Принцесса Сянси

Глава 6

"Is that so?" Zhang Weiyi lowered her eyes and responded faintly.

"However, I am not as skilled in medicine as my senior master, so there is always a chance that my predictions are inaccurate."

“A good teacher produces outstanding students, so I naturally believe you.” A faint purple hue appeared in Zhang Weiyi’s eyes. “I have fulfilled my responsibilities as a son, but he has not fulfilled his responsibilities as a father. Why should I care so much?” He paused for a moment, then seemed to smile faintly. “Although he was not a good emperor, he was a devoted lover.”

"Isn't being devoted to one person good?" Xu Lianning asked calmly.

Zhang Weiyi's expression was somewhat complicated: "I have always hoped that the identity of Zhu Youhan does not exist. Zhu Youhan is going to marry someone of equal status, and being devoted to someone would only add to the sadness. If it were Zhang Weiyi, she would definitely spend her life with the person she cares about."

Xu Lianning smiled and said, "If Your Highness were to say these words to someone you care about, it would surely be twice as effective."

Zhang Weiyi gave a half-smile: "Not necessarily."

As they were talking, a white dove fluttered its wings and landed on the carved railing of the corridor. Its dark eyes darted around, and then it let out a soft coo. Xu Lianning's expression changed slightly. She stepped forward and took a wax pellet from the dove's leg. Zhang Weiyi said indifferently, "I'll go back to my study first. I'll come find you later." Xu Lianning crushed the wax pellet and pulled out a thin white silk handkerchief, which was covered with writing. She read a few lines, then turned and called to Zhang Weiyi, "Young Master Zhang, I'm afraid I can't stay in the capital any longer." Zhang Weiyi stopped and turned to look at her. "Is it something urgent?" He paused slightly, then added, "I won't keep you here. But is there anything I can do for you?" Xu Lianning held the white silk handkerchief. "It's not that urgent. I can go see the Emperor later before I leave." Zhang Weiyi didn't speak and turned to walk towards his study.

In the afternoon, Xu Lianning went to the palace again to inquire about the Emperor's health. The eunuchs attending to him said that although the Emperor was still weak, he could now drink soup. Zhang Weiyi listened silently, his expression extremely indifferent. Only after leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation did Xu Lianning turn back to look at him: "You're too concerned with saving face. You're clearly happy inside, but you seem afraid others will know." Zhang Weiyi smiled noncommittally: "Is that so?"

Xu Lianning smiled faintly: "After leaving the palace, it will be time to take my leave. Thank you for your care these past few days, Young Master Zhang."

"I haven't done anything special. But, do you really not want me to do anything of my small part?"

She looked up at him and saw that he had his head slightly lowered, his expression very calm, but somewhat different from usual: "I can't think of anything right now, can we leave it for later?"

Zhang Weiyi raised her hand and lifted the carriage curtain: "Alright."

The two parted ways outside the city, and Xu Lianning hired a carriage to head south. Once out of central Hebei, he had the driver take him to Nanjing Prefecture, while he traveled alone via a detour.

The storm rises again, then the clouds disperse.

Nanjing, formerly known as Stone City, was the capital of many dynasties throughout history. The Ming Dynasty initially established its capital in Nanjing, but Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di) moved the capital to Beijing after ascending the throne.

The greasy streets, the simple stalls, the enthusiastic vendors, and the steaming hot buns and tofu pudding fresh from the steamer all possess a unique and vibrant charm. Not far from the city gate lies the southern suburbs, a small village nestled against the mountainsides with terraced tea gardens, where the occasional strains of singing can be heard.

A woman in a light green dress stood on the hillside, gazing at the smoke rising from the farmhouses in the distance. Her expression was calm and serene, yet it only made her seem more aloof. Someone approached from behind and smiled slightly, saying, "I just saw Miss Xu in the city. I thought I must have mistaken her for someone else."

She turned around, a faint smile on her face: "Isn't Young Master Sikong in the capital with the Princess? What are you doing here?"

Sikong Yu looked away and said slowly, "I used to live here, but I haven't been back for a long time, so it feels unfamiliar."

