Serve Like a Dog or a Horse

Gu Chengyin lowered his eyes, hiding the emotions in their depths.

Xiao Song was still alive.

That octogenarian who had served as the Grand Secretary for decades, whose disciples and former subordinates permeated the royal court.

He was still doing perfectly fine, reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors in his hometown.

However, Gu Chengyin was not too disappointed; this was to be expected.

How could someone like Xiao Song die so easily at the hands of some mere bandits?

Even if he were truly to die, it would have to be a grand funeral, bestowed with a posthumous title, with an elegy written personally by the Son of Heaven.

This was the rule of the court, and also the prestige Xiao Song had accumulated over the decades.

Emperor Luo keeping Xiao Song alive was less about nostalgia and more about giving the court's veterans a reassuring pill.

If even Xiao Song could meet a good end, what did they have to fear?

Gu Chengyin picked up his wine cup, took another sip, and said flatly,

"That is good. The Grand Secretary has worked hard and achieved much; being able to meet a good end is a good thing."

Xiao Yuliang looked at him, his gaze profound as he said,

"Are these words of yours sincere, Junior Preceptor Gu?"

Gu Chengyin raised his eyes to look at him. "Naturally, they are completely sincere."

Xiao Yuliang smiled and nodded. "Then I have been presumptuous."

He filled his cup again and drank it by himself.

When he put down the cup, his gaze fell on Gu Chengyin's face, and he suddenly asked,

"Does Junior Preceptor Gu know why I have come tonight?"

Gu Chengyin paid it no mind. He turned his head to look at the bustling capital of Luodu and casually said,

"I have been busy with inspections these days, so my information is not very up to date."

"For Governor Yuliang to go to such great lengths, you must have heard some rumors, right?"

Xiao Yuliang was slightly taken aback, then revealed a look of admiration and cupped his hands.

"As expected of Junior Preceptor Gu. My elder brother did not lose unjustly."

"I came tonight to ask a question."

Xiao Yuliang's gaze stared straight at Gu Chengyin.

"Does Junior Preceptor Gu know how that imperial edict came to be?"

At these words, Gu Chengyin's pupils slightly shrank.

The imperial edict.

The edict that ordered Lin Qingyan to personally arrest him and bring him back to the Divine Capital.

According to normal logic, it was naturally Elder Qiu who returned to the Divine Capital to report, and Emperor Luo who issued the edict.

But what Xiao Yuliang was asking was obviously not this.

He was asking about something deeper.

Such as whether someone was pushing things from behind.

Or why it was issued in this manner?

Gu Chengyin's eyes flickered slightly. He looked at Xiao Yuliang without speaking.

Xiao Yuliang did not urge him either, merely looking quietly at Gu Chengyin, waiting for his answer.

In the air, that subtle silence thickened a bit more.

After a while, Gu Chengyin suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it carried a heart-palpitating composure.

"Governor Yuliang, you shouldn't be asking me this question."

Xiao Yuliang was slightly startled.

Gu Chengyin continued, his tone leisurely,

"I am just an imperial criminal being escorted back to the capital, my life or death uncertain."

He paused, his gaze falling on Xiao Yuliang's face.

"How could I know about such things?"

Xiao Yuliang looked at him, a trace of complexity flashing in his eyes.

He knew Gu Chengyin was playing dumb.

But Xiao Yuliang also knew that Gu Chengyin was playing dumb because he was still unsure of the stance of this sole remaining seedling of the Xiao clan.

After a slight pause, Xiao Yuliang spoke slowly,

"Junior Preceptor Gu, I am now all alone."

"Anyway, the Xiao clan has already fallen. At worst, I'll go be a county magistrate."

"So, honest men do not speak in riddles. I will be direct."

Xiao Yuliang stared intently at Gu Chengyin and said frankly,

"That scene at the city gate was indeed my instruction."

Gu Chengyin's eyebrows twitched slightly.

Xiao Yuliang continued,

"But I instructed this matter not to make things difficult."

