Nangong Li, who had been amusing himself at Yan Yi Lou, rushed to the Ninth Prince's mansion upon receiving the news that Gu Qianying had poisoned his second aunt, Madam Meng. He went to report the matter to Nangong Mo.
Little did he know that as he entered, he heard that Bai Qi had already pushed Nangong Mo and left the Ninth Prince's mansion.
He inquired about Nangong Mo's whereabouts, intending to follow, but was stopped by Du Chun.
Du Chun handed Nangong Li a bag of pills and instructed him, "Ah Mo should not be angered. Try to persuade him. Take these pills with you. If his condition worsens, he should quickly take one."
"Is the Ninth Imperial Uncle going to kill someone? If not, perhaps this prince should return to the palace to accompany his mother?"
Anything Du Chun instructed must be very serious.
Nangong Mo's anger could have severe consequences, and he was terrified.
"..."
Du Chun's face was filled with black lines.
"Stop the nonsense and hurry!"
Du Chun forcefully kicked Nangong Li out of the Ninth Prince's mansion.
Outside the yamen prison.
Bai Qi, with over a dozen guards, had completely surrounded the yamen prison, making it impassable.
Nangong Mo sat calmly in his wheelchair.
At his feet knelt the ninth-rank county magistrate, Hu Gang, Magistrate Hu, along with some yamen runners.
"Ninth Prince, the eldest daughter of the Gu family has killed someone. The evidence is conclusive, and this subordinate dares not release her."
Hu Gang was a subordinate of Crown Prince Nangong Qi. Although his official rank was low, he had followed the Crown Prince for many years and was aware of the power struggles between Crown Prince Nangong Qi and other princes and lords.
Just before the Ninth Prince Nangong Mo arrived, the Crown Prince had sent a pigeon message specifically ordering that Nangong Mo not be allowed to take Gu Qianying away.
As Hu Gang was the Crown Prince's man, he naturally obeyed Nangong Rong Qi.
"If you don't release her, this prince will level this broken yamen prison!"
"Bai Qi!"
With a command,
Bai Qi and the dozen guards immediately drew their swords.
County Magistrate Hu and the others trembled in fear and knelt, begging for mercy. "Ninth Prince, spare our lives."
Nangong Li arrived at full speed, dismounted, and approached Nangong Mo. Seeing Nangong Mo's expression, he quickly took out the pills Du Chun had given him. "Du Chun asked this prince to bring you medicine. Hurry, take it, lest you, Ninth Imperial Uncle, die from anger and blood loss."
Nangong Mo looked at him with cold eyes, remaining silent.
Nangong Li slapped himself and chuckled, "It's my fault, my fault. Ninth Imperial Uncle, please don't be angry. Your nephew misspoke. However, your nephew believes that what you are doing today is a bit reckless. Think about it, if you were to level this broken place in anger, although you could save the future eldest daughter of the Gu family, you would not be able to vindicate her.
At that time, the crime of poisoning a concubine in the household would only fall upon Gu Qianying.
The eldest daughter of the Gu family is the descendant of a military family, and she has always acted with integrity. You wouldn't want such a minor matter to become a lifelong stain on the eldest daughter of the Gu family, would you?"
Nangong Li spoke earnestly, explaining all the pros and cons of the situation.
Nangong Mo, who had been in a fit of rage, gradually calmed down as he listened to Nangong Li's words.
"You also believe she did not poison the concubine in the manor?"
"If one wanted to poison someone, they could send an inconspicuous servant or maid from the manor, or even hire assassins from outside. Why would they need to do it themselves?"
"This prince also believes my girl would not deign to kill a concubine. If she wanted to kill someone, she would have directly informed this prince, and this prince would have handled it cleanly for her."
Earlier, in his haste, he had overlooked many things.
Now, with Nangong Li's reminder, Nangong Mo felt much clearer.
Nangong Li looked at Nangong Mo and quietly closed his mouth. What he said made sense.
"Thump!"
The carriage curtain was lowered.
