[*]
Gao Zheqi merely shot him a faint, smiling glance, and the servant fell silent.
*
*
Upper Monarch Hall.
The servant added some incense and was about to withdraw when the master lounging lazily behind the beaded curtain chuckled. "What's this? Has that old codger Gao Zheqi arrived?"
The servant, slightly startled, quickly lowered his eyes. "A messenger just came to report that Mr. Gao is already on his way to the Imperial Palace."
"I am tired. If he arrives, just have him wait." The voice was nonchalant, tinged with a smile.
The servant quickly acknowledged the order and withdrew.
*
*
The wind picked up again.
The Dayong Dynasty's territory was vast. The further west one traveled, the more barren and desolate it became.
Huge earthen chasms crisscrossed the landscape, as if a god had lashed the earth with a whip. Carriages and horses struggled over the uneven, pitted ground, and occasional gusts of yellow sand would startle up, making it impossible to open one's eyes.
