Chapter 256
Chapter 256
Duan Wang Fei likes and was also knowledgeable about incense. Normally, she could always tell if there was something mixed with any incense she uses but this Jiuhe Incense was extremely rare and since it comes from other states, not to mention she has only seen it in books, plus Jiuhe Incense has a complex scent, which mixed at least thirty kinds of spices, and part of the spices was unique to the western region.
Qin Jiu suddenly thought of something and said: "Brother, when wangfei got the Jiuhe Incense, were you on your way to the capital?"
Gu Zezhi nodded.
As soon as he left West Xinjiang, he was ambushed. In that attack, all the accompanying bodyguards died. Only he escaped desperately, but he was also seriously injured.
Later, he simply took a detour with his injuries but failed to get rid of the assassins. If he hadn't happened to meet Qin Jiu in Yaoqing County, he estimated that the worst outcome would be death.
The phoenix eyes behind Gu Zezhi's mask narrowed as he turned his head to look at Qin Jiu, and the corners of his mouth curved and his gaze softens.
Thinking about it now, Qin Jiu's appearance was like a miracle, whether it was for him or his mother.
Qin Jiu was trying to recall the plot in the novel and muttered to herself: "If the heir had succeeded at that time, then wangfei would have been poisoned soon...by then, Consort Feng will have the right to be the legal wife?"
"Yes," the white fox mask covered Gu Zezhi's expression and was cast with a layer of glistening light from the lanterns hanging on the lamphouse. He said calmly, "For the sake of solidifying the heir's status, father will choose Concubine Feng as his new legal wife."
Just like what Qin Jiu thought, Duan Wangye's heart had already gone to the horizon!
She glanced at Gu Zezhi with sympathy and felt that the golden thigh was pitiful.
Qin Jiu motioned her mask downwards as she guesses that she should be a variable in the plot.
That was to say, if not for her, Gu Zezhi may not reach the capital on this trip. It's no wonder that during this period in the original plot, there was no Gu Zezhi in the capital.
Her eyebrows were tightly furrowed under her mask.
In that case, in the original plot, Gu Zezhi who did not arrive in the capital must have hidden somewhere to recuperate first...
And since Duan Wang Fei was angered to the extreme after knowing that Gu Zezhi was being chased by assassins, this causes the poison to attack earlier. Considering that Gu Zezhi's "life and death" was unknown...
What would happen to Duan Wang Fei?!
Qin Jiu's heart jumped, and suddenly felt that she seemed to find the hidden plot of the novel!
In the novel, while on his way to the capital Gu Zezhi's life and death were presumably "unknown" which causes aggravation to Duan Wang Fei leading to the poison acting up earlier. If then, would Duan Wangye realize Duan Wang Fei was poisoned?
Still assuming, Duan Wangye found that the Jiuhe Incense Duan Wang Fei was using has poison in it. And following this lead, he discovered that it has something to do with his heir apparent...given this solid evidence, would Duan Wangye still believe the heir apparent?!
So, what would the heir do in the face of Duan Wangye's anger?!
Would he "kill his own father" in order to keep his position as the heir, and then put the blame on the "missing" Gu Zezhi?!
The answer seems obvious!
Qin Jiu winced and thought she might have guessed right!
So, was she really a variable?
Qin Jiu couldn't help but turn around and look at Gu Zezhi, who was more than half a head taller than her and happened to meet Gu Zezhi's eyes. She said to herself sympathetically: Golden thigh is so pitiful. From now on, I'd better be nice to him!!
Though the red fox mask covered her face, Gu Zezhi could still clearly see a hint of sympathy in her eyes.
Gu Zezhi: "?"
Although he did not understand why she was sympathizing with him, it did not prevent him from getting a little benefit for himself in due course.
Gu Zezhi sighed softly and said nothing, his whole body seems to be shrouded in faint loneliness, even the mouse lantern in his hand shook slightly, looking pitiful, in contrast to the cat's lantern.
The next moment, he felt his left hand warm, and that warm little hand held his left hand and shook it gently.
"Let's go and see the lights!" Qin Jiu said with her eyes curving into slits.
"En." The corner of Gu Zezhi's lips behind the mask were raised higher.
Sensing that the golden thigh was in a good mood, Qin Jiu thought she had already coaxed him.
