嫩草影院地址一二三

Chapter 394: 394. Harvest

“What was the matter with Miss Min today?” Empress Dowager Xiao thought it was impossible for Duanmu Chen to fall in love at first sight with Min Rou. She knew her son best; even if he had taken a fancy to a woman, he wouldn’t reveal it so blatantly, on the contrary, he would intentionally hide it to avoid having others discover his feelings.

Besides, Min Rou was indeed a beauty, but when it came to talent, appearance, and overall demeanor, she was lacking compared to the two princesses in the Imperial Harem. Situ Yao, in particular, was the one Duanmu Chen truly liked, but due to their positions, their feelings for each other had never been pure.

Duanmu Chen frankly admitted, “Indeed, I have other intentions.”

Empress Dowager Xiao frowned, “Did you go there specifically because you knew Min Rou was going to Huguo Temple?”

Duanmu Chen nodded, “Mother, don’t blame me. The situation is tense now, and the Min family is somewhat suspicious. It’s just an attempt to test them.”

Empress Dowager Xiao sighed softly, “Why would Ai Jia blame you? As long as you know what you’re doing, Ai Jia won’t ask any more questions. Do be very careful with your safety.”

“Mother, rest assured, I will be extra careful.” Duanmu Chen smiled.

“When you have time, go see the Empress and Concubine Liang. They are both pregnant and must want to see you.” Empress Dowager Xiao, being a woman herself, didn’t want her daughters-in-law to experience the bitterness and grievances she had endured. A restless Imperial Harem wouldn’t be beneficial to Duanmu Chen.

Duanmu Chen expressed that he had been too busy recently but would find time to visit them.

As for what was going on with Imperial Concubine Ji Yue Xuan of the Yin Country, Empress Dowager Xiao inquired, and Duanmu Chen only said that Ji Yue Xuan would not become his woman, as this was something he had discussed with someone. Empress Dowager Xiao thought this “someone” was Emperor Ji Yuebai of the Yin Country, and since Duanmu Chen was aware of the situation, there was no problem, so she didn’t press the matter further.

The Imperial Matrimonial Decree on the first day of March quickly spread throughout the capital city. Before, there had been instances of Duanmu Chen not attending court because of Situ Yao, so the common people felt this was nothing more than the emperor taking a fancy to another beauty. It wasn’t anything special.

Su Liang learned of the events at the Huguo Temple from Old Mu and Ji Xiaoshu and immediately concluded that the encounter and attraction between Duanmu Chen and Min Rou must have been Gu Ling’s strategy.

However, this was a last-minute decision by Gu Ling after seeing Min Rou today. He went directly to Duanmu Chen, and although he had returned home, he didn’t see Su Liang, so she wasn’t aware of it beforehand.

Ji Xiaoshu complained about Duanmu Chen, “Master is so much better. I want to be like Master, a loyal and devoted man.”

Su Liang couldn’t help but smile, “That’s good.” However, it’s not necessarily true that all emperors are romantic and passionate. Many times, an emperor needs more women for the purpose of expanding the family, ensuring that the royal family has male heirs, and avoiding the loss of imperial power due to premature death, illness, or other reasons.

Duanmu Chen and Ji Yuebai were not romantic or passionate, they were normal, and could even be considered emperors who were very restrained toward women.

However, Ji Xiaoshu had said long ago that he didn’t want to be an emperor, thinking it wasn’t a good thing.

In the afternoon, Cen Man went to Min Mansion again, and Gu Ling returned.

Su Liang made some food for Gu Ling and watched him eat as she talked about Min Rou’s situation. “If Min Rou’s maternal grandfather is really in the capital and truly loves her, and if he doesn’t want her to marry into the palace, the simplest way would be to kill Duanmu Chen within three days.”

