Chapter 352: Dead Warriors

It's already late; everyone else at the Imperial Observatory has left early, only Wuyi remains.

Mu Yuanzhi knew Wuyi often stayed overnight at the Imperial Observatory, so she was confident he was still there at this hour.

In the evening, the Imperial Observatory, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, carried a peculiar warmth amidst its quiet.

Wuyi wasn't surprised to see Mu Yuanzhi, because Gu Rongjin had just come looking for him and been sent away.

"This way, Princess." Wuyi led the way ahead.

"Where is the National Teacher?" Mu Yuanzhi asked; she hadn't seen the National Teacher on her way over, and usually he would stay very late before returning.

Wuyi said: "The National Teacher has been missing for several days; even His Majesty doesn't know where he went. He only left a note and departed without saying goodbye."

"What?!" Mu Yuanzhi exclaimed in shock, "I haven't heard Rongjin mention it."

"You don't have to attend court, Princess, so you've really missed a lot lately. Your husband has been busy investigating a case and hasn't attended court either, so naturally you haven't received any news, because His Majesty said not to make a fuss for now." Wuyi said.

Mu Yuanzhi anxiously asked: "Did the National Teacher say where he was going?"

Wuyi shook his head. "He only said he was resigning and retiring into seclusion; as for where, nobody knows."

"But the capital is under lockdown; where could he possibly go?" Mu Yuanzhi didn't understand.

Wuyi said: "The capital is huge; if he wants to hide, it's not that easy to find him—at least Pei Shangyan hasn't been found either, right?"

Indeed, Mu Yuanzhi thought to herself.

It seems the matter of the Deposed Emperor has indeed greatly affected the National Teacher.

He just left without saying goodbye, and she hasn't even gotten to say farewell to him yet.

She felt deep regret, and didn't know if they would ever meet again...

Mu Yuanzhi raised her eyes and looked around the Imperial Observatory, sighing endlessly.

Things remain, people are gone; the scenery is the same, but the people are no longer here.

"Has he left any instructions?" Mu Yuanzhi asked again.

Wuyi just laughed: "You're so close with him, yet he left no instructions—how could he possibly leave any for us?"

Presumably he didn't want to leave too many attachments.

"If fate wills it, we will meet again; Princess, you needn't be overly grieved."

Wuyi, who had pushed the door open and entered, said.

"If fate wills it, we will meet again"—well said.

This room seems to be the chief clerk's exclusive quarters, quite different from the places Mu Yuanzhi usually went to.

The décor inside clearly reflects Wuyi's taste, filled with purple; upon entering, it gives a strange feeling, eerily beautiful enough to make one's skin crawl.

"What tea would the Princess like?" Wuyi asked.

"Whatever, I didn't come here to drink tea—don't waste time." Mu Yuanzhi said.

Wuyi nodded and poured two cups of grape juice.

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't help wondering whether he liked grape juice just because grapes are purple.

Just how much does he love the color purple!

"Please, Princess." Wuyi handed her a cup, having already started drinking himself, regardless of whether she would drink.

"Let's get straight to the point, Lord Sima—do you have any clues to tell me?" Mu Yuanzhi glanced at the grape juice in the cup and didn't drink.

She was indeed on guard.

Wuyi didn't mind; after taking another sip, he curled his lips and said: "I don't know if this counts as a clue, Princess—have you heard of dead warriors?"

"Of course, what about them?"

"In the Great Yu Dynasty, a powerful minister secretly raised five thousand dead warriors, launched a coup and seized the throne—showing how terrifying these dead warriors are. Of course, it also had to do with his own ability; after all, no matter how formidable, it was merely five thousand men." Wuyi's purple lips curled into an arc.

Mu Yuanzhi: "Lord Sima, you mean someone is privately raising dead warriors, and you suspect they are aiding the Deposed Emperor?"

Wuyi didn't answer Mu Yuanzhi's question, continuing: "Naturally, secretly raised dead warriors are hard to detect. My somewhat wild speculation comes from merely happening to see the Second Prince holding a book entitled *Jingzuo Chronicle* in his hands."

""Jingzuo" is that usurping minister of the Great Yu Dynasty, which Mu Yuanzhi naturally knows."

"Your suspicion is indeed quite far-fetched." One could say it's baseless speculation.

"Exactly, so it really can't be called a clue; maybe I'm just wasting your time." Wuyi finished the remaining grape juice, then said: "But what if? Why would a prince be reading the *Jingzuo Chronicle* for no reason?"

"Perhaps he needed to read such books to increase his knowledge before His Majesty ascended the throne?"

"What contributions has the Second Prince made?"

"None," Mu Yuanzhi replied, adding that she had hardly ever seen this prince at all.

"That's all I have to say, your humble servant; Princess, you judge for yourself." Wuyi extended his hand to Mu Yuanzhi, saying, "If you're not drinking, give it to your humble servant."

Mu Yuanzhi glanced at it again, then took a small sip.

Wuyi now has absolutely no reason to cause trouble.

It's sweet and sour—not bad.

"You'll come to love drinking grape juice; don't forget to ask His Majesty to bestow more on the Imperial Observatory later."

"Grapes are an expensive fruit, priceless yet unsalable; they're all meant to be offered to the imperial court. He can drink them only thanks to the National Teacher; once the National Teacher is gone, he'll need to find a patron who can provide grapes."

Mu Yuanzhi said: "Lord Sima, if you achieve merit this time, will you still worry about lacking grapes?"

"Princess, your speech now has a hint of officialdom." Wuyi teased.

"Lord Sima has been loitering near the Nine Thousand Years' retreat, sneaking about—what is he up to?" Mu Yuanzhi asked bluntly.

Wuyi's complexion remained normal: "Curiosity, after all—people's curiosity is naturally strong, just like Your Highness. You came here to find your humble servant; besides wanting to help His Majesty investigate the case, satisfying your own curiosity is also part of it, right? Your curiosity is quite strong, isn't it?"

Mu Yuanzhi didn't deny it; isn't having curiosity just human nature?

"So your humble servant is also curious—curious about the whole story's origins and developments, curious about what the Nine Thousand Years is up to, curious whether the Second Prince is raising a bunch of dead warriors—curious about everything."

"You're so curious—have you actually launched an investigation?"

Wuyi said: "No, I can only peek a little to satisfy my curiosity; after all, His Majesty still remembers the last incident—if your humble servant were to act too much, it would inevitably arouse His Majesty's unnecessary suspicion, which would be bad."

That makes sense.

Mu Yuanzhi left the Imperial Observatory, then turned back for a glance.

The National Teacher feels that someone like the Deposed Emperor truly isn't worth it, hoping he will one day cease to be stubbornly deluded.

She returned to the Grand General's mansion, and not long after, Gu Rongjin came back as well.

The three‑day deadline is almost up; soon the city gate will be reopened, and capturing Pei Shangyan by then may become even harder.

Mu Yuanzhi told Gu Rongjin what the shaman had just said to her, and after finishing she asked him, "Have you had any contact with the Second Prince?"

"When we meet at morning court, this person is so ordinary, feels almost unnoticeable, and even his looks inherit nothing from his parents."