Chapter 46

The carriage swayed and rattled, arriving at a separate courtyard within the city.

The three people disembarked from the carriage. Outside the courtyard gate stood a servant, who, upon seeing the three, hurriedly invited them inside. They soon arrived at the main house.

The main house was filled with a chaotic, disorderly smell of medicine.

Magistrate Gu lay on the bed, groaning and crying out in pain. Seeing the three of them, he quickly shut his mouth.

He asked the servant to help him up and was about to perform a salute.

Chao Yan gently pressed him back and said, "Magistrate Gu, no need for excessive ceremony."

Magistrate Gu looked towards the two men at the back; they had no reaction. Combining this with the troop strength of the reinforcements he'd learned about from his servants, he roughly guessed Chao Yan's identity. Trembling with fear, he lay back down and, putting on an obsequious smile, said:

"Young Sir, Your Excellencies, I've troubled you to take the time to visit this subordinate. This subordinate has walked a circle around the gates of hell, truly... truly..." He squeezed out two drops of tears, wanting to show off his acting skills.

Chao Yan didn't give him the chance, saying, "Magistrate Gu, for defending the county office, you fought the enemy, sustained serious injuries, and were on the brink of death. It is truly admirable. I and the two Excellencies will submit memorials of commendation for you. The court should not treat an able official with such loyal devotion unfairly."

Magistrate Gu's heart leaped in fright.

He might not know how he got injured.

But you certainly know! To have someone submit a memorial to reward him? This was wanting to take his head!

Magistrate Gu scrambled and rolled off the bed, sliding down limply, turning into a weak-legged shrimp. He said, "Young Sir, considering I have diligently and conscientiously guarded Zhu Yang County for many years, please... please do not hold me to the same standard as yourself."

Chao Yan said, "What are you saying? Would I target a meritorious official?"

Magistrate Gu kowtowed, tears and snot streaming down his face, saying, "Once Zhu Yang County is stable, I will submit a memorial requesting resignation. At my age, I should return to my hometown to retire and enjoy playing with my grandchildren."

Chao Yan asked, "But surely one must wait until the term is complete and a suitable replacement has arrived before resigning?"

The weak-legged shrimp repeatedly agreed.

"Seeing that Magistrate Gu is unharmed puts my heart at ease. Magistrate Gu, I heard you personally heard that the enemy bandits are divided into two groups: one group attacked Zhu Yang County last night, and one group will attack Yan Lin County tonight. Is this true?"

The weak-legged shrimp froze momentarily, then stuttered his agreement.

"Pass the order to Commander Zhang and Commander Zhao to assemble the troops and immediately head to Yan Lin County." Chao Yan turned and walked away. Meng Zhao and the others followed him.

The weak-legged shrimp thought: This time, Wang Gong is finished. Good that he's finished! He thought, grinding his teeth: Who told him to harm me to this extent!

From the corner of his eye, he saw the scholar and the steward, both hobbling, squeeze into the room. Furious, he roared, "Get out!"

.

When Gu Jun woke, the sky was already completely dark. One side of the bed was cold; he didn't know how long the other person had been gone.

He didn't know what was put in that bowl of medicine, but he hadn't felt hungry after drinking it then. It was only now that he felt hungry.

A single lamp was lit in a corner of the room. Aside from that spot, everywhere was rather dim.

Gu Jun sat up and saw a set of outer clothes placed on the stool at the head of the bed.

A lotus-root-colored short jacket with a concealed floral pattern in silk, a dark green Zhangzhou velvet sleeveless jacket, a moon-white silk sash (with colorful silk threads at the end), a finely pleated skirt, and plain knee-cover trousers.

This set was of much better quality than the outer clothes bought before. The previous set was of ordinary linen material; this set had silk, velvet, and fine cloth, with rich colors and patterns. It should be from the best batch in the county's ready-made clothing shop. Looking under the bed, there was a pair of well-made upturned-toe shoes with two delicate little flowers embroidered on the vamp, with plain cotton socks placed inside.

Gu Jun's first reaction was to estimate how much this set probably cost. Coming to the conclusion that it was quite a lot, he frowned.

The money for treating both their injuries, adding the cost of these clothes, would probably not only require selling all the things Magistrate Wang had given but might even leave them slightly in debt.

Although before this he only had two sets of outer clothes, he still had one set of old clothes. It wasn't as if, once the outer garments were ruined this time, he would have no clothes to wear and change into.

