He lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked outside.
Night was deepening. The convoy had left two deep ruts in the official road, stretching all the way toward the enormous city known as Tianqi.
"The Capital..."
Gu Shen murmured softly.
"I'm back."
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, at Prince Yan's Mansion.
The Study Room was brightly lit.
Zhao Heng, dressed in a black princely robe, stood with his hands behind his back before a huge map. Mountains, rivers, cities, and strategic passes were all clearly marked on it, and his gaze was fixed on the spot marked Tianqi, the Capital.
He had been standing there for an hour.
The door to the Study Room was gently pushed open, and a stooped old man entered. He was Guo Xie, chief adviser to Prince Yan.
"Your Highness." Guo Xie bowed. "The men we sent should have succeeded by now."
Zhao Heng didn't turn around. His voice was low and resonant. "Are you sure there's no chance of failure?"
"Rest assured, Your Highness." Guo Xie sounded utterly confident. "We sent the three best squads from the Shadow Guard, thirty first-rate fighters led personally by Meiying. A mere merchant doesn't stand a chance. Even a high-ranking official under the protection of the Imperial Guards would be doomed."
"That merchant is called Gu Shen." Zhao Heng slowly turned around, his hawk-like gaze settling on Guo Xie's face. "Father specifically sent Liu Zhong to receive him. Don't you find that strange?"
Guo Xie smiled faintly, confidence filling his wrinkled face. "Your Highness is worrying too much. His Majesty's suspicious nature is common knowledge. He suspects that Gu Shen is connected to us, so he sent a trusted aide to investigate. That's only natural. And we're going to make Gu Shen disappear before he