Chapter 108

Lord Qiu felt a surge of private frustration.

Because he had received reassuring news a few days prior, his spirit had slackened.

He and Lu Yuda had momentarily lost their composure regarding their conduct during the sacrificial rites.

“To inform the Princess, this official dares not speak recklessly. I ask for the Princess’s understanding,” Qiu Mingyan said with a face full of difficulty, as if harboring a secret hard to mention.

Then again, what did she matter? In the eyes of that Grand Tutor who could flip clouds and summon rain, she was nothing more than a mere decoration.

What right did she have to know the Grand Tutor’s secrets?

Nie Qinglin’s face remained frosty.

The swaying jewelry on her head trembled slightly along with her body’s faint shivering.

She did not waste any more words of indignation on Qiu Mingyan.

Instead, she walked coldly out of the study past him, leaving behind only a faint, lingering fragrance.

As she stepped out of the study, a sliver of brilliant sun cast down from the corners of the palace buildings, painting the walls even more radiantly.

Today was a rare sunny day, yet while the sunlight warmed her body, it could not reach the depths of her heart.

Concern leads to confusion.

How simple a truth was that? She had indeed lost her composure and failed to notice so many flaws!

Setting aside Geng Bohuai striking himself dead in the Great Hall, there was also Prince Qilu who clearly knew the inside story.

Lu Yuda and the others had killed them all without hesitation, leaving no survivors.

Such actions were clearly intended to conceal something!

Thinking back on these past days, and how her pillow was soaked with tears every morning upon waking, a wave of uncontrollable resentment and stifled anger surged within her.

What a master of deception that Grand Tutor was! Nie Qinglin was already a puppet in his hands, so what more did he want? Was manipulating the human heart truly that entertaining?

Returning gloomily to Fengchu Palace, she sat despondently on a stone bench in the courtyard.

Her beloved cat, Fluffball, seemed to sense her mistress’s unhappiness and circled her feet coaxingly.

However, the young mistress remained still as a wood carving, brooding in silence.

Nanny Shan had already heard the news and naturally knew why her mistress was upset.

In her heart, she cursed Lu Yuda and Qiu Mingyan for being brainless.

Living with Nie Qinglin day and night, she had witnessed the Princess’s internal torment.

This young princess appeared delicate and soft, but her nature was actually very stubborn.

Over the past few days, she had been so worried about the Grand Tutor’s accident at sea that she lost her appetite, yet she still had to face the officials every day at court as if nothing were wrong.

Had Nanny Shan not felt the damp warmth of the pillow while tidying the bedding each day, even she might have thought this smiling girl was a cold person without a heart.

Looking at the Princess sitting there motionless, it was clear she was truly incensed.

If this continued, it would not bode well.

Things were like this on one side, and the other side was just as difficult.

Neither was easy to manage!

Nanny Shan frowned in thought and then quietly retreated.

As night approached, a carriage arrived at the palace gates.

Nanny Shan said to Nie Qinglin, “Princess, if your body is not too weary, would you mind accompanying this old servant out of the palace?”

Nie Qinglin, who had been sitting by the window all afternoon, finally rose listlessly.

“What is it now? Has that Grand Tutor who just swam back issued another imperial edict?”

Nanny Shan suddenly fell to her knees.

“Princess, please go and talk some sense into the Grand Tutor!”

“…”

The carriage passed through several bustling streets before arriving at a quiet alley.

This was an ancient lane in the capital, free from the noise of the markets.

A short stretch of road separated it from the rows of shops.

At night, it felt as tranquil as a cup of fragrant tea, light and refreshing.

When Nie Qinglin slowly stepped off the carriage, she scanned the mottled ancient tile walls of the alley.

Moss covered the stone path beneath her feet.

A black wooden door had already opened, and she saw Steward Liu of the Wei residence standing at the entrance holding a paper lantern to welcome her.

“To have the Princess come here today is a grave sin on my part. Even if the Princess does not blame me, the Grand Tutor would surely punish me severely if he knew. However, it is truly because the Grand Tutor does not cherish himself. He insists on pushing his limits and refuses to listen even to the Divine Physician. I beg the Princess to persuade him.”

Steward Liu’s words caused Nie Qinglin’s heart to sink. She turned her gaze to the long-unseen Divine Physician Wei standing behind the steward.

“What exactly is wrong with the Grand Tutor?”

Seeing the Princess ask, Divine Physician Wei quickly replied, “The Grand Tutor was previously ambushed and suffered heavy injuries. The tendons and bones in his legs were severely damaged, and he was unconscious for several days. Although I managed to reconnect the tendons in time, the Grand Tutor was obsessed with a quick recovery. He ordered me to use potent, aggressive medicines. While these miraculous medicines can stimulate the bones and tendons to heal faster, the piercing pain they cause is unbearable for most. Yet the Grand Tutor still will not rest. Even though his leg injuries haven’t fully closed, he forces himself to walk every day. I am powerless against a patient who finds ways to torment himself like this!”

Nie Qinglin pursed her lips tightly and followed Steward Liu into the residence.

