Despite all his reluctance and attachment, Gu Yanxi could no longer indulge in personal affections. Fortunately, the distance was not far, and they would no longer be separated by vast distances.
"Commander, Qu Qi has sent back a message," Xue Liang reported rapidly upon seeing his superior emerge. "The Northern Camp has rebelled but was intercepted by the Central Camp at the northern city gate. He has already made contact with the head of the Eighth Bureau."
Gu Yanxi sneered coldly, "Their objective was achieved by tying down the Central Camp. It may not be the entire Northern Camp that rebelled—the soldiers were likely deceived by someone. Order Qu Qi to take command of the Northern Camp with the Tiger Seal. Anyone who disobeys shall be executed!"
"Yes!" Xue Liang, who had long been suppressing his anger, finally felt a sense of relief. This was why he preferred serving under the Commander—there was no need to endure such frustrations.
"Order the Eighth Bureau to root out all the rats hiding in the shadows. Now is the best opportunity."
"Yes."
Gu Yanxi turned to the Crown Prince, whose gaze kept drifting toward the inner chambers. "A Zhi has fallen into a deep sleep, Your Highness. Let us attend to official matters first."
The Crown Prince nodded. "All those individuals have been captured—not a single one escaped."
"How is Grandmother?"
"Outwardly, she appears calm."
Yet everyone knew her heart could not be entirely untroubled. In terms of trust, the Empress Dowager had likely trusted Yu Xiang more than her own descendants. But Yu Xiang's betrayal had struck too deeply, leaving a chilling ache in the heart.
After a moment's thought, Gu Yanxi said, "Your Highness, please personally invite her to A Zhi's room. Tell her we are overwhelmed and request her assistance in looking after A Zhi."
The Crown Prince's eyes lit up. "Right! Keeping her occupied will prevent her from dwelling on things too much."
Watching the Crown Prince hurry away, the uncertainty in Gu Yanxi's heart finally began to dissipate. He still cherished familial bonds and retained tenderness in his heart—perhaps there was hope for the future. If he were to become like his imperial uncle one day, A Zhi would surely be heartbroken.
Setting aside these premature worries, Gu Yanxi addressed each issue brought before him one by one. Only then did he proceed to the Palace of Blessings and Longevity, where he saw a group of Chao Li Tribesmen bound by the Seven Constellation Bureau using special techniques.
Even in their current predicament, they still shielded the Wise Man in their center. In some ways, the unity of the Chao Li Tribe was terrifying.
"One move in the open, another in the dark—the Wise Man's strategies are truly ingenious."
The aged Wise Man sat on the ground, his expression not one of grief or resentment but rather a detached calmness, as if he had seen through everything. "I am no match for Lord Hua. Despite leaving no traces, she still saw through it. I had thought my final opponent would be Hua Yizheng, yet I ultimately fell to his granddaughter. Such is fate and destiny—it seems the Great Qing's fortune remains unbroken."
Gu Yanxi clasped his hands behind his back and looked up at the dark sky. "I am curious—how many years has it been since this scheme was first devised?"
"Forty-five years."
"How old is the Wise Man?"
"Sixty-one."
"That is a ripe old age." Gu Yanxi turned to him. "There has always been a legend that when a tribe produces a Wise Man, the clan shall prosper. To have such foresight at the age of sixteen—you truly live up to the title of Wise Man. The Great Qing suffering this calamity is not unjust."
"Yet heaven does not aid me."
Footsteps approached, and Gu Yanxi turned to look, his expression unchanged.
Gu Yanze bowed respectfully, the sharp edges he once displayed seeming to have been smoothed away overnight. Gu Yanxi naturally sensed this and raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes, I have a question to ask... about my maternal grandfather."Gu Yanxi offered no response to the address of "brother," merely gesturing for him to approach.
Gu Yanze looked toward the elderly man surrounded by guards. Before learning he was the Wise Man, he had only known him as Xiao Chengcai—a man who ran a martial arts school, skilled in combat, but undeniably a poor relation compared to the Ling Wang residence. Yet, this poor relation had never come seeking favors. Occasionally, he would even send small gifts Yanze’s way. Yanze had never disliked this branch of the family. Even if they lacked influence and couldn’t support him the way the Duke of An’s household supported the Heir, he had never held it against them.
Had he known it would end like this, he wished he had disliked them from the start. Then he wouldn’t feel this pain, this suffocating weight.
Covering his mouth, he coughed a few times, trying to ease the tightness in his chest. Then he addressed the old man he had called "Grandfather" so many times, "From the very beginning, I was the one to be sacrificed, wasn’t I?"
The Wise Man sighed in appreciation. "You are a clever child. If only you had been born with a stronger constitution, we might have taken a different path."
"So even if your Chao Li Tribe had succeeded by some chance, I, with half of the Gu family’s blood, would not have been allowed to live. Is that it?"
"The Great Qing belongs to the Gu family. As long as the Gu family rules the imperial house, and the imperial house rules the Great Qing, there can be no tolerance for such a threat."
"Just as Official Hua said." Gu Yanze let out a bitter laugh. "My usefulness to you was indeed significant. I served to hinder my father, secure my mother’s position, and even acted as a pretext for passing messages. In the end, you deceived your own daughter—my mother, who revered you like a deity—into bringing me into your schemes, using me to the last drop. To this day, she believes you would protect me, your only bloodline. Little did she expect the Wise Man to be so self-sacrificing for the greater good."
"It is merely a matter of differing allegiances," the Wise Man replied indifferently, seemingly unmoved. "Life on the island is harsh. Women are frail, and many do not live long. To bear even one descendant is a struggle; sometimes, neither mother nor child survives. Compared to two centuries ago, the Chao Li Tribe has not only failed to recover but has seen a sharp decline in population. If this continues, extinction is inevitable. How could we sit back and await our doom?"
"So you sacrificed even your own daughter." Gu Yanze turned to look in a certain direction, where two sturdy matrons held Xiao Shi in place. A cloth gag stuffed her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at her father.
The Wise Man averted his gaze as if she were of no consequence.
Watching his mother struggle to break free, Gu Yanze felt a malicious sense of satisfaction. Since none of them valued him, since they all treated him like a fool, then let no one come out unscathed!
Having watched the scene unfold with detached amusement, Gu Yanxi waved his hand. Someone stepped forward to escort Gu Yanze away. Noting how the Wise Man didn’t even glance in that direction, Gu Yanxi curled his lips into a faint smile. "The Chao Li Tribe’s population has sharply declined. Yet you’ve sent large numbers of people to the northern Yinshan Pass, the southern Xinyu Pass, and the capital. You might even have dispatched agents to the western Yueshan Pass. How many of your people remain on the island now?"
The Wise Man immediately turned to him, his pupils contracting sharply. The man who had been unshakable moments before was now tense all over. "What do you mean by that, Heir?"
"The poisoning of my mother—that was Xiao Shi’s doing, or rather, yours, wasn’t it?" Gu Yanxi’s smile was cold. "Before returning to the capital, I led a raid on your stronghold. I wonder if there are any survivors left on the island now.""Gu Yanxi!" The Wise Man sprang to his feet. The others struggled upright as well, their eyes fixed intently on Gu Yanxi. They must have misheard—how could this be? How could it...
"You may invade our territory and slaughter our people, yet I cannot kill your tribesmen? Does your Chao Li Tribe alone dictate all principles under heaven?"
PS: While revising, I realized Chapter Two is falling short on word count. Will make it up tomorrow. Ahem—this superficial gastritis sufferer Kongkong thanks everyone for your concern.
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