Upon hearing Gu Yifeng's words, the old emperor nodded thoughtfully, then looked around to assess the situation before leaving without saying anything more, somewhat dejected.
Before leaving, Chang Fu gave him a thumbs-up and then left with a smile on his face.
After watching the old emperor leave, Chi Liancheng quietly walked up from the second floor of the prison. He didn't want to risk offending the old emperor, who had been so angry.
"Will His Majesty believe this explanation? Will he just let you continue to act so recklessly?"
Chi Liancheng asked Gu Yifeng with some uncertainty.
"What's the use of believing or not? I've already set a precedent, but the breakthrough in cultivation is real. Give me a way out. Even if this is unreasonable, Father Emperor has no choice but to do so. As long as the administration and oversight of the country go smoothly, what's wrong with being a little absurd?"
"That's the end of that matter. General, there's still one more thing. I need to use your connections in the army to investigate the battle reports from the border."
Gu Yifeng feigned helplessness and spread his hands, then explained to Chi Liancheng. After finishing about the old emperor, he changed the subject and asked him a question.
"What, has something happened at the border? No one reported this matter during court today."
Chi Liancheng was taken aback upon hearing this. Judging from the state of the civil and military officials today, Da Gan could be described as a peaceful and prosperous country without any flaws.
"Before leaving today, Minister Fang secretly handed me another memorial, this time from the Minister of War. The border scouts urgently reported that the Great Chu recently sent a troop to harass the border. Although there were no casualties, they stole the border map."
Gu Yifeng sighed deeply, then handed a memorial to Chi Liancheng, saying with some helplessness.
The capital is a hundred and eight thousand miles away from the border, and many messages are not timely enough, which is why he sighed. Seeing the memorial now means that it happened at least two days ago.
"Your Highness, please do not be anxious. I have also been investigating these past few days, especially regarding the enemy assassin. Judging from the journey, it is roughly the same time the assassin fled to the border. Therefore, there are still spies within the Great Gan region that have not yet been caught."
"The Great Chu's surprise attack on the border was most likely to welcome the assassin. In addition, with the map being stolen, there are probably Great Chu's people planted in the border army as well."
After reading the memorial, Chi Liancheng spoke with some uncertainty, referring to the assassin he mentioned as Song Wuyai, a master of the Great Chu who had been exposed by Gu Yifeng for colluding with the Second Prince.
After the old emperor gave the order, Song Wuyai was hunted down all the way, fleeing for thousands of miles, and finally arrived near the border after several transfers.
However, with this imperial edict, the border patrols would be even stricter than those within Daqian territory, so Song Wuyai had no chance to escape. With pursuers behind him, he could hardly shake them off.
If Gu Ran hadn't later used Shadow to give orders to his subordinates, someone would have proactively approached Song Wuyai and provided him with an escape route, Song Wuyai would have died in Da Gan long ago.
"Unfortunately, Song Wuyai still managed to escape. Now, let's hope for some good news from the border."
Gu Yifeng sighed and then put down the memorials on the table. Most of them were trivial matters and had already been approved.
Chi Liancheng did not hesitate, immediately clasped his hands in farewell and went to inquire about the battle report.
Gu Yifeng put aside his official duties, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate. The reward given by the system for today's sign-in was still generous, a top-notch movement technique called Free and Easy Wandering.
The cultivation of the Free and Unfettered Journey also has three realms: the first realm is the Kun of the Northern Sea, the second realm is the Peng of the Southern Sea, and the third realm is Free and Unfettered in Heaven and Earth.
Despite Gu Yifeng's talent, his progress in cultivating the Free and Unfettered Wandering technique has been slow. He has not yet reached the first realm and can only barely increase his speed, like a dragon swimming in the sea.
However, compared to Kun, it still couldn't do it. He asked the system, but the answer he received was quite speechless.
"The cultivation of the Free and Unfettered Wandering requires personal experience. The system suggests that the host jump into the sea immediately."
This is the system's response.
If the system weren't located within his body, an elusive and intangible entity, Gu Yifeng would have preferred to beat it up.
He can no longer jump into the sea or swim in it; he can only imagine the ocean in his mind and the scene of himself swimming in the deep sea.
It wasn't until evening that Chi Liancheng hurriedly returned and presented a battle report.
"His Highness Prince Cheng led his troops in a fierce battle, venturing three hundred li beyond the pass to pursue and kill the Great Chu raiding party. He utterly defeated the Chu people, crushed their courage, and reclaimed the border map. In addition, Prince Cheng obtained a military report from Great Chu, which needs to be presented to the imperial court. He has already set off in triumph and will return to the capital in half a month."
Looking at the military report in his hand, Gu Yifeng frowned slightly.
He and the Second Prince Gu Ran were different from this so-called Prince Cheng. Prince Cheng was a vassal king. Although they were both sons of the old emperor, vassal kings who had already been granted fiefs and positions were generally unlikely to participate in the struggle for the throne.
The third prince, Cheng Wang, has chosen to return to the capital at this time. His intentions are unknown, but most likely it is for the throne.
"Are there any spies of Prince Seung in the palace?"
Gu Yifeng then turned to Chi Liancheng and asked.
"Previously, perhaps there was none. But recently, most of the Second Prince's confidants have been eliminated by methods arranged by Fang Xuan, and then replaced by people he selected, leaving all the information in the hands of old ministers."
“These people may seem to have clean backgrounds, but they may not be completely unrelated to His Highness Prince Cheng. In addition… several new palace maids entered Xiangqu Palace today, possibly sent by Prince Cheng.”
Chi Liancheng spoke slowly. Although he had only been the commander of the Imperial Guards for a short time, his strength and experience were undeniable, and he had grasped the situation in the palace with just a little effort.
"Xiangqu Palace? Is that Consort Le, the birth mother of Prince Cheng? Now that you mention it, it makes sense. He's quick on his feet. The second son was about to collapse, and he immediately stepped in. He's truly a brother."
Gu Yifeng sneered, and memories of Consort Le quickly flashed through his mind. He couldn't help but speak.
Now that the Third Prince, Prince Cheng, has returned in triumph, there is no point in trying to stop him. In fact, if the Third Prince wanted to, three days would be more than enough time for him to travel back from the border.
All we need to do now is wait quietly for the third brother to return, and then deal with whatever comes our way.
...
Half a month passed quickly as he cultivated on Gu Yi Peak. During this time, he practiced the Free and Easy Wandering movement technique almost every day and barely managed to enter the first realm.
The system's rewards over the past two weeks have become rather ordinary. Apart from a spatial ring that can hold half a city and an upgrade to the Eye of Concealment, the rest are mostly spirit stones, pills, and rare and precious materials.
His Highness Prince Cheng returned to the capital of Da Gan as scheduled, and the people lined the streets to welcome him, creating a lively scene.
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