She was about to release her hand when she heard another "bang" and huge red fireworks flew up in the night sky, followed by orange, painting the sky beautifully.
The people on the street stopped in their tracks, and all raised their heads in unison, including the stall owners. Some people excitedly pointed their fingers at the fireworks in the night sky, saying, "Look, this is Lianzhu fireworks!"
"It's just a series of fireworks, I heard that this year there are six consecutive fireworks!"
"That's right, that's right. The official posted a notice that said, the six consecutive fireworks will not be released until the end of the lantern festival..."
"...."
At this time, four or five children ran from behind, shouting as they ran, "Hurry up, let's go to the Chenghuang Temple to see the fireworks..."
The boy running in front looked up at the fireworks in the sky, without looking at the road at all, and was about to bump into Qin Jiu.
When the two of them were about to collide, Qin Jiu felt Gu Zezhi grab her hand and pulled her towards him with a quick glance, "Be careful."
At the next moment, the boy ran past her like a gust of wind, causing the corner of her cloak to flutter. Several other children followed him with laughter as they ran briskly beside Qin Jiu.
Qin Jiu gave a low shout as she stumbled into his arms.
Although separated by a mask, at that moment, her sense of smell was extremely sharp, as the tip of her nose smelled the scent of green bamboo after rain.
"Xiao Jiu..."
His warm voice like the sun came from above her head making Qin Jiu stand up straight and looked at Gu Zezhi. With his head lowered, his mask brushed against her.
The white fox's mouth kissed the red fox's cheek.
Qin Jiu froze for a moment as if petrified.
He laughed lowly, his chest rising and falling slightly with his laugh.
She could feel the powerful pounding sounds coming from his warm chest under her palm, which seemed to spread down to all her limbs.
The scent of his body, the sound of his heartbeat, and the warm touch beneath her palm made Qin Jiu a little uncomfortable.
Her heart thumped up and she stared at Gu Zezhi with wide eyes.
The phoenix eyes behind Gu Zezhi's mask seemed like the summer sun sizzling on her face.
"You..."
She wanted to ask, but Gu Zezhi's warm voice sounded again: "Watch the fireworks."
His words were just swallowed by another burst of fireworks, as several fireworks burst in the night sky.
Subconsciously, she tilted her head again, attracted by the wonderful succession of fireworks, and for a moment felt as if she had forgotten something, she quickly put behind her.
The colorful fireworks burst one after another, reflecting the raised faces in the street below.
The fireworks stopped after about one tea time, while Qin Jiu was still wishing there would be other fireworks when Gu Zezhi took her hand and walked forward.
The stall owners on both sides of the street began to shout loudly again, attracting Qin Jiu's attention.
This was her first time experiencing an ancient lantern festival, so everything she saw was new to her.
Only after strolling for a cup of tea time, Qin Jiu had already bought a lot of miscellaneous small things, such as incense pouches, diamond flower mirror, lace, fan, and so on, filling up the small basket she bought from one of the stalls.
Qin Jiu still felt that she had more to buy, but at this time, the direction of the Chenghuang Temple began to display fireworks again, which was the six consecutive fireworks, which means that today's lantern show was about to end, and the emperor and empress would soon leave for the palace.
So, Gu Zezhi sent Qin Jiu back to the Chenghuang Temple.
"Then I'm going in..." Qin Jiu has taken off her mask, and her jade-like cheeks were flushed with a faint blush from excitement, like a blooming camellia flower that was delicate and fully vibrant.
With a small basket in one hand and a cat lamp in the other, she was about to go in when she stopped abruptly and muttered, "I almost forgot."
She first gave Gu Zezhi the cat lamp in her hand, then took out a purse from her sleeve pocket, put it in Gu Zezhi's hand, and said with a smile, "Take the New Year's money!"
With these words, she took back her cat lamp again. This time, she returned to the terrace without looking back.
Gu Zezhi grasped the purple purse embroidered with green parrots in his hand and looked at Qin Jiu's back, the corners of his lips behind the fox mask curving higher and higher.
Only when he could not see Qin Jiu's figure, Gu Zezhi withdrew his gaze and played with the heavy purse for a while before putting it away in his sleeve pocket and returning to the Duan Wang Mansion.
***