Chapter 70

Ji and Yang’s boat journeyed with frequent stops and rests, finally arriving at the Yangdu dock on October 27. After a brief farewell, they each returned home with their families. Having left the capital in early September, they finally returned at the end of October. The wild grass that had just started to turn yellow in their memories was now withered and fallen. The weather was quite cold, with leaden clouds swirling in the sky, hinting at the possibility of snow. The first snow might fall in a few days, much earlier than last year.

However, the air was still quite fresh.

Su Ci lay in thick blankets, lifting the carriage curtain with one hand, resting her chin on the other, enjoying the scenery outside. She was pretty happy, but the sound of hoofbeats outside the window slowed. Yang Yanzong’s pace matched the carriage window, and he glanced at her.

Su Ci met his gaze, her thick-skinned self smiling and curling her lips at him before quickly lowering the curtain and closing the window.

Ah, she wasn’t cold at all. A little fresh air would help her recovery, right?

Her wound had already scabbed over, and the pain had greatly reduced. She felt quite good. But oh well, if she couldn’t look, she couldn’t look.

To accommodate her, the convoy moved very slowly, taking almost half a day to get from the dock to the city. Bored, Su Ci sketched several drawings with a charcoal pencil before finally arriving home!

Mrs. Chen and Su Di were already waiting at the side gate. Su Di has taken a special leave today. Yang Chongying and Mrs. Yan were also there. Usually, parents-in-law wouldn’t need to greet their children, but Mrs. Chen, being Su Ci’s mother, didn’t care about such things, and Su Di followed suit. So, Yang Chongying and Mrs. Yan had to come out as well.

Mrs. Yan sat inside, pouting and looking unhappy, but no one paid her any mind. When Mrs. Chen saw the carriage, she ran up and started crying. The reunion of parents and daughter was filled with tears and cries. Finally, Yang Yanzong said that Su Ci’s injuries hadn’t healed, and the doctor advised plenty of rest. So, Mrs. Chen reluctantly let go of her daughter, looking back three times as she followed Su Di to the back hall.

Su Ci didn’t go over, and Yang Yanzong didn’t go immediately either. The threshold of the flower gate was removed, and a ramp was set up. The carriage went straight to the main courtyard, and Yang Yanzong carried Su Ci, blankets and all, into the house and placed her on the bed.

Mrs. Yan’s maid, Feng, peeked in from outside the door. Yang Yanzong glanced at her disapprovingly, and she quickly withdrew her head.

Yang Yanzong changed into formal attire, a deep purple qilin robe. He adjusted his sleeves, and once he was ready, he sat by the bed and said, “Until you recover, you don’t need to pay respects.”

“I’ll inform Mother later.”

Su Ci’s eyes lit up. Great, great! She tried to act nonchalant, “Oh,” but the corners of her lips suspiciously curled up.

Yang Yanzong glanced at her and snorted softly. Finally, he said, “I’ll be very busy lately. You stay home and rest.” No more causing trouble.

Su Ci blinked. She had a feeling something was off. Yang Yanzong had been very calm these past few days, but the kind of calm hinted at something dark and dangerous lurking beneath the surface, like a storm brewing. She leaned closer and whispered, “What’s going on?” Her mind quickly pieced things together, “Did you find out who did it?”

Who was it? Her clever mind was quite effective when she wasn’t bored and causing trouble.

Yang Yanzong’s lips twitched. He leaned in and whispered, “Shangyang Palace.”

When he said those three words, his eyes were icy. If the old emperor thought everyone was just meat on his chopping board to be cut and sliced at will, he was gravely mistaken!

Yang Yanzong glanced at her, “It’s none of your concern. Just focus on healing.” He snorted at her and left.

Su Ci: “…” She wrinkled her nose and snorted back at him. You think you’re the only one who can snort? I can too!

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Stepping out of the warm room, the cold air hit him. The emotions in Yang Yanzong’s eyes quickly vanished, and he stared expressionlessly in the direction of the imperial city before walking away. He went to the back hall briefly, then quickly headed to the palace. He met Ji Yuanhao and Huang Dewei at the palace gate, who had arrived just before and after him.

In the past two months, Huang Dewei had nearly completed his task, clearing out the remnants of the Fourth and the Sixth Prince, except for Ji Lin. He returned to the capital to report before November.

Officials constantly came and went at the palace, and from a distance, Huang Dewei saw Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao coldly glaring at the Kun family members ahead, their expressions icy. He couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

—Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao’s post-event analysis was spot on. Huang Dewei had indeed received a secret order from the old emperor to closely monitor the northern frontier and assist in framing the Kun family while also observing and trying to win over Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao.

Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao were cautious and strategic. Despite their private suspicions and investigations, they outwardly showed increasing hatred toward the Kun family as the “truth” was revealed. In Huang Dewei’s eyes, their performance was flawless.

Huang Dewei rode forward, dismounted, and glanced at the distant Kun family members, sympathetically patting Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao on the shoulder.

In the subsequent audience with the emperor, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao were quickly summoned to the imperial study. They briefly recounted the dangers of their search and finally requested the emperor’s permission to personally eliminate the remnants of the Huang and Shi families in Yangdu. The old emperor agreed and kindly offered them any medicinal supplies they needed from the imperial pharmacy.

Regarding the main culprits, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao remained cold and silent, while Huang Dewei took over the conversation, “The Huang and Shi families are just symptoms. The real threat to the nation is the Kun family faction, daring and audacious!!”

As a supporter of Yang and Ji on the northern frontier, Huang Dewei was aware of some of the details of the follow-up investigation.

Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao’s expressions were icy.

