Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C332. Tong Yi

Chapter 332: Tong Yi

The Emperor saw him and smiled, "You stubborn mule, didn't I say it was up to you to handle?"

The Second Prince's eyes couldn't help but flicker with this warmth, this trust. Who exactly was this person of the Gu family beneath the mask?

Gu Yanxi knelt down on one knee, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Seven Stars Bureau discovered traces of the Chaoli tribe in the capital."

The Emperor's smile froze on his face. He stood up, imposing without anger, "Are you sure it's the Chaoli tribe?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I'm sure." Gu Yanxi had been watching Tong Yi all along, still displaying a puzzled and petulant demeanor. However, when he mentioned the Chaoli tribe, she unmistakably stiffened for a moment.

"Good, very good. The soldiers of the Five Camps in the capital are dead? The city guards are dead? And now your Seven Stars Bureau have only discovered it when it's right under your noses. What have you all been eating?!" The Emperor's face twitched, feeling as if the Chaoli tribe had trampled his face into the ground.

Everyone in the room kneeled in unison. The Emperor snorted coldly and strode out.

Gu Yanxi, like the others, waited until the Emperor had left the hall before standing up. The palace attendants hurried to support their own masters.

Now was the time!

Gu Yanxi moved like a predator on the hunt, his whip slicing through the air with a precision that could only come from years of practice. In a blink, he yanked Tong Yi straight into his grip, her body crashing into him with the force of the pull. She barely had time to gasp before a harsh, calculated chop to her neck sent her spiraling into unconsciousness with a sickening thud.

"Daredevil!" Concubine Hui's voice cut through the tension like a blade. Her eyes were sharp with fury, but her words held a layer of panic. "This is the Emperor’s beloved consort! What do you think you're doing?" She was seething—jealous, of course, but it was more than that. Tong Yi was her golden ticket, her family's status wrapped up in the young woman’s favor with the Emperor. If anything happened to her, it would be more than personal—it would be a disaster.

Gu Cheng’an, ever the observant one, felt the prickling sense of something wrong in the air. The usual pulse of the palace intrigue was there, but this? This was different. He knew Tong Yi well enough to read between the lines, but her crime? Vying for the Emperor’s attention was nothing new; surely there was more to it.

"What's going on?!" The Emperor heard the commotion and returned with Chen Qing guarding him. He looked at the once beautiful and beloved consort, now unmercifully held by Gu Yanxi, furrowing his brow.

Handing over Tong Yi to his subordinate, Gu Yanxi's gaze swept over the shocked crowd. "Lai Fu, count the numbers. Anyone found deceiving or disobedient will be dealt with accordingly."

"Your Majesty..." The Concubine Hui's face paled, her voice full of sorrow as she looked at the Emperor, hoping to soften his heart for a moment. If not, even if she and her son were innocent, with today's events, she would never be able to rise again.

The Emperor looked at Gu Yanxi.

Gu Yanxi remained silent. He helped the Emperor to a side room by the palace window, removed some wooden bars from the window frame, and soon, a lifelike wolf with long horns on its head and a fierce howl occupied the entire window. Its sharp horns seemed to have tasted blood, emanating a fierce light.

The Emperor took a step back, trembling as he pointed a finger at the window, "Chaoli tribe totem! How dare they, how dare they be so brazen?! Investigate! Find out who did this to the window, I want their entire family exterminated!"