Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

"Sister-in-law, don't come out to see me off. My mind is made up. If you stay any longer, you'll only make yourself sick from all the stress."

Gu Jun Gui looked helpless and said, "Alright then, it's good that you have a safe journey and have left behind these troublesome worldly affairs. I'm so envious of you!"

Zhong Feihuang then took her leave and walked out of the city with her maid.

The onlookers sighed in dismay:

"The Cui family has already suffered many misfortunes this year, and now they've driven away the capable people. This old lady is probably afraid that she won't see the Cui family's house collapse before she closes her eyes, so she's deliberately adding fuel to the fire. It's like the old man hanging himself—wanting to die."

Those secretly observing the Cui family's movements watched Zhong Feihuang leave without taking any action.

"Should we ask the people at the city gate to detain her?"

"...There's no need for that. This farce didn't start on a whim. The divorce has been going on for days. It's normal for her to leave now that things have fallen apart. What we should be paying attention to is the first wife who is closely related to the Prince of Xiling."

"The first wife just came out to see Zhong Feihuang off, and she's gone back to her residence now."

"Yes, we have people we've bribed in the Cui residence who will keep an eye on things. We can just wait here."

outside the city.

Zhong Feihuang left the capital city smoothly without being stopped along the way. Her expression remained calm, but a great weight was lifted from her heart.

You Erniang had served as Zhong Feihuang's maid all along, and now she was worried about her younger sister:

"Grandma Huang, what about my younger sister, Third Sister...?"

Zhong Feihuang sighed and said sincerely:

"As someone who's been through this, let me tell you the truth. You San Niang will likely be neglected in the future. However, she is beautiful, and Cui Lian won't get tired of her anytime soon. When he wants to find a new love, he will at most neglect You San Niang and won't do anything to her, as long as You San Niang doesn't cause trouble."

I've marked out which properties and shops in the Cui family's property ledger that cannot be touched. As long as Cui Lian doesn't touch those shops, he can live a carefree life just from the harvest, and he won't mistreat You San Niang.

Don't overthink it. The choice was yours; from now on, we'll each go our own way. Don't try to support your own family while focusing on the larger family on your side!

You Erniang remembered Zhong Feihuang's words, but she couldn't bring herself to pretend she didn't have that younger sister for the time being. She nodded sadly.

"Grandma Huang's reprimand is correct..."

Zhong Feihuang took out the paper slip and wrote with her finger:

[Mingkong, I have successfully left the capital region.]

Chu Mingkong held the note and saw the situation Zhong Feihuang had conveyed in it, which reassured him greatly.

[Alright, walk a little further, and disciples from the Xiaoxiang Qin Academy will come to pick you up. My master will probably be among them.]

Just after replying to Zhong Feihuang's message, Chu Mingkong received another inquiry from Wei Qingning.

Brother, is there anything Qingning can help with?

Chu Mingkong didn't care what her intentions were and quickly rejected her:

【Please don't. If you help me, it could easily implicate your family. You don't want your mother to be running around all the time, do you? Just focus on doing your own thing. You've already helped a lot by giving me advance information. Once I've taken Aunt Gu out and things have settled down, I'll bring you and your mother to visit her.】

If Wei Qingning is discovered helping him at this time, it will be troublesome. Taking Wei Qingning away is simple; she is not a helpless girl, and her mother will not be a problem either. But the safety of the entire Wei family cannot be guaranteed.

Seeing Chu Mingkong standing there deep in thought, Gu Jungui walked over and took his hand with concern.

"Mingkong, what's wrong? Did Feihuang send you bad news?"

Chu Mingkong shook his head with a slight smile, put away the note, and instead cupped Aunt Gu's icy, slender hand in his arms:

"Aunt Gu, your hands are so cold from worry, let me warm them for you. Everything is going smoothly with Sister-in-law Huang. I was stunned because Qingning contacted me first."

Thinking about how I'm really preparing to leave Beijing now, I have so many feelings. I feel like there are people who care about me everywhere, and people I need to pay attention to.

It still feels like yesterday; I'm still a carefree bachelor.

Gu Jungui was also reminded of her own memories by Chu Mingkong's words. She didn't know what to say about Chu Mingkong's past, but Wei Qingning did evoke some feelings in her as well.

