[*]
Gao Zheqi merely shot him a sidelong glance and a 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 drawled with a chuckle, "What's this? Has that old codger Gao Zheqi arrived?"
The servant, slightly startled, quickly lowered his eyes. "A messenger just reported that Mr. Gao is already on his way to the Imperial Palace."
"I am tired. If he arrives, tell him to wait." The voice was casual, laced with amusement.
The servant hastily agreed and backed out of the room.
*
*
The wind picked up.
The Dayong Dynasty's territory was vast. The farther west one traveled, the more barren and desolate the landscape became.
Great earthen ravines crisscrossed the land like lash marks from a god's whip. The path for carriages and horses was rugged and uneven. Occasionally, yellow sand would swirl up, startlingly, making it impossible to open one's eyes.
