Chapter 777.1: Meeting Grandaunt
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S T E L L A R C L O U D
[Galetron]
O R A N G E S T A R
[Alma S.] [Christine G.-L.] [K.Rom]
[Suong D.] [Ziana K.-P.]
Y E L L O W S T A R
[Anasi G.] [Passerby] [Xena]
G O L D S T A R
[Anne C.] [Nevy] [Roxanne C.]
R A I N B O W S T A R
[Debra W] [Kiiayame] [Tionna M.]
T H E S U N
[kuroneko_chan] [Michelle K.] [Smurfinbatik]
C E L E S T I A L C O N Q U E R O R
[Ava C.] [Hong] [Leeyue] [Lily J.] [Manon] [Sophia W.] [Val Nes]
Also, many thanks to everyone who bought me coffee (*≧∀≦*)
The Emperor went to Shangguan Yan’s room.
Shangguan Yan's injuries were staged with props, and the bandages, once removed, would reveal a convincingly “stitched wound.”
Of course, the Emperor wasn’t actually going to inspect her bandages.
Looking at Xiao Heng, who was keeping vigil by the bed, the Emperor sighed deeply. “Take care of your own health. Don’t exhaust yourself. There are palace attendants here to watch over her.”
He said “palace attendants,” but in reality, there was only a single young palace maid.
The Emperor felt even more guilty. “Zhang Dequan.”
“At your command.” Zhang Dequan stepped forward, understanding immediately. “I’ll return to the imperial palace and select a few capable palace attendants to send over.”
The Emperor still had court duties, so after staying by the bed for a while, he got up to leave.
“Farewell, imperial grandfather.” Xiao Heng cupped his fists and bowed.
Was he finally leaving?
Shangguan Yan swiftly pulled aside the mosquito net and stuck her head out.
Xiao Heng hurriedly pushed her back under the net. “Imperial grandfather, take care!”
He hadn’t even stepped out the door yet!
The Emperor turned his head.
Xiao Heng smiled.
His smile was overly exaggerated.
In the next second, he switched to a weak and pale state, looking as if he could barely lift the corners of his lips. “Take care of yourself.”
“Mm.” The Emperor nodded with a complicated expression, his hands clasped behind his back. He left the Qilin Hall with Zhang Dequan and the wet nurse holding the Little County Princess.
……
Gu Jiao stayed in the intensive care unit until dawn.
In the latter half of the night, she had fallen asleep in a chair beside the bed. When she woke up, the Imperial Advisor was gone.
Two death warriors were back on duty outside the iron door. They barely reacted when Gu Jiao stepped out.
“What did the Imperial Advisor tell you?” Gu Jiao asked them.
One of them replied, “Lord Imperial Advisor said that apart from him and Young Master Xiao, no one else is allowed inside.”
Gu Jiao responded with a casual “Oh,” muttering under her breath, “That’s more like it.”
Just then, Xiao Heng appeared, walking toward Gu Jiao. “Tired? I had someone prepare porridge. Go have some.”
“Alright.” Gu Jiao followed him toward his room. “Where’s Jing Kong?”
The two death warriors trailed behind. Xiao Heng carefully chose his words. “He went to school. His sister came to pick him up.”
This was his way of assuring Gu Jiao that Little Jing Kong was with Gu Chengfeng and was safe.
Relieved, Gu Jiao had a bowl of porridge at Xiao Heng’s place.
Though it was summer and hot, she had expended a lot of energy. Her appetite was still good, and she ate a large meat bun as well.
“What about the Little County Princess?” She asked.
Xiao Heng replied, “She went back to the palace with the Emperor. Also, it seems the Emperor has restored my mother’s imperial princess status.”
Although Xiao Heng hadn’t attended court, the Emperor had personally addressed Shangguan Yan as the Third Princess that morning, so it seemed to be true.
Gu Jiao nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good.”
After such a significant effort, it wasn’t just about deposing the Crown Prince.
Restoring Shangguan Yan’s status as an imperial princess was the first step; the next would be to vie for the position of Crown Princess.
Speaking of which, Gu Jiao suddenly recalled her late-night conversation with the Imperial Advisor in the intensive care unit.
She wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and said to Xiao Heng, “You don’t need to make excuses to visit the Crown Prince Estate. I already know who stabbed Gu Changqing. It was an aide of Imperial Noble Consort Han, a highly skilled martial expert known in the martial world as An Hun.”
“An Hun?” Xiao Heng murmured.
The name sounded ominous and impressive.
“Did the Imperial Advisor tell you this?” He asked.
“Yes.” Gu Jiao nodded. “He also told me Fifth Master Han’s secret. His premature graying of hair is due to poisoning, which also enhanced his martial abilities.”
Xiao Heng was puzzled. “Premature aging? Enhanced abilities? That’s so bizarre. What kind of poison is it?”
Gu Jiao shook her head. “Not sure. I’ll ask Lady Nan when I get the chance. But I think, considering Qi Xuan has been in the Han Family for so long and still couldn’t cure Han Ci’s poison, it must have a complex origin. Also, the Imperial Advisor mentioned someone else, possibly Long Yi.”
Back then, the late Emperor of the State of Zhao had left eight Dragon Shadow Guards. The younger ones were given to the State of Zhao’s present Emperor, while the older ones went to Princess Xinyang.
