Dressed As a Consort in Ancient Times - Chapter 66
Jin country?
Isn’t that where Gu Yun’s from?
Jiang Heng’s eyes flickered, and he immediately understood Jiang Ying’s intention.
“Yes, I will do my best to handle this matter.”
Jiang Ying’s voice was gentle, but her words were extremely cold: “As for Jiang Wei, we can take this opportunity to act as well.”
If Jiang Wei were to fall, the only prince who could openly inherit the throne would be the Third Prince, Jiang Heng.
Moreover, since this matter involved both Yun country and Jin country, even if their father had suspicions, he wouldn’t actually do anything to them.
—
The capital had been unsettled for the past few days. With more patrols on the streets, Gu Yun, as the chief commander, had more and more responsibilities. For several nights now, she had only been able to return home late.
Just as she finished handling all matters and was preparing to return home under the moonlight, she heard Fang Zhan’s urgent and excited voice from outside:
“My Lord! We’ve caught him! We’ve caught him!”
Fang Zhan, holding a folding fan in his hand, flicked his robe and leaped inside like a gust of wind.
“Our hard work over the past few days has finally paid off! Just now, our men reported that the arsonist has been caught!”
Such an important matter did not warrant unnecessary words. Gu Yun asked directly, “Where is he being held? Has he been interrogated? Can we confirm if he is from Yun State?”
“My Lord, come with me and see for yourself.” Fang Zhan waved his hand and led Gu Yun outside.
Under the pale moonlight, neither of them cared about the time as they rushed to the place where the arsonist was being held.
On the way, Fang Zhan spoke rapidly, detailing the events.
“…That man doesn’t quite look like someone from Yun State, but when he was staking out today, he happened to brush past the coroner who had inspected the scene that day. The coroner smelled something strange on him, a scent very similar to what he had detected at the site…”
Upon arriving at the holding site, Gu Yun glanced up and frowned. “Have the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review been informed?”
Fang Zhan shook his head, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he lowered his voice. “They both know, but each side wants to take the suspect to their own jurisdiction for interrogation. The dispute became ugly. In the end, neither won, and they agreed to let our Five City Troops handle the interrogation, with their people assisting.”
…It seems this case is truly a tempting prize!
The Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review both wanted the greatest credit and refused to back down, making a disgraceful spectacle of themselves.
Now that they had decided to let the Command Department handle the interrogation while sending people to supervise, it was likely that in the coming days, Gu Yun would become the target of their attempts at persuasion.
Still, Gu Yun remained cautious.
She had always found Fang Zhan a little suspicious, so she didn’t fully believe his words just yet.
Slowly, she released her mental energy, spreading it out over the surroundings.
After ensuring there was nothing amiss, she withdrew her depleted mental energy and followed Fang Zhan inside.
This was a hidden underground prison belonging to the Five City Troops.
The interior was dim, and the candle flames on the walls barely provided any light.
“The prisoner is held at the very end. Our men are interrogating him now.” Fang Zhan led Gu Yun down the steps.
Before they even reached the cell, the sound of a whip slicing through the air could be heard. After a while, several sharp reprimands followed.
Without stopping, the two turned a corner, and in the blink of an eye, they saw a shadow hanging on the wall inside.
“My Lord, his mouth is too tight. Our men haven’t been able to extract any useful information.” The lead interrogator quickly stepped forward upon hearing the movement.
Fang Zhan looked at Gu Yun, as if asking for her opinion.
Gu Yun walked forward with her hands behind her back, observing the man who had already been tortured beyond recognition.
“You used torture on him?”
The lead interrogator nodded obsequiously. “My Lord, his mouth is completely sealed. We had no choice but to use torture…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the prisoner suddenly went berserk. His bloodshot eyes widened as he struggled violently against the iron chains binding his hands.
But no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t break free. Losing all hope, he let out a furious roar and lunged toward Gu Yun, baring his sharp, gleaming teeth.
He was about to bite her.
Gu Yun didn’t even lift an eyelid. She simply shifted her foot slightly, preparing to step back a few paces.
The sudden incident startled Fang Zhan. Afraid that Gu Yun might get hurt, he rushed behind her.
He hadn’t expected Gu Yun to move so quickly, and unable to stop himself, he crashed right into her.
“Rip—”
Before Gu Yun could react after being hit, that person bit her arm.
Fortunately, the distance wasn’t too close; the person only tore off a small section of her sleeve and did not injure her.
“My Lord?!” Fang Zhan and the others hurried over, looking at her nervously. “My Lord, are you alright?!”
Gu Yun waved her hand at them. “I’m fine.”
After saying that, she lifted her head and glanced at the person with a fierce expression.
After reinforcing the chains, the Yun Kingdom prisoner could no longer move at all.
Gu Yun found this sudden event inexplicable.
She felt that something was off, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
She once again released her mental energy to cover the entire dark prison but still found nothing unusual.
However, her vigilance had been aroused. After thinking for a moment, she decided to leave for now.
If Fang Zhan really had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t make a move against her here.
“My Lord, this guy is so vicious. Should we increase his punishment?” Fang Zhan, having calmed down, asked Gu Yun.
