Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 43
The surroundings were silent, so quiet that even the sound of the summer breeze passing through was clearly audible.
Jiang Libai felt as if she were in a dream.
What had she just… heard?
Her mother had said that the child in her belly belonged to Gu Yun? That the person who had taken her innocence that night was Gu Yun?
How could that be?! That was absurd!
Gu Yun was undeniably a woman—just like her!
How could she possibly make her pregnant?!
“But simply letting him off like this… I can’t help but feel unsettled,” came the continued sigh of Noble Consort Yuan from inside the hall. “When he arrives, let’s see his attitude. If he truly cares for Jia Ning, if he swears never to take a concubine and to have only Jia Ning for the rest of his life, then I will merely have him flogged once and leave it at that…”
Ming Tao murmured on, “The servants reported that the consort was also lured away that day, which led to this mistake with the princess… At least, in this way, it means the consort had no intention of harming the princess…”
Jiang Libai could no longer hear their conversation.
Her head was spinning. She leaned on Chunxi for support, slowly turning around in a daze, and walked out.
Hadn’t her mother told her before that the scoundrel who had taken advantage of her that night had already been dealt with?
So why was she now hearing from her mother and Ming Tao that the person from that night was… Gu Yun?
“Princess?”
The little palace maid standing by the door was surprised to see Princess Jianing leaving so soon. “Why are you leaving already?”
Jiang Libai’s gaze was unfocused. She instinctively looked at the palace maid and said, “Do not tell my mother that I came to Changchun Palace.”
Though confused, the palace maid obediently nodded.
Jiang Libai did not take a carriage but instead walked slowly out of the palace.
She was still thinking about what she had just heard.
“Princess.”
Chunxi had also heard every word clearly. Seeing how the Seventh Princess looked as if she couldn’t believe it, her expression dazed, she felt a pang of sympathy.
“Princess, should we go find the consort?”
Jiang Libai clenched the fabric of her sleeve. “Of course. I must get to the bottom of this.”
Her mother and Ming Tao had spoken with such certainty. No matter how ridiculous it sounded, she had to ask Gu Yun about it herself.
Chunxi did not know that Gu Yun was a woman. Right now, she wholeheartedly believed the information that Noble Consort Yuan had uncovered.
But she had watched with her own eyes as the princess and the consort went from complete strangers to deeply in love. So even though she was angry that the consort was the one who had caused the princess to lose her innocence, she mostly wanted the princess to calm down.
“Princess, just now Ming Tao also said that it seems the consort was framed—it wasn’t intentional….” Chunxi carefully chose her words, trying to be as tactful as possible. “Please don’t be too upset. After all… perhaps the consort doesn’t even know that the person that night was you and is just as anxious and uneasy?”
Jiang Libai pressed her lips together and gave a vague response to Chunxi’s words.
Since her mother did not want her to know, she would just pretend she knew nothing in front of her.
But right now, she had to find Gu Yun and ask her face to face.
As noon approached, the imperial garden was nearly empty, far quieter than in the morning.
Jiang Libai and Chunxi followed a small path out.
By the towering rock formations, the two of them reached a corner.
Suddenly, a figure appeared soundlessly and struck the back of Chunxi’s neck.
Jiang Libai turned around in shock, only to have a handkerchief pressed over her mouth and nose.
In no time, she gradually lost consciousness. Before she completely blacked out, she vaguely caught sight of another inconspicuous young eunuch carrying the already unconscious Chunxi on his shoulder.
What happened afterward, she no longer knew.
—
It was nearing noon.
Gu Yun walked on the path to Changchun Palace, thinking that the princess was probably having lunch with Noble Consort Yuan by now, and hastened her steps.
Lately, the princess had been feeling lazy and wanted Gu Yun to accompany her in everything she did. Even during meals, she would insist that Gu Yun serve her food and feed her, only then would she eat happily.
Thinking of this, the corners of Gu Yun’s lips lifted slightly. She enjoyed doing these little things for the princess. She also liked the princess’s pampered and delicate demeanor.
Following the young eunuch leading the way, Gu Yun heard a voice from inside allowing her to enter, so she quickly stepped into the inner hall.
Inside the vast and empty hall, only Noble Consort Yuan sat with a dignified presence—there was no sign of the princess.
Gu Yun saluted, glanced around, and after hearing Noble Consort Yuan tell her to rise, she asked in a calm voice, “Mother Consort, where is the princess?”
The princess was due to give birth in just over half a month. With such a large belly, why wasn’t she resting here?
