Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C341. Flirting.

Chapter 341: Flirting

Someone was waiting outside for Gu Yanxi, and Hua Zhi, sharp as ever, caught the thread in Jia Yang's tone—it wasn’t good news. She pushed to her feet, brushing off imaginary dust. "I'll step out for a bit."

"No need to play coy," Gu Yanxi drawled, his voice like a blade slicing through the room. "You might as well hear it too."

Hua Zhi froze. When had she stopped tiptoeing around Gu Yanxi? Her defiance surfaced like a smirk. Without a word, she reclaimed her seat, locking her gaze on him, daring him to push her further.

Gu Yanxi’s lips curved into a wicked grin. "Come in," he called out, his voice laced with the kind of confidence that made weaker men squirm.

The door opened, revealing not just Jia Yang but a nondescript man trailing behind him—Xue Liang, their go-to spy for all things underhanded and dirty.

"Talk," Gu Yanxi commanded, lounging back as if he owned the air they were breathing.

Xue Liang gave a tight bow before spilling his rehearsed report. "I infiltrated the First Prince's circle and made contact with Jia Yang. He uncovered a lead. Jia Yang, if you will?"

Jia Yang stepped forward, clearing his throat, his unease palpable. "There’s only one eunuch shadowing the First Prince in exile, which seemed ordinary at first. The Prince keeps up appearances, flashing those charming smiles, but something about it feels off. People have started noticing, and that’s the real danger." He hesitated, like a man walking a tightrope over fire. "This is the same First Prince who handed the Emperor a death wish disguised as an elixir, the same one with blood on his hands and a temper to match. Exile should’ve broken him, but his behavior now? It’s too... deliberate. Like he’s putting on a show, trying too hard for someone’s attention."

Jia Yang glanced at Yanxi, then Hua Zhi, before delivering the final blow. "I shadowed him for twelve hours and discovered something unsettling."

The weight of those words hung in the air like the sharp tang of iron. Yanxi and Hua Zhi exchanged a look, tension crackling between them. Whatever was coming next, it was bound to burn.

"That eunuch is a woman," Jia Yang continued. "At first, I thought she was just brought along by the First Prince...but I realized they are not in that kind of relationship. The First Prince is very obedient in front of that woman. That's all I have found out so far."

Xue Liang added, "After learning about this, I daringly searched the First Prince's residence but couldn't find anything to prove the woman's identity. She behaves properly, without any faults in her words or actions. The only thing is that she wears coarse clothes on the outside, but the finest silk inside. All her undergarments in her wardrobe are silk, and I found two crates of tea bricks in the First Prince's room."

"Silk and tea bricks," Gu Yan Xi muttered, a sneer curling his lips. "Ordinary goods here in the Central Plains, but to the tribes and Chao Li? They're coveted treasures. Watch them closely. No sudden moves—we’re not here to scare off the rats before they lead us to the nest. I want every single one of these snakes exposed."

"Understood," they both replied in unison.

Gu Yan Xi’s voice turned venomous, his disdain cutting through the air. "Years of royal education, and now he needs some foreign puppet to pull his strings? Pathetic. This isn’t just negligence—it’s an insult. Call in the Seven Star Bureau. Sweep Yingshan Pass from end to end. I want every last Chao Li infiltrator dragged into the light and crushed."

Yes, sir." Jia Yang and Xue Liang bowed before slipping into the shadows.

Hua Zhi understood his frustration and poured him another cup of tea, saying, "You don't need to be so impatient. Even if the Chao Li has been working on this for two generations, I still believe that there won't be too many nails embedded in the Great Daqing Dynasty. Firstly, the lack of offspring is their fatal weakness, and secondly, not everyone is suitable. If someone is born looking too much like the people from the Chao Li, they wouldn't be able to be used. Even if there is a fifty-fifty chance, they still need to be chosen carefully. From the people we have captured so far, both Yuan Shifang and Tong Yi are very intelligent. If everyone is as outstanding as them, the Chao Li wouldn't need to resort to such methods, they could simply start a war and not necessarily lose."