According to their previous guess, Min Rou’s maternal grandfather should have been one of the assassins who attempted to kill Duanmu Chen a few days ago. He was not dead and not captured after the failed assassination attempt. After the failed assassination, the black mist on Duanmu Chen’s forehead disappeared, indicating that the assassins had chosen to give up, or at least temporarily.

Gu Ling nodded, “I’ll go back to the palace later and check again.” To see if the black mist had reappeared on Duanmu Chen’s forehead.

Su Liang sighed slightly, “Do you think Min Rou is the same kind of person as her parents?”

Gu Ling shook his head, “It doesn’t seem like it.” Min Rui and his wife did their shady dealings behind Min Rou’s back. Although this didn’t necessarily prove that Min Rou was a good person, at least for now, there was no evidence to suggest she was a bad one.

Seeing Gu Ling appear again, Duanmu Chen snorted lightly, “What should we do next?”

Gu Ling’s gaze fell on Duanmu Chen’s forehead, and he calmly said, “In order to prevent Min Rou from entering the palace, that group of people will come to kill you again.”

Duanmu Chen’s face tightened, “Are you sure? Are you saying Min Rui and his wife are in league with the previous assassins?”

Gu Ling nodded, “It should be.”

It wasn’t entirely certain before, but after the Imperial Matrimonial Decree, the black mist appeared on Duanmu Chen’s forehead once more, which couldn’t be a coincidence.

Duanmu Chen knew that Gu Ling had been watching Min Rui and his wife these past few days, so he didn’t ask him how he knew about the upcoming assassination attempt, assuming that Gu Ling had eavesdropped on the couple’s conspiracy.

“Then will you guard me again tonight?” Duanmu Chen suddenly smiled, “I prepared wine and food for you last time, but you didn’t come.” Having experienced the previous assassination attempt, Duanmu Chen was very confident in Gu Ling’s abilities and was not worried about any mishaps happening because they had set this trap.

Gu Ling took out something wrapped in cloth from his arms and handed it to Duanmu Chen.

Duanmu Chen didn’t understand, took it, and opened it to find a strangely shaped iron lump. It didn’t look like a weapon and he couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Is it a hidden weapon? It’s too big and heavy.” Duanmu Chen asked.

It was a nail gun for Duanmu Chen to defend himself with. Gu Ling took it back to demonstrate how to use it.

“Nails? The two assassins last time were taken down by this thing?” Duanmu Chen felt it was quite magical. After listening carefully to Gu Ling’s explanation, he held the nail gun in his hand, aimed at a pillar, and pulled the trigger.

The next moment, a sharp nail completely penetrated the pillar, and even passed through the thick pillar, coming out halfway on the other side.

The pillar was made of strong wood, which showed its great power. If the target were human flesh and blood, as long as the aim was accurate, it could instantly kill the enemy.

When Duanmu Chen looked at the nail through the pillar and the iron lump in his hand, his eyes were completely different, “This is much better than a bow and arrow.” It almost required no effort and was much faster.

Seeing the eager look in Duanmu Chen’s eyes, Gu Ling knew what he was thinking and shook his head slightly, “It’s very difficult to make, and there’s no way it can be used on the battlefield.”

Duanmu Chen felt a little regretful, “It’s a pity such a powerful weapon. Thank you, it’s very useful, I’ll gladly accept it.” Although he had many people protecting him, he was afraid that if an enemy got close, he would need a weapon to defend himself. Duanmu Chen had practiced archery and his aim was not bad.

“It’s just a loan to Your Majesty.” Gu Ling said.

Duanmu Chen’s face stiffened, “I’m going to tell Nuannuan that you’re stingy.”

Gu Ling: … He was just joking.

But whether it was a joke or not, Duanmu Chen could never give the nail gun back to Gu Ling. After putting it away, he asked, “You’re giving me this, are you not coming to protect me tonight?”

Gu Ling nodded, “I need to keep an eye on Min Rui couple.”

Duanmu Chen immediately felt uneasy, “What if the couple remain inactive tonight, but I can’t hold on on this side?”

