Ich freue mich auf die Frühlingsbrise

Kapitel 15

Sikong Yu's expression was strange, and he said softly, "Is that so..."

"Young Master Sikong, what I want to tell you is that it wasn't Lingxuan Palace that wiped out the five great families back then, nor was it the Tianshang Sect," she said calmly. "Right now, I'm more eager than you to find out the truth about what happened back then. Are you willing to believe me?"

Sikong Yu smiled slightly: "I have always believed it."

Xu Lianning was somewhat taken aback by how easily he was persuaded: "I don't remember doing anything that made you trust me so much."

"If you think I'm strange, just say so." Sikong Yu laughed heartily. "I don't know why, but I don't feel that you have any ill intentions."

Xu Lianning thought to herself, "This person is indeed much easier to deal with than Zhang Weiyi." "Young Master Sikong, you also know that Senior Sister Ruan Qingxuan is a member of the Tianshang Sect, right? She mentioned to me inadvertently that she was a descendant of the Shen family. She also told me that the rumors about the destruction of Lingxuan Palace and the Five Great Families are completely untrue. Although she is no longer here, I will ultimately investigate the whole story for her."

Sikong Yu was slightly surprised: "That day, Miss Ruan hurt you, yet you still care about her."

"Let me be clear. I know Senior Sister Qingxuan's character better than anyone. After ten years of getting to know each other, do you think I wouldn't be able to tell whether she's being sincere or not?" Xu Lianning smiled delicately. "She has always treated me very well. No one has ever treated me like that in the past ten years. And this time, you could say that I indirectly caused her death..." If she hadn't been so arrogant and hadn't kept her promise, and if Zhang Weiyi and the others hadn't run into her, none of this would have happened.

"You don't need to feel guilty. Life and death are predestined, and success is in the hands of fate. Some things are unpredictable," Sikong Yu comforted him.

Xu Lianning chuckled slightly: "I know that some things are not what you think they are." She paused, then added: "Now that we've made things clear, I should take my leave."

Sikong Yu watched her figure disappear, unsure of what he was thinking, or perhaps he wasn't thinking anything at all.

Xu Lianning returned to Fuzhen Temple and found the courtyard had been cleaned up. Zhang Weiyi was sitting at the stone table, playing with a jade pendant. When he saw her, he said, "Why were you gone for so long?"

Xu Lianning looked around and asked, "Has Prince Mu left?"

“My elder brother stayed at an inn at the foot of the mountain, and then went down the mountain.” Zhang Weiyi put down the jade pendant and looked at her. “You seem to be in a bad mood.”

“I stood in front of Sister Qingxuan’s grave for a while before I came back late.”

Zhang Weiyi frowned slightly, stood up and said, "Lianning, did you see something unpleasant?" Xu Lianning saw him reach out and subtly avoided him: "It's just some things that Master entrusted to me, and they're quite difficult to handle." She was in a bad mood and didn't want to continue this ambiguous act with him.

Zhang Weiyi looked at her and said calmly, "Let's not beat around the bush. Just say what's on your mind. Do you expect me to play guessing games with you if you keep things to yourself?" Although he had practiced martial arts at Wudang since childhood and did not have the habits of a noble child, he was still a prince. Other women would only try to accommodate him, but they would never lower themselves to coax him.

When Xu Lianning thought of what he had said to Mu Ruiyan, she wanted to make a few sarcastic remarks, but she held back: "Your Highness doesn't need to play guessing games with me. My bad mood isn't something that just started a couple of days ago. Don't you know that I've been in a bad mood all the time when I was in Wudang?"

Zhang Weiyi paused for a moment, but did not speak.

Xu Lianning walked past him, her tone gentle: "You know that Prince Mu has some complaints about me. So, will you take my side or his?" Then she went into the room and closed the door behind her.

Zhang Weiyi frowned slightly, then suddenly flicked his sleeve, sweeping the jade pendant off the stone table. The excellent jade shattered in two. Without even glancing at it, he turned and strode away.

After a short while, Xu Lianning's anger subsided, and she slightly regretted arguing with him, but was also relieved that they hadn't completely broken off their relationship. She walked into the courtyard, bent down, and picked up the jade pendant that had broken in two. The jade pendant was made of excellent white jade, without a single flaw, and the edges were worn smooth, as if it had been worn close to her body for a long time. She put the two halves of the jade back together, and saw that the front had the seal script character "佑" (You), while the back had the characters "璟宣" (Jing Xuan).

