Chapter 100
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Gu Yuanbai scrutinized the group of assailants, “Search the area for any stragglers.”
The guards responded in unison and quickly searched the surroundings, finding a few who hadn’t managed to escape.
The Xue household servants knelt in a row, heads lowered and silent. Gu Yuanbai’s tone was unpredictable, “Are you together?”
The servants looked at each other. One at the end spoke up respectfully, “Your Majesty, we are not with these assassins.”
Gu Yuanbai asked coolly, “Then who are you?”
“We are from the Xue residence,” the servant said hesitantly, “We were sent by…the young master.”
Not knowing whether to name the eldest or second young master, they left it vague.
Hearing “Xue residence,” Gu Yuanbai frowned. Suddenly, he realized, “Sent by Xue Yuan?”
The servant showed a hint of surprise.
As expected.
Xue Yuan not only placed spies around Gu Yuanbai, but he also had people track his movements? What was his intention, to monitor the Emperor’s every action as if he owned him?
The Emperor’s expression changed, anger rising. His face was far from friendly.
The servant quickly explained, “Your Majesty, we dare not spy on you. We followed Lord Chu here.”
Gu Yuanbai’s expression froze.
After a moment, he smiled gently, “Very well.”
Seeing his expression, the servant became even more fearful and quickly added, “We mean no harm, only to protect Lord Chu!”
Claiming to protect Lord Chu was a better excuse than admitting they intended to kill him.
The original protagonist’s allies following him was only natural. They were a perfect match, and Xue Yuan, being far away in the north, should indeed have people protecting Chu Wei.
Love as strong as gold.
Upon hearing this, Chu Wei’s lips curled into a cold smile. It was almost effortless to deduce why Xue Yuan would do such a thing.
Xue Yuan went to the northern border, and Chu Wei stayed by the Emperor’s side, so Xue Yuan resented Chu Wei. A deserted country road with no one around—was this a plan to kill him here?
Just as Chu Wei was about to sneer, Gu Yuanbai actually believed the story. He said, “Since this is a private matter between you and Lord Chu, I won’t interfere. Handle it yourselves.” As he finished speaking, he smiled slightly. When his gaze swept over the Xue household servants, they felt a chill and couldn’t help but shiver.
Gu Yuanbai returned to the palace smoothly. The captured assassins were immediately prepared for interrogation.
As soon as the Emperor returned to the palace, the two wolves tried to rush up and nuzzle him, but Gu Yuanbai ignored them and walked to the table to sit down.
Sensing his mood, the two wolves tucked their tails and sulked by the table. Gu Yuanbai, expressionless, casually picked up a memorial and began to read.
The palace attendants, aware of the assassination attempt on the Emperor, kept their mouths shut and moved cautiously. The palace grew increasingly silent, with even breathing becoming audible. After a while, the sound of a memorial being slammed onto the table startled Tian Fusheng, who instinctively looked up.
Noticing his gaze, Gu Yuanbai laughed, “Why are you all so tense?”
Tian Fusheng’s voice was tight, “We were all worried that the assassination attempt angered you.”
“What’s there to be angry about,” Gu Yuanbai laughed, throwing the memorial onto the pile of approved documents. He said leisurely, “They’re just a bunch of lowly people, not worth my anger.”
Indeed, Tian Fusheng thought silently, the Emperor was definitely angry. Normally, he wouldn’t speak like this, always being calm and gentle. These assassins truly managed to enrage the Emperor.
While waiting for the guards to interrogate the assassins, Gu Yuanbai pulled out another memorial from the bottom of the pile. The calligraphy was bold and free-spirited. His eyes darkened, and as he read the contents, a cold laugh escaped him.
The entire document was filled with vulgarities and suggestive words.
Xue Yuan, you are truly something.
You run to me, confessing your love repeatedly, traveling long distances to see me, serving me, kissing me, and claiming you’d die for me.
Yet behind my back, you send people to follow Chu Wei, to protect your destined brother.
What a remarkable Xue Jiuyao, what a fine General Xue.
The first snow of the northern border—d*mn your first snow.
Gu Yuanbai threw the memorial to the ground.
The palace eunuchs and maids froze, then knelt in unison, “Your Majesty, please don’t be angry.”
Gu Yuanbai stood up, turning the jade ring on his thumb, coldly looking down at the memorial.
Xue Yuan had every right not to like Gu Yuanbai, to pursue Chu Wei, to like anyone he chose. But he shouldn’t send passionate letters to Gu Yuanbai while entangling with Chu Wei behind his back.
