Lawless Commandant Gu

"Are you going to confess or not?"

Bang!

"Are you going to confess?"

Bang!

In the heir's residence, the King of Mozhou's heir hung from a roof beam, covered in wounds.

"Stop hitting me! I'll confess... I'll confess...!"

Gu Yuan nodded in satisfaction. "At least you know what's good for you. Speak."

"I... What am I supposed to say...?"

"If you don't know what to say, what are you confessing to?"

"You haven't asked me anything! How am I supposed to know what to confess?" The King of Mozhou's heir was utterly bewildered.

Who on earth was this man?

He had barged in for no reason, strung him up and beaten him for no reason, then told him to confess for no reason. If he wanted a confession, he should at least ask what he wanted to know!

"You dare talk back?"

"Keep hitting him!"

Bang, bang, bang...

"Stop... Stop hitting me... I'll confess. I'll confess everything."

Gu Yuan's lips curled slightly. "Now you know what to confess?"

"Y-yes..."

The King of Mozhou's heir felt utterly miserable.

He really didn't understand.

His father had clearly said that no third person would know about this. How had the Mystic Shadow Guard found out?

Damn it all!

But if he didn't confess now, he might really lose his life...

"I am Mo Jiang. I came to the capital on my father's orders, first to present gifts for the Heavenly Longevity Festival, and second to contact our hidden agent in the capital and assist with their operation to retrieve the Mo Clan's long-lost mechanism book."

!!!

The Mystic Shadow Guards were stunned.

There really was something fucking shady going on?

Lord Gu was incredible!

Gu Yuan: ...

How could a perfectly respectable heir be so quick to crack?

He hadn't even asked, and the man had confessed.

"Did I tell you to confess to that? How dare you confess?"

"Keep hitting him!"

Mo Jiang froze.

"You... You, you... I've told you everything, and you're still hitting me? I want to see Her Majesty! I'm going to accuse you!"

"Oh? You want to see Her Majesty?"

Gu Yuan smiled.

"Give him a good beating. When you're done, take him to see Her Majesty."

"My lord... isn't that rather inappropriate...?"

"It's fine. When you see Her Majesty the Empress, tell her I gave the order."

"Yes..."

Lord Gu really was lawless!

But on second thought, it was no surprise. This was a man who had dared to cut down a prince's heir. What was beating up the King of Mozhou's heir to him?

Screams rang out from the room once more.

Gu Yuan paid them no further attention and walked straight out of the courtyard.

After I beat up a regional king's heir for no reason, the empress won't put up with me anymore, right?

If she can still put up with this, she's definitely taken a fancy to me!

Good thing my Dao heart is firm, and I won't be tempted by beauty. Otherwise, if the empress made a move on me, I really wouldn't be able to resist.

Come to think of it, what the King of Mozhou wants is the Mo Clan Mechanism Book, and that book is inside Meixiang's heirloom jade box...

In the original plot, Xiao Chen, the King of Qingzhou's heir, obtained the mechanism book from Meixiang and passed it on to the King of Mozhou. That was how Qingzhou gained Mozhou's support.

Now Meixiang has become my younger sister, and the jade box is in my hands. The plot has gone a little off course...

Still, it's no problem. As the empress's favored minister, my every move represents her. Once the King of Mozhou learns I beat up his heir for no reason, he'll definitely be furious and turn against the empress. That counts as setting the plot back on course in a roundabout way.

As for the mechanism book, it's a crucial item later on... You think you can take a treasure back once it's in my hands?

Impossible. Absolutely impossible!

Gu Yuan curled his lips and walked out the gate.

"Heir Gu, please wait."

Hmm?

Gu Yuan turned around and saw a man dressed like a scholar standing before him.

"And you are?"

"I am Ning Yan."

"So you're the Duke of Wei'an's heir. I've long heard your name."

Ning Yan was responsible for receiving the heirs from the various regions. Now that the King of Mozhou's heir had arrived, it was no surprise to see him here.

"Hehe, I should be the one saying that. I've long heard of you, Heir Gu."

"Are you here to see the King of Mozhou's heir too?"

