The Empress had never considered herself as the hostess here. This was a grand mansion, but no different from the imperial palace, a gigantic cage.

“I repeat, out! Go to tell your master that I don’t want you to show up in front of me ever again! Or I will ensure it myself,” said the Empress.

While speaking, the Empress quietly put the diary into the darkness where the candlelight couldn’t reach.

Fu Ling was burst of anger. To be honest, she didn’t want to serve this tough woman; on the one hand, the Empress had never taken her seriously, on the other hand, for six years, she had taken the Empress as her rival in love.

They never liked each other, and she didn’t know why Bai Su insisted on putting them together.

“Why did you take yourself so seriously? I am sick of serving you. Do you think you are a likable person hadn’t been master’s order to let me look after you?” shouted Fu Ling.

The attitude was quite domineering for a maid. Perhaps she thought talking to the Infanta in this way would satisfy her vanity.

Instead of saying something, the Empress lowered her head, which made Fu Ling suddenly get nervous.

Fu Ling knew she didn’t like to take an upper hand before. But that didn’t mean she would allow herself to be a push-over. However, she couldn’t help having a very bad feeling now, as the Empress was still in quietness. She must be thinking of a fightback.

Fu Ling opened her mouth as if she hadn’t finished her words, but then she changed her mind. She knew she needed to leave now, but leaving in this way made her feel defeated, nor did she find it a wise choice to stay, as the Empress seemed to have no interest to quarrel with her at the moment. She was sort of stuck in the middle.

The Empress was actually reading the diary, which was moved to somewhere out of Fu Ling’s sight. Now full of anger, Fu Ling could spare no attention to noticing what the Empress was doing.

Gu Qiang seemed to have difficulty to understand the Empress’ words. However, at least, she still could sense that the Empress was asking her to save Shen Qianshan. She thus doubted whether this accident could be serious enough to kill Shen Qianshan.

“Was Shen Qianshan in grave danger?” she wrote.

Gu Qiang was a bit anxious because she hadn’t got any message back after a long time waiting. She couldn’t help being fidgeted about what was happening on the other side.

Finally, after a long dreary pause, words appeared on the paper again, “He had died for six years in my time.”

Gu Qiang felt a sense of pain piercing her heart. If Shen Qianshan had died for six years on that side, then his death was already around the corner now.

After leaving Xiaoyao Mountain, she hadn’t left home and had paid no attention to whatever happened outside. There were a lot of things going on in the capital these days, but not all of them had aroused her interest.

With just a glance, she noticed a piece of important information.

“Why did brother die?” she wrote back. Then she realized that she had asked the question in the wrong way. It would be better to ask about how her brother died so that she could put her guards on in advance.

Like she had expected, the Empress soon realized Gu Qiang’s concern, then she slowly put down her words, “Don’t let Brother Huai’an leave the capital. Watch out Shen Zhongbai for him.”

Then she looked up and found that Fu Ling had already left. Although this was the first time she failed to outspeak someone, she remained the winner.

Fu Ling was such an annoyance. Before getting down to her business, she needed to get rid of this maid first, she thought.

With the notice received from the Empress, Gu Qiang suddenly felt her life full of hope again.

Not even sleeping that night, she dashed to Xiaoyao Mountain on her own.

The moon was shining against the dark sky. Gu Qiang wasn’t wearing too many clothes; she even hadn’t got time to find one.

However, when she arrived at her destination and found that things were not as optimistic as she thought.

Everyone on the mountain was busy doing something; they didn’t even notice her presence.

Was Shen Qianshan really in danger? If he had died, she would have no chance left. Because there wouldn’t be another younger Gu Qiang from another diary to help her turn the tide.

Seeing a maid passing by, she quickly grasped her on the arm and asked, “Anything wrong had happened?”

The maid looked at her in deep grief, and replied in a tone full of sadness, “The Ninth Duke’s life was in grave danger. Everyone here was busy around the clock. His Majesty and the Empress Dowager will soon arrive. Lady Infanta, please take a look at him for the sake of his love for you.”

Caught in panic, Gu Qiang followed the maid away to Shen Qianshan’s chamber palace immediately.

Many people were waiting in the courtyard, most of whom were doctors, some from the palace, and some from the civilian. Even her brother Gu Huaian was here.

She quickly seized Gu Huaian to her side and asked him hastily, “Brother, how is the Ninth Duke?”

