Chapter 322: The Heir
The commander of the Five Cities Garrison Command quickly came out to meet Third Master Chen.
He sat in the hall of the garrison, sipping tea with a cold expression.
The commander approached, clasped his hands, and smiled. "It's rare for the Grand Secretary to visit my humble office!"
Third Master Chen pointed to the round-backed chair beside him, signaling him to sit, then tossed a document onto the table. "This is the city lockdown order. Commander Zhou, take a look first."
The commander was both shocked and suspicious. The issuance of a city lockdown order was no simple matter. Though Third Master Chen held the esteemed position of Grand Secretary, even he couldn't obtain such an order so easily! He opened it and confirmed it was indeed a lockdown order. Not daring to delay, he immediately called in his guards and ordered the city sealed.
Though the garrison was responsible for maintaining order in the capital, the truth was that the inner city was guarded by the Golden Crow Guard and the Divine Machine Battalion, while the outer city had stationed troops. Their actual authority was limited. Whatever had happened, news took time to trickle down to the garrison. The commander smiled and asked Third Master Chen, "For the Grand Secretary to personally deliver the lockdown order, it must be a matter of great importance. If this official knew the details, it would be easier to carry out the orders properly."
Third Master Chen explained coolly, "A group of ruthless bandits has infiltrated the capital. They are vicious and have slaughtered over a dozen people in Baodi. Witnesses claim they entered the capital. Given the city's dense population and wealth, it would be disastrous if they threatened the people's safety. We must trap them like turtles in a jar."
The matter of Gu Jinzhao's abduction carried a bad reputation and naturally couldn't be leaked. Fortunately, these men had committed murders, which could serve as a cover.
The commander was puzzled but didn't dare press further.
Orders from above were absolute—questioning them was out of the question.
Chen Yi soon entered.
He called Third Master Chen outside, speaking as they walked. "...Following the clues, we've found some traces. Witnesses saw the group enter the city and lose their trail near Jiuchunfang. They must be hiding nearby—a thorough search should locate them. However, we lack sufficient manpower. If they detect our pursuit, they might relocate. It would be best to request the Duke to mobilize troops..."
"The operation must remain discreet," Third Master Chen said quietly. "Where is Chang Hai now? I'll speak to him myself."
He feared these desperate men might resort to killing if cornered by troops.
When Gu Jinzhao awoke, she found herself seated on a heated bed, her hands tied to the railing behind her. She looked around—blue fine linen curtains, a paulownia wood heated bed table, bedding embroidered with auspicious patterns... Judging by the furnishings, this was likely an ordinary household. Caifu and Granny Sun lay nearby, their hands bound together.
She tested her restraints and found they weren't too tight. With a bit more effort, she could probably break free...
But then, hushed voices came from outside the door.
Gu Jinzhao stopped struggling and listened carefully.
The voice sounded like the leader's, tinged with suppressed anger. "...Third Brother, what do you mean by this?"
The other voice was unfamiliar, devoid of any Sichuan accent."You have a murder case hanging over you, and it wasn't handled cleanly. The Marquis's Heir won't let you stay! Besides, what's so great about the capital? If you return to Jiazhou, you can have anything you want. Do you think it's easy serving these nobles? That Marquis's Heir is notoriously ruthless. He's never shown mercy to people like us. Everyone here lives on the edge of a blade..."
"The men under me are no ordinary folk. If you just speak to the Marquis's Heir, he'll surely agree." He paused. "You tell me to go back to Jiazhou, but why don't you ever return? When Mother was gravely ill and wanted to see you, you didn't even send a letter!"
The other man sighed: "Xie Sixing, listen to Third Brother and leave for now! I'll return to Jiazhou later to pay respects at Mother's grave and beg forgiveness."
Xie Sixing...
When Gu Jinzhao heard this name, she first found it strangely familiar.
By the time realization struck, her entire body had gone cold!
No wonder it sounded familiar!
Xie Sixing—the former leader of the bandits in Sichuan. He slaughtered over ten thousand people in Sichuan, earning the hatred of the common folk for his heinous crimes. Later, he seized territory and declared himself some self-styled "King of Qi," greatly alarming the imperial court.
After he proclaimed himself king, the court could no longer tolerate him. They sent troops several times to suppress him, but each expedition ended in defeat. Finally, Third Master Chen was appointed military supervisor and went to Sichuan—it was during that campaign that he died there and never returned...
But the Xie Sixing of now was still just a bandit. Yet his cold-blooded ruthlessness, meticulous cunning, and formidable martial skills were already enough to inspire deep dread.
Who was this "Marquis's Heir" he wanted to pledge allegiance to?
From what she knew, the most ruthless among them was none other than Ye Xian, the heir of Marquis Changxing...
Gu Jinzhao closed her eyes with a bitter smile. She both wanted and didn't want to encounter him. If it were Ye Xian, she naturally wouldn't be in danger—but if it really were him, she didn't know how she could face him...