Gu Jun, harboring worries about future livelihood, got dressed. This set wasn't difficult to wear; anyone who had watched videos of ancient costumes would know how.

He got up and came to the laundry basin, wanting to see if his original clothes had been thrown away. If not, after washing and mending, he could still borrow and wear them.

Actually, when those clothes got torn that day, he had already been very heartbroken. If they were tossed now, he would instantly die of heartbreak!

The laundry basin was completely empty.

Gu Jun: "..." Gu Jun retracted his earlier thought. If they weren't thrown away, he wouldn't die of heartbreak. He went to the bamboo basket, rummaging through his other clothes. They were all there, thank goodness... Wait, why were there two extra sets.

Gu Jun suspected his eyes were playing tricks on him. He closed his eyes, opened them. Still there.

Was the household truly not in debt right now?

Gu Jun planned to wait until Lin Yue returned and persuade him to return these two sets. If the other listened, fine; if not, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't give him the cold shoulder—this money was spent on him, after all.

Gu Jun actually couldn't quite understand. Why would someone as calculating as Lin Yue do such a thing? Could there be some hidden reason behind it?

As he pondered this, he covered the bamboo basket with its bamboo lid, prepared to give his hungry stomach a satisfactory answer. Casually opening the door, he got a fright.

Two sturdy men stood in front of the room. Their eyes met. Before he could ask why they were standing there, the two men had already cupped their fists and saluted him, saying, "Madam."

Madam?

Who?

..., finally confirmed it was himself.

He retreated back inside, closed the door. Beneath his calm exterior, his heart pounded violently in his chest.

...

Currently, the people he encountered all called him "Lady."

Could it be... that Lin Yue is already... an official?

As for why not...? There could be no more doubt. The other party had definitely recovered his memory. Perhaps it had recovered when the other party first acted strangely. The different feeling he gave today was probably because his memory hadn't fully recovered before, but now it had fully recovered.

If the other party wasn't as he guessed, where did these two men at the door come from? Why did they address him as "Madam"? How had Lin Yue, as if losing his wits, spent money without planning? And earlier, why had the magistrate been so attentive to Lin Yue?

However, he had never heard anyone address Lin Yue as "Your Excellency." These days, apart from the two magistrates calling Lin Yue "worthy nephew," everyone else addressed Lin Yue as "Young Sir."

Gu Jun didn't quite understand the various forms of address in this world.

But he knew that in some dynasties, "Young Sir" couldn't be used to address male commoners. If, as he had previously suspected, this world was a book, the author might have borrowed certain dynastic characteristics and added them here. It would be reasonable for officials to be called "Young Sir."

However, a magistrate calling an official who required their attentive service "worthy nephew" wouldn't be right.

In ancient times, even if a lower-ranking official was older than a higher-ranking one, they still couldn't call them "worthy nephew," unless their families had generations of close association and so on.

The two magistrates' families having generations of association with Lin Yue's family was absurdly far-fetched. Officials couldn't serve as local magistrates in their native places. One magistrate's hometown might be in the south, another's in the east. Did Lin Yue's family have such extensive connections? Surely not.

Then there was only one reasonable explanation: Though Lin Yue was an official, his rank was lower than theirs, but in terms of family background, Lin Yue was considerably better than them.

An official with an extremely good family background had recovered his memory... Why hadn't he dealt with him, the swindler, yet?

Gu Jun twisted his sleeves, feeling as if being burned by fire, extremely uncomfortable. He turned sideways, pressing his left cheek against the door panel. The hard, cold sensation... His eyes lit up, and he suddenly laughed.

What other reason could there be?

He touched his face.

He was good-looking.

He had known since childhood that a good-looking person would not be unaware of their own good looks. Because from childhood to adulthood, the treatment he received differed from others. The gazes of people he met would linger on his face for at least three seconds. Because of this face, he always received a lot of affection.

Someone like Lin Yue probably couldn't escape worldly conventions either.

Gu Yun knew clearly in his heart that it wasn't "probably," but definitely couldn't escape worldly conventions. The other party had already shown it.

So in this situation, should he still confess the truth?

Gu Jun deeply suspected that the other party recovered his memory but still let him off only because he had taken a liking to him in his female identity and could overlook his deception.

If he confessed the truth, then he...

He hadn't feared officials before because he was separated by the river of time. Now he would be afraid, because the river of time had disappeared.

He had come here, so very close. A casual word from the other party would be like a great mountain crashing down upon him.

