The reprimand caused a great shock to Duchess Min's heart, and her body swayed under the corridor. She felt the sky spinning and hastily held onto the vermillion corridor pillar to keep from falling down.

After looking at Gu Yunyao again, Duchess Min saw her face pale. The light in her eyes condensed, and every inch of the eyes was as cold as rain.

Duchess Min shook her head with tears bursting suddenly.

"Zhu'er, I know that you are hating me. It was indeed I who did something wrong back then. You hate me, but I don't blame you. Your father always garrisoned the frontiers or border region, only keeping you and your younger brother Jun'er at home. Your father had sustenance for Jun'er, and I was really terrified when I saw the imperial bodyguards being killed by bandits one by one. If Jun'er was hurt, when I saw your father, I was afraid that I didn't know how to explain to him..."

Gu Yunyao sneered, looking up to the sky and restraining tears. Her expression was blank,

"In this way, you abandoned me and the nanny and led someone to protect my brother to escape first. Now you see me in the palace as a concubine, and you think that I have enjoyed all the glory and wealth, so you have the idea of recognizing me, right? Don't say I hate you. Even if I don't hate you and recognize you, I'm sorry for the nanny who died to protect me!"

"Zhu'er... Stop talking, stop talking..."

Duchess Min covered her ears with two hands, crying and shaking her head. Her expression was sad and difficult. She only felt that her heart was split by Gu Yunyao's sharp words, turned into several petals, and shattered to the ground.

With knees suddenly losing strength, the woman's whole body collapsed on the ground. Her eyes were covered with tears and she couldn't help but make a kowtow to Gu Yunyao, begging with tears,

"Zhu'er, I'm really sorry for you, and I'm sorry for the Nanny Hua. If you want to hate and punish me, I will never complain. I just beg you to forgive me. Please forgive me—"

Gu Yunyao shed tears on her cheeks, staring at the person who lost in the agonized confession under her feet. Her eyes were cold,

"My name is Yunyao. Don't call me 'Zhu'er' anymore. I feel it disgusting! You will never get the forgiveness from me in your life. Back then, you wanted me to die, but now I will make your life worse than death!"

As soon as the curse fell, thunder crashed and lightning flashed in the air. The cold light was like a sword, and it rang like a hammer. The invisible force hit the earth hard, trying to clean up all the evils of the world.

Duchess Min stared at the sky in amazement with her figure trembling. Her frightened heart was about to pop out of her chest.

She found it unbearable to recall the past events.

In the heart, the old wound that was barely healed was torn apart again due to Gu Yunyao's stern curse. The blood was spurting out, and her eyes were scarlet.

Duchess Min cried with remorse and shame, covering her face with hands.

Hearing the sound, Empress Qian and Duke Min rushed to the veranda.

Empress Qian looked extremely surprised and hurriedly ordered Sulian to help Duchess Min up who was utterly routed.

Duke Min was in the army for many years, and he was always arrogant at home and outside. There was always machismo and patriarchal fallacies in his mind, and he used to be indifferent to his eldest daughter. It was only after her separation from her mother that he was sad for a while and felt something was missing inside.

At this moment, seeing his richly bedecked daughter, the head of the nine concubines in the imperial harem, slim and graceful, he couldn't help but get so mad that such a person had to push her biological mother into a state of grief in front of the lord of the Eastern Palace and many palace maids.

"Zhu'er, for what happened back then, I have forgiven your mother!"

Duke Min's face was livid, and his hard voice seemed to give orders.

Gu Yunyao coldly snorted,

"Even if you forgive her, it doesn't mean that I will forgive her for it!"

Duke Min's face changed, and he took steps ahead rapidly with his thick fingers pointing straight at Gu Yunyao. He shouted,

"Zhu'er, you, you—"

Song Qin found things were not going well and rushed forward to protect her master with outstretched arms.

Behind Duke Min, Empress Qian raised her eyebrows and said with a rising inflection,

"Your Royal Highness, you cannot be like that!"

Duke Min was a military officer and agile in his movements. He was already annoyed. His behavior was a little out of control at such a moment, and he actually raised his hand in front of Song Qin.

Gu Yunyao was stern and awe-inspiring and walked out from the maids' backs. She raised her lips with deep sarcasm and sneered at Duke Min,

"Do you still want to hit me like before?"

"... I... Well!"

Duke Min sighed in sorrow and slammed his iron hand on half of his cheek.

"Your Royal Highness!"

Duchess Min cried and almost fainted. Empress Qian waved her hand and asked Sulian to help Duchess Min return to the Lingming Terrace.

On the veranda, Empress Qian stepped closer to Gu Yunyao. Song Qin was eagle-eyed. With her hands folded and her eyebrows lowered, she backed to the side.

Empress Qian's eyes were deep, falling on Gu Yunyao's delicate and beautiful face. Swiftly, she felt a slight pain in her heart.

"Zhaoyi Yu, you go too far. People only live once and their life is bestowed by their parents. Pregnancy is not easy, so how can one simply know the hardships of motherhood?"

"Even though Madam Min was wrong in the past, she and His Royal Highness have been living in guilt and regret over the years. She really regrets today, so can you bear to see your biological parents so grief-stricken? Are you really unwilling to recognize them?"

