The next day, as soon as Three Lord left with his men, Nan Rui himself drove an unassuming carriage over, without even a guard by his side.
The only conspicuous thing was that a cage with a snow-white homing pigeon was hanging outside the carriage compartment.
Arriving at the Mo family's door, he happened to run into Mo Jiuye who was about to head out. Both got out of their rides to greet each other.
Seeing Mo Jiuye, Nan Rui hurried over and pulled him along anxiously, "Can you find that master exorcist now?"
Mo Jiuye could clearly see how urgent Nan Rui was. "What's going on?" he asked.
A lot had happened, but Nan Rui didn't have time to explain. He pleaded for Mo Jiuye to help find that gu poison exorcist master for him.
"Mo Jiuye, my Imperial Consort is in critical condition. If the gu poison isn't lifted soon, I'm afraid she won't make it."
"Pardon my rudeness." Hearing this, Mo Jiuye strode over to the carriage and flipped the curtain open.
Inside was an emaciated old woman with eyes closed, unconscious.
Mo Jiuye asked doubtfully, "Is this Imperial Consort De?"
When he had tutored Nan Qi in the palace, he had seen Imperial Consort De a few times. While she didn't have the beauty of other consorts, she was better looking than average women.
Plus, Imperial Consort De wasn't that much older than his own mother. Yet now, she looked like a seventy or eighty year old crone.
Nan Rui nodded with difficulty. "This is indeed my mother. There's a long story, but her condition is very dangerous. Please contact that master now. If the gu isn't removed soon, I'm afraid my mother won't live."
Although Mo Jiuye had a lot of questions, he could also see Imperial Consort De's precarious state. Now wasn't the time to overthink Nan Rui's words.
After making sure there were no suspicious presences nearby, he moved aside to let Nan Rui drive the carriage into the yard.
The family rabbits had been giving birth these past days. After breakfast, everyone had gone to help out back, leaving the front yard empty.
Mo Jiuye had Nan Rui carry Imperial Consort De into a wing room.
"My shabby home is no match for the splendor you’re used to. Please pardon its simplicity, Your Highness."
To the Mozi sect members, who had let go of materialism, these environs mattered not. But to the prestigious Prince Rui and Imperial Consort De, it was indeed too shabby. Mo Jiuye felt the need to give them fair warning.
"No matter. Material trappings have ceased to matter to this prince."
Seeing Nan Rui's worried look, Mo Jiuye decided not to delve deeper for now.
"Rest here for now, Your Highness. I’ll have my family come attend to Consort De shortly. I'm heading out now to look for the master exorcist."
Mo Jiuye went to Old Lady Mo's room and gave her a simple rundown of Nan Rui and Consort De's arrival and purpose, asking her to host them for the time being.
He then quickly returned to his room to brief He Zhi Ran on the matter.
He Zhi Ran had been resting well these days. Her discomfort had passed and her only grievance was everyone fretting over her too much, confining her to bedrest.
Hearing the clopping outside earlier, she had peeked out the window and already seen Nan Rui arrive.
To easily assume the gu poison master's identity later, she chose to stay out of sight for now, using her pregnancy as an excuse.
It was reasonable for an expectant mother to refrain from seeing guests.
"I took a look through the window. Consort De doesn't seem well at all." She said.
"That's right. She looks like she's in her twilight years even though she's only in her fifties. And she's unconscious." Mo Jiuye answered.
Without an examination, He Zhi Ran couldn't determine the cause either.
"It appears the mysterious master exorcist will have to make an early entrance." She mused.
He Zhi Ran was thinking that regardless of Nan Rui's motives, since Consort De was already here, she ought to ensure her survival.
With Consort De present, she could keep Nan Rui in check.
"I'll head out now and wait for you at the foot of the mountain." She continued, referring to her storage space.
Mo Jiuye knew she was going to get changed in there.
"Alright, go carefully. I'll smooth things over with Nan Rui before heading out."
After tidying up, He Zhi Ran took the chance while the yard was empty to walk towards the mountainside. Mo Jiuye pretended he was going out and went to the wing room to update Nan Rui.
At this time, Old Lady Mo was already inside conversing with the prince. Their conversation topic was something Mo Jiuye wanted to know more about, so he didn't hurry to leave.
He Zhi Ran could take her time resting in the space anyway. No need to rush to her.
"You mean Imperial Consort De faked her death to leave the palace?" Old Lady Mo sounded rather shocked.
She had heard of such death-faking drugs before, but never saw anyone use them. The ingredients were precious indeed.
Mentioning making his mother fake her death distressed Nan Rui somewhat.
"My mother was tired of palace life. She'd wanted to leave that viper's nest for some time.
When this chance came up to bring Mother out to dispel her gu, I thought I'd make her vanish for good - erase Imperial Consort De from Da Shun Palace, so she can live the rest of her life in peace."
Old Lady Mo saw the sorrow on Nan Rui's face and prodded further. "So you chose to have Consort De fake her death and leave the palace?"
Nan Rui nodded. "That's right. I wanted my mother to achieve her wish in this lifetime.
The northwest may not be affluent, but I am still a prince. I naturally have assets on hand. As long as there is money, I believe Mother's life will be the same anywhere.
Moreover, I have no intention of setting foot in that quagmire of deceit and betrayal again. With my company, Mother will live out her remaining years contentedly."
"However, I didn't expect the person cursing my mother with gu to not have activated it for so long. I assumed nothing would go amiss while traveling northwest for a month after her ‘death’.
Yet oddly, around ten days into the journey, Mother suddenly felt pain throughout her body and lost consciousness several times.
My conjecture is that her gu warlock discovered my mother had left the capital with me, forcing me to turn back by agitating the gu worms.
I wavered seeing my mother in such torment, but she insisted even death was preferable to returning there.
Left without recourse, I hurried day and night to Xi Ling Village. Now my mother's already been unconscious for over two days."
Hearing this, Mo Jiuye grasped the general picture. He had no intention of prying into the exact details of Consort De's staged death.
"Your Highness had a rough journey. Please let Imperial Consort De rest here, while I head out now to find that gu master."
