plumnovel Chapter 39 I am the one who went to claim your life.
Chapter 39 I am the one who went to claim your life.
The carriage resumed its journey, the sound of horses' hooves rapid, like a sudden rainstorm striking tiles, kicking up dust as it headed east.
Gao Cheng sat upright in the carriage, his face as calm and composed as still water.
He felt as if the cold, lifeless body lying by the roadside was a sharp thorn stuck in his throat, lingering there for a long time.
Gao Yang's servants died here, and all their belongings were stolen.
Even a fool could guess that his ugly brother, who was always pretending to be stupid, must have already revealed his whereabouts and fallen into the trap set by the nobles of Ye.
Although he had expected this.
But the fact that those old guys disregarded the Gao family's reputation and laid a trap to ruthlessly intercept and kill Gao Yang's attendants still surprised him somewhat.
Judging from this, the waters of Ye City are probably three times deeper than he had previously estimated.
On one side, Yuan Zhonghua glanced over.
Seeing the growing hostility in Gao Cheng's eyes, she could no longer suppress her worry and leaned closer to ask in a low voice, "Young Master, is Erlang... alright?"
Gao Cheng composed himself and, seeing his wife's worried expression, shook his head.
After a short while, Fang replied slowly, "No need to worry. Although Erlang is young, he is the eldest son of the Gao family. Even if the elders had the courage of ten generations, they would not dare to make the slightest move against him. At most, we will invite him into the mansion, drink a few rounds of wine, and exchange pleasantries."
Yuan Zhonghua's eyes still held a hint of reluctance as he asked again, "Then what should the Crown Prince do? Should we send someone to provide assistance first?"
However, upon hearing this, Gao Cheng's lips curled into a mocking smile.
Immediately, he shook his head again and said, "No need, no need. That brat has his own cunning schemes. Why would he be controlled by others? He's probably already comfortably seated among the elders, a guest of honor."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhonghua was immediately stunned.
Seeing Gao Cheng's indifferent expression, he ultimately said nothing more, only silently lowering his head and clenching the hem of his clothes.
Gao Cheng remained silent, only lifting the carriage curtain to look outside.
By this time, the vast Taihang Mountains were already far behind, and only the boundless plains of Hebei stretched out before them.
Along both sides of the official road, waves of wheat rippled, signaling the approaching summer harvest season.
This place, which should have been a picture of abundance and peace, was shrouded in a dark shadow by the unrest in Hanoi and the interception of military supplies.
He gazed at the fields rushing past the window, secretly planning how to deal with them after arriving in Ye.
Sun Teng, Sima Ziru, Gao Yue, and Gao Longzhi had been entrenched in Ye City for many years, with their protégés and former officials spread throughout the court and the countryside, and their power was deeply entrenched.
To fundamentally change something is not something that can be accomplished overnight.
In addition, the Zheng family of Xingyang was inciting refugees to rebel in Henan and intercepting 30,000 shi of military rations, which urgently needed to be dealt with.
The imperial guards in Ye City had not received any food or pay for three months, and the soldiers were full of complaints, with the possibility of a mutiny at any time.
All of this indicates a predicament both internally and externally.
Thinking of this, Gao Cheng rubbed his throbbing temples and suddenly chuckled softly.
Yuan Zhonghua looked up, puzzled, and asked, "Why is the young master laughing?"
Gao Cheng lowered the carriage curtain, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "I laugh at those old foxes, so clever in their scheming, thinking they've got it all figured out, but they've overlooked the most crucial thing."
Yuan Zhonghua asked in surprise, "What is it?"
"They think that I came to Ye City only to compete with them for power and profit."
Gao Cheng's voice carried a hint of mockery as he slowly said, "Little did you know, I was there to take your life."
After these words were spoken, the car fell silent.
Yuan Zhonghua felt the murderous aura emanating from her husband almost materialize, and she opened her mouth but ultimately did not dare to continue speaking.
Just then, Liu Taozhi's cold, hard voice came from outside the carriage: "Your Highness, Ye City is approaching. Should we send someone into the city first to inform them and order the officials to welcome you?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng sneered and retorted, "Those old fogies know better than I do when I will arrive in Ye."
