Xiao Yinghao had already shed her silver armor and military garb, once again donning the attire of the Imperial Princess.
The Asura who once slaughtered generals and seized banners on the battlefield was now dressed in luxurious finery, more radiant and regal than even the most exquisite peony of the imperial capital.
Her scarlet long gown was layered in folds, its wide sleeves embroidered with golden-threaded peacocks spiraling upward from the hem. The peacock's tail feathers coiled around her slender waist, lifting the fullness of her chest before ending upon her delicate collarbone.
Above that collarbone, a small mole rested upon flawless, snow-pale skin, its faint gleam enticing, as though inviting one to pluck it.
Red-gold tassels hung beside her temples, swaying in the light; the pale blue veins beneath her long neck could be seen faintly beneath the thin skin, revealing a fragile beauty that seemed as if it could be broken with a touch.
Her face was flawless; her phoenix eyes swept upward, the corners tinted a faint red, sharp as blades, their gaze held the world's heroes beneath her feet.
These were the eyes of the "War God," of the Imperial Princess herself, eyes before which armies dared not meet her gaze.
Yet now, those very eyes were curved with a smile as she regarded Gu Fangchen, her expression a mixture of amusement, intrigue, and unreadable satisfaction.
Gu Fangchen was startled.
He hadn't expected Xiao Yinghao to return today!
Although the battle at Autumn Peace Road had turned in their favor thanks to his intervention, the White Dragon Army had still lost tens of thousands. Reorganizing and cleaning up the aftermath would take time.
In theory, Xiao Yinghao should have remained at Autumn Peace Road to oversee the situation. Yet she had returned early,
And what was with this attitude of hers?
Gu Fangchen had disguised himself during that campaign. Moreover, Xiao Yinghao had been trapped inside the Blood River Repentance Formation the entire time, she shouldn't have known who was responsible for the turn of events.
From the larger picture, his actions had been beyond reproach.
But from her standpoint, seven thousand of her men had perished, and the protective formation over the Fire Essence Ore mine had been drained and destroyed. Rebuilding it would take immense resources.
From the perspective of the White Dragon Army's commander, she must feel as though she'd been played, utterly and thoroughly.
Worse still, he had claimed her husband's title to make it all work.
Though Great Wei didn't cling to notions of chastity, indeed, widows were often sought after as good matches, such gossip was still scandalous.
Gu Fangchen had relied on her ignorance to act recklessly.
If Xiao Yinghao ever discovered the truth, his reckoning would be severe...
His thoughts spun swiftly, and he decided on his approach,
Meet every change with stillness.
Even if she suspected, she had no proof.
For now, he was still the frivolous wastrel he'd always been.
He would simply stay in character.
That image stood in stark contrast to the formidable "Consort" who had shaken the battlefield, and was precisely the kind of man Xiao Yinghao despised most.
Everyone knew that the only men who could catch Xiao Yinghao's eye were of two kinds:
Those who rendered great service to the realm, and those who stood atop the peak of cultivation.
The opposite, parasites who contributed nothing, were beneath her notice.
And Gu Fangchen's original self was the perfect example of the latter.
A complete silk pillow, beautiful on the outside, hollow within.
Gu Fangchen closed his folding fan with a snap, coughed lightly, recalled fragments of the wastrel's memories, and offered a flamboyant, mischievous smile as he bowed:
"Your Highness the Princess, I've long heard of your unrivaled beauty and grace, yearned to witness it for myself. It's a pity that in all my visits to the palace with my mother, I never had the honor. Today, seeing you in person, your reputation proves more than deserved!"
As he spoke, his gaze swept over her, feigning awe and desire.
Not her chest, of course, he wasn't suicidal. Instead, his eyes lingered upon that small mole on her collarbone and the pale curve of her neck, his expression dark and suggestive, every inch the lustful nobleman.
Indeed, those two fragile spots, so unlike her fierce, commanding beauty, were the most enticing parts of Xiao Yinghao.
If such a powerful woman, standing at the peak of authority, were ever to willingly reveal her most vulnerable self to someone, that would be the moment of her true surrender, a sight intoxicating enough to drown in.
And this was precisely the gaze Xiao Yinghao loathed,
Not merely out of disdain for frivolous nobles, but from a warrior's instinctive vigilance toward one's vulnerable points.
