Chapter 309

Ning Si thought she was still worrying about the child, and comforted with a smile, "A Ying, don't worry. The doctor said Nian is fine. Our Nian has great fortune and fate, and will surely be blessed in the future."

Gu Ying carefully placed her hand over her slightly bulging belly, her thoughts racing, silently sorting through the ins and outs of the recent Yueyang plague outbreak in her mind again.

It was not a simple matter for Jiang Yin to poison the river water. The Jade River was wide and had a large flow, coming all the way from the source and passing through the entire Yueyang City. Not to mention the river water would dilute the toxicity of the poison, even if the commoners used it to cook, it would gradually weaken the potency. How did this "poison" end up spreading in Yueyang City?

Then there were people secretly spreading rumors among the already physically and mentally fragile patients that this was divine punishment of Yueyang, making stories based on the previous Nine Yin and Nine Yang sacrifices.

His intention was simply to force her and the Eldest Prince to yield to the pleas of the commoners and sacrifice themselves.

Hmph, he thought it would be so simple. She and the Eldest Prince would not resign themselves to fate so easily.

"A Ying?" Ning Si saw that Gu Ying did not speak for a while, pulled her hand over and patted it with increasing worry, "Are you still bothered about the sacrifice? I know they are shameless... Ai, not to mention this happening to you, even I feel chilled. But A Ying, don't worry. I have decided to ask Grandfather to find a way to send you away directly."

Gu Ying came back to her senses, the corners of her lips raised slightly, "Don't worry Ah Si, I won't leave the Eldest Prince behind."

Ning Si wanted to persuade her further when Yin Lan brought the medicine over and said gently, "Mistress, I and Huai An watched the doctor brew this medicine. Drink it while it's hot and your stomach won't hurt anymore."

Gu Ying took the medicine bowl. Her lips had just touched the rim when she suddenly spat the medicine out.

Yin Lan asked anxiously, "What happened?"

Gu Ying frowned, looking up with lowered eyes, "There is safflower in this medicine."

Safflower was used to induce abortions. How could such a medicine appear in pregnancy-protecting medicine? Yin Lan panicked, "What? But I watched it being brewed with my own eyes—"

Gu Ying knew Yin Lan was loyal to her and sneered coldly. Since there were no traitors among them, the culprit must be an outsider. "Yin Lan, look flustered and worried after one incense stick burns, and call Huai An and Cousin over. Remember not to alert the enemy."

Yin Lan nodded heavily.

Gu Ying's gaze was deep, her expression gradually becoming heavier. Eldest Prince, you must find Master Zhuge as soon as possible.

...

After one incense stick burned, Yin Lan ran out of the study, flustered. "It's bad! The Mistress is bleeding!"

Inside the study, Gu Ying and Ning Si put on an act, one crying and the other moaning painfully.

It wasn't long before Ye Qingchi and Huai An entered the study.

Cries echoed late into the night in the study.

An hour later, Zhu Yulou, the doctor who had examined Gu Ying in the medicine room, slipped out the door in night clothes.

Gu Ying sat steadily at the desk with a piece of stationery laid out in front of her depicting networks of characters. She circled the doctor's name Zhu Yulou with cinnabar, the corners of her lips raised mockingly as she stroked her belly, calm and assured. "Nian, don't worry. Mother will protect you well."

Ning Si said, "A Ying, it seems that the talk of sacrifice is also being secretly manipulated by someone. Since this is the case, we should catch the rumormonger first."

"Don't worry Ah Si, I already have a good plan," Gu Ying smiled confidently.

Previously, she was just a young lady confined in the inner chambers, even after her rebirth and wanting vengeance. But she was limited by her boundaries and unable to carry out major revenge plans. Jiang Yin was a high-ranking minister of power in her previous life, skilled in political tactics and sinister schemes. Thus, she was always under his control.

But now, seeing everything clearly and being in Yueyang, she actually had ways to deal with him.

Her long lashes fluttered slightly as she looked at the weak and powerless Li Yang tied to a chair.

She had told Li Yang everything already. Li Yang stubbornly refused to believe Jiang Yin would betray him, but the doubt in his eyes still could not be concealed. Gu Ying didn't bother wasting words with him anymore and soon saw Huai An bringing Zhu Yulou back from outside.

Huai An said excitedly, "The Mistress guessed right again! This Zhu Yulou is the spy Jiang Yin planted in the medicine room! All this time, our master has been working hard to treat the commoners, yet he has been secretly poisoning patients! After giving the Mistress abortion medicine, he went to meet Han Lin! Unfortunately, I, your subordinate, am incompetent for letting that Han Lin escape!"

Seeing Gu Ying safe and sound, Zhu Yulou stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his lips moving without making a sound before Huai An kicked him to kneel on the ground, shivering.

Gu Ying half-squatted in front of Zhu Yulou, the corners of her lips raised amusedly. "I know you're different from Jiang Yin. You have a wife and a concubine at home, three sons and two daughters, and an elderly mother seriously ill. If you don't confess everything, my Qilin Army Captain Huai won't show you mercy."

Zhu Yulou's face turned deathly pale, completely crestfallen.

"I'll... I'll confess everything..."

Gu Ying sneered and forced the poison out of him before ordering Huai An to keep the man under strict watch.

After obtaining the poison, she found several reliable doctors from the medicine room and had them secretly develop an antidote.

Three days later, Gu Ying opened the gate of Qingjiang Manor, promising all Yueyang citizens that she would perform the sacrifice with her Nine Yin constitution.

She would have people build the altar in seven days. The sacrifice would take place on time after seven days.

Someone asked, "What about the Eldest Prince? When will he return?"

The corners of Gu Ying's lips twisted mockingly. "Rest assured, neither I nor the Eldest Prince will be absent."

Finally at ease, everyone returned to their sickbeds to await the sacrifice in seven days. They still believed that as long as someone was willing to make offerings to the deities, the gods would retract their punishment of Yueyang City and the plague would pass.

There were much fewer commoners outside Qingjiang Manor after she agreed to the sacrifice, but quite a few were still anxious, fearing that she would secretly escape, so they lingered nearby.

Huai An had the Qilin Army brothers disguise themselves as commoners to patrol the vicinity and heightened vigilance.

Gu Ying personally drew up the blueprint for the altar and sent Zhou Yan to supervise its construction.

With the Eldest Prince absent from Yueyang City those days, Gu Ying had become everyone's mainstay. The grateful commoners would leave food, flowers for blessings, peace charms and such at the manor gates.

Looking at those things, she only felt irony—forcing her and the Eldest Prince to their deaths while also being thankful and deferential, such an ignorant yet pitiful scene made one's heart turn cold yet sympathetic.

Li Yang's face was full of disdain. "You're not actually unafraid of death? You think that just because you agreed to the sacrifice, Zhao Changdu would be willing to accompany you to death? You think too simply of men. He is the Eldest Prince of Zhenguo Duke Manor and also the Commander of the Imperial Guards. In the future, he will inherit the duke manor, enjoying glory and wealth with a promising future ahead. How could a mere girl like you decide for him? Gu Ying, you overestimate