Gu Yunxi slowly opened her eyes. Cascading from the sandalwood canopy bed, into her vision the lavender drape fell, through which golden candlelight glimmered.
It was already nightfall.
"Lady, you wake up?"
Qinger stood by the bed and saw Gu Yunxi's thick eyelashes flutter and then part open. She quickly rubbed her eyes and came to her Lady with a teacup in her hands as she asked gently,
"Have you slept well? What would you like to eat? I'll inform the kitchen."
"Yunxi!"
Xiao Xiaoshen had been waiting at her bedside. Seeing her sitting up, he jumped from the stool to the bed edge and hurriedly held her hand.
Gu Yunxi was surprised to see him at first, but then it occurred to her that the Honor Guards had withdrawn from the Eastern Depot to the Palace. With the curfew lifted, the guards could move freely.
"You came…"
Gu Yunxi gazed at Xiao Xiaoshen's handsome face calm
It was the end of April.After the spring rains, plants sprouted in fragrance, and birds chirped in the air. It was a good time to enjoy the season.Lanterns were lit up one by one in each residence at sunset, swaying in the evening breeze.Looking at the alleys from a distance, they resembled a dormant long dragon shimmering dimly in the dusky night.Gu Yunxi arrived at the Baoyue Restaurant at the invitation and met Gu Yunyao, Zhao An, and Song Qin in a private room.All three of them were dressed up as ordinary inner servants."Yunxi!""Sister!"The sisters reunited again and held hands.Gu Yunxi's gloomy eyes lit up at Gu Yunyao's attire delightedly and also worriedly as a faint frown touched her face."This is too risky. You shouldn't have come out at this hour!"Gu Yunyao smiled. Her clear eyes were luminous with shining candlelight ref
Leng Qingtang cast his gaze on Gu Yunxi, whose face took on an astonished expression. There was more seriousness in his voice."Where exactly did you go that day?""I was bored so I went to the market with Qinger..."Gu Yunxi whispered. A trace of panic flashed through her eyes and was caught by Leng Qingtang's eyes sharp as a falcon.They opened wide yet remained dark and calm, shining coldly.Gu Yunxi lowered her eyes unnaturally at the redness in the Master's palm."Where did you find it?""A servant picked up this morning in the yard. You were too careless..."Without raising her head, she could hear the hint of coldness in the Master's unruffled and bland voice. He stretched his arm, motioning her to come closer.Gu Yunxi was nervous, aware of her lie. Her eyelashes quivered as she approached him like an obedient puppet. Then he held up her right hand and stroked
Cheng Wanli hurried into Master's Mansion and rushed to the Master's room.Pale as a ghost, Leng Qingtang was sitting at the table and quietly drinking ginseng soup. After Cheng saluted to him, he put down the bowl and ordered without moving his eyes from the tabletop."The secret guards brought news that they found two damsels from the southern border and would arrive in Luoshui tomorrow. Within five or six days, they'll be in the capital. I want Zhao Wuji prepared for the reception."Puzzled, Cheng Wanli withdrew his surprised eyes away from the Master to Yanwan, who was busy on the side.She folded up the Master’s two robes and then put them neatly in the sandalwood wardrobe. Her every movement was extremely gentle and elegant, pleasing the observer's eyes.Cheng Wanli remembered that the Master had never mentioned official duties in front of this woman before.Suddenly, he seemed to come to a realizati
It was May. The flowers bloomed, and the willows were all green. The grass and plants were all exuberant.In the Imperial Garden, peony was blooming. They were beautiful, and their fragrance was floating in the air as if they were competing against each other.The sunshine was just right. It was not too hot but just mild.Zhaoyi Yu, Gu Yunyao, was walking among the flowers. She wore a long silk dress with gold thread embroidered flower patterns. With her every move, her hairpins waved. She looked elegant and graceful.The light red dress reflected her snow-white skin. She raised her eyelashes, and her eyes were gentle like water.Suddenly, Gu Yunyao glimpsed a person wearing a blue dress in the near distance. She was followed by servants and walked under the willows. The view of her back looked familiar to Gu Yunyao."Who is that?"Gu Yunyao looked back from where the woman disappeared. She tu
Gu Yunxi looked down. A hint of trepidation passed through her eyes. Luckily, it was concealed by her thick eyelashes. So her shocking look was not discovered by the Master.She stared at the wood hairpin on the table. The corner of her mouth twitched, but she couldn't say anything.Lu Qiange gave her this hairpin because he saw the screen with magnolia flower patterns in her bedroom!She knew Lu Qiange had feelings for her, but she couldn't resist accepting the hairpin. She just considered it as a token for their sincere friendship and put it in the jewelry box.Now the Master finally found out its existence.Even a dumb person could clearly see this would be a gift from a man!"What? You can't talk now? Do you have nothing to say to me or simply just don't want to explain?"Across the table, the Master stood up coldly. His slanted eyes were bleak and gloomy. He glared at Gu Yunxi who kept si
When she saw the Master, Gu Yunxi's brain was humming. Her whole body seemed petrified, unable to move any more.The Master strode toward her with a drooping sword. The sharp edge of the sword ground on the ground, burnishing sparks.The lightning lightened his pale face, from which emerged a faint green light. At this moment, his calm complexion appeared more and more horrible."Master, don't give Lu a hard time! Nothing happened between us. Please let him go!"After a thunder, Gu Yunxi's body trembled. She stood in front of Lu Qiange to protect him.She knew the Master's superb Kungfu, so she assumed that Lu Qiange was bound to be defeated by the Master.Lu Qiange just smiled. He stepped forward to protect Gu Yunxi,"Later, remember to stay away. Don't worry. I want to live a good life with you, so I'll never let myself be hurt.""Stop saying any more! Please go quickly."
"She’s just pitying you."The cruel words pierced Leng Qingtang's heart like sharp ice columns, afflicting him with gnawing pain and biting cold.He turned his head abruptly and shot a penetrating gaze at Lu Qiange, who had levitated to the top of the tree. The white figure stepped lightly on the leaves with his toes, as gentle and quiet as a dragonfly kissing the water. Within seconds, he had jumped over a few large trees and advanced a hundred meters away.Seeing that Lu Qiange had left safely, Gu Yunxi was immediately relieved.Yet a sudden violent tenderness on the wrist made her look up in panic and pain, and an inch away was the Master's stiff face.A guard led the horse over, and Leng Qingtang raised Gu Yunxi on its back with distorted features. He then mounted the horse as well and took the reins to set off.The heavy rain was pouring down from the grim night sky on their way. The wind was howling,
The moonlight was dim in this dark night.On the Eye Mountain, a group of people was riding on the winding mountain road steadily.They came from the Squad Seven of the Eastern Depot.Recently, the Eastern Depot received a message that people sent to western tribes for Qiangwu fern had entered the Baishui Gate within Dayi's territory.Leng Qingtang was always meticulous that he told the captains he was poisoned only after he had found the whereabouts of Qiangwu fern.Jiang Xiong of the Squad Seven took the order to associate with his colleagues who had gone to seek this herb. He traveled day and night with twenty men, riding on fine horses, to a post house near Baishui Gate.After they reached Baishui Gate, Jiang Xiong smoothly got in touch with his colleague. They couldn't delay any longer. After they received Qiangwu fern, Jiang Xiong and his team rested for an hour. Then they changed the horses and went