Chapter 345: Deployment

The fake eunuch was captured, but guess who’s still lounging around untouched? The First Prince, of course.

Rank stripped, exiled, and yet the royal blood running through his veins is enough to keep Wu Yong and the Seven Stars Bureau tiptoeing around him. With Gu Yanxi conveniently out of the picture, no one dared to lay a finger on the pampered royal. Instead, all they did was keep tabs on him like dutiful babysitters. But, oh no, it wasn’t them who snapped—it was the prince himself. The fragile ego couldn’t handle it and marched straight to the governor’s mansion.

Wu Yong had received the news early and had avoided going there. The place of his sanctuary was naturally the Hua family. Now he had a good excuse: he had a poison that needed to be cured, but Shao Yao couldn’t leave Hua Zhi's side, so he had no choice but to go to her.

Under her own nose, Hua Zhi didn't bother to expose him. She was now full of a sense of crisis and spent most of her time in front of a sand table, simulating various terrains on the map. However, she didn't do anything, just watched, often standing there motionless for half an hour or an hour. No one knew what she was thinking.

Hua Pingyu, bless his curiosity, tried to sneak in a question or two but was immediately shut down by Hua Yizheng. The old man had put two and two together, though even he wasn’t privy to the whole puzzle. Instead of prying, he took action.

He sent the younger Hua clan members to the military camp, drilling them in horseback archery like their lives depended on it—which, let’s face it, wasn’t far from the truth. The man himself, despite his creaking joints, put in half an hour daily to keep his body as battle-ready as it could be. Hua Zhi’s ominous words had sunk deep: When chaos strikes, even if you can’t fight, you damn well better know how to run.

*

Three days later, well after the sun had clocked out and retired, Gu Yanxi finally showed his face. Hua Zhi had been restless for days, her unease bubbling beneath the surface like a pot perpetually on the brink of boiling over. Even asleep, her body betrayed her tension, jolting awake for no discernible reason. Shao Yao, ever the considerate meddler, found herself cornered, forced to spill the beans: Yan-ge was back.

Hua Zhi quickly got up and put on some clothes before heading out. She immediately spotted Gu Yanxi waiting outside, listening for any movement inside.

Silently, she motioned for him to follow, her finger pressed to her lips in a gesture that demanded obedience. She led him, not to some grand hall or cozy sitting room, but to the kitchen—a place where warmth was conjured from fire and steam, not words. His hands, cold from whatever trials he had endured, brushed against hers briefly, sending a chill down her spine. But in the quiet sanctuary of the kitchen, that chill gave way to an odd, comforting warmth that seemed to ease the tension etched into his features.

Turning on the light, Hua Zhi, ever practical, rolled up her sleeves like she was about to wage war against his empty stomach. "Sit," she commanded, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "I’ll make you some noodles. You look like you need more than just a hot meal, but let’s start there."

Her hands, unfamiliar with the kitchen's rituals but determined nonetheless, fumbled with the stove. Gu Yanxi watched her, his heart swelling with an unexpected, almost painful contentment. This—this ordinary moment, unmarred by schemes or shadows—felt more like home than any grand reception ever could. A simple bowl of noodles and a warm cup of tea were all it took to remind him of what he’d been missing.

For now, the weight of the world could wait. He wasn’t about to shatter this fragile bubble of comfort with talk of alliances and betrayals. No, he’d sit, eat, and soak in the rare tranquility Hua Zhi offered, whether she realized it or not.

A bowl of noodles, a few plates of pickles, and Gu Yanxi, who hadn't eaten properly for days, finished everything without leaving a trace. Only once his hunger was sated, and the room felt heavy with unspoken words, did he break the silence.

"As you suspected," he began, his voice low and measured, "the Chao Li tribe has indeed allied with the grassland tribes."

Hua Zhi didn’t react immediately, but the subtle tightening of her jaw betrayed her thoughts. Another piece of the puzzle had slid into place, though the picture it painted was far from comforting.

"The scouts from the Seven Stars Bureau outside the pass did not find this information. Gu Yanxi continued, his tone laced with something between frustration and resignation, "Not because they were careless, but because the Chao Li tribe played their cards close to the chest. This alliance is fragile—built on mistrust and convenience—but it exists. They’re testing the waters, occasionally lending each other support."

"So, when the grassland tribes collaborated with the Second Prince, they were actually in cahoots with the Chao Li tribe?"

"More or less," he confirmed, his eyes darkening. "Not directly, but the Chao Li tribe’s involvement ties it all together. It’s a tangled web, but the threads are starting to show."

Hua Zhi exhaled slowly, the weight of this revelation settling over her like a suffocating cloak. There it was—the truth, ugly and inevitable. One more problem to face, one less illusion to cling to.

Hua Zhi pinched the bridge of her nose, exhaling softly, a weary sigh escaping her lips. “I’ve always convinced myself—perhaps naively—that the Chao Li tribe couldn’t have infiltrated the Daqing Dynasty too deeply. But here we are. You’ve already dragged a handful into the light. Wu Yong’s concubine? One of them. The so-called eunuch playing shadow to the First Prince? Another. And with the Daqing Dynasty sprawling across the land like some overfed beast, who’s to say how many more of their kind are burrowed into its folds?”

