Chapter 969 Trip to Dark Night Island (Second Update)
Three days after Gu Jiao and Mu Chuan had drunk together, the eldest son of the Mu family resigned from his post. It was said that a murder had occurred under his command, and he felt ashamed to remain in office due to his poor governance. He earnestly requested His Majesty's permission to resign.
Shangguan Yan approved.
In addition, a flood occurred in the south, and the Mu family donated five million taels of silver to provide relief to the victims.
This has emptied their savings.
The Mu family didn't have that much cash on hand, so they could only use their estates, shops, and various family businesses as collateral.
Donations may sound good on the surface, but in reality, they are no different from confiscating property.
Mu Chuan sat in his room, while guards came and went, carrying valuables from inside.
"Hey! You can't touch this!" His servant stopped a guard, looked at the cloisonné enamel vase in his hand, and said, "It's the young master's birthday gift! The young master loves to use it to raise small fish!"
Those are childhood memories.
Mu Chuan was mischievous and couldn't stay still at home. He would either knock over this vase or break that porcelain. Later, the old man of the Mu family somehow got hold of an expensive cloisonné enamel vase.
Originally intending to arrange flowers, Mu Chuan had a sudden inspiration and caught two small fish to keep in the arrangement.
"Let them take it," Mu Chuan said calmly.
"But young master..." the servant said, unable to bear it any longer, "They emptied the house, at least leave you a vase as a memento..."
Mu Chuan said softly, "No need, I don't want to dwell on it. This is fine."
The guards took the vase away, and also took Mu Chuan's gold-inlaid jade belt from the wardrobe, leaving behind only some worthless clothes.
"Young Master..." The servant choked up as he looked at Mu Chuan.
Mu Chuan was usually the most impatient person, but when something like this really happened, he was calmer than anyone else in the family.
He slowly stood up and walked out of the house where he had lived for twenty years, expressionless.
As he crossed the threshold, he turned back for one last look, bidding a silent farewell.
...
The things the Mu family did to the Xuanyuan family back then were no less serious than those done to the Han and Nangong families. They just didn't plot against them on the battlefield, but when it came to kicking the Xuanyuan family when they were down and framing them, the Mu family showed no mercy.
Shangguan Yan will not show any mercy to the Mu family.
The entire Mu family sat in a dilapidated carriage and silently left the inner city before dawn.
The household servants were dismissed, leaving only a few old servants and servants who were unwilling to leave.
More than thirty people moved to an old house in the outer city. This house was Madam Ji Mu's dowry and the only asset that was not "handed over".
Accustomed to a life of luxury, their families wept bitterly when they were suddenly reduced to commoners.
Madam Mu fell ill on a stormy night, and Mu Chuan braved the heavy rain to seek medical help everywhere.
However, upon hearing that the illness was for the Mu family, not a single doctor dared to come to their door.
Everyone knows how the Mu family "exposed" the Xuanyuan family back then. Now that the Xuanyuan family has been exonerated and the Empress has ascended the throne, the Mu family's power has waned. Anyone who dares to help the Mu family will be going against the Emperor and the Xuanyuan family.
On a night of torrential rain, Mu Chuan finally felt the despair of having his family wiped out.
He dragged his weary body back to the old house like a walking corpse.
Just as I reached the door, I heard a familiar voice calling from behind me.
"Mu Chuan".
He turned around, and the heavy rain soaked his eyes, blurring his vision.
But he could still clearly see Gu Jiao, dressed in a long blue dress, holding an oil-paper umbrella and carrying a small medicine box, slowly walking towards him.
The rain was cool, but when it fell into his eyes and flowed out, it became scalding hot.
His throat started to ache.
Gu Jiao treated Madam Mu's illness, left her with enough medicine, and told her to rest well and not to overwork herself in the near future.
After she left, Madam Mu handed a brocade box to Mu Chuan, saying, "The Second Prince's Consort asked me to give this to you."
Mu Chuan was taken aback: "She... told you her identity?"
Madam Mu smiled weakly: "Yes, I really didn't expect that she was actually the brave and skilled commander of the Black Wind Camp. She is a woman who is just as capable as any man."
Madam Mu was a wise woman. Moved, she said, "She is both a prince's consort and a general of the Black Wind Cavalry. Her coming to our house openly and honestly is to tell the world that His Majesty and the Xuanyuan family have not tried to exterminate our Mu family. In the future, those people who want to give us a hard time will have to think twice."
Mu Chuan nodded and opened the brocade box with trembling hands.
Inside was a stack of silver notes, a recommendation letter for the imperial examination from the Imperial Preceptor's Hall, and a note left by Gu Jiao.
"Mu Chuan, don't give up."
Mu Chuan's tears welled up in his eyes—
...