“I’ve asked Master to come over.” Gu Ling said.

“Your master’s strength might not be stronger than yours.” Duanmu Chen shook his head, “But since you’ve decided, I trust you.”

At night, Cen Man returned to the Su Mansion, and Gu Ling went to the Min Mansion again. The assassination might not be tonight, but even if it was tonight, Min Rui’s wife’s father might not take action personally. Gu Ling chose to continue monitoring Min Rui’s wife, who had said during the day that she would go to Min Rou’s grandfather at night.

As for the Imperial Palace, Gu Ling asked Old Mu to watch over it. Old Mu was very willing. Since accepting Gu Ling as his disciple, he had made several new weapons and hidden weapons, but they had never been used. He was looking forward to testing their power on enemies.

Cen Man stayed in Yuanming Pavilion to protect Su Liang and the three children.

Min Mansion.

The dinner was a meal for Min Rui, his wife, and Min Rou together, with a very depressing atmosphere.

Though Old Master Min had never thought his granddaughter would enter the palace as a concubine and really loved Min Rou, when the Imperial Matrimonial Decree was issued, he accepted it. He had more than one son and more than one grandchild and had to take into account the overall situation.

Old Master Min had talked to Min Rou, hoping she wouldn’t see entering the palace as a bad thing because Emperor Duanmu Chen was not only an enlightened monarch but also treated his queen and concubines well. There had never been any disputes in the Imperial Harem.

Min Rou did not refute Old Master Min’s words, just listened quietly and said she understood.

At this moment, only Min Rui, his wife, and Min Rou were in the room.

Min Rou stirred the soup in her bowl with a spoon, stirring it endlessly. Even after the soup had lost its heat, she was still stirring. The regular sound of the spoon and bowl colliding echoed, one after another, making the expressions of Min Rui and his wife increasingly anxious.

Min Rui’s wife frowned, “Rou’er, if you’re not going to drink the soup, put down the spoon.”

Min Rou obediently let go of the spoon, looked at Min Rui’s wife, and sighed, “Mother, if I ran away, would it involve my grandfather? Our family is related by marriage to the Duke Mansion and the Lin Family, and if I ran away, the emperor wouldn’t do anything to the other members of the Min Family, would he?”

Min Rui’s wife was stunned for a moment, and Min Rui frowned. It was apparent that the couple hadn’t considered this possibility because they had been angry at each other all the time.

After a while, Min Rui spoke, “That’s a good idea. You go find your grandfather and stay with him. It’s safe. The emperor won’t do anything to the Min Family because of this. As you said, your cousin is married to a good family, and if the Min Family really has a problem, the Qin and Lin families won’t sit idly by.”

Min Rou bitterly smiled, “The emperor is truly terrifying. With just a few casual words, he can control someone’s life. I want to go back to the island. Even though life there isn’t as bustling and prosperous as it is in the capital city, it’s at least simple and free. My only worry is that it might cause trouble for the Min family.”

Lady Min sneered, “Rou’er, you’re just too kind-hearted. I haven’t seen anyone in the Min family who genuinely cares about you. Why did your cousin get a good marriage? That’s because your grandfather picked a good husband for them before they participated in the selection!”

Min Rou frowned, “Mother, don’t say that. No one could have predicted today’s events. We have only been home for a short time, and it’s not like Grandfather could be in a hurry to marry me off. What has happened, has happened. Imperial edicts cannot be disobeyed. As the head of the family, Grandfather can’t do anything about it either.”

“What can’t be done? Look at the Qin and Lin families. Why didn’t Qin Yujin and Lin Xueqing enter the palace to become imperial concubines? Do you think Duanmu Chen didn’t want them? Someone stopped it, and succeeded.” Lady Min said coldly.

Min Rou was puzzled, “Mother, what do you mean? What was stopped?”

