Consultor de vida de la dinastía Song del Sur

Capítulo 39

In his sleep, Leng Shuangcheng felt only endless darkness before his eyes, as if every glimmer of light would vanish with the setting sun. He frantically ran across the fields, a white shadow flickering slightly ahead, chasing the sunlight further and further away. Suddenly, Leng Shuangcheng shouted "Tianxiao!" and woke up drenched in cold sweat.

The moment I opened my eyes, I was met with a pair of bright, deep black eyes.

A woman dressed in white, as pure as snow, stood quietly by the window. Her eyes were clear and bright, and the gentle, serene light emanating from her was captivating.

Leng Shuangcheng chuckled awkwardly, "Chief Steward Bai..."

Bai Li nodded slightly and smiled gently: "Guard Leng, it's getting late. The young master instructed that you should go to the council chamber to serve after you've washed up."

Leng Shuangcheng straightened up from the hard bed, and couldn't help but wince as he touched the wound on his back. Seeing his expression, Bai Li quietly pursed her lips and said softly, "It seems that Guard Leng can no longer wear this robe. I brought another one with me. Please accept it, young master."

Leng Shuangcheng hurriedly stood up, feeling a sharp pain in her back and instinctively pressing her right shoulder. She smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Steward Bai."

Bai Li nodded lightly, then turned and gracefully left. Leng Shuangcheng's gaze remained fixed on her back. Seeing her ethereal and elegant figure, he thought to himself: "So, besides the Silver Light Prince, there is such a gentle and dignified woman in the Bixie Sect. If I were a man, I would definitely fall in love with her too."

Upon arriving at the Ye residence early this morning, Leng Shuangcheng stood alone in the corridor, ignored by everyone. It was this woman who greeted her with exceptional gentleness and brought her Leng Qi's clothes. Remarkably, after being altered by the woman herself, the clothes fit perfectly. Leng Shuangcheng immediately recognized the woman's keen eye and meticulous housekeeping skills. After a moment's thought, she deduced that this was the "Chief Steward Bai" mentioned by Yin Guang. Following the young master's instructions, everyone treated her as a second "Guard Leng," a situation that terrified Leng Shuangcheng, but she could only accept it.

Leng Shuangcheng unfolded her long robe and noticed that this time, dark red leaves were embroidered on the black collar. Her heart skipped a beat. Thinking of the young master of Bixie whom she was about to meet and the vague questions in her mind, she walked out slowly with unease.

6. Shaking (below)

A delicate, light fragrance wafted by, and several palace attendants, their figures exquisitely beautiful, walked by. Upon seeing Leng Shuangcheng strolling leisurely down the corridor, they covered their mouths and chuckled softly, "So this is what she looks like. Not as good as the former Guard Leng..."

Leng Shuangcheng didn't mind, and smiled gently as he looked up. The women were slightly taken aback by Leng's sudden smile, and they all blushed and curtsied, saying, "You flatter me, Guardian Leng..." Then they looked around, smiled, and gracefully left.

Leng Shuangcheng looked into the distance and noticed that Bai Li stood silently in front of a pavilion. The carved railings, jade pillars, mist, clouds, and trees behind her formed the background of this painting of a lady. The beauty stood there calmly as if she were in a painting.

“This Steward Bai is extremely authoritative in the manor. Without her saying a word, the maids are alert and look around for fear of saying something wrong. He must be very good at managing people.” Leng Shuangcheng steadied herself and stepped forward.

Upon arriving at the council chamber, Bai Li smiled gently and opened the door for her. Leng Shuangcheng, still damp from her bath, silently entered the chamber.

There were three people inside the brocade pavilion, all of whom Leng Shuangcheng recognized. She stepped forward and prostrated herself in greeting: "Greetings, Young Master and Prince Zhuang."

Qiu Yeyi took off his dark court robes and sat in the center in white, as cold as snow. Even after changing out of his dark outer robes, his face was as cold as a snow-capped peak, unchanged for thousands of years.

King Zhuang and Yin Guang looked at the young master and noticed that he was staring coldly into the air. Naturally, they did not want to ask a guard to get up.

"Prince Zhuang, the person has arrived. Tell him carefully," Qiu Yeyi said coldly, her gaze falling on Leng Shuangcheng's back.

