Wolf King And His Fox Consort

Hua Nanyi still wasn't back by the time Chu Yun left for the royal palace, so he went on his own.

He would be lying if he didn't admit to some trepidation. The King would likely be informed as soon as Chu Yun walked into the palace complex. And while Chu Yun was sure he wouldn't do anything, that extra awareness of the danger he represented made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

An enemy was never more dangerous than when he was cornered. The King knew it was only a matter of time until Xiao Zai and Chu Yun moved against him. They had reached the point of no return. 

That made him unpredictable, but Chu Yun was counting on the Queen Dowager to keep him in check. Her goals weren't obvious yet. It might only be the promise of her first grandchild making her look out for Chu Yun when she wouldn't care otherwise. 

Still, Chu Yun hurried to find Gu Wei, foregoing his usual visit to Min Sezhui. If everything went well they would have ample opportunities to meet soon, after the King was no longer a factor.

As luck would have it, Gu Wei was in his private suit of rooms. A handsome, stone-faced guard opened the doors for him. Chu Yun's eyes lingered on him, trying to parse if he was Gu Wei's lover. His face revealed nothing, but that wasn't the reason why Chu Yun had come. 

Gu Wei was sitting at his low table, pruning a flower arrangement of plum blossoms. He lifted his eyes towards Chu Yun in acknowledgement before returning to his work.

"I've heard you and Xiao Zai paid a visit to Xiao Yuan," he said, noncommittal.

"You're well informed," Chu Yun said, taking a seat across from him.

"No more than you, I'd wager."

They were about to see that.

"Speaking of which," Chu Yun took a folded up letter from his pocket. One of the more innocuous ones where the mysterious person commiserated about Xiao Zai's Uncle's fate. "The masons found this while repairing the estate. Do you have any idea who he might have been corresponding with?"

Gu Wei scanned the letter quickly, his expression unchanging. He returned it to Chu Yun with a tight smile. "It seems to me that poor Xiao Yao was aware of the fate that awaited him, maybe he was just commiserating with a friend?" 

"And you have no idea about who that friend might be?" Chu Yun probed, smiling tightly. 

"None."

"And you never heard anything about Xiao Yao having a child?"

Gu Wei kept working on his arrangement, betraying nothing. "It would be a surprise to me if he had one."

The problem was that maybe he was too composed. A person would show some signs of 'surprise', after admitting that something was 'surprising'.

It was about time Chu Yun gave him some encouragement to be more forthcoming. "Speaking of surprising, I think Xiao Zai would be surprised to learn of your involvement in the Crown Princess' death."

That got him a reaction.

Gu Wei cut him a sharp look before putting down his shears and lacing his fingers under his chin. "Where are you trying to get at with an accusation like that?"

"To the truth," he said, leaning across the table. "I want to know why you did it."

Gu Wei scoffed. "It's base speculation, why would I have anything to say about it?"

"Only you or the Queen Dowager could have been behind it," Chu Yun smiled, and then added. "I saw a beta guard outside your door. If I'm not mistaken he's a wolf too. How easy would it have been for him to slip into the forest during the hunt while everyone was distracted?"

Gu Wei's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He didn't think Chu Yun was actually threatening him, but it bothered him nonetheless to hear him speak aloud about these things.

"It would do you good to learn when to stop meddling," he said, after a prolonged silence, his tone curt.

"I don't doubt you did it with Xiao Zai's best interests at heart," Chu Yun conceded with a nod, making himself look earnest, to Gu Wei's annoyance. "But I want to be in on it, just to make sure I don't accidentally spoil everything."

Gu Wei gave him a long look of appraisal. "You really are the proverbial fox in the chicken coop, aren't you?" 

Chu Yun shrugged. "I'm looking out for Xiao Zai as well."

At that, some of Gu Wei's antagonism dispersed. The reminder that they were on the same side made him relax. Chu Yun imagined that he wasn't used to having allies.

"She was more ambitious than she seemed," Gu Wei said with a grimace. "She realised soon that being married to Xiao Yuan might not bring her any advantage, and that the way things were going he would be a King in name only. My husband won't let go of the throne, no matter how unpopular he grows."

"Did she try to seduce the King?" Chu Yun asked, confused as to why Gu Wei would have cared.

Gu Wei's answering laugh quickly changed Chu Yun's mind about his first guess.

"Perhaps if she had been that simple-minded she would still be alive." With those cryptic words he rose to his feet, smoothing down the creases of his cream robes. "Walk with me."

He walked towards the doors, and Chu Yun followed him. Outside Gu Wei addressed the guard stationed at his door, "Escort us."

The man fell into step behind them without a word. Chu Yun kept stealing glances at him over his shoulder. He was arresting in the same way that a lightening storm could be called arresting. His handsome features drew the eye, but in the stillness of his gaze lied the promise of real danger. Chu Yun found it disconcerting to look at him for more than a few seconds at a time.

After they'd walked through two courtyards, and had gone deeper into the palace complex than Chu Yun had ever been before, he could no longer hold off his curiosity.

"Where are we going?"

Gu pointed at a dark building just ahead of them. "The cold palace.. You won't understand otherwise."