Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity

Chapter 1155 - 991: Bat Tattoo

Gu Chengyu found it strange that the Eldest Princess hadn’t come outside the hall, so how did she get injured? Could something have happened inside the hall?"Your Highness! The situation was truly dire today, and I arrived late, causing you to be frightened," He Chaoguang said, cupping his hands in front of the Crown Prince.

"General He, you give yourself too much blame; it was not easy to arrive in time." In fact, the Crown Prince felt relieved; without his mother’s theft of the Tiger Talisman from his father, he would not have been able to mobilize the troops.

"Thank you all for your strong support today. You all have contributed greatly; I will remember this in my heart."

The Crown Prince looked at everyone present, his gaze briefly passing over Lu Chen, then moving away.

Then he turned his gaze to Gu Chengyu, noticing that Gu Chengyu’s arm was injured and hurriedly called for the Imperial Physician.

Gu Chengyu was invited into the inner hall. When the Imperial Physician was about to sprinkle the medicine powder on his arm, Gu Chengyu declined.

The palace’s medicine for external injuries was certainly good, but he still trusted his own concoction more.

He took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom, uncorked it, and sprinkled the powder on the wound.

The wound was not deep, just long, but it bled a lot, looking somewhat alarming.

"Mr. Gu, if it weren’t for you today, I would have perished long ago. I am infinitely grateful for your self-sacrificial rescue."

The Crown Prince was very satisfied with Gu Chengyu’s performance today, and the way Gu Chengyu defended him against powerful enemies moved him greatly.

Such a capable minister, both literate and martial, loyal and unwavering, is truly the fortune of the Dayan Dynasty.

"Your Highness, you give yourself too much blame. Rebels had broken into the Imperial Palace, and Your Highness was in dire straits; protecting Your Highness’s safety was my duty."

In fact, this injury was nothing to Gu Chengyu.

Qin Yingyuan was also looking after her mother in the side hall because the chaos outside forced them to temporarily take shelter here.

At this moment, they couldn’t care less about separating men from women, and even Qin Min was by the Eldest Princess’s side.

Her gaze wandered to Gu Chengyu sitting in a corner of the side hall. His plain outfit made him look even more valiant. Only, Gu Chengyu’s clothes were stained with a lot of blood, his hair slightly disheveled, looking more haggard than usual.

Gu Chengyu knew that the Eldest Princess was over there. He wondered how she got injured, but since the Crown Prince didn’t mention it, he wouldn’t ask more.

Moreover, since Princess Rong Jia was also in the hall and he was an outsider, it wasn’t appropriate to keep staring in that direction.

"Your Highness! I haven’t returned to my residence today and I am in such a mess now. I wish to return to my residence to freshen up a bit and then report to the government office."

Gu Chengyu felt very awkward staying in the hall and thought it would be better to return home. If his parents didn’t see him return, they would surely be anxious, so he had to go back and explain a bit.

During National Mourning, court officials had to stay at their respective government offices, which is why Gu Chengyu reported this to the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince looked at Gu Chengyu’s disheveled state and nodded towards him.

"You’ve worked hard. Go back and rest for two hours."

Ever since Gu Chengyu entered the room, Qin Yingyuan had been stealing glances at him. Unfortunately, Gu Chengyu kept his eyes straight ahead, not looking at her once.

Qin Yingyuan was somewhat angry. She considered herself quite good-looking, and in the Capital, there were only a handful that could compare to her beauty.

But Gu Chengyu did not look at her, making her feel uneasy inside.

Qin Min tugged at her sister’s sleeve, furrowed her brows, gave her a warning glare, instantly snapping Qin Yingyuan back to reality.

Gu Chengyu indeed looked handsome, and he was not unaware of what his sister was thinking.

But young women should behave properly, and Ying’s conduct was as if she had thrown all the rules and Women’s Rules she’d learned out the window.

Having received the Crown Prince’s permission, Gu Chengyu got up and left the side hall. From start to finish, he never glanced over there.

Qin Yingyuan felt greatly disappointed. Didn’t Gu Chengyu care to see her appearance? Last time while painting, Gu Chengyu never saw her true face.

As Gu Chengyu stepped outside the hall, cleaning up the bloodstains and bodies was still ongoing.

The eunuchs were placing the bodies on wheelbarrows to be transported to the mass graves outside the palace.

The palace maids splashed water to wash away the blood-stained ground. Spraying drops almost splashed onto Gu Chengyu.

Seeing the bodies of the men in black on the ground, Gu Chengyu suddenly remembered that he hadn’t figured out these people’s origins.

"The maidservants and servants present Mr. Gu!" The eunuchs and palace maids, seeing Gu Chengyu step out, quickly stepped aside and bowed.

Gu Chengyu frequently walked around the palace, and although some eunuchs and palace maids may not recognize him, most of them did.

"Turn over the clothes of these few people!" Gu Chengyu pointed to several men in black on the ground and ordered two little eunuchs.

The two looked at each other, hesitated to turn over the clothes? They were hesitant, just as an angry voice snapped from their side, "Do as Mr. Gu instructed, you blind fools."

De’an slapped one of the little eunuch’s heads, pointed at the ground, angrily scolding them.

The two little eunuchs, being chastised, dared not explain themselves and quickly complied.

Perhaps De’an was cautious in front of these eunuchs, or perhaps, as De’an was still the Grand Steward temporarily, the little eunuchs dared not disobey his orders.

Seeing De’an, Gu Chengyu squinted slightly, having forgotten about this person. Now that the Emperor had passed, De’an seemed to have nowhere to go.

Once the new Emperor ascends, it might be time for him to retire.

If the new Emperor remembers past sentiments, he might even be granted a pardon to leave the palace and enjoy his twilight years outside.

If no one wanted to deal with him, he’d be dispatched to some lonely corner of the palace, becoming an old servant of rank but no real power. He’d languish there until the people he had previously offended tormented him to death.

In any case, De’an’s days ahead would not be easy.

"Old servant pays respects to Mr. Gu!" De’an’s expression was solemn, but his intention to curry favor was evident.

"Chief Chen!" Gu Chengyu nodded. Why was De’an, instead of staying by the Emperor’s body, running around the palace?

The two eunuchs moved quickly, and shortly they had stripped away the clothes of several men in black.

Gu Chengyu stopped their actions from proceeding further and carefully examined these men’s bodies.

Indeed, on the chest of each one was a tattoo of a bat; Gu Chengyu thought these people might be in league with the ones last time.

The tattoos of bats on these men in black suggested they were likely the lowest rank in their organization, probably Death Warriors.

His expression grew heavier. Could it be that those people had arrived in the Capital? What about the ones who were searching for the Young Master before? Could they also be here?

After all, it’s not easy to infiltrate Dayan from the border, sending just a handful of people, tasked not only with finding the Young Master but also with assassinating him.

Perhaps they had all come to the Capital to plan this assassination mission.

Just as he was about to turn and inform the Crown Prince of this matter, he hesitated, remembered the brocade box still lying in his space, turned, and walked towards the palace exit.