King Zhuang was slightly taken aback, only then realizing that the silent Prince Qiuye had been waiting for this guard, who was none other than Chu Yi, whom Mr. Dongge had entrusted to him the other day. Hearing about the young master's actions at the celebration, he guessed that the young master relied heavily on this boy, but having been in the officialdom for over a decade, he would not easily show his surprise in his words.

"Young Master Chu Xuan's identity is somewhat complicated. His father was the former Prefect of Yangzhou, who has passed away. His mother, Ziying, has a remarkable background. She is from a branch of the Japanese ninjutsu sect. It is said that she is so beautiful that she married Chu Xuan's father first, and then remarried Wang Huaijin, the head of the Six Ministries. Minister Wang still treated her with the same favor as his principal wife."

"Wang Huaijin is a muddle-headed and lecherous man. All his policies and decisions are instigated and controlled by this lady. Her purpose is not only to disrupt the court, but also to find the young master who drifted to the Central Plains fifteen years ago. Minister Wang led the former dynasty's generals to surrender to the emperor. The emperor could not easily kill him in order to win the hearts of the people. This is also the reason why Lady Ziying is so unscrupulous."

"At the end of the year, His Majesty suddenly demoted Wang Huaijin to the Ministry of Revenue, which made Wang Huaijin unsettled and began to reflect on his absurd behavior. Last month, Wang Huaijin learned that Ziying had a son left behind, and he felt disgusted and wanted to use this as a pretext to criticize his wife. That Lady Ziying was also ruthless and even chased after her own son. Chu Xuan probably did not want to commit matricide and was forced to take care of his sworn sister's life, so he fled all the way to the capital."

"Madam Ziying took in the remnants of the Tang Clan and poisoned Miss Ruan's medicine, threatening Young Master Chu to play with a specially made jade flute. The flute was secretly filled with a sleeping potion, which would definitely take effect when Chu Xuan exerted his power, which is why everyone is confused today. Although Young Master Chu did not know the details of the plan, he followed her instructions and was convicted of assassinating the emperor. He is now in prison and awaiting execution in the autumn."

After speaking slowly and deliberately, King Zhuang looked at the young master, awaiting his next decision. Yin Guang lowered his head in thought, seemingly unsure of the young master's purpose in informing Chu Yi about Chu Xuan's situation.

Qiu Yeyi coldly stared at Leng Shuangcheng's back, and spoke in a detached, aloof tone: "Chu Yi, what do you think?"

Leng Shuangcheng prostrated himself on the ground, memorizing each of Zhuang Wang's words, and without raising his head, he respectfully replied, "May I ask Zhuang Wang a few questions?"

"Guard Leng, please." King Zhuang said hastily.

"If the plan to assassinate the Saint was devised, why did you still chase after Young Master Chu Xuan underwater in the Thirteen Chambers last night?"

"The entire assassination attempt was abruptly stopped and carried out hastily; what was the reason for this?"

"Why did Minister Wang only learn of Young Master Chu Xuan's existence a month ago?"

Leng Shuangcheng asked three questions without moving an inch. King Zhuang was taken aback, realizing there were indeed contradictions, and was unable to answer for a moment. Yin Guang couldn't help but secretly ponder the ins and outs of the matter, while also secretly observing the young master.

Qiu Ye stared at the person on the ground for a long time before suddenly saying, "Sit down and talk."

Leng Shuangcheng raised his head, struggled to his feet, his face beaded with sweat, his lips pressed tightly together. Only then did Yin Guang notice the trickle of blood seeping from his back, barely noticeable under his black casual clothes without close inspection.

King Zhuang looked at Qiu Yeyijian, still puzzled by the question Leng Shuangcheng had just raised. Qiu Yeyijian turned to King Zhuang and said coldly, "By whatever means necessary, find that woman Ziying and bring her to me." Her gaze then fell on Leng Shuangcheng's face, and she asked, "Does Chu Yi want to know the reason?"

Leng Shuangcheng's face was pale, and a few strands of damp hair clung to her face, making her eyes appear even deeper and colder. She looked ahead and replied with some difficulty, "I will heed your teachings, young master." But in her heart, she added: I'm afraid it's not that simple.

