"Ziyu, why have you only just arrived?"
Gu Yiwu rose from his chair to greet him, his tone sounding like that of a woman who had been heartlessly abandoned.
Zhao Qian’er squinted at him, took a step forward, and positioned herself to the right side of Zhao Rong.
To prevent a certain someone whose sexual orientation she suspected to be off from getting too close to Brother Rong.
Gu Yiwu paused in his step, looked at Zhao Qian’er, and smiled awkwardly.
Why was this Fairy Zhao always guarding against him, as if guarding against a thief?
After all, it was only during their first meeting in Du You City that he had said he wanted to give Brother Ziyu a new maid...
Zhao Rong smiled and shook his head, patted the young girl’s hand, and took a step forward, "Apologies for making Brother Yiwu wait, some issues arose on the road and delayed us."
He then bowed apologetically to Gu Yiwu, Teacher Jin, and the students from Justice Hall.
Upon hearing this, Gu Yiwu waved his hand broadly, "If it was other matters you were dealing with, then it’s all right; I thought Ziyu had forgotten about us."
Zhao Rong’s expression grew solemn, "How could that be possible? I was always anxious to meet you all, it was literally a non-stop journey."
The other Justice Hall students also chimed in.
"I told you Mr. Zhao was busy with important matters, not that he had forgotten us. You didn’t believe it and were in such a rush to find him, aren’t you just causing more trouble for Mr. Zhao, unnecessarily adding more chaos?"
"Exactly, the specifics of the ritual ceremony, we simple ones can’t offer much help, it all falls on Mr. Zhao, let’s not disturb him time and again."
"Cough cough, where did you get the idea we didn’t believe him? We were just worried about Mr. Zhao."
"Ah, let’s follow his orders, we’ve been sitting here in Zuixian Building, supposedly gathering information and waiting quietly, but isn’t it just indulging in delicacies and drinks? How can we have the face to do this? If Mr. Zhao needs anything, we could also help, right, Brother Gu?"
Gu Yiwu turned and glared at them, "Enough, enough, stop bickering. Little Monkey, go pour a cup of tea for Ziyu."
Zhao Rong, who had been tirelessly traveling, upon hearing this, maintained his composure.
Zhao Qian’er glanced sideways at Brother Rong.
Zhao Rong reached out to take the tea, but Zhao Qian’er beat him to it.
"Thank you, I’ll do it."
She took the teacup, glanced down, gently blew on it a few times, then held it with both hands and offered it to Zhao Rong to drink.
Seeing this, Gu Yiwu and the others exchanged looks, yet found it not surprising.
On the journey to Xingzi Town, Fairy Zhao had been meticulously attentive to Ziyu’s eating and drinking needs.
Almost all tasks she could do for him, she did, just short of truly warming his bed.
After all, the private discussions often enjoyed by the students of Justice Hall these days were about how many times ’Fairy Zhao had adjusted Mr. Zhao’s collar today?’ or ’How many times did she blow on his tea?’
Many students sighed with envy.
It’s not that they lacked obedient personal maids, but Mr. Zhao’s companion was none other than the Sword Cultivating Immortal from Taiching’s Tranquility Mansion, willingly playing the role of a docile and considerate personal maid—it was indeed a sight you don’t see every day...
Zhao Rong thanked them, took a reluctant sip of the tea Zhao Qian’er had brought him, smiled at her, and then.
He began speaking slowly:
"Brother Yiwu, tell us about the information you’ve gathered these past few days, and also, what’s the current situation at Zuixian Building?"
"Ziyu, your choice of Xingzi Town as our base was very strategic."
Zhao Rong smiled but remained silent.
Gu Yiwu walked around as he spoke:
"The current situation in Great Li isn’t as simple as we initially thought. We haven’t yet reached Hanjing, the capital of Great Li, so it’s hard to know whether the young Emperor and the Empress Dowager, both orphans and widows, are mere puppets."
"However, some overt situations and major conflicts have become accepted facts among the civilians of Great Li. The cultivators of this Xingzi Town are particularly well-informed as this Nanxing County... lies between the two largest forces."
Gu Yiwu paused, looking at the attentively listening Zhao Rong, and continued:
"Previously, Mrs. Yun mentioned a general named Zhou Dufu who controls the western military of Great Li. He commands several towns across seven counties, all under the control of the western army. This power sits to the west of Nanxing County."
"The other force is led by Li Mingyi, the Wise King of Great Li, who, ah, has now become the Regent King. However, after the young Emperor’s ascension, his fief was moved to a remote province in the west of Great Li’s heartlands, which is on the eastern side of Nanxing County, where many Imperial Army troops are stationed."
"Yet, these forces are still not as great as those of the western army. Zhou Dufu and Li Mingyi, one a veteran general who rose with Emperor Li Xiu in the south, and the other the Emperor’s younger brother, are the two strongest forces among the military and royalty, respectively."
Gu Yiwu shook his head, somewhat regretfully:
"It was alright when the late Emperor of Great Li was in power, as he was in the prime of his life and was the founding Emperor. The state was at its peak, its destiny favored, and the military was fiercely loyal."
"So whether it was Zhou Dufu with high prestige in the army, or the widely respected Li Mingyi, they were loyal and reliable servants, without a trace of disloyalty, deeply devoted to expanding Great Li’s territory."
"Like the old general Zhou Dufu, previously known as the Military God of Great Li, who, God knows, has annihilated many small nations to the southwest, overthrowing two ancient dynasties, truly formidable. Now the civil discourse in Great Li, following other historical precedents, has begun to call him a butcher, haha, Ziyu, it seems someone has started to move against him."