Gu Huaian touched her head and replied with a slight smile, “He is fine. The imperial family was only making a fuss. I think they might only want to make it a chance for the imperial doctor to practice.”

Gu Qiang gave him a queer look, feeling weird. She couldn’t find any impression on her brother’s face. Apparently, he was not worried about the Ninth Duke at all. But she thought the case wouldn’t be as simple as this.

“Has the imperial family arrived?” she whispered at Gu Huaian ear.

“They should arrive around midnight. It’s not usual to see the imperial family visiting somewhere all together. They were only showing Shen Qianshan a bit of respect.”

Gu Qiang glanced over the crowds carefully, trying to spot some familiar faces among the imperial doctors. Unfortunately, she knew none of them.

If Shen Qianshan hadn’t been seriously injured like what Gu Huaian said, he must have been killed by someone while he was weak. Otherwise, how could he have died as what had happened on the other side of the diary?

She couldn’t let it happen.

“Brother, can you help with the Ninth Duke’s condition?” she asked Gu Huaian quietly.

Although Gu Huaian had never bragged about his knowledge, he nodded immediately after his sister’s inquiry. “Believe me, I will help him recover,” he replied softly, with a sincere look in his eyes.

Gu Qiang finally felt relieved. Clearing her throat, she spoke to all the doctors who came to Shen Qianshan’s treatment, “Thank you for your concern to the Ninth Duke. As the weather is getting cold, you may take your leave. We will take care of the situation here.”

All the doctors were looking at her. They knew this skinny girl, who looked so determined in her eyes that made them dare not to say anything against her.

The imperial family hadn’t arrived yet, and Shen Qianshan wasn’t well. Nobody could decide for him when the entire Xiaoyao Mountain was in a mess.

She was Infanta Luoping, the lady from the Gu Family who was very close to the Ninth Duke. Normally, the doctors should have just listened to her and left.

But someone just couldn’t help being mean. “How could you tell us what to do? Even the imperial family hasn’t told us to leave!” A young voice came out from the crowd.

Trying to threaten Gu Qiang in the name of the imperial family at a time like this? Fortunately, Gu Qiang had already grown used to such questioning as she grew up. She raised her eyes, trying to find out where the voice came from. “I am an Infanta, are you taking my words for nothing?”

The crowd fell silent, then, one by one, they all left the palace.

Some young doctors still wanted to stay, but they were intimated by the aura around that small skinny girl.

There were still many a day to come. It was not a wise choice to offend this Infanta as she was riding high at the moment.

Within minutes, all people outside the palace were gone. Gu Qiang led Gu Huaian inside, “Brother, please get in and have a check of the Ninth Duke’s condition. As for the doctors who came at Shen Zhongbai’s request, send them away, and do it quietly.”

Gu Huaian looked at Gu Qiang in silence, failing to make out the detailed expression on his sister’s face under the dim moonlight. He just couldn’t understand why Gu Qiang showed so much concern for the Ninth Duke.

Were they back on good terms again? That would be good news. As Gu Qiang’s brother, he did think Shen Qianshan could become a good brother-in-law.

“You don’t mean…” said Gu Huaian, giving her an unspeakable look.

There was only one reason why his sister got so vigilant against Shen Zhongbai. He must have planned to get rid of Shen Qianshan long ago. If so, he would bit by bit reveal his ambition.

Or it was because the imperial family was taking Shen Qianshan as an eyesore and wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of him? That was highly likely as well.

Gu Qiang nodded helplessly. She knew Gu Huaian was clever enough to learn the situation and didn’t need to explain everything clearly.

They walked into Shen Qianshan’s room and found all the imperial doctors had gone with only two maids left. But they also asked for their leave after seeing Gu Qiang coming in.

Shen Qianshan was lying on the bed alone, with his forehead full of sweat, and his stomach bounded in white cloth, looking very miserable.

Gu Qiang didn’t know what he had suffered while she was away. She felt quite sorry for him and hoped that it hadn’t been her who made him end up in this situation. She had owed Shen Qianshan a lot of favors already and wanted no more.

Once you owed somebody too many favors, things would get pretty complicated.

Gu Huaian hurried to check Shen Qianshan’s situation, then he frowned.

“He is not good, Qiang. Things are much complicated than we thought,” said Gu Huaian, writing something on the paper.