The Empress Is Dead

"Father, I have confirmed Prince Xing Guang"s ident.i.ty . He really is one of our Gu clan . He also has a royal Gu in his body despite not undergoing with the ritual . I also made contact with him and he told me that aside from the Xing imperial family, there is another powerful people behind them . And those people are the one responsible for his incident and blindness .

When Hu Hai returned with injury, he mentioned that he encountered those traitors in the Gonglu country"s palace after Xing Baihe married in . Patching it up together, there is no doubt that they are also the people that Xing Guang mentioned . The mysterious power behind the Xing imperial family is no other than the traitors, the Liu clan . " Gu Rin respectfully and solemnly reported .

Gu Lingdao"s emotions is complicated . He is happy that he finally has a grandson . But also sad because his daughter is no longer around . Another thing is because his grandson had a difficult life in the past three decades . "Why did you not bring him along when you return? This is his home too . "

"I did offer him to return with me, but as what young miss Lian said, he cannot leave his siblings . And based on my investigation on the people of his household, each of them have a dormant Gu poison inside their body thanks to Xing Guang"s royal Gu . I even can"t believe that only a single person cultivated those Gu . That princess is even more talented compared to most member of our Gu clan . "

"She is abusing the use of Gu poisons despite not having a royal Gu . As I thought, your elder sister didn"t tell her about the consequences . Luckily she is the only one capable of using the Gu poisons outside the clan . She is doomed to dieyoung . And it might happen sooner than I antic.i.p.ated . " Gu Lingdao can"t help but commend his daughter"s plan . But unfortunately, Xing Baihe was still able to ruin one life during her short life; Lin Xulian"s .

"That young miss would surely be upset once she finds out that her enemy is already dead even before she could fully grasp the principles behind the Gu . That"s if she is really Lin Xulian . " Gu Lingdao sigh with his thoughts .

"Rin, have you seen the Gonglu"s empress Lin Xulian during your mission with Hu Hai?" Gu Lingdao suddenly asked .

Gu Rin is a bit confused but still replied honestly . "No, I haven"t father . Hu Hai and I would meet secretly since he introduced himself as a lone traveler and an orphan . My presence would cause conflict to his a.s.sumed ident.i.ty . "

"So that"s why . No wonder you were not able to identify her . " Gu Lingdao absentmindedly mumbled . He is completely oblivious to the confusion he caused to his son .

"What do you mean father?" Unable to contain his curiosity, Gu Rin finally asked .

"That young miss is claiming that she is Lin Xulian, that "deceased" empress . " Gu Lingdao said then he restated everything that Lin Xulian mentioned about herself .

During their private talk, Lin Xulian told him about her sudden pregnancy . She also openly stated that her marriage with the Gonglu country"s emperor wasn"t consummated and her pregnancy caused conflict between them .

But when she started to feel that her condition is becoming dangerous and her life is at risk, she planned her fake death to escape the palace and her throne to find the cure . Gu Lingdao didn"t ask her why she chose that method but he a.s.sumed that there must be some deeper reason . Then she told him about her encounter with Xing Guang who help her save her life from immediate death .

After Listening to his father, Gu Rin"s jaw almost drop . He remembered the guilt in Hu Hai"s face when he returned with the news of the death of the King"s great granddaughter . He even voluntarily asked for punishment because he felt like it was his fault for not protecting the young miss properly . He even felt pity for him because he didn"t mind his injury and received the whip lashes that rendered him immobile until now .

But now, suddenly the young miss is actually alive . "Father, do you think she is telling the truth?"

"I am not certain myself . That is why we will bring her to the castle and let the King confirm her ident.i.ty . Clan master Hu and Hu Hai would be able to identify her as well anyway . " Gu Lingdao said .

Gu Rin didn"t asked further . He totally agrees to his father . In any case, if she is really Lin Xulian, his friend will feel much better and would stop blaming himself . Their King"s mood will also get better .

******
Lin Xulian stayed in a small courtyard that only consists of a single bedroom and a four-seated receiving area during her two days stay in the Gu clan"s village . But even though the house is small and cramped, the clan head still gave her four people as "company" . Two would stay during the day, then the other two would replace them at night . Of course they are all female . But Lin Xulian knows that they are actually there to keep an eye on her .

Nevertheless, Lin Xulian wasn"t affected . This is much better than she antic.i.p.ated . She thought that they would lock her up in a prison until Gu Rin returns . Instead they treated her fairly . Although no one is there to serve her, they deliver three meals a day and morning and afternoon tea . The rest is up to her . Good thing she didn"t grow up just like other n.o.ble young ladies or pampered daughter .

The only thing that frustrates her is she wasn"t allowed to leave the courtyard . She was even willing to let them accompany her and watch her every move . She only wants to lift her boredom . And also find her stupid red bird .

Before she left, she promised her big brother Rui that she would inform him once she successfully enters the Qiangdu country . It"s been two days already since she arrived but her messenger bird couldn"t be found . "I swear I will roast that bird once I find him! Or maybe I should steam him!" Lin Xulian thought while looking at the sky in hope to find Fei .

Lin Xulian"s female companions cannot help but look at her weirdly . For the past two days, they noticed that she would constantly persuade them to let her wander around outside the courtyard . If not, she would just look up in the sky for hours and would stump her foot from time to time .

If not for their clan head"s instruction to treat her fairly, they would interrogate her and forcefully make her reveal her thoughts . After all, based on their observation Lin Xulian is acting suspicious . But since they have no choice, they could only double their effort in keeping their eye on her .

******
Meanwhile, the bird in question is currently lying in a pile of bones with his full belly sticking out . When Lin Xulian was caught two days ago, Fei decided to fly over the wall to follow her . But to his disappointment, he wasn"t able to catch up with the man who took his master away .

And when he was aimlessly wandering and flying around, he saw a flock of birds that looked exactly like him and followed them until they reached a cave that he a.s.sumed as their nest . The flock didn"t notice that there is one additional bird inside their nest and just proceed to have a feast with their hunt .

Being a glutton, Fei joined their feast totally forgetting about his captured master . He isn"t aware that as of this moment, his master is thinking multiple ways and dishes to turn him into for her dinner .