Chapter 6
The bloody scene of Chen Bingzhi's sudden death in the Golden Palace spread like a plague throughout Shengjing City in just half a day. The sight of crimson official robes soaked in dark red blood, and the stiffened corpse sprawled on the cold golden bricks, like the cruelest brand, seared deeply into the souls of every witness. Fear, no longer an undercurrent, but a surging torrent, washed over every mansion and every bustling street.
On the throne, after his initial convulsions, the young emperor sank into a deeper, uncontrollable panic and numbness. Eunuchs practically carried him out of the Fengtian Hall and back to the Qianyuan Palace, the symbol of supreme power. The palace gates were closed, and the light inside was dim, filled only by the suffocating scent of ambergris. The emperor curled up in the spacious dragon throne, his body still trembling uncontrollably, his eyes staring blankly at the intricate caisson ceiling, as if the moment of Chen Bingzhi's collapse was still etched there. The imperial physician trembled as he took Chen Bingzhi's pulse and prescribed medicine, while the palace maids and eunuchs held their breath and lowered their hands, not daring to breathe. This magnificent palace now looked more like a vast, hopeless prison.
"Investigate! Investigate for me! Find out! Who is it... who dares to do this right under my nose..." The emperor's voice was hoarse and dry, carrying the lingering sound of sickly weakness and hysteria. It echoed in the empty hall, but it seemed so pale and powerless. He suddenly grabbed a jade paperweight on the table and smashed it to the ground! With a crisp "bang", the jade shattered and shattered! Just like his shattered nerves and the crumbling imperial power,
"Your Majesty, calm down! Your Majesty, take care of yourself!" Wang Defu, the Grand Eunuch holding the seal, sank to his knees, tears streaming down his face, his voice tinged with sobs. "This old servant...this old servant will issue an order! Have the three courts convene! A thorough investigation into the sudden death of Censor Chen! That audacious murderer must be brought to justice!" His words were harsh, but his heart was cold. In the Golden Palace, in full view of the crowd, he silently poisoned a fourth-rank Censor? Such means, such power, were not the property of an ordinary thug. The implications behind this were deep enough to drown the entire court!
The emperor closed his eyes wearily and waved his hand, as if using up his last bit of strength. A thorough investigation? What to investigate? Who to investigate? In this deep palace, this court, he was like a blind man riding a blind horse, facing a deep pond in the middle of the night. The only thing he could grasp seemed to be that dark figure.
"Gu Qing...where is Gu Qing?" The emperor's voice carried a barely perceptible hint of dependence and fragility.
Wang Defu hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Gu... Prime Minister Gu has left the palace and returned home. I heard... I heard that something unexpected seemed to have happened at the Prime Minister's residence..." His voice was very low, with an indescribable fear in his voice.
The emperor suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils shrinking! The Prime Minister's Mansion too...? A deeper chill instantly gripped him.
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In the prime minister's residence, quietly observe the study.
The afternoon sun filtered through the high, white window paper, casting a few hazy beams of light on the polished golden brick floor, with dust floating in the light. However, this quiet place of books was now filled with an undeniably strong smell of blood and a suffocating atmosphere.
In the center of the study, two bodies, clad in black nightgown, lay twisted on the floor, pools of dark red, sticky blood still lingering beneath them. Their throats had been precisely slit with a sharp weapon, the wounds deep enough to expose the bone, a single blow killing them. Blood soaked the gold bricks beneath them and splattered onto the base of the nearby rosewood bookshelf and several scattered volumes, leaving a startling dark crimson stain. In one of the corpses' hands, a short dagger, gleaming with a faint blue sheen and clearly infused with poison, was clutched tightly.
Qing Feng knelt on one knee before Gu Linzhi, his head buried deep in his chest. His usually stone-hard face was now covered in beads of sweat and a thick layer of remorse and anger. A deep knife wound, deep enough to reveal the bone, tore through his arm, blood soaking his dark sleeve. A solemn, middle-aged doctor, employed by the prime minister's household, was rapidly cleaning, applying medicine, and bandaging the wound. The intense pain made Qing Feng's muscles twitch slightly, and his teeth clenched, yet he managed not to utter a single groan.
