[*]
Gao Zheqi merely offered a faint smile, and the servant fell silent.
*
*
「Upper Monarch Hall.」
A servant added more incense and was about to withdraw. From behind the beaded curtain, a lazy voice chuckled. "What is it? Has that old coot Gao Zheqi arrived?"
The servant, startled, quickly lowered his eyes. "A messenger just came. Mr. Gao is already on his way to the Imperial Palace."
"I'm tired. If he arrives, just have him wait." The voice was nonchalantly amused.
The servant quickly acknowledged the order and withdrew.
*
*
The wind picked up.
The Dayong Dynasty's territory was vast. The farther west one traveled, the more barren and desolate the landscape became.
Huge, scarred gullies crisscrossed the terrain, as if heaven itself had lashed the earth with a whip. Carriages and horses struggled over the uneven, pitted ground, and sudden gusts of yellow sand would rise, blinding travelers.
