Chapter 362: Countless glances turn to dust; only the green mountains stay unchanged!

There's no way; Zhao Lao Zhuguo's every move is under this Supervisor's surveillance.....

Chen Yan crossed his leg, lightly spread his hands, the posture carrying a deliberately shared regret, and a hint of amusement curled at the corner of his mouth.

He paused, let his voice go slowly, each word like a needle: "Dugu Lao Zhuguo may not know, Zhao Xingjian has long already been placed under this Supervisor!"

"He will also become the future Duke of Chu......"

Was that slowness truly just a single step?

"Zhao Xingjian?"

"Brother Zhao's eldest illegitimate grandson?"

Dugu Zhao muttered repeatedly, his body jolted violently as if struck by an invisible hammer, and in his murky eyes suddenly burst an incredulous light.

After a half‑day, the shock in his eyes gradually settled, turning into a bottomless sorrow.

He gently shook his head, his voice carrying a sigh as light as a wisp: "Supervisor Chen truly has great skill, great tactics!"

"Even descendants linked by blood to Brother Zhao can be drawn into his ranks......"

Dugu Zhao knew Chen Yan was formidable, but never expected this young man to be so powerful!

Even to make Brother Zhao's own grandson Zhao Xingjian turn traitor, betray the family......

How terrifying!

Moreover, Dugu Zhao probably also guessed Yuwen Hu and Chen Yan's intention to give the Duke of Chu to Zhao Xingjian......

Bestowing the title on Zhao Xingjian is not only because of his defection and his Zhao surname.....

More importantly, a thousand‑gold purchase of a horse bone!

Let those people see the benefits of abandoning darkness for light, and the stable treatment after giving up resistance, thereby efficiently absorbing their remnants.

"Not only!"

Chen Yan, upon hearing that, gently shook his head and calmly uttered two words.

He paused, let out a snort, and added: "Lord Gao, Gao Bing is also a person of this Supervisor....."

Supervisor Chen is a timid person, with only a pair of eyes; he would not feel at ease.

He must monitor from all angles without blind spots.

Besides Zhao Xingjian and Gao Bing, many of the servants at the Duke of Chu's mansion have already switched allegiances.

"Gao Bing....."

"He is also...?!"

Dugu Zhao's voice got stuck in his throat, as if blocked by something, leaving only a wheezing gasp.

His vision flickered with darkness.

He never imagined that Gao Bing, regarded as a confidant, was also a Poison snake.....

A bolt of thunder instantly exploded in his mind.

It shook his internal organs, making them tremble.

He abruptly twisted his body, coughing violently, his gaunt hand pressing tightly on his chest.

The blue veins seeping through his knuckles throbbed sharply.

Each cough seemed to try to cough out his lungs, a sour‑sweet taste rose in his throat, which he forced back down.

"Cough... cough cough...!" The coughing echoed in the Shufang, laden with heart‑rending pain.

Dugu Zhao's snow‑white beard was blown into disarray by the expelled breath.

A dense cold sweat beaded on his forehead, streaming down the furrowed cheeks, soaking his collar.

"Zhao Xingjian's betrayal is one thing, but Uncle Gao Shi is also a traitor?!"

"How could this be possible?!"

"How did Chen Yan manage that?!"

Dugu Zhang, upon hearing, stared with bulging eyes as if they would pop out of their sockets, a storm of terror rising in his heart.

The mind, previously seized by fear and just now regaining footing, was stunned by the words "Gao Bing is a traitor".

But that's Uncle Gao Shi!

Who in Chang'an doesn't know who he is?

Dugu Zhang felt his mind a tangled mess, countless question marks winding around like frantic vines.

Inconceivable!

"Is this Bright Mirror Department Chief truly only eighteen years old?!"

Xi Bei Luo felt his scalp tingle, his gaze magnetically fixed on Chen Yan, a shock of astonishment rising within.

This one's Dark Hawk scheming is far deeper than the old foxes who have spent half their lives steeped in Court politics......

Xi Bei Luo dared say that the vast majority in the Court are inferior to Chen Yan.

Within this eighteen‑year‑old body lies ruthlessness and scheming far beyond his years.

"And them....."

Chen Yan blinked, a half‑smile curling his lips, his slender fingers flicking lightly in the air.

A crisp finger‑snap cracked in the Shufang.

Before the words finished, three figures slipped through the hall like Guimo.

The wind they stirred made the candle flame flicker violently.

The three stood behind Chen Yan together, their aura imposing, unlike the solemnity of the embroidered‑clad envoy.

They bore the swagger and ferocity of jianghu folk.

"We have met Dugu Lao Zhuguo!" After the three steadied, they exchanged glances, all saluted Dugu Zhao, their eyes unable to hide their amusement.

"Is it Iron Palm Flying Dragon, Jade‑faced Asura, and Night‑wandering Divine Lord?!"

Dugu Zhang's gaze just brushed those three figures, and their pupils suddenly contracted, as if an invisible hand had seized their heart, nearly spilling their identities.

