Falling for Him

"General Chen."

Gu Chengyin approached and cupped his hands in greeting.

Chen Busha returned the salute. With a solemn expression, he whispered, "Marquis Gu, just now in the hall, Her Highness entrusted me with a task."

He paused, his sharp, falcon-like gaze quickly sweeping their surroundings.

Although the area outside the hall was spacious, there were still palace servants passing by occasionally.

He gave Gu Chengyin a meaningful look and quietly led him toward a more open clearing in the distance.

Only when he was certain there was no one within dozens of paces did Chen Busha stop and turn around.

Facing Gu Chengyin, he kept his voice extremely low, ensuring only the two of them could hear:

"Marquis Gu, the three hundred soldiers entering the city this time to take over the defense of the Crown Princess's palace are the most elite troops under my command."

"They are more than enough to guard the palace gates, suppress any unrest within the inner courts, and ensure Her Highness's absolute safety."

Chen Busha spoke with absolute certainty, brimming with confidence.

However, he suddenly changed the subject, his expression turning grave. "But, if it comes to taking offensive action, these three hundred men will be far from enough."

Gu Chengyin's eyes narrowed slightly. He did not interrupt, quietly waiting for him to continue.

Chen Busha continued, "Her Highness has already discussed this matter with Chief Commander Xue."

"Chief Commander Xue's stance is very clear. First, the Golden Feather Guards are duty-bound to protect the Crown Princess's palace and Her Highness herself. He fully supports this, and my troops can take full control of the palace defense."

"Second, regarding restricting certain personnel from leaving the Divine Capital, as long as they are prominent, registered figures, he is willing to cooperate and monitor the city gates and major thoroughfares."

"In the short term, not a single one of these people will be able to slip out unnoticed."

Gu Chengyin nodded slightly. For Xue Tian to agree to these two points already indicated a considerable degree of support.

As a neutral party loyal only to Emperor Luo, this was almost the greatest assistance he could offer to Luo Zhao within the bounds of the rules.

In particular, restricting key figures from leaving was equivalent to laying down a net in advance for any potential future arrests.

It was hard to say that this did not have Emperor Luo's tacit approval or direct instruction behind it.

"However."

Chen Busha lowered his voice even further, carrying a hint of helplessness and anxiety:

"Chief Commander Xue also stated that a large-scale mobilization of the Golden Feather Guards into the city, especially to participate in an arrest operation, goes far beyond the scope of regular palace defense and cooperative investigation."

"Without His Majesty's explicit decree or deployment order, he has no authority and will absolutely not allow any armored soldiers to enter the Divine Capital. This is an ironclad rule."

Gu Chengyin understood perfectly. This was the core of the problem, and also the greatest difficulty.

He naturally knew what Chen Busha was referring to.

This was not a simple matter of investigating and solving a case. Uncovering the truth and building a chain of evidence was only the first step.

To completely crush the opposition, preventing them from ever recovering and forming an irrefutable ironclad case, they had to act right as the chain of evidence was about to close.

Striking with the force of a thunderbolt, they needed to control all key witnesses in the chain while simultaneously seizing all related physical evidence, creating a closed loop of undeniable proof with both the suspects and the loot captured.

This process required absolute force and highly efficient execution.

It was not something ordinary yamen runners or Ministry of Justice constables could handle.

Especially when facing a deeply rooted aristocratic family like the Xiao clan, which most likely possessed private soldiers and guards.

Xue Tian's promise to secure the Crown Princess's palace and restrict certain people from leaving the capital was a defensive move.

But to take the initiative and complete that most crucial and dangerous offensive strike...

...they needed a blade that was sufficiently powerful, loyal, reliable, and legally permitted to operate within the Divine Capital.

For this blade, Chen Busha and the thirty thousand Golden Feather Guards who had been baptized in the blood and fire of Luoshui Commandery were undoubtedly the best candidates.

However, thirty thousand elite armored soldiers entering the Divine Capital...

This in itself was an extremely sensitive action.

After all, no one would know if these thirty thousand men were coming in to arrest people or to do something else.

What if they were planning a clash at the Xuanwu Gate?

Without Emperor Luo's approval, no one dared to set this precedent. Even Luo Zhao could not bypass this ironclad rule.

But if they could not physically control the individuals involved and solidify the evidence of their crimes...

...even if they won the political game in the royal court, that victory would be illusory.

The Xiao clan would still have room to maneuver or even launch a counterattack.

Only by capturing both the culprits and the evidence could they achieve a tangible victory.

"I understand the situation."

Gu Chengyin fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Report back to Her Highness for me. Tell her not to worry."

"In three days... no, perhaps in less than three days, this will be resolved."

There were no heroic words or specific plans, but that calm confidence instantly settled most of the anxiety in Chen Busha's heart.

Back in Luoshui Commandery, it was this very young man standing before him who had repeatedly used seemingly impossible strategies to lead them out of desperate situations.

Since Gu Chengyin said he could resolve it, then he believed him.

A look of relief appeared on Chen Busha's face as he solemnly cupped his fists:

"I will trouble Marquis Gu with this! I shall go and report back to Her Highness right away!"

He paused and added, "As for the Crown Princess's palace, Marquis Gu can rest assured."

"With me and my three hundred boys here, we will guarantee Her Highness's absolute safety!"

Gu Chengyin nodded and patted Chen Busha's solid arm armor:

"Thank you for your hard work, General Chen. The heavy responsibility of the palace defense rests entirely on your shoulders."

The two spoke no more. After nodding to each other in acknowledgment...

Chen Busha turned and strode back to the Wenli Hall to report, his back looking resolute.

Gu Chengyin turned and headed toward the palace gates, his steps steady.

After walking for a while, he encountered Shangguan Yunying, who was returning from the palace gates.

"Marquis Gu."

Shangguan Yunying stopped in front of him. After a brief hesitation, she decided to voice her concerns.

"I just had a chat with Zilu. She seems to like you."

Hearing this, Gu Chengyin paused his steps. A look of surprise crossed his face before he chuckled and shook his head:

"Master Yunying, aren't you overthinking this? Zilu and I only met for the first time last night. How could she possibly like me so quickly?"

"Even if she has some favorable impression of me, it's just because of the novelty and excitement. She's just a child who finds everything amusing. What does she know about liking someone?"

"Once this novelty wears off and she gets bored, those feelings will naturally fade."

Gu Chengyin spoke in a relaxed tone, not taking the matter to heart at all.

He wasn't some great incubus, nor had he used that amplification breathing technique that could magnify emotions.

How could Cui Zilu possibly like him? Even if it was love at first sight, it would merely be lust born of physical attraction.

If that were the case, it wouldn't be that she liked him for who he was, but rather that she wanted to bed him.

Seeing Gu Chengyin's reaction, Shangguan Yunying nodded in agreement:

"That's what I thought too. Zilu is still young and sees you as a character straight out of a playbook. It's normal for her to have a temporary crush and idolize you."

Pausing for a moment, her tone turned serious: "However, Marquis Gu, it would be best if you paid more attention. I know Zilu's character very well."

"She is simple-minded and has a good heart, but sometimes she acts too erratically without considering the consequences, often behaving recklessly."

"If Zilu's interest in you is not handled properly, it might bring unnecessary trouble to herself, or even to you."