Xu Lianning looked at him without saying a word.

"Shaolin in the North, Wudang in the South, two manors, three palaces, five aristocratic families. It seems that the so-called aristocratic families are the most unreliable." Sikong Yu's voice was slightly bitter. "Young Master Tianjian took on the responsibility of Mingjian Manor at the young age of twenty. Over the years, I have always wanted to learn from him, but I have never been able to catch up."

"So you're a descendant of the Sikong family." Xu Lianning said thoughtfully. "Young Master Sikong, there's no need to belittle yourself. Young Master Tianjian must have suffered a lot back then, but no one knows about it." The so-called five great families had all declined many years ago, none of them escaping unscathed. The Sikong family and the Shen family of Jinling were even wiped out overnight.

“I remember it was the 12th year of Chenghua, almost 8 years ago. I went home with my master to visit my parents, only to find ruins.” He was usually gentle and refined, but now his face was slightly distorted, with a hint of murderous intent. “I’ve been investigating all these years, but I still haven’t found anything, let alone avenged myself. Fortunately, recently, due to some fortuitous events, I finally found some clues.” Xu Lianning smiled faintly: “I hope Young Master Sikong can avenge his great grudge.” As soon as she finished speaking, Sikong Yu suddenly approached, his weapon close to her neck: “Everyone says that the Master of Liushao Pavilion in Lingxuan Palace is skilled in the Six Arts. Even if his martial arts are mediocre, he is exceptionally intelligent. Master Xu, it seems you are not as good as your predecessors.” Xu Lianning did not dodge or flinch: “That happened in the 12th year of Chenghua. I was only twelve or thirteen years old then. Does Young Master Sikong think I have the ability to wipe out your entire family?”

"It wasn't you, but it was Lingxuan Palace that did this! At the time, everyone thought it was the remnants of the Tianshang Sect taking revenge, but little did they know that Lingxuan Palace had secretly laid out its influence in the Central Plains. Even in this Nanjing Prefecture, there are your sentries."

Xu Lianning gently pushed away the weapon pressed against her neck: "So you came here to get me to take you to the hidden sentries of Lingxuan Palace. I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. Because the hidden sentries here have been destroyed." She took out a thin white silk: "Take a look for yourself. If you don't believe me, you might as well go and find out for yourself."

She had just taken a step when she felt a chill run down her spine, as the other person said, "I was originally asking Pavilion Master Xu to lead the way."

Xu Lianning showed no anger whatsoever, and still smiled slightly: "The daytime is far less exciting than the dark and windy night. Young Master Sikong, don't blame me for not saying this, but I hate it most when people threaten me with weapons."

Sikong Yu sheathed his sword and followed behind her: "Sect Leader Xu's lightness skill is unparalleled, this is just a temporary measure."

Seeing him follow closely, Xu Lianning said leisurely, "Young Master Sikong, you are now focused on revenge. What are your plans after you get your revenge? Or have you ever considered that you may never be able to get this revenge?"

Sikong Yu was completely confused: "Unless the person who harmed my whole family back then is already dead. As far as I know, your sect's palace master is still alive. The rest is none of your concern, Pavilion Master Xu."

Xu Lianning chose bustling streets, strolling from Lanyue Lane in the south of the city to Fuyuan Restaurant in the east. Sikong Yu initially kept a straight face, but gradually became confused, and eventually ate at the same table. Xu Lianning picked up her chopsticks and tapped his hand lightly, a half-smile on her face: "You dare to eat things I've touched?" Sikong Yu momentarily forgot that she was an expert in pharmacology, but he couldn't vomit up what he had already eaten.

Xu Lianning rested her chin on her hand, a faint smile playing on her lips: "So you believed everything I said casually."

Sikong Yu was stunned. The bamboo chopsticks in his hand trembled and fell to the ground. He immediately came to his senses and lowered his voice to ask, "Miss Xu, how did you learn this kind of kung fu?"

The other person casually picked up some food and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

“Lingxuan Palace is a prestigious sect, yet you, as its leader, have learned such seductive arts. How can you be so shameless…” Sikong Yu wanted to say that he was shameless, but he held back.