"This subordinate... is incompetent! I've failed in my duty as a guard! Master, please punish me!" Qing Feng's voice was hoarse and dry, each word squeezed between his teeth, weighed down with humiliation and raging anger. The assassin had silently penetrated the strict security surrounding the Prime Minister's residence and precisely reached the heart of the heart—the Jingguan Study! Had he not desperately blocked that fatal blow, the consequences... would have been unimaginable!
Gu Linzhi wasn't seated at his desk. He stood, hands behind his back, before the massive map of Dayong, his back turned to the bloody scene and Qing Feng's apology. His dark uniform framed his towering figure, as tall as a solitary peak, and he remained motionless. The afternoon sun outlined his cold, hard profile, casting a heavy shadow. The heavy odor of blood in the study seemed to have no effect on him. Only the depths of his eyes, as deep as a cold pond, reflected the frozen northern lands encircled by cinnabar on the map. Beneath the ice, a raging flame, powerful enough to incinerate everything, roared silently.
"Assassin's background?" Gu Linzhi's voice sounded, terrifyingly calm, like black ice that had been frozen for ten thousand years, without a trace of ripples.
Qing Feng endured the severe pain and replied in a deep voice, "My Lord! These two are cunning and ruthless, and their skills are well-coordinated. The moves and weapons they use are not commonly seen in the Central Plains. Rather, they seem to be... the desperate tactics forged in the Di people's death camp in the north! But..." He paused, his tone taking on a deeper chill, "On the inside of their sleeves, each has an extremely tiny mark embroidered using a secret method - three entangled strands of ink thread!"
Three tangled ink lines!
The unique mark of the "Moyuan Guard" of the Xie Mansion!
The "Moyuan Guards"... Xie Yong's minions, nurtured deep in the shadows, specializing in "wet work"! They are like maggots attached to one's bones, vicious and treacherous, their whereabouts elusive, rarely taking action in public, but when they do, they strike with a thunderous blow, a fight to the death!
The corners of Gu Linzhi's lips twitched upward ever so slightly. The curve was cold and sharp, carrying a kind of all-knowing understanding and... cruel sarcasm.
Xie Yong.
It's you.
The poisoning of Chen Bingzhi in the Golden Palace was a warning to extinguish the spark that could have ignited the old case.
The assassination attempt at the Prime Minister's residence was aimed directly at Gu Linzhi himself. It was a counterattack! It was a declaration of war!
The action was so swift and the means so brutal that no room was left for maneuver.
What a veteran of three dynasties! What a clean leader!
"I understand." Gu Linzhi's voice remained calm, as if discussing a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him. He slowly turned, his gaze finally settling on the two bodies on the ground and the wound on Qingfeng's arm. His gaze was like a concrete icicle, scrutinizing, yet also carrying a subtle... confirmation.
"Is the injury serious?" he asked Qingfeng. His tone was still cold, but it made Qingfeng's heart suddenly warm.
"It's just a flesh wound! Nothing serious!" Qing Feng straightened his back and answered firmly. Compared to the bloodshed his master had shed in the North, this little injury was nothing!
"Yes." Gu Linzhi nodded slightly, his gaze turning to Mo Ya, who was standing beside him with an equally solemn expression. "Deal with the bodies. Investigate how they broke through the outer security and where the rendezvous point is. All those in the mansion who came into contact with today's security deployment will be quarantined and thoroughly investigated."
"Yes!" Mo Ya bowed and accepted the order, his voice rigid but piercing with murderous intent. Had there been a mistake within the Prime Minister's residence? This was an unforgivable betrayal!
Gu Linzhi stopped looking at the mess and walked back to his desk. There, the files on the Jiangnan floods, Shen Ziqing, and even the events of the northern border still lay quietly. He extended his fingertips, brushing over the cold names and numbers on the files. His movements were gentle, yet they carried a force as heavy as a mountain.
