Chapter 453 Do we, father and son, have to be so distant from each other?
The Zheng general took the document and seal, examined them carefully, and his expression relaxed a little, but still with a certain scrutiny.
He handed the document back and said in a deep voice, "It's General Gu. It's not advisable to stay here for long. Please follow me. The general is waiting in the mansion."
Gu Junze nodded slightly, his eyes calm and composed.
Zheng State, the General's Mansion.
In the study, the scent of sandalwood lingers.
Duan Qingye, the great general of Zheng State, was dressed in casual clothes, his temples frosted, but his eyes were still as sharp as an eagle. He looked across at Gu Junze, who was sipping tea peacefully.
"The Emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty is suspicious and distrustful of you, constantly causing trouble. Why should we remain loyal to him?" Duan Qingye put down the teacup in his hand, and the lid and the cup made a soft sound when they collided. "From now on, you can rest assured and stay in Zheng State. Our family can be reunited."
Gu Junze took a sip of tea, and after the warm tea flowed down his throat, he spoke slowly, his voice calm and even.
"This time, I just came to see Brother Yun." He didn't look at Duan Qingye, but his eyes fell on the celadon teacup in his hand, as if there were patterns on it that attracted him more.
Duan Qingye's chest rose and fell slightly when he heard this, and his tone added a hint of helplessness and loneliness: "Do we, father and son, have to be so estranged?"
Gu Junze raised his eyes, his dark pupils staring straight at Duan Qingye. There seemed to be a very faint curve at the corner of his mouth, but there was no smile at all.
"Isn't that good?"
Duan Qingye sighed heavily, and his tone slowed down. "I know you have resentment towards me. I also did as you wished and did not send troops to attack the Eastern Jin Dynasty. What else do you want from me?"
"Zheng was surrounded by powerful enemies at the time, and it was impossible to take care of both ends. Naturally, you had to withdraw your troops." Gu Junze mercilessly pierced through the warmth in his words, his tone still indifferent. "General, why do you have to say that this is for my consideration?"
"You!" Duan Qingye slammed the table, causing the teacup on the table to vibrate and a few drops of tea to splash out.
He glared at Gu Junze with anger in his eyes, and really wanted to order someone to kick out this son who always opposed him.
However, when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she looked at Gu Junze's face, which looked very similar to Princess Anyang, but also had the shadow of her own stubbornness, and finally she forced herself to suppress her anger.
He took a deep breath, as if he had exhausted all his patience.
"Forget it, forget it." Duan Qingye waved his hand. "Since you don't want to, I won't force you. I've already arranged for your family to live in the West Garden of the mansion. It's quiet there..."
"No need to trouble you, General." Gu Junze interrupted him, "We have already booked a post station in the city."
Duan Qingye's anger, which had just subsided, began to rise again. He stared at Gu Junze and said in a deeper voice, "The post station is full of mixed people. How can it compare to the mansion? Are you afraid that I will harm your wife and children?"
Gu Junze stood up and bowed slightly as a courtesy. "General, you're worrying too much. My wife and children have been exhausted from the journey and aren't used to the unfamiliar environment. They'll feel more at ease in the post station."
"I will visit Brother Yun on my own. Goodbye." After saying that, he turned around and walked out the door without any reluctance.
"Gu Junze!" Duan Qingye growled, looked at his resolute back, and finally just dropped his hands helplessly.
In the capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, in a remote courtyard of the residence of Censor Zhao.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the mysterious man's face hidden in the dark, making him look even more gloomy and terrifying.
The man in black knelt on one knee, his head bowed deeply. His voice was hoarse and trembling. "Sir... News has come from the waterway. The several ambushes we set up have all... all failed. Gu Junze and his group have arrived safely in Zheng State."
"Waste!" The mysterious man slammed the pearwood table in front of him, and the teacup on the table shattered, with porcelain pieces flying everywhere.
His eyes flashed with a violent and sinister light, and his voice was like ice: "I have so many elite soldiers in Qingmo Valley, so many manpower, and you can't even stop Gu Junze with his family?! What use do I have you for!"
The man in black was sweating profusely and trembling even more violently. "My Lord, the shadow guards around him are all top-notch experts and are very formidable."
"We had already gained the upper hand, but the Zheng navy appeared out of nowhere and allowed them to enter the Zheng territory."
The mysterious man said, "He knows how to assess the situation and where to escape to his best advantage. You are becoming increasingly useless. You are being manipulated by a stray dog like him."
Censor Zhao, who was standing by, was horrified and his face turned pale as paper.
He spoke with a trembling voice, trying to defend himself and also to find out what the "adult" was going to do next.
"Sir, Zheng State is the territory of General Wang Duan Qingye after all. Our people... may not act rashly."
"Hmph!" The mysterious man sneered coldly, and his sinister gaze slowly swept over Censor Zhao, making Censor Zhao feel as if he had fallen into an icy cave and his whole body was cold.
"Don't you think it's too late to say this now? Censor Zhao, your role is more than just delivering messages for me."
Censor Zhao was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground: "Sir, please calm down! Your humble servant...your humble servant has absolutely no second thoughts!"
The mysterious man ignored him, slowly paced a few steps, and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.
"Pass my order down. Keep your troops in place and do not make any rash moves within Zheng territory, lest you alert the enemy and provoke that mad dog Duan Qingye."
The man in black was slightly stunned, then he accepted the order: "Yes, sir."
The mysterious man smiled cruelly. "Since we can't catch the big fish Gu Junze for now, let's close the net first and speed up the layout in the capital. I don't have the patience to wait any longer."
"As for Gu Junze... he will eventually leave Zheng State. I have plenty of time to play with him!"
Censor Zhao prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to breathe.
He knew that the capital was about to change...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