She placed the jade on the stone table, a slight pang of regret in her heart. Such fine jade, even if a craftsman were to set it back in, would still bear the marks of repair.

Xu Lianning took a book from the bookshelf in her room and sat down at the stone table, flipping through it idly. Always very patient, she sat quietly waiting for Zhang Weiyi to return. However, several hours passed, and the sky gradually darkened. Xu Lianning closed the book, went inside, and ate some snacks to pass the time. Not long after, she finally heard footsteps approaching.

Unfortunately, the person who arrived was not the one she was waiting for.

Xu Lianning stood in front of the door, smiled slightly, and glanced at the other person, saying, "Miss Li, what brings you here?"

Li Qingyun lowered his eyes, not looking directly at her: "I'm here to see my senior brother. It's his turn to patrol tonight."

“He went out, but didn’t say where he went.” Xu Lianning looked into her eyes, which were clear and transparent, and he could see right through her, just like he used to.

Li Qingyun bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "If your senior brother comes back, please tell him."

Xu Lianning, for some reason, called out to her, "Miss Li, some things don't have a single, straightforward path. The deeper you go, the more mistakes you'll make. It's better to withdraw early." As soon as she finished speaking, she realized she had spoken out of turn. Leaving aside the fact that Zhang Weiyi might not have treated her the same way he treated her, they had, after all, over ten years of friendship. And this woman had merely barged in halfway through, stealing his love with such despicable intentions; what right did she have to say such things?

Li Qingyun glanced at her, his thin shoulders trembled slightly, and he turned his head and said, "I'll go back first."

Xu Lianning felt slightly conflicted. With nothing else to do, she washed up and went to bed early. She woke up in the middle of the night feeling hot. The moon was high in the sky, and Fuzhen Temple was completely silent, as no one else lived there. She got up and went to the well to fetch water, only to find that the guest room next door was still silent. Zhang Weiyi hadn't come back even once, and she wondered what he was angry about.

Xu Lianning washed her face with the cool well water and went back to sleep. Life is too short for her; she didn't have time to waste on guessing other people's intentions.

She slept straight through until dawn, only to be awakened by the sound of running water outside. She sat up, quickly washed up, and went out. Zhang Weiyi, dressed in slightly damp clothes, greeted her naturally: "Did I wake you?" Xu Lianning shook her head and said, "No, I should have woken up by now." Their exchange was as if nothing had happened.

Xu Lianning watched him pack a few clothes and couldn't help but ask, "Are you going back to the capital?"

Zhang Weiyi smiled and said, "I heard from my master that I will soon be going to the headquarters of the Tianshang Sect. I also remembered that I have some things to take care of in Sichuan, so I'm leaving first."

She thought for a moment and asked, "Is it something urgent? May I come with you?"

Zhang Weiyi looked at her, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Actually, it's a light job, nothing serious. If you like, you can come along."

Xu Lianning gave a soft "Mmm": "When do we set off? I'll go and tell Master."

"See you at the foot of the mountain in a bit." Zhang Weiyi saw the jade on the stone table, picked it up, glanced at it, and then put it back without making a sound.

Xu Lianning went straight to Chunyang Palace. It was still early, and the old palace maid, Granny Yu, was guarding the courtyard. She had served two generations of palace masters; her hair was gray, but she didn't look old. She stepped forward and whispered, "Is Master still asleep?"

Granny Yu nodded: "Master Xu, whatever you have to say, I will pass it on for you."

Xu Lianning pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing. Just tell Master that I'm going ahead to Sichuan to investigate. I'll be careful in all the details and will never do anything to cause trouble for Lingxuan Palace."

Granny Yu patted her and said with a smile, "Granny Yu isn't blind. I've watched you for so many years, so of course I'm at ease. The Palace Master knows you too."

Xu Lianning smiled faintly, "I'll go pack my things and then I'll leave." She walked to her old guest room and found that some of her belongings had already been packed. She quietly sat down at the table, opened her bag, and saw that it contained nothing more than some medicine, silver, and a heavy pouch, as if her fingertips could still feel the familiar warmth of another person. She opened the pouch, which was filled with fine needles that were neither silver nor jade, but were the unique hidden weapon of Lingxuan Palace, the Xuanbing Soul Mark. This kind of unique hidden weapon was not easy to make, and she had always been too lazy to carry it with her.

