Princess, she is the one who facilitated the extradition.

"We haven't settled our score yet, why are you in such a hurry to run away?"

The servant had just stepped out of the gate of Changxiangsi when Guiyao blocked his way.

Gui Yao was dressed in men's clothing, holding a jade-bone fan in his hand, tapping it against his palm, and smiling maliciously.

Upon seeing that it was her, the servant hurriedly bowed and begged for forgiveness.

"Honorable guest, please spare me! I thought you would leave after you finished eating. Besides, you are a woman, and talking about such things would offend your ears, so I didn't dare to say anything."

"So, you're saying it's all my fault?"

Gui Yao approached with a smile, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I should thank you."

She vaguely guessed what the servant was up to. She had given him a lot of extra gold, but he was still not satisfied and dared to have other ideas.

"I wouldn't dare."

The servant stepped back, saying, "I truly didn't mean it."

"Then why are you running?"

It's just that they feel guilty.

"I……"

The servant's eyes darted around. "I didn't run away, I just... I have to go out on business..."

"Alright, I've been watching you for a while now."

Gui Yao unfolds his folding fan, asking, "Where were you seven years ago during the imperial examinations?"

"Seven years ago?"

The servant, not understanding why Gui Yao asked this, cautiously replied, "Seven years ago, I hadn't yet come to Chang Xiang Si."

Prince Jin's visit today is ill-intentioned, and he doesn't want to become a pawn in their scheme to deal with Chang Xiangsi.

"Snapped!"

She tapped him on the forehead with her folding fan. "Answer the truth."

With just a casual tap, the servant felt as if his skull was about to crack open. Knowing that Gui Yao was a master of internal martial arts, he dared not utter another word.

"Seven years ago, I was only thirteen and didn't have a proper job, so... I would look for odd jobs on the street, like running errands or delivering messages."

"That's quite a coincidence."

As dawn broke, the voice said, "Seven years ago, the newly appointed top scholar, Qi Yu, asked you to deliver a gift to the woman he admired to test her feelings."

You were delayed by something that day, and the next day you heard that he had fallen from his horse and broken his leg, so you became greedy and kept the things for yourself.

She pulled a purse and a gemstone hairpin from her sleeve. "You've pawned everything else over the years, leaving only this baby hair and the hairpin."

Recently, Qi Yu has been appearing in your dreams, blaming you for ruining his relationship with his sweetheart.

Seeing that he was wearing official robes, you suspected he had sought a position in the underworld and feared his retaliation, which is why you went to the Duke of Qi's mansion to repent and return the items.

"Innocent!"

Upon hearing this, the servant was so frightened that he knelt down with a thud, "I have never taken anything from Qi Yu!"

"I know!"

Gui Yao said calmly, "But if you don't do as I say, I will tell Prince Jin about what happened that day."

She smiled slyly, "Do you think Prince Jin would react if he knew you were plotting against his fiancée? And what would your fate be?"

"Un...fiancée..."

The servant was so frightened he was almost crying. Prince Jin had been caught in the trap, and Chang Xiangsi had already been dealt with once.

He didn't know what would happen to Chang Xiangsi if he continued to demand an explanation for his fiancée; he might even lose his life.

can.

"If I do as you say, the Duke of Qi will certainly not forgive me."

"They'll probably get a few lashes."

Gui Yao tapped her chin with her folding fan.

The servant continued to make excuses, "Even the Duke of Qi wouldn't believe it. For something as important as expressing one's feelings, the Duke of Qi's mansion has so many servants, why would Young Master Qi ask me?"

"Just do as I say."

Gui Yao narrowed her eyes. "If you dare not go, even if Chang Xiangsi doesn't make a move, I will send you to see Qi Yu."

Qi Yu's personal servants were the eyes and ears of the Duke of Qi, which shows how much the Duke of Qi controlled his son. It is reasonable for Qi Yu to use outsiders to avoid his family discovering his thoughts. The fact that the Duke of Qi cried in his dream that night shows that he was not without feelings for his son. He will believe it.

"go!"

The servant wailed, "I'll go!"

Between being beaten and losing his life, he could only choose the former.

"This must not be disclosed to outsiders."

Gui Yao warned, "Otherwise, I'll still take your head."

She pretended to snap someone's neck.

"I wouldn't dare, I'll go right away..."

Gui Yao then reconciled the details of the gift-giving ceremony and the location with the servant.

After making sure he remembered it, the servant grabbed the things and ran away in a panic.

Gui Yao looked at the flying hairy egg and said, "Follow him."

Mao Dan heard everything she said and quietly followed the servant.

Xiao Huaijin glanced at Zhijian, and Zhijian followed the bird away.

He walked over to Gui Yao's side. "The girl has a kind heart."

Qi Yu had worked hard for more than ten years, and only to break his leg after passing the imperial examination with top honors was he already in a miserable situation.

He was killed by Ji Linchuan, which led the Duke of Qi to misunderstand him as having homosexual tendencies. The Duke was so disappointed in him that he had his body whipped after death and buried in the most remote corner of the Qi family ancestral cemetery.

