Inside the great hall of the Imperial Palace.
When Huangfu Hong led a group of court ministers over to Gu Chenfeng and the others,
the face-to-face encounter between the two factions immediately drew many watchful gazes within the hall.
As the saying went, "One mountain cannot hold two tigers."
The struggle between the Gu Lineage and the Huangfu Lineage had lasted for years.
The conflict between them had steadily intensified.
Several months earlier, the Huangfu Lineage had struck first, sparking the first all-out clash between the two sides.
The struggle between the two factions had since reached the point where they were as incompatible as fire and water.
Originally, after Chancellor Gu emerged from seclusion and struck with overwhelming force, everyone had thought the Gu faction would win.
Yet no one had expected the situation to change so drastically in just a few months.
Chancellor Gu had once again vanished from public view, while the Huangfu faction launched a full counterattack and seized complete control of the initiative.
Now, Huangfu Hong and the others had openly approached Gu Chenfeng and his companions to offer congratulations.
Yet it was unmistakably a victor's "show of force."
Ouyang De, Huang Quan, and the others around Gu Chenfeng all wore unfriendly expressions at the sight of them.
Recently, their Lineages' influence and businesses had suffered attacks of varying severity from these men, both overt and covert, incurring considerable losses.
Huangfu Hong merely smiled faintly at Gu Chenfeng's calm response and said nothing.
Beside him, Minister of Personnel Zhang Yancheng, a slightly stout middle-aged man, gave a cold snort.
"Hmph, Deputy Commander Gu, achieving such extraordinary merit at such a young age truly makes you a dragon or phoenix among men.
"No wonder, scarcely back in the Imperial Capital, you ordered your men to inflict