Chapter 141: The Real Experts

“What did you say her name was?” Yu Xiaoxiao pointed at “Miss Erqiu” as she asked Gu Xinglang.

“Princess, how should I know the boudoir name of the Zhao Clan’s young Miss?” Gu Xinglang shook his head.

Zhao Qiuming was now stumbling over on his own. Although Zhao Yingyao still looked ghastly, Zhao Yingqin was a sight for sore eyes now. He wanted to look for Xianzong, but saw that the impatient emperor had already walked off.

“This is your daughter?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked Zhao Qiuming.

Zhao Qiuming’s heart seized up as he looked at Yu Xiaoxiao, whose wooden face revealed nothing.

“Speak, ah,” Yu Xiaoxiao stared at him. “She’s your daughter?”

Zhao Qiuming’s mind was going a mile a minute. He went over every step in the process between the sisters being delivered to his estate and then sent here to Safeguard Temple. He was certain that the eldest imperial princess had no chance to find out about them beforehand.

By now two imperial physicians had arrived with the guard sent to fetch them, but they hesitated to approach before the presence of the princess, Royal Son-in-Law, and prime minister. Zhao Yingqin gave a moan as her eyelids fluttered. She looked about to wake up.

“What’s your name?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked her.

Zhao Qiuming turned to call towards the physicians. “The two of you, come to the front.”

Zhao Yingqin groggily saw a figure standing in front of her. She could tell that the person was speaking, but couldn’t quite hear the words. The two physicians approached, but Yu Xiaoxiao didn’t budge, forcing them to stop again. Everyone knew the eldest imperial princess was enemies with Prime Minister Zhao, so who knew if she would let them treat the Zhao Clan daughters?

Zhao Qiuming pleaded with Yu Xiaoxiao, “Princess, they really are this subject’s daughters. I beg of you, be magnanimous.”

Gu Xinglang quickly chimed in. “What do you mean by that, Prime Minister Zhao? Are you saying it was the princess who injured these ladies?”

Zhao Qiuming glanced at Gu Xinglang. Now this Gu fellow even dares to raise his voice against me. How much time has passed since he was still in prison? A river takes thirty years to change its course from east to west,1 but this is far from so long. He’s about to ride over my head.

“Their injuries aren’t deep,” Yu Xiaoxiao stood up and beckoned to the physicians. “You two should close up their wounds.” Now wasn’t the time to interrogate the hurt. Yu Xiaoxiao could only suppress her suspicions—at worst, she could listen to the walls at the Zhao Estate tonight.

“Then princess, shall we depart?” Gu Xinglang asked.

Yu Xiaoxiao nodded. Zhao Qiuming watched the couple leave before telling the physicians, “Be careful, don’t ruin their faces.” As long as their looks were intact, he could find another chance for Xianzong to see them.

—

“Zhao Qiuming has two more daughters besides Noble Consort Zhao?” Yu Xiaoxiao asked Gu Xinglang as they walked.

Gu Xinglang shook his head. He only knew about Noble Consort Zhao because she was favored, but had no idea nor interest in the Zhao Clan’s inner courtyards. Rather, it was the guard holding the umbrella over him that replied.

“Princess, this servant heard that Prime Minister Zhao does have a pair of twin daughters. It’s just that they were born from one of his concubines.”

It would be too complicated to make Yu Xiaoxiao understand things like “official wife” and “concubines.” She did her best to recall her memories: did the Emperor Consort in the past timeline have a true love with a twin sister? There were no impressions whatsoever.

“None of you can leave!” An angry roar from indoors interrupted Yu Xiaoxiao’s thoughts as they reached Wen Fenglin’s courtyard. A few imperial guards halted at the sound. Were they really going to fight a bout against the Eternal Life Temple? Just the thought of it gave them stomachaches.

Yu Xiaoxiao quickened her steps, pushed open the door, and walked inside. Gu Qishao took a deep breath before sweeping his eyes over the guards on duty. Then he told his carriers, “We’re heading in.”

Inside the room, Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei were standing in front of Xianzong while two monks flanked Wen Fenglin’s bed before them. Both sides were staring daggers in an obvious faceoff.

When Xianzong saw his daughter, he relaxed and quickly asked, “So you’ve taken your medicine? Hurry and bid farewell to the junior master, we’re heading back now.”

Yu Xiaoxiao walked to Xianzong’s side and stared at her fatuous ruler father, then at Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei. She saw that Xiao Zhuang looked alright, but Xiao Wei’s chin had traces of blood. Brows creased, she asked, “Xiao Wei, what happened to you?”

Xiao Wei smiled wryly at Yu Xiaoxiao. “Princess, I’m fine.”

“If you’re fine, why is there blood on your face?” Yu Xiaoxiao pressed.

Xianzong simply tugged at her and said, “Linglong, say goodbye to the junior master.”

The monk standing at the head of Wen Fenglin’s bed laughed coldly. “Your Majesty, where do you think you’re going after something like this?”

“Chen Qi!”2 State Preceptor Cheng Guan raised his voice. “The lightning came from the Heavens. What does that have to do with His Majesty?”

The monk called Chen Qi ignored the State Preceptor and suddenly flashed out of sight. In the next instant, he was dashing towards Gu Xinglang, who had just been carried into the rooms.

State Preceptor Cheng Guan grew alarmed as Chen Qi appeared in front of the general. “Watch out!” he cried.

Chen Qi was truly too quick and Gu Xinglang was caught completely off-guard. He had no time to react.

Chen Qi’s palm struck out at Gu Xinglang’s ankles.

Yu Xiaoxiao rushed in front of her husband. She had no time to push him out of the way when he was hemmed in by guards and monks, so she simply took the attack head-on with her hands.

Chen Qi gave a stifled noise before backing away. Yu Xiaoxiao’s palms were left numb by the impact of his strike.

“Your Highness Princess has good skills,” the other monk by Wen Fenglin’s bed remarked.

Xianzong gulped anxiously. These two monks had been silent the entire time, leaving him to assume his daughter had taken care of all the high-level experts by Wen Fenglin’s side. Who knew that they were the true masters!

Xiao Zhuang and Xiao Wei shielded Xianzong and the State Preceptor to withdraw to Gu Xinglang’s side. Chen Qi had already taken care of Xianzong’s own shadow guards, so he’d be more than a match for the imperial guards still stationed outside.

Xiao Zhuang told Yu Xiaoxiao, “Princess, one of them is called Chen Qi, the other Chen Mie.”3

Yu Xiaoxiao flexed her numb fingers and said coldly, “Xiao Wei, which one of them hurt you?”

Before Xiao Wei could reply, Xianzong said, “Junior master, this is only a misunderstanding. Why did you get angry?”

Chen Qi silently elevated his true qi when he saw that Xianzong was still insisting on misunderstandings. “Is my Eternal Life Temple’s junior master that easy to injure?”

Yu Xiaoxiao saw Chen Qi starting to clench his fists and asked, “Then what are your intentions? To kill me?”