Le Jianghu de Feng Qingcheng et Mo Xibei

Chapitre 19

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When Qingfeng arrived at the Moon-Viewing Pavilion, he happened to see Leng Jie using hypnosis on Eunuch Fu. But in Qingfeng's eyes, it turned into a "soul-capturing technique".

She was using that sorcery again, the Soul-Capturing Technique. And it was aimed at Eunuch Fu, who served the Emperor—Eunuch Fu hadn't intended to harm her! What was she trying to do? How did the Emperor get injured today? And why was she unharmed? Questions sprouted like swelling bean sprouts. The joy of finding her was replaced by overwhelming doubt and anger.

Qingfeng flashed and landed between them. At the same time, he shouted at Leng Jie:

"what you up to?"

The two, who were engrossed in their conversation, were startled by the sudden, fierce roar. Leng Jie glared hatefully at the wall of people before her. Upon seeing who it was, she was first taken aback. Why was he here? She had forced Eunuch Fu to come to this place, a place only the emperor was allowed to visit, precisely because she feared someone might suddenly appear and disturb her. Little did she know she had overlooked this man. Fortunately, the hypnosis she was using on Eunuch Fu had only just begun; if it had reached deep hypnosis, his roar would have been unthinkable. However, the thought still filled Leng Jie with dread, and she roared back:

"I should be asking you what you're trying to do! Don't you know that scaring someone can kill them?"

Once he regained his senses, Eunuch Fu patted his still-rapidly beating heart and complained, "My goodness! You've scared two of my souls out of me!"

"You ungrateful old fool! You've been sold out and you're still praising the person who did it." Qingfeng glanced sideways at Eunuch Fu, let out a cold snort, and said coldly:

"Hmph! Your master is seriously injured and bedridden, yet you have the leisure to come to his Moon-Viewing Pavilion to admire the moon and enjoy wine?"

"Senior brother, please stop frightening Eunuch Fu. He only came here with me because of his master." Seeing that Eunuch Fu's face had turned pale, and considering that she had managed to extract a lot of information from him, Leng Jie spoke up to defend him.

Seeing her and Eunuch Fu contradicting her, Qingfeng became even more furious. She turned around and glared fiercely at Eunuch Fu, threatening him with her eyes, "Aren't you leaving yet? Do you want to become my drug addict?"

The eunuch Fu shuddered at Qingfeng's threatening and warning gaze, then understood. He immediately stood up, said, "I'm going to serve the Emperor," and scurried away like a rabbit.

Although she couldn't see Qingfeng's eyes, Leng Jie had already guessed what was going on from Eunuch Fu's actions and expressions. She shook her head at Eunuch Fu's departing figure and said:

"What a spineless coward!"

Once Eunuch Fu had walked away, Qingfeng immediately began his interrogation:

"What exactly do you want? Why did you use the Soul-Capturing Technique on Eunuch Fu? Before, you did it to survive, but what about now? Weren't you doing a good job as Nameless? Why...?"

"Stop!" Before Qingfeng could finish his interrogation, Leng Jie crossed her arms and made a stop gesture, interrupting him, "What are you talking about? What soul-capturing technique? I just wanted to hypnotize Eunuch Fu. It's a healing technique, completely harmless to the human body, and has many benefits. Don't make it sound like sorcery."

Qingfeng stared directly into her clear, bright eyes, finding not a trace of impurity within them. But he still asked with some skepticism:

"That really wasn't a soul-capturing technique? But you clearly tried to use it to control my mind last time. If I hadn't been on guard against you, I would have been completely at your mercy if I had tried to resist. So why did you use that on Eunuch Fu?"

"Didn't you pretend to be controlled by me last time? Did you notice anything amiss with me? No, right? So don't worry, I won't harm Father-in-law Fu. At most, I just want to find out some things from him. You know, I don't remember many things, and I'm afraid he'll become suspicious if I ask him directly. That's why I wanted him to reveal it without her realizing it." Although she was angry that Qingfeng always caused trouble, she felt it necessary to explain things clearly to him. After all, he already knew her background, and if he became suspicious of her, she really wouldn't be able to do anything in the future.

"Does she not believe in herself?" Qingfeng asked, frustrated.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to remember the past? Why don't you just ask me what you want to know?"

Leng Jie blinked and replied in an extremely helpless tone, "I want to ask you too! But I know your answer will definitely be 'You don't need to know those things.'"

"How do you know I won't tell you if you haven't even asked? Just ask now, and I'll tell you everything I know." Qingfeng replied without thinking.

Leng Jie's eyes shone brightly, her face beamed with smiles, and she excitedly confirmed, "Really?"