Pursuing me fervently while being tangled with another—it was laughable.
Even now, it was as if Gu Yuanbai was enjoying Xue Yuan for free, but with this one action from Xue Yuan, the relationship between the original novel’s main characters, the top and bottom, clearly emerged in Gu Yuanbai’s mind. Gu Yuanbai suppressed his anger, feeling as if he was the one being taken advantage of.
Do you take me for a fool?
“Burn it,” Gu Yuanbai suddenly ordered.
Tian Fusheng was about to pick up the memorial when Gu Yuanbai added, “No, burning it would be a waste. Send all these back to the northern border, return them to the sender.”
His voice grew colder as he retrieved more letters from Xue Yuan, tossing them to the ground, “Tell him if he writes another word like this, I’ll kill him.”
Tian Fusheng complied quietly, hands shaking as he picked up the letters. Glancing at one, he read, “I dream of you every night,” which made his heart race. He quickly closed the letter and looked away, not daring to read more.
Gu Yuanbai sat down, turning the jade ring on his thumb, silent and stern, his presence making the air tense.
Finally, the guards who interrogated the assassins arrived, looking perplexed, “Your Majesty, the assassins claim they were sent by the Xixia envoys.”
Gu Yuanbai’s hand stopped turning the ring. He looked up at the guard and smirked, “Xixia envoys.”
Excellent.
A scapegoat has arrived.
***
The guards had never encountered anyone as foolish as the Xixia envoys and the assassins.
But regardless of whether the Xixia envoy acted in a moment of folly, they immediately followed orders to surround the Mingsheng Relay Station and capture the envoys.
The heavily armored imperial guards quickly marched to the inn, weapons drawn. Meanwhile, in the palace, ministers hurried to the Xuanzheng Hall to urgently formulate a strategy with the Emperor.
The Xixia envoy’s attempt to assassinate the Emperor was a heinous crime! From now on, they were criminals of Great Heng, to be imprisoned until the Xixia Emperor paid a ransom.
With time pressing, Gu Yuanbai decisively ordered, “Five thousand fine horses, ten thousand cattle, ten thousand sheep, five million taels of silver, three hundred thousand shi of grain. Let the Xixia Emperor empty his treasury for the ransom!”
The Emperor’s voice was full of killing intent. The ministers assumed he was enraged by the assassination attempt. Some were concerned, “Your Majesty, this many items, what if they refuse?”
“We’ll negotiate if necessary,” Gu Yuanbai replied, “If they refuse, then let them expect to receive their prince’s corpse and prepare for my army!”
Engaging in a two-front war is a major taboo in military strategy. Currently, the border situation is dire, and Great Heng cannot afford to go to war with Xixia. However, we must still peel off a layer of Xixia’s skin.
Xixia is a small place, and what we’ve demanded almost empties their entire treasury.
It would be best if their treasury doesn’t hold that much, and if the Xixia Emperor cherishes his seventh prince, Li Angshun, as much as they say, as he would be forced to extort money from the wealthy nobles.
On the way back to the palace with the Xixia envoys under guard, the ministers had already debated the compensation issue several times. Gu Yuanbai, noticing their hesitation over the amount of compensation, took a sip of tea and remarked lightly, “Gentlemen, have you forgotten that the Xixia envoy once sent you gifts?”
The ministers were taken aback.
“Night pearls, rare medicinal herbs, things that are rarely seen once in a hundred years,” Gu Yuanbai squinted slightly, smiling softly, “They have money in Xixia.”
Right.
The ministers suddenly realized, Xixia is wealthy.
They savored the realization and looked around at their colleagues. The old veterans in the court were leisurely seated, enjoying the special tea brewed by the Emperor’s orders, quite content.
Those who had been arguing stopped, sat down to rest, and sipped the delicious hot tea. Once they felt more relaxed, Lord Huang, who had been the most vocal about reducing the compensation, chuckled and said, “So, Your Majesty, isn’t the amount we’ve set a bit low?”
“…” Gu Yuanbai replied slowly, “Not really.”
The Grand Chancellor sighed, “Lord Huang, Xixia may be rich, but it’s still a small place. I believe the amount set by the Emperor is just right. We can start with a high demand, and if the Xixia Emperor truly can’t meet it, we can show some leniency.”
“That’s right,” the Deputy Minister of State Affairs nodded seriously, “Our court, after all, is a land of propriety. We should be understanding and considerate.”
Lord Huang stroked his beard and nodded contentedly, “Indeed, that’s how it should be.”
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