"Uh... I've already seen him," Gu Yuan said casually.

"You work remarkably efficiently, Heir Gu. I'm impressed. Might you have some time today? I'd like to discuss the reception arrangements with you."

Gu Yuan sized Ning Yan up and couldn't help marveling inwardly.

Skilled in both civil and martial affairs, courteous and modest, with no trace of arrogance-no wonder he could become the protagonist's sworn brother through life and death.

Unfortunately, he died in the end...

"You're too kind, Heir Ning. I'm free right now. Why don't we have a few drinks at the Bureau of Music?"

Ning Yan smiled awkwardly. "To tell you the truth, my family is very strict. I can't go to that sort of place."

Can't go?

Tch, I can't be bothered to expose you.

Once Xiao Chen arrives and starts treating you, you'll want to go eight times a day.

"That's a shame. Her Majesty the Empress allocated some silver, and I was hoping to have some fun with you, Heir Ning. Now I'll have to go by myself."

Ning Yan's eyes lit up. "Her Majesty allocated silver?"

"Yes. Didn't you know, Heir Ning? Her Majesty just sent the Gu family ten million taels. That's more than enough to buy the entire Bureau of Music."

"..."

"Heir Gu, as I understand it, that silver belongs to the Ministry of Revenue..."

"My father is the vice minister of revenue. Doesn't that make the ministry's silver my family's silver?"

Ning Yan stood there, dumbfounded.

How could he dare say such a thing in broad daylight?

"Heir Gu, you really do have... a startling way with words..."

"Are you really not going, Heir Ning? Miss this chance, and there won't be another."

"I'll go. We're discussing official business, so it's only reasonable to spend some of the ministry's silver," Ning Yan said with a smile. "But I have to see the King of Mozhou's heir first."

"The King of Mozhou's heir has had a fright. It's best not to see him for now. It wouldn't do if he frightened you, Heir Ning."

Ning Yan: ???

"Come on, let's go. Miss Ciyue of the Bureau of Music is a superb zither player. You're sure to like her, Heir Ning."

Gu Yuan pulled Ning Yan away.

He couldn't let Ning Yan interfere with something like beating up the King of Mozhou's heir...

"He beat up the King of Mozhou's heir?"

Qi Yueli was glad she wasn't drinking water at the moment.

Looking at the memorial in her hands, she didn't know what to do for a moment.

Did Gu Yuan want to be dismissed from office that badly?

"Your Majesty, the King of Mozhou's heir had another purpose for coming to the capital. Lord Gu has a discerning eye and saw that something was wrong with him at first glance."

Another purpose...

He was only looking for the Mo Clan Mechanism Book... That book was originally a treasured heirloom of the Mo Clan... It wasn't strange for him to look for it.

Forget it. She had better placate him first...

"Pass down my order. The King of Mozhou's heir has had a fright. Send him some medicine for his injuries and gifts to comfort him."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"What did Gu Yuan go off to do?"

"Your Majesty, Lord Gu went to the Bureau of Music with Heir Ning to discuss the reception arrangements."

Discuss the reception arrangements?

As if anyone would believe that!

He had definitely gone drinking with courtesans on her silver again!

Qi Yueli gave a soft snort.

"Pass down my order. Gu Yuan performed his duties poorly and injured the King of Mozhou's heir. His punishment... his punishment is to forfeit a year's salary, as a warning to others."

Everyone: ...

Could her favoritism be any more obvious?

He had beaten a regional king's heir bloody and left him half-dead, yet all he lost was a year's salary... It sure was nice to be handsome.

Lord Gu was fucking awesome!

After the Mystic Shadow Guards left, Qi Yueli's gaze gradually turned grave:

"Even the King of Mozhou has a hidden agent in the capital... There really are hidden dragons and crouching tigers around me... Hmph!"

"Where is the King of Qingzhou's heir?"

"Your Majesty, he is already within a hundred li of Qi Capital. He should be able to enter the city tomorrow."

Qi Yueli quietly raised her eyes.

The male protagonist Gu Yuan had spoken of.

He was finally coming.