As expected, Qiu Yeyijian remained motionless and said coldly, "Count how many sentences there were. I will definitely get them back to you in the future."

"My appearance at the celebration caught the enemy off guard. It wasn't a rash decision, but rather that none of the remaining members dared to make a move. This matter is not as simple as just Ziying being brainless."

"The assassination of Chu Xuan was arranged by me."

"Wang Huaijin learned that Chu Xuan's identity was deliberately leaked by Ziying."

"When Chu Xuan played the piece 'Dragon and Phoenix Bring Auspiciousness' at the celebration, the ending note changed and was transformed into a mournful tune in the Shang tone. This was to warn me."

"Chu Yi will definitely be interested in the missing young master of the Tantric sect, because the child's name is Tong Tu, who is Nan Jingqi's personal page."

Qiu Yeyi deliberately left the esoteric Buddhist message until last, successfully catching the unease and surprise on Leng Shuangcheng's face. His cold eyes remained fixed on Leng Shuangcheng's face, his expression unchanged.

Leng Shuangcheng's face paled further, her eyelids trembling slightly as she lowered her gaze: "Before I even arrived in Kaifeng, Qiu Yeyijian had already grasped the inside story of the court politics. Coupled with the inducement of Young Master Chu Xuan, I just happened to stumble upon a part of this drama. Although I don't understand the details, following Qiu Yeyijian will surely uncover the mystery layer by layer. His assassination attempt on Chu Xuan was actually to force me to act, to test whether I was truly naive. It's impossible to discern changes in the music during a celebration; Qiu Yeyijian is probably well-versed in chess, music, calligraphy, and painting from a young age. His preemptive strike was indeed a warning to the enemy lurking in the shadows. The most worrying one is Nan Jingqi. Why is it that he's the one with the most leverage?"

Leng Shuangcheng's mind raced like lightning, and she tried her best to remain calm and silent as she racked her brains to figure out how to let Nan Jingqi know about this news and how to avoid being caught by the young master of Bixie.

Qiu Yeyi glanced at the two people inside the pavilion. Yin Guang and Zhuang Wang understood and left with a bow while Leng Shuangcheng was stunned.

Qiu Ye stood tall with her sword, slowly walked up to Leng Shuangcheng, and seeing that the person in front of her was still unaware, she suddenly reached out and grabbed his neck.

Those slender, pale hands gradually tightened their grip, his cold pupils narrowing into needles, his handsome face remaining perfectly unchanged. He clenched his fists inch by inch, his eyes fixed on Leng Shuangcheng: "Chu Yi, do you know you deserve to die?"

Leng Shuangcheng's breathing became increasingly labored, and she managed to utter a few words with difficulty: "Young Master, Chu Yi should have died long ago."

—You're not the only one who's said that; there are many people who want me dead.

Unfortunately, his breath was too weak to express his innermost thoughts.

Qiu Ye Yijian stared silently at Leng Shuangcheng's face, her eyes filled with an icy light, like melting snow flowing down her face, shimmering and sparkling. Startled by his flushed face and unfocused eyes, Qiu Ye Yijian abruptly withdrew her hand and fell to her side.

Caught off guard, Leng Shuangcheng felt the pressure on her neck suddenly disappear, and she swayed and fell forward—crashing right into Qiu Yeyi's chest. Startled, she tried to get up, but the person in front of her pressed her hair down.

The familiar, faint scent of incense wafted to her nose, somewhat cold and aloof. Leng Shuangcheng was terrified. Despite the exertion and discomfort she had just experienced, and the fact that she hadn't even had time to catch her breath, she dared not move, let alone make a sound, as she leaned against Qiu Yeyi's chest.

Qiu Yeyijian stretched out one hand to half-hug and half-press Leng Shuangcheng, her eyes fixed on the top of his head. After a long silence, she heard his extremely cold voice: "Even if you deserve to die, I cannot let you die at the hands of others."

Leng Shuangcheng coughed twice, trembling, nestled in his arms. Qiu Yeyijian, startled, released his grip. He stepped back two paces, silently observing Leng Shuangcheng's expression.

As soon as Leng Shuangcheng was freed, disregarding her disheveled appearance—a mixture of redness and paleness—she swiftly dodged a few feet away, her face still showing a hint of anger, and said urgently, "Young Master, you..."

