Having said all that and received a benefit, the city guards showed some hesitation.
Zhou Tong then added fuel to the fire: "Don't you gentlemen trust my general?"
This is blackmail.
A date, a stick—a combination of kindness and severity.
General Gu is a favorite of the emperor and has close ties with the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He is a man of noble character, and none of his identities are ones that ordinary soldiers like them can afford to offend.
If we insist on not letting them pass now, we might face retaliation one day and end up losing our lives.
Besides, since it's a carriage from the Gu family, there shouldn't be any problems.
only……
"Ahem, it's alright. It's our duty, so please proceed with the investigation."
While the city guards were still considering their options, the person inside the carriage spoke up, then stretched out an arm and lifted the curtain a crack. Lord Gu's "close friend" was hidden in the shadows of the carriage, holding a small dog in his arms.
Perhaps seeing a stranger, the dog barked softly, "Woof!"
The city guards: "..."
The lead garrison soldier glanced into the carriage; there was no one else inside.
Although their faces were obscured, there was a sickly-sounding young master and a... dog.
If this were to cause any real trouble, that would be truly bizarre.
The soldiers guarding the city immediately said, "Alright, alright, you can leave now. Please give our regards to General Gu!"
Zhou Tong quickly smiled and said, "Certainly, certainly! However—" He changed the subject and whispered mysteriously, "My general specifically instructed that this is not something worth mentioning, so please pretend you know nothing about tonight's events..."
The city guard immediately gave him a knowing look and said, "Please rest assured, General Gu, we understand..."
The city gate slowly opened, and Zhou Tong sat back in the carriage. With a flick of his whip, the tall horse neighed as it crossed the city gate and headed out of the imperial city.
Chu Huaixu turned his head and looked through the small window of the carriage at the city gate behind him, which was about to close again. He subconsciously tightened his fingers.
He was just a hair's breadth away from getting to where he is today, to personally kill his enemies and avenge his great grudge, but in the end, he simply left.
By retreating like this, he will likely face failure, rendering all his forbearance and scheming futile.
He even helped the young emperor.
Consider it... repayment to Song Ting.
Anyway, the young emperor was just a puppet put to power by Zhang Bingzhi. Chu Huaixu comforted himself, thinking that he was just like Zhang Bingzhi, having no choice in the matter.
He could never be emperor, but someone had to sit in that position. Putting aside those grudges, the young emperor was doing a pretty good job.
"Goodbye, Song Xiaogou." Chu Huaixu said to himself as he took one last look out the car window.
The curtain was slowly lowered.
...
At 3:45 AM, less than two hours before departure, Xiao Wu had been waiting outside for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but the house was quiet and there was no sound at all. Xiao Anzi was extremely anxious and paced back and forth at the door.
The gentleman has always been a man of principle and should never have delayed on such an important matter.
Furthermore, what about Young Master Chu? Why didn't he remind the master...?
Xiao Wu felt increasingly puzzled and cautiously knocked on the door: "My lord, my lord... it's almost time to leave..."
He called out about ten times, but there was still no response from inside the room. Xiao Wu gritted his teeth and forced open the door.
"My lord." Upon looking up, Xiao Wu saw his master sitting motionless on the edge of the bed, his face ashen and his eyes sinister. Just one glance froze Xiao Wu in place, and he couldn't help but shiver a few times.
“Huaixu is gone.” Every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.
Xiao Wu slightly raised his head, only to meet Song Ting's bloodshot eyes. His legs went weak, and he knelt down with a thud.
Last night, Song Ting and Chu Huaixu drank together. Although he wasn't there, Song Ting got drunk later, and he watched Chu Huaixu help the master into the room. He also personally witnessed Chu Huaixu close the door, turn off the lights, and go to rest.
How could he possibly know why a perfectly fine person would suddenly disappear!
Song Ting didn't say a word, but still stared at him with that look of looking at a dead man, making his scalp tingle and cold sweat pour down his face.
He had no doubt that if he said another wrong word, he would lose his life immediately!
"Perhaps Young Master has gone to make breakfast for the master."
"..."
Even he himself didn't believe this. His master doted on him, and with the young master in such a physical condition, how could his master possibly let him make breakfast for him?
"Tell everyone to search! If I don't find him today, they'll all come back with their heads!"
Song Ting sat in the main hall, his back ramrod straight, his face grim and menacing.
A group of servants and maids stood in the courtyard outside the gate, all with their heads down, not daring to breathe loudly. Some of the more timid ones were trembling incessantly.
Ever since Young Master Chu entered the manor, the master seems like a completely different person, much easier to serve than before.
This almost made them forget that their master was someone who was used to taking lives, and that deep down he was still a ferocious beast that would drink blood and eat flesh at any time.
Now that Young Master Chu has disappeared, it's like having their master's Achilles' heel ripped out; who knows what terrifying fate awaits them...
"Still haven't found it?" Song Ting asked coldly.
The crowd immediately knelt down, trembling like leaves: "Yes, sir, yes..."
"They're all useless. Are all these people dead?"
Every time he uttered the word "good," the people below broke out in a cold sweat. The entire Song mansion seemed shrouded in dark clouds, as if thunder could strike at any moment.
"Qi Zhou".
"Your subordinate is here."
Song Ting slammed his palm on the sandalwood table beside him, instantly splitting the fine table in two before it crashed to the ground.
Song Ting didn't even glance at it, and ordered in a deep voice, "Take men and search now. I don't care what methods you use, even if you have to dig three feet into the ground and turn the entire Dayan upside down, you must find them for me!"
"Yes!" Qi Zhou accepted the order and left, but was stopped by Song Ting just as he was about to exit the main hall. "Wait—"
Song Ting's dark eyes were deep, her brows furrowed, but her tone was gentle: "Don't scare him."
On the fifth day of the twelfth month of the 326th year of the Dayan era, General Gu Yi led an army of 30,000 to Shanmen Pass to quell the rebellion.
On December 25th of the same year, Song Tingze, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, led his troops to the northern desert to negotiate with the Turks, as ordered by the emperor.
Negotiations should begin with courtesy before resorting to force. If the Turks do not heed our advice, the tens of thousands of troops led by Commander Song are not to be trifled with.
Therefore, what is called negotiation is actually a threat.
The army marched out of the city gates in a grand procession, and no one noticed that an old man was standing on the city wall, watching the army go further and further away, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
At the same moment, in the suburban villa of Dong Maolin, the former head of the Hanlin Academy, hundreds of secret guards changed into pre-prepared soldier uniforms and, led by their leader, left the villa and quickly headed towards the imperial city.
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