Especially from a weakling like him, a spoiled playboy with a rotten reputation.
Gu Fangchen fully expected her to turn on her heel and leave.
But instead, Xiao Yinghao merely arched a brow and said softly:
"Yearned for me, have you? Hmph, what a liar."
Her hand rested upon the hilt of her sword, slender fingers tapping the guard lightly. Her eyes narrowed as she smiled and added:
"I heard, however, that you once claimed women who practiced martial arts were all rough-skinned and stone-bodied, unfit to please the eye."
Gu Fangchen: "..."
Had the original truly been that suicidal?
He thought back and remembered, yes, that idiot had once made such a remark while bantering with a courtesan.
But how had Xiao Yinghao even heard of it?
Someone like her shouldn't care about such idle gossip.
Which meant, she had recently investigated everything about Gu Fangchen.
He grimaced.
Wonderful. Not just suspicion, serious suspicion.
He reviewed his every move at Autumn Peace Road. No mistakes... unless someone had seen through his disguise directly, there was no way anyone could connect him to that incident.
A wastrel like him couldn't possibly command the White Dragon Army.
He calmed himself.
She must be testing him.
With a solemn face, he denied immediately:
"Foolish words of youth, utter foolishness!"
Then he lifted his fan again, puffed his chest, and grinned cheekily.
"Now, I actually believe martial women are the best kind! Ordinary girls are far too delicate, crying at the slightest touch, but a martial artist, no matter how you handle her, "
He abruptly stopped himself, pretending to realize his slip, and quickly changed the topic:
"By the way, Your Highness asked what story I was telling earlier, it was just a little incident on the road."
He then retold Gu Yuandao's story.
Xiao Yinghao listened quietly, her eyes never leaving him. Her smile deepened; the pressure in the room grew palpable.
The longer he spoke, the stiffer his expression became, sweat beading on his forehead.
By now, with her temperament, she should have been angry.
Yet her irritation, faint though it was, seemed oddly misplaced.
When he finished, Xiao Yinghao clapped softly and said:
"So that's how it was. Quite the story indeed."
Her gaze slid toward Gu Yuandao, a faint sneer on her lips.
"And here I thought a disciple of the Sage would be exceptional, but so much for that. He can't even suppress a mere 'Buddha's Thread of Compassion' despite holding the Righteous Qi of the Vast Heavens."
"When I was ten, I could already identify a thousand poisons and recite their antidotes. For a top scholar, your insight is disappointingly shallow."
Her eyes then turned to Gu Yuye.
"Raised in the countryside, poorly educated, full of pedantic verse and no substance. The Northern Garrison Prince must discipline him better."
Gu Yuye's gaze turned icy, his fist clenched tight.
"Your Highness is too harsh. My son is simply too gentle-hearted to concern himself with such vile and poisonous arts."
"Oh? And what use is a gentle heart in governance? Should he enter court one day, indecisive as this, how will he serve the people? Better to remain a scholar. If the Prince forces him into politics, it would be pitiful indeed."
"You are mistaken, Princess. Have you not heard that cruel rule is fiercer than a tiger? A violent temper leads to tyranny; in the end, even one's own will turn against him, leaving no grave to rest in."
Their barbed words clashed like blades, each strike drawn from years of rivalry.
Gu Fangchen could only watch in awe.
When it came to hitting sore spots, no one matched old foes.
Xiao Yinghao and Gu Yuye had been political enemies for years, both wielded great military power, each kept in check by Emperor Yong'an. They'd long dreamt of crushing the other.
It was, after all, Gu Yuye's spies in the White Dragon Army that had leaked her campaign plans and led to her entrapment.
Xiao Yinghao sneered:
"Without compassion, all your benevolence is but a monkey wearing a crown. Let us hope the name of 'Sage's Disciple' is not used time and again as a shield for hypocrisy."
Given that Gu Yuandao's blunder was now plain to see, her words stung doubly hard.
At last, Xiao Qiu hurried forward with a forced smile to mediate.
"Your Highness, My Lord, His Majesty has been waiting a long time. Please, calm yourselves and enter to take your seats."
Gu Yuye flicked his sleeve, suppressing his rage with a cold snort.
Xiao Yinghao and Gu Fangchen entered first, led by Xiao Qiu.
