Chapter 624

Night.

Chang'an.

Ink‑dark clouds pressed heavily over the eaves of the imperial city, completely blocking the clear glow of stars and moon.

In Chengxi, a seemingly ordinary courtyard house was hidden by dense locust‑tree leaves, its blue bricks and gray tiles concealed.

Even the wind lanterns hanging from the eaves were shrouded in black cloth, leaking only a speck of dim yellow light that barely illuminated the main hall.

On the table in the main hall lay several sheets of plain paper marked with symbols.

The candle flame flickered, stretching the two figures tall and slender.

Gao Changjing, dressed in a Rough Cloth Short Coat, had his heroic bearing largely hidden by a deliberately grown full beard, but his eyes shone like stars tempered by cold.

He pressed his fingertip to the three characters "Prince of Guangling" on the paper, gave a slight nod, and said resolutely, "Fine, we'll proceed just like this!"

As his words ended, he lifted his gaze to the heavy night outside the window, his eyes swirling with unfathomable light, and declared word by word with unwavering resolve, "Mobilize all remaining resources, make full use of Prince of Guangling as a pawn, do everything possible, we must stir up chaos in Chang'an!"

Opposite him stood Cui Yizong, also dressed in ordinary merchant attire, in his thirties, with fine wrinkles on his face that made him look several years older than he was.

Hearing this, he bowed and clasped his hands, his voice pressed low yet bearing unquestionable respect: "Yes!"

The two were about to discuss further details when the door of the main hall was suddenly flung open, and a figure staggered in, bringing a chill of night dew.

The newcomer was Gao Changjing's subordinate Shi Ji, usually steady, but now pale, veins bulging at his temples, his breathing hurried, and he reported to Gao Changjing in a deep urgent voice, "Gongzi, something happened to Prince of Guangling!"

Gao Changjing's hand holding the paper paused slightly, he lifted his eyes to Shi Ji, his brow subtly furrowing, and muttered the name, "Murong Yuan?"

Instinctively he followed up, his tone carrying a barely perceptible tension, "What happened to him?"

Cui Yizong also stepped forward, his gaze locked on Shi Ji's face, eyes full of inquiry.

Their scheme was clearly to have Murong Yuan, using the witchcraft incident, provoke a rift between Grand Preceptor Yuwen Hu and young emperor Yuwen Yong, so how could news of an "incident" suddenly surface?

Shi Ji inhaled deeply, his chest heaving violently as if trying to calm his swirling thoughts; once his breath steadied, he croaked, "At Jin Wang Fu, the cursed witchcraft puppet targeting the crown prince's consort was discovered by Grand Preceptor Yuwen Hu and his son Yuwen Ze!"

"Oh?" Gao Changjing raised an eyebrow, exchanged a glance with Cui Yizong, both eyes thick with puzzlement.

He released his tightly grasped paper, his tone tinged with doubt, "Isn't this exactly following our plan?"

"Now the puppet is found, Grand Preceptor Yuwen Hu and his son will be enraged, sure to clash with the young emperor; the waters of Chang'an were meant to be this turbulent anyway…."

Cui Yizong also nodded, echoing, "Exactly, once this unfolds we merely watch the fire from the shore; why speak of an 'incident'?"

Shi Ji's complexion grew even worse, he jerked his head up, his expression frantic like ants on a hot pan, and blurted out with startling force, "But Prince of Guangling's manor has been seized!"

The words froze the air in the main hall instantly.

The candle flame leapt wildly, nearly going out.

Shi Ji swallowed, continued, his voice betraying unmistakable panic, "Everyone at Prince of Guangling's manor, including Murong Yuan, has been taken by the Mingjing Office!"

"Not a single one escaped!"

"What?!" Gao Changjing sprang to his feet, his sword at his waist clanged against the table with a sharp "clank".

His composure vanished, his eyes filled with shock, and even his voice rose a few pitches.

Cui Yizong's expression changed dramatically, he staggered back half a step, his face drained of color, and exclaimed hoarsely, "How could this be possible?!"

Gao Changjing clenched his fists hard, knuckles whitening, joints creaking, staring intently at Shi Ji, his eyes full of incredulous doubt, and asked urgently, "Shouldn't Grand Preceptor Yuwen Hu and his son, in their fury, have stormed the imperial palace and clashed with Yuwen Yong?!"

