Chapter 39: I will seek it above and below

  You dust please night sky Ling from the four sides of the building, enter through the main gate, first arrive at the small Lan Pavilion to wait for a while, she then returned to her previous room and changed into men's clothing, called Xie Jing to instruct him in one sentence, letting him go invite Mo Bu Ping.

  Xie Jing had gone to answer the summons, but Qing Chen did not rush to go to the Xiao Lan Pavilion first. She stood alone in her room, behind the screen in front of the wooden rack on the desk, where the ancient sword "Fu Pian" was placed. This sword should have been her personal item, but it was inconvenient to carry it in and out of the palace, so it had been left in the Four-Faced Building. She raised her hand to grasp the hilt, lightly drawing the sword out of its scabbard. The sword shone like autumn water, its edge clear and sharp, yet without any chill or bloodthirstiness, faintly, a pool of floating light appeared before her eyes.

  Your fingers slowly sweep across the sword body, where your hand touches is like brushing against a clear stream. The same return and separation of the sword's sternness are different. Those who obtain the Return Separation Sword will obtain the world, but the other half of the world's secrets are tied to this Floating Feather Sword. She strokes the sword in contemplation, her gaze quiet and distant.

  "Those under him have seen the phoenix master." Mo's flat voice sounded from behind, Qing Chen turned his head and said: "Mr. Mo, I think that no matter how extraordinary a sword is, it still needs a good master to wield it, sometimes the sword is sharp for its master."

  Mo Pingdao said: "What the Phoenix Master says is absolutely right. Just like this Floating Cloud Sword, it has been idle for decades, but now that it's in the hands of the Phoenix Master, it will finally have its day to emerge from its scabbard."

  "You smiled and said: 'The Return Separation Sword is also like this.' When he heard the words 'Return Separation Sword', Mo Bu Ping's old eyes lifted slightly."

  You lightly shook your sword, a flash of cold light burst out, she raised her eyes and smiled: "I have done two things for Mingyi Building, according to reason, there is still one thing that has not been done."

  Mo Bu Ping said: "Please instruct me, Master Feng."

  "You know that the Crown Prince has encountered an incident?"

  Mo Pingdao said: "The matter of the crown prince is now a rumor in Tianjing, it's hard not to hear about it."

  "You truly have a good strategy. On one side, the Heavenly Emperor's strict orders are leaked, while on this side, everyone already knows about it. But I suppose that is what you call fate. The Ling King is currently at Xiaolan Pavilion, why don't you go see him?"

  "Oh?" Mo Bu Ping said: "The Phoenix Master's meaning is..."

  "Whether or not the position of Crown Prince is secure, it's no longer a matter of whether someone can protect him or not. The problem lies with himself, he doesn't have that kind of heart anymore. As for Ling Wang, if he is, then that's best; if not, then he definitely will be."

  Mo Bu Ping quickly grasped the meaning behind Qing Chen's words, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "Phoenix Master!"

  "You say he isn't, but Mu Emperor's bloodline would have been cut off long ago. Unless Ming Yi Lou retreats and leaves the Jianghu, otherwise they can only choose a good tree to perch on and assist a wise ruler."

  Mo Pingdao said: "The master of the sword is chosen for Mingyilou."

  "Master Mo, what do you think?"

  No one can rival the skill of the five willows, and with a flick of his wrist, he narrowed his eyes: "The Phoenix Master has good eyesight, this half of the Jiangshan was originally taken down by Ling Wang."

  "In your eyes, a faint yet firm light: 'He is of Mu Emperor's bloodline.'"

  Mo Buqi also said: "It's natural, and it's impossible for there to be a second person."

  You smiled and spoke to Mo Bu Ping, which was indeed easy-going. It was straightforward and didn't have the slightest bit of stubbornness. Instead of saying she chose Ling Wang, why not say that Mo Bu Ping also chose Ling Wang?

  It is indeed the case that the bloodline that Ming Yi Lou was searching for, Ling Wang is the only one who has a possibility of existence. Whether or not he is, he is the only and best choice. The few words just now were merely an absolute tacit understanding reached between Qing Chen and Mo Bu Ping.

  Mo Bu Ping sighed and said: "The heavenly stars have shifted, the imperial court has changed, each person's fate is predetermined by heaven."

  "Has Mr. Mo ever thought about his own destiny?"

  Mo could not help but laugh and say: "Since it's a fixed number, thinking about it is useless."

  You dusted off your divine appearance and said calmly, "Ling Wang has a saying that goes like this: even if there really is a heavenly decree, as long as he wants to do it, he will necessarily turn that heavenly decree around."

  Mo did not look at her calmly as if she was thinking, turned to gaze out the window at Chu Yan River, and said leisurely: "The truth is in heaven's will, can't say yet still have to see Master Feng."

  "Oh?" Qing Chen was somewhat surprised.

  Mo Pingdao said: "The Emperor Star has moved, everything is up to human affairs."