They were truly pitiful and wronged; they would probably be resentful even after death.

Gui Yao sent his servant to the door, and the Duke of Qi, upon hearing the servant's words, would realize that he had misunderstood his son.

Perhaps Qi Yu in the underworld can be happier.

This must be the real reason she came to Changxiangsi. With her connection to the antidote for the "gentle embrace," Changxiangsi wouldn't dare to slack off no matter who relayed the message.

Gui Yao chuckled, "Your Highness is overthinking it. I'm not some kind-hearted person."

Qi Yu was a talented scholar, and Yama, appreciating his talent, kept him as an official in the underworld.

I'll clear his name, and he'll definitely be grateful. Then, when he deals with the underworld again, he'll know that having connections there makes things easier. This is what I call being prepared.

She countered Xiao Huaijin's question, "Wasn't the Prince's approach to me also a form of foresight?"

Xiao Huaijin chuckled, "I couldn't hide it from you, Miss. So, can I say my preparations were successful?"

Gui Yao smiled and said, "As long as Nan Yao doesn't offend me, I won't target him."

What did the affairs of the imperial court have to do with her? She was just a heartless person with no past and no future.

"As for the prince..."

Gui Yao pointed to the old man not far away, "If Your Highness could buy all his candied hawthorns and give them to me, then I would feel that Your Highness is the best fiancé in the world."

"Such low expectations?"

It was difficult for Xiao Huaijin not to satisfy her.

Gui Yao carried the candied hawthorn back to Xuanji Tower. Xiao Huaijin glanced at the candied hawthorn that Gui Yao had given him and smiled.

Back at the palace, he asked the lamp-bearer, "What did Guiyao look like when you saw him?"

Shan Deng put down the candied hawthorn that Gui Yao had also stuffed into his hands, told the truth, and couldn't help but ask, "Master, do you really intend to marry her?"

Regardless of her background or identity, just based on her appearance, the lamp-bearer felt that Gui Yao was really not a good match for his master.

Although after getting to know her, I found that she is actually a very nice person.

Xiao Huaijin sat down at his desk, laid out paper, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote, "Contract, three years."

Nan Yao often contacted Zhang Deng to inquire about his situation, so this explanation was to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Even if others don't say it, his sister-in-law, who always treats him like a child, and his impatient older sister, would definitely come to see for themselves if they knew he had a fiancée.

Thinking of his family, a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips, and he began sketching Gui Yao's image with his hands.

At first, Zhangdeng was puzzled, but after Xiao Huaijin put down his pen, she suddenly realized, "Could this be her?"

Xiao Huaijin nodded. "That's how I see her, and always has been."

"But what I see at the same time as you is a different story."

She murmured, "No wonder she always wears a hat, no wonder the couple who run the steamed bun shop have a dispute about her appearance, that she has different faces, and that she's not disguised."

Moreover, the face she presents today is different from the description given by the couple who run the steamed bun shop. Just how many faces does she have?

What a strange person!

Or perhaps it is not human.

And there's that talking bird.

She became even more worried. "Your Highness, should we send a letter to the Imperial Advisor?"

The Imperial Advisor is knowledgeable and experienced; perhaps he knows what's going on.

Xiao Huaijin shook his head. "Tell him about the Ghost Market, but there's no need to say anything more about Gui Yao."

Gui Yao has promised that she will not harm Nan Yao as long as he does not make things difficult for him. Therefore, he should uphold the gentlemanly conduct. Besides, she has no ill intentions towards him.

Thinking of Gui Yao, his gaze involuntarily turned to the portrait, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.

Gui Yao was unaware that Xiao Huaijin was painting her; she was eating candied hawthorns and telling Zhao Mingyue about what had happened at the estate.

"I didn't tell you beforehand because I was afraid you wouldn't be able to stay calm and that Ji Linchuan would notice."

The Prince of Shu now intends to be frank with the Emperor; you should prepare to receive the child.

Royal bloodlines must not be confused. Even if he is only the son of a prince, the emperor would not allow Feng Youcheng's name to be engraved on the royal jade tablet.

Zhao Mingyue patted her chest in lingering fear. "Heavens, I was so careless. Luckily, you and Prince Jin saved Cheng'er."

If anything happens to her son, she fears she won't survive either.

"I thought he was a good person, how could he be so wicked, scheming against everyone around him..."

After complaining, Zhao Mingyue felt sorry for the Princess Consort, saying, "What will she do now?"

The princess raised her son, and she hoped that the princess would have a peaceful life for the rest of her days.

But Zhao Mingyue dared not think about the Princess Consort's current situation.

Gui Yao handed her a string of candied hawthorns, but didn't reply.

Everyone has their own destiny, and the Princess Consort has already chosen the path she wants to take.

The next day, Zhao Mingyue returned to Xuanji Tower with a pale face not long after leaving.

"Miss Guiyao, something has happened to the Princess Consort."