Nangong Xuanning whimpered twice, crying from anger.
Gu Qianying pulled her into an establishment called the "Yihongyuan."
Initially, Nangong Xuanning refused to enter, spitting out the rotten vegetables from her mouth. She then cursed Gu Qianying even more fiercely and cried even harder.
Gu Qianying directly covered Nangong Xuanning's mouth and kicked her into the west wing of the Yihongyuan.
Inside the room, a man and a woman were engaged in passionate intimacy, making quite a commotion. Suddenly, their activities were interrupted by Gu Qianying and Nangong Xuanning. The woman, clutching her chest, screamed in fright, while the man scrambled off the bed.
"Who are you?"
The man, slightly plump, began to question them, but Gu Qianying knocked him unconscious with a single palm strike.
The woman hiding under the covers screamed even louder.
"If you don't want to die, shut up!"
Gu Qianying commanded the woman hidden beneath the covers.
She then took out two silver ingots from her embrace, tossed them into the woman's lap, and said, "Take off your clothes and lie down!"
A moment later.
In the west wing, a man and a woman were still engaged in intimacy, but the identities of the couple embracing in the room had changed.
Meanwhile, the pursuing black-clad figures, before even stepping into the Yihongyuan, spotted a figure rapidly escaping from outside its main entrance.
They recognized the fleeing figure as bearing a strong resemblance to Gu Qianying, who was disguised as a man.
Thus, they quietly followed the retreating figure that had emerged from the Yihongyuan.
"My master ordered that Gu Qianying be captured and brought back alive. The master wants her alive!"
"Yes, boss!"
The black-clad figures cornered the person in a deserted, dilapidated alley. Before the person could resist, they were captured alive.
At this moment.
The man and woman still embracing in the west wing of the Yihongyuan immediately separated after the black-clad figures had left.
Well, it should be said that Gu Qianying, now dressed as a woman, pushed away the young lady who had just changed into a man's robe. Before leaving the west wing, she deliberately dragged out the plump man she had stuffed under the bed, woke him up, and asked him if he had a wife at home.
The plump man boasted that he had a wife, five concubines, and three mistresses at home. He repeatedly bragged that he had embraced all the women at the Yihongyuan, that he was a true man, and that his bedroom skills were excellent. He even offered to flirt with Gu Qianying if she didn't mind.
Gu Qianying, who had initially intended to give him some compensation for his "trouble," immediately changed her mind. Not only did she beat the man who frequented brothels severely, but she also confiscated all the silver on him. Before leaving, she made the plump man, still naked, roll down the stairs from the second-floor landing.
Meanwhile.
At the Ninth Prince's mansion.
Nangong Mo sat calmly in his wheelchair, sipping tea, listening to the intelligence brought by his hidden guards.
"Reporting to my master, your subordinate has confirmed that the people captured by those black-clad figures are not the eldest daughter of the Gu family, but the current princess, Princess Xuanning. Currently, they have imprisoned her in a dilapidated house. The princess seems to have had her acupoints sealed, and her appearance has also been altered. Your subordinate observed that they have not yet discovered they captured the wrong person."
"Oh, such an amusing incident?"
Nangong Mo, who had been worried about Gu Qianying's safety, immediately relaxed. At the same time, he found it hilarious.
The wrong person was captured?
Nangong Xuanning's acupoints were sealed, and her appearance altered.
He figured that the person capable of such a feat must be that girl, Gu Qianying.
Nangong Xuanning had publicly caused trouble for Gu Qianying, and given Gu Qianying's retaliatory nature, she would surely strike back.
However, he hadn't expected the method of retaliation to be so amusing.
Nangong Mo lightly swirled his teacup, a faint smile playing on his lips. "What else did that girl Gu Qianying do?"
The hidden guard hesitated, muttering to himself.
"Hmm, shouldn't my master be ordering me to quickly rescue Princess Xuanning and escort her to the palace to receive rewards?"
As the hidden guard paused, Nangong Mo showed displeasure.
"Are you deaf? Speak quickly!"
Bai Qi, who was serving nearby, reminded him.
The hidden guard, sweating profusely, quickly replied, "Reporting to my master, before the eldest daughter of the Gu family left the Yihongyuan, she pushed a naked, plump man down the stairs and then leisurely departed.
"Yihongyuan? A naked man?"
Nangong Mo's face immediately darkened.