"But because I wanted to meet with Junior Preceptor Gu."

Gu Chengyin looked at him and said nothing.

Xiao Yuliang continued, his voice low,

"Junior Preceptor Gu is now being escorted back to the capital. On the surface, you are an imperial criminal, but in reality..."

"You know clearly in your heart that this imperial edict is not truly meant to punish you."

A hint of a smile appeared on the corner of Gu Chengyin's mouth.

Seeing his reaction, Xiao Yuliang nodded secretly in his heart.

As expected.

Gu Chengyin knew everything.

The logic was actually very simple. Aside from the words scolding Gu Chengyin,

The true core of this imperial edict had only one point: to have Lin Qingyan escort him back to the capital.

As for dismissal from office, removal from his post, stripping of his noble title, and so on, there was none of that.

It was true that Gu Chengyin was an imperial criminal, but only in Lin Qingyan's hands was he an imperial criminal.

In front of others, he was still the Crown Prince's Junior Preceptor, the Chief of the Internal Affairs Department, still holding all his previous identities.

Not a single one was missing, because the edict did not say to revoke them.

The more an edict involved important figures, the more detailed it was; even the punctuation marks were carefully weighed.

Therefore, this edict was not an oversight, but deliberately done.

In fact, in Xiao Yuliang's view, this imperial edict seemed more like it was specially issued just to scold Gu Chengyin.

"But even so, I received a piece of news that I believe Junior Preceptor Gu will be very interested in."

A meaningful look flashed in Gu Chengyin's eyes.

He put down his wine cup and looked at Xiao Yuliang, his gaze profound:

"Please speak, Governor Yuliang."

Xiao Yuliang spoke slowly,

"Does Junior Preceptor Gu know who was originally supposed to issue this edict?"

Gu Chengyin listened, his expression unchanging.

Xiao Yuliang didn't mind and continued on his own,

"It was the Chief Female Official of the Internal Affairs Department, Shangguan Yunying."

Hearing this name, Gu Chengyin's eyes narrowed.

This edict was originally supposed to be issued by Shangguan Yunying?

However, in reality, the Celestial Master Mansion sent a full three Golden Core cultivators flying thousands of miles to deliver it.

Did some complication occur in the middle?

Or was there some other hidden circumstance behind this edict?

After thinking for a moment, Gu Chengyin's gaze fell on Xiao Yuliang and he asked,

"Governor Yuliang, what do you want?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yuliang revealed a hint of a smile.

He threw out this news just to make a deal with Gu Chengyin.

And now, Gu Chengyin had agreed.

Xiao Yuliang began to speak slowly,

"My Xiao clan has deep roots and broad branches, entrenched in the court for decades."

"Now that my elder brother has fallen, the entire Xiao clan is in danger."

"As a governor, I am nothing but a pawn His Majesty has kept to placate the people's hearts."

"When the time comes, there won't be much difference between me and my elder brother."

"So I must trouble Junior Preceptor Gu to pass on a message for me."

"If His Highness does not disdain me, I am willing to serve him like a dog or a horse."

Gu Chengyin fell silent.

Only after a long time did he speak:

"Governor Yuliang, do you really trust His Highness that much?"

Xiao Yuliang looked at Gu Chengyin and chuckled softly,

"Junior Preceptor Gu, I have mingled in officialdom for decades. I daren't claim much else, but I do have an eye for people."

"His Highness is not the type of person to break faith and abandon righteousness."

The corners of Gu Chengyin's mouth curved slightly.

He didn't say yes, nor did he say no.

He merely picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and then said,

"Governor Yuliang, regarding this matter..."

"I have noted it down."

Gu Chengyin still remembered a sentence Xiao Jie once said.

No matter which noble family they targeted, the Xiao clan would provide their full support.

Since Xiao Yuliang dared to come looking for him, it must also be because of this sentence.

At these words, Xiao Yuliang's eyes lit up slightly.

He stood up and gave Gu Chengyin a deep bow:

"Many thanks, Junior Preceptor Gu."