Having received permission, Liu Taozhi stopped asking questions, whipped her horse, and drove the carriage even faster.
......
......
At that very moment, in Ye City, at the residence of Sima Ziru.
Gao Yang, whom Sima Ziru had invited, had been sitting in the main hall for nearly an hour, but Sima Ziru, the person in charge, had not shown up.
Only his son, Sima Xiaonan, sat beside him, earnestly urging him to drink.
Fortunately, Gao Yang didn't care much about it.
After all, he knew what Sima Ziru was waiting for: the "evidence" to be found on the fleeing servants.
Therefore, he was not in a hurry and just chatted idly with Sima Xiaonan.
His composed demeanor showed no sign of the embarrassment of being under house arrest; he truly resembled a distinguished guest.
Even Sima Xiaonan, upon seeing his demeanor, couldn't help but be impressed.
He then raised his wine cup and said with a smile, "Second Brother, you truly have great courage. Even in this situation, you can remain calm and composed. I admire you greatly."
Gao Yang raised his cup to clink with his and drank it all in one gulp.
He then said in a nonchalant tone, "Brother is just joking. This is the residence of Uncle Sima, not a den of dragons or tigers. What do I have to fear?"
Sima Xiaonan's smile faltered slightly, but he quickly laughed it off, secretly thinking to himself, "This ugly second brother is indeed not as dull as the rumors say."
However, while the two were chatting idly...
In the side room separated from the main hall by a wall, Sima Ziru, Sun Teng, Gao Yue, and Gao Longzhi were filled with anxiety.
This was because even they had never imagined that Gao Yang, who pretended to be stupid and was despised by everyone in Jinyang City, was actually a fool.
It was that secret agent who had been lurking in the shadows, watching them for days.
Although they were resentful that Gao Huan sent Gao Cheng to Ye to take charge of all affairs, they could still barely accept it.
With Gao Yang's exposure, they were genuinely panicked.
Sending two of his eldest sons at once, and engaging in both overt and covert activities, just how dissatisfied must King Gao be with them to go to such lengths?
They dared not think deeply, much less were willing to ponder it.
They could only hope that their recent arrangements would be effective and that their servants would bring back the evidence, because only in this way would they have some room to maneuver.
Conversely, they would be fish on Gao Cheng's chopping block.
Time ticked by, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense, and the four of them became more and more anxious.
"Why haven't you returned in so long?"
After a long silence, Gao Longzhi, whose temper was the most volatile, finally couldn't hold back any longer and whispered, "Does this brat, who's always hiding his tears, still have plenty of tricks up his sleeve?"
However, before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.
Everyone was startled and quickly turned around to look.
A moment later, a servant covered in blood stumbled into the room, holding a blood-stained bundle aloft. He knelt on one knee, panting, and said, "Gentlemen... I have done my duty. The item... has been recovered!"
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback.
Immediately, they were overjoyed and rushed towards the blood-stained cloth bag.
Gao Longzhi was the most anxious. He stepped forward, snatched the cloth bag, and tore it open. When he saw that the bag contained a thick stack of secret letters bearing Gao Yang's private seal, he was overjoyed.
He burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Hahaha, it really is this! It really is this! Our entire plan has not been in vain!"
Upon hearing this, the other three also breathed a sigh of relief, their tense nerves suddenly relaxing.
Gao Yue smiled and remarked, "This Lord Taiyuan is indeed capable. It's a pity he's young and lacks composure."
Sun Teng sneered disdainfully, "Even if he has the means, aren't we the ones who have subdued him? Let's destroy this evidence, cover up the truth, and see what Gao Cheng can do to us!"
Sima Ziru was initially delighted, but upon hearing Sun Teng's words, his face darkened.
He warned in a deep voice, "Brother Sun, be careful with your words. He is, after all, the son of King Gao and the future ruler of the Gao family. As his subjects, even if we have a thousand grievances, we must at least save face."
Upon hearing this, Sun Teng was quite disapproving.
Sima Ziru's expression froze, and he said nothing more, only letting out a hum before turning back to look at the secret letter.