stonecrandall Chapter 1176 The person who invited him was actually Qin Ye!
Chapter 1176 The person who invited him was actually Qin Ye!
"Who is your master?" Gao Yao asked calmly.
"Please get in the car, Mr. Gao, and you'll see," the man in gray replied respectfully yet firmly.
Without hesitation, Gao Yao lifted the curtain and sat inside. The carriage was spacious, with soft brocade cushions, and in one corner there was even a small table fixed to the side wall, on which sat an exquisite tea set. Gao Yao leaned against the wall, closed his eyes to rest, but his mind raced, calculating all sorts of possibilities.
Chen Pingping had just visited him; given his cautious nature, he would never resort to such brutal methods in such a short time. The old man in the wheelchair moved like a spider weaving a web—seemingly slow but actually meticulous; closing the shop to alert the enemy was not his style.
So, what about Emperor Qing?
Emperor Qing is the most likely candidate. This ruler of Southern Qing is a man of deep thoughts and unfathomable cunning. If he wanted to test the capabilities of a newly promoted Grandmaster, he could easily have first applied pressure and then observed the reaction through a private meeting. However, Emperor Qing's summons are usually held in the palace or in the royal gardens; why would he choose a residence late at night?
The carriage wound its way through the streets and alleys of Kyoto. Although Gao Yao had his eyes closed, he used the direction the carriage was traveling and the sounds to determine their location. They started from the west of the city, traveled east for about half an hour, then turned north, finally stopping at the back gate of a grand mansion. This mansion was located in Kyoto's aristocratic district, but not in the very heart of the city; it belonged to a family that possessed status but did not flaunt it excessively.
As Gao Yao alighted, his gaze swept over the lintel, finding no signs of a mansion, but the stone lions in front of the gate were exquisitely carved, something no ordinary family could possess. The man in gray led him inside. The courtyard was filled with pavilions and towers arranged in a harmonious manner. Although it was night, dim yellow lanterns illuminated the cobblestone path beneath his feet.
Finally, they arrived at a pavilion deep within the garden. Two people were already inside: an elderly man with white hair sat in the main seat, while the other stood beside him. On the stone table inside, incense smoke curled upwards, filling the air with a faint sandalwood fragrance.
The old man was dressed in dark purple civilian clothes, with white hair and beard, a ruddy complexion, and bright, piercing eyes under the lamplight. He sat seemingly casually, but his back was ramrod straight, a mark left by years of military service.
Gao Yao's heart stirred slightly, and he had already guessed the identity of the person.
"Greetings, Your Excellency." Gao Yao bowed respectfully, neither servile nor arrogant. "May I ask what Your Excellency has summoned this humble subject for?"
The old man didn't answer immediately, but instead scrutinized Gao Yao from head to toe with a critical gaze. His gaze was sharp as a knife, seemingly able to pierce through skin and reach the depths of the soul. An ordinary person would have been uneasy under such a gaze, but Gao Yao calmly returned it, his eyes open and profound.
The gray-clad man standing to the side introduced softly, "This is General Qin."
Gao Yao understood immediately—it was indeed Qin Ye, the top military figure in the Qing Kingdom, with disciples and former subordinates throughout the various armies. Although he lacked the title of Grandmaster, he wielded considerable influence over the court. More importantly, he was one of the key participants in the Ye Qingmei case, the sharpest blade in Emperor Qing's hand.
"Please have a seat, Mr. Gao." Qin Ye finally spoke, his voice steady and powerful, carrying the straightforwardness characteristic of a soldier.
Gao Yao sat down as instructed, facing Qin Ye across the table. The servants silently served hot tea and then quietly retreated outside the pavilion, leaving only the man in gray standing three steps away.
"Mr. Gao, do you know why I invited you here?" Qin Ye picked up his teacup but did not drink from it; he simply swirled the cup gently.
Gao Yao smiled slightly: "It must be related to the restaurant being shut down."
