Night Song

Chapter 10

The Pope, seated on his throne, smiled faintly, looking down at the four kneeling figures in the hall. Countless followers, like mercury spilling out, densely prostrated themselves outside the hall, listening to the Pope's first decree since the internal strife was quelled.

"...This refers to abolishing the Left and Right Envoys and the Three Elders. Four Envoys were established to govern the followers and assist the King..."

"...Qianming's meritorious service in quelling the rebellion was outstanding, and his strategic planning was appropriate. He was bestowed the title of Wind Envoy and put in charge of the affairs of the sect."

"...Zi Su has rendered meritorious service in protecting the inner palace during the chaos. She is hereby granted the title of Flower Envoy and is in charge of the sect's laws and punishments. Rewards and punishments must be clear and without error."

"...Gaya was sent as an envoy to Shache to spread the prestige of Buddhism. He was given the title of Snow Envoy and was in charge of all communication and diplomatic exchanges with the thirty-six countries."

"...Nine Micro led the Assassination Group to quell the rebellion, leading from the front with extraordinary bravery. He was bestowed the title of Moon Envoy and put in charge of training new recruits in the two battalions of the Sharpening and Assassination Groups."

"Although these four envoys are young, they are rare talents in our sect, possessing exceptional abilities and martial skills. Our sect places high hopes on them. Anyone who disobeys will be considered disrespectful to me and will be severely punished." The sect leader's voice, carrying an indescribable sense of authority, echoed in the hall and carried far away, reverberating through the mountains.

The crowd bowed their heads deeply, their foreheads touching the ground, and tens of thousands of people remained completely silent.

"Since this is your first time taking on such an important task, you should be cautious and meticulous in fulfilling your duties. You must not be negligent in the slightest. Remember this clearly."

After a moment of silence, Jia Ye was the first to kowtow.

"Your Majesty is wise; your subordinate will do his utmost, even at the cost of his life."

Jiuwei then bowed his head. "I respectfully obey your decree, Your Majesty, and I will never be able to repay your kindness, even if it means going through fire and water or sacrificing my life."

Zi Su bowed and raised her head, speaking softly, "Zi Su respectfully obeys the King's decree and will certainly fulfill her duties."

Qianming lay prostrate, his face obscured, his voice deep and resonant. "Your Majesty's instructions have been carefully kept in mind."

He knelt outside the hall, listening to the extremely respectful words, and sneered inwardly.

All his scheming and plotting had been in vain; in the end, he had only benefited others. Qianming's resentment was palpable. He should have known better; with the King's cunning, how could he tolerate someone's power growing to the point of threatening the throne?

By abolishing the two envoys and establishing the fourth, Jia Ye and Jiu Wei subtly balanced the tilting power, subtly influencing Qian Ming Zi Su.

As Jia Ye is young and newly promoted to the Nine Ranks, he is not yet able to command the respect of the masses. He will inevitably rely on the support of the King of Pop to ensure his loyalty.

The Nine Micro Palms' Assassination Group, which has the lowest prestige and status among the Four Envoys, and with Elder Kui's example as a warning, will inevitably be cautious in everything they do and will not allow Qian Ming to get involved.

With the greatest source of chaos eliminated, even if Qianming is ambitious, he will find it difficult to cause any major trouble.

Seemingly indifferent and carefree, they are actually subtly manipulating everyone into their grasp.

The four highly skilled individuals kneeling before His Highness, each capable of handling their own territory, were merely pawns at his beck and call.

Looking at the enigmatic smile of the person seated above, he couldn't help but wonder whether Qian Ming had orchestrated the King's investigation of the Left Envoy, or whether the King had deliberately allowed the two envoys to fight amongst themselves, waiting only for the moment of purge. Had the powerful and influential elders unknowingly incurred deep suspicion?

How dangerous it must be to serve under such a deep and sinister person.

How much will Jiuwei have to pay to hold onto the power he fought so hard for?

A mountain wind swept by, carrying the chill of snow, and countless leaves fluttered down.

The power shift deep in the Tianshan Mountains quickly spread throughout the well-informed Western Regions.

Jia Ye became extremely busy, with a constant stream of tribute gifts arriving one after another. She had people record them all and put them into storage. She treated all officials who tried to curry favor with her with courtesy, and did not show any signs of being flustered by her young age and heavy responsibilities. Late at night, she would even read through the records and ledgers left by Elder Jing, striving to have a thorough understanding of the affairs of various countries in the shortest possible time.