"How could… how could the Mingjing Office have seized the manor?!"

This completely deviated from their plan!

"Moreover, Tian Guan Fu claims the Mingjing Office's reason for raiding Prince of Guangling's manor is…"

Shi Ji's lips moved, his face as pale as paper, he opened his mouth cautiously to add, then shut it abruptly, as if holding an unspeakable secret.

He lifted his head, trembling as he gauged Gao Changjing's expression, his voice cutting off, full of apprehension.

Seeing this, Gao Changjing's unease deepened; he stepped forward, seized Shi Ji's collar, and barked, his eyes boiling with raging fury, "What is it! Speak!"

Shi Ji, his collar tightened, struggled for breath, turned his head away from Gao Changjing's gaze, lowered his voice, rasping each word as if forced from his teeth, "It… it was you, Gongzi, who connived with Murong Yuan, orchestrated the Huazhou Relay Inn arson, aiming to thwart the new policy!"

He paused, his throat rolling, then continued, his tone edged with despair, "Tian Guan Fu also alleges you, Gongzi, are gravely wicked, tenfold unforgivable, utterly depraved…"

"And the bounty has been raised to one hundred thousand taels of silver!"

"Now throughout Chang'an, whether taverns or tea houses, street and alley, the common folk curse you, Gongzi, saying they will shred your body into ten thousand pieces as a warning!"

Gao Changjing felt a surge of fury shoot to the top of his head, his blood seeming to boil, and he kicked the nearby pillar hard, producing a deep thud, then shouted, "Damned thing!"

The candle flame shook violently, casting his beard in a more ferocious light.

In his mind flashed Chen Yan's handsome face, now seeming nauseatingly hypocritical, and he couldn't help cursing, "Everything's being pinned on me; that Chen Yan really is a scoundrel lamb!"

Before the words finished, he raised his hand and smashed a fist onto the nearby table, the candlestick clanged and wobbled, nearly toppling to the floor.

A few drops of scorching candle wax splattered onto the plain paper, instantly scorching several tiny black holes.

Standing beside him, Cui Yizong trembled with anger, fists clenched, knuckles turning bluish, teeth gritted, his voice brimming with uncontainable fury: "From the Huazhou Relay Inn arson, to the recent Liang Kingdom Qilin prodigy, to today's scheming of Murong Yuan..."

His chest heaved violently, his eyes seething with deep resentment, his tone growing more indignant, "That Chen Yan scoundrel really loves to slap labels on people!"

"Every evil deed can be thrown onto us!"

It was clearly the trap they set...

…the pawn they used to stir Chang'an's tides...

Now, instead of disrupting Zhou State's court, they've become street rats, framed and bounty‑hunted!

This resentment, no one can swallow!

Gao Changjing's chest rose more violently, veins at his temples throbbing, his stare fixed on the plain paper scorched by candle tears as if trying to pierce a hole through it, unable to swallow his anger, he jerked his head up and, hysterically, shouted at the top of his voice, "Damn it, who can endure—

We must retaliate!

That roar shook the windows, making them buzz, and the night wind swept in, lifting the curtain corners, causing the faint yellow candlelight to flicker, bright one moment, dim the next.

Just as the room brimmed with surging anger, a black shadow slipped silently through the back window, landing without a single sound.

The newcomer wore a dark night‑cloaked outfit, tall and upright, movements crisp; the moment he touched the ground, he bowed to Gao Changjing, his voice pressed low yet tinged with urgency: "Gongzi, a Secret Letter from the interior!"

Gao Changjing, immersed in his raging fury, froze abruptly at the words, and the heaving of his chest eased slightly.

He took a deep breath, forced the surging anger back into his heart, and in a deep voice said, "Hand it over!"

"Yes!"

The Night Cloak subordinate answered, then pulled a tightly oilcloth‑wrapped Secret Letter from his bosom, held it with both hands, and respectfully handed it up.

Gao Changjing took the Secret Letter, tore off the oilcloth, unfolded the thin hemp paper, and his eyes quickly scanned the characters.

But after a moment, the anger on his face receded like a tide, replaced by an unsettled expression.

