Yuan Zhuo’s fingers on the sedan pole trembled violently. His dark eyes looked like jagged rocks after the tide had gone out.
He blinked slowly. His upright shoulders suddenly slumped, and his entire person seemed as if his soul had been sucked out.
“Huaiyu…”
His voice broke with a clear sob.
He swallowed hard several times, forcing out a dignified smile. “The journey to Eastern Liao… is long. Please… take care of yourself.”
Gu Huaiyu closed his eyes and lightly tapped the wall of the sedan. In the silence, the chair began to move.
Yuan Zhuo stood in place, his gaze fixed on the receding sedan until it disappeared around the corner of the palace wall.
The attending servants held their breath. Who among them couldn’t see the Emperor’s feelings for the Chancellor?
But with such shocking emotions, who would dare speak of it? Seeing the Emperor in such a despondent state, no one dared to approach and court disaster.
Finally, Eunuch Xu stepped forward with small, hurried steps to support the Emperor’s arm. “Your Majesty, would you like to return to the palace to rest?”
Yuan Zhuo suddenly brushed his hand away. He straightened his sleeves as if nothing had happened. When he looked up again, his eyes had regained their clarity. “The memorials the Chancellor left have not been finished yet.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the Hall of Chaste Government, his back perfectly straight. “I will not rest.”
Three days later, at the Grand Canal docks, black banners fluttered in the wind. The gold-stitched character for “Gu” was exceptionally striking under the morning sun.
Five thousand Imperial Guards in iron armor stood like a forest. Twenty massive multi-storied ships were moored at the docks, their masts piercing the clouds.
Although Gu Huaiyu had not explicitly announced the purpose of the Eastern Expedition to the world, news of the court purchasing vast quantities of grain and mobilizing the Provincial Army from the Fifteen Circuits had already spread among the commoners.
The people ran to tell each other the news. It had been two hundred years, and Great Chen finally had a Chancellor brave enough to go toe-to-toe with Eastern Liao!
The people of Great Chen had been stepped on by Eastern Liao for too long. They were tired of the humiliation. The lost Three Provinces and Nine Commanderies, and the countless displaced families and relatives, were like thorns in their hearts.
From dawn, someone started it, and soon it converged into a mountain-shaking roar:
“Recover our land!”
“Uphold our national prestige!”
The crowd was fervent. Along the riverbanks and at the bridgeheads, hundreds of thousands of people joined the shout. The cries rose wave after wave.
The sound waves penetrated the carved windows of the ship, making the small flags on the sand table tremble.
Gu Huaiyu sat in his chair, looking at the undulating sand table. Compared to the optimism of the people, he knew best that this Eastern Expedition was a gamble using the fate of Great Chen as the stake.
If they won, he would be remembered for eternity. If they lost, the country would be annihilated, falling into an abyss of no return.
Xie Shaoling had departed a few days early with the Bureau of Military Affairs. For now, the task of organizing the ship’s affairs fell to Dong Danyu.
“My Lord.”
Dong Danyu entered with a secret missive, bowing as he presented the envelope with both hands. “Eastern Liao scouts have detected our movements. They are rapidly concentrating their forces at various points along the border.”
With over seven hundred thousand Provincial Army troops being mobilized, it was impossible to keep such a scale of movement secret.
Gu Huaiyu lowered his head to scan the document quickly. He ordered, “When the ships pass the various Provincial Army camps, have carriages and horses ready. I will personally inspect them.”
Dong Danyu acknowledged the order but did not leave immediately. He carefully tested the temperature of the teacup with the back of his hand, poured out the cold tea, and personally poured a cup of hot tea, placing it respectfully on the desk.
This was a normal duty for a subordinate, but Gu Huaiyu’s expression suddenly changed. He looked up, eyeing him with sharp suspicion.
Dong Danyu was startled by the look. His fair face gradually turned red as he stammered, “My Lord…”
Seeing his hesitant manner, Gu Huaiyu stood up abruptly and asked bluntly, “What, are you interested in me too?”
“My Lord, please be clear!”
Dong Danyu’s face turned bright red instantly. He waved his hands in terror. “How could I ever dare to have such offensive thoughts? My father opposes you at every turn, yet you did not vent your anger on me because of him. I simply wanted to thank you…”
Gu Huaiyu narrowed his eyes suspiciously, scanning him from head to toe. Seeing that his eyes were clear and he didn’t seem to be lying, he finally relaxed slightly.
Since that day at the palace gate, he had even kept Pei Jingyi outside his door. He had spent the entire time locked in the Chancellor’s Estate study, refusing to take a single step out.
In the past, when he reviewed memorials, he was often disheveled, frequently walking barefoot on the plush rugs.
Now, he didn’t dare be so reckless. His collar was fastened tightly to the very last button, and even his ankles were wrapped securely, fearing to show even a hint of skin.
Once bitten by a snake, one is afraid of well-ropes for ten years.
He had been bitten by several “venomous snakes” in a row. How could he not be paranoid?