He placed the teacup in his hand down heavily.
"My master, please calm your anger."
The hidden guard knelt on the ground, trembling.
Bai Qi dared not even breathe.
After a while, Nangong Mo said, "Go, issue an edict from this prince to seal the Yihongyuan and imprison that man. As for the charges, you may fabricate any you deem fit."
"Yes, my master."
The hidden guard received the order and withdrew.
Bai Qi, standing behind Nangong Mo, twitched his lips.
"Well, it seems our master is jealous again."
After the hidden guard withdrew.
Nangong Mo instructed Bai Qi, "Take men and ambush the place where Nangong Xuanning is imprisoned. Await further orders."
Bai Qi received the order and asked, "My master, it's just a few assassins. I can rescue Princess Xuanning alone. There's no need to bring men to ambush there."
Nangong Mo looked at Bai Qi. "Who said I want to rescue Nangong Xuanning?"
Bai Qi was stunned. "Ah, you don't want to rescue her? Then why is my master asking me to bring men to ambush nearby?"
"Your master means 'the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.' Have your men go and lie in wait. After someone rescues the princess, seize the opportunity to eliminate those people and investigate who ordered them."
Du Chun, dressed in a green robe, walked over, a silver snake coiled around his wrist, a lock of white hair swaying gently with his steps.
"Wait for someone? Wait for whom?"
Hearing Du Chun's words, Bai Qi became even more confused.
Du Chun sat down beside Nangong Mo, stroking his pet, with an expression of watching a good show. "Wait for whom? Naturally, you should ask your master."
Bai Qi scratched his head, looking at Nangong Mo with a completely bewildered expression, seeking instructions.
Nangong Mo fiddled with the thumb ring on his finger and said lightly, "Go and inform Gu Yefeng that his sister Gu Qianying has been captured. Have our people intentionally lead Gu Yefeng there. There's no need to reveal ourselves. For the rest, proceed as Du Chun said."
Bai Qi was dumbfounded.
"To have Gu Yefeng rescue the princess? This... isn't that a bit inappropriate?"
"Your master's matchmaking scheme is too clumsy. However, thinking about it, Gu Yefeng, the eldest son of the Gu family, is a renowned general. He is upright and honorable, a true man. If he were to become a consort, it would be a good thing for the young lady of the Gu family. However..."
Du Chun looked at Nangong Mo and continued, "However, isn't it a bit unethical for you to scheme against your future brother-in-law like this?"
Nangong Mo's action of turning the thumb ring paused. "What is ethical? This prince knows nothing of it. This prince only knows that his future brother-in-law is too handsome and too close to this prince's future wife. If he could reside in the princess's mansion, that would be excellent."
Du Chun was speechless at this explanation.
Bai Qi suppressed a smile and silently lit a candle in his heart for Gu Yefeng, the eldest son of the Gu family.
Alas, it's too difficult to be the family of their future princess consort.
Naturally.
Gu Qianying, who had arrived at the agreed-upon location with Hu Biao, was unaware that Nangong Mo had "assigned" her own brother to that troublesome girl Nangong Xuanning.
She was also unaware that after she left the Yihongyuan, the establishment was sealed because of her, with the charge being: the women here were too unsightly to be engaged in the business of wine and flesh.
The plump man, who had been tricked and made to look ridiculous by Gu Qianying, returned home in a rage, insisted on getting a bag of silver, and was caught by the yamen officers on his way back to the Yihongyuan.
His charge was: having visited the Yihongyuan.
This caused men who had visited the Yihongyuan but were not caught to hide at home, trembling and sleepless for several days and nights.
At this moment, Gu Qianying, who was taking Hu Biao and Lu Zhu back home, circled through the back alleys and then turned back the way she came.
"Miss, Miss, it's getting late. Let's go home."
Lu Zhu followed behind Gu Qianying.
Gu Qianying turned her head and looked at Hu Biao. "Do you know where Nangong Xuanning's carriage is?"
Hu Biao nodded. "I do."
"Go and transport all the medicinal herbs from Nangong Xuanning's carriage back to the mansion."
"Yes."
Hu Biao immediately left.
Gu Qianying continued walking back the way she came.
Lu Zhu followed. "Miss, where are you going now?"
Gu Qianying casually grabbed Lu Zhu's collar, embraced her from behind with one arm, and leaped lightly towards the rooftops. "I'm taking you to watch a show."