Bei Di Xin Huang
On the eighth day of the fifth month, news of the Northern Di envoy's infiltration into the capital was strictly sealed off, yet it still reached the desk of Prince Jin's mansion before dawn, like a dewdrop falling on a spider web.
Xiao Chengyan was thinner, but also more dignified.
His melancholy gaze was devoid of any tenderness, and his aura grew increasingly sharp; just sitting there quietly was enough to instill fear.
"Your Highness," Changfeng presented a secret letter and whispered, "Our people have confirmed that the envoy is indeed a secret agent from the Northern Di, and his actions are extremely secretive. The level of his mission and the urgency of his request far exceed those of ordinary people. Gongsun Lie and the Fifth Prince at the Ministry of War have already gotten wind of this and are preparing to refuse him outright."
"Refuse?" Xiao Chengyan continued writing with his head down, his pen never stopping, his voice devoid of emotion. "They only see those who are not of our kind, but they cannot see the opportunities within them. By blocking others' paths, aren't they also blocking their own?"
He put down his pen, opened the secret letter, and after a moment looked up at the gradually brightening sky outside the window, his eyes filled with unfathomable contemplation.
Such a high-ranking envoy, coming in person despite the risks, must be seeking far more than just a small batch of weapons... Unless, there has been an internal change in Bei Di, and the new emperor who has just quelled the internal strife is not as secure as he appears.
A name became clear in his mind—Murong Xiao.
This move is a crisis, but beneath the surface of a crisis often lies an opportunity to break the deadlock.
He remained silent for a moment, his mind filled with images of Gu Jinghong's stubborn and bright eyes, and her "Jinghongwu" exposed to the gaze of everyone.
Self-disclosure, while risky for Jinghongwu at this stage, can indeed be considered a way to break through the current predicament.
If we want to protect Jinghongwu, we need to make its power visible and valued by everyone. In that case, it will be much safer.
"Find a completely reliable channel to let her know about this. Remember, do it subtly, as if they found out on their own."
...
When the Northern Di envoy arrived in the capital, Xie Yan investigated his background.
It had been three days, and no one from Zhuangmu Pavilion had come to report. He couldn't help but feel anxious—there should be a result by now.
It was at this moment that the head of Zhuangmu Pavilion knocked on the door and entered.
"Thank you, Vice Pavilion Master," he said. "I don't know if this is any clue, but I dare not fail to report this."
What did you say?
"A distinguished guest has arrived from the north, seeking a powerful crossbow capable of piercing through storms."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yan's expression suddenly turned serious—there was no crossbow in this world that could "pierce through a storm," which was clearly a veiled reference.
He immediately reported this information to Gu Jinghong.
Gu Jinghong looked up upon hearing this, but for a moment she didn't understand what it meant.
“Crossbows are weapons used by soldiers; none of them can pierce through a storm…” Her eyes darkened as she pondered for a moment, “Unless…”
"Unless what?"
Gu Jinghong's eyes suddenly cleared: "Unless this 'storm' has a specific meaning, and is not just ordinary weather, but a man-made disaster. In the north, the biggest 'storm' right now is the internal strife that Murong Xiao has just quelled, but has not yet eradicated!"
Xie Yan immediately chimed in, also looking thoughtful: "What he wants is not a crossbow that can pierce through the wind and snow, but absolute military force that can help him quell internal strife and consolidate his imperial power!"
“Not bad.” Gu Jinghong strode to the table, pulled out several military reports from the border and messages from informants in the martial arts world, and spread them out on the table. “Look, these three clues seem unremarkable on their own, but when put together… A month ago, Murong Xiao’s trusted general secretly went south; half a month ago, an unidentified northern merchant caravan offered a large sum of money to purchase fine iron and crossbow makers; plus today’s phrase, ‘a crossbow that can pierce through the storm’—”
She raised her head, her eyes flashing with sharp light: "Such boldness, such skill, and such urgency... This is no ordinary envoy. I boldly predict that Murong Xiao has probably already come here in person!"
