Upon receiving the message conveyed by Ye Shu, Gu Xici hurried back to the General’s Mansion in a rush. Disregarding everything else, he charged straight inside.
Before the guards at the gates could say a word, they watched as His Lordship the Heir bolted right into the estate.
Inside the estate.
Gu Chen was staring in shock at Gu Xici, who had burst into his chambers with somewhat disheveled attire and set down his chopsticks. “Xiao Ci, where have you been?” Looking at his elder brother, who appeared somewhat stirred, Gu Xici felt a lingering sense of guilt, as though he had wronged him.
“Brother, I’m sorry. I… I actually didn’t listen to your words,” Gu Xici said, his gaze shifting slightly as his fingers unconsciously stroked the hem of his robe. “That night, I secretly ran off to the Grand Preceptor’s Residence…”
“Xiao Ci, how could you go to the Grand Preceptor’s Residence? Do you know how many people in the court are staring at you over that business?” Gu Chen struck the table sharply, addressing Gu Xici with a mixture of anger and helplessness.
Hearing Gu Chen’s words, Gu Xici lowered his head, seeming filled with remorse.
To be honest, he truly felt somewhat sorry for his elder brother, sneaking out in the middle of the night and causing his brother such immense worry. Upon reflection, he really shouldn’t have gone to the Grand Preceptor’s residence. Yet, because of that matter, he had no choice but to go search for the truth…
“Brother, I truly know I was wrong, but when I went that night, I really wasn’t going to make trouble for Ye… the Grand Preceptor.”
Gu Chen sat in his chair, gazing at Gu Xici with a skeptical look. He patted the chair beside him, signaling Gu Xici to sit down and talk.
Thus, following Gu Chen’s gesture, Gu Xici took a seat.
Sitting opposite him, a rather angry Gu Chen set down his teacup, turned his face away, and stated coldly: “Knowing that and still doing it do you simply take pleasure in making things difficult for your elder brother? Never mind, you’re grown now, and your brother can no longer control you. As long as you’re back safely, that’s enough. Sit down and keep your brother company while he eats a bit.”
Sighing, he took another sip of tea, then turned his head to look at Gu Xici, who was currently wolfing down his food.
Though he didn’t quite understand the specifics of what had happened, things looked acceptable for now; at least the Grand Preceptor hadn’t come knocking on their door. While he wished Xiao Ci could be a bit more sensible and obedient, they were blood brothers after all, thick and thin; there was no point in berating him excessively, and he figured as long as Xiao Ci remained safe and sound, that was all that mattered.
Regarding Xiao Ci, Gu Chen genuinely had no recourse he couldn’t bring himself to scold him harshly, nor could he summon the heart to beat him.
He also knew Xiao Ci’s core nature wasn’t bad; he was merely unruly, idling away his days with no occupation beyond eating, drinking, and making merry. Yet judging from the past few days, Xiao Ci seemed to have undergone some changes, though he had no idea where these changes stemmed from.
And yet… the recent events unfolding within the palace, those men in black, along with his impending trip to investigate the case alongside Junior Preceptor Li…
Never mind. He would discuss those matters with him once Xiao Ci finished eating.
With this thought, Gu Chen retrieved the confidential missive once more and began skimming through its contents.
As he ate, Gu Xici noticed his elder brother gazing intently at something, which instantly piqued his curiosity. Therefore, he set down his bowl and chopsticks to look toward Gu Chen, who was engrossed in the confidential dispatch.
Just as Gu Chen was reading, he vaguely sensed someone staring at him from the side. Tilting his head, he caught sight of his younger brother, Gu Xici, gazing with intense curiosity at the document in his hands.
Seemingly noticing Gu Chen’s gaze shifting toward him, Gu Xici redirected his line of sight and offered an awkward, sheepish smile. “Uhm… Brother, what are you looking at? It looks awfully mysterious.”
Gu Chen smiled helplessly, reaching out to pat Gu Xici’s head as he spoke in a tone tinged with complexity: “This is a confidential dispatch detailing the bizarre disappearance cases happening inside the palace these past few days. How should I put it? I’ve read through it several times, yet I can’t quite make out any clues.”
“Bizarre cases? Brother, what kind of bizarre cases?” Gu Xici leaned back against his chair, asking with keen fascination.
