many thanks for your concern, Your Highness. I am just feeling the pain from when I jumped into the water to save someone earlier; my legs are still cold and aching, so I suppose I do look a bit down.”
With a murderer like you around, how could I possibly be in good spirits?
Xiao Yingxun listened to Gu Lingwan’s inner voice and replied, “After the banquet, I will have an imperial physician examine you.” He added coolly, “You are now the Eleventh Brother’s savior; he will likely want to thank you properly.”
It was clear that he was speaking this way to lure Gu Lingwan into speaking his mind, hoping to discover exactly what had happened to cause Gu Lingwan’s sudden shift in attitude. Xiao Yingxun suspected it had something to do with Xiao Yanming, given their recent contact.
Upon hearing this, Gu Lingwan brightened. “Hey, so that is what you were thinking, Your Highness!” He continued, “I knew you still had the fact that I saved your life last time on your mind, constantly considering how to repay that debt.”
Without waiting for Xiao Yingxun to speak, he added, “The Eleventh Prince already came to thank me just now. He insisted on giving me ten thousand taels of gold. I refused repeatedly, but he was so insistent that I had to begrudgingly accept it.”
I will go talk to Xiao Yanming later and have him help me keep this lie straight.
Xiao Yingxun had not expected that instead of eliciting Gu Lingwan’s true thoughts, he had been trapped by his own words. It seemed he was going to be out of pocket.
“Your grace in saving me in the past has not been forgotten,” Xiao Yingxun said after a pause. “When the time comes for our separation, I will certainly bestow upon you additional compensation.”
Gu Lingwan smiled sweetly. “You are very thoughtful, Your Highness.”
Ho! Why do you not say you will burn more paper money for me after I die? You are really looking quite far ahead, you stingy iron rooster, stingy iron rooster, stingy iron rooster.
“Heir,” Xiao Yingxun could no longer stand it and interrupted his internal monologue, “I have a luminous pearl of priceless value. I shall gift it to you. When we return to the manor, you may go to my bedroom and retrieve it.”
Gu Lingwan felt a bloom of joy inside: Then I shall respectfully obey. Many thanks for your kindness, Your Highness.
He finished speaking and seemed to realize something: Wait? Why is he asking me to go to his bedroom to retrieve it?
Xiao Yingxun thought: The pearl is in the bedroom; where else would he go to get it? The pearl was precious, and there was no vault for valuables in the manor. Moreover, Xiao Yingxun did not own many valuables, so they were all kept in his bedroom. He swept a glance at the youth before him, who was as exquisite as a painting. He certainly could not have the pearl delivered to him—they had been married for over a year, and the Heir had never once stepped foot in his bedroom.
Across the table, Gu Lingwan’s pupils shrank. To prevent the man before him from noticing anything, he lowered his eyes. Is he planning to harm me?
He quickly analyzed the situation: The stingy, venomous iron rooster is luring me into his bedroom to trap me. Once he kills me, he can use the secret passage in his bedroom to move my body, dumping it in the wilderness to be eaten by jackals and wild dogs. I have no background or backing; no one will seek justice for me.
Xiao Yingxun thought: Your imagination is truly vivid. The stories told by teahouse storytellers are hardly as exciting as what you are writing.
Gu Lingwan continued his internal analysis: His motive for killing me this time is money; he does not want to pay me that much for our separation.
Xiao Yingxun thought: And what was my motive for killing you last time?
Gu Lingwan sighed helplessly: It is my own greed. I should not have brought up money just now, or tricked him into paying me a saving fee. He has been forced into a corner by me and is plotting to kill me. That way, he saves the five thousand taels of silver he planned to give me for our separation.
After that, he can fly off with Liu Rujin and live a life of bliss. Today on the bed, tomorrow on the table, the day after in the outhouse, and the day after that in the water.
I wonder if that vicious Xiao the Second can swim? Hopefully, they both drown together.
Xiao Yingxun could no longer listen. He rose abruptly, intending to leave, but stopped in his tracks upon hearing the next internal thought.
He pushed me into the water after knocking me out. With his meticulous nature, he must be able to swim. After all, one must ensure one’s own safety before doing something threatening.
“Is Your Highness leaving?” Gu Lingwan looked up at Xiao Yingxun, who had stood up but stopped moving. “Go ahead. After the banquet, I will go to the Imperial Hospital myself.”
Even if you had not nagged me about finding a physician, I was planning to go to the Imperial Hospital anyway. Seeing a doctor and getting medicine for free—if I do not take advantage of that, would I not be an idiot? Besides, your family took such a huge advantage of mine; I have to get something back.
Gu Lingwan held a dignified and polite smile as he watched Xiao Yingxun go. Murderer Xiao the Second, hurry up and get lost. Once you are gone, I can finally eat.
However, Xiao Yingxun did not leave. Instead, he sat back down.
Gu Lingwan felt a crack in his composure but quickly returned to normal, using his eyes to ask why he had sat back down.
Xiao Yingxun naturally could not say it was to listen to his inner thoughts. “My legs were feeling numb from sitting for so long, so I stood up to stretch my bones.”
After being in close contact with him for a while, he had been influenced to tell frequent lies.
Gu Lingwan uttered an “Oh” and reached for his jade chopsticks. As he did, the man across from him spoke again: “When I was young, my legs were prone to numbness, and just like the Eleventh Brother, I never learned how to swim.”
Gu Lingwan had to place the piece of meat he had just picked up back onto his plate. “Then Your Highness must take care of your health. Also, nothing is absolute. Many who drown can swim; the main thing is to protect oneself.”
Are all these princes unable to swim?
Xiao Yingxun thought: The Crown Prince is not; he is an excellent swimmer.
“Many thanks for your concern, Heir.”
“You are too polite, Your Highness. Have you not always been concerned about me as well?”
After saying this, Gu Lingwan looked down at the meat, which had gone stone cold. I beg you, hurry up and leave. Go plot how to harm me after you get back to the manor.
By the way, I can tell Xiao Yanming about the Prince plotting to kill me again. After all, he was the one who told me the Prince tried to kill me the first time, so there is no need to hide it from him.
Xiao Yingxun’s deep eyes narrowed slightly. So it was him.
I am his savior, after all. Once the banquet is over, I will bring him back to the manor to accompany me to the vicious Xiao the Second’s bedroom to retrieve the luminous pearl he promised me.
At that moment, Gu Lingwan glanced at Xiao Yingxun. Just look at how terrible your character is. Both your half-brother and your full-blooded brother have betrayed you in front of me, telling me that it was you who knocked me out and threw me into the pond to drown me.
“Ah? Your Highness…” Gu Lingwan watched the man walking away. “His temperament is so fickle. I must stay far away from him, separate from him quickly, and run.”
Finally at peace, he could eat a bite of the ice-cold meat. Gu Lingwan picked up his chopsticks and brought a piece of meat to his mouth.
“Princess Consort, the Empress Dowager requests your presence at the Yongkun Palace.”
Gu Lingwan placed the meat he was about to eat back onto the plate and looked up at the large, burly matron standing before him, her face filled with flesh.
The Empress Dowager? Is she not ill and recuperating in the Yongkun Palace?
Gu Lingwan quickly searched his memory for descriptions of the Empress Dowager and indeed found relevant information: This woman was venomous and cruel, highly skilled in palace intrigue, and a master of palace warfare. She held the Heir of Zhenbei in deep disdain and had a history of abusing him.