Xie Yan nodded, seemingly pondering Gu Jinghong's words. "That makes sense. Only he would need to use such euphemisms to conceal his identity; and only he would be worthy of using 'piercing the storm' to describe his ambition! His throne is far less secure than the rumors suggest!"
Gu Jinghong nodded, but there was still a hint of hesitation in her eyes.
Xie Yan naturally noticed this, and he looked at Gu Jinghong's expression: "Are there any other doubts?"
Gu Jinghong seemed to be suddenly awakened and paused for a moment, then a cold smile appeared on his lips: "Those officials in the court will definitely refuse in the name of 'aiding the enemy.' But what is a crisis for them is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us."
Xie Yan's voice was filled with worry, "Treason is a grave crime, and once it is exposed, there will be no redemption! Moreover, the other party is Murong Xiao. This person was able to rise to power so quickly amidst internal strife, and his character and methods are far from ordinary. If we do business with him, it is no different from asking a tiger for its skin. If we are not careful, we will be devoured without a trace!"
Gu Jinghong smiled as he looked at Xie Yan's cautious demeanor.
In her memory, Xie Yan was ruthless, crazy, and reckless. But after he removed the Cold Marrow Inducing Technique and got together with Aru, his personality changed drastically. Apart from still loving to wear bright clothes, he became much calmer.
As someone who grew up with him, Gu Jinghong couldn't possibly understand why Xie Yan would say something like "treason is a serious crime." In the past, upon hearing about treason, he would have definitely encouraged Gu Jinghong to do it; there was no reason for him to "hold him back."
This is probably what people often mean by "one thing subdues another".
Aru is really... very lucky.
Xie Yan was taken aback: "Ah Hong, why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"
Gu Jinghong looked at Xie Yan, and after a moment's consideration, asked, "Senior brother, what will we face if we stay in the capital?"
"It is Gongsun Lie who is pressing forward step by step, wanting to swallow Jinghongwu whole and turn it into his Zhenguo Duke's private property! It is the Fifth Prince's faction who are eyeing us covetously, wanting to get rid of us as soon as possible! We seem to be safe, but in reality we are trapped in a transparent cage, waiting to be slowly devoured by them!"
"Dealing with Murong Xiao is risky, like walking on a knife's edge. But it is also the fastest way for us to obtain enough financial resources to protect ourselves and truly make the name of Jinghongwu famous! Only when the world sees our value and all forces realize that we need to pay an unbearable price to attack us can we be truly safe."
"As for the charge of treason..." She paused slightly, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, "What we're selling are crossbows from 'Jinghongwu.' The imperial court has never explicitly prohibited private workshops from selling their goods to foreign merchants. As for who the foreign merchants resell them to, what does that have to do with us? What we need to do is ensure that this transaction remains just a 'business deal' forever."
She looked at Xie Yan, as if she had finally come to a conclusion: "Staying in the capital is like being slowly boiled in water; we're doomed. Seizing this opportunity is a chance to survive against all odds and fight our way out! I must take this risk."
Xie Yan gazed at her, seeing in her clear analysis and resolute eyes the courage to burn one's bridges and the wisdom of foresight. He was well aware of the risks involved, but he also understood that this might be the only chance of survival in this desperate situation.
He transformed all his worries into obedience and support: "Ah Hong, I trust you! I'll make the arrangements right away and make sure this meeting goes perfectly!"
After Xie Yan left, Gu Jinghong slowly sat down again.
The timing of this information was so "timely" that it was hard to remain uneasy. Yet, it did align with the information Gu Jinghong already possessed, making it seem like she had been set up… Could it be…?
he?
...
In the western part of the city, inside an inconspicuous mansion of a foreign merchant.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the tall, upright young man in the main seat, whose brows held a wild and aloof air reminiscent of a northern wolf.
When Gu Jinghong was led into the hall and stood calmly in front of him, Murong Xiao paused for a moment while holding his cup.
He never expected that the owner of "Jinghongwu," a renowned workshop in the capital that produced such exquisite crossbows, would be a woman, and such a remarkable woman at that.