Gu Chen let out a sigh, but continued: “To hide nothing from you, Xiao Ci, I was terribly worried when you sneaked out. These bizarre cases aren’t particularly supernatural; in truth, palace eunuchs and maids have simply been vanishing frequently of late, accompanied by the abrupt appearance of numerous men in black.”
Men in black? Could they be the same assassins from my past life?
No, I must find a way to sound out my brother indirectly. However, matters like rebirth are better kept under wraps for now. Since such an incredible occurrence is difficult for anyone to believe, I’d better gloss over it for the time being and tell my brother the truth when the time is right.
Noticing Gu Xici’s astonished expression, Gu Chen concluded that the situation was definitely far from simple.
No wonder… Xiao Ci has been acting rather peculiar these past few days, completely different from before. Could it be… tied to these men in black?
“Xiao Ci, could it be that you know something about these men in black?” Gu Chen pondered aloud.
“Ah… Brother, it’s like this. I kept having this recurring dream where a man in black wearing a jade pendant with a maple leaf imprint appeared, but that’s not the main point the point is that he killed me in my dream,” Gu Xici muttered under his breath. “So, occurrences from dreams tend to leave me quite terrified.”
A man in black in a dream? A man in black wearing a jade pendant with a maple leaf imprint? And he killed Xiao Ci in his dream?
“Xiao Ci, are you saying a man in black wearing a jade pendant killed you in your dream?” Gu Chen raised his head to look directly at Gu Xici, pressing for confirmation.
Gu Xici gave a solemn nod.
Looking pensive, Gu Chen felt a faint, subterranean link connecting this man in black to the murderers wreaking havoc inside the palace. But… why on earth had Xiao Ci sneaked out to find the Grand Preceptor on that particular night? Could it be…
With this thought, Gu Chen’s eyes flashed with a subtle realization: “Xiao Ci, when you went to the Grand Preceptor’s Residence that night, did it have anything to do with this man in black?”
“Indeed, Brother, to tell you the truth, Grand Preceptor Ye possesses a jade pendant identical to the one worn by that man in black,” Gu Xici stated, recounting the sequence of events that had transpired with Ye Shu that night.
Gu Chen nodded, appearing to piece certain things together. He informed Gu Xici that he was scheduled to depart for Huai’an the next day alongside Junior Preceptor Li to investigate a theft case, instructing him to seek out Minister Liu immediately should any emergency arise.
Gu Xici assured him that he understood and told his brother not to worry.
With a heavy sigh, Gu Chen declared, “Very well. Regardless of how matters develop, your elder brother will never abandon you. No matter what has transpired between you and the Grand Preceptor, as long as you are willing to trust your brother, I will always stand at your back.”
Brother?
He… just like in my past life, protects me like this, yet I never treated him with such genuine sincerity.
Gu Xici looked at Gu Chen, his eye rims growing slightly damp as he nodded firmly. A smile graced his features, reflecting absolute, unshakeable trust in his elder brother.
“I know, Brother. You will always be my elder brother, and that will never change.”
Grand Preceptor’s Residence.
With an expression brimming with disdain, Ye Feng swept a glance over Ye Shu, lounging lazily upon a rocking chair in the courtyard, before slowly drawing an envelope from his sleeve and handing it to Ye Shu, who stood nearby.
Accepting the envelope, Ye Shu glanced toward Ye Feng, seated close by, a trace of suspicion lurking deep within his gaze as he asked indifferently, “Did Master send you?”
Ye Feng shot him a sideways glance, letting out a cold snort as a contemptuous smile touched his lips. Propping his chin on one hand, he turned slightly and flipped his hair back over his shoulder.
“Naturally. Did you really think I’d want to come to a place like yours?” Ye Feng said, his tone dripping with distaste. “It’s not like I’m nagging you… you’ve been serving as Grand Preceptor in this place for three full years. Was it truly worth it all over that single trivial incident?”
“It was worth it.”
With that brief reply, Ye Shu turned to leave, but suddenly recalled something, pausing to glance back over his shoulder.
“Speak if you have business; otherwise, don’t come looking for me when you have nothing to do.”
