For a moment, Gu Shixiong couldn’t understand why Qin Yining would be so kind as to help him, or why she would take the risk of introducing him to Second Master of the Lu family.
Could it really be for the sake of them both being Great Yan people?
But if this woman had such patriotic feelings from the beginning, she would have agreed to help him early on and wouldn’t have waited until now.
Qin Yining’s behavior was far too inconsistent before and after.
With this thought, Gu Shixiong’s blood ran cold throughout his body. He quickly ordered the coachman: “Stop the carriage immediately!”
The coachman was startled by Gu Shixiong’s hoarse yet sharp aged voice and hurriedly stopped the carriage.
Gu Shixiong clumsily got down from the carriage. By the remaining light of the setting sun and the glow of the wind lantern, he took out a dagger and began prying open the box that had been nailed shut.
After tremendous effort, he finally pried the box open intact, only to discover a piece of paper lying inside.
Gu Shixiong found this even stranger. He picked up the paper and held it close to the light source for a careful look, and his heart immediately sank.
This was a hand-drawn map with mountains, rivers, forests, and trees all clearly marked. In the upper right corner of the map, a circle had been drawn with cinnabar ink.
What kind of map was this?
Gu Shixiong carefully tried to identify the annotations beside the mountains and rivers to see if he could find any familiar place names.
But just then, he suddenly heard a chaotic sound of galloping hoofbeats rushing from the direction of the Three Thousand Battalion.
Gu Shixiong was startled and looked gravely in that direction.
He saw a middle-aged man in military official uniform leading the group, his face grim as he led thirty to forty cavalry galloping toward them. Before Gu Shixiong could react, the man raised his hand and ordered his men to completely surround Gu Shixiong and his carriage.
Gu Shixiong’s heart beat faster and faster, but his expression remained as composed as always.
“Who are you people! What do you want!”
The leading military officer didn’t answer, only saying: “Hand over what’s in your hands.”
Gu Shixiong frowned: “Why should I hand it over to you!”
The military officer drew the sword from his waist and shouted: “Hand it over!”
“Hand it over!”
All the cavalry drew their swords.
In the dim light, the swords gleamed with snow-like cold light, frightening Gu Shixiong so much that his calves began trembling.
Gu Shixiong frowned and said: “Who exactly are you people? If you’re not the right people, I won’t randomly hand things over. I see you’re military men. This place is closest to the Three Thousand Battalion – could you be from the Three Thousand Battalion? Or are you Minister Cheng’s people?”
“Stop talking nonsense! Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask!”
Seeing this person’s reaction, Gu Shixiong understood that these people were indeed Minister Cheng’s men.
He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief: “If you’re Minister Cheng’s people, then there’s no need to snatch this thing. Take me to see Minister Cheng and Second Master Lu – I’ll naturally present this thing to Minister Cheng with both hands.”
The leader was stunned again upon hearing this. Just as he was about to speak, another sound of hoofbeats came from the direction of the capital. From the sound, there were at least a hundred people, even more than their group.
Gu Shixiong naturally heard this too.
By now, Gu Shixiong had more guesses in his heart.
The group from the capital direction quickly approached and surrounded them, forming another circle of encirclement outside the existing one.
The leading military officer called out loudly: “Is Elder Lord Gu Shixiong present? The Emperor has decreed to summon Elder Lord Gu to the palace for an audience!”
The military officer who had blocked the road earlier frowned and bent down, snatching both the wooden box and the incomprehensible map from Gu Shixiong’s hands and stuffing them into his robes.
In his shock, Gu Shixiong didn’t even have time to resist and could only watch as his things were taken away.
“Is Elder Lord Gu present?”
The later-arriving officer asked again.
Gu Shixiong replied in a hoarse voice: “I am here.”
“Make way, make way!”
With chaotic hoofbeats and noisy voices, it appeared that the later arrivals were parting the crowd.
Seeing this, the first group that had arrived all retreated and withdrew from the encirclement, simply leaving Gu Shixiong to the hundred or so people who came later, then rode away.
What didn’t Gu Shixiong understand now?
In his entire life, this was the first time he had fallen so hard. And it was at the hands of a young lady!
He knew his own calculations best, and he also knew that his open visits to the Qin family would attract the Emperor’s attention. But after Qin Yining’s persuasion, he had only thought about taking the token to find Lu Heng and had forgotten about surveillance.
Now it seemed that with the tense situation in the capital, those monitoring the Qin family weren’t just the Emperor’s people. The group that had just seized his “token” belonged under the Minister of War’s jurisdiction and should be the Lu family’s people.
While the later arrivals, who were relatively more polite, were the Emperor’s confidants who had learned he was bringing a “token” to the Three Thousand Battalion and had come specifically to intercept him.
Now everyone would probably be convinced that the map in that box was the treasure map!
Even if Gu Shixiong talked until his lips wore out saying it wasn’t a treasure map, no one would believe him.
But why would he tell people the real location of the treasure?
“Elder Lord Gu, please accompany us to the palace for an imperial audience.” The general spoke with an imposing manner.
Gu Shixiong looked thoroughly frightened, trembling like a sieve as he used both hands and feet to climb onto the carriage.
The group quickly headed toward the imperial palace.
Li Qitian had already received news from his secret agents that Gu Shixiong had gone to the Qin residence twice to find Qin Yining, and after leaving the Qin residence the second time, had returned home, taken something, and headed to the Three Thousand Battalion. Li Qitian knew that his strategy of detaining Yuchi Yan to observe movements had finally shown results.
Elder Lord Gu was the imperial tutor of Great Yan’s previous emperor, truly virtuous and respected. He had long suspected whether Gu Shixiong knew the treasure’s location, but this elder lord had no other abilities except an unmatched talent for playing dumb.
Today he had finally caught him red-handed – it wasn’t in vain that he had put so much effort into this.
“Your Majesty, Elder Lord Gu has arrived.” Li Guanwen said quietly at the entrance to the imperial study.
Upon hearing this, Li Qitian quickly said: “Bring him in.”
“By your command.” Li Guanwen withdrew and before long led Gu Shixiong forward.
Gu Shixiong tremblingly performed a grand bow to Li Qitian.
“This commoner kowtows before Your Majesty, wishing Your Majesty ten thousand years of health and prosperity!”
Li Qitian sat upright behind his desk, his face dark as water: “Elder Lord Gu, can you explain to me why you rushed to leave the city for the Three Thousand Battalion before curfew – what was this for?”
Gu Shixiong kowtowed in panic: “This commoner, this commoner…”
“You’re already before me, and you still don’t want to tell the truth!” Li Qitian slammed his hand on the desk and stood up.
Gu Shixiong trembled all over and was immediately frightened to tears.
“This commoner, this commoner has been wronged! Not afraid of Your Majesty’s anger, this commoner learned that Prince Yan had been invited to the palace by Your Majesty and went everywhere trying to find people to put in a good word for Prince Yan. I went to the Qin residence twice, but Miss Qin was powerless to help. This old man later could only take the treasure map to seek help from the Lu family. But who knew that before I could even see a shadow of the Lu family, the treasure map was snatched away by the Lu family’s people!”