His body was so frail, so young, never having seen much splendor...

Therefore, he clearly understood that under the current circumstances, it was best not to confess the truth, but to seek an opportunity and leave immediately.

He didn't know Lin Yue very well.

They had only spent about a month together. Some people live with their lovers for a lifetime and still don't understand them—Sometimes, he was afraid of Lin Yue. The other party seemed excessively powerful, as if he could thoroughly see through his thoughts.

Regarding this, Gu Jun couldn't help but suspect that if Lin Yue learned the truth, he would fly into a towering rage and hold him accountable. He absolutely did not want to go back into prison. That place was dirty, chaotic, and dark; his only companions there would be criminals and rats.

Having sorted out his thoughts and somewhat calmed his emotions, Gu Jun opened the door and walked towards the kitchen.

Seeing this, an attendant respectfully said, "Madam, there is no need for you to cook dinner. The Young Sir ordered a banquet table at the Flying Rainbow Restaurant. Would you like someone to deliver it here to eat, or take a carriage to the restaurant to eat?"

Gu Jun was silent, then said, "No need."

How much would a banquet table cost? Assuming he confessed the truth to the other party, this money used would still have to be repaid. Although the other party no longer needed his help finding family, with so much money, wouldn't he have to sell himself to the restaurant to repay the debt?

Moreover, Gu Jun only wanted to survive by relying on the other party, not to live a life of riches and honor by relying on him. There was still a big difference between the two.

The attendant said, "Madam, that banquet cannot be returned."

"Why?"

The attendant said, "The money has been paid, the ingredients have already been prepared. If you do not use it, then it will only be a waste of silver."

Why did that sound just like something Lin Yue would say?

Gu Jun deeply suspected this line was actually something Lin Yue had instructed him to say.

He didn't lose his temper at the other party. What the other party said was the truth. He sighed softly, steeled himself for going into debt, and went to the restaurant.

The restaurant was very close. The banquet they ordered had a wide variety of dishes: things that swam in the water, ran on the ground, flew in the sky, paired with all sorts of vegetables and fruits. It filled an entire table solidly. Although it couldn't compare to the blurry, indistinct modern foods in his memory, the taste was still very good. Compared to the meals he made, it was absolutely heavenly.

Gu Jun ate only the white-flour staple food. The baked, crispy, fragrant flatbreads—he could eat two large ones just by himself.

Probably this was the best meal he would eat in the next several decades.

So Gu Jun didn't eat with a heavy heart, and didn't put down his chopsticks quickly either. He ate for almost two double-hours straight before setting down his bowl. Even with such single-minded dedication and such diligent eating, he still hadn't eaten even half of the dishes.

Earlier, he had urged the two attendants who escorted him to the restaurant for dinner to eat with him, but they absolutely refused, lowering their heads and saying meticulously, "Madam, this is not according to the rules."

Urging further would be making things difficult for them, so Gu Jun let it go.

Now, looking at the remaining food, he did have the thought of taking it to go. Even in modern times, there wasn't such waste. But thinking of Lin Yue's status, and then thinking of the word 'rules,' he forcefully swallowed the words 'take away.'

However, having eaten too much, and since the curfew hadn't started yet, Gu Jun went to the riverside to take a walk and digest.

The two attendants followed behind him.

The night wind blew, carrying the moisture of the river, somewhat chilly. But Gu Jun's body was very warm, so warm that his wounds itched a little.

He planned to head back.

Just then, under the hazy moonlight, two figures rushed over along the smoothly worn stone slabs.

"Who goes there?!" The two attendants stepped forward, drawing their sabers with a whoosh, shielding Gu Jun behind them.

At the same time, several attendants also appeared from the shadows.

.

Yan Lin County Office.

A runner hurriedly ran towards the back residence. Someone was even faster, leaping a few steps and rushing into the residence, shouting, "Your Excellency, a large group of people have surrounded the county office! The leader says Yan Lin County has been targeted by a gang of bandits, and some bandits have already infiltrated the residence! This is to protect Your Excellency's safety!"

He ran too fast. Upon entering the back residence, he was tripped by the thick smell of blood and fell flat on the ground.

Flustered, he raised his head. The first thing to enter his eyes was a pool of black-red blood. At the end of this pool of blood stood a thick wooden post. On the post were two iron hooks, each hanging a mangled, unrecognizable man in black.