She sat there, suddenly feeling dizzy, and wanted to collapse onto the table and weep bitterly. Did that person think of their impending death while packing these things?

She stayed for a while, then stood up, closed the door, and left.

Upon reaching the foot of Wudang Mountain, Xu Lianning realized she had underestimated the situation. She looked at the other two waiting there and said softly, "Brother Mu, Miss Li." Watching their changing expressions was truly fascinating. Zhang Weiyi smiled and said casually, "Lianning also wishes to come with us."

Li Qingyun changed into men's clothes, tied up his hair, and forced a smile: "It's naturally more lively with more people."

Xu Lianning smiled lightly: "I have long admired the unique scenery of Sichuan and wanted to see it all."

Mu Ruiyan seemed to find it difficult to speak: "Unfortunately, I didn't know beforehand and only prepared three horses. What should we do now?"

Xu Lianning looked at him and said leisurely, "There's nothing we can do about it. I'll just hire a carriage in town. You can go ahead and don't have to wait for me."

"This... I'm afraid it's not a good idea? I've heard that things have been quite unsettled on the roads lately." Mu Ruiyan hesitated for a moment, a troubled look on his face.

Xu Lianning sneered inwardly, but showed no sign of it on her face: "Even if we encounter strongmen on the road, it won't be difficult to deal with them." She was leaving Wudang under the pretext of being with them, and once she was out of Wudang territory, she would go her separate ways. She didn't want to put up with this humiliation.

Zhang Weiyi seemed to want to say something, his long eyebrows furrowing slightly, but he said, "We're not in a hurry to get going. How about we meet up in Xiuning County later?"

Xu Lianning nodded slightly, maintaining perfect etiquette: "In that case, I'll take my leave now, and see you later." She walked nimbly, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Mu Ruiyan watched her retreating figure and praised, "What excellent lightness skill!"

Zhang Weiyi squinted for a while, looking somewhat absentminded: "Let's go too."

Mu Ruiyan pointed to the northwest corner: "I already had someone tie the horse over there. My brother, your temper is quite fierce; you kicked someone and injured them."

The three urged their horses forward for a while, but the sun gradually rose higher, making it quite hot on horseback. Fortunately, Xiuning County wasn't far, and they arrived in just half a day.

Li Qingyun dismounted, her steps a little unsteady. Mu Ruiyan, who was beside her, helped her up and asked with concern, "Did you rush too much?" She replied shyly, "I'm just not used to riding a horse. It's alright."

A waiter was already waiting nearby, reaching out to lead the horse. Zhang Weiyi stroked the horse's mane and said calmly, "My horse recognizes its owner; I'd better do it myself."

The waiter saw that the horse he was leading was all black except for the white spots on its hooves and rump, and knew it was a fine horse. He smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Young master, please follow me. The stables are in the back." As he walked, he said, "You three have come at a very opportune time. The inn just happens to have three superior rooms left."

Zhang Weiyi frowned slightly: "What day is it today? Why are there so many people?"

"It will be the Mid-Autumn Festival in a little over a month, and there will naturally be more people on their way home. Besides, we are the only inn in Xiuning."

“But we still have one person left. I wonder if we could make an exception?” Zhang Weiyi said calmly.

The waiter smiled and said, "Young master, it's not about the money. We can't very well kick people out. I'll keep an eye out for you later. If anyone checks out, we'll hold it for you."

Li Qingyun said in a low voice, "Actually, there's no need to make things difficult. I can just share a room with Miss Xu."

Mu Ruiyan smiled and said, "Qingyun, you're so kind. We don't have it now, but that doesn't mean we won't have it later. We'll see when Miss Xu arrives."

Xu Lianning didn't arrive in Xiuning until evening. She hadn't been in a hurry at all, and had the driver stop frequently to rest and have a bite to eat, so she was refreshed when she entered the inn. She had only taken two steps when a scholar-looking man passed by her, and his money pouch landed right in front of her.

Xu Lianning bent down to pick up the money pouch and said softly, "Young master, you've dropped something."

