Eternal Night - Chapter 144
An Boping, who went to the guest room at Chenshi (7-9 AM) to invite Yongye to breakfast, looked ashen-faced.
Yongye disappeared from the inn last time because she left voluntarily. Clearly, this time it's not the case.
No one could take on this responsibility; An Boping dared not.
The second young lady of the An family, Consort Hua, the mistress of Huaqing Palace, knelt before the emperor and cried until she fainted, but she could not resist a single imperial edict.
Crown Prince Yan, leading the Eastern Palace Dragon Martial Army and Divine Martial Army, surrounded Anfu in less than an hour.
Crown Prince Yan glanced at the tall gate tower and outer walls of the An residence and shook his head. He said to Feng Yangxi, "The Crown Prince's second detachment has a thousand soldiers. I think if the An family is determined to defy the imperial decree, they will suffer at least five hundred casualties. It's easy to defend and difficult to attack."
Feng Yangxi's face turned cold, and she didn't answer.
A moment later, the main gate of the An residence swung open, as did the gate leading directly to the inner courtyard. A hundred servants carried a red carpet and laid it from the inner courtyard all the way to the main gate.
This scene made Feng Yangxi smile wryly. It didn't look like they were receiving an imperial decree; it looked more like they were paying homage to someone entering a mansion.
After the main gate opened, Old Madam An led the entire An family out in single file. Nearly four hundred people were lined up densely at the entrance of the An residence, arranged neatly according to age and social status.
"This old lady, along with everyone in the An family, receives the imperial decree!" The old lady's voice was clear and melodious.
With so many people, the An residence was so quiet on that August morning that not a sound could be heard inside or outside.
Feng Yangxi stood to the side, sword in hand, seemingly watching the spectacle. Crown Prince Yan, his face contorted in a grimace, coughed twice and unfurled the imperial edict. The gist was that Princess Yong'an had disappeared from the An family's residence, and an imperial decree had been issued to search the premises.
The old lady accepted the imperial decree with composure and gratitude.
An hour later, a row of pergolas was erected in the open space outside the An residence. The old lady brought out a grand chair and sat down. Those in the various branches of the An family who were handling business continued to plan and calculate accounts, while those who were handling domestic affairs continued to busy themselves. The maids and servants lined up to receive their tokens and performed their respective duties.
Hundreds of copper basins filled with huge blocks of ice were placed outside the pergola, while dozens of large stoves were lit nearby to brew tea and prepare lunch.
The order was well maintained.
The soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army and the Divine Martial Army were all from respectable families and were used to grand displays, so even they were speechless with astonishment. Crown Prince Yan shook his head with a wry smile and said to Feng Yangxi and the captain in charge of the two armies, "Please trouble you two captains to lead the two captains into the mansion to investigate. I will have tea with the old lady and listen to the news."
He walked into the old lady's tea stall with a smile and said, "Old lady manages her household like an army. I admire her greatly. If you don't mind, I would like to ask for a cup of tea."
The old lady smiled calmly: "Serve tea to His Highness!"
Sipping fragrant tea, with a pretty maid fanning him from behind, the cool air from the melting ice in the copper basin wafting towards him, Prince Yan wanted to sigh again.
"I heard that Your Highness fell in love at first sight with Princess Yong'an in Chen and An, and they had a very pleasant conversation?"
Crown Prince Yan nearly spat out his tea, a blush creeping onto his delicate face. He replied softly, “The princess is no ordinary person. She is extremely mischievous and enjoys imitating masterpieces to amuse people. On a whim, she was invited by the eldest son to paint at the An residence, but unexpectedly, she disappeared there. I was worried about her safety, so I had people guarding the An residence all night. The eldest son rushed to report her disappearance, and since there were no suspicious people entering or leaving the An residence, I suspect that Yongye is still inside. That's why I requested permission to investigate.”
The old lady said thoughtfully, "The princess's disguise as a black-faced boy yesterday was really convincing. I heard that the princess was frail and was raised as a boy from childhood. She only regained her status as a county princess at the age of eighteen and was only granted the title of Princess Yong'an when she got married. It's a pity that I was unable to see the princess's true face."
Prince Yan recalled Yongye's elegant demeanor and sighed with longing: "Luo Yushu possesses heroic spirit, An Sishu possesses charm, Yuxiu Shushu possesses beauty, and I have yet to meet Princess Qiangwei."
The old lady was moved. She stopped turning the prayer beads in her hand and sighed, "So that's how it is... Such a beauty, does she look so much like Princess Duan?"
