newbobooks Chapter 453 You and I, father and son, must we be so distant?
Chapter 453 You and I, father and son, must we be so distant?
The Zheng general took the document and seal, examined them carefully, his expression softened slightly, but he still looked scrutinizing.
He handed the document back and said in a deep voice, "So it's General Gu. This place is not safe to stay any longer. General, please come with me. The Grand General is already waiting in the mansion."
Gu Junze nodded slightly, his gaze calm and unwavering.
Zheng State, General's Mansion.
In the study, the scent of sandalwood is wafting.
General Duan Qingye of the Zheng Kingdom, dressed in casual clothes, his temples already streaked with gray, but his gaze remained as sharp as an eagle's. He looked at Gu Junze, who was calmly sipping his tea across from him.
“The emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty is suspicious and distrustful of you, and has repeatedly caused trouble. Why should you continue to be loyal to him?” Duan Qingye put down his teacup, the lid clinking against the body of the cup. “From now on, you can stay in Zheng State with peace of mind, so that our family can be reunited.”
Gu Junze took a small sip of tea, the warm broth sliding down his throat, before slowly speaking, his voice calm and even.
"This time, I'm just here to see Yun-ge'er." He didn't look at Duan Qingye; his gaze was fixed on the celadon teacup in his hand, as if there were patterns on it that attracted him more.
Upon hearing this, Duan Qingye's chest heaved slightly, and his tone carried a hint of helplessness and desolation: "Do we, father and son, have to be so distant?"
Gu Junze raised his eyes, his dark eyes staring directly at Duan Qingye, a faint curve appearing at the corner of his mouth, but without a trace of a smile.
"Isn't that good?"
Duan Qingye sighed heavily, his tone softening slightly, "I know you harbor resentment towards me. I've done as you wished and haven't launched another attack on the Eastern Jin. What more do you want from me?"
“At that time, Zheng was surrounded by powerful enemies and could not attend to both ends, so you naturally had to retreat.” Gu Junze ruthlessly exposed the tenderness in his words, his tone still indifferent, “Why does the general have to say that this is for my sake?”
"You!" Duan Qingye slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to tremble and spill a few drops of tea.
He glared at Gu Junze, his eyes surging with anger, wishing he could immediately order someone to throw this son who was always going against him out of the house.
However, when the words were about to come out, looking at Gu Junze's face, which resembled Princess Anyang but also carried his own stubbornness, he ultimately suppressed his anger.
He took a deep breath, as if he had exhausted all his patience.
"Fine, fine." Duan Qingye waved his hand. "Since you're unwilling, I won't force you. I've already arranged for your family to stay in the West Garden of the mansion; it's quiet there..."
“There’s no need to trouble the General,” Gu Junze interrupted him. “We have already booked a post station in the city.”
Duan Qingye's anger, which had just subsided, was about to surge again. He stared at Gu Junze, his voice deepening: "The post station is a mixed bag, how can it compare to the manor? Are you afraid that I will harm your wife and children?"
Gu Junze stood up and bowed slightly as a courtesy: "General, you are overthinking it. It's just that my wife and children have been traveling a long way and are not used to unfamiliar environments. They feel more at ease at the post station."
"I will visit Yun-ge'er myself. Goodbye." With that, he turned and walked towards the door without the slightest hesitation.
"Gu Junze!" Duan Qingye roared, watching his resolute back, and finally just let his hand fall limply.
In a secluded courtyard of the residence of Imperial Censor Zhao in the capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
The flickering candlelight illuminated the mysterious man's face, hidden in the shadows, making him appear even more sinister and terrifying.
The man in black knelt on one knee, his head bowed low, his voice hoarse and trembling: "My lord... news has come from the waterway that our... our several ambushes have all... all failed. Gu Junze and his party have safely arrived in Zheng."
"Useless!" The mysterious man slammed his palm on the pear wood table in front of him, and the teacups on the table shattered with a crack, shards of porcelain flying everywhere.
His eyes flashed with a violent, sinister light, and his voice was as cold as ice: "My Qingmo Valley has so many elite troops, and so many men have been deployed, yet you couldn't even stop Gu Junze, who has a family to support?! What use are you to me!"
The man in black was covered in cold sweat, and his body trembled even more violently: "Reporting to...Reporting to my lord, the shadow guards around him are all top-notch experts, and they are very difficult to deal with."
"We had the upper hand, but the Zheng navy appeared out of nowhere and allowed them to enter Zheng territory."
The mysterious man said, "He does know how to assess the situation and knows where to escape to for his own benefit. You are all becoming more and more useless, being manipulated by a stray dog like him."
The Imperial Censor Zhao, who was standing to the side, was terrified and turned as pale as a sheet.
He spoke in a trembling voice, trying to defend himself and also trying to find out what the "master" planned to do next.
"My lord, Zheng is, after all, the territory of General Wang Duan Qingye. Our people... I'm afraid it's not wise to make a move so easily."
"Hmph!" The mysterious man let out a cold sneer, his sinister gaze slowly sweeping over Imperial Censor Zhao, making Zhao feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his whole body chilled to the bone.
"Isn't it too late to say all this now? Imperial Censor Zhao, your role is not just to deliver messages for me."
Censor Zhao was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and cried out, "Your Excellency, please calm down! This humble official... this humble official has absolutely no disloyal intentions!"
The mysterious man ignored him, slowly took a few steps, and a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
"Pass down my order: hold your troops still and do not make any rash moves within the territory of Zheng, lest you alert the enemy and anger that mad dog, Duan Qingye."
The man in black was slightly taken aback, then accepted the order: "Yes, sir."
The mysterious man's lips curled into a cruel smile: "We can't catch this big fish, Gu Junze, for now. Let's close the net and speed up the arrangements in the capital. I have no patience to wait any longer."
"As for Gu Junze... he will leave Zheng one day, and I have plenty of time to play with him!"
Imperial Censor Zhao lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to utter a sound.
He knew that the capital city was about to undergo a major upheaval...