Xie Yong's counterattack was fierce and direct. But this only served to demonstrate his impatience. The old records of "Northern Border Military Rations" that Chen Bingzhi had thrown out before his death were like poison needles, piercing Xie Yong's most sensitive nerves. He was afraid. He feared the Iron Curtain, sealed for fourteen years, would be completely torn apart, afraid that the countless bones buried beneath the frozen earth would issue a silent accusation.
The study fell into a brief silence, with only the subtle sounds of the doctor treating the wound and the monotonous ticking of the night watch.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
An extremely light knock on the door with a special rhythm broke the silence.
"Come in." Gu Linzhi didn't raise his eyes.
The door was silently pushed open, and in walked Gu Zhong, the Prime Minister's chief steward. This usually calm and composed old man now had a solemn expression and... a look of disbelief and doubt. He quickly walked to the desk, presented a plain white letter with both hands, and lowered his voice to a whisper:
"Prime Minister, the palace has information... Urgent report! Your Majesty... Your Majesty just issued an oral order in Qianyuan Palace..."
Gu Linzhi raised his eyes and his gaze fell on Gu Zhong's face.
Gu Zhong's throat churned, and with a hint of difficulty in his voice, he repeated word for word, "The order was... 'Send Minister Gu to the palace immediately. No need to send a message. Go directly to... the western warm room of Qianyuan Palace.'"
Straight into the west warm room of Qianyuan Palace? !
That was where the emperor handled the most confidential matters and met with his most trusted ministers! Ordinary ministers couldn't even get close without special permission!
Moreover, it happened at such a sensitive and chaotic moment, after Chen Bingzhi's sudden death and the assassination in the prime minister's residence!
The emperor...can't help it anymore?
A slight ripple finally cleared up in Gu Linzhi's deep eyes. It wasn't suspicion or fear, but rather a kind of... sharpness and solemnity, the feeling of a chess game finally reaching a critical juncture.
He slowly stood up, the hem of his dark uniform brushing against the edge of his desk, stirring up a gentle breeze.
"Prepare the sedan chair."
"Yes!" Gu Zhong immediately bowed in response.
Qing Feng ignored the severe pain in his arm and stood up suddenly: "Master! This subordinate..."
Gu Linzhi raised his hand, silencing him. His gaze swept calmly over Qing Feng's bandaged arm, then over the two glaring pools of blood on the ground, and finally, to the sky outside the window, cut by the high walls of the palace.
"Guard this place." His voice was low and clear, with unquestionable determination. "I'll be back soon."
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Qianyuan Palace, West Warm Pavilion.
In stark contrast to the grandeur and solemnity of the main hall, the western warm pavilion was elegantly furnished and softly lit. Several intricately shaped palace lanterns cast a warm glow, dispelling most of the shadows within. Rare and ancient books were neatly arranged on a rosewood treasure chest. The air was thick with the warm scent of burning ambergris and fine silver charcoal, yet it couldn't suppress the invisible, heart-wrenching solemnity.
The young emperor sat, somewhat uneasily, in a rosewood armchair by the window, not behind his desk. He had shed his heavy court robes, wearing only a bright yellow casual attire. His face remained pale, dark circles under his eyes. His fingers unconsciously twirled the tassel of a nine-dragon jade pendant at his waist. His crown had long since been removed, revealing a youthful face etched with fear and exhaustion.
When Gu Linzhi's dark figure, towering like a solitary peak, silently appeared at the entrance to the warm room, the emperor's body tensed imperceptibly, and his fingers, twirling his tassels, suddenly stopped. He raised his head, looking at Gu Linzhi with a complex gaze—one of dependence, suspicion, fear, and an indescribable... scrutiny.
"Your Majesty, I, Gu Linzhi, kowtow to you." Gu Linzhi's voice was calm and undulating, echoing in the warm and quiet room like an ice spring pouring into warm water.
