Building a Harmonious Song Dynasty

Chapter 70

"Fourth Sister, Fourth Sister!" he called out to the crowd. A heavily made-up woman stepped out and replied, "Yiyi, what brings you here, Fourth Sister?"

"How many times have I told you! Don't, call me, Yi, Yi!" Zhuo Yiyi roared, enunciating each word clearly. This feminine name was a lifelong "shame" for him; he hated his father!

Fourth Sister waved her handkerchief and said, "Oh dear, oh dear, what's the big deal about calling out? Tell me quickly, what is it?"

He was too lazy to argue with Fourth Sister, and said, "Choose a smart and diligent girl to take care of my martial uncle. Her kung fu skills can't be bad either. She has to come into the mountains with us tomorrow."

Fourth Sister was taken aback: "With so many requirements, there aren't many clever people left in the village. The only one we can rely on is Nongshuang."

“Nong Shuang…” Zhuo Yiyi felt a chill when she thought of Nong Shuang’s truly cold-blooded appearance, but after thinking about it, she realized that the other maids were not up to par, so she could only say, “Then let her prepare.”

That evening, as Qin Zhen was packing her things, she heard a stiff female voice knocking on the door and saying, "Seventh Miss, your servant has brought you bathwater."

"Come in."

A woman walked in steadily, carrying a wooden bucket of hot water in each hand. After pouring the water into the buckets, she brought in several buckets of cold water from outside. After mixing the bathwater, she said to Qin Zhen, "This servant will serve you a bath, Miss."

Qin Zhen shook his head and said, "No need, I can do it myself."

As the woman turned to leave, Qin Zhen suddenly asked, "Are you Nong Shuang?"

The woman was taken aback and asked, "Seventh Miss, have you seen me before?"

Qin Zhen smiled and said, "You look a lot like Sister Nongying. Who else could you be but her sister?"

The woman, who was usually as cold as ice, smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen my sister. I wonder how she is doing."

“You will see her when you come with us to Kunlun Mountain. She is currently with my second senior brother at the mountain villa.”

Nong Shuang nodded slightly, thanked Qin Zhen for his kindness, closed the door, and left.

Volume Two: Soaring Eagle 131 His Only Weakness

The next day, as the orange-colored morning sun rose, Zhuo Yiyi, Qin Zhen, and Nong Shuang rode their horses out of Lintao Prefecture, heading straight west towards Tubo. Although it was late spring, there was still a slight chill in the western borderlands, and with a strong wind blowing, their thin clothes fluttered in the wind.

Zhuo Yiyi turned her head to look at Qin Zhen and the veil on her head, and said carefully, "Uncle-Master, the wind is too strong. Be careful not to blow the veil off. Why don't you take it off?"

Before Qin Zhen could even express his opinion, he heard Nong Shuang sneer. Nong Shuang was clearly dissatisfied with Zhuo Yiyi's hypocrisy. If it were the usual Zhuo Yiyi, she probably would have already personally lifted the bamboo hat to catch a glimpse of the woman's face.

Zhuo Yiyi disliked Nong Shuang's cold demeanor, and now she said unhappily, "What are you sneering about?"

Nongshuang only left two words: "Hypocrisy".

Qin Zhen remained noncommittal about their argument, but Zhuo Yiyi was right; they were traveling against the wind, and wearing straw hats was indeed inconvenient. When Qin Zhen removed his hat, Zhuo Yiyi's Adam's apple noticeably bobbed, and she stared at him blankly. Qin Zhen didn't like his blatant gaze; his previous innocent demeanor, even if feigned, had been more pleasant to look at.

She kindly reminded him, "Nephew, look ahead, be careful not to fall off the horse."

Zhuo Yiyi smiled awkwardly and turned her head away, thinking to herself: Such a beautiful and spirited woman, no wonder Master and Uncle are so nervous. If she becomes my junior sister, I will spoil her every day!

The group traveled safely without incident, and Qin Zhen remained relaxed until they entered the Gobi Desert, at which point she became slightly more vigilant, as bandits were usually present in such places. However, after traveling for another two days, they encountered no further obstacles.

Little did she know, the bandits within a radius of dozens of miles all avoided Zhuo Yiyi. How could they dare to rob them? Until one day, Qin Zhen curiously asked Zhuo Yiyi why the inn in Lintao was called "Shabangzhai." Nong Shuang told her that Shabangzhai was originally a bandit stronghold, and the leader was Zhuo Yiyi's father. However, after Zhuo Yiyi became Su Mufei's apprentice, and later the leader passed away, he disbanded the stronghold and led the people of the stronghold to "reform," which was the predecessor of that inn.

Finally, Nong Shuang added, "So, no matter how well he pretends, he's a bandit at heart!"

Qin Zhen smiled but didn't say anything, after all, he wasn't familiar with Zhuo Yiyi.

After traveling for four days, they finally arrived at Golmud, a small town at the foot of the Kunlun Mountains. The three of them found an inn in the town to stay in, rested for a while, and planned to go into the mountains early the next morning.

