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“How is Madam?” Yuan Bao looked at Su Yu in astonishment, unsure of how to address the situation.
“Madam Gu probably came to understand many things and regretted them. Before her passing, she left her dowry to Gu Yanqi and Xiao He, splitting it between them. Gu Yanqi gave the property deeds and house deeds of the shops to Xiao He,” Su Yu explained. Although Gu Yanqi mentioned taking them back later, considering his current situation and feelings towards Xiao He, he probably wouldn’t reclaim them.
These items ultimately remained in Xiao He’s hands.
Xiao He’s letter seemed to indicate her confusion.
Concerned about how to face Madam’s final apology.
“Is Madam okay?”
“Xiao He is fine, just feeling a bit lost.” Previously, they had assisted Gu Xiruo in her schemes against Xiao He, but now, filled with remorse towards her. With Madam’s passing, forgiveness or not no longer mattered.
Yuan Bao quickly understood Wang Jinhe’s intentions.
After some consideration, Su Yu decided to reply to Wang Jinhe.
This matter could be easily resolved. Regardless of the past, Madam had passed away. With her death, past grievances were settled. What to do next would depend on Xiao He’s feelings.
After finishing the letter, Su Yu instructed the messenger hawk to deliver it back to Wang Jinhe.
“How is the situation in Qi Empire?”
“According to the young master’s instructions, there is internal unrest. They have dealt with some troublemakers, but the recent hardships faced by the common people have led to more unrest. If they try to resort to violence again, it probably won’t work. Killing will only make things worse.”
“What about Qiming?”
“He has suffered from the Gu three times, in excruciating pain. But I heard that he has come here upon hearing about the young master.” Yuan Bao was surprised by Qiming’s persistence in following the young master here.
Upon hearing about the young master, he immediately came.
It was puzzling what he was thinking.
“If he’s here, that’s convenient. Saves me the trouble of looking for him.” Su Yu was concerned that Qiming wouldn’t come to the border, as he would have to seek him out otherwise, which was not ideal.
After observing Su Yu for five years, Yuan Bao looked at him helplessly. “Young Master…”
“Increase the pressure on Qi Empire, intensify the internal conflicts to prompt a quicker eruption. Once the conflicts escalate, it will be easier for us to take action,” Xuan Empire was focused on both internal and external battles, and Qi Empire was far behind them. It wouldn’t be easy for them to fight against Xuan Empire.
“We’ve also uncovered something else.”
“What is it?”
“The soldiers in Qi Empire are not as well-fed as we thought, and they undergo intense training. Some children as young as eleven or twelve have been worked to death.”
Su Yu turned to Yuan Bao abruptly. “What did you say?”
“It was Qiming’s doing,” Yuan Bao said after a moment of silence, looking at Su Yu.
Taking a deep breath, Su Yu’s expression turned extremely grim. “He’s asking for trouble.”
How could Qiming be so cruel to reach this extent?
They were just children.
In the Qi Empire camp, Qiming had just experienced a bout of poisoning, his face covered in sweat.
His pale face and bloodshot eyes made him look like a demon crawling out of hell.
“My lord, are you alright?”
“Have they brought the person here?” Qiming looked up at the guard beside him, asking coldly.
The guard hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “The person has been brought here, but…”
“Just bring them in,” Qiming interrupted him with a cold order.
The guard frowned at Qiming. “My lord, there have been too many deaths recently in the camp. There are murmurs of discontent among the soldiers. If this continues, it will bring trouble to you.”
Since the outbreak of the Gu worms and the poisoning, Qiming had changed drastically.
He had become much more irritable.
“Are you trying to teach me how to do things?” Qiming looked coldly at the guard.
“I dare not, my lord.” Seeing Qiming’s demeanor, the guard knew he wouldn’t listen, so he exited to bring in the two thirteen or fourteen-year-old boys.
Upon seeing the two boys, Qiming felt as if he saw a glimpse of the past Su Yu.
He rose unsteadily from his seat and walked over to the two boys.
“Greetings, my lord,” the two boys knelt and bowed, their voices trembling slightly.
Qiming bent down, gripping the chin of one of the boys, observing the fear in his eyes, feeling an inexplicable sense of irritation.
No.
They were still not the person he once knew.
“Are you afraid of me?”
“No… no.”
“If you’re not afraid, why is your voice trembling?” Qiming asked coldly, looking at him.
One sentence made the boy’s face turn pale. “My lord, I…”
Seeing the boy like this, Qiming felt increasingly irritated. He waved his hand, throwing the person out.
“Pfft.” A mouthful of blood was spat out, and the boy looked at Qiming with horror.
The fearful gaze irritated Qiming.
He picked up a whip from the side and ruthlessly lashed the person.
Amidst the screams and pleas for mercy, Qiming seemed to ignore them, only stopping when the person’s breath gradually weakened until death.
The other boy, witnessing his companion’s death at the hands of Qiming, had only one thought in mind: to escape.
If he stayed here, he would surely meet his end at the hands of Qiming.
As he stood up and attempted to run out, he was blocked by the guard. “Where do you think you’re going?” Qiming looked at the boy who was trying to escape, his voice hoarse.
The boy took steps back, realizing he couldn’t escape. Through gritted teeth, he said, “Qiming, just because you’re a lord, does that give you the right to kill innocent people? You deserve to be poisoned, you deserve to go to hell.”
During this period, he had been living in constant fear, dreading being brought before Qiming, and now his worst fears had come true.
Faced with Qiming’s bloodthirsty demeanor, he knew he couldn’t escape today and reluctantly followed along.
In the blink of an eye, the person beside him was dead.
And he hadn’t provoked Qiming at all.
Just because of his age?
The boy’s heart was filled with resentment at the thought.
“Qiming, someone like you deserves to be lonely for the rest of your life.”
Qiming pulled out the sword by his side, swung his hand, and the sword flew out, piercing through the boy’s chest.
Bowing his head to look at the sword in his chest, the boy chuckled softly. He glared at Qiming with resentment. “Qiming, you will have a miserable end.”
With a grim expression, Qiming walked over and kicked the person, who was already weak, out, causing him to die instantly.
Not content with just death, Qiming ordered his body to be thrown into the deep mountains and forests.
In Qiming’s large tent, another person had died, which was definitely not a good sign for the Qi Empire army.
The Marshal of Qi Empire came to see Qiming, frowning slightly at Qiming’s erratic behavior. “My lord, what are you doing? Lately, you have been executing new recruits, causing discontent among the troops.”
Glancing at the newcomer, Qiming coldly replied, “This is not your concern.”
“My lord, you have gone too far.”