Gu Yuye's eyes darkened as he glanced between them. The familiarity in their exchange had not escaped him. Narrowing his gaze, he too strode toward the Purple Extremity Hall.
His grand design had hinged on the battle of Autumn Peace Road.
Had events followed his plan, had Xiao Yinghao remained trapped and the White Dragon Army fallen, then he would not now be forced to concede by imperial decree, watching Gu Fangchen humiliate his son and prepare to reclaim the title of heir before all the court.
Autumn Peace Road had been his foundation, the key to his ambitions.
If its defense had failed, Emperor Yong'an would have had no choice but to entrust him with command once again, unable to interfere in his family's affairs.
Then he could have moved on to the next phase.
But Gu Fangchen had ruined everything.
That "Consort" who shouldn't have existed had appeared from nowhere and turned the war upside down.
The reports were clear: that man had slain traitors, opened the army's formation, and drowned the Qingman forces, like a god descended.
And miraculously, after that battle, over a thousand White Dragon soldiers had suddenly advanced in cultivation overnight.
More than a hundred had reached the sixth rank!
Once, only the Princess's twelve personal guards had possessed such strength; now there were over a hundred.
Even with their losses, their power had doubled.
It was no wonder legends were already spreading, that the Consort was a heavenly being sent to aid Great Wei.
And because of that swift turnaround, Xiao Yinghao had shattered the Blood River Repentance Formation early, ending the campaign far sooner than expected.
The Qingman army retreated thousands of li, the White Dragon Army's pressure vanishing overnight.
Gu Yuye's entire plan, ruined, all because of that Consort.
He had long suspected that this "Consort" might be Gu Fangchen himself.
Emperor Yong'an had even said as much, that he knew the man well.
The timing of Gu Fangchen's disappearance from the Qionglin Banquet perfectly matched the Consort's arrival at Autumn Peace Road.
The Sixth Division Star Lord had located Gu Fangchen there as well.
Yet two things had stopped Gu Yuye from confirming it.
First, the man had commanded the White Dragon Army Formation.
Tens of thousands had witnessed it.
No matter how skeptical he was, that was no illusion.
To link one's divine sense with ten thousand others required immense spiritual strength. Without it, one's mind would shatter instantly.
Even if one survived, commanding with such precision would be impossible.
But according to the reports, his commands had been flawless, every move following the Huabiao Military Treatise, the foundational text of the Path of War.
Methodical. Composed. Impossible for an amateur.
Thus, the man was a seasoned strategist.
Second, the miraculous ascensions afterward.
If Gu Fangchen truly possessed such divine power, he could have rebelled outright!
Hence, Gu Yuye had hesitated.
But Xiao Yinghao's return, and her demeanor toward Gu Fangchen, swept all doubt aside.
Now, he was certain: Gu Fangchen was that Consort.
This conclusion was no rash guess.
Before this, they had never even met.
Xiao Yinghao's pride was known across the empire, she barely acknowledged prodigies, let alone a useless playboy.
Yet now she smiled at him.
Her smiles were rare, and usually foreboded disaster.
Hands clasped behind his back, Gu Yuye looked up at the plaque above the Purple Extremity Hall.
If Gu Fangchen truly was the Consort, then things would be simpler.
A Consort, by law, could never hold real office.
That meant the title of heir was impossible for him to keep.
At best, he could never touch true power.
And in Great Wei, the will of the people could only be bestowed by imperial recognition.
Without a formal title, no merit could gather fate's blessing.
To draw such power would be to steal the nation's destiny.
Then he would never be a threat to Gu Yuandao.
...
At Xiao Qiu's announcement, Gu Fangchen stepped into the Purple Extremity Hall, meeting countless stunned gazes.
From this moment onward, the officially recognized heir of the Northern Garrison Prince was none other than Gu Fangchen himself.
He walked up the central steps, waved the imperial decree in hand, and smiled broadly.
"Mission accomplished, Your Majesty. I bring good news!"
Emperor Yong'an chuckled warmly.
"Excellent, excellent... good child, you have not failed me."
Glancing around, he pointed casually.
"Not many seats left, sit there."
Instantly, Crown Prince Xiao Sheng's pupils contracted; he almost rose to his feet.
That seat, it belonged to the Third Prince, Xiao Shen, who was still cultivating at Garan Temple!
What did it mean, for his father to give that seat to Gu Fangchen?