Chapter Thirty-Five: A Loving Father and Filial Son
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The investigation by the Qingwu Guard had revealed that Gao Changling was connected with Northern Qi.
Emperor Shenwu had known this for some time as well.
What he had never expected, however, was that Gao Changling would expose his relationship with Northern Qi himself.
According to his account, he had merely been using Northern Qi for his own purposes.
He had even obtained the secret correspondence exchanged between the Duke of Liang and Northern Qi’s Great General, Tuoba Ye.
What a brilliant move—striking at the very foundation.
Even Emperor Shenwu had underestimated Gao Changling’s intelligence!
“Your Majesty!”
Zhang Yao handed the secret letters to Emperor Shenwu.
Yet the emperor’s gaze remained fixed on Gao Changling.
His deep-set eyes seemed intent on seeing through the Crown Prince before him.
“How long has the Crown Prince been in contact with the Northern Qi spy?” Emperor Shenwu asked in a deep voice.
“Reporting to Father, it has been about a year,” Gao Changling replied cautiously.
“Oh?”
“In merely a year, you managed to make a Northern Qi spy utterly devoted to you.”
“It seems the Crown Prince possesses no ordinary methods.”
“You must have expended considerable effort.”
Emperor Shenwu let out a cold laugh.
At those words, Gao Changling was horrified.
Even a fool could hear the obvious displeasure in them.
Gao Changling had been Emperor Shenwu’s son for more than twenty years; he understood his father’s temperament all too well.
“This son is guilty!”
“I should have reported to Father in advance that I had bribed the Northern Qi spy.”
“However, the investigation yielded very little.”
“I intended to report to Father only after achieving some results. I was too eager for success!”
With a few words, Gao Changling easily transformed the crime of deceiving the emperor into nothing more than excessive ambition.
A grave offense had been reduced to a minor mistake.
Thus, Emperor Shenwu no longer had any grounds to accuse Gao Changling of deceiving him.
“The Crown Prince need not be nervous. I was merely asking.”
“The Duke of Liang case was originally placed under your supervision. I am quite pleased that you have taken it so seriously.”
“Now that we know the Duke of Liang has colluded with Northern Qi, this will also be of great benefit to the campaign on the northern frontier.”
“I shall send an imperial decree to General Dou Yuan, ordering him to guard against the Duke of Liang’s surviving faction causing trouble on the northern frontier and joining forces with Northern Qi from within.”
“If the northern frontier achieves a great victory, the Crown Prince shall receive the chief merit.”
Emperor Shenwu’s expression softened considerably.
How much of what he had said was sincere, and how much had been spoken against his will, was impossible to tell.
“This son would never dare!”
Gao Changling was no fool, nor did he care in the slightest about the so-called chief merit.
So long as Emperor Shenwu did not seize upon this matter to make further trouble, that alone was a blessing amid misfortune.
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“By the way.”
“The Northern Qi spy’s denunciation of the Duke of Liang is also a great achievement.”
“Tomorrow, have this person brought before me. I wish to thank him properly on behalf of the people of Great Yong.”
Emperor Shenwu smiled faintly.
The thing Gao Changling had feared most had finally happened.
In truth, when he had encountered Lang Qingzao outside the Imperial Study, he had already sensed that Emperor Shenwu knew of his contact with the Northern Qi spy.
If Gao Changling now told the emperor that the spy had already left Jinyong City, the Qingwu Guard would be capable of digging three feet into the ground to find him.
By then, Gao Changling would face more than merely the crime of deceiving the emperor. He would also be charged with colluding with a foreign enemy.
With the two crimes laid together, Gao Changling would have enough to die twice over.
Once Emperor Shenwu resolved to kill him, even overwhelming power would not save Gao Changling from death.
What a joke—father and son affection.
Within the imperial family, there was only the struggle for power. Blood ties had never truly existed.
“This son will make the arrangements at once!”
Though Gao Changling was unwilling beyond measure, he had no choice but to agree.
Otherwise, he feared he might not even make it out of the Imperial Study alive.
