Chapter 302: Chapter 302: Can’t Afford to Get Hurt

Over an hour later, the carriage finally stopped at the entrance of a large mansion in Sparkling Spring Alley. Xiao Yunjing helped Gu Qingli alight from the carriage.

Gu Qingli surveyed the mansion. It was situated in a relatively secluded area. From the outside, nothing distinguished it, and there was no signboard. It seemed Xiao Yunjing preferred to keep a low profile and didn’t want this location known.

Just then, Yun No. 14 stepped forward and knocked. A middle-aged doorman answered. Upon seeing it was Yun No. 14, he immediately beamed and said, “Sir, you’re back! Please, come in.”

Yun No. 14 glanced at the doorman but didn’t enter. Instead, he gestured for Xiao Yunjing and Gu Qingli to proceed.

Xiao Yunjing glanced at Liu Desheng, who had already alighted from another carriage, and said, “You all wait outside for a bit. We’ll be out shortly.”

Liu Desheng replied respectfully, “Yes, Ninth Master.”

Xiao Yunjing led Gu Qingli into the mansion by the hand. Its layout was quite similar to the Gu Residence; winding, covered corridors were a standard feature. This design primarily allowed one to enjoy the courtyard scenery even on rainy or snowy days without getting one’s shoes wet. After all, waterproof shoes didn’t exist here. The courtyard’s furnishings were even more luxurious than those at the Gu Residence.

Gu Qingli looked around, thoroughly pleased, a constant smile playing on her lips.

Xiao Yunjing knew her disposition; she had always appreciated beautiful things. Any place associated with her, if decorated beautifully and lavishly, would perfectly suit her taste.

Xiao Yunjing led Gu Qingli to their designated courtyard in the rear of the estate and opened the door. Then, they entered the bedchamber.

Gu Qingli glanced at the bedchamber’s setup, a wry thought crossing her mind. The furnishings and layout were remarkably similar to their usual quarters.

“What do you think? Does Li’er like it? Perhaps we can come stay here when we have some free time?”

Gu Qingli nodded. Of course, I like it.

After they had looked around and returned to the main hall, Gu Qingli asked, “Yunjing, shall I bring them all out now?”

“Yes, you can. The people here are all reliable; they won’t spread word.”

Gu Qingli nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly. With a mere thought, she brought Nanny and the three little ones out from the Space. She also brought out Gu Qingqiu and Daniu, intending for the two youths to stay in this courtyard for the time being.

“Master!” Gu Qingqiu exclaimed.

“Brother-in-law!” Daniu added, his voice equally excited.

Seeing Xiao Yunjing, both Gu Qingqiu and Daniu rushed towards him, their faces alight with excitement as they looked up at him with wide grins.

Xiao Yunjing patted their heads. “You two will stay here for now. In the future, dedicated tutors will instruct you in your daily life and studies.”

Xiao Yunjing had no intention of bringing them to live in the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace had its own rules; young men had to move out upon reaching adulthood. These two weren’t far from that age, so there was no need for them to move in only to move out again later. Living here was perfectly suitable.

“Alright!”

The two nodded happily. As long as their Master, Sister Li’er, and Brother-in-law were present, anywhere was a good place to be.

“Then you should understand what can and cannot be said.” Xiao Yunjing gave them a stern reminder, afraid they might inadvertently reveal Li’er’s Space. As he spoke, he also looked towards Nanny and the two female servants with her.

“Don’t worry, Brother-in-law! Master!” Gu Qingqiu and Daniu said in unison. “We won’t. We’re not foolish. We’ve already sworn never to reveal Sister Li’er’s secret.” Indeed, Wuqing had already warned them while they were in the Space. The Space was so miraculous that if word got out, Gu Qingli’s life would be endangered. Thus, the two had immediately taken an oath.

“Good. As long as you understand.” Xiao Yunjing was pleased that the two boys were sensible and understood the gravity of the situation.

“We servants won’t speak of it either,” Nanny and the two other female servants also declared. They wouldn’t dare. As servants, their lives were in their master’s hands. Though they lacked freedom, they cherished their lives all the same.

“Good, as long as you remember. For you, this knowledge is not a blessing but a potential calamity. You absolutely must guard your tongues.”

Xiao Yunjing deliberately emphasized the gravity. If they feel it doesn’t directly affect them, they’re more likely to let it slip inadvertently. But if it’s tied to their own well-being or survival, they wouldn’t utter a word even if beaten to death. This is human nature. It’s not necessarily selfishness; it’s just how people are wired. When one’s own vital interests or life are at stake, their lips become as tightly sealed as if sewn shut.

Hearing this, they all nodded gravely once more.

Seeing their solemn expressions and confident that his words had sunk in, Xiao Yunjing then said to them, “You may all go out for now. We have some matters to attend to here. We’ll find you when we’re done.”

They nodded again. Nanny, taking the three little ones with her, then exited with Gu Qingqiu and Daniu.

Once everyone had departed, Xiao Yunjing finally brought up the matter of Gu Qingping’s child.

“Li’er, is that child truly alright?”

Letting that wet nurse off so easily was too lenient, Xiao Yunjing thought. He had wanted to say something, but since Li’er hadn’t pressed the issue, he, as Gu Qingping’s brother-in-law, decided it was best to stay out of it.

Gu Qingli shook her head. “It’s truly nothing serious. It wasn’t a major issue. As long as the child stops drinking the wet nurse’s milk, he’ll recover even without medicine. The wet nurse took the drug herself, and it was passed to the child through her milk. However, long-term ingestion would indeed cause significant harm.”

“That’s good to hear. Didn’t you say you needed to prepare some medicine? Go ahead and do that now. I’ll wait for you outside, alright?” Xiao Yunjing gently rubbed Gu Qingli’s head. He was eager to see their children; he hadn’t seen them for several days and missed them terribly.

“Alright. I’ll just pop into the Space for a moment and be right out.”

Xiao Yunjing nodded and stepped out of the room to see the three little ones.

Gu Qingli entered the bedchamber, closed the door, and then flashed into the Space. She first went to check on the injuries of Wuqing and the other three girls. Apart from Wuyou, who still couldn’t engage in strenuous activity, Wuqing and the other two were already up and about, lively as ever.

The injuries of the other sixty people had also mostly healed. Gu Qingli sighed in admiration. The medicinal products from the Space are truly potent.

Gu Qingli decided not to let these sixty people out yet. She planned to have them emerge only after she returned to the Imperial Palace.

Once out, their sole purpose would be to protect me and my three children. The Imperial Palace is teeming with treacherous individuals. The three little ones are still so young and vulnerable to unexpected dangers. I must create an ironclad environment for them. I cannot let them come to any harm. In that cutthroat Imperial Palace, a place that devours people whole, an injury is often a fatal one. She couldn’t afford for them to be hurt. Therefore, I must train these sixty individuals into supreme experts.

Fortunately, the snow lotus in the Space had actually produced seeds, and their potency was even greater than those harvested from the outside world. She had simply tossed it into the Space previously, paying it no mind and not caring whether it would bear seeds or not. To her surprise, it had yielded a considerable number—she had already collected a full eighty of them. This time, she planned to consume one herself. Even without knowing martial arts, possessing some internal energy would be beneficial. If she encountered an ambush like the previous assassination attempt, even if she didn’t know any proper techniques, she could at least flail about wildly. The key was to have some ability to protect herself. Of course, when she left, she had included two of these precious snow lotus seeds among the items for Ms. Wu, specifically for Dashuang and Xiaoshuang to consume. Only when their martial arts became formidable would she truly feel at ease.

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