Xu Lianning put down his bamboo chopsticks, remaining noncommittal: "Young Master Sikong, you should strive to be a gentleman, but not everyone is like you. What is pure is not necessarily truly clean, and what is stained with ink is not necessarily dirty."

Before Sikong Yu could speak, a chilling voice from the next table said, "A girl speaking so unpleasantly, be careful this young master doesn't reject you." Xu Lianning looked over and saw a thin, desolate face that looked no longer young and seemed to be in poor health, with a slightly sickly complexion. She smiled slightly and said, "Senior, you misunderstand. I am being held hostage by this young master."

The man looked at her face, seemingly slightly startled, then calmed down: "I can't see that coming from you. Or is this young master too easy to deal with?" He stood up, his wide sleeves fluttering slightly: "Your surname is Xu, isn't it? We part today, but we'll meet again someday." With that, he turned and left the restaurant.

Xu Lianning didn't pay much attention and stood up, saying, "Young Master Sikong, please enjoy your meal. I'm going to take a nap now."

Sikong Yu hesitated for a moment, then stood up and followed. This person, despite being threatened with his life, was living a very comfortable life. It was truly beyond words.

As evening fell, Xu Lianning finally opened the door and came out, looking at Sikong Yu pacing outside: "Are you coming with me dressed like this?" Sikong Yu's clothes were simple and plain, not luxurious, but they gave him a gentle, scholarly air. He was taken aback by her words, then composed himself and said, "I'm going to seek justice, not to steal. Pavilion Master Xu, you should be mindful of the current situation, after all, you're being coerced by me." Earlier, Sikong Yu had calmed down and thought things through, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, so he immediately retorted.

Xu Lianning smiled faintly: "Young Master Sikong is a gentleman, how could he care about such trivial matters?"

Sikong Yu was speechless at the retort, and could only say, "Let's go."

Xu Lianning didn't say much and immediately took him to the residence in the north of the city: "The sentries here are under the jurisdiction of Hai Tiange."

Sikong Yu naturally knew that Lingxuan Palace had four pavilions: Huiyue, Haitian, Zhaixing, and Liushao. Huiyue was the first, Haitian the second, and Liushao the last. He said, "Your senior sister doesn't care that her place has been destroyed, but you came first. It seems that you two have a deep bond."

Xu Lianning chuckled, "There's a mechanism here that leads underground. I reckon if anyone's still in the house, they're probably down there." She approached the hall, lifted the wolf-skin rug in the center, revealing a round iron plate embedded in the ground. She turned the plate, and with a click, a stone slab flipped up. She stood up, found a candlestick, lit it, and examined the area around the slab closely for a while before stepping onto the stairs beneath. Sikong Yu stopped her, "Wait a little longer, until the stagnant air dissipates before going in."

Xu Lianning glanced at him, her tone sarcastic: "You're quite observant." Indeed, one is influenced by one's company. Having only spent a month with Zhang Weiyi, she hadn't even figured out his martial arts skills yet, but he'd already picked up ninety percent of his sharp tongue.

Sikong Yu realized the other person wasn't praising him. After a long pause, he said, "Let's go down now," and walked ahead. After crossing the stairs, they came to a fork in the road. Xu Lianning said calmly, "Go left." Sikong Yu took two steps, then suddenly felt his knees buckle and he collapsed to the ground, realizing he'd been ambushed from behind. Before he could even question her, he heard a whooshing sound above him—the sound of projectiles clashing. He turned to Xu Lianning: "Couldn't you have given me a heads-up? Did you have to do this?" Xu Lianning replied innocently, "I was afraid it wouldn't be time."

The rapid, clanging of hidden weapons lasted for about half a cup of tea's time before gradually subsiding. Xu Lianning stood up and walked beside him, saying, "This side has the fewest traps. It would be much more troublesome if we went to the right or the middle." Sikong Yu remained silent. After rounding a bend, she said, "Use your lightness skill to leap over." Sikong Yu didn't understand, but he did as she said. Suddenly, a patch of steel spikes appeared beneath his feet. Stepping on them would be a painful experience, piercing straight through the instep. Xu Lianning landed gracefully and immediately leaped onto the overhead beam, pulling Sikong Yu up with her. Below, hidden weapons rained down, creating a spectacular scene. After the barrage, the stone slab flipped up, and all the fallen weapons collapsed, before returning to their original state.

