Nachtlied

Kapitel 34

But Uncle Leng calls him "Ge'er," and Yi Ge accepts it implicitly; perhaps that's all he can do for now.

When Aunt Qin saw us come in, her eyes flickered, and she said to Yi Ge, "Young Master, even if you are the son of Young Master Leng and the Holy Maiden, you would still be the rightful young master of the Ghost Palace, instead of just following Protector Gui's instructions as you are now. I think you should be called Yao Yi Ge."

I was somewhat surprised, but Yi Ge remained calm and didn't say a word, just waited quietly.

Aunt Qin fell silent, as if she was thinking about where to begin.

After a moment, she slowly said, "I am a servant born into the Yao family. I am the same age as the Palace Master, so I still remember some things from my childhood. At that time, the old Palace Master was still serving as the Minister of Revenue in Nandan. His wife at the time was surnamed Leng, and she was from Yunyang. She was said to be a famous female knight-errant. The wife and the old Palace Master actually had a good relationship, but later, for some reason, the old Palace Master fell in love with the concubine of Prince Huda. She was a beauty from the Dalu Kingdom. When the wife found out, she left heartbroken. At that time, the old Palace Master had two children. One was the Palace Master, who was seven years old at the time, and the other was a young son who was only one year old. He was taken away by the wife, Leng. About two years later, the Palace Master eloped with Prince Huda's concubine and came to Qushui. That concubine was the later Palace Master's wife. At that time, the wife also brought with her the little princess she had with Prince Huda, who was the Holy Maiden."

Twenty years ago, Young Master Leng, you came to the Ghost Palace seeking Yao Zhen. In truth, the old Palace Master wasn't dead; he was captured by the Palace Master during a palace coup and turned into a breeding ground for Gu poison. Aside from me, the Great Protector, and the Holy Maiden, no one knew he was still alive, because no one knew how the Blood Gu was created. Because of his mother, the Palace Master harbored hatred for the old Palace Master for twenty years. As I mentioned before, you broke into the palace, yet you left safely. It wasn't until the day the Palace Master learned of the Holy Maiden's whereabouts and destroyed his own belongings in the Asura Hall that I remembered this old incident. I suspect that perhaps from the moment you appeared, the Palace Master guessed your identity, but for some reason, he didn't acknowledge you. Perhaps he couldn't tell you where the old Palace Master was, or perhaps he had other plans. If it were anyone else with the Holy Maiden, and he found out, he would have captured them long ago and fed them to the Blood Jade Gu. But because it was you, he couldn't bring himself to do it.”

I was so shocked that I couldn't speak, but the two men in the room seemed very calm, or perhaps they were just naturally calm.

Uncle Leng said, "Then how can you be so sure that I am the old palace master's youngest son? Is it just a guess?"

Aunt Qin said, "In the past, the Holy Maiden and I have met you many times, but I never suspected anything. This is because my memories of my childhood are still somewhat vague. But after I became suspicious, I remembered the face of the former mistress, and the more I looked at you, the more you resembled her. Moreover, I now know that your name is Leng Yiwei, while the Palace Master's name is Yao Yidi. Indeed, as you said, it was all just speculation before, but just now, I am somewhat certain."

Uncle Leng frowned and said, "Oh?"

Aunt Qin continued, "You have a dark red birthmark on your right forearm, it's teardrop-shaped, right?"

My eyes involuntarily drifted to Uncle Leng's right arm. He had rolled up his sleeves a moment ago, but now he had let them down. After Aunt Qin mentioned it, and seeing that both Yi Ge and I were looking at him, he rolled up his sleeves again, revealing the large, teardrop-shaped, dark red birthmark. I wondered what Aunt Qin had been looking at earlier.

Aunt Qin continued, "Actually, this isn't a birthmark. When you were five months pregnant, a maid boiled hot water for your bath, but accidentally splashed it on your arm, scalding you. Later, the old palace master and Madam Leng tried many methods to apply medicine to you, and the scar flattened, but it looked like that, almost like a birthmark. I've been by the palace master's side since then. He really liked the newborn little brother and often came to Madam Leng's room to see you, so I know this clearly."

The room was completely silent; this was truly unexpected.

After a while, Aunt Qin asked Uncle Leng again, "Why did you come looking for the old palace master in the first place? Didn't Madam Leng mention your father to you?"