Upon seeing her happy and excited expression, Qingfeng's previous anger and doubts vanished instantly. A gentle warmth flowed through his body. Knowing he had been tricked, he still nodded and replied, "Really. I'll tell you whatever you want to know. But we have to go back to Qingfeng Residence first; this is the Emperor's palace."

If she had known that reverse psychology was so effective, she would have used it long ago. Leng Jie immediately agreed.

"Then let's hurry back and talk about it when we get back."

"Alright, how's your lightness skill coming along? Do you need me to take you away?"

"Hold my hand, it'll make me feel more at ease." Still a little traumatized from her recent fall, Leng Jie was hesitant to use her light-footed skills. She offered her hand to Qingfeng, who carried her into the air.

[Main Text: Chapter Fifty-Five - Late-Night Conversation by Candlelight]

Qingfeng and Lengjie returned to Qingfeng Residence and went into Lengjie's room. The two sat facing each other at the table by the window and began their first all-night conversation since they met.

A night breeze blew in through the window, lifting the delicate curtains and creating ripples. Moonlight shattered and scattered across the floor.

On a romantic night, a handsome man and a beautiful woman are alone in a room, talking by candlelight, a scene that evokes images of tender romance and passionate love. However, their conversation has nothing to do with romance. What a spoilsport!

Qingfeng picked up the teapot on the table and poured tea for Lengjie while saying:

"Ask away, what do you want to know? Is it about your father?"

She knew Qingfeng was afraid that if she knew about Prime Minister Leng, it would be detrimental to the Emperor. That's why she didn't ask him. Since he took the initiative to tell her today, she decided to reassure him.

"Qingfeng, rest assured, no matter what grudges the Leng family has against the Emperor, or what the Emperor has done to wrong the Leng family, I will not pursue it, much less seek revenge. I simply want to learn more about this dynasty. I have been reading many historical books and documents these days. I thought I knew quite a bit, but just now, when I was talking to Eunuch Fu, I simply asked, 'Does the Emperor have many brothers?' He was surprised and asked if I was from the Jinghe Dynasty?"

"Is that why you used that sorcery on Eunuch Fu?" Qingfeng asked softly.

Here we go again. How did it become sorcery? Leng Jie rolled her eyes and corrected her:

"It's hypnosis! Don't mention sorcery again, it's as if I'm some kind of demon or monster."

However, if others knew that she was a lonely soul from a thousand years later, they would surely mistake her for a demon and capture her!

Qingfeng remained noncommittal, avoiding the word, and explained it to her instead:

"It's normal for Eunuch Fu to think that way because he doesn't know you have amnesia. Don't blame him, because everyone in the Jinghe Dynasty knows the touching story of the late Emperor and Empress's deep love. After the late Empress gave birth to two princes for the late Emperor, her health was damaged and she could no longer have children. So the late Emperor decreed that he would not have any more children. He named the eldest prince the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince studied literature and the way of governing the country from a young age. The second prince studied martial arts. He was personally taught martial arts by the late Empress."

"Is the current emperor the second prince? And what about the crown prince? And isn't the former empress you're talking about the current Empress Dowager Shui?" Leng Jie asked, focusing on the key points.

"His Majesty is indeed the Second Prince. The Crown Prince committed suicide in the Crown Prince's palace three years ago after his rebellion failed. Consort Shui was made Empress because she was credited with reporting the Crown Prince's rebellion. The late Emperor, grieving the loss of his beloved son, granted Consort Shui permission to give birth to the Third Prince. Less than a month after the Third Prince's birth, the late Emperor passed away, leaving a will to pass the throne to the Second Prince. Consort Shui naturally became the Empress Dowager," Qingfeng answered succinctly.

"The Crown Prince is plotting a rebellion? Isn't the throne going to him sooner or later? He only has one brother. If he can just deal with his brother, why would he need to plot a rebellion? That doesn't make sense. By the way, what about that empress who is skilled in martial arts?" The late emperor couldn't have seen through such an obvious conspiracy.

"The late Empress Dowager couldn't forgive the late Emperor for expanding his harem. She fell ill from resentment and passed away ten years ago. If the late Empress Dowager were still alive, the Crown Prince would never have done such a thing. Only after the late Empress Dowager's death did the late Emperor realize that he had failed her."

Then, all his favor was bestowed upon the Second Prince, who bore a striking resemblance to the Empress. He was also to be entrusted with the secret service, a force reserved only for the Emperor. The Second Prince, eager to leave the palace and roam the world, refused. However, the Crown Prince learned of this, and his growing jealousy towards the Second Prince intensified. Ultimately, he even hired assassins to hunt down the Second Prince… It was during that time that I met the Emperor; I happened to save him and Zi Ying from serious injury.”