"He has a more heroic air about him than the princess, which makes him even more like Prince Duan."
The old lady paused, her hand turning the prayer beads, and after a long silence, she sighed softly. It was unclear whether she was imagining Yongye's appearance or worrying about the future of the An family.
Crown Prince Yan, though gentle, was also very thoughtful. Seeing the old lady's worried expression, he comforted her, saying, "I'm afraid some scoundrels might have infiltrated the mansion. Don't worry, Madam. The An family is loyal, and His Majesty will surely see through it. His Majesty has always favored the Consort, so he won't ignore this."
The old lady picked up her teacup, brushed away the tea foam, took a sip, and said, "I have made my decision. Once this matter is settled, the An family will be divided."
Prince Yan was taken aback. The An family was extremely wealthy, so why did they want to split up?
The old lady sighed and said, "A tall tree catches the wind, and the An family is too big. Boping is still young, but I am old and can't manage this huge family business. Even a big tree has withered branches, and the princess has disappeared in the inner courtyard. Who knows what might happen in the future? The division of responsibilities among the various mansions and courtyards is a matter of fate, whether it's good or bad depends on each person's own destiny."
She looked at the soldiers coming and going in the mansion, sighed suddenly, and said to Crown Prince Yan, "Your Highness has troubled me with a cup of tea. I would like to ask Your Highness for a favor. I am going to worship Buddha, and too many soldiers should not be allowed in the Buddha hall, lest we disturb the Bodhisattva."
Crown Prince Yan smiled and said, "I will give the order right away, so the old lady need not worry."
He summoned a soldier to inform Feng Yangxi not to damage the Buddhist hall, and then leisurely sat down to drink tea.
Feng Yangxi stood in the guest room where Yongye was staying. It was spotless, with no trace of anyone having slept there. Could it be that he disappeared before nightfall?
An Boping stood beside him, saying worriedly, "Nothing has been moved here. When I came here this morning to call the princess, I found the house empty, so I came to report it. I have already ordered that no one is allowed to enter."
Feng Yangxi listened silently, a hint of worry in her usually sharp eyes. "When Yongye moved in, were the writing implements here touched?"
"No."
His eyes lit up at the open inkstone box, then he leaned closer to the stove. The candle was extinguished, covered in ashes. What had Yongye painted and burned? No one entered; she had burned too little ashes. Would Yongye take the unburned items with her? Feng Yangxi paced back and forth in the room, his sharp gaze piercing from the rafters to the window. |奇-_-书^_^网| He suddenly lay down and crawled under the enormous desk.
Feng Yangxi's heart pounded. A throwing knife was embedded in two pieces of paper that hadn't been completely burned, at the bottom of the desk. He carefully removed them, examined them closely, and then put them in his pocket.
"Where did Yongye go yesterday, and who did he meet?" Feng Yangxi's voice was cold, and his eyes regained their sharpness, like those of a hawk.
An Boping stammered, "As agreed beforehand, she moved in by painting Zhao Zigu's Buddhist statues. I then led the princess to the Buddhist hall to see the statues. My mother has been a devout Buddhist for many years, and Yongye also saw her."
Feng Yangxi said nothing and strode towards the Buddhist hall.
The compassionate Guanyin statue, seated on a lotus throne, gazes down upon all beings with a benevolent expression. The rich aroma of sandalwood permeates the Buddhist hall, so strong that no other scent can be detected.
He stared blankly at Guanyin, lost in thought. The kind-faced Guanyin gazed at him quietly, her long, narrow black eyes suddenly filled with emotion, seemingly carrying both a smile and endless sorrow, exceptionally moist. Her gaze flickered with Feng Yangxi's movements.
Feng Yangxi closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and murmured to himself. Then, he opened his eyes wide, his long sword pointing directly at Guanyin.
An Boping, who was standing beside him, was so frightened that he took a step back, his knees buckling as he knelt on the ground. The jade Pixiu made a crisp sound as it touched the blue brick floor. He trembled all over, touching his head to the ground, praying only for the Bodhisattva's protection.
Feng Yangxi swung his longsword, carefully slicing open the Guanyin statue between her eyebrows. The sandalwood was soft, but he dared not use his palm to break it open. He jumped onto the offering table, pried open the narrow seam, and with a forceful pull, the Guanyin statue was snapped in two with a crash.
"Master Feng, the Crown Prince has ordered that the old lady's Buddhist shrine not be destroyed..." The soldier who delivered the order came running up breathlessly, just in time to see the Buddha statue split in two, and was so frightened that he fell silent.