His Excellency was seated in a reclining chair, repeatedly saying the matter had been handled incompetently. Standing to the side were his entire family, old and young, all trembling like sifting chaff.

Seeing this scene, the runner shuddered.

"Your Excellency, please make a decision. What should be done? These people look ill-intentioned at first glance!"

Magistrate Wang, hearing this, sighed and said, "A decision? What can I do about them?"

"This... how can that be? Your Excellency, you are so resourceful..."

Magistrate Wang smiled strangely: "Can I match up against those truly above others?"

The runner looked at him, bewildered.

Magistrate Wang said, "If I had known earlier, the plan should have been moved forward." He stood up, walked into the room, changed into his official robes, entered the front office's public room, and sat down. "Please invite His Highness in for a talk."

"His Highness?" The runner was astonished. He didn't dare say more, immediately went out, came before the large group of people, and towards the leader, respectfully performed a deep bow and said, "Your Highness, His Excellency requests you to come in for a talk."

The leader laughed: "We have people from the Court of Judicial Review, people from the capital guard station, people from the border garrison, but no one your Excellency wants to invite. What is he trying to do? Does he not consider us colleagues as worth his regard?"

Hearing this, the runner was speechless. Before he could come up with a reply.

The man beside the leader, big and burly like a bear, pushed him aside. The man said to the leader, "Sanlang, what is there to say to this small fry!" He strode inside.

Meng Zhao chuckled wryly, turned to Chao Yan, nodded slightly, and the two followed behind. Behind them, a contingent followed in. The runner tried to stop them and was nearly pushed aside.

Magistrate Wang saw the three men. His gaze settled on Chao Yan. He cupped his hands in salute and said, "Magistrate of Yan Lin, Wang Gong, pays respects to Your Highness."

Chao Yan's expression was silent and cold as he looked at him, turned around, and sat down. Magistrate Wang straightened up and said, "I did not know Your Highness's identity before and offended you greatly. I hope Your Highness will forgive me magnanimously."

Meng Zhao and the others stood to the side. Ning Fu, upon hearing this, glanced sideways at Magistrate Wang and let out a cold scoff.

Chao Yan took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his sleeve and said, "Magistrate Wang, this is the confession of the two bandits captured by Commander Ning and others. Will you take a look?"

Magistrate Wang tensed his facial muscles, took it, lowered his eyes, and unfolded it. This was a transcribed confession. It stated that he had recruited several hundred able-bodied men to form a militia corps, and had also colluded with bandits roaming various regions, etc.

The mastermind behind the attack on Zhu Yang County, with the county office as the primary target, was him. Attached to the confession was a list: compensation and rewards for the able-bodied men who participated in the attack; for the bandits who participated, half of the people and wealth within the county office would go to them, and half to him. He would also arrange new household registrations for some of them.

Chao Yan said, "Magistrate Wang, what do you have to say?"

Magistrate Wang said, "What benefit would I gain from attacking various places in Zhu Yang County?"

Chao Yan said, "Intending to murder the Crown Prince, shaking the foundation of the state."

Magistrate Wang said, "Your Highness, you cannot believe the one-sided words of enemy bandits."

Chao Yan said, "With both witness testimonies and material evidence complete, how is this one-sided words? Forming a militia corps, colluding with bandits, plotting to murder the Crown Prince! Each and every item constitutes the capital crime of rebellion!"

—Regarding the militia corps, the court actually does not permit them, except in border areas and places with exceptionally severe public security, where recruiting able-bodied men to form corps is allowed.

Here it wasn't just Magistrate Wang who violated the rules; those gentry members in Zhu Yang County were also in violation. But for the latter, Chao Yan did not pursue it.

If one truly wanted to pursue it, I'm afraid it would be endless. As vast as the realm under heaven, why would it only be one Zhu Yang County?

Forcing punishment would inevitably cause an uproar. Moreover, a large part of the reason compelling them to form militia corps was the corruption of the court and the army, which could no longer guarantee their safety. Pursuing them would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. This matter required long-term planning.

Magistrate Wang, upon hearing this, looked terrible. Suddenly, he laughed and said, "Your Highness, what do you intend to do with me then? I thought you sent people to secretly watch me and forbid me from leaving this place because you wanted to have a good talk with me. It now seems you had no such intention."

"Have a good talk?" Ning Fu sneered, "Are you even worthy of Your Highness having a good talk with you?"

Magistrate Wang said, "Sir, perhaps you don't know, but those remaining men I have at hand, knowing things went wrong here, have taken a whole village hostage. If I leave here safe and sound, only then can those others return home safe and sound."