The temperature difference between night and night in Golmud is significant. Qin Zhen and Nong Shuang shared a room and went to bed early. In the middle of the night, Qin Zhen suddenly tiptoed to Nong Shuang's bedside, nudged her awake, and whispered, "There's someone on the roof..."

The two got out of bed and flipped onto the roof through the two windows, one in front and one behind. When Qin Zhen landed on the roof, he only saw Zhuo Yiyi and Nong Shuang coming from the opposite side.

She asked Zhuo Yiyi, "What are you doing on the roof so late at night instead of sleeping? You scared us!"

Zhuo Yiyi chuckled mischievously twice. Without offering any explanation, Qin Zhen, too lazy to concern herself with it, assumed it was a false alarm and went back to her room to sleep. Before Nong Shuang climbed off the roof, her expression was rather complicated. After some thought, she finally asked Zhuo Yiyi, "She actually came, so why was she hiding from us?"

"Her? Who is she? I was the only one here just now."

Nong Shuang's face was as cold as ice as she said sternly, "Do you think I would mistake her for someone else? What exactly does she want?"

Lying in bed, Qin Zhen was also thinking, "Yeah, what exactly is Nongying up to all this mysteriously?"

The night passed uneventfully. By evening of the next day, they arrived at Fuyun Manor in the Kunlun Mountains—a mysterious place nestled deep within the rocks.

Floating Cloud Manor, designed by Tang Yufeng, is riddled with traps and requires a guide to enter. Zhuo Yiyi, like a child, showed off, pointing at Qin Zhen and Nong Shuang as they moved through the stone forest. Su Mufeng wasn't at the manor; after going to find Qin Zhen, he went to handle some matters of the martial world and wouldn't be back for a while. Therefore, Qin Zhen had to seek help from his second senior brother, Tang Yufeng.

As one after another rather magnificent house appeared behind the stone forest, the first thing Qin Zhen saw was a jade-like young man sitting in a wheelchair in front of the house.

She ran over and called out sweetly, "Second Senior Brother!"

The two people behind him also called out in succession: "Second Uncle-Master." "Second Young Master."

Tang Yufeng smiled and looked at them. He first said to Nongshuang, "Your sister is preparing your meal in the back. Go and see her; you sisters haven't seen each other for a while."

Nong Shuang respectfully bowed in thanks and then turned to find Nongying.

Tang Yufeng said to Qin Zhen, "Dinner will be a while later. Let me take you for a walk around the villa." He handed the bundle in Qin Zhen's hand to Zhuo Yiyi and said, "Junior Nephew Zhuo, please put your uncle's bundle in the guest room."

Zhuo Yiyi hesitated for a moment, but still nodded in agreement.

Seeing that Tang Yufeng had sent the two away, Qin Zhen figured he must have a secret to tell her, so she pushed his wheelchair and headed to a secluded spot.

"Seventh Sister, I know why you've come this time, and I've already decided to tell you the truth." Tang Yufeng said calmly, "You know my background. My mother was the Queen of the Western Xia Kingdom, and the Tang family was wiped out because of that."

The massacre of the Tang family was Tang Yufeng's deepest pain. When Qin Zhen heard him bring it up, she comforted him with considerable unease, "Senior brother, I know all this. The past is the past..."

Tang Yufeng shook his head and said, "No, there is no past. You don't know, but over the years, I have maintained contact with that woman. Nongying and Nongyeong are her confidantes. I usually don't care what they do, and they just pretend I don't know. But this matter concerns you, so I have to tell you."

The woman he was referring to was his birth mother, Yelü Yazhu, the Queen of Western Xia and former Princess of Liao, who was also Li Yunluo's mother.

At this point, Qin Zhen realized that things were getting complicated. Although she had guessed most of it, she still asked, "What does Zhao Huan's death have to do with me? And what does it have to do with me?"

Tang Yufeng said, "Zhao Huan committed suicide, but after that woman found out, she wanted to take the opportunity to sow discord between you and Zhao Gou, and had Nongying do a lot of dirty tricks."

"Suicide?" Although it was Tang Yufeng who said it, Qin Zhen was still somewhat skeptical. Then she asked, "Why is Queen Yelü trying to sow discord between me and Zhao Gou? And how did she know about me?"

Tang Yufeng smiled bitterly: "You always underestimate your own importance. Ever since Li Yunluo was rejected by Zhao Gou, she has been sending people to investigate you. What's more, your father and she have a cooperative relationship. She knows that the most effective way to strike a person is to hurt the person and things they love most, and you are undoubtedly Zhao Gou's only weakness."

Qin Zhen was stunned; she had become Zhao Gou's only weakness!

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky, Chapter 132: Young Eagle Trapped in a Cage

The Kunlun Mountains were exceptionally quiet at night, the night sky so clear it seemed almost within reach. Standing on the rooftop, gazing at the dark blue starry sky, a sudden emptiness and a nagging unease washed over me.

Why was she panicking? Because she realized she had made a huge mistake! Her senior brother said that Zhao Huan committed suicide, but she had inexplicably suspected that Zhao Gou was responsible. Was she caught in the Queen of Western Xia's scheme, or did she already harbor doubts?