"If it weren't for you leading the way, even if we found the mechanism and came down tonight, we wouldn't be able to get back," Sikong Yu said sincerely.

Xu Lianning smiled faintly: "That's nothing serious."

The two had reached the end in the blink of an eye, where they found a small room with water and dry rations. Sikong Yu looked at the cabinet in the corner, walked over and opened it, and saw a person huddled inside.

It was a little girl, a little girl in red. She raised her round face, glanced timidly at Sikong Yu, and then lowered her head again. Sikong Yu squatted down and said gently, "What are you doing here?" The girl looked at him innocently, "Isn't big brother a bad person?"

Sikong Yu nodded: "Why are you the only one left here? Where is everyone else?"

"Everyone else... Waaah... Everyone else is gone, even Daddy is gone..." Her big eyes welled up with tears, her little mouth trembled, and tears fell.

Sikong Yu gently comforted her, and after a long while she calmed down. Then Xu Lianning spoke coolly from behind, "It's stuffy in here, I think I'll go out first." Sikong Yu stood up, but found that the girl was tightly holding onto his clothes, and her eyes were full of fear as she looked at Xu Lianning: "She is also a member of Lingxuan Palace, just like your father and the others."

The little girl pointed at her and said loudly, "Uncle Yang said that she is a demon in disguise, born to harm people. Except for that pretty Sister He, everyone else is a bad person."

Xu Lianning listened and chuckled, "You seem to know quite a lot." She paused slightly and said, "I remember when we first joined Lingxuan Palace, there were about a hundred fellow disciples, but now there are only four of us left. As long as we don't go too far, Master won't interfere. Senior Sister He from Haitian Pavilion is naturally no less knowledgeable."

Sikong Yu was somewhat incredulous: "You mean, you've always been fighting amongst yourselves?"

Xu Lianning didn't answer, but simply turned around and said, "If you want to stay here, I won't force you."

Sikong Yu picked up the little girl and silently followed behind her. After turning around a few times, the space suddenly opened up, and they finally emerged from the underground chamber. Xu Lianning stood in the hall for a while, then walked to a shelf full of antiques and seemed to take something. The little girl, with her sharp eyes, immediately cried out, "Quickly put down Uncle Yang's things!" and then shrank behind Sikong Yu.

Xu Lianning seemed startled, and the object in her hand clattered to the ground, shattering into several pieces. It appeared to be a porcelain vase. She looked at the little girl and smiled slightly, "It's just a porcelain vase, why worry so much? Look, it's broken now." Sikong Yu glanced at her and said, "Miss Xu, are you truly unaware of what happened to my family back then?"

Xu Lianning pursed her lips: "If Lingxuan Palace really did what happened to your family back then, are you going to get rid of me now to take revenge?"

Sikong Yu was taken aback, slightly bewildered. He recalled their encounter on the official road before the rain; this woman, dressed in a light green robe, had quietly looked at him. He remembered the methods she had used to drive Mo Ran to her death, and everything that had happened that day. He could only say, "If you could stay out of it..."

Xu Lianning looked at him, her tone slightly mocking: "Do you think I would betray Lingxuan Palace? I know very well how I got to where I am today." Her robes fluttered as she stood at the entrance of the hall, turning back to say: "Young Master Sikong, do you really think you have the ability to coerce me?" Suddenly, she rose into the air, a crimson sword light bursting forth, splitting a large tree in the courtyard in half, then with a twist of her body, she floated away lightly into the distance.

From retreating to the doorway to drawing his sword and severing the tree, it all happened in an instant. Sikong Yu didn't even have time to stop him.

"Big brother, what do you want to know about your family? Maybe I know something." The girl blinked, looking adorable.

"Looking at you now, you weren't even born back then, how would you know?" Sikong Yu smiled wryly.

