Gu Qinglu stood where she was for a moment, inwardly smug.
Just you wait. If I don’t demand the moon and the stars later, I’d be letting that “get back here” go to waste.
Her bright eyes shifted slightly as she turned back to her seat, glancing at the man with his eyes closed, then sweeping her gaze over everyone present.
“Everyone out.”
He spoke suddenly, as if he had eyes on his forehead—or as if he had seen straight through her thoughts—flicking his hand dismissively.
The others withdrew in silence. In no time at all, the side hall returned to quiet.
After a brief pause, Gu Qinglu broke the stalemate.
“Your Highness calling me here today means you trust me at least a little. I can cure you—but we must agree on terms first. I have conditions.”
A mocking smile tugged at Xiao Xingcang’s lips.
Trust?
A fool?
“Enough nonsense. If you have demands, state them.”His patience was already at its limit. He had no desire to waste what little life he had left on inconsequential people.
Xiao Xingcang was anxious. If he could be cured, all the better. If not, he would at least use his remaining time to settle the futures of those under him.
He had seen it clearly—her eyes had been darting around earlier, clearly scheming.
Gu Qinglu’s expression suddenly turned serious, her tone cool and flat.
“First: while I’m treating you, no matter what I do in this residence, you are not to question it. No one is to disturb me, and you must trust me without reservation. The rear courtyard is mine alone.
“Second: I don’t wish to bow to you. I can call you by your title if needed.
“Third: my consultation fee—five hundred ingots of gold, one warhorse, and one blade.
“Lastly: on your territory, my safety is your responsibility. You will guard it.”
In Miao territory, women were supreme—others bowed to her, never the reverse.
In seventeen years, this was the first time she had ever lowered herself in a formal salute, and it had been to him.
Gu Qinglu felt that bowing to him just to survive had cost her dignity.
After finishing, she lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, as if checking for omissions. Nothing came to mind.
“The rest I’ll bring up later, when I think of it.”
Xiao Xingcang lifted his gaze.“Agreed.”
“As expected of the Qin Prince—straightforward,” Gu Qinglu smiled lightly.Should’ve asked for a thousand ingots, she thought.
She poured herself a cup of tea and walked over to the long table, taking a seat.
Brush, ink, and yellow hemp paper had clearly been prepared for the man, but since he hadn’t used them, they were perfect for her—saving her the trouble of calling someone to grind ink.
Xiao Xingcang watched her quietly.
The woman wrote with her sleeves drawn back, her expression focused.
Her bright eyes were sharp and spirited—nothing like a fool at all.
“What’s written here—nothing may be missing. Whether I treat you or not is up to you.”
She walked around the table, placed the paper on the tea desk, and slid it toward him.
Xiao Xingcang took it and glanced at her handwriting—neat strokes, bold and domineering.
The surprise on his face deepened. He lifted his head to look at the woman calmly eating pastries.
“This prince will ask one last time,” he said cautiously.“Princess Consort, who taught you to write like this?”
“Send people to prepare what I listed—quickly,” Gu Qinglu replied coolly.“I’ll remove the gu and cleanse your poison. We’re not close enough yet for personal inquiries.”
She glanced at him. His gaze was too deep. She stood and left without another word.
Xiao Xingcang watched her retreating figure, his pupils tightening slightly.
Not long after Gu Qinglu left, several people entered the side hall.
Xiao Xingcang pushed the hemp paper forward and gave instructions.
“Assign guards to protect the rear courtyard. Choose a light blade. Send an alchemy furnace to her courtyard.”
For now, this was all he could agree to.
The consultation fee could be discussed later.
The men clasped their fists and withdrew.
..
Time passed—sunset, then sunrise.
The rear courtyard of the Prince’s residence was no longer as quiet as before. Small birds chirped happily, perching by the windows to peck at crumbs.
Gu Qinglu ate, slept, and enjoyed the nanny kneading her shoulders—utterly comfortable.