Their voice was both startled and doubtful, the ending trembling, "They wouldn't also be…?!"

Dugu Zhao looked at the three in disbelief, head lowered, standing behind Chen Yan, that deferential demeanor even more humble than when they faced their own father before.

How could this be?!

"You… you all… hahaha!"

Dugu Zhao's gaze swept over the three faces one by one; in those eyes first flickered a sharp pain, then was covered by a heavy fatigue, prompting a self‑mocking laugh.

After a while, the laughter faded, and in a deep voice they sighed, "No wonder you, Lord Chen, can 'die and be reborn' …"

"So they were all your people!"

Earlier I was uncertain, but now everything is clear.....

It was all a scene directed by Chen Yan!

"Of course!"

Chen Yan gave a slight nod, smiled calmly, and said, "It was already that way long ago....."

Having risen and fallen in the world of fame and profit for so many years, Chen himself knows better than anyone the importance of high‑end combat power.....

And the hazards that come from lack of control.

These things must be firmly held in one's own hands!

Of course, after all, not everyone is pragmatic.....

Therefore,

Those unwilling to Surrender and pick a side have long been dead, without a whole body.

"I suppose the Buddha's verses, the one‑eyed stone statue, and the scheme on the Lazi Festival Day were also your design, weren't they?"

Dugu Zhao seemed thoughtful, let out a light sigh, and asked.

That sigh was wrapped in a lifetime of fatigue and bone‑deep chill, and even the wind and snow outside the window seemed to acquire a touch of desolation.

It was once doubt; now everything is completely clear.

Verses and rumors cannot kill the Pillar of State, but they can destroy the very foundation of a dignified Pillar of State.....

When they publicly beheaded the demon monk Huineng and smashed the inscribed one‑eyed stone statue, the result was not only the people's verbal and written condemnation, the aristocratic families' grudges and fears, and the fracturing of loyalty and virtue.

It further heightened the world's perception of Zhao Qian's brutality!

It laid the groundwork and set the foundation for today's thorough reckoning.....

From the aristocratic families and powerful clans of Guanzhong down to merchants, laborers, and common folk, everyone would feel this aligns with Heaven's will, is reasonable, and would even applaud!

A terrifying combination strike.

Truly all‑sided with no blind spots.

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, showing a playful grin, and casually said, "A petty trick, I present my ugliness!"

These methods have been used countless times, and are already second nature......

Dugu Zhao looked at Chen Yan's carefree demeanor, let out a low laugh, and the laughter, thick with unmelting bitterness, shook his already frail body into a slight tremor.

Immediately, he raised his hand to press his tightened chest; the skin under his finger was as cold as ice, and he sighed, "Lord Chen is truly formidable; I and Brother Zhao have not lost unfairly......"

Meticulously arranged, advancing step by step, strategies endless.

Such methods, such temperament, even after living for decades, remain unattainable.

The wind and snow outside had lessened at some unknown time, leaving only a whistling wind clinging to the window frame.

He suddenly straightened his spine, and in his murky eyes a stubborn clarity shone through, saying, "However, I still have a few doubts I cannot fathom!"

"Elder Pillar of State, please speak!" Chen Yan lifted his hand, smiled calmly, and said evenly.

Dugu Zhao looked at Chen Yan, the doubt in his eyes like a stone sunk at the bottom of water, clearly visible, and asked, "Why, on Lazi Festival Day, such a good opportunity, did Yuwen Hu not make it difficult but instead choose to let it pass?"

Even after many days of agonizing contemplation, Dugu Zhao still could not grasp the answer.....

Yuwen Hu could have seized the chance on the spot; everything was logical, with no flaw to point out.

Why deliberately let them linger on these dying days?

"Indeed, why does Grand Tomb Governor repeatedly show mercy..."

Chen Yan rested his right hand on the chair, shook his head, swayed his head, half‑smiling, half‑laughing, as if retorting and questioning himself, "Why do you often raise it high, then gently lower it?"

His words were full of deep implication.

Why not crush them with force from the start, instead of giving so many chances?

Is Grand Tomb Governor truly indecisive, wavering, and hesitant?

What a good question!

"Cough… please, Lord Chen, enlighten me!"

Dugu Zhao felt a tightening in his throat, couldn't help but cough weakly, the cough short and feeble, like the final flicker of a dying candle in the wind.

He used his gaunt hand to press his chest gently, and when he lifted his eyes to Chen Yan, the confusion in his gaze grew denser, as if shrouded by an impenetrable fog, "My chest's confusion…"

This doubt was like a thorn, lodged in his heart.

Dugu Zhao was eager to know what shrewd individuals like Yuwen Hu and Chen Yan were scheming, and what goals they aimed to achieve......

"Very simple......"