These death warriors had been purchased by Old Liang Wang through underground martial arenas, with ten-year contracts signed at the time. They were trained by specialists according to the late Emperor’s requirements.
The Dragon Shadow Guards assigned to Princess Xinyang were from the first batch of death warriors, who were already well-trained. If they still needed further training at the camp, Long Yi might have been exposed earlier.
Life was full of coincidences sometimes.
Gu Jiao shared details about Shi Tian and An Hun with Xiao Heng.
Xiao Heng asked, “Do you think Long Yi is Shi Tian?”
Gu Jiao thought for a moment and replied, “If it were just the Imperial Advisor’s words, I might not have immediately suspected Long Yi. But last time, I saw a portrait on the third floor of the library pavilion. The boy in the portrait looked very much like Long Yi.”
Xiao Heng remained silent.
The third floor of the library pavilion.
The entire Imperial Advisor's Hall—or rather, the State of Yan‘s greatest secrets—were all there.
If the person in the painting was truly Long Yi, then Long Yi's background would be extraordinary.
……
A quarter of an hour later, Gu Jiao was brought to the third floor of the library pavilion by Ye Qing.
She had special permission from the Imperial Advisor to access a specific area, but she was still restricted from wandering elsewhere.
Staring at the three-meter-tall bookshelf before her, Gu Jiao muttered, “I’m just looking for a portrait of Shi Tian. Isn’t this a bit much?”
Could she really go through this entire wall of bookshelves?
Ye Qing pointed to the shelf and said, “The portraits of Shi Tian and An Hun are exactly here.”
Gu Jiao was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
Ye Qing explained, “Shi Tian and An Hun never reveal their true faces. These are portraits by people in the martial world who claim to have seen them. My master collected all of them here.”
Gu Jiao squeezed out her words through gritted teeth, “So… many… How long will it take me to find it?”
Should I just draw it for you and let you confirm?
Ye Qing added, “None of us have seen Shi Tian. You’ll have to identify him yourself.”
Identify him? Are you kidding me?
So even if I find Long Yi’s portrait, you still can’t confirm he’s Shi Tian, is that it?
……
A father-son conflict among the imperial family was a big scandal.
If such a thing happened to the Emperor of the State of Zhao, he would likely suppress the news entirely, adhering to the principle of keeping family shame private, and find another reason to deal with the Crown Prince.
The Emperor of the State of Yan, however, was different. He didn’t care. As soon as court convened, he announced Shangguan Qi’s treachery, accusing him of slandering Shangguan Yan and committing patricide and regicide. Zhang Dequan publicly read out the decree abolishing the Crown Prince.
Alongside the decree to depose the Crown Prince, another decree restored Shangguan Yan’s imperial status.
From then on, Shangguan Yan was officially the Third Princess of the State of Yan.
The imperial court was stunned.
Even though the news had leaked the night before, hearing it officially from the imperial audience hall still shocked everyone, especially Imperial Noble Consort Han, who was furious.
She was so enraged her chest felt like it might explode. “What assassination? What slander? That so-called Long Aotian was clearly Shangguan Yan’s spy planted in the Crown Prince Estate! Has the Emperor lost his mind? How could he not see such an obvious trap?”
Last night, she had sent people to investigate everything about Long Aotian’s presence in the Crown Prince Estate. It was all a setup—a complete trap!
“Aiya, Your Highness, you can’t say such things!” Chief Eunuch Xu Gao stepped forward nervously. “Be careful not to let anyone overhear.”
Imperial Noble Consort Han snorted. “This is my bedchamber. Who would dare spread it?”
Xu Gao chuckled awkwardly, “That may be true, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Raz P.'s Thoughts
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Description:
In the suspenseful supernatural novel “Records of Mortals,” Jiang Baiyan, once a solitary and impoverished youth, finds refuge in the Shi family of Chang’an due to his extraordinary bloodline. With his clear and captivating peach blossom eyes, this seemingly innocent young man conceals a fanatical and malevolent lunatic within. Destined to succumb to darkness amidst hardship and degradation, he becomes a harbinger of chaos.
When Shi Dai suddenly transmigrates, she takes on the role of the Shi family’s young lady, the one who subjects him to countless trials, eventually leading to her demise.
The twist? She never got to finish reading the novel.
From what she knew of the plot, Jiang Baiyan was just a silent, timid, and often bullied pitiable character.
***
Jiang Baiyan had never encountered someone like Shi Dai.
After he had slaughtered all the evil creatures in the garden, the blood-stained young man, exuding a murderous aura, approached her step by step, his lips curling into a malicious smile, "Scared?"
Shi Dai responded, “You’re really amazing! I applaud you until I spin like a spiral and fly around the moon three hundred times! And also——you have dimples when you smile!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
After seeing her at a lantern festival with another man, Jiang Baiyan lowered his eyes, his fingers twirling her hair. He said in a mocking and sinister tone, "The mansion in the western suburbs...if I hide you there, no one will find you, right?"
Shi Dai replied, "Does it come with meals and lodging? Can I sleep in everyday? Oh, and your cooking is the best!"
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
—
Jiang Baiyan was supposed to dislike her, even hate her, but as their separation drew near, his eyes turned red and he grabbed her sleeve, pleading, "Don't abandon me, alri—”
Shi Dai responded, "Alright, alright, I’ll only have you. Mwah."
Jiang Baiyan: ...?
He hasn't finished his lines yet though…