The Emperor departed, leaving Gu Sheng frozen in place. Ahead, Xie Wan was still teasing a small dog. The evening wind swept past, and the willow branches swayed wildly, as chaotic as his own mind.
The Emperor hadn’t killed him, but she hadn’t let him off the hook, either.
“Did you think I was going to kill you?”
The Emperor watched him, a wicked smile in her eyes. It was clear she was up to no good.
This was the first time Gu Sheng had seen the Emperor from such a close distance.
She was even more beautiful than he remembered. It was a beauty that transcended gender—a pure, noble grace that was impossible to capture with words.
This person was related to him by blood. She was his younger cousin.
Though he would never be worthy of calling her that, the blood tie was undeniable.
When someone isn’t that different from you, you envy their every achievement, believing you could surpass them with a little effort. But when a person’s abilities exceed everyone else in the world, reaching a height no one can touch, you can only feel awe.
You weren’t even worthy of feeling jealous.
For Gu Sheng, the Emperor was exactly that kind of existence.
“To be a Xiao or a Gu. Make your choice.”
The Emperor watched him with a leisurely air, as if observing a piece of prey deciding whether to jump left or right.
Gu Sheng didn’t know which path was the trap, but at this point, perhaps he could follow his heart for once.
“If this servant is to die, I wish to do so under the name Xiao Gu. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request.”
Xiao Yang smiled upon hearing his words, filled with the satisfaction of watching her prey leap into the meticulously prepared trap.
“Congratulations. You’ve chosen the hardest path.”
Gu Sheng understood. He knew that the Emperor’s radiant smile couldn’t possibly be a good sign.
But what the Emperor said next truly shocked him. “The Southern Domain is short-staffed. Pack your things and go take up your post. When you’ve brought order to the Southern Domain, then I’ll let you return to the clan.”
‘Kill him? That would be too easy.’
‘Besides, I’m a good Emperor. All this killing is so distasteful.’
‘Xiao Sheng tried to rebel against me, so I’ll put his son to work for me, make him kneel and call me his ruler.’
‘Now *that’s* how you rub someone’s face in it.’
Xiao Yang wasn’t worried about Gu Sheng rebelling. Besides, she had no intention of keeping this a secret. She would have Prince Jing announce the man’s identity at the next annual clan meeting.
Forget rebelling—from now on, if Xiao Yang so much as got a headache, Gu Sheng would likely be dragged out for scrutiny, suspected of cursing the Emperor.
He would even become the top choice for anyone with ulterior motives looking for someone to frame or use as a scapegoat.
The message was clear: she wouldn’t kill him, but she wouldn’t let him off the hook, either.
Gu Sheng returned to pack his things for his new post. His official rank had even been promoted by one level. Upon hearing the news, everyone congratulated him, though some, riddled with jealousy, made snide, passive-aggressive remarks, implying his promotion hadn’t been properly earned.
Gu Sheng, however, found it impossible to explain himself. He could only pack his things and leave as quickly as possible.
Only later, when he heard from members of the Bian Bureau that the Emperor had broadcast his identity, did he finally understand the “viciousness” of her intentions.
The Emperor’s “generosity” was not a burden easily borne. He feared he would have no peaceful days ahead.
Now that Xiao Yang was out, she was in no hurry to return. She followed Xiao Lan around, even watching him preside over court cases. Not even the falling snow could curb her desire to wander.
Xiao Lan was unconcerned, but Xiao Qing was terrified. “Brother, are we just taking Her Majesty around like this? Is that really all right?”
“With all these people on the streets, aren’t you worried about assassins hiding in the crowd?”
Xiao Lan took a moment to glance over. He immediately spotted the Emperor sitting amongst a crowd of commoners, listening with rapt attention. She was bundled up in a gray fur cloak, with only her eyes visible—eyes that flashed with astonishing light whenever she heard an exciting part of the proceedings. Who would ever guess this was the reigning Emperor?