"Big brother, you can't judge a book by its cover. How do you know I wasn't born back then?" A strange smile suddenly appeared on the little face, and with lightning speed, he struck his pressure point. "Back then, I was standing outside your house, waiting for people to escape from inside. If one came out, I'd kill one; if two came out, I'd kill both."

Sikong Yu felt bitter and involuntarily collapsed to the ground.

"Actually, I'm quite afraid of that Pavilion Master Xu. She wanted to kill me the moment she saw me. She's not as easily fooled as you." Her little mouth pouted slightly, looking innocent and naive. "It's such a pity she escaped like that, but now that I think about it, it's not so bad. At least big brother is easier to fool, right?" She approached step by step, a curved knife appearing in her hand. Sikong Yu didn't look at her, only continuously channeling his internal energy to try and break free of his acupoints. The little girl reached him, paused, and suddenly sat down on the ground: "I didn't expect you to poison me!"

Sikong Yu was at a crucial moment in his cultivation when he was startled to find his dantian suddenly empty. He tried breathing in twice more, but the result was the same. Moonlight slowly streamed in through the window, indicating that the moon had risen high in the courtyard. Neither of them spoke, and after an unknown amount of time, a faint figure stood before them.

The hem of the dress was light blue, with a light green silk sash tied at the waist, and the sleeves were adorned with exquisite Suzhou embroidery.

The woman in red, who was lying on the ground, stirred slightly.

Sikong Yu slightly raised his head, revealing a faint, alluring cinnabar mark between her brows. She lowered herself, bringing the red lacquered bowl in her hand to his lips, and then poured the contents down his throat. Sikong Yu choked, then felt a metallic, bitter taste in his mouth, making it extremely difficult to swallow. He calmed his breathing: "So you didn't leave."

Xu Lianning said calmly, "I went to get water just now. The poison you were given was from the blue silk, which was in the porcelain bottle I broke earlier. The antidote is water." She straightened up and said in a calm tone, "Young Master Sikong is truly a gentleman. He believes everything others say without question. You look down on my unorthodox methods, and I look down on people like you."

She turned and took two steps, then turned back and said, "Now I've figured out what I needed to investigate, and I have to thank you for that." Her steps were light and quick, and she disappeared in an instant.

Sikong Yu watched her retreating figure, unsure whether to smile bitterly or feel annoyed.

"I didn't expect you to be so cunning at such a young age." A chilling voice carried on the wind to her ears. Xu Lianning stopped and looked around, but there wasn't a soul in sight. She naturally remembered that voice; it belonged to the person sitting next to her at the restaurant at noon: "Sir, such praise is truly undeserved. May I ask if you would grant me an audience?"

The shadows of the trees swayed slightly, and a figure headed east. Xu Lianning immediately followed. The distance between them had initially been more than ten feet, but after about ten minutes, it had gradually closed. Confident in her superior lightness skill, Xu Lianning tried her best to keep up, but after several miles, her breathing became unsteady. However, the person ahead still seemed tireless, their clothes fluttering in the wind. She frowned slightly and forced herself to continue.

The person ahead deliberately chose the steep mountain path, leaving a trail of dust in their wake. Later, Xu Lianning was exhausted, her heart aching as if it were being torn apart, and she involuntarily slowed her pace. Unexpectedly, the person also slowed down, as if waiting for her. She gritted her teeth and had no choice but to force herself to keep up. By now, the sky was beginning to lighten. This rapid run using her lightness skill had lasted about two hours. Although Xu Lianning hadn't caught up with the other person, she suddenly felt a sense of relief. Her breathing gradually returned to normal, her clothes were soaked with sweat, and a chill ran through her as the wind blew. The person stopped, turned around, grabbed her wrist, and said, "Come with me."

Xu Lianning felt that the hand gripping her wrist was cold, with rough fingertips, but not violent. The person looked to be well past forty, with some gray at the temples, black hair, and deep-set features that exuded a cold and hard aura.

