“Don’t you think her behavior just now was very abnormal?”
Jiang Yulin, no matter what, was someone Jiang Yankun had put effort into cultivating. Not to mention being proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and literature, she was at least better in terms of etiquette and manners than the average daughter from a common household. But the way she behaved just now was even more alarming than a beggar who had been starving for decades. Her eating was ferocious, and her expression was off. Even after being kicked away by Qing Yu, she didn’t seem to feel any pain, her face still showing an excited expression, only instinctively rubbing her stomach where she had been kicked.
She was suspicious, erratic, and her emotions fluctuated greatly. One moment she seemed ready to kill Jiang Xinyue, and the next she calmed down because Jiang Xinyue had told her to go rest. Her eyes were always unfocused, as if she were trapped in her own world. When she left earlier, she was muttering to herself, which clearly indicated she had gone mad.
“Then why did you…”
Allow her to stay in the Xiwu Courtyard and even promise to arrange for her needs? Shouldn’t she be sent back to the estate and locked up?
Jiang Yankun and Jiang Xinyue exchanged a glance. He understood the deeper meaning in his daughter’s eyes and turned to the butler behind him, saying, “Go bring that butcher out. Tonight, after knocking out Third Miss, seal all her doors and windows, leaving only a small opening for food. Assign someone to guard her daily, strictly watch over her, and make sure she doesn’t escape again.”
If she were sent back to the estate, what if she pulled a stunt like today, promising to marry some other man and getting him to bring her back to the capital? Jiang Yankun didn’t want to have so many disreputable sons-in-law.
At the Pei Family—
“You’re saying you saw the daughter of the Jiang Family who was sent to the estate return?”
“Yes, Your Excellency. You ordered us to keep a close eye on the Jiang Family, so our men were on watch around the clock and saw it with their own eyes.”
Minister Pei of the Privy Council paced back and forth in his room. Lately, everything had been going wrong. His eldest son was useless, and his eldest grandson had been castrated, making him look a decade older.
In his younger days, he had been too focused on power and ambition, neglecting the education of his children. Now that he was old, these ungrateful descendants were stabbing him in the back and dragging his feet.
Based on the description from his new daughter-in-law, Miao Linlin, he could almost be certain that the imposters posing as his son and grandson were Jiang Yankun and Tang Shiliang.
Initially, the two of them had gone together to find the antidote for the emperor, but they had used his son’s and grandson’s names! The Jiang Family had taken all the credit. It was rumored that the emperor had even granted Madam Jiang Ruan, a former dancer, a noble title today. It was enough to make him furious.
The Jiang Family’s rise to glory was built on the Pei Family’s back.
“Knock knock knock…”
There was a knock at the door, and Pei Sinian entered, holding Miao Linlin’s hand. “Father, why did you call us here at this hour? Linlin and the child need to rest.”
Miao Linlin touched her belly. “Father-in-law, are you asking if the Gu I gave you is working?”
Minister Pei of the Privy Council nodded. “The third daughter of the Jiang Family, who was sent to the estate, has returned to the Jiang Family. Is she being controlled by your Gu?”
Miao Linlin smirked knowingly. “I said it before—anyone who wrongs me, I’ll make sure their family is in chaos. That woman’s brain is filled with my Gu. Every move she makes is under my control. To others, she’ll just seem mad. The Jiang Family will definitely lock her up, won’t they?”
Being locked up was exactly what Miao Linlin wanted.
Her Gu could break out from Jiang Yulin’s brain and, under the cover of night, crawl into the rooms of the entire Jiang Family. Through ears, nostrils, mouths—any orifice—they could enter and breed inside their bodies, eating their brains and turning them into mindless puppets under her command.
Minister Pei of the Privy Council stroked his beard with satisfaction. "Now that you’re pregnant, you need to take good care of yourself and give me more grandchildren. When I’m gone, this family will be left to you and Sinian."
It was his way of telling her that everything in the family would belong to the eldest branch.
So, for their future, they had to eliminate the Jiang Family.
Miao Linlin’s eyes gleamed. “Father-in-law, rest assured. My Gu has never failed me.”
She had forgotten that her first encounter with Jiang Yankun had already been a failure. Otherwise, Tang Shiliang would have been the one under the influence of her Gu, not the other way around.
Pei Sinian gazed adoringly at Miao Linlin. “Wife, don’t overwork yourself. The child in your belly is the most important. Leave the other matters to me. I’ll do anything for you—even climb mountains of swords or descend into seas of fire.”
As they left the study, Miao Linlin abruptly pulled her hand away, disdainfully wiped it with a handkerchief, and then unapologetically tossed the handkerchief on the ground before turning and walking away.
If it weren’t for fear of Minister Pei of the Privy Council discovering her true intentions, she would have already eliminated Pei Sinian and kept the child. This Pei Sinian was old enough to be her father, yet he had forced himself on her.
Just wait.
Once the Jiang Family falls, the next target will be the Pei Family.
First, she’ll deal with that old fox, then this disgusting man, and as for Pei Zhishuo, the younger one, he’s quite good-looking. He could be kept around for amusement.
If he doesn’t behave, he can be used to raise Gu. Young flesh is perfect for cultivating stronger, more toxic Gu.
“Clip clop clip clop…”
The sound of hooves grew louder. Qing Yu stood outside the carriage and whispered, “Your Majesty, the Imperial Noble Consort, there are people monitoring the Jiang Family.”
Behind the stone lions, there were several people pretending to walk around, clearly trained fighters, not ordinary citizens.
“Monitoring?”
Who had the audacity for such a thing?
Jiang Xinyue frowned, her expression serious, as she quickly connected the events of the day in her mind.
Something was off… everything felt wrong.
Jiang Yulin had always been arrogant, even looking down on wealthy young masters, insisting on marrying the Prince of Ruyang’s heir. It was clear she believed herself worthy of the noble status.
Such an arrogant woman, even if she fell into dire straits, would never grovel before a butcher. Her pride wouldn’t allow it, even if it meant dying.
Yet, she had promised the butcher that she would marry him once they reached the capital.
Upon closer reflection, this behavior reminded Jiang Xinyue of someone.
Miao Linlin.
“Stop the carriage! Turn around… back to the Jiang Family!”
Seeing her panicked expression, the Xuanwu Emperor immediately instructed Qing Yu, “Listen to the Imperial Noble Consort.”
Then, he quickly took Jiang Xinyue’s cold hand in his. “What’s wrong? Did you discover something?”
Jiang Xinyue nodded. “I… I suspect Jiang Yulin has been… put under a Gu.”
It wasn’t just a wild guess. Although in later times, Gu practices in the Miao Borderlands were more of a commercial performance, the long-standing legends of the Miao Borderlands couldn’t be dismissed as mere folklore.
In later generations, the art of Gu might have been lost, just like ancient Chinese medical texts that have been partially lost over time.
But in this era, one had to be cautious.
Because a single oversight could lead to utter destruction.