"Mr. Gu... excuse me, excuse me!" The emperor's voice was filled with a subtle hint of urgency and pretentiousness. He raised his hand and pointed at an armchair made of the same material across from him. "Sit down, sit down and talk."
Gu Linzhi sat down as instructed, his posture calm, his gaze serene as he met the emperor's gaze. His presence, like a piece of black ice sinking into warm water, instantly made the already heavy atmosphere in the warm room even more stagnant, yet also brought a strange, heart-pounding sense of stability.
The emperor took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself. He waved his hand, and Wang Defu, standing in a corner of the warm room, immediately understood. He silently led all the attendant palace maids and eunuchs out, gently closing the heavy palace door. Only the emperor and his ministers were left in the warm room.
Dead silence.
The only sounds were the subtle crackling of silver charcoal burning in the beast-head copper furnace and the emperor's slightly rapid breathing.
The emperor's eyes wandered over Gu Linzhi's calm face, as if he was searching for something, or as if he was trying to confirm something. After a long while, he spoke with difficulty, his voice dry:
"Mr. Gu... in Fengtian Hall... Chen Bingzhi... " The emperor's voice choked, and deep fear flashed across his eyes again, "I... I saw him with my own eyes... just like that... fall down..." He closed his eyes, as if he could still see the splattering blood and the scattered memorials.
Gu Linzhi remained silent and did not respond. His silence at this moment was itself a kind of attitude.
The emperor suddenly opened his eyes, with a trace of sickly bloodshot and a kind of desperate madness in them. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth:
"Gu Qing! Tell me! Are those things Chen Bingzhi said in the palace...about the northern border...about the military rations in Jingbei fourteen years ago...true?!"
Asked it out!
The emperor finally asked the question that had been lingering in his mind and gnawing at his nerves like a venomous snake! He stared intently into Gu Linzhi's eyes, as if trying to fish out the final truth, or... the final support, from those bottomless cold pools.
Inside the warm room, the air seemed to freeze completely, and the crackling of the charcoal fire was particularly harsh.
Gu Linzhi met the emperor's gaze, a mixture of fear, anger, helplessness, and a final glimmer of hope. He didn't answer immediately. Time flowed slowly as the two of them stared at each other in silence, heavy as a lead block.
Finally, Gu Linzhi slowly spoke. His voice was deep and clear, echoing in the silent warm room, and every word was like ice beads hitting a jade plate:
"Your Majesty, although Censor Chen's report was incensed, the copy of the record of the northern border military rations he cited during the winter of the eleventh year of Tianyou... does exist and is not a forgery."
The emperor's body trembled violently! His face turned pale as paper! Although he had already suspected it, when this cruel truth came out of Gu Linzhi's mouth so calmly, the impact was still like a huge hammer hitting his heart! His hands tightly grasped the armrests of the armchair, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
"Then...then Shen Ziqing...and Minister Zhang...Minister Li and the others..." The emperor's voice was shaking.
Gu Linzhi's gaze remained calm, like an eternally cold pond, reflecting the emperor's panic on the verge of collapse:
"The signed records are written in black and white, and cannot be denied. As for whether the military rations were indeed moldy and poisoned as Censor Chen claimed... we need to thoroughly investigate the individuals who handled them, the details of their storage and transportation, and even... the military's grain reserves." He paused slightly, his tone piercing with a cold intensity. "However, this is an old case, with all witnesses and evidence destroyed, and involving so many people. Uncovering the truth... will likely take more than a day, nor... can it be accomplished by one person alone."
Gu Linzhi's words were like cold water poured onto the emperor's raging fire of shock and anger, instantly sobering him up. Yeah, investigate? How? Fourteen years later! Those witnesses and physical evidence must have been completely wiped out! Moreover, with important officials implicated, it could even lead to deeper, more terrifying implications! This is a vortex capable of completely upending the entire Yong court and destabilizing the nation!