  You dusted your hand on the windowsill, gazing at the distant sky that had turned gloomy, and with a hint of rain in the wind, you said, "Then don't let Mr. Ling wait any longer."

  Pushing open the door, a faint scent of orchid wafted out. Ye Tianling was standing in the room, looking at the "Orchid Pavilion Preface" that Qingchen had written earlier. Hearing the sound, he turned his head and saw Qingchen dressed in men's attire once again. Upon seeing Mo Buqi, he looked extremely surprised: "Mr. Mo?"

  Mo Bu Ping smiled and said: "I've seen Your Highness."

  Lan Mei saw Qing Chen by her side and was overjoyed, rushing forward: "Young Master, you've finally returned!"

  Qingchen smiled at the two of them, and Feng Liu really looked like a handsome young master. He said to Mo Bu Ping and Ye Tian Ling, "You two talk slowly, I still have something to find Xie Jing." After that, he took Lan Mei and Lan Luo out with his left and right arms.

  With Orchid and Lanyu, they went upstairs and downstairs to take a look. The girls heard that the young master had returned, and they all gathered in front of the hall, chattering and laughing, immediately surrounding Qingdun and sitting her down in the center.

  Lan Zhu said: "Young master has been away from home for a long time, it's great that you're finally back!"

  "You missed me?"

  Lan Yu's face turned red, and she said in a low voice: "What's the use of thinking?"

  You had a strange thought in your mind, so you stopped teasing them, took a sip of the tea brought by Lan Lu, and suddenly asked: "The couplet I gave you last time, it's been so long, haven't you figured it out yet?"

  Lan Lu said: "I wanted to come up with a few more couplets, but Master is always busy, coming and going in a hurry, without even having the chance to say them, we thought Master had already forgotten."

  You rubbed your forehead and said: "I remember, let's see, what's the next couplet?"

  Lan Lu said: "All the others are no good, only one is barely passable. The young master's upper phrase is 'The sun rises and the moon advances, how many clouds?' We matched it with 'How much fog is there on the mountain and under the water?'"

  "You closed your eyes and pondered for a moment, saying: 'Not very neat.'"

  Lan Mei stamped her foot and said: "This is already the best couplet, we really can't come up with anything better. Young master, please tell us the next line."

  You dusted off your gaze and looked at them, all filled with curiosity. You raised the corner of your mouth in a smile and slowly said: "Actually... when I came up with the couplet, I didn't think of this lower phrase myself."

  "Oh no!" Lan Xiang and Lan Luo were both indignant. "Young Master is deliberately teasing us! Unacceptable!"

  "You smiled and shook your head, your eyes fell on the Xiaolan Pavilion, the smile at the corner of your mouth faded slightly, and you said: 'However, it's quite a coincidence, just now outside I suddenly thought of a second couplet, which is barely passable.'"

  "Speak quickly, young master."

  "You let out a gentle sigh: 'The way is long and far.'"

  The girls listened to their own thoughts, and Lan Lu said: "Hmm, this is much better than ours. With the scenery of the sun rising and setting in the vast sky, with the changes of day and night, and the hidden meaning below, Master is referring to those rumors, right?"

  "It's still Lanruo who is clever." Qingchen said, seeing Xie Jing had already arrived at the front yard without knowing when, and was smiling as he watched them talk, "Everyone go back to their own rooms first, I have something to say to Brother Xie."

  Although everyone was reluctant to leave, they all dispersed obediently. Xie Jing smiled and said: "As soon as you returned, the four-sided building became exceptionally lively."

  "You sighed and said: 'In those days when I was here, I felt most at ease, neither bored nor worried.'"

  Xie Jingdao said: "At that time, Zhang Luo's Four-sided Building and Tian Wu Zui Fang also didn't have less worries."

  "It's different," Qing Chen said: "A small witch sees a great witch." She saw Xie Jing hand over the recent accounts, shook her head and said: "I won't look, you understand what to do."

  Xie Jingdao said: "The warning of the previous car is not far away, and you are so at ease?"

  "You smile and say: 'If you don't trust someone, don't use them; if you do use them, then don't doubt them. I still have the ability to judge people, and besides, if I can't even trust you, who can I trust in the Nether Pavilion?'"

  Xie Jing chuckled and said: "What you say sounds reasonable. Now that you've put it this way, I wouldn't want to disappoint you either."

  "Everything is stable and steady, no need to rush, but there are two things that need to be done immediately."

  Xie Jingdao said: "You speak."

  "Is there a kind of medicine called 'Lixinaihecao' that only the Ruyang Palace family has cultivated? I want you to personally go to Ruyang and find out who has obtained this medicine from the palace recently, and among these people, who has been in contact with Feng Luanfei."

  "Feng Luan flying?" Xie Jing asked strangely: "Third Miss Feng's family?"

  "That's right, it's her." Qing Chen said affirmatively: "The second thing is to carefully select a group of people who must be loyal and clever. I will slowly arrange for them to enter the palace and the mansion. Maybe we'll need them later."

