Nian Chujiu’s words struck Gu Jiangzhi hard. A sharp pain shot through his head, drilling from his temples deep into his skull. His vision darkened. Staggering a step, he instinctively clutched his throbbing forehead. For some reason, his ears filled with Nian Chujiu’s voice, unfamiliar and merciless.
“Gu Jiangzhi, you make me sick!”
“Gu Jiangzhi! You’re utterly disgusting!”
Some of the voices seemed tinged with tears.
“Gu Jiangzhi! I hate you!”
Then another voice came, suddenly lower, every word trembling with despair: “Gu Lang… please… I beg you…”
“Let my mother and sister-in-law go…”
“I’ll do anything you ask…”
“I’ll listen to you…”
“I’ll do whatever you want…”
“Ah!”
Gu Jiangzhi clutched his head and doubled over in pain. He felt as though he were going mad. The final drop of water in the clepsydra fell into the basin below.
Nian Chujiu’s eyelashes did not even flutter. She merely called out calmly, “Mingyue.”
“Yes, Miss,” Mingyue responded crisply, stepped neatly into the carriage, and pulled the door shut behind her.
The instant the carriage door closed—BOOM!
The first curfew drum sounded from the Imperial City.
Curfew had begun. Then came more.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The dense drumbeats rolled outward like waves, spreading from the city’s center in every direction. Watchtowers and government offices throughout the various wards answered in turn, the drumbeats surging through the crisscrossing streets and alleys layer by layer. The shouts of the night patrol and the rhythmic tramp of soldiers’ boots could already be faintly heard in the distance.
Yang Qing flicked the reins, and the carriage quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving the still-dazed Gu Jiangzhi far behind. After turning a corner, they arrived at the Tai Ran Residence Inn.
The inn’s main gates had already been closed. Without slowing, Yang Qing tugged the reins and steered directly toward the side entrance reserved for carriages and horses.
Yunduo was already waiting in the shadows inside the doorway. The moment she spotted the family carriage’s silhouette, she darted forward, braced both hands against the doors, and pushed them fully open so the carriage could pass through.
The doors quickly closed again.
Yunduo’s heart pounded wildly, her fingertips trembling as she silently thanked heaven. Then she remembered that the young masters had not yet arrived. Her heart immediately leaped back into her throat, and she couldn’t help rising on tiptoe to peer outside again.
With Mingyue’s support, Nian Chujiu stepped down from the carriage. Her feet landed on the slightly damp ground, but instead of heading inside, she remained where she was.
Yunduo turned around, stepped forward to greet her mistress, and said, “Miss, please go upstairs and rest. I’ll keep watch at the door.”
Nian Chujiu shook her head. “I’ll wait here as well.” Until her brothers returned, she could not put her mind at ease.
The night was deep and heavy. The distant, fading drumbeats made the brief wait feel unbearably long.
Back in Lihua Alley, Gu Jiangzhi had finally shaken off the sudden headache and strange hallucinations. But the curfew drums had thrown him into another bout of panic. Only one thought remained in his mind: He needed to get inside Marquis Jinliang’s residence as quickly as possible and take shelter. After all, once the curfew was fully enforced, anyone found wandering the streets could be arrested.
Just then, footsteps echoed from inside the residence. A servant carrying a lantern came out to secure the gate for the night.
Seeing his chance, Gu Jiangzhi hurried forward. “I am the eldest grandson of the Marquis Zhongyong’s household!” he called urgently. “Please inform General Lu that I have an important matter to discuss!”
Just then, another carriage came charging down the street like a ghost. It was moving fast, recklessly barreling forward as though it had no regard for anything in its path.
Even stranger, the driver wore a black hood, exposing only his eyes. In the dim light, the eyeholes looked like dark voids, revealing nothing of his features.
Gu Jiangzhi’s heart skipped a beat, and danger rose instinctively within his heart. But he was already half a step too late. The carriage screeched to a halt less than ten feet in front of him, the wheels grinding harshly against the stone pavement. Before it had even fully stopped, two figures sprang from the carriage like leopards pouncing on prey. Both wore fitted dark clothing and black hoods that concealed their faces, leaving only their eyes and mouths exposed.
Startled, Gu Jiangzhi turned to flee. But the attackers had no intention of capturing him. One of them flicked his arm.
