*
Gao Zheqi merely offered a faint smile, and the official fell silent.
*
*
「Upper Monarch Hall.」
A servant added some incense and was about to withdraw. From behind the beaded curtain, a lazy voice chuckled, "What is it? Has that old codger Gao Zheqi arrived?"
The servant, slightly startled, quickly lowered their eyes. "A messenger just reported that Mr. Gao is already on his way to the Imperial Palace."
"We are tired. If he arrives, tell him to wait," came the nonchalant, amused voice.
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 it became.
The land was crisscrossed with massive ravines, like gashes left from a celestial whip. Carriages and horses bounced over the uneven ground, and occasional gusts of yellow sand would startle up, blinding travelers.