“Initially, Duanmu Chen wanted to marry Lin Xueqing as his Imperial Concubine, but Su Liang intervened and made Duanmu Chen give up. She and Gu Ling have a huge influence. As long as they’re willing to speak up for you, even the issued Imperial Decree could be repealed. But your grandfather simply doesn’t want to ask for their help for your sake!” Lady Min snorted coldly.

Min Rou furrowed her brows, “How did you know about this, Mother?”

“I accidentally overheard your eldest uncle and his wife talking about it behind closed doors. They mentioned it only to lament that the Lin family had connections, while the Min family did not.” Lady Min’s tone was resentful, “After all, it’s not their daughter, so why would they care if you’re doing well or not?”

Min Rou sighed deeply, “Mother, you can’t say that. Uncle Lin and Madam Gu are master and disciple, and they have known each other for a long time. The relationship between the Qin family and Madam Gu is also unusual. The Marquis and Madam Gu treated Father’s illness, and it is us who owe them, not the other way around. How could we recklessly ask for their help for such a significant matter?”

Lady Min’s face darkened, “Don’t mention those things anymore. If you want to leave, I’ll go and find your grandfather tonight. He can either take you away, or figure out another solution.”

“My paternal grandfather… he’s in the capital city?” Min Rou was very surprised, “When did he arrive?”

“Don’t ask so many questions. Your grandfather has his own business to attend to.” Lady Min shook her head, and continued after a pause, “But he will definitely not ignore your situation.”

The room quieted down. After a while, Min Rou left.

Min Rui asked Lady Min, “Do you know where your father is?”

Lady Min coldly replied, “You don’t need to worry about it. Even if I don’t find him, he will surely come.”

Gu Ling listened to everything, continuing to patiently wait.

As it approached midnight, the palace was calm and there were no assassins.

Lady Min, having not seen her father come, decided to go out and look for him. She changed into night clothes, put on a mask, didn’t light a lantern, and walked out of the room. As she left, Min Rui said, “Be careful, if you can’t find him, come back as soon as possible.”

Lady Min only responded with a soft snort. As she left the room, Gu Ling silently followed her.

What Gu Ling did not know was that a person appeared in Min Rui’s room a quarter of an hour after he followed Lady Min out of the Min residence.

“Who’s there?” Min Rui gripped the knife under his pillow.

“Where’s Qianqian?” An aged voice asked. It was He Wei, Lady Min’s father. Lady Min’s name was He Qianqian.

Min Rui breathed a sigh of relief, “Father, you must have just missed Qianqian. She’s gone out to find you because she’s worried about Rou’er’s situation.”

He Wei turned to leave, but Min Rui quickly stopped him,” Father, you know about Rou’er being awarded a marriage, right?”

“You’re all incompetent, not even able to protect Rou’er.” He Wei coldly said, “You should never have come here in the first place.”

Min Rui sighed, “I regret coming back too. But talking about it now is of no use. What do you plan to do, Father? Will you take Rou’er away first?”

“I’ll go find Qianqian.” With this, He Wei left, not going to look for Min Rou.

Meanwhile, Gu Ling followed Lady Min to a grove of trees outside the city. Lady Min lit a signal, and a wisp of red smoke rose into the night sky, quickly dissipating in the wind.

After waiting for two quarters of an hour with no one appearing, Lady Min lit the second signal.

After waiting another two quarters of an hour, finally, someone arrived.

Gu Ling held his breath and watched carefully as a shadow approached, its figure resembling the gray-clothed elder he had seen before.

When Lady Min saw the person, she breathed a sigh of relief, “Father!”

He Wei began, “I just went to the Min Family.”

“We must have missed each other. I was afraid that Father had left or didn’t see the signal I sent.” Lady Min grabbed He Wei, “Does Father know about Rou’s situation? Please think of a solution quickly.”

He Wei nodded, “Take Rou and leave. Leave tonight, don’t stay here.”

Lady Min was stunned, “I’ll take Rou away… but what about Father? And Min Rui?”

