Exile at the start? The princess is no ordinary woman.

The silver needle was so clearly visible to everyone, without any attempt to conceal it, that it sent shivers down their spines. This seemingly delicate woman was actually ruthless and swift in her actions; just for uttering a few unpleasant words, she had rendered him speechless.

Just what kind of background and identity does this person have that she can even perform acupuncture and acupressure? Her performance was so astonishing that they were left speechless for a long time.

Realizing that his inability to speak was caused by this woman, Zhao Pengyu struggled to his feet and lunged at Gu Nanzhi, screaming, "Ugh!"

"Ah"

'You bastard, you're asking for death! You dared to plot against me! Untie me right now...'

However, Gu Nanzhi moved even faster. She stood up, dodged, turned to the side, and kicked Zhao Pengyu in the chest with her right foot, knocking him back to the ground.

"The lesson of your foul mouth will automatically heal after twelve hours. If you're still not behaving properly, I won't mind making you mute permanently."

Gu Nanzhi, who loved to settle scores on the spot, traced a silver needle across Zhao Pengyu's face with her fingertips. Her tone was cold, and Zhao Pengyu's struggles, hoarse rebuttals, and insults were gone from her eyes. She calmly turned and walked back to Ta Xue's side.

"This person is too noisy. I'll teach him a lesson. Lord Chen, you won't mind, will you?"

Chen Qiang glanced at Gu Nanzhi's fingertips, where the silver needles were no longer visible. He then looked at Zhao Pengyu, who had been kicked to the ground and was trying to scream but couldn't make a sound. He didn't care if the needles were given to a ghost; as long as Zhao Pengyu wasn't dead, it was none of his business.

"It's really noisy."

With those four simple words, he either ignored or approved of Gu Nanzhi's actions, and then said, "Let's go."

Zhao Pengyu tried to resist, but the escort, Old Zheng, had already dragged him up from the ground like a dead man, shoved him forward, and said, "Get up, you bastard, and get out of here, or I'll give you another beating."

Gu Nanzhi was quite satisfied with Chen Qiang's reaction. She was generally quite pleased with Chen Qiang, the head escort; he suited her taste, didn't waste words, and was pragmatic.

Gu Nanzhi reached out to take the food box back from Chen Gang.

"Thank you very much"

"No need to be so polite, Miss Gu. Let me carry them for you."

Since someone offered to help, Gu Nanzhi readily accepted the offer, saying, "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome, Miss Gu."

Chen Gang's lackey carried Gu Nanzhi's food box in his hand, a sight that even Chen Qiang, the eldest brother, couldn't bear to look at.

Gu Nanzhi touched Taxue, "Taxue, let's go."

Zhao Pengyu was pushed forward by the guards. He was alone at this moment. The guards were still standing on that bitch's side. There was nothing he could do, but his eyes kept falling on Gu Nanzhi. His eyes were full of malice as he plotted revenge.

Gu Nanzhi turned a blind eye to this; revenge could come at any time, and she was not afraid.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

While the people who went out to purchase supplies were gone, Cang Ling seized the opportunity to carry Jun Yanchen a little further away from the camp and behind a patch of grass. At the same time, Old Master Qi Su, along with his eldest son Qi Xin, also found a chance to follow them, avoiding everyone's sight.

"Huaiqing"

"Huaiqing"

"Maternal grandfather, eldest maternal uncle"

Qi Su and Qi Xin's eyes were filled with endless worry and heartache for Jun Yanchen, especially after what happened last night. They had been anxiously watching over him all day, trying to ascertain his condition, and now they finally had a chance to speak.

"Huaiqing, how are you feeling? Were you injured last night?"

Faced with the concern of his family, Jun Yanchen's eyes remained calm and deep, without any ripples. "It's alright, maternal grandfather, maternal uncle, there's no need to worry."

"How could I not be worried, Huaiqing? I didn't expect those people to be so impatient. They've only been away from the capital for three days. Could they have guessed who was behind it?"

Qi Su and Qi Xin had grown accustomed to Jun Yanchen's composure. This child had suffered far too much hardship and torment since childhood, yet they had been unable to properly protect him under the weight of imperial power, allowing him to become the way he was today.

It was all thanks to the child that he survived. Now, even the fate of their Marquis's mansion depends on him. Thinking about it, they are really useless, unable to even protect their own child.

The child became increasingly silent and lifeless, especially as his physical condition worsened. They tried every possible way to rekindle his vitality, but all their efforts were in vain.

Seeing Jun Yanchen's appearance, Qi Su felt heartbroken and even more sorry for his daughter, for not being able to take good care of the only child she left in this world;

"It's alright, it's just a few people, what difference does it make who did it?" Jun Yanchen remained indifferent. "No need to worry too much, the journey won't be peaceful, Grandfather, Uncle, take good care of the family."

"Huaiqing, those people are targeting you. We've been demoted and are no longer a threat, but they want your life." Qi Su and Qi Xin understood clearly; they were no threat, but those people wanted Huaiqing's life. It was clear that the journey ahead would be fraught with danger.

"If you want my life, come and take it."

Jun Yanchen's calm tone revealed an air of dominance;

Qi Su and Qi Xin were helpless. They needed to be more cautious on their journey so they could intervene in time if danger arose. Given Huai Qing's current condition, Cang Ling alone could not handle it.

The first assassination attempt failed, and it's likely that even more powerful individuals will follow. Thinking of this, the two then recalled Gu Nanzhi. Qi Xin pondered for a moment before speaking.

"Huaiqing, that child is Gu Honglang's daughter. Although she saved him last night, we still need to be careful and not trust her completely."

Cang Ling listened to this and sighed inwardly, "You reminded me too late. My master has already given his trust. Cough cough, in fact, I myself have also been impressed by my wife's performance."

Mentioning Gu Nanzhi, Jun Yanchen lowered his eyes as if deep in thought, before finally parting his thin lips slightly, "Huaiqing has her own considerations regarding her matter."

Jun Yanchen's words were clearly meant to tell Qi Su and Qi Xin not to worry about Gu Nan's affairs. As for the matter between him and Nan Nan, he did not intend to tell them for the time being, since there was no result yet, and the fewer people who knew, the better.

Qi Su and Qi Xin knew Jun Yanchen's abilities and skills well, and seeing his words, they said no more. This child had his own judgment in doing things, and they trusted that he had his own plans.

In fact, they had all observed the child's behavior these past few days, especially the interactions between Gu Nanzhi and Huai Qing. They hoped that Gu Nanzhi's feelings for Huai Qing were genuine.

Because Huaiqing seemed to have a special feeling for her, they hoped that someone could move Huaiqing, at least make him live more like a human being, instead of being so lifeless.

"Huaiqing, your uncle naturally hopes that the child has no ulterior motives, so that you can have someone by your side. These past few days, the child has taken good care of you, and he also knows medicine, which is quite rare."

"Huaiqing, just keep that in mind. The child's grandfather thinks he's a good one, but it's possible he's hiding it well. Be careful yourself, and Cangling, keep a close eye on things while you're with him."

"Um"

Jun Yanchen didn't react, while Cang Ling responded with a cupped-hand salute from the side.

"Yes"

"Well, then Grandfather and your eldest uncle will head back first; if they stay too long, they might attract attention."

"Yes, Grandfather, Uncle, if you have any silver on hand, please use it first. You and Grandmother are getting old, and long hours of hard work might harm your health."