Uncle Leng's voice was extremely cold: "My mother's surname is indeed Leng. My mother never mentioned my father or brother to me, nor did my uncles or maternal grandfather. But when I was eighteen, my mother passed away. Before she died, I heard her murmur, 'Yao Zhen, you have betrayed me.' But I didn't know who Yao Zhen was. It took me two years to find out that the master of the Ghost Palace seemed to be named Yao Zhen. It took me another year to find out the location of the Ghost Palace before I came to Lingnan. I never expected that I would run into the heroes of the martial arts world destroying the Ghost Palace."

So, so, I understand what Aunt Qin means. The old Palace Master is no longer here. Uncle Leng is the old Palace Master's second son, so he should be the current Palace Master of the Ghost Palace. Yi Ge is indeed the young Palace Master.

A sudden surge of smugness welled up inside me. It was rather unethical of me; I suddenly realized that Yi Ge could push the matter onto Uncle Leng. Hmm, that wouldn't be bad. If there was a handover or something, wouldn't the two of them have to talk more?

That night, Yi Ge held me in his arms but couldn't sleep for a long time. He couldn't sleep, and neither could I.

He suddenly said, "Wu Bao, would it be unfair of me to pin the blame for the Ghost Palace incident on Father?"

I chuckled inwardly, but said aloud, "No way, he should be the palace master according to the order. If you feel bad about it, why don't you talk to him about it?" He finally called Uncle Leng "father" in front of me.

Author's note: Next update tomorrow.

Chapter Fifty-Six: Piercing the Heart

Yi Ge and I, along with Mei Ren's father, Uncle Leng, Aunt Qin, and Qi Long, went to the depths of that underground palace.

The torches illuminated the stone chamber, making the old chests and boxes reflect a dim light.

Opening the chests that had been sealed for over twenty years, and gazing at the dazzling jewels and gold, the beautiful father shook his head and sighed, "That Yao Zhen was truly a collector back then. It's a pity, the treasures are still here, but the man is gone, killed by his own son." Seeing the phoenix crown, he gently stroked it and said to me, "This phoenix crown is in his possession; it must have been brought out by Princess Tan Qiyun. This one was specially commissioned by the Regent to show respect to the Dalu Kingdom when he married Tan Qiyun. I reckon there are some things from the Regent's palace in here too; those two eloped and didn't suffer any losses."

Most of the chests were locked, but in Uncle Leng's hands, they were practically useless. Just as his father had said, he was indeed shrewd. Inside the opened chests were some coral, agate, and other precious stones, but there were also chests full of gold and silver. Qin Niang asked Uncle Leng, "I wonder what the Palace Master plans to do with these?"

Uncle Leng said, "Some of the gold and silver can be used to rebuild the Ghost Palace, and the rest of the treasures can be sealed here for the time being."

That day, Yi Ge went straight to Uncle Leng and talked for a long time.

My husband came to me and said, "My dear, your son-in-law finally called Yiwei 'Dad' today." As a result, Yiwei was trapped in the Ghost Palace.

I couldn't hide my smile.

My beautiful father flicked my forehead: "Do you think he's so easy to trick? Isn't it all so that Yi Ge can have an easy few years? Or rather, so that Yi Ge can please you? Parents' hearts are always full of love and worry."

I lowered my head.

Later, I met Uncle Leng and called him "Father" along with Yi Ge. A smile appeared in his weathered eyes as he responded warmly. I thought for a long time before finally saying to him hesitantly, "Father, I'm sorry, we were a bit selfish and pushed the Ghost Palace onto you."

He smiled and shook his head: "I'm just doing my duty. I've been wandering the martial world for half my life, and from now on I'm finally settled. It's not all for you; my father and brothers are here. I only hope that this year, you can move your mother's remains here. It's better for me to stay here and watch over her."

Yi Ge pulled me closer and nodded solemnly.

I asked again, "So, Father, do you want to rebuild the Ghost Palace on the original site?"

He said, "It's probably nearby. I just want to gather a few of the older ones together. As for the younger generation, hasn't Ge'er already been incorporated into the princess's secret guards?"

I turned to Yi Ge in surprise, and he nodded with a smile: "I originally thought I might not stay here for long, so slowly transferring these people out is both a way to divide and rebuild."

It turns out that even after taking over the position of Palace Master, Yi Ge had already devised a plan to achieve both goals.

A month later, my uncle's imperial decree arrived. He didn't mention the Ghost Palace at all, but instead granted me the mining rights to the crystal and gold mines for fifty years. However, I would have to pay 20% tax every year. He also said that if the gold mine's veins involved Nandan, I would have full authority to negotiate with Nandan on behalf of Yunyang.

After reading it, the beautiful father smiled and said, "Not bad, quite generous. As for Nandan, Wubao, why don't you send me to negotiate?"