She gave him a faint glance and shook her head. “That scare made me a little dizzy.”
With that, Fang Zhan had no choice but to instruct the interrogators to continue questioning the Yun Kingdom prisoner thoroughly.
“My Lord, you were frightened. You should go back and rest early.”
Escorting Gu Yun out of the dark prison, Fang Zhan’s brows remained furrowed the entire time.
“I failed to protect you today. That was my mistake.”
In the pitch-dark night, Gu Yun couldn’t see Fang Zhan’s expression clearly; she only felt his voice was filled with endless guilt and regret.
His words were so sincere that Gu Yun began to doubt whether she had been overthinking earlier, unjustly suspecting him.
“It’s fine. I didn’t actually get hurt. You don’t need to blame yourself.”
Fang Zhan led the horse over and carefully assisted Gu Yun as she mounted.
Sitting on horseback, Gu Yun took hold of the reins and waved at Fang Zhan. “Then, I’ll head back first.”
“If that person still refuses to speak, investigate his hideout thoroughly. Check when he entered the city, when he took action, and whether he had any contacts.”
Listening to Gu Yun’s calm voice, Fang Zhan lowered his head. “Understood.”
Having given all necessary instructions, Gu Yun pulled the reins and prepared to leave.
“Gu Yun.” Fang Zhan seemed to have more to say.
Under the hazy moonlight, as gentle as flowing water, Gu Yun turned back, looking at him under the tranquil glow. “What is it?”
Fang Zhan grinned. “Nothing. Just be careful on your way.”
Gu Yun nodded. “Got it.”
With that, she urged her horse forward, galloping back to the princess’s residence at full speed.
Fang Zhan stood where he was, silently watching her figure fade into the distance until she disappeared.
The smile on his face vanished, and his eyes were clouded with unresolved sorrow.
—
By the time she returned to the residence, it was already late.
Perhaps because the Seventh Princess had given instructions, the lanterns were still brightly lit, illuminating the path home.
Inside the main hall, candles still flickered, casting a faint glow, like stars scattered across the sky, filling Gu Yun’s heart with warmth.
As she pushed open the door, she saw the Seventh Princess drowsily leaning against the bed.
Perhaps awakened by the sound of the door, the Seventh Princess lifted her eyelids slightly. “Why did you come back so late?”
The girl’s voice was already drowsy and indistinct.
Gu Yun quickly walked over. “Why didn’t you sleep first?” She asked while helping her remove the outer robe draped over her shoulders, then lifted the thin blanket and tucked her in.
“I was waiting for you to come back, but you took so long.” Jiang Libai held her hand, muttering, “You were out all day, all dirty. Go take a bath before eating dinner.”
“The bathtub is already filled with hot water. It should still be just right. The small kitchen has also kept your dinner warm. After you finish bathing, ask Chunxi to bring it over…”
By the end, Jiang Libai’s voice was barely audible, like a warm breeze gently brushing against Gu Yun’s heart.
Gu Yun knew the Seventh Princess liked cleanliness, so she suppressed the urge to kiss the corner of her lips.
The water in the tub was still warm. Gu Yun quickly removed her clothes and bathed swiftly, ensuring she was clean.
After changing into fresh clothes, she stepped out of the inner chamber. As soon as she opened the door, she saw Chunxi carrying a tray, bowing to her.
It was already late, and Gu Yun had long been starving. However, despite the carefully prepared meal, she only ate a few bites before asking Chunxi to take it away.
Returning to the inner chamber, she extinguished the candles and walked lightly to the bed.
As soon as she got under the covers, the Seventh Princess’s warm body curled up against her, hugging her waist and rubbing her head against her shoulder.
Gu Yun’s heart softened, and she lovingly lowered her head, kissing the princess’s delicate cheek before embracing her and falling asleep together.
—
“Knock, knock, knock—”
Early in the morning, urgent knocking sounded at the door.
Startled awake, Jiang Libai and Gu Yun opened their eyes.
The knocking outside grew even more frantic. Jiang Libai rubbed her sleepy eyes, forcing herself to wake up completely. “Chunxi? What’s wrong?”
“Princess! Officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review are here. They say they have urgent business with the Prince Consort!”
The Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review?
Gu Yun dressed while quickly running through possibilities in her mind.
Could it be that the Yun Kingdom prisoner confessed last night? And now that those departments got the news, they hurried to see her?
That thought flashed across her mind, but she felt that wasn’t likely.
“This early, why are the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review looking for you?” Jiang Libai finished dressing, quickly tidied herself up, and accompanied Gu Yun outside.
Stepping out of the room, Gu Yun’s expression was unreadable. “I’m not sure, but it’s probably about the arson case that’s been causing a stir these past few days.”
With complicated emotions, the two made their way to the main hall, where several officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review were already waiting.
As soon as they saw Gu Yun, they stepped forward. “Apologies in advance.”
Saying that, they reached out to seize her.
Gu Yun’s expression remained unchanged as she took a step back.
“What are you doing?”
For this novel one Kofi is two extra chapters. Ko-fi link: ko-fi.com/mitake55760
