As Gu Jiuci walked past her, Xiao Yu suddenly felt her mind descend into chaos. Before she could stop herself, she murmured under her breath, “Beyond the Nine Heavens lies the azure firmament; the hidden dragon waits in the abyss.”
Gu Jiuci’s footsteps abruptly halted.
He raised his eyes and gave Xiao Yu a long, searching look, as though trying to discover something from her expression. But seeing that her face remained perfectly composed, he finally turned away and slowly continued on his way.
“Did you just control me?”
Xiao Yu’s legs went weak.
For that brief moment, her thoughts had been completely muddled, as though her soul had left her body. Gu Jiuci, who resided within her, must have done something.
“Don’t worry. I only needed to pass along a message.”
“You can actually take control of my body by force?”
Xiao Yu felt as though all the strength had been drained from her body. She was utterly exhausted.
It seemed that forcibly controlling her like that took a considerable toll on her body. Gu Jiuci also seemed to realize that he had gone too far, and his voice became much gentler than usual.
“It was an emergency. I won’t do it again.”
Xiao Yu understood his reasoning.
Running into Ninth Imperial Uncle today had been completely unexpected. There was no telling when they might have another opportunity like this. The sooner Gu Jiuci could establish contact with him, the better it would be for both of them.
It was only a little strain on her body.
Surely, she would recover after some rest.
The carriage curtain was suddenly lifted, and Xie Jin stepped inside with a cold expression.
“What were you and Ninth Imperial Uncle talking about just now?”
“Nothing. Ninth Imperial Uncle congratulated us on our marriage, and I merely thanked him.”
Xiao Yu answered truthfully, then added,
“Your Highness can rest assured. I did not say anything I shouldn’t have.”
Her words made it clear that she had not complained about him in front of the Empress Dowager.
Seeing that she knew her place, the gloom on Xie Jin’s face eased slightly.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. He is Ninth Imperial Uncle. You had better stay away from him! And put away those improper thoughts of yours.”
Xiao Yu lowered her eyes, concealing the emotions within them.
She had never imagined that this was the kind of woman Xie Jin believed her to be.
The moment they arrived at the gates of Prince Rui’s residence, a maid hurried toward them. She appeared to be from Jinxiu Courtyard.
“Your Highness, Concubine Jin has fallen ill.”
“What happened?”
Without hesitation, Xie Jin followed the maid toward Jinxiu Courtyard.
“Miss, she’s doing it on purpose!”
Both Anxiang and Yingxiu had noticed the malicious glance the maid cast back at them.
“Forget it. Since she loves putting on an act so much, let’s go and watch.”
Inside Jinxiu Courtyard, Jinniang lay on the bed with a pale face. Nanny Diao and another maid stood watch by the doorway.
“Have you summoned Physician Liu?”
The moment Nanny Diao saw Xie Jin, her face lit up with delight.
“Your Highness is here! Concubine Jin only said that her chest felt tight and that she would be fine after some rest. She absolutely refused to let us summon Physician Liu! Your Highness, you must persuade her. The child in her belly cannot afford even the slightest mishap!”
“You’ve served in this residence for years. How could you simply indulge her?”
Xie Jin continued walking without pause, pretending not to notice the expression on Nanny Diao’s face.
His words sounded reproachful, but there was little force behind them.
“Your Highness…”
The moment Jinniang saw Xie Jin, she struggled to sit up.
Xie Jin immediately stepped forward, supporting her and gathering her into his arms.
“What happened? If you’re feeling unwell, why didn’t you summon Physician Liu?”
Tears glimmered in Jinniang’s eyes, yet a smile remained on her face.
She placed one hand against Xie Jin’s chest while gently taking his other hand and pressing it against her own chest.
“This servant simply missed Your Highness. Now that Your Highness is here, my chest doesn’t feel tight anymore.”
Xie Jin lowered his gaze.
The woman in his arms had slightly flushed cheeks and shimmering eyes. Looking at her, he suddenly felt an inexplicable warmth rise within him.
This was the scene Xiao Yu witnessed when she entered.
It was an expression Xie Jin had never once shown her.
Like the first melting of winter snow beneath a warm spring breeze, there was no need for words. The understanding in their eyes made it seem as though no one else existed in the world.
“What are you doing here?”
Xiao Yu stood within the shadows near the doorway, looking forlorn, a faint shimmer of tears seemingly lingering in her eyes.
For some reason, Xie Jin found that gaze unbearably irritating.
His voice instantly turned cold, completely different from the tenderness he had shown only moments before.
Jinniang glanced toward Xiao Yu.
A barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she released Xie Jin’s hand and tried to sit upright.
“This servant greets the Princess Consort…”
With only the slightest pressure, Xie Jin pulled Jinniang back into his arms.