A thick black hood flew through the air. Whoosh!
It dropped neatly over Gu Jiangzhi’s head, covering him completely. His world instantly went dark. The rough fabric wrapped tightly around his head and face, muffling even his cries.
The very next instant— Splash!
A sticky slurry was dumped all over him, soaking through his clothes in moments. An overpowering stench assaulted his senses. The smell was so foul that his stomach churned violently, and he nearly passed out on the spot.
Hooves thundered. Wheels rattled. The carriage sped away into the night. It had happened suddenly, and ended just as quickly.
Gu Jiangzhi collapsed onto the ground. Unable to see, trapped in darkness and panic as the curfew approached, he flailed wildly at the hood over his head. But the knot behind his neck had been tied tight. The harder he pulled, the tighter it became. The tighter it became, the more panicked he grew.
“In there!” A booming shout exploded from the mouth of the alley, followed by the heavy, synchronized footfalls of approaching soldiers. “Grab that curfew violator!”
A squad of patrol guards instantly surrounded Gu Jiangzhi. One of the guards, apparently their leader, lifted a boot and kicked Gu Jiangzhi squarely in the chest. “You bastard! Still trying to run!”
Another guard, his face swollen on one side, rubbed his cheek and swung a furious punch. “You even dared to hit me earlier! Let’s see if I don’t beat you to death!”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A kick from one man. A punch from another. Blows rained down on Gu Jiangzhi’s body and face like a storm.
Curling into himself and shielding his head, Gu Jiangzhi screamed: “Stop! Stop! I’m not a vagrant! I’m the eldest grandson of the Marquis Zhongyong’s household!”
The guards paused. For a brief moment, silence fell. Then the alley erupted in laughter.
“If you’re the eldest grandson of the Marquis, then I’m the Emperor’s son!”
“Then I’m the son of the Goddess Guanyin!”
“I’m the son of the King of Hell!”
“I’m the son of the Black Mountain Demon! Hahaha…”
Amid the uproarious laughter, the beating only intensified.
Curled into a ball and enduring the blows, Gu Jiangzhi could hear the ominous crack of his own bones. The hood was ripped off roughly, revealing a face swollen purple and blue with bruises, so battered that his original features were barely recognizable.
“Take him away!” The lead guard waved his hand and gave the order. Not a single soldier suspected they had arrested the wrong person.
The black hood. The blue-gray robe. And the foul stench clinging to him. All of it matched the person who had provoked them earlier.
Everyone had eyes. They knew what they had seen. There was no way they could be mistaken.
At Tai Ran Residence, Nian Chujiu did not have to wait long. Almost in the blink of an eye, the rapid rumble of carriage wheels echoed again from the mouth of the alley, growing swiftly closer.
Yunduo, Mingyue, and Yang Qing opened the gate together. A blue-canopied carriage burst through the darkness and drove straight toward them.
Deng Chong handled the reins with practiced skill. The carriage practically skimmed past the doorframe before gliding neatly into the courtyard.
The curtain lifted. Fourth Brother, Nian Jinlou, jumped down first, his movements clean and decisive. Turning back, he offered a hand to Sixth Brother, who followed immediately behind him.
“Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother…” Nian Chujiu hurried forward, her bright eyes fixed on them.
Neither brother said much. They merely nodded. They had succeeded. Everything that needed to be said was conveyed in that single gesture. Yet the tension inside the courtyard did not truly ease.
Everyone held their breath. Almost unconsciously, their eyes turned toward the half-closed gate before them.
“Fifth Brother still hasn’t come back!”
As the silent tension and anxiety spread through the room, a soft creak sounded, and the door was pushed open a crack.
A figure slipped inside with practiced agility, then quickly shut the door behind him and dropped the latch into place. It was none other than Fifth Brother, Nian Jinchuan. His bangs were slightly damp, and his breathing a little hurried, yet an irrepressible spark of youthful confidence shone in his eyes.
It was as if he were saying, When this young master takes action, there’s nothing he can’t handle!
Dressed in black, he held the blue-gray long robe and black cloth hood at arm’s length with obvious disdain.
“Ugh, it stinks! It stinks!” Fifth Brother wrinkled his nose and urged, “Come on, come on! Let’s get rid of this junk already!”