Hearing this, Noble Consort Yuan was slightly stunned. “Isn’t Jia Ning at your residence? Why are you asking me?”
As she spoke, her expression darkened. “Do you know why I summoned you here today?”
For some reason, Gu Yun felt a twinge of panic.
She instinctively ignored the last thing Noble Consort Yuan said and asked, with a trace of urgency in her voice, “Mother Consort, the princess came to the palace with me this morning. But since Father summoned me to Ganming Hall, the princess came to Changchun Palace first.”
“She’s not here with you now?!”
“What did you say?” Noble Consort Yuan furrowed her brows tightly. “I haven’t seen Jia Ning at all. What is going on?!”
She, too, began to panic.
Though Jia Ning had a lively personality, she never wandered around the palace much. Since her marriage, she had hardly visited any other palaces.
If she said she was coming to Changchun Palace, she would have definitely come straight here.
After Gu Yun quickly explained the situation, Noble Consort Yuan immediately stood up and ordered Ming Tao to gather all the palace staff of Changchun Palace to search for Jia Ning.
Jia Ning was already nine months pregnant, making it extremely difficult for her to move around. Even if she had been delayed on the way, she should have arrived at Changchun Palace by now.
Noble Consort Yuan feared that Jia Ning might have fallen on the way or suddenly felt unwell…
Seeing Ming Tao leave with the servants, Gu Yun also bowed to Noble Consort Yuan and said, “Mother Consort, I will go search for the princess as well.”
Noticing the genuine worry on Gu Yun’s face, Noble Consort Yuan temporarily set aside the matter of questioning him and waved her hand. “Go as well.”
—
As the unconscious Chunxi was found in a corner of the Imperial Garden, the news of Jiang Libai’s disappearance quickly reached Changchun Palace and Gu Yun.
“What did you say?! Jia Ning is missing?!” Noble Consort Yuan’s temples throbbed uncontrollably, and her heart filled with panic.
When she saw Chunxi, who had been awakened, kneeling on the floor, crying and knocking her head against the ground, saying that the princess had been abducted, she could no longer hold back. Her vision went black, and she nearly fainted.
Fortunately, Ming Tao quickly supported her and helped steady her breathing. “Your Highness, take care of yourself! The princess is still missing—you mustn’t collapse!”
In the middle of the hall, Gu Yun had already carefully questioned Chunxi, who was crying in distress and anxiety.
After learning that Chunxi had been knocked unconscious and, in her hazy state, had seen someone covering the princess’s mouth and nose before taking her away, Gu Yun’s expression turned cold. She immediately looked up at the recently recovered Noble Consort Yuan and said, “Mother Consort, the princess was abducted in the Imperial Garden. She must not have gone far yet. Please send more people to search for her whereabouts!”
Noble Consort Yuan’s voice was sharp and resolute. “Ming Tao, go inform His Majesty and have the Imperial Guards search with full force. Also, send word to my mother and have her dispatch more people to search throughout the capital!”
Knowing the gravity of the situation, Ming Tao immediately accepted the order and left in haste.
At the same time, Gu Yun was communicating with Yixing in her mind while also taking her leave from Noble Consort Yuan. “Mother Consort, I will also go search for the princess.”
Without waiting for Noble Consort Yuan’s approval, she turned and strode out of Changchun Palace.
Noble Consort Yuan watched his hurried figure. Though she thought Gu Yun’s abilities were limited, seeing him genuinely anxious for Jia Ning brought a small measure of comfort to her otherwise panicked and fearful heart.
—
As soon as Gu Yun stepped out of Changchun Palace, she heard Yixing’s uneasy voice say, “General, the star power I have stored cannot cover the entire imperial palace. I can’t locate where the princess is. I can only sense that her presence abruptly disappeared within the Imperial Garden…”
Hearing this, Gu Yun clenched her fists. Her own mental power also couldn’t extend over the entire palace.
“Is there any other way?”
Yixing shook its head. “If we were in the interstellar era, with star power for endurance and the Yuanhang ship assisting, I could cover the entire capital. But General, this is the ancient past, ten thousand years ago—I can’t do anything…”
Sensing Gu Yun’s fluctuating emotions, Yixing felt deeply guilty. “I’m sorry, General. I couldn’t help you.”
Gu Yun pressed her lips together. “You’ve already done your best.”
If even she was powerless, how could she demand more from Yixing?
Recalling that Noble Consort Yuan had already dispatched people to search, she hurriedly caught up with Ming Tao, intending to join her.