Seeing his guarded demeanor, Qiu Ye Yijian's eyes narrowed, as if suddenly realizing her lapse in composure. She turned around and slowly walked to the main seat, gracefully settling down. Once seated, she reverted to her arrogant and haughty tone, coldly saying, "Chu Yi, do you remember what Yin Guang told you?"

—The Silver Light Prince said a lot of things, but it's unclear which sentence he was referring to.

Leng Shuangcheng dared not speak rashly in such an atmosphere, and remained silent with her head down.

Qiu Yeyijian understood the thoughts of the person in front of him perfectly. He coldly said, "I suppose Yin Guang mentioned that one must be absolutely loyal to one's master. Chu Yi, do you know what you did wrong at today's celebration?"

Seeing Leng Shuangcheng still standing there speechless, Qiu Yeyijian hardened her heart and decided to use some means to force him to think things through. Otherwise, no matter what she said, the other party would ignore her, which would make things even more difficult in the future.

"Chu Xuan or Ruan Ruan, you choose one."

Qiu Yeyi's eyes were fixed on her brows as she spoke coldly. Leng Shuangcheng was momentarily stunned, and before she could even process what she was thinking, she blurted out, "Choose what?"

"I'll give you one more chance. No one can bear the guilt of the Assassin Saint. Chu Xuan or Ruan Ruan, who do you choose?"

Leng Shuangcheng slightly raised her head and stole a glance at Qiu Yeyi's cold and sinister eyes. She felt confused and couldn't make sense of it. She lowered her head and pondered quickly, remaining silent.

"Qiuye Yijian clearly knew that the assassins deliberately damaged the platform in order to use it to assassinate the Emperor. Even if I don't know what secrets the pillars hold, what does it have to do with the delicate Ruan Ruan? The 'Heavenly Holy Water' that the official used is a secret poison of the Tang Clan. Chu Xuan was forced to assassinate him and even warned him. Why is he still determined to kill Chu Xuan? Why must I choose, and why must I choose an innocent person as a scapegoat?"

Leng Shuangcheng couldn't fathom Qiu Yeyijian's thoughts, and could only hesitate, bowing her head in silence. But since it concerned the lives of two people, she couldn't afford to be careless in the slightest. So, while her face remained calm, her heart burned with anxiety, and she couldn't help but furrow her brows and ponder deeply.

Qiu Yeyi looked at him coldly without saying a word, as if waiting for his answer.

Leng Shuangcheng suddenly remembered his technique of telekinesis, and his heart trembled. He realized that what had just happened was actually his test. He had actually tried to test his loyalty to him!

Thinking of this, she raised her head and said firmly, "I know I was wrong. I should have protected you first. I beg you to let these two go."

Qiu Ye Yijian gave a cold smile, it was hard to tell whether the smile was an affirmation that he had guessed the answer correctly or a sign that he was overestimating his own abilities.

"And another one, the first year of junior high."

Cold sweat still trickled down Leng Shuangcheng's forehead: "Young Master, could you please explain?"

Qiu Yeyi stood up, her hands hanging at her sides, and said coldly, "If you can figure it out, I'll release those two. If you can't, you're not allowed to leave this building. I can only warn you that if you don't understand the meaning behind my words in the future, you'll inevitably suffer more." After saying that, she seemed not to see Leng Shuangcheng's silent and stunned eyes, and turned and left without looking back.

Leng Shuangcheng was stunned for a long time, unable to shake off the confusion. However, a question slipped through her mind: Didn't Yin Guang say that his young master didn't like to talk too much?

Author's Note: Qiu Ye Yijian didn't turn around. He remained fixed on Yin Guang's eyes, standing coldly. (Warning to Yin Guang: Look again and I'll gouge out your eyes. I haven't taken offense at Yin Guang since I just arrived, so I'll keep this in mind for now.)

She withdrew her gaze with a touch of melancholy, turning her head slightly, only to meet Qiu Yeyi's cold, unwavering eyes. His eyes shone like gleaming glass beads, staring at her without blinking. (In Qiu Yeyi's eyes, Chu Yi had seduced Yin Guang, not only showing no remorse but also glancing around suspiciously, failing to report seeing Tang Xiaoshou—a crime compounded by her actions.)