The man stopped outside an inn, which wasn't open yet. He kicked the door open and walked in calmly. The innkeeper, hearing the commotion, hastily threw on his clothes and came out, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of them. The man released Xu Lianning and sat down at the table: "Serve the food." Xu Lianning immediately and obediently sat down at the table. The poor innkeeper, never having seen anything like this, stood there dumbfounded. The man snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and the sharp wind from his sleeve split the chair beside him in two: "Do I have to say it again?"

The shopkeeper's face was ashen, and he was trembling uncontrollably.

Xu Lianning looked over and said calmly, "Manager, bring out our signature dishes first, and then ask for two rooms, preferably some quiet ones." The manager snapped out of his daze and went downstairs tremblingly.

Xu Lianning humbly replied, "I do not know your name, senior."

"My surname is Xiao," the man said without even lifting his eyelids, "Xiao Liang."

Xu Lianning was taken aback; she had never heard of this name before. Furthermore, this person's martial arts skills were far beyond her reach, even if she tried her best, she wouldn't be a fraction of theirs, and even someone as skilled as Zhang Weiyi was far inferior. Worse still, she hadn't been able to discern the other party's intentions from beginning to end.

"You come from a prestigious school, so how come your martial arts skills are such a mess?" Xiao Liang looked at her and asked coldly.

"Mr. Xiao, you may not know this, but Lian Ning has never been suited to martial arts since childhood. In his haste to advance, he even went astray."

Xiao Liang nodded but remained silent. Xu Lianning knew he was unpredictable and was happy to keep quiet. After dinner, they each returned to their rooms to rest. As evening approached, Xiao Liang again used his lightness skill to travel southeast. This continued for the next ten days or so. At first, Xu Lianning often lacked internal energy, but as time went on, she was able to walk alongside Xiao Liang. Xiao Liang disliked disturbances, and Xu Lianning arranged all the food and lodging for them. He wasn't like someone pampered, but he was quite particular about his clothing, food, and lodging; if the dishes were delicious, he would eat more than he should.

A month later, the two had arrived in Hubei Province and were not far from Wudang Mountain.

At the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang favored Taoism over Buddhism, and Wudang's influence consistently surpassed that of Shaolin. When Prince Yan, Zhu Di, ascended the throne, he allocated funds to renovate Taoist temples and officially designated Wudang Taoism as the state religion. The current Wudang Taoist temples were all built during that period. Subsequent emperors also issued annual decrees for repairs and gifts, resulting in Wudang's flourishing incense offerings. Furthermore, the martial arts tournament that lasted for over a month was hosted by Wudang.

"Go rent a quiet house and don't let anyone bother you," Xiao Liang said calmly as soon as they entered Suizhou City. Xu Lianning replied, "I used to have a place in the back alley here. It's very quiet, but it needs some cleaning."

Xiao Liang looked at her, his tone indifferent: "This isn't exactly a scenic spot, what are you doing living here?"

Xu Lianning smiled faintly, "I come here occasionally to reminisce about old friends and acquaintances."

As they spoke, the two reached the end of the back alley. Xu Lianning stepped forward and pushed open the wooden door of the courtyard: "This is it. When I'm not here, the aunt next door takes care of it. I'll go and tell her later." Xiao Liang looked around. The courtyard was spacious, with only one main courtyard. The tables and chairs were all made of bamboo, not particularly expensive but still quite elegant. The tea set was a complete set of celadon, a common type of porcelain in Jiangnan.

Xiao Liang lay on the armchair in the courtyard, eyes closed in rest, which meant he had said everything he needed to say. Xu Lianning, understanding the situation, closed the door and left. Over the past month, she had paid close attention to him, gaining a general understanding of his tastes and preferences. She also suspected that Xiao Liang wasn't his real name; given his skills and temperament, he couldn't possibly be unknown in the martial arts world. But since he wouldn't say, she wouldn't ask. Besides, after spending this time together, she had sensed that Mr. Xiao meant her no harm.

"I'll let you off this time, but if I see you again, I won't be so lenient!" A slightly childish male voice came from ahead. Xu Lianning paused, and saw a man in a black Taoist robe squeeze out from the crowd. His features were still somewhat childish, and he looked like a teenager, but his build was quite sturdy.