After passing through the corridors, they arrived at a courtyard.

Beside a window in the courtyard wall, Nie Qinglin slowly stopped her footsteps.

Under the water-like moonlight, a tall man was leaning against a chair, struggling to move forward.

His forearms, partially exposed from his sleeves, had veins bulging due to the pain of every step.

On this cool autumn night, large beads of sweat rolled incessantly down his handsome face.

It was unknown how long the Marquis of Dingguo had been walking in the courtyard.

Perhaps his arms grew numb, for with one momentary lapse in strength, he stumbled and fell straight to the ground.

Although there were maidservants in the courtyard, they had been sternly scolded by the Grand Tutor before and absolutely did not dare to step forward to help in such a situation.

The Marquis took a deep breath on the ground.

He looked down as his long robe shifted, revealing his scarred ankles.

He had just finished a cup of hot medicinal soup after dinner, and the potency was currently at its peak.

It felt as if thousands of steel needles were being hammered into the gaps of his bones.

Without incredible willpower, an ordinary man would be rolling on the ground in agony.

Just as he was about to push himself up, he suddenly noticed a silken skirt entering his field of vision.

Beneath that skirt was a pair of embroidered palace shoes adorned with pearls.

Wei Lenghou frowned slightly and slowly raised his head.

He saw a beautiful lady in white standing under the moonlight.

At that moment, her delicate face was watching him with a cold, expressionless gaze.

To be looked down upon by his Little Guo’er in such a pathetic and wretched state! This perspective instantly ignited the Grand Tutor’s irritation.

His already aching arms suddenly surged with strength, and he forced himself to stand upright.

He knit his thick brows and refused to look at the beauty.

Instead, his icy gaze shot straight past her to Steward Liu and Nanny Shan at the entrance.

“Go and receive fifty military strikes of the cane!”

The two of them lowered their heads without hesitation, preparing to accept the punishment.

However, Nanny Shan was grumbling in her heart.

That little thief Qiu Mingyan! He was the one who suggested she bring the Princess here, yet he refused to show his face.

He was cunning to the core, likely getting revenge for that slap she gave him last time.

The two thought they could not escape the punishment, but the Princess blocked them with a crisp voice.

“The Grand Tutor does not cherish his own body and ruins it willfully. These two loyal servants have tried everything to stop you. What wrong have they committed?”

To have his pride wounded so directly in front of everyone! How could the Marquis of Dingguo, who valued his dignity above all else, endure this? Immediately, his dagger-like gaze shot straight toward the Little Guo’er he had been dreaming of for days.

The accident at sea had been a genuine surprise.

A spy from the Ge traitor had been lurking by his side.

In a moment of carelessness, he was ambushed and heavily wounded.

Fortunately, his prior arrangements were thorough.

Although the flagship was sunk and he fell into the water while injured, he still managed to annihilate the main force of the Blood Red Society in one fell swoop.

After interrogating the rebel leader to find their communication channels with the capital, Wei Lenghou ordered his men to dress as island laborers and guards before slaughtering the pirates to stage a massacre.

He then spread rumors of his disappearance to the rebellious ministers to lure out the hidden vipers in the capital.

After arranging all this, he lost consciousness from blood loss.

After Qiu Mingyan and the others secretly brought the Grand Tutor back to the capital for treatment, they followed his instructions step by step.

They hadn’t expected the wound to be infected by seawater, causing a persistent high fever that nearly cost him his life.

When he finally woke and learned that the Princess’s identity crisis was temporarily resolved by his arrangements, he intended to take time to recover.

However, he hadn’t expected Old Master Wu to cause more trouble, actually dreaming of reenacting the absurdity of the previous dynasty’s Empress Zhaorong.

What kind of filth was that Empress Zhaorong? She had a harem of male concubines and trampled on the dignity of countless good men.

That old fool Wu Jinglin had calculated well, wanting to be a legendary minister who supported an Empress, but he would have to see if Wei Lenghou would give that Little Guo’er a chance to open a harem and pick favorites!

He had instructed Qiu Mingyan and the others not to move yet, but to watch the situation.

Once his injuries were healed, he would naturally go to the court to clean up the mess the old man had made.

But his injuries were frustrating, and he didn’t know when he would be fully recovered.

Fortunately, the aggressive medicine was very effective.

In just two days, he could barely stand.

He wanted to push harder to recover as soon as possible.

He had always been wise and towering in the eyes of that lovely girl.

How could he appear before her with a cane like a cripple? He wanted to be fully recovered before spending time by her side.

He was absolutely unwilling to let her see him in his current wretched state.

Yet, those two incompetent servants had led the Princess of Yong’an all the way here without a word.

Thinking of his embarrassing fall just now being seen by her… if those two weren’t loyal subordinates, their punishment would have been much more than fifty strikes.

He was suppressed with anger, and he didn’t expect Little Guo’er to shame him in public.

His face darkened, and just as he was about to explode in anger, a sharp sound rang out.

Princess Yong’an of the Great Wei gave the Grand Tutor’s stunningly handsome face a crisp, loud slap!