“Qingning... she was only this tall back then. She would always catch a cold and sniffle when it got cold. After the Wei family moved to the capital, she didn’t come to see me much.”

"I'm sorry to say that you're only showing her this once. If you ask her about the Wei family's decision to leave Xiling, she'll stammer and be unable to answer, which would be quite embarrassing. I'll bring her to see you again in the future."

Now it was Gu Jun Gui's turn to leave. Feng Ying was already waiting, but Chu Ming Kong acted first and asked for permission later, taking out Aunt Gu's mold and placing it on the bed.

Gu Jun Gui stared in astonishment at the naked "himself": "Ming Kong, what is this...?"

"Aunt Gu, it's just a doll. Can you give it some clothes to wear and put it on the bed to pretend you've been taking a nap?"

Gu Jun Gui stared at the doll in disbelief, unable to recover for a long time, because the doll's details were so realistic and meticulous, even the small mole on her left breast was reproduced.

And this "apartment layout" is the same as hers!

"How was this doll made...?"

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Living Under the Watch

Bringing it out at this time has one advantage: the urgency of the situation provides an excuse to omit the reasons, since you can argue with Yongzhen about the reasons.

Yongzhen had seen him take out all sorts of treasures before, including a strange bead that he had put in her mouth. But Aunt Gu didn't know that much, and it would be easy for her not to believe him if she tried to explain.

This way, it will feel much more natural to bring out the doll again and develop a relationship with Aunt Gu later. It will lay the groundwork and make it less abrupt for Aunt Gu.

"Mingkong, what exactly is this puppet...?"

Gu Jun Gui looked at him in fear. To be able to make such a detailed doll, didn't that mean that a craftsman had secretly seen her naked body?!

"Alright, Aunt Gu isn't what you think. I have a treasure that can transform into human form. Knowing your birth date and time, I can completely transform into your appearance by tying your hair up. This is to cover your escape."

"Time is of the essence. I'll explain to Aunt Gu later. Feng Ying, quickly take Aunt Gu away, don't miss this opportunity!"

Feng Ying was surprised by the large object that Chu Mingkong suddenly pulled out, but she was knowledgeable and could control her surprise.

Gu Jungui wanted to ask more questions, as such a matter concerning a woman's innocence could not be dealt with casually, but Feng Ying was already pulling her away, so she had no choice but to suppress her doubts.

"I...I'll pack a few clothes."

"It's alright, there are tailors in our sect whose skills are even better than those in the capital! We can buy them later!"

If Chu Mingkong really couldn't find a solution, he would borrow a few clothes from his master's wife, Shen Xuejun, whose chest size was similar to that of Aunt Gu.

Amidst Aunt Gu's deep worry and unspoken words, Feng Ying led her away. Before leaving, this gentle elder gave Chu Mingkong a deep look.

Chu Mingkong recognized that look—she wanted to twist his ear!

While waiting for news from Fengying, Chu Mingkong and his sister-in-law Keqing dressed the doll and placed it in a quilt to create the illusion of it taking a nap.

Keqing carefully tucked the blanket around the doll, perfecting the details of "Sister-in-law Gu's Afternoon Nap". Her slender body bent over, and her full, womanly buttocks were sticking out, facing out of the bed. The afternoon light that came through the crack in the window shone on them, and her thin, sheer skirt revealed a hint of alluring flesh color. Her round, pink peach-shaped breasts seemed to be swaying in front of Chu Mingkong.

Chu Mingkong moved a little closer and saw more clearly what an exquisite pair of buttocks were connected beneath the soft, fragrant, and graceful waist.

Sensing the man's approach and Chu Mingkong's gaze, Ke Qing's movements became somewhat unnatural, gradually stiffening, and she could no longer concentrate on the simple task of making the bed.

She took two steps back, trying to stand up, but because Chu Mingkong was standing very close, Ke Qing's two light steps back looked like she was rubbing her pink peach against Chu Mingkong.

Keqing, this sister-in-law, was a woman of natural charm, and every gesture she made exuded tenderness and affection.

She turned around, her pearly teeth shyly biting her lower lip, her beautiful eyes glancing at Chu Mingkong with a hidden charm—a kind of alluring yet not seductive charm that could stir ripples in a man's heart.

Chu Mingkong was genuinely afraid that being stared at like that by his sister-in-law Keqing might arouse some burning desire within him, which could lead to trouble.