However, before the Imperial Guards and the Zhao family’s forces could find Jiang Libai’s whereabouts, Noble Consort Yuan received a secret letter delivered discreetly into her hands.
Holding the letter, which had already been inspected by palace servants, her heart pounded rapidly. She had a strong feeling that the contents were related to Jia Ning.
She hastily unfolded it.
Scanning through the letter in an instant, her expression darkened.
As expected—it was about Jia Ning!
The letter was from the Second Prince, Jiang Shen, who was staging a coup. He had kidnapped Jia Ning to threaten her, demanding that she tell no one and secretly send his wife and children out of the palace.
Once his wife and children safely reached him, he would release Jia Ning.
It was supposed to be an “equal exchange.”
With a loud slap, she smacked the letter onto the table. “Equal exchange, my foot!”
She wanted to inform His Majesty immediately, but she feared that if Jiang Shen went mad, he would harm Jia Ning without hesitation.
She couldn’t take that gamble.
She covertly relayed the news to Ming Tao and the Zhao family while secretly making arrangements for Jiang Shen’s wife and children, who were confined in the ancestral temple. Since she now knew that Jiang Shen was the one who had taken Jia Ning, they could narrow down the search area.
If they could find Jia Ning quickly, that would be best. But if not, she would have no choice but to send Jiang Shen’s wife and children to him.
Even if the emperor flew into a rage afterward and punished her, she would not regret it.
—
Upon learning that Princess Jia Ning had been abducted by the Second Prince, Ming Tao immediately dispatched people to search various locations she suspected.
Not long after, a report came in—two quarters of an hour ago, a suspicious carriage had left the capital. The driver bore some resemblance to a former servant of the Duke of An’s residence.
Recalling the Second Prince’s way of thinking, Ming Tao quickly ordered her people to pursue it.
Whether this was a diversionary tactic or not, she had to check it out.
Riding on horseback, Gu Yun heard the report, immediately snapped her whip, and sped up. As she charged forward, the wind carried her words behind her: “I’ll go ahead and take a look.”
Skillfully maneuvering her horse to avoid pedestrians, she raced straight toward the city gates.
Scanning the area upon arrival, she asked Yixing, “Scan the surroundings. Search for any traces the princess might have left.”
Since the princess had not yet given birth, faint traces of her pheromones should still linger. Although they would be extremely weak by now, at such a close range, Yixing would undoubtedly be able to detect them.
Activating its star power to scan the area, Yixing suddenly became excited. “General! I found the princess’s scent! It continues past the city gate!”
That meant the princess had indeed been taken out of the capital.
Now that she had a clear trail to follow, Gu Yun no longer hesitated. She immediately snapped her whip and charged through the city gate.
Following Yixing’s guidance, Gu Yun arrived at the outskirts of the capital. Gazing at the towering, verdant mountains before her, she confirmed, “She’s in the mountains?”
“Yes, up that way,” Yixing directed.
It was already late afternoon, and nightfall was approaching. She had to find the princess as soon as possible.
Moreover, the princess was close to her due date. If she were frightened, it might trigger premature labor…
—
Jiang Libai slowly regained some consciousness in a daze.
Her head ached terribly, and she felt dizzy.
She half-opened her eyes, only to find herself surrounded by complete darkness.
She had no idea where she was, but the ropes binding her hands behind her back told her she had been kidnapped.
Was she locked in a dark room?
Who would want to abduct her? And for what purpose?
Panic rose in her chest. Someone bold enough to snatch her away in the Imperial Garden without hesitation must wield immense power.
Whatever their motive, it wouldn’t be something trivial.
Outside, slow and deliberate footsteps echoed, sounding especially terrifying in the dense blackness.
She bit her lip tightly, not daring to make a sound.
She couldn’t let them know she was awake.
She had to wait for her mother’s people to come rescue her.
Judging by how dark it was, several hours must have passed since she was taken. Her mother was surely frantic by now, searching for her everywhere.
As for Gu Yun…
Would she come looking for her too?
Thinking of Gu Yun, a wave of unwillingness surged in Jiang Libai’s heart.
She hadn’t even had the chance to personally ask about that night.
And now… would she ever get the chance to ask Gu Yun?
Suddenly, the people outside seemed to notice something and shouted, “Who’s there?!”
Startled, Jiang Libai shrank back, staring in terror toward the source of the voice.
Then came the sound of several muffled grunts, and the surroundings fell silent once more.
Jiang Libai held her breath, her heart pounding wildly against her chest as she stared fixedly in that direction.
The door creaked open. Faint moonlight streamed in from outside.
