*
Gao Zheqi merely shot him a faint smile, and the servant fell silent.
*
*
「Upper Monarch Hall.」
A servant added some incense to the burner and was about to withdraw. From behind the beaded curtain, a lazy, reclining figure chuckled. "So? Has that old codger Gao Zheqi arrived?"
The servant, slightly startled, quickly lowered his gaze. "A messenger just arrived with word. Mr. Gao is already on his way to the Imperial Palace."
"I'm tired. If he arrives, just have him wait." His voice was careless, laced with amusement.
The servant quickly complied and withdrew.
*
*
The wind picked up.
The territory of the Dayong Dynasty was vast, and the farther west one traveled, the more arid and desolate the landscape became.
Huge, crisscrossing ravines scarred the landscape, as if the heavens themselves had whipped the earth. The carriages and horses jolted over the uneven ground, and clouds of yellow sand would suddenly swirl up, blinding everyone.
