CHAPTER 534: CHAPTER 533: VERY STRANGE, VISIBLE RIPPLES TO THE NAKED EYE

Finally, the evening arrived.

The showy reddish-brown horse once again appeared at the palace gate.

Different from the usual emptiness, today she carried quite a few things on her shoulders, all of which were maps to be demonstrated before Chu Qi.

When she was still some distance from the Imperial Study, Su Bai dismounted and handed the horse over to the eunuch for safekeeping.

"Your Majesty, General Su is outside," the Head Palace Maid whispered inside the Imperial Study.

Chu Qi lifted his head from the pile of documents, a flash of aggression passing through his emerald eyes, "Summon her."

Su Bai entered with her usual demeanor, "I’ve come to see Your Majesty."

"Dispense with the formalities."

The map was spread out on the table by the eunuch, and Su Bai reported her thoughts to Chu Qi. She was so serious that Chu Qi couldn’t help but doubt whether Song Huaxu had lied to him.

"What are Your Majesty’s thoughts?"

Su Bai looked up and asked.

Chu Qi: "Hmm?"

"What does Your Majesty think about setting up a checkpoint here?" Su Bai repeated, her tone reluctant.

Chu Qi immediately nodded, "I think that’s an excellent idea."

Yan Wanqing, having been personally trained by Yan Guozhong and hardened by countless battles, naturally understood how to lay out strategies better than he did, who only knew how to sit in the high hall of the Emperor.

"Then please issue an Imperial Edict, Your Majesty," Su Bai circled the position of the gorge on the map with cinnabar.

Chu Qi was startled, "Why issue an edict?"

"The construction of the checkpoint requires manpower and funds, and the military provisions that Lord Mei promised for the first half of the year have not been approved yet."

No sooner had Su Bai finished speaking,

Chu Qi slammed the table violently, "How dare that Mei Changfeng privately withhold military provisions! Su Bai, why didn’t you tell me earlier?"

Su Bai slowly rolled up the map and placed it on the table, "Lord Mei has always disliked me. I thought Your Majesty was intentionally maintaining a balance of power at court, so I didn’t feel it right to complain before you."

At this point, she had hit the nail on the head with Chu Qi’s thoughts.

He indeed used Su Bai to break the entrenched situation of the old ministers, "So why mention it now?"

"As Your Majesty also said, this is a checkpoint of utmost importance to the whole country. If I don’t speak up now and delay military affairs, I cannot bear such a responsibility."

Her words left Chu Qi looking impressed, and without another word, he wrote down an Imperial Edict.

He gestured to the eunuch by his side, "Deliver this personally to Mei Changfeng."

The old fox, not making a sound and yet thought to be a loyal official, almost delayed military affairs over a personal grudge, causing Chu Qi to mentally mark a significant transgression against Mei Changfeng.

"If there’s nothing else, Your Majesty, I shall take my leave," Su Bai was the type to think of clocking out as soon as her mission was accomplished.

Chu Qi arched an eyebrow, "You’re leaving just like that?"

"Does Your Majesty have any other orders?" Su Bai asked, puzzled.

Chu Qi cleared his throat, "Will you not stay and join me for the evening meal?"

"I am not one of the concubines in the palace. This would be inappropriate; I hope Your Majesty will forgive me." Having said that, she bowed and left without giving any face.

Watching Su Bai actually walk away, Chu Qi fell silent for a while.

"She didn’t take the medicine, did she?" Her demeanor was the same as when she was first hypnotized.

Behind the curtain, Song Huaxu strolled out.

He watched the departing figure of Su Bai, "One cannot be certain."

He dared not underestimate his own disciple.

After all, she had forced him to the point where he had no choice but to fake his death by jumping off a cliff.

"Now what should we do?" Chu Qi had thought Su Bai would take the opportunity to stay longer in the study, but unexpectedly, she left straightforwardly without any hesitation.

"She’ll come back," Song Huaxu said with conviction, "Only in your secret chamber does the secret of her true identity lie hidden. She will definitely come back to check."

"How do you know I have a secret chamber?" Chu Qi raised an eyebrow, a dangerous glint flashing through his emerald eyes.

Song Huaxu chuckled lightly, "Thanks to Your Majesty having a good sister, the secret chamber is almost no secret anymore."

Chu Yu?

Chu Qi thought of that face and started feeling nauseous.

She was so obedient and adorable as a child. How did she grow up to become so unruly?