In those dazzling, intimidating eyes swirled a complex, indecipherable light—some resentment, some astonishment, and a few indescribable gravities.

Cui Yizong keenly sensed Gao Changjing's change, and his heart gave a sudden thud.

He stepped forward, his gaze landing on the Secret Letter in Gao Changjing's hand, and tentatively asked in a low voice, "Gongzi, what does this Secret Letter say?"

"But what new decree?"

Gao Changjing slowly lifted his head, his expression vague and dark, gradually clenched the Secret Letter, pressing with his fingertips as if to crush the hemp paper.

After a long pause, he finally spoke word by word, his voice low as if squeezed from his throat: "Father Emperor orders us to end the covert operation and return to Jinyang at once!"

Cui Yizong's astonishment had not faded; his eyes widened, and he asked in a bewildered voice, "Why is that!?"

Before the words finished, his gaze glued to the Secret Letter in Gao Changjing's hand, his brows knit into a furrow, and his tone full of confusion, "Your Majesty would suddenly summon us back?"

Gao Changjing slowly released his grip on the Secret Letter, and the bluish‑white of his knuckles from the strain faded.

He raised his hand to wipe his face, exhaled a long‑held foul breath, and the anger around him had long dissipated, leaving only a cold stillness.

He leaned against the cold table edge, his eyes scanning the plain paper on the desk scorched by candle tears, and in a low voice analyzed, "Perhaps it's been so long with no progress, repeatedly suffering losses, while continuously draining huge amounts of gold and silver…"

Speaking of this, his expression grew darker, a hint of self‑mockery flashed in his eyes, and his tone carried a certain resolute chill: "It must have made Father Emperor and Jinyang's civil and military officials lose patience…"

They had been covert in Chang'an for months, expending countless manpower and resources.

But in the end, not only failed to disrupt Zhou State's court, they instead broke the crucial piece of Prince Guangling…

Even he himself became a wanted criminal, with Zhou State offering a bounty of one hundred thousand taels of silver for his capture…

In such a disgraceful situation, the royal family and ministers far in Jinyang could naturally no longer allow him to continue draining resources.

Standing aside, Shi Ji's eyes held an extremely complex expression.

He hesitated a moment, stepped half a pace forward, lowered his head, and cautiously asked, "Gongzi, when shall we set out?"

Gao Changjing lowered his eyelids, his fingers unconsciously tracing the edge of the Secret Letter, lost in thought.

The candlelight in the main hall flickered, casting shadows that stretched and shrank intermittently.

After a long while, he finally raised his head, his voice calm and even: "In three days!"

Cui Yizong, upon hearing this, saw his complexion darken a few shades, looked at Gao Changjing, his eyes full of resentment, and urgently asked, "Gongzi, are we to discard all our previous efforts like this?"

He was truly unwilling to accept it; they had endured hidden in Chang'an for so long, paying such a price, only to leave empty‑handed…

Gao Changjing glanced back at Cui Yizong, his gaze sharp as a blade, his tone bearing an unchallengeable authority: "Father Emperor's decree cannot be defied; it must be obeyed!"

A sovereign's command is like a mountain; even as a Qi State prince, he dared not harbor any dissent.

Cui Yizong clenched his teeth; though his heart brimmed with resentment, he could only lower his head and solemnly reply, "Yes."

Gao Changjing no longer looked at him, but slowly lifted his gaze toward the Chang'an outside, shrouded by boundless night.

The towering Huangcheng, the criss‑crossing streets, all now slept beneath the ink‑black night curtain…

Yet Gao Changjing knew that on this seemingly tranquil land, murderous intent toward him lurked everywhere.

He radiated a chilling malice, like an enraged beast, his eyes flashing a terrifying cold light.

Suddenly, his tone shifted, a cold curve lifting his mouth, his face showing unabashed viciousness, he said with a half‑smile, "However, before we depart, this Gongzi will give Chen Yan, Yuwen Hu, and Zhou State a gift that will be eternally unforgettable!"

When those words fell, the air in the main hall seemed to freeze, the candle flame quivered sharply, and the smile on his face grew ever more grim and terrifying.

Both Cui Yizong and Shi Ji felt a jolt in their hearts, and simultaneously looked up at him, their eyes full of astonishment and doubt.

The night grew ever denser…