He was used to seeing the intense, unrestrained beauty of the women of Beidi, like a blazing sun. But the woman before him was like a spring drawn from the summit of a snow-capped mountain—clear, cold, and possessing an unassailable aloofness and resilience in her eyes. Her beauty was not aggressive at all, yet it gave people an invisible aura that made them look up to her.
A pure look of amazement flashed across Murong Xiao's eyes.
"Are you the master of Jinghongwu?" he asked, his voice seemingly coming from a vast snowfield, distant and cold.
"Exactly."
Gu Jinghong answered neither humbly nor arrogantly, and only when she raised her eyes did she see the man's face clearly.
Her heart skipped a beat—the new emperor of Beizhai bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Chengyan in his features.
His eyebrows were as dark as ink, his eyes were deep-set and narrow, and his phoenix eyes were long and narrow... but the features of the person in front of him were more rugged and sharp, with a wildness honed by the wind and sand of the north.
She quickly composed herself, suppressing any inappropriate thoughts, and asked, "What kind of crossbow would you like to find, esteemed guest?"
Murong Xiao leaned forward slightly: "I've heard that the crossbows of Jinghongwu can pierce through storms?"
Gu Jinghong's reaction was very calm, and even his voice was as steady as: "There has never been a crossbow in the world that can pierce a storm. But if 'storm' refers to vultures circling in the desert, or termites gnawing at the foundation... then the crossbow of Jinghong Village may be worth a try."
Murong Xiao looked at Gu Jinghong with great interest. When she saw him just now, a burning light flashed in her eyes, but it turned calm and indifferent in an instant. He knew very well that he had never seen her before, but she... had she seen him before?
He pressed on, "Then do you know which 'parasite' of the world I'm about to shoot?"
"The world of Bei Di is naturally ruled by the parasites of Bei Di." Gu Jinghong raised his eyes to look at Murong Xiao and uttered four words clearly and calmly, "Your Majesty Murong."
Murong Xiao laughed loudly, his laughter filled with the joy of encountering an unexpected chess player.
"Sect Master Gu, your reputation is well-deserved!"
Whether it was because the conversation was simple and efficient, or because neither of them regarded the other as someone to be negotiated with, the subsequent negotiations proceeded exceptionally smoothly.
Murong Xiao's offer was generous, and given that the Dayong court refused to provide crossbows, Jinghongwu's provision was undoubtedly a timely help.
Murong Xiao's decision to entrust Jinghongwu with the procurement of all the crossbows needed by Beizhai further affirmed Gu Jinghong's value.
Finally, Murong Xiao took out a black iron token engraved with a gray wolf and pushed it in front of Gu Jinghong, saying, "Sect Master Gu, I hope we can cooperate happily."
Gu Jinghong's fingertips touched the coldness of the token, and he was slightly taken aback: "What is this?"
"This is the 'Azure Wolf Token,' seeing the token is like seeing me. With it, the Pavilion Master's caravan can travel freely within the territory of my Northern Di and go straight to the capital."
It seems he really needs to get this batch of crossbows as soon as possible.
Gu Jinghong stood up: "Jinghongwu will certainly live up to Your Highness's expectations."
He then said goodbye with a normal expression and turned to leave.
“Master Gu,” Murong Xiao also stood up, his tall figure casting an oppressive shadow in the candlelight, “It’s late, and there are many strange people in the streets… I’ll see you off.”
This was not a discussion, but a declaration carried with the ferocity of a northern wolf.
Gu Jinghong paused slightly, turned around and looked back. Her cool gaze lingered for a moment on his features, which resembled Xiao Chengyan's, before sweeping away indifferently: "Your Majesty is too kind. Jinghong Village may be small, but it is capable of protecting itself. There is no need for you to trouble yourself."
Murong Xiao chuckled softly and walked to her side, walking alongside her. "It's not just politeness," he said in a low voice, with a dangerous magnetism, "it's that I wanted to see you off."
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