Zhao Gou once told her that he would no longer hide anything from her, but she didn't believe him; Zhao Gou once told her that he would try his best to correct his mistakes, but she ignored him. This is prejudice!

She asked herself again and again why she harbored such a strong prejudice against Zhao Gou, when he was clearly the man she wanted to spend her life with!

"sorry……"

Almost inaudibly, she whispered to the night sky, her heart drifting back to Bianjing. Qin Zhen began to worry about Zhao Gou. Was he alright? Her sudden disappearance must have been a great annoyance to him. Qin Zhen suddenly hated herself for causing Zhao Gou so much trouble when the war was just beginning to end and she was busy with countless affairs of state.

She pulled out the token she had received from the man in black from her belt and examined it closely. This was the token of the Linglang Pavilion. With it, she could mobilize all of Zhao Gou's hidden forces. He had given Qin Zhen everything he had, and Qin Zhen felt ashamed.

Suddenly, tears streamed down Qin Zhen's face. She felt a pang of sadness. She had been so ungrateful, taking Zhao Gou's kindness for granted. What had she been thinking about all this time? From now on... I will trust him and support him! Qin Zhen silently made up her mind.

"Cough, cough..."

Two clear coughs interrupted Qin Zhen's meditation. Turning around, he saw that Zhuo Yiyi had also flown onto the roof at some point.

Zhuo Yiyi looked at Qin Zhen, who was hurriedly wiping away his tears, and said, "Seventh Uncle, let me watch the stars with you." He sat down next to Qin Zhen without any hesitation, tilted his head and looked at the night sky. He hissed and shivered twice, then suddenly said, "It's so cold, so cold! Uncle, do you have an indestructible body? You don't even feel this cold?"

After he said that, Qin Zhen realized that she had long been chilled by the mountain air, and a sneeze immediately came out.

Zhuo Yiyi smiled, and Qin Zhen glared at him. He said, "Uncle-Master isn't familiar with the manor, so I'll take you somewhere better." With that, he pulled Qin Zhen up and they flew low through the air. After circling around for a while, they arrived at a bamboo forest. The bamboo forest deep in the mountains was extremely lush, and the two wandered among the bamboo for a while. Suddenly, they heard a rather familiar voice coming from ahead. Zhuo Yiyi turned around and gestured for Qin Zhen to be quiet.

The two people talking—no, arguing—in the woods were the sisters Nongying and Nongyeong. Nongyeong's tone was quite unfriendly, sounding almost like she was ordering Nongying: "The Queen has been waiting for many days, why haven't you made a move yet? Do you really intend to betray the court?"

Nongying stood indifferently to the side, not answering. Anxious, Nongshuang went over, turned her around, and roared, "If it weren't for the Queen, how could my sister and I have survived until now? What are you hesitating for?"

Finally, Nongying spoke: "I never dare to ask for the Queen's great kindness and virtue, so I will repay her with my whole life. But... Zhao Huan's death has already sown discord between Qin Zhen and Zhao Gou. Why bother to focus on that child?"

"Sister, when did you become so foolish? Don't you understand what the Queen wants Zhao Yi to do?"

"Young Master wouldn't want to see that happen."

Nong Shuang sneered, "Are you really going to betray the Queen for Tang Yufeng? Have you fallen for him?"

Nongying trembled. Tense and lacking confidence, she said, "You...don't talk nonsense..."

After a brief standoff, Nongshuang finally decided to retreat, leaving behind only the words, "Sister, don't foolishly ruin your life."

Nongying stood in the forest for a long time, leaning against the bamboo, and finally sighed softly before leaving.

Qin Zhen gradually realized that Yelü Yazhu must have ordered Nongying to bring Zhao Huan's son, Zhao Yi, to Western Xia as a trump card to threaten Zhao Gou, but Nongying was afraid of angering Tang Yufeng, so she delayed the matter. She then looked at Zhuo Yiyi, who had a smile on his lips. Had he brought her here specifically to overhear this conversation?

Zhuo Yiyi noticed Qin Zhen's confusion and said, "Nongying went to Golmud to see me. This was her idea; she wanted you to understand this matter."

Qin Zhen nodded. She fully understood what Nongying meant. She didn't want to betray the Queen, but she also didn't want to hand Zhao Yi over to Xixia. So the only way to achieve both was for Qin Zhen to take Zhao Yi away in advance.

The next day, Qin Zhen first visited Tang Yufeng. During their conversation, she mentioned wanting to see Zhao Yi. Tang Yufeng readily agreed. The two of them walked towards the small Mirror Lake behind the villa. A unique bamboo house stood by the lake, from which came the innocent voice of a child reading aloud.

"Two orioles sing in the green willows, a line of egrets soars into the blue sky... Mother, what kind of bird is an oriole? And what kind of tree is a green willow? I've never seen one before."

Zhu Wenrou's gentle voice came from outside the window. She said to Zhao Yi, who was already over six years old, "You are still young now. When you grow up, you can go down the mountain and we will meet then."

Standing outside the window, Qin Zhen's heart skipped a beat. Zhao Yi had been locked up in the deep mountains since he was less than three years old. Was he going to live like this for the rest of his life?