Gu Yunyao's eyes were as cold as the moon, and she looked at Empress Qian calmly,

"Your Grace, you intend to urge the Min couple to recognize me. I would like to thank Your Grace for your good intentions. It is you who let me meet the murderer that killed my nanny during my lifetime."

"However, I only know my nanny in this life, and my own surname is Gu. I do not know where my parents are. I'm unwell, so please allow me to leave now! "

Gu Yunyao made a salute and turned around.

At this moment, her heart was full of anger.

She hated her parents and was even more annoyed by the nosy Empress Qian. She should not make arrangements to lure her to the Kunning Palace. If she didn't think herself clever, how could everyone be caught in an awkward dilemma?

"Bold! Zhaoyi Yu, you stop—"

Behind her, Empress Qian gathered her hands together in a deep voice.

She really couldn't figure out that how a reasonable and gentle person could become so firm and unkind once she got angry.

Empress Qian walked a few steps to intercept Gu Yunyao's path with a solemn expression,

"Zhaoyi Yu, how long do you have to deceive yourself until you are willing to give up? You keep complaining about your parents, but I don't think so."

"If you really resent Madam Min, why do you keep wearing that flowing cloud jade pendant? Have you never looked forward to seeing your mother one day?"

Gu Yunyao widened her eyes suddenly as if the water waved under her eyes, and her brows twitched slightly. Sorrowful feelings and moving emotions like epiphyllum bloomed on her beautiful face and passed away in a flash.

Her hand trembled to touch her neck and slowly held the warm jade pendant.

"Your Grace, do you refer to this? You misunderstand. I wear it to remember the hatred of the tragic death of the nanny ever and again, not to miss the stone-hearted mother and the indifferent father!"

With these words, Gu Yunyao's face was frozen as if she had made a major decision. She gritted her teeth and pulled the gold rope off her neck.

The jade pendant fell on the white stone. The sound of shattering was crunchy and shocking.

Gu Yunyao walked away quickly at the startled gaze of a group of people who could utter no words.

"Zhu'er..."

Duke Min straightened up in a daze and crouched in grief in front of the broken jade. He picked up each piece with his own hands. Tears streamed down as he closed his eyes.

…

Late at night, in the suburban Yuqing Temple in Bailipo of Peng County—

A slender priest dressed in a ginger-yellow talisman robe, hurriedly entered the meditation room, held the copper crane wall lamp in the corner with his big hand, and turned the head of the crane to an angle.

There were a few dull sounds, and the wall twisted with a slight tremor, revealing a secret room.

The priest rushed down the stone steps with the candle holder in hand. After he stepped on the third stone step, the wall of the stone gate turned again and closed seamlessly.

There was a room deep in the secret room, and the space was not large and simple.

On the bed with neat quilts, a man in mysterious Taoist clothes was facing the wall, meditating quietly with his eyes closed. On the back of the clothes, the picture of eight diagrams that was made of golden silk shimmered in the candlelight, which was very dazzling.

The priest walked to the bed and pointed his five fingers up. His voice was low,

"Master, we received news that the Jinsheng Pawnshop was investigated by the Eastern Depot and was closed down on the spot. The shopkeeper, his son, and the fellows were sent to the local prison."

The man in black listened carefully with his eyelids not lifting.

"We can't stay here anymore. Don't tell other people. At night, lock the doors and set fire in the Taoist temple."

"Yes."

The priest bowed his eyes respectfully and responded,

"After I find a good place to stay, I will contact those in the palace again."

"Fine."

The person in dark responded indifferently as if wandering in his mind again. He silently pursed his lips without saying a word.

…

After the Shopkeeper Qi gave the clues, Leng Qingtang closed down the Jinsheng Pawnshop for several crimes such as hiding weapons, helping the evil launder money, and attempting to assassinate the Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot. Shopkeeper Qi and his son were taken away by the local government officials.

The related matters had been dealt with, and Leng Qingtang’s followers continued to head all the way north.

As Shopkeeper Qi stated, the person whose alias was "Wu Laiye" on the accounts was a priest and he hid in the Yuqing Temple in the north.

In order to avoid more trouble, Leng Qingtang led a team at night to Bailipo to catch him.

Closer to the destination, thick smoke billowed in the ink-stained sky and the intense red light flashed like a tide, transforming into various forms under the bleak autumn breeze.

Zhao Wuji raised his head and looked up, and his eyes darkened. He exclaimed,

"Master, there is a fire ahead!"

"...Come on! Everybody, hurry up—"

With his pupils shrinking to a small point, Leng Qingtang waved his horsewhip fiercely. The horseshoe stomped out of dust and smoke.

Unsurprisingly, when they arrived at Yuqing Temple, they saw many local officials and ordinary people carrying fire extinguishers and running around to fight the fire.

Unfortunately, due to the fierce fire and the lack of water, this century-old Taoist temple was finally devastated by the fire and burnt to the ground.

Leng Qingtang dismounted from the horse, looked from a distance, and sighed,

"Covet gains ahead without being aware of danger behind. When we interrogated Shopkeeper Qi, someone delivered the message, letting go of this cunning snake."

Zhao Wuji looked at the scorched ruins and asked,

"Master, shall we go and ask those people for information?"

Leng Qingtang shook his head,

"No, the line is broken. There is no need to reveal our identity here. Find a place to spend the night and stay nearby to pry into information tomorrow before returning to the capital."

"Yes."