A hint of admiration flashed in Qin Ye's eyes: "Smart. Then, does Boss Gao know why it was I who invited you, rather than the Kyoto Prefectural Government, to handle this case?"
"This humble subject is ignorant and foolish; please enlighten me, General."
Qin Ye put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly, a posture that intensified his imposing presence: "Because this matter is not something the government can handle. The Gao Family Restaurant, ostensibly a restaurant, is secretly one of Princess Li Yunrui's intelligence hubs in the capital. Am I right?"
Gao Yao remained noncommittal: "Since the general says so, he must already have evidence."
"The evidence is there, of course," Qin Ye said calmly. "Since the restaurant opened, at least seventeen groups of Northern Qi spies have met here, and twenty-three pieces of intelligence involving military matters have been passed through here. Not to mention, Li Yunrui used the restaurant to secretly contact court officials and interfere in politics."
Gao Yao sneered inwardly. These charges were half-true and half-false, a common tactic used in framing people. But he remained outwardly calm: "If that were truly the case, why didn't the general arrest them directly, but instead met with them in private?"
Qin Ye suddenly laughed, but there was no warmth in that laugh: "Because I am curious. I am curious about the background of a person who can establish himself in the capital in just a few years, establish contact with Li Yunrui, and then be visited by Chen Pingping at the height of his power."
The atmosphere inside the pavilion suddenly froze.
Gao Yao sensed the probing intent in Qin Ye's words and felt the almost tangible pressure in the air. Although this old general was over sixty, his cultivation was unfathomable, at least at the upper ninth rank, and he might even have touched the threshold of the Grandmaster.
"I am just an ordinary merchant. I am fortunate to have been appreciated by the Princess, which is why I am where I am today," Gao Yao said slowly. "As for Dean Chen's visit, it was just because of a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Qin Ye raised an eyebrow. "What kind of misunderstanding could make Chen Pingping personally come to your door?"
Gao Yao felt a chill run down his spine. Qin Ye's informants knew even the length of Chen Pingping's stay so clearly, which meant that the surveillance around Gao's Restaurant was far more thorough than he had imagined.
"Dean Chen inquired about the trade routes to Northern Qi," Gao Yao said frankly. "As you probably know, my restaurant has some special dishes from Northern Qi, and the ingredients need to be purchased from Northern Qi. Dean Chen was interested in this and asked a few questions."
This explanation was reasonable, but it avoided the main issue. Qin Ye was clearly dissatisfied, but he did not press further. Instead, he changed the subject: "So, Mr. Gao, are you aware that a major event has recently occurred in Kyoto?"
"Who is the general?"
“Grandmaster.” Qin Ye uttered these three words, his eyes fixed on Gao Yao. “Just three days ago, at Guanyun Pavilion, thirty miles west of the capital, someone broke through his realm and entered the ranks of Grandmasters. The celestial phenomenon lasted for a full quarter of an hour, and all martial artists above the seventh rank felt that immense power.”
Gao Yao was startled, but remained calm on the surface: "I have also heard about this matter; it is being discussed in the streets and alleys of the capital."
"It's not just talk." Qin Ye's voice suddenly turned low. "The appearance of this newly promoted Grandmaster has stirred up a storm throughout the land. Ku He of Northern Qi, Si Gu Jian of Dongyi City, and even the barbarian priests on the grasslands are all paying attention to this matter. But the most anxious one is the one in the palace."
Gao Yao picked up his teacup and took a small sip. It was a good tea, pre-rain Longjing, but it tasted somewhat bitter at this moment.
"Why is the general telling me all this?" He put down his teacup and looked directly at Qin Ye.
Qin Ye did not answer immediately. Instead, he stood up, walked to the pavilion, and gazed at the waning moon in the night sky. After a long while, he slowly said, "Because I suspect that this newly promoted Grandmaster is related to you."
The pavilion was deathly silent.