"I'll come to check on Sister-in-law Keqing's cultivation progress later, but I've been busy lately and probably won't have time until tonight."

Keqing understood Chu Mingkong's meaning: focus on the present matter and leave everything else for later.

The stunningly beautiful noblewoman before him gazed at Chu Mingkong with gentle eyes and nodded softly:

"Alright, then I'll wait for Mingkong to come. Ever since we returned to the capital, Mingkong has been so busy... he hasn't had time to visit me. He's been going to Feihuang's place all the time. I thought we'd become estranged..."

Chu Mingkong sat down with his arm around his sister-in-law Keqing. Her delicate body was soft and boneless, and holding her in his arms made his heart flutter.

"Sister-in-law Keqing, please don't blame me. There are many things to do in this world. This matter of Cui Lian is troublesome and needs to be put aside. We have to give Old Master Cui some face. To be honest, Cui Lian is indeed smart and didn't do anything foolish by trying to take advantage of Sister-in-law Keqing. Otherwise, I would have had to send him to keep the clan chief and his son company and clean things up."

"Ah..." Ke Qing was a little flattered. She lowered her head, leaned against his shoulder with a soft, affectionate tone, and said in a sweet voice, "Ming Kong, you really know how to make people happy..."

Chu Mingkong's heart raced a little. Both were charming beauties, but Jin Yu had warmly and generously offered him her true feelings and longing, while Sister-in-law Ke Qing's charm was more like the sound of a zither suddenly heard in the quiet of the night, touching the heartstrings and making one eager to see her true face.

The sudden knock on the door calmed the rising anger in Chu Mingkong's heart. He breathed a sigh of relief and used his internal energy to hide himself and his sister-in-law Keqing.

Just now, he was really considering whether or not to let Keqing experience what it's like to be a baby pheasant.

There was no response to the knocking, so the person outside cautiously opened the door, and a maidservant entered.

The Cui family had many beautiful maids and servants, but Chu Mingkong had little interest in them and barely knew any of them.

Ke Qing leaned close to his ear, her breath warm against his skin, sending shivers down Chu Mingkong's spine. She whispered softly, "This is Bao Chan, a bit spoiled..."

After the maid entered, she glanced furtively at "Gu Jungui" on the bed and whispered:

"Acting Clan Chief Gu..."

Chu Mingkong gently licked Keqing's slightly cool earlobe, and Keqing let out a startled "Hmm".

The maid named Baochan didn't say much, taking it as the surprised sound of the acting clan leader being woken up from his sleep. Seeing that the acting clan leader showed no sign of waking up, she left and closed the door behind her.

"What could this person want with Aunt Gu?" Chu Mingkong's initial unease subsided.

"I don't know, Baochan has been coming to ask my sister-in-law about things from time to time lately... but they're mostly trivial matters."

Chu Mingkong understood that this person must have been bribed to monitor Aunt Gu's movements. If she were to disappear from the mansion for even a moment, the message would likely be sent to the monitor.

The doll that was placed there on a whim actually came in very handy. Otherwise, some of the bribed maids in the Cui household would probably have immediately caused some trouble and searched everywhere for Gu Jun Gui's whereabouts.

Although he had expected that there would likely be a mole within the Cui family, seeing that Aunt Gu had been living under the watchful eyes of these people for the past few days was like being doused with cold water, and he calmed down.

The message on the paper fluctuated. Chu Mingkong glanced at Feng Ying's message, which mentioned that she had already met up with Aunt Gu and Zuo Qiuchi.

Chu Mingkong retrieved the "Aunt Gu doll" from the bed, took out a lucky charm called the Dust-Free Talisman, gave it to his sister-in-law Keqing for metaphysical protection, and quickly left the Cui family.

Before a cup of tea could be brewed, another maidservant entered to check on Gu Jungui's whereabouts, only to find the room empty.

Soon, several maids in the Cui household started arguing and wanted to find the acting clan leader to settle the matter.

"Quickly find Grandma Gu and let her be our judge!"

Chapter 79 What a coincidence, are you also stalling for time?

The chief commander of the Nightblade Division, Cao Shengxi, who was the chief eunuch who guarded the emperor's bedchamber during his illness, sat in meditation in a hall where ancestral portraits were enshrined, like a statue.