Chapter 4: Passing By

The man parted his thin lips slightly and said coldly, “Get out of the carriage.”

Ugushi was forced to step down from the carriage.

Inside the carriage, only Cheng Xueyang remained. The sounds of fighting outside reached her ears. She hurriedly scrambled to lift the door curtain, desperate to know what was happening out there.

What happened to him?

Was he injured?

“Don’t look, there’s blood.”

A low voice sounded outside the curtain. The bottom of the curtain was pressed down, making it impossible for Cheng Xueyang to lift it.

Yet her panicked heart was soothed as if by a pair of large hands. It seemed that as long as he was there, even if the sky fell, there was no need to worry.

Because he was here.

Before becoming a civil official through the imperial examination, Gu Mo had been a renowned brave general in the military camp, famous for his pinpoint archery and for taking enemy heads on the battlefield. He was a valiant and skilled warrior.

Ironically, Gu Mo’s first defeat wasn’t at the hands of the enemy but from his own people.

The Ministry of War was rife with corruption; the weapons and armor delivered were shoddy and useless. That time, they had to fight with bare hands, carving a bloody path to survive.

Gu Mo’s vanguard battalion was nearly wiped out, with less than ten percent surviving. This dealt a heavy blow to Gu Mo.

The following year, Gu Mo sat for the imperial examinations and entered officialdom with the top score in the written exam and second in the palace exam. He was assigned to the Ministry of War.

Everyone knew his true purpose and how difficult it would be.

No matter the hardships, Gu Mo would not stop fighting corruption. He aimed to gather evidence to bring down the powerful figures responsible for his comrades’ deaths.

Understanding Gu Mo’s resolve, Cheng Xueyang left the capital. She did not want to use her princess status to oppress him at that time.

Gu Mo succeeded.

He eradicated the rot within the Ministry of War, rose to the rank of Minister of War, and this year was promoted to Chancellor.

Rather than worry about whether Gu Mo might be injured, it was better to worry whether he would beat the opponent to death.

After a while, the carriage started moving again.

Outside came a familiar voice — Gu Mo’s — “Your coachman was injured. I arranged for someone to take him for treatment. Don’t worry, he’s fine now.”

After a long pause, Cheng Xueyang found her voice, “What are you doing here? Did you think Princess Yunxiang was in danger?”

“Passing by.”

A casual answer. Cheng Xueyang was no longer the young girl who would imagine wildly.

After all, he was not the type of man to dwell on her. If he had time, he’d rather read more books or investigate more corrupt officials.

His sense of justice was unwavering; he simply did not love her.

“I heard you are now Chancellor. Congratulations.”

Silence outside.

“I heard Lord Gu is about to marry a beauty. Congratulations.”

Still no response.

Cheng Xueyang opened her mouth, trying to steady her voice, “You are a manI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.