C95 I'm Talking to You

The issue with Yunyi is that he is one of Beiming Yuan's people. To be precise, he is a trusted confidant of Beiming Yuan, having been by his side since childhood in the role of a study companion.

When the scandal involving the corrupt concubine erupted, over a hundred vanguard and deputy generals who had followed Dugu Yan were captured overnight without a chance to catch their breath, all thanks to Yunyi. Without his secret traps, Dugu Yan's forces wouldn't have been so thoroughly dismantled.

In the palace, after court, Yunyi headed straight to the Imperial Study Room. Beiming Yuan, expecting his arrival, had already instructed Eunuch Li to prepare the finest Longjing tea.

"Your Highness, I greet you," Yunyi's clear, cold voice resonated. Beiming Yuan immediately stood up, walked around the desk, and helped him to his feet. "Yunyi, you're back!"

"I have fulfilled my mission," Yunyi replied, bowing with deep emotion in his eyes.

Beiming Yuan nodded appreciatively and guided him to a chair beside him. "Without you, Dugu Yan's remnants wouldn't have been so easily subdued. You've endured much over the years."

Beiming Yuan's cunning lay in his plan to eliminate Dugu Yan, which he had set in motion three years prior. On the surface, he demoted Yunyi, who was then the Commander of the Palace Guards, to the military under false charges, while Dugu Jin was promoted during that time.

In secret, Gu Yunyi was tasked with identifying the soldiers and officers in the camp who were fiercely loyal to Dugu Yan, so they could be swiftly eliminated when the time came.

"As long as it's for the Crown Prince, I don't mind the hardship," Gu Yunyi said. His face was rugged and well-defined, with eyebrows sharp as if carved by a blade. Among his features, his eyes stood out the most—like two midnight skies, bright yet deep and mysterious, hard to fathom.

The Gu family was known for their striking looks, and Gu Yunyi resembled his father, Gu Yu. Years spent in the military had given his skin a light tan, which only complemented his handsome features.

At this moment, Beiming Yuan held a cup, using tea in place of wine.

Gu Yunyi, feeling honored, drank first as a sign of respect.

"I called you back for another important matter," Beiming Yuan said, setting down his cup, his gaze intense.

Gu Yunyi understood immediately. "Silver Mask?"

"Exactly. More than the leaders of the Thirteen Sects, it's Silver Mask, who has never shown himself, that I find most concerning," Beiming Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "In five years, I haven't been able to get Dugu Yan to reveal Silver Mask's true identity."

"It only shows that the Corrupt Concubine was wary of you from the start," Gu Yunyi replied quietly.

Beiming Yuan sneered, "She can't outwit me in the end..."

"Do you want me to track down Silver Mask's whereabouts?" Gu Yunyi asked, getting to the point.

"That's right, as long as Silver Mask is alive, I can't rest easy," Beiming Yuan mused, gently rubbing the bone china teacup in his hand. "You might want to start with Yaoyue."

Guu Yunyi hesitated, "Isn't Yaoyue already..."

"Using someone from Dugu Yan's circle never feels quite right, and do you really believe Yaoyue is loyal to me?" Beiming Yuan's lips curled with a hint of disdain.

"I've always wondered why Yaoyue betrayed Dugu Yan. He was handpicked by Dugu Yan himself," Guu Yunyi expressed his doubts.

"How should I put it?" Beiming Yuan chuckled knowingly but said no more.

Love, it seems, truly knows no boundaries.

Beiming Yuan confided in Guu Yunyi that Yaoyue was merely bait. He hoped Guu Yunyi could use the limited time to catch the big fish, Silver Mask...

Leaving the study, Guu Yunyi's mind was filled with calculations. Yaoyue, also known as Bai Ze, was in charge of espionage within the Thirteen Sects. Even though he exposed Dugu Yan's intelligence network during the Corrupt Concubine incident, someone as clever as him must have a backup plan.

Before Yaoyue could be sacrificed as bait, Guu Yunyi was determined to uncover his trump card and use it for his own advantage.

Just then, he heard soft footsteps approaching from the opposite direction, prompting Guu Yunyi to look up, slightly startled.

Three years had passed, and everything had changed.

The woman standing before him now was no longer the quiet, serene presence that once accompanied Dugu Yan.

"Greetings, Vice Consort," Gu Yunyi stopped and bowed.

Dugu Rou was surprised to encounter Gu Yunyi here, momentarily taken aback.

Once upon a time, the man before her was her first target, and the effort she invested in him was no less than what she had put into Beiming Yuan. But when she sensed a shift in Beiming Yuan's gaze towards her, she changed her focus.

"When did you return?" Dugu Rou asked softly, her expression barely changing.

"Three days ago," Gu Yunyi replied, lowering his eyes. "Congratulations, Vice Consort."

The atmosphere, which had been pleasant, suddenly turned awkward with that congratulation.

Dugu Rou recalled how, to prevent any misunderstanding with Beiming Yuan, she had approached Gu Yunyi, hoping he would understand she had moved on. Fortunately, Gu Yunyi hadn't persisted and had simply said, "Take care," ending their ambiguous relationship.

"Are you mocking me?" Dugu Rou questioned, her voice tinged with annoyance.

"I truly mean it," Gu Yunyi said, lifting his gaze. "No one wishes for your happiness more than I do."

A blush crept onto Dugu Rou's cheeks as she playfully glared at Gu Yunyi before hastily making her way to the study.

Guu Yunyi didn't turn back; he just stood for a moment before moving on...

Wenn Mansion, Chess Room.

Feng Tiange's mood soured the moment she learned Guu Yunyi had returned. That was about three years ago. When Guu Yunyi was exiled from the capital, she blamed Beiming Yuan for being too harsh on her childhood friend and ignored him for nearly ten days. Looking back, she felt like she had the intelligence of two pigs—one pig simply couldn't capture her foolishness back then. Meanwhile, Beiming Yuan had already set a trap for her three years ago.

Over a hundred of her former lieutenants and vanguards had died by the rod. Guu Yunyi, we'll settle this debt slowly!

*Snap!*

The white Go piece in Feng Tiange's hand shattered into powder, drawing curious glances from the new students. At the front table, Rong Qi, who had been resting his chin in his hand, jolted awake as his head hit the table, suddenly much more alert.

As the sand in the hourglass ran out, Rong Qi quickly stood up, filled in the remaining pieces on the Qiu wood Go board, and gave a rapid explanation before the bell rang. The new students all left, except for Feng Tiange, who remained seated, unmoving for a long time.

"Got something on your mind? Let's hear it," Rong Qi said, walking over to Feng Tiange's seat and glancing at her board. At that moment, Feng Xueyao, who had been eager to chat with Rong Qi, had to stop in her tracks, a hint of frustration flashing in her eyes.

Just as luck would have it, Tang Siyan came over and pulled her out of the game room. Feng Tiange could sense the hostility from Feng Xueyao, but she was used to it by now. She just felt sorry that Tang Siyan chose to hang out with Feng Xueyao.

As Feng Tiange got up to leave, Rong Qi trailed behind her, bouncing slightly. "Hey, I'm talking to you. Didn't you hear me?"

Feng Tiange ignored Rong Qi, her mind consumed with thoughts of Guu Yunyi. The fact that Guu Yunyi could secretly control over a hundred deputy generals and vanguards in the military showed just how meticulous he was. Given her current status and position, trying to bring Guu Yunyi down was going to be incredibly challenging.

As for Rong Qi, who was following her, he had only one thing on his mind. He wanted to ask Feng Tiange how she managed to treat his words like they were just hot air.