Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C317. Unmasking the Culprit.

Chapter 317: Unmasking the Culprit

Gu Yanxi stormed into the General’s Mansion like he owned the place.

Wu Yong, scrambling to catch up, barely got a word out before Gu Yanxi brushed past him with zero acknowledgment, heading straight for Chen Tu, who’d bolted out from the other side like his life depended on it.

“Did you catch them?” Gu Yanxi’s voice was sharp, slicing through the air like a whip.

“Yes,” Chen Tu stammered, his throat tightening under the weight of Yanxi's gaze. Lying wasn’t even an option. “After discovering that Master Hua was assisting with the defense of Yingshan Pass, the Second Prince realized his plans were about to crumble. He sent assassins to wipe out the Hua family before his schemes could be exposed. To divert General Wu, he activated prearranged contacts with the grassland tribes. He sent twenty-four men in total—twenty to carry out the attack and four lying low to block any escapes. But Miss Hua and Jia Yang thwarted their plans and raised the alarm. Panicked, the hidden four immediately called for reinforcements from the tribes, leading to a second, even more ruthless wave of attacks carried out by foreigners.”

“And what did he offer them in exchange?” Yanxi’s tone dripped with icy disdain.

“Grain and tea,” Chen Tu confessed, his voice wavering. “Those are in high demand on the grasslands right now.”

Gu Yanxi didn’t even flinch. He’d expected as much. “Words mean nothing to me. Where’s the proof?”

“They’ve signed confessions,” Chen Tu rushed to add, “but…”

Yanxi’s gaze snapped to him like a predator zeroing in on its prey. The calm, unnerving aura he radiated had Chen Tu sweating bullets. “Not all of them are willing to betray the Second Prince outright. Their families are still under his thumb. They said… they’d testify if—if we could guarantee their families’ safety.”

Gu Yanxi strolled in, sharp and deliberate, mentally clocking the timeline. By now, the Emperor had undoubtedly received Wu Yong’s report. Fury would be inevitable.

The Second Prince? He’d be sweating bullets, knowing the leak had blown his cover. To save his own hide, he’d do the obvious—find a fall guy to take the heat.

What better excuse than the resentment brewing over Yingshan Pass and the danger it carried?

And for the perfect scapegoat?

Easy: someone whose family was under his thumb.

Wu Yong, dismissing the crowd with a wave, slid into the seat next to the Shizi. His voice was low but firm. “This mess at Yingshan Pass drags me in whether I like it or not. I’ll draft a report right now and get it submitted first…”

Gu Yanxi cut him off, his tone laced with sharp authority. “Submitting it first won’t change a damn thing compared to Gu Cheng’an showing up in person. Chen Tu, send word back to the capital. Find Chen Qing and have him dig up the Second Prince’s detainees. Nobody makes a move yet. Loop in Qu Qi—he’s got the nose for unearthing dirt. And tell Chen Qing to dig deeper into Zeng Xian. I want everything.”

Chen Tu gave a crisp nod. “Yes, but... any word from the Second Prince?”

“No need to bother. Let him squirm for a while.” Gu Yanxi turned to Wu Yong with a calculated glare. “And what about the rats outside the border? Think they’ll roll over for Gu Cheng’an without expecting something in return? Check if they’ve gotten their hands on anything worth noting.”

Wu Yong straightened, unfazed. “Yingshan Pass has been locked down tighter than a miser’s coin purse these past days. Not even a mosquito’s getting through without me knowing. It’s impossible.”