The old emperor slowly said, “The Kun family is indeed audacious, acting as they please in the court and palace. Such rebellious factions must be eliminated to quell public anger and secure the nation!”

Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao exchanged glances. After a moment, they knelt and declared, “We are willing to serve with utmost loyalty!”

They ultimately aligned with the emperor’s faction!

However, that very night, Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao, in disguise, quietly left their residences through secret passages and met with Imperial Uncle Kun, forming a true alliance.

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Thick velvet curtains blocked the inner windows, letting no light escape. Inside the room, cloaked in black, Yang Yanzong, Ji Yuanhao, Imperial Uncle Kun, and several core members of the Kun family sat around a table.

They quickly got to the point. With the alliance formed, Imperial Uncle Kun had secured the two most significant forces. This was a great achievement, but a major issue remained.

What strategy should they adopt next? How should they implement the plan to force the emperor’s hand?

Imperial Uncle Kun led Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao to a room on the west side and introduced them to the others. They wasted no time and got straight to business.

“Shenxing and Zhongchen are now openly aligned with the emperor but secretly working within.”

Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao’s chosen path aligned perfectly with Imperial Uncle Kun’s plans. Both were seasoned warriors, needing no unnecessary words.

Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao nodded, saying nothing more. The Kun family had limited options, and they trusted Imperial Uncle Kun to make the right choice.

Sure enough, after a moment of contemplation, Imperial Uncle Kun said, “Advance by retreating, relax their vigilance, and find the right moment to strike.”

This question had crossed Imperial Uncle Kun’s mind countless times. He even had several options for the right moment to act, but given the current high tension between the Kun family and the old emperor, it was impossible to implement any of them.

The Kun family and the old emperor would soon clash, whether the Kun family wanted to or not. They would likely suffer some losses. To seize the opportunity, they had to relax the emperor’s vigilance and find the right moment to strike.

The night meeting didn’t last long. After setting the next course of action, everyone quickly dispersed. There was no need for them to meet again as they never underestimated the old emperor’s intelligence network.

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At the end of the month, the battle between the old emperor and the Kun family officially began. The old emperor was not a benevolent ruler. As soon as he had Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao, he targeted the Kun family immediately!

He had endured long enough!

Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao were at the forefront of the battle against the Kun family. The entire Yangdu was in turmoil, and the intensity of the conflict even reached Su Ci, who was recovering at home.

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The old emperor had been eyeing the Kun family for a long time, long before they targeted Prince Zhao. He had meticulously prepared, and when the attack on the officials’ families occurred two months ago, he began by tightening the city’s defenses, then moved on to military affairs. He uncovered a large network of Kun family members in the court and military.

Imperial Uncle Kun fought back fiercely, and the two factions clashed violently, turning Yangdu into a bloody battlefield. Both sides suffered losses, but in the end, the Kun family was no match for the emperor’s power. After all, the emperor had been on the throne for a long time and held both moral authority and power.

The first round of the conflict ended with the execution of General Wu Qicong, one of Imperial Uncle Kun’s key confidants and the commander of the capital’s fourteen guards. This major loss was orchestrated by Yang Yanzong.

It’s worth noting that Yang Yanzong appeared to be at odds with the Kun family.

Imperial Uncle Kun and Yang Yanzong had agreed that sacrifices were necessary. If not Yang Yanzong, someone else would have led the charge. Since Yang and Ji were pushed to this point, they might as well benefit their own people.

On the day of the incident, Yang Yanzong personally led the arrest of Wu Qicong. Imperial Uncle Kun arrived quickly, his eyes bloodshot, glaring at Yang Yanzong, “Fine, very fine! Yang Yanzong, you just wait,” he spat, “I want to see what fate awaits you, you dog!”

Yang Yanzong coldly replied, “Let’s wait and see. I hope Imperial Uncle Kun lives to witness that day.”

Sparks flew between them, and Imperial Uncle Kun’s hatred was evident.

Yang Yanzong ordered Wu Qicong to be stripped of his armor and placed in a prison cart under the furious gazes of the onlookers. He was taken back to Yangdu.

Although this was a mutual understanding, Su Ci couldn’t help but worry, “Will Imperial Uncle Kun hold a grudge?”

Yang Yanzong, busy with affairs outside, finally returned home to wash and change. As he dressed, he said, “I don’t know.”

“Not for now,” Yang Yanzong said calmly.

As for the future, whether the repeated cries and reminders from the Wu family might stir something, it’s hard to say.

“We’ll deal with future matters in the future.” He had to do this for now, with the old emperor watching.

Doing nothing and only pledging loyalty verbally was useless. Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao needed to gain the old emperor’s initial trust.

Actions speak louder than words. No matter how many words are spoken, they can’t compare to actual deeds.

The old emperor was quite satisfied with how he had used Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao so far. Yang Yanzong’s ruthless and unyielding actions against the Kun family had been particularly noteworthy. Especially after Yang Yanzong personally captured Wu Qicong, the old emperor began to trust him more.

The old emperor sat high on his throne, the dim light casting shadows on his slightly hunched back. His cloudy eyes remained still, yet they made the palace servants hold their breath. A servant carefully served tea and retreated to the wall.

The old emperor listened quietly to the dark guard’s report. Huang Dewei bowed and said, “Your Majesty, in my opinion, Yang and Ji truly hate the Kun family to the core.”

The old emperor nodded. He waved his hand, dismissing the dark guard.

After a moment, the old emperor snorted, “At least they know their place.”

With this, he could use them further.

“The Kun family?” The old emperor coldly smiled. This top noble family, which had grown bolder and even dared to challenge imperial authority, was finally going to be uprooted!