For a moment, the courtyard fell into complete silence.
Those with keen hearing caught faint sounds rising from beneath the earth.
One of the men stepped forward with his hand on his blade, about to ask for instructions.“Your Highness—”
Xiao Xingcang lowered his gaze to the person leaning against his chest. As though afraid even a word might disturb her, he raised his hand to stop the man.
Gu Qinglu steadied her breath. As her hearing sharpened again, the sounds from underground became clearer. Her eyes flew open.
She hadn’t expected it to happen so fast.
Perhaps one ingredient had been missing from the gu-attracting liquid—its effect hadn’t been strong enough.
That was why the enemy’s gu had awakened so quickly.
She stepped away from Xiao Xingcang and moved to the edge of the pit.
The purple bamboo flute rose again in her hand. This time, the sound it released was even more piercing.
Her flute notes were like blades carried on a gale—formless yet lethal—slaughtering the bats beneath the ground.
The cries from below were horrific. Thudding, explosive sounds followed.
Bat corpses were bursting apart, detonating in time with her shrill music.
Only now did everyone present understand why the enemy had been lured here.
This wasn’t just extermination—it was annihilation. Nothing would be left behind.
The ear-splitting flute continued for nearly half an hour, until no sound at all rose from the earth. Only then did the music stop.
“Princess Consort.”
A deep, steady voice cut through the silence of the night.
Xiao Xingcang had never taken his eyes off her while she played.
The moment the flute slipped from her grasp, he strode forward and caught her just in time, one hand cradling her head.
Her face had gone deathly pale.
For reasons he couldn’t name, panic surged in his chest.“Qi Heng—summon the physicians from Medicine King Valley.”
The nanny, afraid she might collapse as she had before, had already prepared a cloak.“Carry the Princess Consort inside. The night wind is cold.”
Someone quickly secured the flute and draped the cloak over Gu Qinglu’s shoulders.
Xiao Xingcang glanced over, then scooped her up and carried her back inside.
The physician from Medicine King Valley had been stationed just beyond the rear courtyard archway. He arrived swiftly—almost at the same time as Xiao Xingcang entered the room.
Gu Qinglu was laid on the couch. The nanny placed a silk cloth over her wrist before allowing the doctor to take her pulse.
Seated at the foot of the couch, Xiao Xingcang watched her pale face, his voice tight with concern.“How is she?”
The doctor exhaled in relief.“Her spirit is exhausted, but there’s no serious harm to her body.”
This Princess Consort absolutely could not come to harm—his Highness was still relying on her acupuncture to purge the remaining poison.
Xiao Xingcang nodded, his expression grave.“Take good care of her.”
After instructing the nanny, he rose and left.
Many people were waiting outside. When he emerged, a crowd followed him in a dark tide.
They hurried back to the main courtyard. Xiao Xingcang stepped onto the military map spread across the floor.
Staring at the winding border passes beneath his feet, he spoke in a cold, measured voice:
“Send word beyond the border—Prince Qin has died.”
The men standing around the map were shaken.“Your Highness! If Asina finds out, that bastard will go mad and bite down on the northern frontier. And the Western Rong are still watching Liangzhou!”
During the half-year he had drifted in and out of consciousness, all channels of information had been sealed.
He had done it deliberately—fearing that if the Central Plains lost its pillar, foreign enemies would break through the northern defenses and march south.
That had been his original strategy.
Why release such news now?
He no longer held military authority. He couldn’t even interfere in court affairs.
Xiao Xingcang lowered his eyes and let out a cold laugh.“I’m counting on him to go mad.”
The men fell silent, pondering his words. The next moment, they lifted their eyes to watch him pace across the map.
His steps traced a path—starting from the capital, heading north, then turning toward Liangzhou…
One of the men slapped his thigh, rare joy lighting his face after months of gloom.“This subordinate will arrange it at once.”
When everyone had withdrawn, Xiao Xingcang stepped out of the hall and looked north.
After standing there for a moment, he raised his hand slightly.
A dark shadow appeared at once, stopping before him and clasping fists.“Master.”
