Is There a Possibility

Gu Chengyin waved his hand:

"No need for such formalities."

Xiao Yuliang straightened up, a complex expression flashing through his eyes.

There was gratitude, relief, and a faint trace of worry.

Then he sat back down and said with a serious expression:

"Junior Preceptor Gu, according to convention, this imperial edict should have been delivered by the Internal Affairs Department."

"The originally designated person was precisely Her Highness's chief female official, Shangguan Yunying."

"However, when it passed through the Grand Secretariat, it was suddenly transferred to the Heavenly Master's Mansion."

"And it specifically requested three Golden Core consecrators to deliver it immediately."

As soon as these words came out, Gu Chengyin's expression shifted, a look of doubt flashing in his eyes.

He looked at Xiao Yuliang with a deep gaze:

"What does Governor Yuliang mean...?"

Xiao Yuliang replied in a flat tone:

"Cui Shifan put a lot of effort into this."

Gu Chengyin fell silent.

This was a name that was unexpected, yet perfectly reasonable.

Xiao Yuliang looked at Gu Chengyin and sighed softly.

He cupped his hands in a salute, didn't say another word, stood up, and left. His footsteps gradually faded away.

Eventually, he disappeared into the night.

Gu Chengyin sat by the window. He did not get up to see him off, but rather gazed in the direction Xiao Yuliang had left, his eyes profound.

That imperial edict, using the usurpation of the Azure Sword Sect's Sect Master as an excuse, ordered Lin Qingyan to personally arrest him and bring him back to the capital.

This charge was neither too big nor too small; it stepped exactly on a delicate line.

At the time, Gu Chengyin felt that this sense of proportion didn't seem like Emperor Luo's handiwork.

Emperor Luo's edicts always pointed straight to the core, drawing blood on the first prick.

Yet that edict seemed more like...

Someone was mediating from within.

Gu Chengyin had originally been suspecting those few in the Grand Secretariat.

And from Xiao Yuliang's meaning, this mediating person was precisely Cui Shifan.

It wasn't just bypassing Shangguan Yunying and transferring it to the Heavenly Master's Mansion to be issued.

Even the content of the edict itself had Cui Shifan's involvement.

No wonder Xiao Yuliang suddenly ran over saying he wanted to serve like a dog or horse.

It was probably exactly because of Cui Shifan's move.

It allowed him to see a glimmer of hope.

The hope of stabbing the Cui clan in the back.

The night breeze slipped in through the half-open window lattice, carrying a biting chill that made his robes flutter gently.

Gu Chengyin seemed completely unaware, just sitting there quietly like a statue.

Xiao Yuliang's words were still echoing in his mind.

His fingertips tapped gently against the window lattice, making a soft knocking sound.

He didn't completely believe Xiao Yuliang's words, not because he suspected Xiao Yuliang of harboring malicious intentions.

Xiao Yuliang's intent in coming here tonight was very obvious: to use this matter as a stepping stone to defect to the Crown Prince's faction.

Even though the entire Xiao clan was personally overthrown by the Crown Prince's faction.

But in the imperial court, there was never any so-called hatred or enmity.

There were only those who understood the times and judged the situation.

So Gu Chengyin's concern lay in...

Luodu was too far from the Divine Capital.

In the imperial court, the situation was treacherous and constantly changing.

With Xiao Yuliang in Luodu, any news he received might have deviations.

Moreover, the Xiao clan had already fallen.

Xiao Song had retired to his hometown to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter; the Xiao clan only had Xiao Yuliang, the Governor of Luodu, left as its sole seedling.

Even if Xiao Yuliang had the heart to investigate, he absolutely did not have the heaven-reaching energy he had at his peak.

Therefore, his words could only serve as a reference.

They could not be fully trusted.

Gu Chengyin's fingertips tapped the window lattice once more.

But even so, these words indeed served as a reminder to him.

Behind this imperial edict, there must be some secret he didn't know.

If Emperor Luo truly wanted to punish him, he could have just issued an edict to convict him.