  Xie Jing looked up at the building and asked, "Has Ling Wang arrived?"

  "Hmm." Qing Chen said: "It won't be so easy from now on."

  "Alright." Xie Jingdao said: "I will try my best, I'll go take care of it now."

  "Thanks for your trouble!" Qingchen smiled at him and thanked Jingxian before leaving first.

  Ling and Mo Bu Ping had been talking for a long time upstairs, Qing Chen didn't go up to disturb them. She walked out of the four-sided building and stood by the river, watching the surging water flow. Feng Chi and Yun Fei saw her come out and strolled over to lean against her side.

  The river surface is overcast with dark clouds, and the cold wind cannot be blocked by clothes. The fine rain has already started to fall. You are lost in thought, thinking about things, and have not noticed the rain. Suddenly, a gust of wind blows, and you turn around and run away.

  You turned back to look, and Ye Tian Ling was standing not far behind her, staring at her intently. Although his handsome face was calm and unruffled, his eyes were depressed and gloomy, with a hint of dark clouds surging beneath the surface, making the sky seem even more overcast than it already was. His hand was clenched tightly by his side, clearly struggling to suppress some unusual emotion.

  You dust just want to speak, night sky Ling suddenly stretched out his hand to grab the reins, mounted on horseback, and rushed eastward.

  Fourth Brother!

  Yun Yi urged his horse to gallop, immediately catching up with the wind. The night sky was overcast and gloomy, his mouth coldly pursed into a straight line, not saying a word, only fiercely riding along the Chujiang River. Qing Chen silently followed beside him, riding in tandem.

  The winter rain hit his face, icy and sharp as a knife, yet it made him exceptionally clear-headed. The night was cold and rainy, with few people on the road, and after an unknown amount of time, Ye Tian finally stopped by the riverbank. Qing Chen also slowly reined in his horse and stood behind him, the two of them standing one in front of the other, gazing out at the vast expanse of the river, the waves rolling eastward.

  The rain poured down, and the wind howled, stirring up the river's surface, which was no longer as calm as it used to be. After a long while, Ye Tianling spoke up, "From the moment I was born, my mother didn't want me, sending me to live with my grandmother and never inquiring about me again. For over twenty years, even when she saw me at Yanxi Palace, she remained cold and distant, refusing to say more than a few words. She treated Father Emperor the same way, despite him catering to her every whim, even building her a separate palace, Lianchi Palace. Yet, she never smiled in front of others. I thought she was unwilling to submit to Father Emperor, and also rejected me. What's strange is that she didn't resist further, choosing instead to serve two emperors and give birth to me... I too, kept my distance from her, never willing to step foot into Lianchi Palace, not even visiting when she fell ill..." He paused here, closing his eyes as the rain poured down on his face, letting out a long sigh.

  "She's a mother, and mothers don't not love their own children. The more she distances herself from you, the less likely anyone will suspect otherwise, and even the Heavenly Emperor will be extra fond of you because of it. In her heart, she may not necessarily feel better than you do. Women can sometimes be foolish, willing to give up a lifetime of smiles for the sake of protecting those they care about."

  "He sighed deeply: 'Why must it be so! Does she not know that I would rather lead troops on the borders year after year than watch others curry favor in the palace? That everything I do is to make her look at me, smile at me? Why did she not tell me all this straightforwardly? Am I unable to protect even my own mother, unable to avenge my father's death?'"

  "You may not want to understand the truth, you don't want to know hatred, just wish you excel in front of Tian Di, be a good son and a good prince, live a peaceful life. Although I've never been a mother, but I can imagine what a mother's greatest blessing for her child is, she just wants you to be safe."

  "I would rather face a thousand wounds and a multitude of scars, even if it's despicable and filthy, than to hear anything but the truth."

  "Believe all this?"

  "I'll go and investigate to verify, until everything is factual."

  "You often say that facts are cruel, but people are hard to deceive."

  "Having lived for over twenty years, I still don't know who my father is. Isn't that laughable?"

  "You just need to be clear about who you are." This was exactly what Ye Tianling had said to her.

  Ye Tian Ling turned around to see her drenched from head to toe, following closely behind him. Rainwater trickled down her pale face, but her eyes sparkled brightly after being washed clean. A faint tension rose in his chest: "Let's return to the palace."

  "Fourth brother, did I... really do the right thing?"

  Ye Tian Ling also looked into her eyes and said softly: "Thank you."

  You dust smiled at him, would rather be awake to suffer, can never tolerate the blurred beauty, destined to bear more than others. This is their own choice of survival, and they cannot give up for life.

  The grand Taichang Temple, shrouded in a heavy veil on a winter day with rain and wind, has witnessed countless changes from ancient times to the present. What kind of years will it struggle through now?

  No matter whether it's right or wrong, this step has already been taken. She believes that it must be right and she knows that Ye Tianling also believes so.