Testing the Emperor's Intentions
By evening, Alexander Hayes returned home. As he washed his hands, Lily Evans excitedly shared the latest progress from the plantation with him.
Alexander listened, clearly delighted. "Excellent! In the next couple of days, I'll organize the men into two groups and send them to the plantation. We'll need to clear the mountain land first, but these seasoned veterans are perfect for heavy work—far better than ordinary laborers. That wine and meat you sent to the Hayes Regiment last time? They were overjoyed! Each one is so grateful to the General's wife, they'd give you all their strength if they could."
"Good, that's what I hoped for." Lily smiled, handing Alexander a towel for his hands. "Any fresh news from court today?"
Discussing major events in the capital and at court over dinner was their little ritual. Alexander always updated Lily on the important news, valuing her sharp insights, and was happy to hear her opinions.
Of course, trivial matters like some Marquis and his wife getting snubbed were far beneath their notice.
Alexander said, "Gregory Gu Jr. came to court today."
"Oh? Has he recovered from his injuries?" Lily had been so busy lately that she’d nearly forgotten about him. Only when Alexander mentioned it did she remember Gregory Gu Jr. existed at all.
"Seems so. He looks all right, except for a small scar in his eyebrow—probably from that punch I landed on him. Left a mark." Alexander shook his head. "No wonder he’s my archrival. The first thing he did upon returning to court was try to trip me up."
"What sort of mischief is Gregory Gu Jr. up to now?" Lily frowned.
"There’s been heavy rain in the western mountains of the capital, causing flash floods and mudslides. Two villages were hit hard, with many villagers stranded on high ground. Normally, the local officials should handle rescue, but since those officials are allied with the Gu Family, they’re afraid of being blamed for poor rescue efforts and want to pass the buck. So Gregory Gu Jr. petitioned the Emperor, claiming the county was understaffed and needed reinforcements from the court. He also pointed out that, since there’s no war at present, the Hayes Regiment has nothing to do—why not send them for disaster relief?" Alexander explained, sipping his tea and watching Lily, as if waiting for her thoughts.
Lily’s eyes narrowed. "The disaster isn’t critical, but Gregory Gu Jr. makes it sound like an emergency. He’s trying to drag you and the Hayes Regiment into the mess. If anything goes wrong, he can blame you; if it goes well, he gets credit for solving the problem. It’s a classic Gu Family move—throw someone into the fire and see if they burn."
Suddenly, Lily’s expression sharpened. "Wait. Gregory Gu Jr. isn’t just stirring trouble—he’s testing the Emperor’s intentions. Is this one of those ‘kill the donkey after it’s done grinding the mill’ moments? Now that peace has returned, is the Emperor thinking of getting rid of the Hayes Regiment?"
Alexander nodded seriously. "Go on, Lily. I want to hear your full analysis."
Lily gripped Alexander’s arm tightly, her eyes blazing. "Gregory Gu Jr. is probing for weakness. He wants to know if the Emperor is ready to dispose of the Hayes Regiment now that the fighting’s over. This whole disaster relief proposal is just a test!"