Compared to her former life in Miao territory, spinning endlessly like a top, she much preferred this idle existence.
No need to rush about for the tribe.
No need to contend with two other hostile clans.
No need to patrol territory daily or guard against officials from the Central Plains.
The massage was so soothing that, before she realized it, Gu Qinglu fell asleep again.
When the sun had shifted westward, the nanny gently woke her.
“Princess Consort, someone from the main courtyard has come to invite you over.”
Gu Qinglu was momentarily dazed, taking a second to remember that she was the one being addressed.
She suddenly opened her eyes—Xiao Xingcang must have prepared everything.
She quickly rose from the lounge chair. The sooner she cured him, the sooner she could roam the martial world.
Walking leisurely down the corridor, a faint smile curved her lips.
She entered the man’s chambers with light steps—it was the same side hall as before.
Today, the man lay on a soft couch. His pale face made him look somewhat pitiful.
It stirred the little compassion Gu Qinglu possessed, softening her gaze slightly as she looked at him.
Seeing her, Xiao Xingcang sat up.
“Everything the Princess Consort requested has been prepared.”
Gu Qinglu swept her gaze over the table: paperweights, silver needles, bone needles, belly parasites, a purple bamboo flute, and a basin of plant ash by the couch.
Complete.
“Take off your clothes and lie back down,” she said while washing her hands.
Xiao Xingcang frowned at her commanding tone.
Damn woman—can’t even look at him when she speaks.
But remembering what the people of the Medicine King Valley had said, he complied, undoing his clothing and lying back.
The physicians of Medicine King Valley had spoken highly of the puncture marks on his chest.
That was the first reason he had begun to trust Gu Qinglu.
Besides, it had been two years. Every method had been tried—none had worked.
Especially in the past half year: heart-piercing pain, splitting headaches, frequent fainting spells.
He had already resigned himself to fate.
Yet on the night of the grand ceremony, there had been a turning point. After the foolish princess consort stabbed him a few times, he hadn’t felt pain for days.
“If I remove your gu and you fail to protect my safety,” Gu Qinglu said as she removed her outer robe and tossed it to the nanny, turning back to him,“the remaining poison in your body won’t be fully cleared, and your inner strength will fail you.”
Once the gu was removed, the one who planted it would immediately sense its death.
And they would send assassins to hunt down the one who removed it.
Xiao Xingcang lay half-naked on the couch, embarrassed, turning his head away.
“This prince keeps his word.”
Raising an eyebrow, Gu Qinglu picked up the paperweight.
She dragged over a bamboo chair, sat beside him, and glanced at his broad chest.
Catching her blatant stare out of the corner of his eye, Xiao Xingcang’s mouth twitched.
Does she not know shame?
Ignoring the fleeting darkness in his gaze, she pinched a needle between her fingers and lowered her eyes.
“To prevent accidents, I need assistance. Call your people in.”
She had already seen several men carrying medical chests in the corridor—likely his accompanying physicians.
Xiao Xingcang glanced at the nanny, who bowed and went to summon them.
When several people were standing in the hall, Gu Qinglu began inserting the needles, issuing instructions as she worked.
“See the dagger? Watch my signal. When I indicate, stab at the position I leave.”
The men glanced at their prince before clasping their fists in agreement.
Soon, Xiao Xingcang’s chest was covered with silver needles of varying lengths.
In the next moment, he clearly felt something inside him scrambling wildly, rushing straight toward his chest.
Once the needles were set, Gu Qinglu picked up the purple bamboo flute, her tone turning solemn.
“Hold him down in a moment. Chest facing the ash basin.”
The two men standing beside her snapped out of their shock at her command.
For two years, today was the first time they had seen the true source of Xiao Xingcang’s illness.
It was gu.
Something writhed beneath his skin—dense, surging toward his chest, enough to make one’s scalp prickle.
The method was brutally cruel.