“This son takes his leave!”
Only when Gao Changling stepped out of the Imperial Study did he realize that his legs were trembling uncontrollably.
The man seated inside was plainly his own father.
Yet who could have imagined that his own father was constantly preparing to kill him?
“One day…”
Gao Changling silently swore an oath, and at that moment, the air around him seemed to grow several degrees colder.
Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Study—
Emperor Shenwu, who had appeared gentle only moments earlier, seemed to have become an entirely different person.
His expression was dark, and he vented all his fury upon the secret letter.
With a sharp tearing sound, the letter was ripped to shreds.
Yet from the moment Gao Changling had handed it over until now, the emperor had not even glanced at it.
“Your Majesty!”
Zhang Yao feared that he might be caught in the crossfire.
As Emperor Shenwu’s personal eunuch, Zhang Yao often had no desire whatsoever to know so many secrets.
The more secrets he learned, the more certain it was that he would die a miserable death in the future.
But even if he wished to escape, he had nowhere to go.
“Heh.”
“The Crown Prince whom I personally raised has come into my Imperial Study today and turned the tables on me.”
“Very good!”
“The Crown Prince is truly filial!”
“I would like to see whether this Northern Qi spy can really keep the Crown Prince’s secret!”
Only after a long while did Emperor Shenwu finally calm down.
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Before Zhang Yao had finished clearing away the wreckage scattered across the floor, Emperor Shenwu spoke again.
“How many days remain before the army reaches Fengxi County?”
“By my reckoning, Your Majesty, they should arrive by noon tomorrow,” Zhang Yao hurriedly replied.
“Deliver my verbal order to the Qingwu Guard.”
“Send more men into Fengxi County.”
“I must ensure not only that General Dou Yuan suffers no mishap, but also that the Sixth Prince leaves Fengxi County safely.”
“If anything happens to the Sixth Prince, have Lang Qingzao come before me with his head!”
…
…
Fengxi County.
As a vital hub that had to be passed on the way to the northern frontier, its importance was self-evident.
Even in times of peace, when Great Yong and Northern Qi conducted trade, Fengxi County provided considerable convenience to the merchant caravans passing through.
As a result, Fengxi County had always been a fairly large city.
At the same time, its people and urban structure were exceptionally complex.
The ordinary citizens had long since grown accustomed to seeing foreigners of every kind.
It was therefore extremely difficult to determine anyone’s true identity.
With this in mind, Gao Changsheng had no choice but to adopt the simplest and most direct plan.
He would lure the snake out of its hole.
“The army has already established camp a hundred miles from Fengxi County. If anything happens within the county, we may not be able to obtain reinforcements for half an hour.”
“Great General, you must be careful.”
Gao Changsheng looked at the “Dou Yuan” beside him and issued the warning.
Today, Dou Yuan wore armor and a gleaming silver helmet.
Without a close examination, it was quite difficult to make out his features.
Moreover, Gao Changsheng was personally accompanying him.
Even if someone with ulterior motives could not clearly distinguish Dou Yuan’s appearance, Gao Changsheng’s presence would lead them to the wrong conclusion.
Still, no one could guarantee with absolute certainty that the enemy would truly fall for the trap.
Once they entered Fengxi County, success or failure would depend entirely on luck.
“My lord, you must be careful as well.”
“Someone outside the city has already set their sights on us.”
“These people are exceptionally well concealed. If I had not spent years campaigning on the battlefield and learned to sense an enemy’s killing intent, I would have found it nearly impossible to see through their disguises.”
The “Dou Yuan” beside him offered the warning in a low voice.
Following the false Dou Yuan’s guidance, Gao Changsheng gradually began to detect the enemy’s presence as well.
Among those disguised as passersby, merchants, peddlers, and laborers were more than twenty spies.
“There are already so many lookouts. The assassins inside the county town must number at least three or four hundred.”
“Wang Yong’s men alone may not be enough to handle them.”
“I only hope Miaofa has realized what is happening here. Otherwise, my life may truly end in this place!”
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