“You’re unwell. There’s no need for formalities.”
Xiao Yu appeared completely unaffected by their intimate exchange.
In front of all the servants, their behavior was practically a slap in the face to her, the legitimate Princess Consort.
She turned her face slightly aside, hiding the disgust in her eyes.
“I’ve already sent someone to summon Physician Liu. Concubine Jin should let him examine her. That way, His Highness won’t have to worry.”
Xiao Yu spoke calmly, without the slightest fluctuation in her voice.
Yet to everyone else, her words sounded steeped in jealousy.
Xie Jin immediately assumed that Xiao Yu was about to cause trouble again. His expression darkened, and a warning entered his voice.
“Xiao Yu!”
“Your Highness, I know that I still harbor resentment in my heart. Rather than remain here and anger you whenever you see me, I ask permission to spend a month at Yuling Temple worshiping Buddha. Each day, I will copy scriptures and recite prayers for Dowager Consort Yu, so that I may calm my heart and atone for my faults.”
Xiao Yu’s sudden submission caught Xie Jin by surprise.
At first, he thought she was merely throwing another tantrum.
But after studying her carefully, he saw that Xiao Yu’s eyes were lowered and her demeanor subdued. There was none of her usual spoiled willfulness.
She appeared completely sincere.
The anger rising within him gradually faded.
Jinniang also blinked in confusion.
It felt as though she had thrown a punch only for it to land on a ball of cotton.
She had deliberately staged this scene in the hope that Xiao Yu would cause another commotion. Then Xie Jin would surely punish Xiao Yu severely once again.
Who would have expected Xiao Yu to voluntarily admit fault and even request permission to leave for Yuling Temple to worship Buddha?
It was completely unexpected.
But…
If Xiao Yu was no longer in Prince Rui’s residence, then Jinniang would effectively become the only mistress of the household!
Jinniang gently tugged at Xie Jin’s clothes.
The apologetic expression on her face was perfectly measured. She straightened slightly, her fragrant breath brushing softly through the air.
Her voice was low, yet just loud enough for Xiao Yu to hear.
“Your Highness, the Princess Consort must be angry. It’s all because this servant’s body is so weak. I’ve ruined the good mood you and the Princess Consort were in today. Your Highness mustn’t agree to her request because of me. If word gets out, this servant could never bear the blame.”
Originally, Xie Jin had been reluctant to grant Xiao Yu’s request.
But after hearing Jinniang’s words, his pride immediately rose.
He reached out and lifted Jinniang’s chin, his eyes filled with affection even as his voice remained cold.
“Let her go! As for you… if you cannot bear the consequences, then I will uphold justice for you.”
“Your Highness…”
Jinniang tried to continue, but Xie Jin placed a finger against her lips.
Embarrassed and flustered, she gave Xie Jin a coquettishly reproachful glance before timidly looking toward Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu lowered her eyes, gave a respectful curtsy, then turned and left Jinxiu Courtyard.
She had already made up her mind on the way here.
If an opportunity presented itself, then as long as Xie Jin no longer kept her confined within this residence, she would find a way to leave Prince Rui’s residence.
Only then would she have the freedom to help Gu Jiuci with other matters.
Now that she had achieved her goal, she did not want to remain there for even another moment.
“Miss, why put yourself through all this?”
Ever since her mistress had awakened, Yingxiu felt that Xiao Yu had changed.
She had become someone Yingxiu could no longer fully understand.
“Yingxiu, Miss knows what she’s doing. Stop worrying unnecessarily.”
Anxiang tugged at Yingxiu, afraid that she might disturb Xiao Yu’s thoughts.
“Yingxiu, Anxiang sees things more clearly than you do. There are some things I simply cannot obtain no matter how desperately I fight for them. After what happened on my wedding night—when your young lady nearly got strangled to death—haven’t you understood yet? If I remain in this residence, sooner or later, I’ll die here. Tell me, shouldn’t I find another way out?”
“Miss!”
Yingxiu was startled.
Part of her blamed herself for being unable to share Xiao Yu’s burdens, while another part knew that Xiao Yu was right.
With Yingxiu’s simple way of thinking, however, she could never have imagined that in such a short time, her mistress had already seen through everything and begun planning for her future.
Silently, Yingxiu made a promise to herself.
She had to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
“From now on, I’ll learn properly from Anxiang. I won’t become a burden to Miss!”
“Good. As long as you understand.”
Xiao Yu gave her a mildly reproachful glance before continuing,
“When you pack for our stay at Yuling Temple, keep our everyday necessities as simple as possible. But make sure to bring all the title deeds to the shops, estates, and properties from my dowry.”
Anxiang nodded.
“I understand.”
Although Yingxiu was still somewhat confused, this time she wisely kept her questions to herself.