What is he negotiating? At most, he'll go back to Nandan to fight for the mining rights over there. Anyway, I don't know anything about mining here, so I'll still have to rely on my beautiful father to manage it.

I said to Qi Long with some apology, "Brother, I'm a bit sorry for you this time. We haven't found Zhu Hong, and I don't know what Brother Yuan's intentions are in sending people here. Maybe I should just pay some taxes to the Northern Di for this mine."

Qi Long scoffed, "Zhu Hong is probably just a legend, too unbelievable. As for the treasure, do you really think Brother Yuan sent people for the treasure? He just doesn't want the Westerners to benefit and wants the Southern Dan-Western Barbarian Alliance to be formed."

Yi Ge said from the side, "I heard that there is a famous swordsmith named Gu Jiu in Yunyang who is good at making Xuan Tie swords. I think I can ask him to make a knife by offering the treasure in the cave. However, Xuan Tie is very rare. But it is said that there is a lot of Xuan Bing and Xuan Tie in the north. We can search for it slowly in the future."

*****

Time flies, and it's already the end of July. In this weather, you can only go out in the early morning or evening.

A morning breeze blew, and the verdant Yitian Ridge felt somewhat cool. Eunuch Jing parked his horse by the roadside, and Yi Ge, Uncle Leng, Aunt Qin, Qi Yi, and I bid them farewell. Just before boarding the carriage, I suddenly remembered something and found the Palace Master's Token and the Holy Maiden's Token, handing them to Uncle Leng. These were the keys to the stone chamber. Although we hadn't been back since our last visit, when we brought out some gold and silver chests, Uncle Leng would definitely go in someday.

The reconstruction of the Ghost Palace is slowly getting back on track, and Uncle Leng even has some time to continue carving his pottery stand. So, we can leave now.

Ayan had already returned to her maternal grandparents' home with Ziqian and Zibu. Meiren's father had returned to Nandan, and Qilong, with Qianqian and the Northern Di soldiers, had also set off north. I then planned to return to Duwang Village with Yige. First, we would move Mother's remains to Lingnan, and then either stay in the village for a while longer, or go to Longwu Mountain to see my parents. Another year will have passed in the blink of an eye.

When we arrived here in mid-March, there were ten of us, but four months later, we've all gone our separate ways.

I rested my arm on the small table inside the carriage, and my mind wandered again.

Chunman suddenly nudged me and said, "Princess, Princess, the Prince Consort is calling you."

I suddenly snapped out of my daze: "Huh?"

Only then did I realize that the carriage had stopped, and Yi Ge was standing outside the window, holding the reins, looking at me with a smile.

Seeing that I had come to my senses, he said in a deep voice, "Wu Bao, are you tired of sitting? How about we ride horses for a while?"

Indeed, after sitting for several hours, I was completely numb. I jumped off the carriage, and before I could even stand properly, he lifted me onto the horse's back and held me close to his chest. Looking at Chunman and Eunuch Jing, whose eyes were gleaming, my face flushed slightly, but Yi Ge didn't seem to care and said to them, "We'll wait for you in Yizhou City ahead. Take your time."

Having said that, he pulled on the reins, gave a soft shout, and the black horse galloped away.

I leaned against his broad, sturdy chest, inhaling his scent—a mixture of pine fragrance and sweat. He had one arm around my waist and the other controlling the horse, his deep voice whispering in my ear, "Want to go faster?"

It had been a long time since I had ridden such a fast and exhilarating ride. Although I was drenched in sweat by the time I reached Yizhou City, I felt a refreshing coolness after the sweat. It was still early, and estimating that Eunuch Jing and Chunman would arrive in another hour or so, we decided to lead our horses and leisurely stroll around the city.

Yizhou, situated between Nanjun and Lingnan, sells quite unique items, mostly handcrafted by the Yi people of the border region. These are mostly stone, jade, and wood carvings, which Yi Ge, fond of, examined closely. Passing a stall selling jade carvings, after looking at their simple, rustic pieces, he suddenly turned to me and said, "Perhaps I could learn jade carving. I saw some rough jade in that stone chamber." I shook my head, saying, "I don't want those heavy things. They may look nice, but they're just decorations. Useless." He smiled slightly, "I'll carve something useful for you, like jade hairpins, jade pendants, jade bracelets—they'll be useful, won't they?"

I'm actually a little looking forward to it.

Just as I was about to walk away from the stall, I glanced back and saw a small figure standing behind the horse, about to reach out and touch its leg. It was a toddler, maybe two or three years old. Horses in the south are generally small, and he probably had never seen such a tall horse before, hence his curiosity. But where he was standing, if Yi Ge's black horse were to stumble, wouldn't the toddler be killed? My muscles tensed involuntarily. Yi Ge, who had been holding my hand, sensed my unease and followed my gaze.