"Then I shall set up a net of heaven and earth right here, waiting for her to come."

Song Huaxu shook his head, "Her martial arts are profound. The ordinary guards’ presence can be detected by her from outside the gate. It’s better not to set any arrangements, as they seem to hint at subterfuge."

He paused, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have a way to make her completely give up hope and focus wholeheartedly on being Su Bai."

And not go back to being Yan Wanqing.

After leaving the Imperial Study, Su Bai did not rush back to her own place but stood in a corridor, staring at a banana tree.

She was naturally determined to acquire that secret chamber.

But now that Chu Qi was already on guard, staying there would obviously not endear her to him.

Ever since she began to suspect her adoptive father, she had wiped a colorless and tasteless powder on his sleeve.

This powder only affected a kind of insect called ’Diehard.’ Diehard insects, usually motionless as death, would stir at the scent of this powder.

The moment she had stepped into the Imperial Study, she heard the fluttering of Diehard insects by her ear.

So she didn’t stay longer and immediately came out.

Because she knew Song Huaxu was also inside the Imperial Study.

Su Bai took out the elixir from her bosom that she was about to dissolve with her body heat and without hesitation, threw it directly into the pond.

Watching the medicinal pill sink to the bottom of the pond, the chill in her eyes slowly surfaced.

She had already consulted a physician outside about this pill. Its properties induced sleep and hallucination, and excessive consumption could cause uncontrollable madness.

Over three years, she had no idea how many of these she had taken.

At that thought, Su Bai fiercely punched a pillar.

Cracks fragmented across the pillar.

"Since that’s the case, then I have no need to show mercy anymore," she murmured to herself.

A cool breeze swept from behind her.

Yan Li’an’s frivolous voice floated in the air.

"I’ve been saying that Song Huaxu is no good. I’ve already informed our uncle, and by now, he is probably already on his way here."

"Uncle?" Su Bai was puzzled, "Who is that?"

"Yan Jing. He and Song Huaxu were disciples of the same master, and never got along. Ever since Zhang Lanyi’s death, he’s been drowning his sorrows in drink every day. Now that he’s heard Song Huaxu is not dead, he definitely wants to come here and settle scores in person."

Yan Li’an stated matter-of-factly.

Back then, Zhang Lanyi died in the arms of his own sister.

That matter, he did not elaborate on.

It wasn’t necessary to stir the emotions of the present Yan Wanqing.

"Then let’s wait for uncle to arrive before making a move. After all, my adoptive father is unfathomable," she said.

Yan Li’an, hearing her form of address, rolled his eyes and leaped down from atop the corridor, "If our father knew you’re acknowledging a thief as your father, he’d probably come back to life just from sheer anger."

Su Bai’s expression became a bit unnatural, "I’ve been calling him that for so long, it’s hard to change all of a sudden... I’ve never seen Song Huaxu take action, but when he instructed me in martial techniques, I could feel a very peculiar current in his movements."

"A current?" This was indeed a curious term. Yan Li’an raised an eyebrow, "What kind of current?"

As Su Bai raised her hand, inner strength gathered, yet nothing changed in the palm itself.

If anything, there might be a slight breeze in the vicinity.

"This is our inner strength," Su Bai flung her hand gently towards the banana tree, which shook and dropped two large leaves.

Su Bai continued, "But Song Huaxu is different. His inner strength is like a stream of water, containing visible ripples."

"How is that possible." Yan Li’an frowned, never having heard of anyone with such inner strength under the heavens.

When they fought to that extent atop Bright Summit and he returned, Yan Wanqing never mentioned Song Huaxu had such ability.

Su Bai shook her head, "I don’t understand it, but he deliberately conceals this current, so I suspect there’s something wrong with him." She didn’t want to act rashly without figuring it out first.

"It’s wise to be cautious in this matter. After all, three years have passed; what’s the harm in waiting a few more days? When our uncle arrives, we’ll plan carefully," said Yan Li’an thoughtfully.

"You need to lay low these next few days. I suspect Chu Qi and Song Huaxu already know about your existence." They wouldn’t be on guard without reason.

Yan Li’an seemed nonchalant, "Sooner or later they would’ve found out. My skills in hiding are no joke..." He was about to continue when he stopped, "Someone’s coming."

Before the words landed, he swiftly disappeared.

At the same time, a group of concubines came walking down the corridor, led by Consort Mei.