A tall figure stepped into the room, bathed in the silver glow of the moon.
“Princess?”
As soon as Gu Yun entered the wooden hut, the overwhelming darkness made her instinctively close her eyes for a moment.
Seeing the familiar silhouette, Jiang Libai’s eyes welled up with tears. She struggled against her bindings, and as soon as she opened her mouth, all that came out was a sobbing voice:
“You… you came…”
Gu Yun quickly opened her eyes and, in the dim moonlight, saw Jiang Libai slumped on the ground.
She strode over, crouched down, and began untying the ropes binding Jiang Libai’s hands and feet.
“I’m sorry, Princess. I came too late.”
She had suffered so much.
As soon as the restraints were loosened, Jiang Libai threw herself into Gu Yun’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She couldn’t even form complete sentences, only whimpering pitifully as tears streamed down her face.
Gu Yun held her tightly and lifted her into her arms.
“Let’s go home.”
But after only a few steps, Jiang Libai let out a muffled groan.
“What’s wrong, Princess?!”Gu Yun was terrified that Jiang Shen, that madman, had tortured her.
But in the next instant, her eyes widened.
Her hand seemed to be… wet?
“Gu Yun… I… I think I’m going into labor…” Jiang Libai’s face was deathly pale, filled with panic.
Gu Yun hurriedly laid her down on the ground, taking off her own outer robe to cushion her beneath.
But in just a short while, the amniotic fluid had completely soaked the fabric.
Jiang Libai clutched Gu Yun’s hand tightly, crying out in pain.
Gu Yun supported her, helping her adjust her position. The situation was urgent—there was no way to bring the princess back to the capital to give birth. She could only deliver the baby right here in this cramped wooden hut.
“Princess, don’t be afraid. Your water has broken, the baby will be born soon.”
Jiang Libai was going into labor more than half a month early. Gu Yun felt deeply uneasy, but she couldn’t panic. She had to comfort the princess.
Jiang Libai felt the excruciating pain in her abdomen and instinctively bit her lips, trying to hold back her screams.
Afraid that she would hurt herself, Gu Yun placed her own wrist near her lips.
“Princess, bite this.”
Jiang Libai, eyes tightly shut, instinctively opened her mouth and bit down hard on that slender wrist.
She was already in so much pain that she barely registered what she was biting.
“General!”
Yixing, scanning Jiang Libai’s condition, urgently reported to Gu Yun:
“The princess is in danger! The baby’s head is stuck in the birth canal and won’t come out. She’s in obstructed labor!”
Gu Yun’s heart clenched.
She had already prepared for the worst, but hearing that the princess was in distress still sent her into a panic.
“Yixing, can you help me?”*
Yixing possessed powerful star energy, but since they were no longer in the interstellar world, its true power was limited.
But Gu Yun had no other options.
There was no advanced medical technology here. If the labor became too difficult, both mother and child could die. A single mistake, and they would both be lost.
She was terrified.
Terrified…
The baby still wasn’t coming out, and Jiang Libai’s breathing was growing weaker. She seemed to realize something as well.
She gripped Gu Yun’s hand tightly, panting, and called out the name of the person beside her:
“Gu Yun.”
Yi Xing was still searching for a solution. Gu Yun immediately responded,
“I’m here! I’m here! Princess, don’t be afraid. Just a little longer, and the baby will be born!”
“You will be fine. You must be.”
Hearing the tremor in Gu Yun’s voice, Jiang Libai couldn’t hold back her tears. Between sobs, she asked,
“Tell me… the truth… Do you know… about the night I lost my chastity?”
She thought, since her mother had discovered Gu Yun was there that night, Gu Yun must have seen something… But why had she never mentioned it?
Gu Yun’s heart trembled violently.
Listening to Jiang Libai’s frail voice, she hesitated. She feared that revealing the truth would disturb the princess’s already fragile state…
“Gu Yun!”
It was said that childbirth was like walking through the gates of hell. Jiang Libai feared she wouldn’t make it through this night. She clutched Gu Yun’s hand even tighter and asked once more:
“Do you know?”
She didn’t know how the princess had come to suspect it, but it was clear that at this moment, Jiang Libai had to know the truth.
Gu Yun no longer dared to deceive her. She took a deep breath and confessed:
“Princess, I know.”
**”Because the person who was with you that night… was me.”**
Finally, she had spoken the truth, and a great weight lifted from her heart.
But she feared Jiang Libai wouldn’t be able to accept it and would faint on the spot, so she quickly added,
“Princess! Once you safely give birth to the baby, I will accept any punishment you wish to give me, all right? Please, focus on pushing first. Your health is most important!”