“I still have unfinished business; I will join you once it’s done. If you don’t leave, there may be more trouble coming.” He Wei said, “Why bother with Min Rui?”

Lady Min explained, “Although Rou doesn’t know many things, she might not be able to accept it if we don’t care about the life and death of Min Rui. After all, he’s her biological father.”

“Then tell Rou that Min Rui’s illness hasn’t improved and he needs to stay behind for treatment. He’ll be fine with the protection of the Min Family.” He Wei said.

Lady Min hesitated for a moment, and then told He Wei about how Min Rui threatened her to kill Old Master Qin, leading to the current situation.

Filled with anger, He Wei scolded, “Idiot! What a time to make more trouble! Min Rui can’t stay. You guys go first, I will deal with him!”

Lady Min sighed deeply, “Now that things have come to this point…”

He Wei interrupted impatiently, “Stop talking nonsense! While you haven’t been discovered by Gu Ling and Su Liang, take Rou and leave quickly!”

“And what about Father, what is he going to do next? Kill Su Liang?” Lady Min asked.

As Gu Ling, who was hiding in the shadows, heard this question, his eyes suddenly filled with an icy chilly!

Yet he listened as He Wei replied, “Don’t worry about that.”

As father and daughter were about to part, Gu Ling hesitated about whether to continue following Lady Min or He Wei. He Wei was a more critical figure, but also more difficult to deal with; whether he wanted to catch him, kill him or pry open his mouth, it would be a challenging task.

However, after a brief consideration, Gu Ling continued to tail Lady Min. As the situation unfolded, he developed a new plan.

Gu Ling quickly returned to the Min Mansion before Lady Min and headed for Rourou’s courtyard. After taking the antidote, he lit a potent sleeping incense in her room. Asleep, Rourou’s slumber deepened.”

Lady Min met with Min Rui again, and told him her father had something to do tonight, instructing her to send Rourou outside the city, where someone would meet them.

Min Rui didn’t think too much about it, and just watched as Lady Min left once more.

When Lady Min secretly entered Rourou’s room, she felt the air was a bit stuffy, but there was no unusual smell. She quickly went to the bedside, lifted the bed curtains, and patted Rourou’s quilt, “Rou, wake up!”

Rourou didn’t respond, while Lady Min started to feel a bit dizzy.

As Lady Min tried to pull Rourou up, she collapsed on the bed, feeling weak all over. She realized something was wrong, but it was already too late to escape.

Before she lost consciousness, Lady Min faintly saw Gu Ling appear not far away…

Late at night, Su Liang hadn’t slept yet. Her daughter was sleeping soundly in a nearby crib, while she read a book under the lamplight, waiting for news from Gu Ling. There might be assassinations in the palace tonight, as well as fights in the Min Mansion. The carefully laid “bait” in recent days should yield some results.

Old Mu hadn’t returned, but Gu Ling returned first.

“Why did you bring them back?” Su Liang was surprised. It was agreed that gathering information was most important, to avoid startling the enemy.

Gu Ling explained that Lady Min had agreed with her father that she would take Rou and leave the capital secretly tonight.

Su Liang’s eyes lit up, “So, this mother-daughter duo was supposed to disappear tonight, and those people shouldn’t suspect us for the time being?”

Gu Ling nodded, “Min Rui will only think that his father-in-law took his wife and Rou away.” The reason Lady Min went to see Min Rui without taking her luggage was that she wanted him to think she was also deceived by her father and had no choice but to leave.

Moreover, after several surveillance sessions, it could be confirmed that Lady Min knew many secrets of that power. Rourou didn’t know much, but at least she knew where their original home was — the island. This information was very important for Su Liang and Gu Ling.

Su Liang grabbed Gu Ling’s collar and pulled him down to give him a kiss, “Great God, your adaptability is unmatched in the world. To interrogate them, I’ll take care of it!”