The courtiers couldn’t fathom the Emperor’s actions, and neither could any assassin in the world.
Besides, when it came to assassination, given the Emperor’s current level of power, assassins who could even get close were few and far between.
And though the Emperor appeared to be alone, there was no shortage of guards in the shadows. Any assassin wishing to approach her would have to fight their way through hell and high water first.
Xiao Lan said, “Instead of worrying about Her Majesty, you should focus on your duties. You were promoted to be her personal guard, yet you’re still this stupid. You might as well go back to Longchuan.”
Xiao Qing was speechless. ‘How harsh.’
He was not going back to Longchuan!
Full of vim and vigor, Xiao Qing was eager to do something to prove himself, but he quickly discovered he couldn’t get involved in what Xiao Lan and the others were doing at all.
Watching his brothers, each with a serious expression, adjudicating cases with fairness and impartiality, felt completely foreign to Xiao Qing.
He felt as if everyone around him had secretly grown up while he wasn’t looking.
Xiao Qing wanted to help, but he was simply tossed a law book and told to memorize it. Only when he knew it by heart would he be qualified to participate.
Xiao Qing stared at the thick tome, his eyes spinning.
After two days of trying to memorize it, he finally couldn’t take it anymore.
SLAM! He shut the book. “Maybe I should just go kill that Xiao Gu fellow instead?”
‘This whole studying thing isn’t for me,’ he thought.
Xiao Yang, who was walking by, commented coolly, “You kill him, and I’ll chop you into pieces.”
Xiao Qing was stunned. “…Your Majesty, why are you protecting him?”
Xiao Yang looked at his aggrieved expression with disdain, her eyes sweeping over the law book in his hands. “If you can’t memorize it, you can get yourself back to Longchuan.”
Before leaving, she shot him a contemptuous look. “I hear your younger brother has it down pat. He’s been clamoring to join the Bian Bureau, you know.”
A rush of blood went to Xiao Qing’s head. It was a matter of pride. As the older brother, he absolutely could not let his younger brother surpass him.
He had to study this book, even if it killed him!
Xiao Lan glanced at Xiao Qing, then looked away. ‘He’s too stupid to watch.’
‘Xiao Qing wasn’t this foolish before. Did getting the Death Exemption Token and knowing he was no longer a hostage make him reveal his true self?’
As for Gu Sheng, was Xiao Yang really protecting him?
Not at all.
It was simply more interesting to keep him around.
Without foreign threats, internal troubles are sure to fester. Someone needed to be a constant reminder to the people of the Capital City, telling them not to get lost in complacency.
In fact, Xiao Yang was rather looking forward to them stirring up some trouble. A life without rivals would be so dull.
Gu Sheng seemed clever enough, but he still had a long way to go before he could be considered her rival.
Xiao Yang had planned to amuse herself for a few more days, but an urgent dispatch arrived from the Capital City.
Prince Jing was missing!
Xiao Yang read the message three times to make sure Xiao Lv wasn’t pulling her leg, then immediately rose to her feet. “Back to the Imperial Palace.”
Xiao Qing’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden appearance of General Li and a host of Black Dragon Guards. ‘Wait, where did they come from?’
‘No wonder Xiao Lan wasn’t the least bit worried. So he knew General Li and the others were providing protection from the shadows all along.’
Their journey out had been leisurely, but the return was a frantic gallop. Xiao Yang rode without rest for a full ten hours, taking every shortcut, and finally made it back to the Imperial Palace before dawn.
Xiao Lv was visibly exhausted, his eyes completely bloodshot.
“I have arranged for the city gates to be sealed and a thorough search is underway. Xu Xingchen has already joined the search, but there’s no news yet.”
Xiao Yang felt a stir of panic in her own heart, but for now, she just raised a hand and patted his shoulder. “Don’t panic. The ancestors are watching over us. My uncle will be fine.”