The scholar, dressed in old clothes and with a rather refined appearance, bowed and said, "Thank you, Miss."

Xu Lianning recognized the voice and was momentarily stunned. While returning the money pouch, she carefully examined the person and exclaimed in surprise and delight, "You..."

The man waved his hand, turned around, and left.

She didn't linger and walked straight inside, where she indeed saw Zhang Weiyi and the others sitting at the table. Xu Lianning noticed their somewhat strange expressions and couldn't help but ask, "Is something wrong?"

Mu Ruiyan coughed lightly: "When we arrived here, all the guest rooms were already full."

Xu Lianning was taken aback, then smiled faintly: "I see." She didn't know what she had done today, but even with her good manners, she was slightly annoyed.

“Miss Xu, if you don’t mind, please squeeze in with me,” Li Qingyun said politely.

"How could I mind? It's just that I'm not used to sharing a room with others." She flicked her sleeve and smiled faintly. "I'll find another way, so the three of you don't need to worry."

Zhang Weiyi stood up and walked closer to her, saying, "I'm worried about you being alone." He truly seemed concerned. Xu Lianning glanced at him and smiled slightly, "I've been fine all this way, haven't I?" He hesitated, then finally turned his head away and said, "Whatever you want."

Mu Ruiyan also sensed that the atmosphere was not right, and quickly said, "Miss Xu, you must be tired after a long day. Please sit down and have dinner first."

Xu Lianning was annoyed and was thinking of how to decline when she suddenly heard someone behind her say, "So you're here, young lady. I'm very grateful. May I invite you to join me at the table?" It was the scholar who had dropped his purse earlier. She smiled slightly and said, "It was nothing more than a small favor. There's no need to be so polite."

The scholar shook his head: "I should repay a favor, young lady. Please don't make things difficult for me."

Mu Ruiyan and the others also witnessed the scene just now, and thought that the scholar was very pedantic and old-fashioned.

To everyone's surprise, Xu Lianning thought for a moment and said, "In that case, it would be impolite to refuse."

The two walked to a table in the corner and sat down. Xu Lianning said slowly, "I didn't expect you to be so good at disguise. I almost didn't recognize you."

The scholar blinked, quite pleased with himself: "You're inferior to me in many ways."

Xu Lianning picked up her bamboo chopsticks and slammed them down on the table, leaving a mark: "I had no idea when we started having an affair."

The scholar quickly withdrew his hand, looking somewhat innocent: "We've lived together for three years, don't we have any affection for each other at all?"

“I’ve been learning medicine from my master, and I haven’t seen you often. Let alone any affection between us, there’s not even a shred of it.” Xu Lianning looked at him. “Yu Shaowen, what exactly are you doing here?” Although her master had asked her to find someone, and this time it was all done without any effort, she knew that running into him would never be a good thing.

Yu Shaowen glanced around and lowered his voice, saying, "I was being chased and barely managed to escape."

"Didn't you send me a letter through Young Master Sikong, telling me to flee south? It turns out you're the one facing disaster."

"Have you ever heard of the Painting Shadow Pavilion?" Yu Shaowen continued when he saw her shake her head. "I kill for someone who pays the price, but the Painting Shadow Pavilion is different. I've never met the owner, but the person who can train those shadow guards under his command must be quite extraordinary."

Xu Lianning understood: "Were the people chasing you from the Painting and Photography Studio?"

Yu Shaowen was extremely annoyed: "I don't even know how I offended them. A group of them are harassing me and won't leave. I can't drive them away no matter what I do."

Xu Lianning had no clue either, so she could only say, "Shaowen, I've actually been looking for you too." She hesitated for a moment, then said, "You must have heard about what happened at Wudang. It seems that you will be the one to take over the position of Palace Master. I had some influence before, so even if Junior Sister Yin is not convinced, I can keep her in check."

Yu Shaowen couldn't help but spray his drink onto a plate of food in front of him: "Lingxuan Palace is full of women."

“Once you become the palace master, all of these things can naturally be changed.” Seeing his reluctance, Xu Lianning said, “Master is only saying this for now, and may change his mind in a few days.”

He thought for a moment, then said, "Actually, being the palace master isn't without its advantages..."

Xu Lianning smiled slightly: "That's natural."