"Are you threatening Your Highness here?" Ning Fu said angrily.

Magistrate Wang said, "How dare I? Your Highness, I have invited your men to be my guests."

Chao Yan, upon hearing this, slowly smiled.

"Originally, I couldn't be certain you were bluffing. Now I can be certain."

Chao Yan drew Ning Fu's saber.

A snowy-bright blade flash briefly reflected on the wall. Blood splattered amidst the screams of the runners. A heavy object fell to the ground.

"Magistrate Wang plotted everything, but the plan was exposed, implicating everyone. The bandits, having suffered heavy losses because of this, could not accept further implication. In anger, they beheaded him and fled far away. Pass the order to Commander Zhang and Commander Zhao: seal off the Yan Lin County Office, arrest all personnel within. Sanlang, Commander Ning, you two assist Zhang and Zhao. Warn everyone: no harassment of the common peoplex; violators will be dealt with according to military law. From Magistrate Wang's property, take out a portion of gold, silver, and jewels to reward the soldiers."

Chao Yan raised his blood-stained eyelashes and said:

"In two double-hours, publicly announce that the enemy bandits have all been captured. Release all who did not have deep dealings with Magistrate Wang. Use their mouths to spread the news: Magistrate Wang is dead. If you obtain the bandits who killed Magistrate Wang, you can report back satisfactorily. There is no desire to pursue this matter endlessly."

Ning Fu said, "Your Highness, didn't you say Magistrate Wang was bluffing?"

Chao Yan said, "The former might be a bluff, the latter is definitely a bluff. To be prepared for any contingency, this is the course of action. Supposing Magistrate Wang's underlings really did something that harmed the common people, upon hearing this news, anyone who doesn't want to live a life of vagrancy on the run would hesitate. At that time, withdraw the army back to camp, hold a feast in Zhu Yang County for the troops who came to the rescue. They will then release the hostages and return home."

Ning Fu nodded, then asked, "Then just let them off like that?"

Chao Yan said, "In the case of Magistrate Wang, after I report back to my Imperial Father, he will send people to thoroughly investigate this case. It is good enough that we have captured the appropriate number of people. Do not meddle too widely."

Chao Yan tossed the bloodied saber in his hand to Ning Fu.

"I have wounds on my body; it is not suitable to exert myself. I will head back first. I'll leave it to you."

Meng Zhao and the others said, "We respectfully bid Your Highness farewell."

.

Gu Jun returned from the riverbank to the rented house, troubled over whether to ask Lin Yue to help the Zhao family woman.

Earlier, Jiang Sanniang had brought the Zhao family woman to beg him to save the Zhao family woman's child.

Gu Jun recognized at a glance that the Zhao family woman was the thin, dark-faced man whom he had previously noticed when the Feng house was burning; his expression had been very strange, as if carrying a hint of vengeful glee.

Although the other party's skin had whitened and she had changed into women's attire, he still recognized her at a glance.

Jiang Sanniang brought the Zhao family woman to kneel and told him:

The Zhao family woman was Zhao Shuilai's wife. She hadn't died; Jiang Sanniang had saved her. To prevent Feng the Jailer and his people from bothering her and the Zhao family woman, she had let the Zhao family woman "die" thereby.

As for the Zhao family woman's child, he had been passed off as adopted by one of Zhao Shuilai's maternal uncles.

However, the Zhao family woman refused to let Feng the Jailer and his people off. She coerced Jiang Sanniang into helping her sneak into the Feng household. Subsequently, she put a sleeping drug into the food.

Although Jiang Sanniang was a concubine, she had to do most of the chores in the Feng household, including the cooking. Jiang Sanniang didn't know the food had been tampered with and served it to everyone. Only after everyone had eaten did she discover what had happened.

At that moment, she had just finished tidying the kitchen and brought her own portion of food into the room, intending to eat together with the Zhao family woman.

After discovering it, the Zhao family woman told others to leave the Feng house, then poured oil and set the Feng residence ablaze with a single spark.

The Zhao family woman had originally planned to commit suicide after doing this, but who would have thought no one would trace it back to her? So then she was reluctant to die. She came to the Jiang household to help Jiang Sanniang with work.

Before the incident at the county office, Jiang Sanniang couldn't stop the Zhao family woman; the other party was determined to go see her son.