Another tedious royal family squabble. It seems similar things happen in every dynasty and every time. But what does this have to do with her? Why was she sent here without her consent? Although her hands aren't clean, she's never done anything against her conscience or the interests of the nation! Leng Jie asked, helplessly, a question that was directly relevant to her:

What does all this have to do with the cold phase?

Qingfeng paused for a moment, then stammered, "This... I don't know either. Three years ago, when the palace was in turmoil, the Second Prince and I were at the border. When we fought our way back from the battlefield, the late emperor had already been buried, leaving only the edict in the hands of Prime Minister Leng..."

Hearing this, Leng Jie had basically figured out what happened next, so she interrupted Qingfeng, saying, "Because of that imperial edict that seemed extremely favorable to the foolish Empress, the Emperor concluded that the ultimate beneficiaries were Prime Minister Leng and his daughter. Therefore, he suspected that the palace coup was orchestrated by Prime Minister Leng? Then he cooperated with the Shui family, the only force at the time capable of opposing Prime Minister Leng, to try and uncover the truth. But instead of uncovering the truth, he only forced Prime Minister Leng to withdraw from the political arena, leading to the current situation where the Shui family holds absolute power. If I'm not mistaken, the Shui family must have provided a lot of 'evidence' of Prime Minister Leng's crimes, right? And those pieces of evidence regarding the Crown Prince's treason and hiring assassins to kill the Second Prince were also provided by the Shui family, weren't they? Or perhaps the Shui family has always been part of the Crown Prince's faction."

Qingfeng stared at Leng Jie in astonishment, his mind racing with doubts about whether she had truly lost her memory. Then, without thinking, he nodded and said:

"Did your father tell you this?"

"These are my deductions. His Majesty must be realizing by now that he's been tricked by the Shui family, right?" Seeing Qingfeng pause again, he knew he was right once more and continued:

"Then His Majesty must have a way to deal with the Shui family now, right?"

Seeing that Qingfeng was in a difficult position, Leng Jie didn't want to make things harder for him. "You don't need to answer this question."

"At the time, all the clues pointed to Prime Minister Leng, but every time we were about to uncover the truth, the leads would be deliberately cut off. Naturally, we assumed Prime Minister Leng was behind it. We investigated for three years without any results. A month ago, Prime Minister Leng resigned. The Emperor started to panic. It wasn't until you pointed out last time that the late Emperor's purpose in establishing a foolish Empress might have been to create a check and balance between the Shui and Leng families that the Emperor finally understood..."

"Dong, dong, dong, dong," four watchmen's drumbeats sounded outside. It was past midnight. Leng Jie yawned and said:

"Ah! I won't be sleeping tonight. One last question: what's the deal with that ANBU?"

Qingfeng replied, “The Dark Army is a powerful force hidden among the common people by the royal family. It has infiltrated all walks of life, and after many years of accumulation, its power is immeasurable. Its system is very rigorous, and they only obey the commands of secret codes. These codes are personally passed down from each emperor to the next. The reason why the emperor is currently constrained in every way is because the ministers all know that he still has not yet gained control of the Dark Army.”

"So, no one in the world knows what the code is? Why don't the secret police contact the Emperor? Isn't the Emperor their master?"

Wasn't this supposed to be the last question? Qingfeng replied helplessly:

“The people in the Dark Guard all have their own duties and missions. Most of them are hereditary successors. Nobody knows about their special status. They don’t even know each other. As for how the Emperor controls them, only the previous emperors know that.” To prevent her from asking any further questions, Qingfeng added, “It’s almost dawn. Get ready for the morning court session. Take a half-day break from your training today, and catch up on some sleep after court.”

Leng Jie was marveling at how powerful intelligence organizations existed in this era. Suddenly, Qingfeng mentioned the upcoming court session, so she quickly told him about Eunuch Fu summoning her to the Imperial Study and how the Emperor had been injured that afternoon while saving her.

"I promised Eunuch Fu that I would go to the Imperial Study after court..."

When Qingfeng heard that she was going to the Imperial Study to accompany the Emperor, he felt very uncomfortable. When he heard that she had fallen from the tree, his heart tightened even more. When he heard that it was Xuanyuan who risked his life to save him, a feeling of bitterness welled up involuntarily. He regretted that he had allowed her to practice her lightness skill on her own, knowing that she was a novice and yet so bold. Therefore, he resolutely decided that he would keep a close eye on her whenever she practiced.

[Chapter 56: Making Plans]

At the morning court session, Leng Jie noticed that the Emperor's complexion had improved considerably. Her only worry subsided. The court discussions revolved around the same old, tired issues, which Leng Jie ignored, lost in her own thoughts.

It wasn't until Eunuch Fu loudly announced the end of the court session that she came to her senses and followed the Emperor's carriage to the Imperial Study.

