General Qin suddenly reached out and snatched Ge Qing's wine cup, saying to everyone, "Ge Qing's wound hasn't healed yet, so he should drink in moderation today."
Gu Sang looked meaningfully at Ge Qing, then at General Qin, and smiled, "Yes, moderation is best."
"I don't want to wake up with a headache tomorrow morning, and you all have court tomorrow. You can't show up reeking of alcohol, or you'll be reported again."
Gu Sang didn't break through this thin veneer, and the others tactfully didn't make a fuss, allowing things to develop naturally.
Pei Weiqi followed Gu Sang's lead, rubbing his forehead as if in pain, "At the rate they submit memorials, I'll change my surname if there are fewer than a hundred."
Everyone burst into laughter.
After the meal and drinks, everyone went their separate ways.
Pei Weiqi took a carriage back to the Imperial Palace, General Qin escorted Ge Qing home, and Gu Sang and Xue rode in Madam Li's carriage back to the inn.
After dropping off the two at the inn, Madam Li had her driver take her to the residence she had purchased in the capital.
Gu Sang and Xue went upstairs and returned to their respective rooms.
Gu Sang had just taken off her outer clothes and was preparing for bed when she heard a strange noise outside the window.
It sounded like something had hit the window.
Gu Sang was on the second floor - what could possibly hit a second-floor window?
Gu Sang grabbed a flashlight in her right hand and carefully opened the window.
To her shock, she saw a dart pinned to the window frame with a piece of cloth tied to it.
Gu Sang removed the dart, closed the window, and brought it back into the room to examine.
The cloth had a message hastily written on it: "If you want to save Madam Li, come quickly to the Li Mansion."
The Li Mansion had been ordered sealed since Pei Weiqi ascended the throne.
And the master of the Li Mansion, Consort Li's father, had gone missing on the day of the attack on the city.
Now, someone was demanding Gu Sang go to the Li Mansion?
Gu Sang knew that this person must be an opponent of Pei Weiqi, and their intentions were not good. Going to the Li Mansion would certainly be dangerous.
But Madam Li had likely been captured by this person.
Moreover, the note urged Gu Sang to hurry, presumably to prevent her from delaying or informing Pei Weiqi, Zhou Qichen, and the others.
Gu Sang made her decision almost instantly - she had to go to the Li Mansion.
Otherwise, Madam Li would be in danger.
Gu Sang left her room and knocked on Xue's door, showing her the note.
"Xue, after I leave, wait for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then go."
"Then find Ge Qing."
Fearing there might be spies in the Imperial Palace and around Zhou Qichen, and that Xue, a frail girl, could be in danger, Gu Sang decided it was best to find Ge Qing first. Ge Qing's household had people who would protect Xue while passing the message to Pei Weiqi.
"Alright, be careful, and make sure to wait until I bring reinforcements."
Xue solemnly accepted this task.
Neither of them dared to gamble that the person who had captured Madam Li would patiently wait for them to find Pei Weiqi and surround the Li Mansion with troops.
So, Gu Sang had to go first to ensure Madam Li's safety.
After leaving the inn, Gu Sang didn't go directly to the Li Mansion but decided to check Madam Li's residence first to confirm if she had returned.
However, before she had gone far, she saw a carriage stopped by the roadside.
Gu Sang's pupils contracted in shock - it was Madam Li's carriage!
She had just ridden in this very carriage earlier.
Gu Sang hurried to examine the carriage and found the driver had been killed, while Madam Li was nowhere to be seen.
Witnessing this scene, Gu Sang hesitated no longer and rushed to the Li Mansion.
The seal on the Li Mansion was still intact, but Gu Sang tore it off and entered through the main gate.
With no lights lit, she could only rely on the moonlight to discern her path in the courtyard.
Gu Sang stood in the courtyard for a moment until she saw a light come on in one of the side rooms.
She quickly walked over and kicked open the door.
"I'm here. Where is Madam Li?"
Gu Sang didn't enter immediately, fearing traps, so she spoke from the doorway.
As the lamplight approached, Gu Sang finally saw the people inside.
It was the long-missing Lord Li!
Next to Lord Li stood a middle-aged man who exuded an air of authority. He scrutinized Gu Sang with his wrinkled peach blossom eyes.
"I want to see Madam Li!" Gu Sang spoke first, determined to confirm Madam Li's safety.
Lord Li looked at the middle-aged man, who snorted coldly:
"The Li Mansion is now full of my people. You can barely protect yourself, yet you're concerned about others' safety."
Gu Sang frowned at the middle-aged man, her face full of mockery:
"The moment you open your mouth, you remind me of a buzzing fly that I want to swat dead with one slap."
"Let me think, the only person whose words irritate me this much is Pei Changying."
"Could it be that you're from the Pei Family?"
Hearing Gu Sang's insulting words, the middle-aged man's face turned red with anger. He shouted:
"Gu Sang! You belong to the Pei Family in life and in death."
"According to our family hierarchy, you should call me Uncle."
Gu Sang sneered, "Oh, so you're the current head of the Pei Family."
"No wonder you're so detestable. When it comes to shamelessness, you're second to none."
"Even Pei Changying is no match for you. No wonder you became the head of the Pei Family."
The middle-aged man was so enraged he wanted to draw his sword and kill Gu Sang, but Lord Li quickly stopped him.
"Calm down, we still need her."
"It's with her help that Pei Weiqi was able to ascend to that position."
Gu Sang heard Lord Li's words clearly and immediately understood.
So the reason Lord Li had been able to disappear despite the Imperial Guard's search was that he had been hidden by the Pei Family.
"Miss Gu, we invited you here tonight to discuss something with you."
"We want you to speak favorably to Pei Weiqi about selecting an infant from the Pei Family as the new emperor."
Gu Sang remained unmoved, repeating only one sentence.
She said, "I want to see Madam Li."
"If you want to negotiate with me, you need to show a willingness to negotiate. Let me see Madam Li, or there's nothing to discuss."
"Hmph, if you don't agree, I'll make sure you leave here horizontally," the middle-aged man threatened through gritted teeth, his patience exhausted.
Gu Sang replied indifferently, "Kill me, and you won't achieve your goal either."
The middle-aged man immediately deflated, as Gu Sang had undoubtedly hit his weak spot.
His plan was nothing more than to have Pei Weiqi choose his young son as emperor, then use the child's young age as a reason to ascend the throne himself.
After a dozen or so years when the child grew up, who would remember whose throne it really was?
Seeing Gu Sang's unyielding attitude, the middle-aged man had no choice but to have his subordinates bring Madam Li.
"Release Madam Li, and then I'll consider negotiating with you."
Gu Sang put forward another condition.
This time, however, the middle-aged man shook his head and sneered:
"If we release her, you could go back on your word at any time."
"Letting you see her is already the biggest concession I'm willing to make."
Lord Li chimed in to help, "Miss Gu, in the future, Pei Weiqi will have to marry, and her children won't be of the Pei Family."
"In the future, this empire won't belong to the Pei Family."
"Shut up! I must have been blind to have ever fallen for you," Madam Li cursed angrily.