Chen Yan suddenly raised his head, his gaze suddenly sharp as a blade; the earlier casual playfulness vanished, replaced by an almost icy solemnity. He stood, hands behind his back, and loudly declared, "Because we must let the world see Grand Tomb Governor's utmost benevolence toward you!"

The handling of the two Grand Pillars of State, delayed for so long, employing so many methods in between, was all Chen Yan's counsel to Grand Tomb Governor's father.....

It draws on the core principle of Second Phoenix's revision of history.

Turning oneself into the weaker side, everything was forced upon us.....

Seize the hearts of the aristocratic families and the common people!

(Really think the Xuanwu Gate Incident was a mere encounter battle? The Crown Prince and the third brother pressed step by step, Second Phoenix was forced into a corner, could no longer endure and took a risky move, ultimately being forced to kill the two fools.)

In fact, the Xuanwu Gate Incident was a campaign‑level plot; Second Phoenix gradually seized almost all of the nation's military and political forces, planning it over nearly three years. At first they wanted his father to be respectable, the Crown Prince to be respectable; these three were not respectable themselves, so Second Phoenix came to make you respectable.

Thinking the Xuanwu Gate Incident only took place at the Xuanwu Gate?? The entire Chang'an City is the Qin King's Residence.

Second Phoenix's control over the whole Chang'an City is as simple as controlling each room in one's own house; the Crown Prince's Residence and the Qi King's Residence are filled with Second Phoenix's informants. When the Crown Prince or the Qi King makes a move—on what day, at what location, which people—Second Phoenix knows it all. What Second Phoenix seeks is not merely the throne; the throne could have been taken long ago. What Second Phoenix wants is a realm that commands the hearts of all under heaven.

"So that's how it is!"

"Hahaha!"

Dugu Zhao was startled; the veil of mist before his eyes was suddenly swept aside, and he immediately lifted his head, bursting into a hearty, unrestrained laugh.

The laugh was hoarse and fierce, shaking his chest erratically, yet it carried a sense of complete release after thorough clarity.

Truly brilliant and cautious!

Not willing to leave even a single hidden danger…

He paused, clasped his fists, and in a deep voice said, "With Yuwen Hu and Lord Chen present, Great Zhou will surely prosper and flourish!"

Putting aside personal stance and hostility, Dugu Zhao foresaw Great Zhou's hope of sweeping the north and south…

Unfortunately…

He could not see it with his own eyes.

"Song Fei, present the items," Chen Yan said with a calm smile, raising his hand in a gentle wave as he ordered.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Song Fei led two embroidered messengers out of the shadows, and on the tray were three items—

a pot of amber poison wine, a cup.

a piece of pure white silk, neatly folded.

a gem‑studded dagger, its sheath emitting a cold gleam.

Chen Yan's gaze swept over the tray, finally resting on Dugu Zhao, and he said, "Dugu Lao Zhuguo, this Lord has prepared poison wine, white silk, and a dagger for you…"

Dugu Zhao looked at the three items on the tray, his eyes showing no ripple, as if merely observing ordinary objects; he let out a light sigh, his voice carrying a settled calm: "Lord Chen truly acts comprehensively!"

Having spoken, his gaunt right hand slowly rose toward the amber poison wine.

When his fingertip was still an inch from the pot, Dugu Zhang's gut‑wrenching cry suddenly erupted in the Shufang: "No… Father, don't!"

Dugu Zhao, however, ignored it, bent down to take the poison wine, tilted his wrist slightly, and the amber liquid flowed from the pot's mouth into the cup, producing a faint sound.

The candlelight reflected on the liquid, giving it an eerie sheen.

Dugu Zhao raised the cup, his gaze sweeping over everything in the Shufang—

the turtle shell on the desk, the old sword on the wall, the moonlight outside the window, and the harmless‑looking face of the Lord.

He suddenly smiled, the smile bearing endless fatigue and a hint of release.

Then, without hesitation, he tilted his head and drank the cup's contents in one gulp.

The poison wine entered his throat, lacking the imagined spiciness.

Only a faint sweet cloyness, which instantly turned into a fiery burning pain, scorching down his throat and instantly engulfing his internal organs.

Dugu Zhao's body jolted, and the cup in his hand fell to the ground with a "clang," shattering.

He clutched his chest, coughing violently, dark frothy blood spilling from his mouth, staining his grizzled beard red.

His vision began to blur, and Dugu Zhang's wailing cries grew distant in his ears.

Finally, he cast a last glance at Chen Yan; his eyes held no hatred, only a deep, dead silence.

The snow outside the window began again at an unknown time…

That night, no sound of ten thousand night‑walkers was heard, only the sudden snow of a black shadow!

In the heavens, crows fly and rabbits run; on earth, ages past and present.

Contemplating, counting the number of talents with a finger, how many rights and wrongs, successes and failures.

Wealth and honor sing in towers and dance in pavilions; desolation lies in ruined tombs and barren terraces.

All countless glances turn to dust, only the green mountains remain unchanged!

【The Peaceful Chang'an Scroll of Last Night Ends】