But in Jiang Libai’s mind, something had snapped.
What did she just hear?
Gu Yun said… that the person with her that night was her?!
“You’re lying to me?!”
She had clearly seen Gu Yun’s chest rise and fall—she was a woman!
How could they have shared such a night? How could she have conceived a child?!
“Princess, I’m not lying. That night, it was truly me.”
Gu Yun was frantic. The scent of blood was growing stronger inside the hut.
“Princess! Right now, what’s most important is for you to deliver the baby quickly, otherwise… otherwise…”
If the baby didn’t come out soon, the princess would die!
Upon hearing that Gu Yun was the one from that night, Jiang Libai felt completely disoriented. Her already dizzy mind could no longer think.
She was exhausted.
But if she could know before she died that it was Gu Yun, then… she had no regrets.
“Princess?!”
Gu Yun heard Jiang Libai’s breathing grow weaker and called out to her urgently.
But the completely exhausted Jiang Libai could no longer respond.
Gu Yun’s heart shattered.
She immediately turned to Yixing:
“Is there any way to save her?!”
Yixing remained silent for a moment, then replied:
“There is.”
“What do I need to do?!”
Hearing that there was a way, Gu Yun’s voice was filled with hope.
Yixing calmly explained:
“Luckily, it’s nighttime. I can absorb more star energy.”
It directed Gu Yun:
“General, move the princess outside. I will absorb star energy, and you will assist me with your mental strength.”
Without hesitation, Gu Yun picked up the unconscious Jiang Libai and rushed outside.
Above them, the vast night sky shimmered with countless stars, casting a faint glow.
Yixing gazed at the twinkling stars, sounding almost excited.
“Even though we’re far away, I can still absorb some of their power.”
“General, let’s begin!”
Hearing this, Gu Yun unleashed her full mental strength, aiding Yixing.
Yixing worked at full speed. As Gu Yun watched the screen on her wrist grow brighter and brighter, her anticipation soared.
Thankfully, Yixing was here. Thankfully, she could still use her mental power.
The princess would be fine. She had to be fine…
At last, a dazzling beam of light shot from her wrist straight into the sky, making the entire starry night momentarily gleam with brilliance.
In the blink of an eye, the light vanished, and even the stars in the sky seemed to dim.
Gu Yun looked down as the light from her wrist scanned over Jiang Libai’s body, watching intently, hoping she would wake up in the next moment.
Jiang Libai’s fingers twitched slightly.
She seemed to hear something and, in confusion, opened her eyes.
She saw a soft white light surrounding her, radiating from Gu Yun’s wrist.
Before long, the light disappeared.
She felt a bit stronger, and the pain in her abdomen had lessened significantly.
Following her body’s instincts, she pushed slightly—
And then, the loud cry of a newborn rang out.
The baby… was born?
But before she could even catch a glimpse of her child, she lost consciousness again from sheer exhaustion.
“General… the princess and the little general are safe…”
Yixing, seeing the newborn baby, immediately recognized that she was an ordinary girl who would not inherit the general’s legacy.
But it was still happy for Gu Yun.
Gu Yun, overwhelmed with joy, wrapped the crying infant in her clothes and placed her in Jiang Libai’s arms.
Feeling her mother’s presence, the baby stopped crying and smacked her lips.
Gu Yun embraced both Jiang Libai and their child, her heart melting.
“Princess, look, this is our child.”
She gently stroked the baby’s wrinkled little face, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.
“Princess, thank you.”
She had made up her mind—
She would never let the princess endure childbirth again.
Such a dangerous thing… must never happen again.
Yixing watched as Gu Yun held her wife and child, smiling, but its voice grew faint and ethereal.
“General, look, the little general looks so much like you… I really wish I could watch her grow up, I really wish she could know of my existence…”
“Yixing?” Hearing Yixing’s voice grow weak, Gu Yun was suddenly filled with a sense of dread.
“You… what’s wrong?”
Yixing used the last of its star energy to respond:
“General, to save the general’s wife, I have already activated my backup stored star energy…”
“So once I shut down this time, I will never be able to gather star energy again…”
“General, coming here with you, seeing you get married, and having a child—I am truly happy for you. But I can no longer stay with you.”
“Goodbye, General.”
For this novel one Kofi is two extra chapters. Ko-fi link: ko-fi.com/mitake55760
liddans
NOOOOOOO!!!! YIXING!!!
cool kiz
Noooooo!!