During her time in Shengdu, Gu Jiao also visited the chess club. Unfortunately, Master Meng, the chess saint of the six kingdoms, has stayed in his hometown ever since he returned to Zhao to mediate peace, and has not come to Yan.
Gu Jiao guessed that the old man was probably pretending to be a beggar again to search for Go talents in various countries. As long as the old man was happy, there was no need for him to stay at home and enjoy his old age according to worldly impressions.
In early August, Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng set off for Dark Night Island, while the twins stayed in the palace and Xiao Jingkong stayed in Shengdu. Xuan Yuanqi hoped to spend more time with him.
Dark Night Island rarely interacts with the outside world, so Gu Jiao couldn't bring too many people with her. She only brought Chen and a few experts from the Shadow Division.
“How can this number of men be enough?” Shangguan Yan said. “I will send you another team of soldiers.”
She dispatched Feng Wuxiu, the head of the Feng family.
Outside the palace, Feng Wuxiu was holding a bag of fried dough sticks. He munched on one and handed the rest to Gu Jiao: "Want some?"
Gu Jiao: "..."
The younger brother was going to Dark Night Island, and Master Qingfeng, worried about his safety, had no choice but to secretly follow him.
Liao Chen, who thought he could escape someone's pursuit by going to Dark Night Island, suffered another tragedy.
...
This time it wasn't a military campaign, so there was no need to travel day and night. The group took a month and a half to reach Pucheng.
After settling in Pucheng for two nights and catching up with General Changwei, I temporarily entrusted the Black Wind King to General Changwei's care. On the morning of the third day, I set off from Pucheng again.
Three days later, they crossed the northernmost border of the Yan Kingdom and set foot on the icy plains leading to Dark Night Island.
"Chang Jing said where the Ice Wolf was left?" Gu Jiao rummaged through her purse for a map. "I lost the map."
“It’s okay, I know where it is,” Xiao Heng said.
"How did you know?" Gu Jiao asked.
“I’ve looked at the map,” Xiao Heng said.
Gu Jiao nodded: "Oh, then you lead the way. Daoist Qingfeng, you come along too."
The three went to look for the snowmobile and ice wolf of Dark Night Island nearby. Feng Wuxiu, wrapped in thick fur, squatted in front of an ice hole, gazing at the gurgling ice water below and swallowing hard.
Liao Chen gave him a half-smile: "What are you looking at?"
Feng Wuxiu said greedily, "There are so many fish down there, I wonder if they'll taste good."
...
The dire wolves of Dark Night Island roam freely on the ice plains. Because they are trained, they generally don't go too far except when hunting. They will quickly come over as soon as they hear a familiar whistle.
Gu Jiao took out the whistle that Chang Jing had given her and blew on it.
She blinked: "Huh? No reaction."
The decibel level of this whistle exceeds the limit of human hearing; only wolves can hear it.
If the whistle breaks, they, as humans, would have no way of noticing.
Gu Jiao blew on it again.
This time, there was still no reaction from the surroundings.
"I'll give it a try," Xiao Heng said.
Gu Jiao handed him the whistle, and Xiao Heng blew it rhythmically a few times. Before long, an ice wolf appeared.
Immediately afterwards, two, three... more and more dire wolves rushed toward Xiao Heng.
A cold wind howled as he stood on the vast ice plain, seemingly one with it, his eyes icy, exuding a strange yet powerful aura.
Gu Jiao tilted her head and looked at him.
Hmm, my husband is really handsome.
Today was another day I was blown away by my husband's handsomeness.
There were a total of twenty-one dire wolves, including a little wolf king.
The little wolf king is very fierce, especially towards a group of strangers who do not have the aura of Dark Night Island.
It bared its teeth and began to show its aggression.
Xiao Heng showed no fear. He boldly stepped forward, knelt down on one knee, raised his slender, jade-like hand, and gently pressed down on the little wolf king's head.
A miracle occurred; the wolf cub's ferocity vanished instantly.
Gu Jiao asked in surprise, "You can tame wolves?"
Xiao Heng said, "Chang Jing taught me."
The little wolf king led the way in digging a pit, creating a shelter. He then led the dire wolves inside and dragged the snowmobile out.
Gu Jiao's eyes lit up immediately: "Isn't this a sled? The Godfather must have taught the people of Dark Night Island to make it!"
Upon hearing the word "godfather," Xiao Heng's face darkened instantly.
It's that man again!
When the three of them returned to their original spot on a sled, Liao Chen and Feng Wuxiu were sitting cross-legged in the snow, grilling fish.
Feng Wuxiu picked up a fish skewered on a stick, blew on it to cool it down, took a bite, and said to Chen, "Brother, it's delicious!"
Master Qingfeng's eyes turned cold. Who are you calling "brother"?
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