Seeing this, he suddenly pulled the big black horse forward. The horse moved forward, but the little boy was still persistent, hobbling after it. I was both amused and annoyed, so I lightly jumped behind the horse and picked him up. When he realized he couldn't touch the horse, he burst into tears. I quickly carried him to the front of the horse and let him reach out his little hands to touch the horse's neck. Only then did he stop crying and smile through his tears.

Hearing the crying, a woman rushed out from the blacksmith shop next door, looking at us with great surprise and said, "You, give me back my baby."

Uh, do you think we're trying to snatch our child?

Fortunately, the old lady selling jade explained for us: "You also need to keep a close eye on this child. He was standing behind the horse just now and almost got kicked. Luckily, the young master and young lady were careful and picked him up."

The woman said somewhat embarrassedly, "Thank you, thank you both. I misunderstood. Ping'er, come here, let Mommy hold you."

The baby had calmed down in my arms and was now watching us talk with its big, bright eyes. When its mother reached out to hug it, the baby twisted its body slightly.

The old woman selling jade laughed and said, "Oh, this little girl is destined for you. I thought you two were siblings?"

I was stunned. "Auntie, what's with your eyes? How can we look like siblings?"

Yi Ge said, "No."

Ping'er's mother said, "They must be a married couple. They look like a married couple."

So, it turns out we actually look like a married couple?

The old woman laughed and said, "That's true, there are couples who look like siblings. Do you have babies at home? Babies are attracted by scents and like people who smell like milk."

I was startled, and it felt like something had scraped my heart.

She then forced a smile and said, "I don't have a baby. Perhaps it's fate that he likes me."

Even if we are destined to be together, I still have to return the child. When the woman took the baby from my hands, I suddenly felt a void.

Even after walking a short distance, I was still in a daze, still thinking about that strange feeling I had just experienced.

Yi Ge asked, "Wu Bao, what's wrong? Don't overthink it."

I shook my head slightly and said, "I just held that little baby, so gently and softly, I didn't want to let go. He's so cute."

What I said was perfectly normal, but after I finished speaking, I suddenly felt a pang of sadness.

Yi Ge stopped and gently put his arm around my shoulder: "We're going back to Yuncheng. Let's ask your cousin to call the imperial physician. Anyway, Uncle Xu knows what's going on."

I said somewhat dejectedly, "What if it still doesn't work?"

He said, "That Dr. He didn't say it was incurable. If it really can't be cured, and you like it so much, why not adopt one? There are so many children in this world who are born without their parents."

I sighed, "I meant you."

He tilted his head to the side: "Me? What do I have to do with it? Are you trying to say that the Yao family has no descendants? My father is still in his prime. If he wants an heir, he can remarry and have another child."

I couldn't help but chuckle. That's just how people are; sometimes they say things that are perfectly serious, but they always make people want to laugh.

After laughing, I said seriously, "I think it's impossible for your father to remarry. Look at the look in his eyes when he went back to that wooden house, and the way he touched those things—it was all filled with nostalgia. Besides, he seems stubborn too. Sigh, if I go before you, would you remarry to save room for me?"

His expression darkened slightly: "Wu Bao, what are you thinking? If we're going to leave, we'll all leave together, there's no order of precedence. As for leaving behind others, it depends on whose back we're leaving behind."

I chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "I was just saying 'what if,' it's not true. Actually, I don't object to you remarrying, I just object to you taking a concubine. Uh, maybe I'm being a little selfish?"

He lowered his head and gently kissed my cheek: "Thank you for your selfishness, it lets me know that you really love me. I will feel happy if only the two of us can grow old together. My mother had me back then, but I didn't think she was happy."

I nestled in his arms, not wanting to say anything more. I was so lucky, even though it was just a random guess at Yi Ge.

Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Blade Appears

As dawn broke, I woke to the sound of birdsong. Summer days are early, and even though I usually sleep a lot, I woke up early.

I stared at the rooftop with my eyes wide open, feeling utterly bored, before finally yawning and deciding to get up. Back in the village, Yi Ge always gets up early to cook, so I thought I'd get up early for once too.

Just as I was about to get up, Yi Ge suddenly rolled over, and one of his legs landed on me—it was really heavy. I was about to gently push his leg away when a long arm unexpectedly pinned my arm down. I turned my head and stared at him for a moment, noticing his long eyelashes trembling slightly.

This guy woke up a long time ago, but pretended to be asleep.

I suddenly stood up and ripped open his...