Upon this visit, she discovered her son was not getting enough to eat, was barely clothed, not only working all day but also being beaten. It turned out that the uncle who had adopted the Zhao family woman's child had only coveted her family's house in the county town and their meager property.

The Zhao family woman was both angry and regretful, yet she couldn't take her son back. Jiang Sanniang was well aware the other party somewhat resented her, and she indeed felt somewhat guilty. If only she had let the Zhao family woman take her son and leave back then.

After much deliberation, she brought the Zhao family woman to seek help at their door.

Jiang Sanniang said, "The only influential people I know are you two."

Gu Jun at that time didn't agree on the spot, telling them to come find him the next morning.

It wasn't that he thought Lin Yue wouldn't be willing to help or that Lin Yue couldn't help.

Based on Gu Jun's observation, Lin Yue, while not exactly someone who hated evil as an enemy, would definitely help if he could. Moreover, he had almost never refused Gu Jun's requests before. Furthermore, Lin Yue's identity dictated that as long as he was willing to help, this matter could be resolved easily.

His current trouble over whether to ask Lin Yue was merely fear that the Zhao family woman and others might, someday in the future when the truth was exposed, become implicated because of him.

After agonizing for half a day, Gu Jun decided to still ask Lin Yue. After all, this was within his own scope of ability.

After getting her son back, the Zhao family woman could immediately leave this place and find somewhere to start a new life. As for Jiang Sanniang, if he didn't mention her, she shouldn't become implicated.

Having made this decision, Gu Jun sat at the table, reading a book on one side while waiting for Lin Yue.

He waited and waited, but the other party didn't arrive. Gu Jun hugged the book, went out of the house, stood in front of the courtyard gate, and peered ahead. He didn't see a single figure. He walked forward several steps, reached the street corner. There were more people now, but still not Lin Yue.

Gu Jun was about to head back when he saw a sneaky figure climb out from the house diagonally opposite.

"Catch the thief!" Gu Jun immediately said.

The two attendants immediately leaped forward. In a few moves, they captured the thief and searched out the things on him.

A casually wrapped small cloth bundle. Gu Jun took it; the things inside clattered out. Several taels of silver, a string of copper coins, and a newly made pair of cloth shoes and an inner garment.

Gu Jun crouched down to pick up the items and found that inside the clothes was a slightly wrinkled piece of paper.

Written on the paper was a recruitment notice for a shopkeeper for a rouge shop. Reading it from beginning to end, Gu Jun was pleasantly surprised to find that his qualifications were more than sufficient for this rouge shop shopkeeper position.

He put the things away, handed them back to the householder who had chased after him, drank a cup of tea offered by them in thanks, and happily returned to the rented house. If he didn't have to mind his wounds, he could have skipped and jumped all the way back.

The attendants silently followed him, clearly puzzled, exchanging glances. They thought he had a very kind heart; helping someone made him happy.

Gu Jun had just returned to the rented house when he heard footsteps outside the courtyard.

Was this Lin Yue coming back?

Gu Jun poked his head out to look, but it wasn't Lin Yue, but a group of people he didn't know.

The leader wore a set of black clothes; the people behind him wore prefectural soldier uniforms. When he went out in the evening, he had seen the prefectural soldiers patrolling the county seat.

The leader saw him, cupped his hands in a fist towards him, and said, "Madam."

Gu Jun didn't know how to return such a formal salute, so he just answered. The leader lowered his voice and said, "This humble general has business seeking His Highness. May I ask if His Highness is currently at the residence?"

Gu Jun: "???"

What the heck, who's His Highness?

While in a state of complete bafflement, he heard the sound of horse hooves coming from afar. The hoofbeats went from far to near, quickly arriving right in front of him. Gu Jun raised his head to look and saw Lin Yue riding back with several attendants.

The horses pranced in place. The young man was backlit by the moonlight, his entire figure sunk in shadow. The shadow he cast also submerged Gu Jun. He tightened the reins, lowered his gaze, swept it over them once, and asked, "What are you all doing here?"

Gu Jun smelled a faint tang of blood carried on the other party. Taking the lantern from an attendant's hand, borrowing the lamplight, he looked carefully. Part of the other party's grey-blue robe hem had changed color.

"Your Highness." The leader cupped his fist and said, "This humble general has business seeking you."

Gu Jun turned his head to look at the person who spoke, then directed his gaze back to the young man's face.

Gu Jun: "..."

Gu Jun: I feel a bit unwell. I need to go die for a while.