Xiao Xingcang nodded and took out his private seal.“Take my signet to the National Protector Temple. In a few days, I will pay a visit to Master Xuhuai.”
As for Gu Qinglu’s origins—he had exhausted every other avenue.
The only reason he thought of the National Protector Temple was an encounter years ago, when he was returning from Liangzhou and happened to meet the old monk Xuhuai.
They had spoken briefly of worldly matters, and the monk had asked him one question:
“Does Your Highness believe in destiny?”
At the time, Xiao Xingcang had been only eighteen.
He had an elder brother supporting him above, powerful maternal relatives managing affairs below.
Victories piled upon victories on the battlefield—he was young, proud, and unstoppable.
His answer then had been blunt:
“Destiny is made by men, not something to wait for. If everyone believed in destiny, who would fight wars? Who would plan strategies?”
The old monk had recited a Buddhist invocation and laughed kindly.“Your Highness’s destiny lies along your path.”
Tonight, watching Gu Qinglu draw out the gu, Xiao Xingcang suddenly thought of that old monk.
Perhaps the National Protector Temple could give him an answer after all.
……
When Gu Qinglu woke, the sky had already begun to pale.
After a night’s sleep, her spirit had recovered.
She might have lingered in bed—but remembering what had happened the night before, she threw off the covers, jumped down, and rushed out the door.
A sweeping maid caught only a blur racing past. Realizing what it was, she hurried after her with a cloak.
“Princess Consort, it’s cold—put this on!”
Gu Qinglu stopped by the stone mortar, eyes lowered in thought.
Using something as disgusting as bats to scout for information—this was absolutely not the work of her subordinates.
Xiao Xingcang had been poisoned two years ago.
At that time, she shouldn’t have been dead.
The other two tribes had been selecting ritual priests back then—they wouldn’t dare leave the valley without her knowledge.
She bent slightly to accommodate the small maid, holding the cloak at her shoulders as she asked,“Where did Xiao Xingcang get poisoned? When did it happen?”
The maid tied the cloak securely, stepped back, and bowed.“Replying to the Princess Consort: the Prince was poisoned two springs ago, while leading a southern campaign against the Wuyi. After returning, his strength declined steadily. Even the old master of Medicine King Valley was helpless. Fortunately, with Your Highness here, the Prince has finally recovered.”
Wuyi?
Wasn’t that dangerously close to her territory?
Wuyi…
Gu Qinglu ran through everything she had learned, seen, and known.
She could not think of anyone—aside from herself and her two deputies—who could control animals to gather intelligence.
Heart-linked gu consumed immense mental energy. Once connected to the child gu, backlash was inevitable—often leading to unconsciousness.
If an enemy were nearby during that backlash, one could be killed without ever knowing it.
That was why, in Miao territory, only the Saintess and her deputies were allowed to learn this art. No one else could even glimpse the gu manuals.
Could it be… that old witch?
Gu Qinglu rejected the thought instantly.
She had been dead for many years.
Seeing Gu Qinglu staring blankly into space, the maid grew worried she might faint again. She peeked at her and spoke softly.
“Princess Consort, you should return to wash up. Today we’re measuring for winter clothes.”
Gu Qinglu snapped back to herself.
She absolutely could not allow unknown enemies to strike while she was still in the dark.
She needed to accelerate the cultivation of her gu—and strengthen the courtyard’s defenses.
“I’m not measuring anything. I’m going out.”
She glanced once more at the stone mortar, then turned sharply and strode away.
The maid jogged after her, but by the time she caught her breath at the corridor, Gu Qinglu had already vanished into her room.
By full daylight, Gu Qinglu had finished the breakfast the nanny brought.
“Princess Consort, His Highness may have canceled the trip. I’ll send someone to ask—please don’t rush,” the nanny murmured anxiously as she ladled soup for her.
Gu Qinglu took the bowl, blew on it, drank it down in one go, then grabbed the saber placed nearby and headed out.
“Time waits for no one. If I’m not urgent, I’ll die first.”
The nanny froze.
By the time she understood the meaning of Gu Qinglu’s words and rushed after her, the courtyard was already empty.