Her voice dropped, a bitter edge curling through her words. “Better to be a dog in quiet times than a human when chaos reigns. Yanxi, I’m starting to believe that war will break out."

It wasn’t just the Hua family standing on the front lines that haunted her thoughts. No, it was something deeper, something almost humiliating. She’d been plucked from a world of comfort and predictability, thrust into this era where peace was more of a fleeting rumor than a reality. History didn’t need to whisper its horrors—neighboring nations embroiled in war had already painted her a vivid picture of despair. Starving families, blood-soaked soil, the suffocating helplessness of it all.

No savior would ride in on a white steed, no deus ex machina would sweep in to cradle the innocent. Hua Zhi knew her limits, and they loomed painfully small. Protect herself? Barely. Shield her family? Laughable. And the mere thought of such calamities descending on Bai Lin had her tossing and turning through sleepless nights.

“We still have time,” Gu Yanxi murmured, his hand encasing hers in a touch that was warm yet helplessly futile against her icy fingertips. "We won't reach that point."

Her smile, brittle and forced, curved her lips but never reached her eyes. “Yes, time. Of course. They can’t touch us. Not yet. There’s no need to hurry into panic, is there?”

Gu Yanxi nodded, his hesitation almost endearing in its futility. “Okay.”

*

The next morning, Wu Yong was summoned to the mansion early on, and Gu Yanxi also brought Hua Yizheng in, leaving Shao Yao to stand guard at the door as the four of them convened for a private discussion.

"The Chao Li tribe has allied with the grassland tribes."

The news landed like a thunderclap on Wu Yong and Hua Yizheng, their silence betraying a shared realization of just how much worse their situation had become. Before they could muster a response, Gu Yanxi pressed on, his tone laced with the subtle arrogance of someone both in control and unapologetic about it. "I’ve already sent people to scout the pass, but let me save you the trouble of any misguided optimism: the Emperor has decreed that the eastern troops are untouchable. The garrison at the pass must remain fully manned at all times. Surely, General Wu, this isn't news to you?"

"I am aware," Wu Yong's voice was bitter. "But even the First Prince must see the absurdity of expecting my limited forces to fend off the combined strength of the Chao Li and the grassland tribes."

Gu Yanxi looked at Hua Zhi with a hint of apology in his eyes, and Hua Zhi suddenly realized what he intended to do. "I will lend you my assistance."

Wu Yong’s eyebrow arched, skepticism laced in every syllable of his retort. "Is the Shizi proposing that the illustrious Seven Stars Bureau will deign to dirty their hands and help us fend off the enemy?"

Gu Yanxi gave a small shake of his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips—an infuriating blend of patience and superiority. "Not exactly. Inspired by the Celestial Master’s alchemical studies, Ah Zhi has developed a formula originally intended for excavation and construction. Thanks to Wu Xing’s experiments in the Seven Stars Bureau, it’s now capable of far more... versatile applications. I’ve already sent for Wu Xing to join us."

Wu Yong glanced at Hua Zhi. "I have witnessed the Celestial Master's alchemy experiments before— if it's the same substance, with all due respect, I don't believe it poses a threat to the Chao Li tribe."

Gu Yanxi’s expression didn’t falter. "Wu Xing has made improvements. You’ll see its full potential soon enough." His eyes darted toward Ah Zhi, gauging her reaction with the precision of someone walking a tightrope. Relieved to find no signs of disapproval, he allowed himself a moment of composure. She might loathe the thought of using gunpowder in warfare, but she understood the necessity of it—grudgingly.

Both of them despised war, but they despised yielding to aggression even more.

"This formula is a weapon that must never fall into the wrong hands," Gu Yanxi continued, his voice lowering into a near-growl of command. "You’ll need to assemble a team of people you trust implicitly. They will report directly to Wu Xing. Not a single word about this substance leaves the camp until the moment of deployment. Am I clear?"

Wu Yong, despite his modest grasp of alchemy, harbored little faith in the miraculous prowess ascribed to the substance. Still, he was shrewd enough to recognize that the Shizi wouldn’t peddle empty promises. This subtle tug-of-war between skepticism and trust injected a palpable tension into the air, and he found himself agreeing without much hesitation, curiosity flickering beneath his calm exterior.

"Master Hua," Gu Yanxi began, his tone dripping with calculated authority, "there’s a matter that requires your particular set of skills."

Hua Yizheng, ever the picture of decorum, folded his hands in a formal gesture of readiness. "I am at Your Highness’s service. Please, speak freely."

With an air of restrained ambition, Gu Yanxi laid out his plan, his eyes cutting toward Wu Yong for effect. "Conduct a comprehensive investigation of all the exiles at Yinshan Pass. If circumstances align favorably, I aim to relocate them entirely, repurposing the pass into a dedicated military fortress. However, for the moment, my hands are tied. As a temporary measure, I will restructure Yinshan Pass, dividing it into an inner city for the exiles and an outer city for our military operations. Simultaneously, I intend to petition the Emperor for authorization to deploy fifty thousand soldiers to fortify the area."

"I would like to inquire, Your Highness, whether these fifty thousand soldiers will be under my command or if they will be led by someone else in coordination with me?"

"They will be incorporated into your army and you will have command over them."

In gratitude, Wu Yong bowed. "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."