"Gu Zhan?" Wu Yang furrowed his brows in confusion and asked, "Does this have anything to do with Gu Zhan?"
"Not exactly," Yang Yuzhi said, "It’s just that Gu Zhan rose to prominence so abruptly that I became curious about him. How could a commoner have such talent and ability?"
Wu Yang nodded and said, "I’ve investigated this as well. Gu Zhan’s cultivation has advanced far too quickly. At one point, I suspected he was backed by some hidden force."
"Did you find anything?" Yang Yuzhi asked.
"No," Wu Yang replied, "Aside from his association with Gu Chuan, Gu Zhan hasn’t interacted with any major power. And Gu Chuan is only a clan member of the Gu Family, his influence doesn’t reach so far—not enough to support Gu Zhan from the Capital City. So, after eliminating all possibilities, only the most improbable option remains: Gu Zhan might truly be gifted. According to my investigation, he only started making his mark after his father’s death—perhaps a great calamity transformed him!"
Yang Yuzhi smiled slightly and said, "That’s surprisingly close to what I thought. Gu Zhan’s father was named Gu Shanjiang. He fled from Pingyang Prefecture more than a decade ago, when Gu Zhan was only two or three years old."
Wu Yang furrowed his brows and asked, "Was there something wrong with Gu Shanjiang?"
"No," Yang Yuzhi replied, "Fifteen years ago, bandits plagued Pingyang Prefecture; at the time, a small Gu clan was exterminated, and Gu Shanjiang was one of them.
I started investigating Gu Shanjiang because of Gu Zhan, and found according to the Inspection Bureau’s records that Gu Shanjiang died at the hands of a drunken troublemaking Martial World person."
Wu Yang said, "That’s normal. In last year’s Martial World turmoil, many Embroidered Uniform Guards died. There were four or five Chief Banner Councillors killed, though their rank is uncommon—it’s not particularly noteworthy."
Yang Yuzhi nodded and said, "It’s not particularly noteworthy, but I valued Gu Zhan’s abilities; I knew Gu Chuan intended to groom him as his successor, so I thought about drawing Gu Zhan in.
I intended to capture his father’s killer and hand him over to Gu Zhan, so he’d owe me a favor—but while investigating that Martial World person, I discovered something unexpected: He was actually the personal attendant of a White Lotus Sect Squad Leader."
Wu Yang was dazed for quite a while, then gave a helpless smile and said, "So the flaw I exposed was here?"
"Yes," Yang Yuzhi replied, "In fact, Linjiang County’s Noble Families have always done business with the White Lotus Sect—it’s an open secret. A bit of shady business is inevitable.
However, the presence of a Squad Leader’s personal attendant here is highly unusual. I began investigating, and found last winter’s Martial World unrest also seemed odd—as if someone was deliberately stirring up chaos to conceal something.
Combining these two factors, I suspect a White Lotus Sect Squad Leader passed through Linjiang City."
Wu Yang sighed and said, "So from that moment, you began formulating your plan."
Yang Yuzhi shook his head and replied, "Even then, I couldn’t quite believe it. To collude with the White Lotus Sect in rebellion is truly beyond belief, but I was under tight surveillance and couldn’t probe further.
So, I covertly assisted Gu Chuan, precipitating a ’two tigers fighting’ scenario within the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Noble Families welcomed this—all things considered, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was neutral at the time, and both our factions wished to weaken it, intentionally or not.
Luo Bingsheng died, the Embroidered Uniform Guard split, and the Noble Families benefited greatly. I seized the opportunity to bring my junior, Wan Yan, into town—everyone was satisfied."
Wu Yang said softly, "At the time, it was indeed a win for all. Our two factions struggled; I thought I had been holding the advantage, believing Wan Yan and you were caught in my scheme, acting on my plan. In retrospect, it was all a false front you two deliberately presented."
Yang Yuzhi spoke slowly: "The first confrontation was a probe. When you offered the Rong Family as bait and drew us in, Wan Yan and I confirmed that the Six Great Families had already sided with the White Lotus Sect.
Afterwards, Wan Yan anticipated you’d exploit his impulsive nature, step by step, drawing him into your trap. Thus, he deliberately cultivated a rebellious persona to make you think he’d fallen for your snare.
But in the process, both you and Wan Yan had to accelerate the plan because of Gu Zhan’s sudden rise to power. You teamed up with Gu Zhan to seize Linjiang City in one fell swoop, while Wan Yan, through his death, activated the second half of the death plan."
Wu Yang sighed quietly and said, "Indeed, it was Wan Yan’s death that convinced me I’d won."
Yang Yuzhi was silent for a long while, a trace of sorrow in his eyes, and said, "I was actually against the plan—but Wan Yan said that if he did not die, the Six Great Families would never be drawn in. So he chose to die and entrusted the second half of the death plan to me."
Wu Yang lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said, "Your target was the White Lotus Sect; the Six Great Families were merely incidental."
Yang Yuzhi nodded: "If it were only about defeating the Six Great Families, there would be no need for the death plan.
After the farcical failed rebellion ten years ago, the White Lotus Sect lay dormant for years, until the appearance of the Celestial Maiden. The previously chaotic White Lotus Sect began to shift tactics, secretly collaborating with many corrupt Court officials to provide cover and numb the Holy Emperor.
The White Lotus Sect is obviously in Yunzhou, their intent to rebel is clear to all, yet the Court refuses to move against them. We cannot wait any longer: If we do, the White Lotus Sect will infiltrate even further, and then Great Xia will be riddled with holes.
So Wan Yan and I devised the plan: We would offer the White Lotus Sect an opportunity they wouldn’t be able to pass up—a chance for rebellion. That is the death plan."
Wu Yang listened and gave a long sigh, saying, "On this board, I did lose to you and Wan Yan. Wan Yan’s death made me truly believe my plan to seize Linjiang City had succeeded. Dragon Pass is supplied by a Supply Battalion managed by Linjiang County."
Yang Yuzhi nodded: "Yunzhou has three major passes; Dragon Pass is the most critical. If you hold Dragon Pass, you control the ordinary strongholds of Yunzhou—to seize Dragon Pass is to seize half of Yunzhou.
Linjiang County manages a Supply Battalion, making it easy to obtain maps of Dragon Pass’s layout and probe much of its military secrets. So I delivered all this—White Lotus Sect cannot reject such a heaven-sent opportunity. Should they miss it, it will be much harder to take Dragon Pass in the future. Thus, they will surely assault Dragon Pass and expose themselves under the sun; the Court’s corrupt parasites will no longer be able to deceive the Saint, and the threat of the White Lotus Sect can be eradicated!"
Wu Yang squinted slightly and asked, "But are you not afraid Dragon Pass might actually fall to the White Lotus Sect?"

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