Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C343. The Solution.

Chapter 343: The Solution

Hua Zhi arched a sharp brow, her voice carrying a razor's edge. This time, though, she wasn't aiming to plunge a dagger into Wu Yong's chest—at least not yet. Instead, she delivered her line with a silk-laced sneer. "I hear General Wu is twenty-six. Not married, sure, but there’s been a woman warming your bed for a while now. With the Wu family’s… flexible rules about heirs from concubines, it’s a wonder. Years gone by, and yet no son, no daughter. Why is that?"

Wu Yong's jaw tightened, the faintest crack in his calm. “The physician said the time hasn’t come yet.”

Hua Zhi didn’t bother hiding her amusement. "Oh, please." Before Wu Yong could snap back, Shao Yao stepped in, her words as blunt as the blade she always seemed ready to wield. "That doesn’t add up. You had issues before, but those were fixed when I cleared your poison last time."

Wu Yong’s gaze shot to her, dark and stormy. His tone dipped, low and lethal. "What issues?"

The room went taut. Shao Yao blinked, catching the slip of her own sharp tongue. No backtracking now. She moved closer, her fingers gripping his wrist with a professional briskness that didn’t match the wild tension simmering between them.

“It’s on me,” she admitted, her voice quieter but no less pointed. “I missed something before. You’ve got traces of a toxin still in your system—not exactly poison, but something… insidious. It’s designed to stop women from conceiving, but the kicker? It’s rare to see it used on men.”

Hua Zhi leaned back, letting a laugh tumble out, slow and mocking. "Well, well. How long has your... troubled concubine been in your household, General Wu? And the physician? Timing for children, was it? Sounds like this mystery woman isn’t the only one you need to look at. Perhaps your entire inner circle needs cleaning out."

Wu Yong’s laugh came next, bitter and sharp as broken glass. "Deliberate. Aiming to wipe the Wu name off the map? Clever. I’ll give them that." He turned, the fury in his eyes barely leashed. "Prince, I’ll be taking my leave."

A voice cut through, steady and cold. "Not yet. Keep it quiet. The net isn’t ready to close."

Wu Yong clenched his fists, his nod curt, controlled. “Understood.”

As soon as Wu Yong was out of sight, Gu Yanxi fixed his gaze on Ah Zhi. "What’s running through that head of yours?"

Ah Zhi’s expression sharpened. "Don’t you think the Chaoli tribe’s activity near Yingshan Pass reeks of trouble?" She was circling an idea, her unease tightening like a vice. "If they were planning something, wouldn’t Shouai Pass—the eastern flank—be the smarter move? Yingshan Pass is nowhere near their usual turf."

Gu Yanxi tilted his head, the gears turning. "You’re saying Yingshan might be their endgame?"

"Not necessarily." Her voice was clipped, restless. "They thrive on misdirection, but this... this feels off. Why pour so much effort into Yingshan Pass? Unless..." Her words trailed off, the realization coiling tight in her chest.

In one motion, Ah Zhi was on her feet, the shock spilling into her movements.

"Ah Zhi?" Gu Yanxi followed, his stride quick and deliberate. With a flick of his wrist, he nudged Shao Yao aside, her glare sizzling but ultimately powerless as she sulked to the far corner.

"I just pieced something together," Ah Zhi said, her voice thick with urgency. "What if—" She paused, swallowing back her doubt. "What if the Chaoli tribe and the grassland tribes struck some kind of deal?"

Gu Yanxi’s jaw tightened, his first instinct to dismiss it. His spies had turned up nothing about an alliance, and historically, the Chaoli and grassland tribes clashed more than they cooperated. But the Chaoli tribe had been playing the long game lately, planting moles and pulling strings all across the Daqing Dynasty. If they were smart enough to weave that web, teaming up with the grasslands didn’t seem far-fetched anymore.