Xuanyuan had been observing Wuming all morning and noticed he was constantly distracted and lost in thought. Seeing that Wuming had followed him all the way to the Imperial Study, he assumed he was still daydreaming and had taken the wrong path, even secretly hoping he would stay lost, so he didn't remind him. It wasn't until he saw that Eunuch Fu had brought him two breakfasts that he realized Wuming had actually come to keep him company. A warmth immediately welled up in his heart; he thought Wuming must be helping him process the memorials to repay him for saving him.

"Your Majesty, where is your shadow guard?" Leng Jie asked, breaking the silence as she ate a steamed bun.

"Uh..." Xuanyuan was completely taken aback; his first question wasn't "Your Majesty, how is your injury?" but rather, "Where did Ying go?" After a moment of stunned silence, he replied, "He left the palace last night after treating my injuries. Are you looking for him?"

"No," Leng Jie pressed, "He's managing Longmen?"

"Yes!" He answered quickly this time. To avoid worrying him, Xuanyuan took a sip of porridge and said, "Ying has a good impression of you. He will definitely take care of you when you go there."

"Can I say I don't want to go to Longmen now?" Leng Jie asked softly.

"Cough! Cough!..." Xuan Yuan choked on a mouthful of porridge, coughing violently and glaring at Leng Jie from time to time. Back then, when he and Qing Feng both disagreed with him going to Longmen, he made up a whole bunch of reasons to insist on going. Now he suddenly says he's not going anymore—such a childish attitude.

While massaging the Emperor's back to help him catch his breath, Eunuch Fu gave Leng Jie a meaningful look. Leng Jie, quite consciously, remained silent.

Finally, the coughing stopped, and Xuanyuan caught his breath. Trying to suppress his anger, he asked in a gentle tone:

"You don't want to go to Lungmen anymore? Because of Shadow?"

"Yes, I thought that since you were injured, no one in Longmen would care about you anymore. So I thought I would go and help you. Now that I know there is a great hero named Ying over there, there is no point in me going." Leng Jie tried her best to make her words more tactful.

Hearing Wuming say that his initial intention in going to Longmen was to help him, a small ripple stirred in Xuanyuan's heart. After thinking for a moment, he spoke:

"So, do you want to stay at Qingfeng Residence and continue being Xiaomingzi? Or do you want to go back to being nameless? How about I bestow a title upon you?" If that's the case, I will agree not to go to Longmen, because I'm also worried that with your mediocre skills, you might not be able to keep those martial arts masters in check at Longmen.

"I will finish being Xiaomingzi for this month. After you close the net, I will return to Tianmu Mountain with my senior brother." Leng Jie thought that this was already more than enough. You wanted to harm me, but I, this young lady, repaid evil with kindness and helped you.

Xuanyuan's expression changed drastically, and he said resolutely, "No! You can't leave, and neither can Qingfeng."

Leng Jie did not immediately argue, but stared thoughtfully at Xuan Yuan's face, as if trying to see through him, or as if trying to find a flower on his face.

Because of his exceptionally handsome appearance, Xuanyuan had been stared at by countless people since childhood. Therefore, he hated being stared at. Being stared at like this by Wuming made him very uncomfortable; he unconsciously frowned and got goosebumps. He couldn't help but speak up to stop him:

"What kind of look is that? Don't look at me like that, it's creepy!"

A moment later, Leng Jie suddenly asked, "Your Majesty, has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful? You are truly beautiful, more beautiful than the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!"

Xuanyuan's face flushed red, then purple, and finally green. He glared at Leng Jie, opened his mouth, his lips moved a few times, but he couldn't utter a word.

Hearing Leng Jie's words, Eunuch Fu, who had been standing nearby, immediately recalled how the Empress had always praised the Emperor's beauty when he was a child. He couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly noticing the Emperor's expression, he knew the Emperor was angered again and quickly tried to smooth things over:

"His Majesty is handsome; how can you describe him as beautiful?"

Leng Jie said sarcastically:

“All beautiful things can be described as beautiful. Of course, beauty can be divided into inner and outer beauty. Someone like the Emperor, who has a handsome appearance and a heart that loves his people like his own children, is considered to have both inner and outer beauty. Someone like you, Eunuch Fu, who may not have a great appearance but is extremely loyal, can also be considered to have inner beauty.”

Before they could answer, he continued with a half-smile, "Your Majesty, may I ask you a question? Why are you so resistant to taking concubines? Why are there no palace maids in your Dragon Palace? Is it because you have some special hobby?"

Xuanyuan's face suddenly turned ashen, comparable to Guan Yu's. The veins on his forehead were almost bulging. The chill emanating from his body froze the air within three feet around him. His cold gaze swept over Eunuch Fu and then stopped on Leng Jie. It seemed he wanted to freeze that mouth of his, which always had the power to bring the dead back to life, with his coldness.