"Right-handed sword? Hmm?" Qiu Yeyi stared at Leng Shuangcheng's pale face and said calmly. (I'll only punish your left hand; I'll save your right hand for later.)

"If I find out you're bewitching Yin Guang again, it won't be as simple as a dislocated shoulder." In the silence, Qiu Ye Yi Jian spoke coldly again, "Two people have already died for you. Chu Yi, if you don't know how to restrain yourself, next time no one will be able to save you." (Seeing that she didn't react for a while, he made a warning, implying that if she got close to Yin Guang again, both of them would be dead.)

Seeing Leng Shuangcheng staring blankly at the crowd, Qiu Yeyi sneered inwardly, practically burning a hole through his profile before he finally noticed and snapped back to attention. (What are you looking at? Why aren't you working?)

He scoffed inwardly again, following Leng Shuangcheng's gaze to the figure on the platform. (Looking at a woman is tolerable, but now he's staring at Chu Xuan, and even seems distracted. Chu Xuan is doomed.)

Upon hearing the sound, Qiu Yeyi glanced back at the sword, then thought, "Let's see who I save if something happens to you."

Leng Shuangcheng caught a glimpse of Qiu Yeyi's subtle movement out of the corner of his eye—as he made a grasping motion with his right hand, he used his strength to pull the swaying stage towards him, yet he didn't flinch, remaining motionless in the front arena. (It wasn't a test of her loyalty, but rather a defiant test to see if he held a place in her heart... Answer: No.)

The swaying stage collapsed with a crash. Leng Shuangcheng caught sight of the figure who remained unchanged and exclaimed in alarm, "Young Master..." (At least she called out his name; if she hadn't remembered him at all, the consequences would probably have been much more bloody.)

With a few rustling sounds, the once unbreakable platform pillar instantly turned to dust. As everyone was stunned, a chilling voice rang out: "Who dares to touch my people, Qiu Ye Yi Jian!"... Yin Guang looked at Leng Shuang Cheng with concern, noticing his face growing increasingly pale, and his body trembling slightly upon hearing this voice. (A double entendre! From now on, no one in the world is allowed to touch this fool standing by the platform; only I can move. Why didn't we hear that fool's response? She didn't even speak or move; her heart seemed to be trembling with shock. Was she faking it, or did she genuinely not understand?)

Qiu Yeyi didn't even glance at him, coldly counting, "One." (Let me punish you for the pain; you were poisoned but didn't realize it, and you acted like a big shot while trying to save someone.)

Yin Guang couldn't help but step forward, eager to help Leng Shuangcheng up, but seeing the young master's icy gaze, he could only freeze in shock. (Personal property, do not touch.)

Qiu Yeyi gripped Leng Shuangcheng's chin, crushed the pill, and poured it into his mouth, her face icy cold. After a moment's hesitation, she turned his left wrist over, examining it closely, her gaze flickering with a wavering gloom. (My heart is wavering. Can someone tell me what's wrong with me? I only want to possess her. Is this what love is?)

"Prince Zhuang, the person has arrived. Explain everything to him carefully," Qiu Yeyi said coldly, her gaze falling on Leng Shuangcheng's back. (After you hear it, you'll beg me. If you beg me, you'll pay attention to what I say. I deliberately didn't treat your back wound; I hope you'll learn your lesson from the pain.)

Qiu Ye stared at the person on the ground for a long time before suddenly saying, "Sit down and talk." (This fool is oblivious; my heart aches just looking at him.)

As expected, Qiu Yeyijian remained motionless, coldly saying, "Count how many sentences you said. I will definitely get them back to you in the future." (Foreshadowing for later: I'll make you pay for your heartfelt words later.)

"Chu Yi will definitely be interested in the missing young master of the Tantric sect, because the child's name is Tong Tu, who is Nan Jingqi's personal page."

Qiu Ye deliberately left the esoteric Buddhist message until last, successfully catching the unease and suspicion on Leng Shuangcheng's face. His cold eyes remained fixed on Leng Shuangcheng's face, his expression unchanged. (I know about you and Nan Jingqi; let's see if you like him.)