Chapter 1248 - 1084: Troops at the City Gates
Chapter 1248: Chapter 1084: Troops at the City Gates
"Who? Who’s outside?" Prefect Qiu had already instructed the steward to not allow anyone near the flower hall, leaving only two trusted men at the door.
The voice just now was so unfamiliar, not knowing who it could be. And what did this person overhear from their conversation just now?
Everyone in the flower hall showed a look of shock, and their hearts began to beat faster. Although they hadn’t directly expressed any rebellious intent against the court just now, Prefect Qiu’s words were so clear that the outsider would surely think they were in league with Prefect Qiu.
The door of the flower hall was opened, and a chilly wind mixed with the fragrance of flowers swept in. As everyone looked closely, they were stunned.
The person was wearing a long robe with a high collar and right lapel, made of white fabric with golden flowers embroidered on a ginger-yellow edged satin, covered with a cloak patterned with black swirling lines and foreign silk threads, exuding an aura of nobility.
Perhaps he had been outside for a long time, as his jet-black long hair was covered with many plum blossoms at his shoulders, contrasting with a jade-like crystal-clear face, adding to his cold beauty.
However, the beauty’s expression was very cold, and his eyes were ice-cold. The crown and ribbon fluttered in the fierce wind, and the plum blossoms in his hair were lifted and fell, giving the impression of a Banished Immortal entering the world.
"You, who are you?" Prefect Qiu snapped back to attention, pointing at Gu Chengyu in surprise.
"Didn’t Prefect Qiu just say you wanted to take control of me? Why are you asking who I am now?" Gu Chengyu sneered, although he himself was not calm inside.
Gathering information on this journey was quite inconvenient, not even being able to use carrier pigeons, and he had no idea how Yin Kun was doing. Prefect Qiu’s meaning just now, could it be that Yin Kun had colluded with those two Imperial Censors?
No! Gu Chengyu would not believe it. If Yin Kun truly were so short-sighted, he would have been ensnared by certain people back in the Capital, and currently his biggest worry was Yin Kun’s situation at Yuhe Pass.
"Are you Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Gu Jinyu?" Prefect Qiu widened his usually squinting eyes, appearing very surprised.
"Exactly! What were you just discussing? What do you plan to do with me?" The young man’s cool voice was very pleasant, yet the monotonous tone sent a shiver through everyone present.
Ming Yan glanced at his lord, indeed, when the lord didn’t smile, he was rather aloof. He naturally bore an air of authority, seeming difficult to provoke.
However, when the lord smiled, he became a warm and gentle man. It seemed a moment needed to be found to talk to the lord, advising against smiling casually, lest these people think the lord was young and easy to bully.
Prefect Qiu felt a bit awkward; they had been talking so enthusiastically that they hadn’t noticed someone eavesdropping outside.
"This? Mr. Gu, you must be mistaken, right? We were only discussing preparing to welcome you, who knew you’d already arrived at Wujun Prefecture, and we didn’t receive any notification, it’s my negligence!"
Prefect Qiu quickly stood up, bowing towards Gu Chengyu. His slightly tipsy face broke into a smile, but the skin-deep smile seemed a bit nauseating.
"So, you’re blaming me for coming to Wujun Prefecture without someone notifying you in advance?"
Gu Chengyu stepped forward slowly, glancing at the people present, with Ming Mo and Ming Yan behind him holding unsheathed swords, making everyone quiver again.
"Mr. Gu is joking, it’s just my inadequate welcome, causing some anxiety in my heart!"
"Everyone, this is the Imperial Censor sent by the court, Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice Mr. Gu!" Prefect Qiu signaled to the people present, who immediately stood up and saluted Gu Chengyu.
Gu Chengyu did not respond, casually saying, "Prefect Qiu, you really have quite the interest, with enemies almost at your doorstep, yet you have the mind to hold a grand banquet here."
Prefect Qiu frowned, "What does Mr. Gu mean by this? "
Gu Chengyu sneered, just about to make a point, when he heard footsteps behind him.
"Hey? Sir, you can’t just barge in!"
"Sir! Sir, it’s terrible! An enemy army has come, you must go to the city wall to take charge! Lord Wang, who guards the city, says there are many of them, and reinforcements might be needed!"
Prefect Qiu was instantly aghast, glancing at Gu Chengyu, then saying, "What’s going on? Where did this enemy army come from, and whose troops are they?"
Gu Chengyu raised an eyebrow, did Prefect Qiu also understand Prince Gong’s intentions? Otherwise, why would he ask such a question?
"We don’t know yet, our spies didn’t have time to send a message, only hearing the horn from the observation post outside. I came in a hurry, without time to investigate."
"Enemy army? Is there going to be a war? Well, I’m going back home, this is going to be chaos!"
Upon hearing the enemy’s attack, everyone in the flower hall panicked. If the Prefecture were to be captured, how could their homes be safe? Wouldn’t they be ravaged by those rebels?
With this thought, everyone could no longer sit still.
"Honorable sirs, war is imminent, we must return home to guard our doors, please excuse us!"
"Yes, yes!"
Everyone at the banquet stood up, rushing out of the flower hall. At this moment, who cared about manners anymore, keeping one’s family safe was the main priority.
Before Gu Chengyu could respond, Prefect Qiu was about to speak to keep them from leaving, but they had already run outside the flower hall.
Prefect Qiu’s face was gloomy, such a good opportunity wasted. If not for Gu Chengyu’s interference, today’s plan would have succeeded.
"Mr. Gu, although the enemy is at the city gates, we don’t know whose troops they are, so we still need to go to the city wall to investigate before making a decision!"
Prefect Qiu narrowed his eyes, his gaze flashing with shrewdness. He stroked his beard, appearing tense.
"Very well! Although I shouldn’t intervene in this matter, it is indeed of great importance. As an Imperial Censor, I must report to the Emperor, please!"
Gu Chengyu nodded, though pondering inside, not knowing which faction this person had sided with, this was not the time to dwell on it.
Other matters could be left for later, but with the enemy about to capture Wujun Prefecture, he must put this matter aside for now.
"Sir! A report from the front, the enemy is Prince Gong’s rebel army, they’ve started arriving at the city. We’re short on manpower, please order us to request reinforcements from the border!"
The two had just finished speaking, preparing to head to the city wall, when a soldier rushed in again, bringing news that shocked Prefect Qiu for a long time.
"You, wait! Take my letter and token to the border." With that, Prefect Qiu left Gu Chengyu and exited the flower hall.
Gu Chengyu watched Prefect Qiu’s back thoughtfully, had he guessed wrong, wasn’t Prefect Qiu one of Prince Gong’s men?
He pondered for a moment, then furrowed his brow, "Let’s go to the city wall and see!"