Even the replacement of the courtyard to match his status was something he only had time to attend to today because he was so busy.

The new residence is a water palace.

They carved out ditches in the mountains by hand, diverted snowmelt to form a pool, and then built the entire palace on top of the pool. Surrounded by water on all sides, the pure white gauze fluttered in the wind, and a whole shell was polished into an extremely thin leaf bell, which hung quietly under the eaves, occasionally ringing softly. There was also a long waterway in the palace, where large lotus flowers bloomed, and the clear, round green lotus leaves swayed, with a clear drop of water occasionally rolling off.

"These flowers..." Both of them were stunned when they saw a pond full of flowers that seemed out of place for the season.

The clerk in charge of the residence cleverly used this opportunity.

"Reporting to the Snow Envoy, looking across the Tianshan Mountains, only this place has such a wondrous sight."

"This palace was built by skilled craftsmen specially invited from the Kushan Kingdom. It is said that when the palace was first built, two springs, one cold and one hot, were introduced from the mountains. The cold spring was on the outside and the hot spring was on the inside. Only by balancing the two springs can the lotus flowers bloom in all four seasons and not wither in the winter night."

"The hall features an ingeniously designed corridor structure, ensuring it remains warm in winter and cool in summer, free from any dampness or coldness."

Standing on the gleaming marble floor, she turned her head to survey the hall, reaching out to lightly touch the bell suspended in mid-air. Her snow-white chin tilted slightly upward, her long eyelashes fluttering gently, accompanied by the fragrance of lotus blossoms.

A gentle breeze occasionally blows through the water pavilion, carrying a subtle fragrance.

The pure white silhouette seemed to radiate a faint light.

In that instant, he suddenly understood where Qianming's obsession came from.

He randomly chose a side room as his dwelling.

Looking out the window, the water glistens and the distant mountains are shrouded in mist, almost making one mistake it for the Jiangnan region.

Jia Ye disliked large crowds, so she ordered her numerous attendants to remain only in the front hall, leaving only a few maids in the inner hall, including even Lü Yi. The vast place was eerily quiet and desolate, as if it were deserted.

He glanced at it while arranging the bedroom.

The bookshelves stretched across the walls, with countless classic books neatly arranged on them. I picked one out at random and flipped through it, and the breadth and variety of the collection were completely beyond my expectations.

Astrology and divination, medicine and pharmacology, military strategy and tactics, literary and military strategies... all kinds of things are available. I wonder if she has read them all.

Looking around, apart from a few precious items bestowed by the king, there were no other miscellaneous items. If it weren't for the bed, it would have resembled a study more.

Aside from books, there's absolutely no indication of any personal preferences whatsoever for a girl in her early teens...so indifferent...

"What are you looking at?" The girl stood by the door and glanced at the book he was still holding in his hand.

He pursed his lips, unsure of her mood, wondering if he would be reprimanded for entering her bedroom without permission.

"Shennong's Classic of Tasting Poisons?" She seemed surprised, her gaze sweeping over his face. "If you like, take it and read it. It's good to learn more."

Have you read all the books here?

Jia Ye walked to the table to examine the documents on it, paying no attention to his question.

"About 70%. I've been too busy lately and haven't been watching much lately."

He couldn't help but be astonished. "How is that possible?"

She looked up blankly, puzzled. "What do you want to ask?"

"You... can remember it?" He waved the book in his hand.

After putting down the file, she pondered for a moment, then picked out more than ten books from the bookshelf and handed them to him.

"I will review it within a month, and I will conduct spot checks at that time."

The *Suwen*, *Nine Volumes*, *Six Secret Teachings*, *Strategies of the Warring States*, *The Yellow Emperor's Eighty-One Difficulties*, *Records of the Western Regions*...

With each book he turned, his face grew more somber. To be forced to study such profound and complex ancient texts in such a limited time was nothing short of a trial for the elite troops.

"These"

"You must read it all." She bowed her head and reviewed the recent secret reports, her tone leaving no room for leniency. "Now that I've become the Fourth Envoy, the responsibilities you bear are completely different from before. In the past, I would have only asked you to fulfill your duties as an assassin, but now you also face the intrigues and machinations within the sect, which is more dangerous than facing the enemy."

"A tall tree catches the wind; everyone's eyes are on it, and the scrutiny will only be more stringent than before. The consequences of even the slightest misstep are unimaginable." He paused, holding the brush in his hand, before continuing calmly.