Seemingly anticipating that he would give such a response, Ye Feng offered an indifferent, light chuckle. “There is business. Master wants you to return for a visit; I’m simply here to deliver the message.”
With those words, Ye Feng brushed the dust from his garments and strutted away loftily.
Meanwhile, inside the Third Prince’s Residence, several individuals sat in solemn assembly, among them Junior Preceptor Li Yan, Grand Tutor Jiang, and the Third Prince himself.
Surveying the two men, the slender-framed Third Prince let his gaze linger upon them before speaking: “Have both of you handled the matters within the imperial palace?”
The two men nodded in unison, bowing low to express their stance.
“Everything has been taken care of, Your Highness the Third Prince.”
Nodding in satisfaction, the Third Prince spoke with an air of quiet majesty: “The two of you have done well, and I am quite pleased. However, the most crucial task right now is lying low do not let anyone discover your tracks. Exercise caution, caution, and utmost caution. By the way, Lord Li, remember what I told you earlier: when facing General Gu, you must not reveal any flaws. And Grand Tutor Jiang, ensure you manage things smoothly within the palace; I plan to set the Black-Clad Scheme completely into motion. During this period, you must strictly follow my plans, understood?”
Both men turned their gazes toward the Third Prince, cupped their hands together in a formal bow, and spoke in unison: “Understood. We shall not fail Your Highness’s grand expectations.”
Following this, the Third Prince picked up two jade pendants and handed them separately to the two men.
Examining them closely, one could see that both jade pendants were engraved with the exact same maple leaf-shaped imprint.
It seemed this maple leaf imprint signaled the foreshadowing of some impending storm.
Night gradually descended.
And within the deep stillness of this midnight hour, nestled away in unseen corners, lay hidden far darker armies of assassins.
Inside the imperial palace.
A massive swarm of figures clad in black scaled the palace eaves, silently infiltrating every single nook and cranny of the imperial grounds, slaughtering everyone they encountered and spilling fresh blood across the stone paths.
Oddly enough, these men in black seemed to target exclusively palace maids and eunuchs.
The miserable screams of eunuchs and maids echoed all across the palace gates as they were ruthlessly dragged away by the assassins, leaving trails of blood in their wake.
Beside those lifeless corpses, one man in black wearing a jade pendant stamped with a maple leaf imprint spoke in a hushed whisper to another black-clad figure: “Hurry and leave, Xiaoying. We’ve completed the master’s orders. Have your subordinates quickly strip those dead eunuchs and maids, swap into their clothes, and clean up the bodies. Delays breed disaster.”
“Understood.”
The other assassin nodded in acknowledgment, promptly directing the group of black-clad subordinates behind him to swiftly dispose of the bodies, swap into their garments, and ensure no incriminating traces were left behind.
Within moments, the group of assassins cleared away the bodies, disguising themselves as palace maids and eunuchs before re-entering the palace interior.
Meanwhile, the two leading assassins winged their way into a secluded alleyway, stepping forward to bow low and cup their fists toward a masked man clad in deep blue profound robes standing at the front: “Master, Ying and I have completed the task. Please issue your instructions, Master.”
The masked man’s lips curled upward into a slight smile, appearing thoroughly pleased as he gazed down at the two bowing figures and signaled for them to rise.
“Thank you, Master.”
“The two of you performed admirably. Remember, leave not a single trace behind. Now, both of you have a task to execute remember to exercise the utmost caution.”
“What task?”
“Ying, go monitor the Grand Preceptor. If he makes any move, remember to report back to me. Li, keep watch over the Minister’s Residence, and it would be best if you forge close ties with that Heir of the General’s Mansion.”
“Understood. We shall not fail the master’s heavy trust.”
“Go.”
Following a pair of simultaneous acknowledgments, the two assassins rapidly vanished into the shadows.
In the alleyway.
A cold, sinister smile spread across the masked man’s face. He let out a chilling, eerie chuckle that sent an involuntary shudder down one’s spine.
Heh… Gu Chen, we meet again. This time, I’m bringing you a grand gift; I hope you won’t disappoint me. I imagine… your expression at that moment won’t disappoint me either.
Did you know, Gu Chen? You will surely regret not having killed me back then.
Now, your regret will change nothing.
I am going to… turn this imperial palace completely upside down.
I am going to force you to kneel and beg me.