Chapter 246: Persistent Intent

"No, he has the opportunity." Gu Yanxi lowered his head to look at the incomplete wolf carcass, missing its head, "General Lu should know that the Chaoli tribe wouldn't leave such a person in our hands."

"This subordinate understands, I'll go back to prepare now."

"I've already sent someone back to the capital to call for reinforcements, but the earliest they can arrive is two days. Yuan Shifang can't stay in the city. I'll send someone to escort him to the military camp, and I'll have to trouble General Lu to keep an eye on him."

Lu Peiyu had long heard of the formidable reputation of the Seven Stars Bureau, but this was the first time he had dealt with them. Without a guilty conscience, he had no reservations and asked whatever came to mind, "Should we keep Yuan Shifang's whereabouts a secret?"

Gu Yanxi looked at Lu Peiyu through his mask. The Lu family used military strategy books for their children's education, so he wasn't worried that Lu Peiyu was incompetent. What he was worried about was the Yuzhou army, which had not seen battle for many years, and he didn't know how much fighting spirit they still had.

"Outsiders will only know that Yuan Shifang is still the governor of Yuzhou, but he is simply on sick leave for two days due to poor health."

"Yes, this subordinate knows what to do."

"Don't let anyone contact him."

"Yes."

Watching Lu Peiyu leave, Gu Yanxi called out, "Someone come."

"Your subordinate is here."

"Tell the three guards on duty, I want useful news before dawn."

"Yes."

Finally, the room was quiet. Gu Yanxi reviewed the events in his mind, and then turned his attention to Hao Yue.

A person without even a surname, even if she was truly a celestial being, he couldn't trust her in the slightest. Without seeing her, just by listening to her tone, he could hear her boundless ambition.

The most unambitious person he had ever met was Ah Zhi. Even now, he had not been able to fathom her depths. It was as if she knew everything, and nothing in this world could be difficult for her, yet such a person could live peacefully in a courtyard for many years without any desire for fame or fortune. This was true lack of ambition, and the person who talked about transcendence and worldly affairs would have great plans.

Is it about a marriage alliance?

Does it refer to the next monarch, or perhaps... him?

Since she dared to use this matter to seek refuge, she must be confident. Regardless, Jingzhou and Xiangyang need to be prepared for any eventuality.

Thinking of Jingzhou, Gu Yanxi's gaze softened. He wondered where Ah Zhi had gone and if she was preparing to return. Fortunately, she was decisive and didn't wait for him to go south together. With the involvement of the Chao Li tribe, he probably couldn't go anywhere in the short term.

Thinking of Ah Zhi going south and then north, Gu Yanxi lowered his eyes. No matter what, he would definitely follow her north.

For Ah Zhi, there were only two places in the world that could concern her: the capital and Yingshan Pass. He didn't dare to think about how much he weighed in Ah Zhi's heart, but he was certain that no matter how important he was, it couldn't compare to the importance of her family. Going south and north were simply incomparable.

He could not accompany Ah Zhi to Jingzhou due to official business, but if he went north, unless the Chao Li tribe had already crossed the border and invaded, he would follow.

Yuan Shifang, as expected, was a tough nut to crack. It wasn't until after midnight that Chen Qing finally knocked on the door, holding a freshly baked scroll.

Gu Yanxi examined every word carefully, his lips pressed together. Forty-five years ago, the fuse had been laid. The Chaoli tribe, with their persistent evil intentions, had captured a woman from the Daqing Dynasty in those days, given birth to a child, and then switched the child with the Yuan family. The child grew up beside him, knowing his identity from a young age and thus developing no sense of belonging to the Daqing Dynasty. It was truly a brilliant strategy.

"Master, about the Yuan family..."

"Don't say anything yet," Gu Yanxi said coldly.

Yuan Shifang was indeed a member of the Chaoli tribe. Even if he wasn't a direct descendant, the Yuan family had raised him, and his adoptive father had doted on him for many years. Yet, in the end, to be on the safe side, he had silenced them both, showing how ruthless he was.

"Continue the interrogation. Since the Chaoli people came up with this method, there must be more than just Yuan Shifang. After we return to the capital, you can bring people to Yuzhou and follow the clues from Yuan Shifang to see if you can find more people."

Just thinking about how many Chao Li people might be lurking in the Great Qing Dynasty, Chen Qing gasped. With someone like Yuan Shifang, who looked no different from a native of Great Qing, how could they possibly distinguish them?

"No one except the Seven Stars Bureau is allowed to get involved in this."

"But Master, once this becomes public, the Three Departments and Six Ministries will probably..."

"No." Gu Yanxi's voice deepened. "If they get involved, this will only turn into a tool for them to frame each other. I don't want to end up finding only innocent people."

"Yes, I understand."

"The Three Stars only have one hour." Gu Yanxi took out a map and lightly traced a finger over it. "The secret passage can no longer be called secret. We can't go that way anymore. After an hour, you'll lead a team of people to take Yuan Shifang out of the city from here and hand him over to General Lu personally. For safety's sake, feed him a Sleeping Pill."

A name as casual as Sleeping Pill must have been thought up by Shao Yao. The effect of the drug was just as perfunctory as its name; after taking it, even if they bled him dry, he wouldn't wake up.

Outside, the patter of rain gradually subsided. The rain had stopped, but a great wind was about to rise in Yuzhou, and when it fell again, it would surely be a torrential downpour.

*

The sun slowly rose from the horizon, breaking through the clouds, its rays shooting out, and instantly the entire sky became bright.

Hua Zhi had been to many places in her previous life and eaten many delicacies, but sitting by the sea and watching the sunrise without thinking about anything was her first time. Like everyone else, she was filled with awe, but the difference was that she was better at pretending, and her mouth didn't drop open.

At this moment, a group of people were sitting on a boat, and the boat was stopped at the farthest place local people dared to go. Looking around in all directions, there was nothing but the endless sea. Such vastness, such awe-inspiring feeling, was something that the Wei River could not compare to. Bao Xia's face was pale, and the red glow of the sky on her face was like the finest rouge.

"It's so beautiful." Shao Yao rested her chin on her hand, her face full of fascination.

Hua Zhi smiled and patted her head. Only the purest heart could discover the most beautiful things. So Xiao Liu would be shocked, she would appreciate, and only Shao Yao could make such a pure exclamation.

Glancing at the little boy who was pursing his lips, Hua Zhi looked back at the sun that was gradually rising. She should have lived up to her mission on this trip. With such a vast sea and such a sunrise that people couldn't take their eyes off, she hoped it could broaden his horizons and make his heart more capacious.

"Let's head back," Hua Zhi suggested, turning to the prince.

Just as Xu Ying was about to go inform the captain, the Sixth Prince had asked him to wait.

Since their departure, he had discovered that the person living in the Hua family was actually a royal prince in disguise. He admired the eldest miss so much. His respect for Hua Zhi had reached new heights.

Their family's eldest miss truly could do anything!

"Sister Hua, I'd like to stay a little longer," he pleaded, his eyes fixed on her.

She had never seemed so gentle, so kind. He understood why she had brought him here, to this vast, boundless sea. She wanted him to see the world in all its complexity, to feel the vastness of the universe.

Whether it was a confined skirmish or the boundless expanse of the ocean, Sister Hua desired for him to witness it firsthand. Her intent was to illuminate the immensity of the world and the awe-inspiring grandeur of nature.

And he did understand. Because of that, he wanted to see more, to feel more deeply, to live up to her expectations.

A soft smile played on Hua Zhi’s lips as she looked at the intelligent, yet humble young prince.