"If you don't want to die for no reason, you'd better adapt quickly." His dark eyes swept over her lightly. "Starting next month, I will send you down the mountain alone on missions."

"What kind of mission?"

“What other mission could there be?” She sighed and put down her pen. “Killing, of course.”

“Assassination, ambush, poisoning, luring…” She counted on her fingers, tilting her head slightly like a child, her eyes devoid of any smile. “Of course, if you find it convenient, you can also use sex to kill. You have the means to do so. The methods are up to you, but you must complete the mission within the specified time.”

"The Assassination Squad?" Unable to discern whether Jia Ye's words contained sarcasm, he simply asked the question directly.

"The Assassination Group has suffered heavy losses, so it's best not to alarm them with such a small matter. Besides..." Her voice softened, and she suddenly smiled faintly.

"The newly appointed Moon Envoy may not be able to command them."

Jiuwei was promoted to one of the Four Envoys at an unusually fast pace. While he was pleasantly surprised, he was also more cautious.

Reorganizing and purging the completely decimated Quenching Camp has become the most challenging task at present. Qianming's deliberate obstruction, Zisu's subtle pressure, and Jiaye's indifference have all made things even more difficult.

Fortunately, the aftermath of the Shache incident was still fresh, and no country took advantage of the major reshuffle within the church to usurp the opportunity, allowing Jiuwei to have the time to find a way out of the tangled mess.

With his career progressing smoothly and his ambitions fulfilled, the two remained as close as ever. However, due to the inconvenience of meeting with Jia Ye, they could only exchange gifts. The occasional gifts he sent were of a completely different quality from those of the past, demonstrating the importance of the Four Envoys' status.

Judging from Jia Ye's implied meaning, Jiu Wei's situation seems to be... very bad.

Seeking advice

The truth I learned privately made me feel increasingly depressed.

Jiuwei's seniority and prestige are still insufficient. In addition, Qianming, who is in charge of the teaching affairs, has been secretly instigating trouble through his inside contacts. It is impossible for him to subdue the Assassination Group. The elite assassins who have carried out many missions have even disobeyed orders in private, and although they dare not provoke him to his face, they have made it impossible to implement many policies.

Zi Su, who possessed the power of punishment, watched with arms crossed, a hint of schadenfreude in her expression. She glossed over some of the demands for discipline, further fueling the unruly spirit. In contrast, Jia Ye's indifference was quite remarkable. Most of the believers were observing, some even secretly betting on when this Moon Envoy would fall out of favor and be rejected by the Pope.

It was obvious that all three envoys were wary of this newly emerging power.

Unable to control the situation and lacking sufficient time to train his own strength, Jiuwei was currently being tormented on a hot plate. The transformation from a desperate assassin to the mastermind leading a pack of wolves was no easy feat. The King's exceptional promotion had not provided him with more leverage, and various obstacles were making his situation increasingly difficult.

Just then, news broke that the assassination group was secretly plotting to jointly petition the King to replace Jiuwei. If the petition were delivered, and with the three envoys adding fuel to the fire, the outcome would be predictable.

As time passed, they occasionally brushed past each other. Jiuwei appeared calm, but one could sense that her fatigue and anxiety were growing stronger each day, and that she was burdened with worries.

A storm is brewing, and the predicament is growing ever more perilous.

After lingering for several days, he finally knocked on Jia Ye's door.

"Come in."

Pushing open the door, I saw Jia Ye still writing furiously at the table, with a pile of documents about a foot high beside her, almost blocking her view.

"What's up?"

She didn't even look up, but he hesitated slightly, unsure how to begin.

Jia Ye didn't ask any more questions. She wrote down one document after another with lightning speed. She even started writing on some documents after only glancing at them. A few that needed further consideration were pulled out and tossed aside. The room was silent except for the rustling of pages turning.

Being so young, her figure was quite petite, and the table and chairs were custom-made by craftsmen. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her dark eyes were clear and bright, filled with a focused and thoughtful expression. She looked like a young child studying diligently under the lamp, but what she was writing down were secret reports from various Western Region countries concerning life and death, which was quite strange.

The lamp flame flickered, the light and shadow swayed, and Jia Ye stopped, trimming the silver lamp and wearily rubbed his brow.

"What exactly do you want to say, coming here so late?"

"I'd like to ask about Jiuwei's situation."