novelraw Chapter 434 - 323: Young Master Gu’s Ordered Life
Chapter 434 - 323: Young Master Gu’s Ordered Life
The surroundings were silent, and those carrying her must have left for quite some time before Gu Lan slowly opened her eyes.
She tugged at the corner of her mouth, already bitten until it bled, the sharp pain clearing her muddled mind somewhat.
Immediately, Gu Lan quickly felt her prized belt — it was too secure, not having shifted an inch.
She truly couldn’t understand,
Why didn’t Rong Jing order a body search!
Why didn’t entering the Imperial Palace require a body search!
Why couldn’t they proactively search her!
The main reasons for Gu Lan entering the palace were, first, to find out about the Xiao Family’s past, Rong Jue’s death, and the truth about Rong Jing and Xie Yun’s lineage;
And second, to let Rong Jing know of her disguise as a man, and use the Emperor’s name to announce this to the world.
This was the opportunity she spoke of.
In this way, she could reclaim her identity as a woman while, effortlessly, informing the Marquis Gu from afar that she was safe, and there was no need to mobilize an army.
Rong Jing’s siege on the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was too swift and abrupt. With Uncle Li absent and the Dark Hall unable to act, using her disguise being exposed as a signal to send messages was Gu Lan’s intent.
She believed that once the Marquis Gu knew she chose to enter the palace of her own accord, he would surely remember the words she once told him.
——"She wants to ride the fiercest horse, protect those she cares about, lead soldiers to unparalleled glory, and then naturally tell the world she is a woman."
Through this line, the message she intended to convey to the Marquis Gu was to stay calm and not worry about her.
As for the impact of her identity being exposed, Gu Lan had already considered it, finding the timing reasonably mature. At worst, let the Marquis Mansion take the blame for the former Emperor, claiming it was done to protect the legitimate son, which the former Emperor already knew about.
The people truly wouldn’t care whether Gu Lan was a man or a woman. What Rong Jing and the ministers cared more about was whether Rong Heng and Gu Chengzhao intended to revolt, and once the fact that Rong Jing wasn’t of Imperial Family bloodline were exposed, it would be a hundred times more sensational than her disguise.
... Yet, Rong Jing truly had no fear of death, not even arranging for her to be searched.
Was he not afraid she carried hidden weapons or drugs with her?
She recalled Rong Jing’s expressionless face under the influence of the Heart-devouring Incense, thinking he trusted that incense too much simply because he had experienced its effects and knew its potency.
Gu Lan couldn’t just confess on her own; what if Rong Jing was as stubborn as a mule, pushing back against conspiracy theories, or upon finding out she must be a woman, lost control and created some unforeseen situation—none of that was a result she sought.
Gu Lan reached out to touch the strap on the side of her short boot, where a small dagger in a leather sheath was concealed...completely unnoticed.
She exhaled a murky breath, got up, and walked to the only wooden table in the room, gently shaking the teapot on it — it contained more than half a pot of clear water.
Gu Lan took out a handkerchief, moistened it with the water, and meticulously wiped the bloodstains from her lips and the dust and grime from her palms. Given the conditions allowed, she still couldn’t bear her entire body being filthy.
Only then did Gu Lan lift her head to survey everything around her.
——This was a completely unfamiliar house.
The room was not large, but it was a suite.
The small door on the left opened into a washroom, with only a commode and two clean wooden basins stacked together inside; it seemed to haven’t been used for some time, accumulating a thin layer of dust.
As for the inner room she was in, there was only a bed, a three-legged wooden table, two chairs, and a dark copper hand warmer in the corner.
On the table was an oil lamp nearly burned out, a teapot filled with clear water, and matching white porcelain teacups.
The oil lamp was old, bearing the marks of time on the wooden table.
The handle of the teapot was wrapped with a clean cloth strip, faint cracks revealing themselves beneath the cloth strip, while the teacup had a small chip that would certainly break further if exerted with excessive force.
Gu Lan vaguely felt that this place was familiar.
But she was sure she had never been here before.
Under the dim lamp, Gu Lan finally finished cleaning her hands, her body relaxing from the soreness caused by the Heart-devouring Incense and the stupefying drug.
She patted the bed; the hard bed board was covered with only a single, cold thin mattress and a thick, tattered straw mat underneath.
Thankfully, both the straw mat and the thin mattress were clean, or she would rather stand and sleep through the night.
It was late autumn, and the night temperatures were very low. Gu Lan sneezed, then lifted the oil lamp and fiddled with the old hand warmer placed in the corner. Inside was not a single piece of charcoal; however, the dust in the corner was thinner than in other places, revealing rectangular marks, as if some boxes had once been piled there.