A profound sense of powerlessness and even deeper fear gripped the emperor. He slumped back in his chair, his eyes vacant as he gazed blankly at the intricate caisson ceiling above the warm room, as if all his strength had been drained. He had thought that summoning Gu Linzhi would yield a clear answer, a strong supporter who could tell him what to do. Instead, Gu Linzhi offered him a reality that was even colder, heavier, and... even more despairing.
"Then...then Chen Bingzhi..." The emperor's voice was choked with despair, "Did he die in vain?"
Gu Linzhi was silent for a moment. The only sound in the warm room was the emperor's heavy breathing.
"Censor Chen died from the deadly poison 'Qianjiyin.'" Gu Linzhi stated the cold truth in a flat voice. "The poison took effect extremely quickly, was colorless and odorless, and was mixed in with the ginseng soup he drank before the court meeting. The person who poisoned him was a young eunuch in the imperial kitchen who was responsible for distributing soup. His name was Xiao Luzi. After the incident, he... 'slipped' and drowned in the Taiye Lake in the Imperial Garden."
"Pulling the Machine" ... slipping and drowning ...
Another silencing! Clean and efficient! No clues left!
The emperor felt a chill run from his feet to his head, his entire body icy! He seemed to be seeing an invisible, immense net that had already enveloped the palace, and even the entire Shengjing! He was the Son of Heaven, yet he was like a moth caught in a web, his every move under the scrutiny of others, his life and death... just a matter of seconds!
The huge fear and anger intertwined together, almost tearing him apart! He suddenly looked at Gu Linzhi, his eyes filled with the madness of being forced into a desperate situation and the last glimmer of hope:
"Gu Qing! I... can I trust you?!"
This question weighed a thousand times heavier! Was it a trust? A test? Or... a desperate cry for help?
Gu Linzhi slowly raised his eyes, his deep gaze seeming to penetrate the emperor's panicked appearance and reach the most vulnerable and helpless corner of his soul. He did not answer immediately, but calmly and word by word said:
"Your Majesty is the ruler, and I am your subject. All I do is to live up to Your Majesty, to our country, and even more so... to the souls of the thirty thousand Dayong soldiers who died with lingering eyes in the snow and wind of the northern border fourteen years ago!"
The word "ghost" exploded in the emperor's ears like thunder! He seemed to see the snowstorm, the frozen corpses, and countless pairs of eyes wide open in the ice and snow, filled with resentment and anger!
Gu Linzhi slowly stood up and bowed deeply to the emperor. Under the warm glow of the palace lights, his dark figure stood tall as a solitary peak and solemn as a mountain.
"If your Majesty has nothing else to do, I will... take my leave."
He didn't wait for the emperor's reply. He turned and walked steadily towards the closed palace door. The corner of his dark robe brushed against the mirror-like golden brick floor, making no sound.
The emperor sat blankly in his armchair, watching Gu Linzhi disappear behind the palace gates. His body felt icy cold, as if he were caught in the bitterest northern wind. Gu Linzhi hadn't pledged his loyalty, hadn't declared his allegiance, hadn't even given him any clear promises. But those words, "worthy of the souls of 30,000 fallen soldiers," bore a heavy stigma, bearing a piercing chill and a palpable force that pierced his heart.
In the warm room, the only sounds were the emperor's heavy breathing and the crackling of burning silver charcoal.
Fear still spreads.
But in the depths of this boundless fear, something seemed to be quietly ignited by the dark figure and cold words.
An extremely faint, bloody smell of... determination?
Gu Linzhi walked out of Qianyuan Palace. The night deepened, and the palace lanterns swayed in the cold wind, stretching his figure. He looked up at the sky above Shengjing City, divided by light and darkness. In his deep eyes, the cold pond remained, and beneath the ice, undercurrents surged.
The emperor's fear was within his expectations.
The emperor's temptation was understandable.
The answer about the "ghost" is a warning, but also... a move.
The heavy chess pieces called "truth" and "revenge" were quietly pushed to the center of the chessboard.
The blood-red ripples in Shengjing had only just begun to spread, and the real storm was yet to come.
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