"Third Brother, you still talk down to me like this," he suddenly laughed. "This time, I've brought something with me—rest assured, it's absolutely valuable. If you let me present it to the Marquis's Heir, he won't blame you but will reward you instead. Since we're brothers... I won't shortchange you."
The other man couldn't help asking, "What have you brought?"
"Help me get an audience, and everything will be clear," he said coolly. "We're both men who seek profit. If Third Brother isn't willing, then don't blame me for disregarding our years of friendship."
What was he planning to offer?
Gu Jinzhao suddenly had a guess. The reason these bandits hadn't killed her was likely because they knew her identity... Her appearance was secondary—her status was what could bring this man immense benefits!
The voices in the conversation abruptly stopped, and Gu Jinzhao didn't know what had happened.
Soon, she heard footsteps approaching.
She quickly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
The door creaked open, and steady footsteps drew nearer.
Gu Jinzhao felt a rough hand land on her forehead, slowly sliding down her cheek... The thought of how these hands had killed people and bloodily carved horse meat made her unable to endure it for another second. She turned her face away and opened her eyes to glare at Xie Sixing: "What are you doing?"His beard had been shaved clean, and he was dressed in a pale blue robe, looking at least ten years younger. His features were strikingly deep-set, with pronounced eye sockets that gave him an exotic appearance. He turned to pick up the knife on the table and said calmly, "Don’t worry, I’m not the type to take liberties with women. I just wanted you to wake up... I knew you were pretending to sleep the moment I walked in. You drank the least from that bowl of water, so it’s only natural you’d wake up first."
The dark red blood on his knife was slowly wiped away, the blade polished until it gleamed.
That bowl of water really had been tampered with.
Gu Jinzhao subtly twisted her wrist again and found the knots slightly looser than before. Without revealing anything, she diverted his attention: "With such grand ambitions, why bother kidnapping a mere woman like me? Aren’t you afraid of being looked down upon?"
Xie Siyuan burst into laughter again. "What do I care if others look down on me? Just stay put!"
Someone called for him from outside, and Xie Siyuan, ignoring Gu Jinzhao, strode out of the room.
Gu Jinzhao exhaled softly in relief. The fatal flaw of clever people was their arrogance. Xie Siyuan probably didn’t even consider her a threat... Perfect! Her hands loosened slightly, enough to reach her waistband.
She pulled a few rice-sized pearls from the South Sea off her belt and clenched them in her palm.
Then she lay back and closed her eyes.
Since Xie Siyuan intended to take her to meet someone—likely to ask for a favor—she would surely be moved out of this courtyard... She still had a chance!
By evening, Xie Siyuan indeed returned.
Holding another bowl of water, he smiled at Gu Jinzhao. "Don’t worry, madam. It’ll only last an hour."
Gu Jinzhao nodded. "Untie me."
Seeing no resistance from her, Xie Siyuan didn’t make things difficult. He disliked laying hands on women—unless it involved killing.
Shortly after drinking the water, Gu Jinzhao felt her head grow heavy. She dug her nails into her palm, struggling to stay conscious.
Sure enough, she was soon placed in a carriage. Leaning against the carriage wall, she could no longer suppress the dizziness... Her palm was bloody from her grip, her entire hand trembling.
The sound of wooden clappers reached her ears—she must be in a town. The official road from Baodi led only to the capital and Daxing. Judging by the distance, she was likely in the outer city of the capital. As the carriage gradually came to a stop, she was lifted into unfamiliar arms and carried out.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, "Xie Siyuan, is this what you meant? This is clearly a woman—"
Xie Siyuan chuckled. "What does it matter to you? Where is the Heir?"
The man snorted. "The Changxing Marquis's Heir is too important to see you right away. He’s with the Marchioness... Who knows when he’ll come? Just leave the woman in the side room for now. I’ll go and announce you again."
Xie Siyuan suppressed his irritation. After all, this was the imperial capital, and he was here to seek a future! The backwaters of Jiazhou could never contain his ambitions. He forced a smile. "Then please ensure the Heir comes to see me."
Gu Jinzhao was placed on a chair, and everything fell silent again.
Dazed, she caught fragments of their conversation but couldn’t react, leaning against the chair back as she waited for clarity.
So Xie Siyuan really had come to seek refuge with Ye Xian.From her understanding of Ye Xian, he wouldn't refuse such a person. Didn't Ye Xian eventually rise to the position of Minister of War precisely because he suppressed bandits in Sichuan? If Xie Siyuan was truly his man, just how vast was this game he was playing with the Qi Zhen King? How many people had he schemed against?
Who exactly was responsible for Third Master Chen's death? Zhang Ju Lian, Fourth Master Chen... or Ye Xian?
Or perhaps more than one person was involved.
Gu Jinzhao could trace the threads of the matter, but the implications behind it all weighed heavier on her mind.
When she finally came to her senses, she saw Xie Siyuan sitting at the table drinking. He was a tall man, and his shadow loomed like a mountain in the candlelight.
Someone knocked at the door. He stood and walked out, followed by hushed laughter and conversation.
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