Nangong Mo commanded, "Issue an order. Let the Dali Temple Shaoqing handle this case. It must be investigated and clarified within five days. Also, return to the mansion and prepare my travel attire. This prince will be staying in the prison for the next few days."
Bai Qi was stunned.
Nangong Li thought his ears had malfunctioned.
County Magistrate Hu and the others were so terrified that they collapsed to the ground, unable to recover for a long time.
Gu Qianying, who was meditating with her eyes closed in cell number one, suddenly heard the sound of the prison door opening.
She slowly opened her eyes and looked outside, immediately freezing.
"Ninth Prince... Ninth Imperial Uncle, why are you here?"
"This prince is here to stay in prison with you."
"..."
As these words fell,
Bai Qi and the hidden guards behind Nangong Mo immediately sprang into action.
A high-grade rosewood desk, a comfortable and spacious imperial concubine couch,
A tea set of excellent quality, a screen carved with golden peacocks.
Bai Qi and the hidden guards meticulously arranged these valuable furnishings. The hidden guards then disappeared, leaving only Bai Qi still busy.
Bai Qi prepared fine wine and delicacies, lit the sandalwood incense, and then carefully retreated.
Bai Qi did not go far. After driving away the curious jailers peeking from outside the cell door, he stood guard outside the cell.
Gu Qianying was astonished.
She had not expected Nangong Mo to appear at this time, let alone to share a prison cell with her. This made her feel flustered and somewhat uncomfortable.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, this simple prison is not suitable for you. You should leave as soon as possible."
Nangong Mo sharing a cell with her was not part of her plan. Gu Qianying didn't know how to face him and could only try to persuade him.
"It's alright. Though the prison is simple, your presence here is enough."
Gu Qianying: "..."
Outside the cell door, Bai Qi, who was on guard, almost slipped as if his feet were greased.
His master's words of affection were truly exquisite!
Nangong Li, hiding in a dark corner, covered his face with a folding fan and chuckled.
Mm-hmm, a promising student, very good, very good.
Gu Qianying looked at Nangong Mo. "Ninth Imperial Uncle, this humble subject is now a prisoner, a suspect in a crime."
The news of her poisoning Madam Meng had spread quickly. She assumed Nangong Mo had already heard of it before arriving.
"So what?"
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, you are a high and mighty prince, yet you are with me, a suspect. This will damage your reputation."
"This prince has never lived by his reputation."
"..."
"But Ninth Imperial Uncle, if you are here, this humble subject will not be able to rest at night. The space is small, and more importantly, men and women should not be too intimate. Sharing a room is against the rules."
It was inconvenient for Gu Qianying to share a cell with Nangong Mo in many ways.
"You can rest in this prince's arms. This prince doesn't mind. If you find this place too small, this prince can requisition the adjacent cell, as long as you don't dislike it."
"..."
"If you are still not accustomed to it, then this prince will have people smash the entire place so you have no cell to stay in."
Gu Qianying: "..."
She suddenly felt that Nangong Mo, besides being aloof and proud, was also a bit unreasonable.
"Ninth Imperial Uncle, you should really..."
"If you say one more word, this prince will directly have people prepare a bath and accompany you for a romantic soak here."
"..."
Gu Qianying decisively closed her mouth.
"In that case, this prince will stay here with you as you wish."
Gu Qianying: "..."
She hadn't said anything at all.
"You've been in here for some time. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"
Gu Qianying remained silent, only looking at him.
Yes, she was a little.
Nangong Mo calmly raised his hand and poured Gu Qianying a cup of hot tea, then pushed the sweet pastries forward. "The pastries from the Eastern City Pastry Shop are extremely delicious. Paired with a cup of Morning Dew, fragrant tea brewed from Maojian, they are sweet and palatable. Come and try them."
Gu Qianying looked at the person before her, who, despite being in a dilapidated prison, gave the impression of sitting in a noble and elegant hall. She was a little stunned.
Nangong Mo's actions were somewhat heartwarming.
She was almost moved and on the verge of falling for him.
However, her感动 (gan dong -感动) vanished in the next second.
"Although this prince's legs are crippled, his hands are still intact. He can still carry you over."