Chapter 326: Ten‑Thousand Urgent

The next day at noon, Gu Cheng arrived at Gu Kang's new residence with his attendants, carrying a simple gift box.

Gu Kang, having received the news, came to the Qian Ting and from afar saw Gu Cheng dressed in a plain white brocade robe embroidered with bamboo patterns, sitting calmly at the table drinking tea.

He sipped from his tea cup while raising his head to examine the calligraphy and paintings that Gu Kang had hung on the Zheng Ting wall, a faint hint of mockery curling at the corner of his mouth.

A prodigal scion, pretending to be refined.

Gu Kang steadied himself, lifted his robe hem, stepped over the threshold of the Qian Ting, and entered.

"Lord Gu, how are you?" Gu Kang said, his expression calm as he looked at Gu Cheng.

In that instant, Gu Cheng felt extremely uneasy.

If Gu Kang were now to be boastful, smug, or even insult and scold Gu Cheng, the elder of the Gu family, he wouldn't feel as uncomfortable as he does now.

Gu Kang knew Gu Cheng had contemplated killing him repeatedly, yet when facing his elder brother, he could still calmly greet him.

Gu Cheng slowly set down his tea cup, for the first time scrutinizing his second brother so seriously.

"Lord Gu?" Gu Cheng sneered with a light laugh, "Second brother, there's no longer any distance between us."

Gu Kang also sat slowly opposite Gu Cheng, personally refilling his tea.

Gu Kang smiled faintly, "Lord Gu's talent is astonishing, a shining star beside the Crown Prince; I am but a humble weed, how could I dare to seek kinship with Lord Gu? You truly flatter me."

Gu Cheng's brows knit fiercely; this little scoundrel was playing coy with him?

Though he harbored resentment toward the Gu family for having expelled him years ago, this courteous humility stirred something in Gu Cheng's heart.

He grew sullen; today's visit was merely to save his father's face, and he wondered if Gu Kang truly intended to vent his anger here.

He sneered coldly, "Gu Kang, if you bear hatred, just say it. Why this pretentiousness? Since when did you develop such a nasty habit?"

Gu Kang let out a light laugh, lifted his tea cup and took a shallow sip.

"Lord Gu, what did you say? How could I not understand?"

"I consider myself no longer tied to the Gu family; why must you speak like this, Lord Gu?"

"You…" Gu Cheng hadn't expected Gu Kang's retort, and felt an urge to slay the beast at once.

But he could not; after all, the present Gu Kang differed from the past—he had earned Emperor Longqing's favor as the newly crowned top scholar.

He had also entered the Ministry of State Affairs as a future power broker; not only him, even the old officials who roamed the bureaucracy had to gauge his demeanor first.

The atmosphere in the Qian Ting instantly sank to the bottom of a lake, bone‑chilling cold.

The Gu family's legitimate son and eldest illegitimate son, the two most outstanding heirs, had already clashed like blades after these words.

After a long while, Gu Cheng lowered his voice and sneered coldly, "Gu Kang, did you think that being a lapdog like your grandfather Du Yushan would end well?"

"Back then your grandfather possessed half the world's wealth and was Southern Qi's foremost imperial merchant, yet he ended up beheaded and dying a stranger in a foreign land."

"Now that you lack the Gu family's protection, how can you remain in high office? You'll likely die before you even feel it—your fate will surpass even your grandfather's."

"Heh!" Gu Kang couldn't help but laugh, slowly squeezing his tea cup, his finger joints turning slightly pale.

In recent days he had been assisting his elder sister with investigations, and he truly uncovered a clue.

The jade pendant that Mr. Wen had previously given him played a crucial role; many people flattered Mr. Wen, and Gu Kang's use of it was not excessive.

After all, his elder sister had saved Mr. Wen's life, and he took it upon himself to repay that favor on her behalf.

He wished some matters remained uninvestigated, for the more he probed, the more alarming they became.

He was about to devise a way to tell his elder sister this "ten‑ten‑thousand urgent" news, when Gu Cheng arrived to visit.

At that moment his irritation peaked; he did not wish to idle chat with Gu Cheng any longer.

He lifted his gaze, mocking Gu Cheng, "Lord Gu, what you say there is wrong."

"Everything you ate, wore, and used from childhood was, in a sense, paid for with my grandfather's silver; a person cannot ignore such gratitude!"

Gu Cheng's complexion changed dramatically; the most painful thing in his life was his own lineage.

He was an illegitimate son of the Gu family, unable to even step through the family gate before age three.

Even now, in Jing Cheng, whenever his father or they are mentioned, one must bring up the late Lady Du of the Gu family's support.

This was Gu Cheng's humiliation.

Hearing Gu Kang say that, he instantly rose, staring rigidly at Gu Kang.

Gu Kang smiled slowly, "Lord Gu, why the haste?"

"I am merely stating a fact; you need not read too much into it, Lord Gu."

Gu Cheng's face turned as dark as night, and he sneered, "This time you rose to power by stepping on Gu Huai's corpse—are you pleased?"

"Back then he followed you, second brother, putting you first at every moment; do you even know if you can sleep?"

"Because you are so ruthless toward your own brothers, you have already set a trap for Gu Huai, and that's why the emperor took notice of you."

"Do you think the Eight Great Families are so easy to get along with?"

Gu Kang was briefly startled, then found it amusing.

"This man must be mad!"

"He actually uses Gu Huai's death as an emotional card?"

He truly burst out laughing; the matter was simply too funny.

It took Gu Kang a while to regain his composure; he stared steadily at Gu Cheng, his gaze icy, making Gu Cheng's heart grow cold.

Gu Kang looked at him, speaking slowly, "Lord Gu, when it comes to being able to sleep at night, you should be more afraid than I am."

Gu Cheng's complexion shifted dramatically, and he instinctively stepped back; lately, perhaps too many things had gone awry.

He often cannot fall asleep at night; even when he does, the sleep is restless, and he always dreams of Gu Huai, blood‑stained, standing before him.

At that moment Gu Kang's words struck his heart directly, leaving him a little panicked.

He looked at Gu Kang and sneered, "Gu Kang, I'll be waiting to see the day you die!"

Having said that, he flicked his sleeve and left, originally intending to feign politeness and smooth over this brotherly recognition, but it simply could not be smoothed.

Gu Cheng left the courtyard with a sullen face; his aura of hostility was so heavy that the Gu family retainers who accompanied him recoiled in fear, stepping back several paces, unwilling to stay close.

"Sir Gu!" Gu Kang suddenly called out to him from behind.

He was just about to board the carriage, his body halted there, he turned and looked at Gu Kang.

Gu Kang's slender fingers lifted the gift box's ribbon, staring fixedly at him.

Gu Cheng's eyes flashed; he ordered his attendant to retrieve the gift box Gu Kang had returned, then immediately tossed it to the dozing beggar on the street.

After the beggar was awakened by the gift box falling from the sky, he hurriedly, delighted, grabbed the box and kowtowed to Gu Cheng, then ran off as if flying.

Gu Cheng suddenly lowered the carriage curtain, and the Gu family's carriage gradually moved out of Gu Kang's sight.

Gu Kang stood at the gate, coldly observing, and said in a low voice, "He wants to kill me."

"Sir?" Steward Zhang's heart jumped.

Gu Kang steadied himself, gave a light laugh, and said, "Then I'll prepare to let him kill me."

"Go contact Princess Consort of Rui; I have something urgent to tell her—extremely urgent!"