He wouldn't even need to find a reason, so why go through such a big detour?

But if it wasn't Emperor Luo...

Then who could it be?

Gu Chengyin's gaze fell on the heavy darkness of the night outside the window.

The most likely candidate was still Cui Shifan.

This newly appointed Chief Grand Secretary hadn't made any new moves other than cutting ties with the Crown Prince's faction.

But the more silent a person was, the more lethal they were when they finally moved.

As for what exactly it was, he would only know once he returned to the Divine Capital.

Gu Chengyin sighed softly.

For now, he still circled Emperor Luo as his target.

After all, as long as it was an imperial edict, there was no bypassing the Emperor.

The content must have been issued after he reviewed it.

Even if he didn't issue it personally, he definitely knew about it.

This point was beyond doubt.

Right at this moment, Lin Qingyan suddenly appeared behind Gu Chengyin.

Following that, a cold and clear voice sounded:

"So this edict wasn't issued by that old dog?"

Lin Qingyan's form of address for Emperor Luo was as casually disrespectful as ever.

Gu Chengyin didn't turn his head, merely gazing out the window as he spoke at a leisurely pace:

"Not necessarily, but His Majesty definitely knows about it."

"Since it was issued, it means it carries His Majesty's intent."

"So, treating it as if it were issued by His Majesty isn't a problem."

The person behind him fell silent for a moment, then Lin Qingyan walked to his side and sank into Gu Chengyin's embrace.

Moonlight spilled in through the window lattice, falling upon Lin Qingyan and enveloping her entire being in a silvery glow.

That cold, clear face looked even more untainted by the mortal world under the moonlight, like a fairy from the moon palace standing aloof from the world.

Lin Qingyan gazed at Gu Chengyin's profile without speaking.

Gu Chengyin also didn't speak.

The two of them simply leaned against each other like this, under the heavy veil of the night.

The night breeze blew past, lifting Lin Qingyan's strands of hair to gently brush against Gu Chengyin's shoulder.

Lin Qingyan suddenly opened her mouth to ask:

"Chengcheng, do you think there's a possibility..."

"That this edict was actually issued by Zhao'er?"

Hearing this guess, Gu Chengyin couldn't help but freeze.

He lowered his head to look at Lin Qingyan in his arms.

Under the moonlight, those eyes were as cold and clear as ever, but beneath that coldness, there was a glimmer of probing light.

Gu Chengyin had naturally considered this possibility.

In terms of status, although the Crown Princess didn't have the qualifications to issue an imperial edict.

She could request one.

As long as Emperor Luo nodded, Luo Zhao could completely use her identity as the Crown Princess to issue such an imperial edict.

But the problem was...

Gu Chengyin's brows furrowed.

The content of this imperial edict was clearly targeting him personally.

Having Lin Qingyan personally arrest him and forcing him to return to the Divine Capital as an imperial fugitive.

This was a slap to Gu Chengyin's face.

But it was also a slap to Luo Zhao's face.

He was the Junior Preceptor to the Crown Princess, the big boss of the Crown Prince's faction.

Being escorted back to the capital as an imperial fugitive would cause the entire Crown Prince's faction to suffer a loss.

Luo Zhao's prestige as the Crown Princess would likewise be damaged.

Since that was the case, why would Luo Zhao do this?

It didn't fit logic.

What's more...

A profound light flashed through the depths of Gu Chengyin's eyes.

Luo Zhao was still under his control.

Because the command to force the abdication was effective.

Otherwise, Emperor Luo wouldn't have changed his tune so readily; Luo Zhao must have used extraordinary methods.

Since the command was effective, the hypnosis naturally remained effective as well.

A hypnotized person could not possibly target the hypnotist.

This was the iron law of hypnosis.

Therefore, the possibility of Luo Zhao issuing the edict...

Gu Chengyin's fingertips gently rubbed together within his sleeve.

It definitely existed.

But looking at the current situation, it wasn't the most likely possibility.