Принцесса Сянси

Глава 35

Zhang Weiyi raised an eyebrow slightly, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated: "I have nothing to be dissatisfied with."

Xu Lianning silently wrung out his clothes and laid them flat beside the fire. She noticed that besides the Tai Chi sword and some personal belongings, he also had a celadon bottle with something inside that seemed to be buzzing. She casually placed the bottle and the broken jade flute together, then moved closer to him: "But you've been very good to me, I know that. I've never hated you."

He paused, then said self-deprecatingly, "In that case, I really miscalculated, making him someone I can't help but love or hate." He turned his head, the firelight reflecting on his lonely profile. Xu Lianning couldn't quite put her finger on how shameless he looked, but whatever she said would only hurt him, so she decided to say nothing.

Zhang Weiyi lay down beside her knees and slowly closed his eyes.

As Xu Lianning listened to the wind and rain outside the cave, she recalled every little detail from the moment they first met. As she thought about it, it felt like a lifetime had passed.

Around midnight, Zhang Weiyi started to run a fever, probably tormented by nightmares again, his teeth clenched and his expression terrifying. Xu Lianning sighed, her wrist suddenly tightening, the grip causing excruciating pain, her wrist bones cracking faintly. She frowned and endured the pain, her other hand resting on his forehead, slowly sliding down his profile.

Zhang Weiyi's forehead was burning hot, and she tossed and turned, occasionally uttering a few words in her sleep, though they were indistinct. Xu Lianning leaned down to listen; she seemed to have called out names like "Father" and "Mother," but the last word was her own. Her eyes stung slightly, but her vision blurred, and she didn't shed a tear.

When Zhang Weiyi opened his eyes, he saw the sunlight streaming in from outside the cave, slightly dazzling. He moved and realized that he had been holding Xu Lianning's wrist the whole time, and she was leaning over him with her eyes closed, breathing evenly. He sat up, feeling sore all over, but still feeling relatively refreshed.

Xu Lianning was immediately startled awake and opened her eyes to look at him.

Zhang Weiyi smiled faintly: "Did I wake you up?"

Xu Lianning also sat up and shook her head, saying, "It's time to wake up."

Zhang Weiyi lowered her head slightly, then suddenly sighed: "Seeing how easily you found this cave, you must have a way out, right?"

Xu Lianning hummed in agreement, but saw his expression dim for a moment before returning to normal: "That's good, it won't ruin anything important."

What exactly do you mean by "big thing"?

Zhang Weiyi paused for a moment, then said, "Let me think about it and see if I can tell you."

"Since this matter cannot be discussed, could Young Master Zhang explain why you were able to find us at Shennongping?" Su Ling asked indifferently, holding several white-shelled, black-spotted eggs in her hands. "Lian Ning, you must be hungry too. It's a pity we only found a nest of bird eggs."

Xu Lianning took the warm bird eggs and handed a few to Zhang Weiyi.

"If you, Young Master Zhang, are trying to say that you found us by chance, then what is the purpose of the celadon bottle you are carrying?" Su Ling asked again when he did not answer.

Zhang Weiyi narrowed her eyes slightly, her tone calm: "That contains a Gu worm. There was originally a pair, but the other one was placed on Qingyin. That's how I found this place. It's just a pity I don't know how to exorcise Gu." Xu Lianning frowned and said, "So you still used Gu on Qingyin?"

Zhang Weiyi turned her head and looked at her without any hesitation: "I just don't want to use it on you."

Su Ling chuckled and mocked, "It's a pity that most people don't know what a pathetic and shameful person Young Master Yujian is. Liu Junru is nothing but an ambitious man who slaughters dissidents, while you've used up every single person around you who could be used. Don't even mention how much sincerity you have for Lian Ning; don't you even consider that for yourself?"

She rolled up her sleeves and took the celadon bottle that Xu Lianning had just placed beside her, then said to Qingyin, who was sunbathing at the cave entrance, "Qingyin, shall I show you a magic trick?"

Upon hearing that there was a good show to watch, Qingyin immediately perked up and came in.

Su Ling smashed the celadon bottle to the ground. A golden Gu worm crawled out from the shards and let out two low cries. Qingyin felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. Something hummed out and flew towards the golden worm.

The two Gu worms were seen clinging tightly to each other, chirping softly together.

Su Ling stomped on them. Qingyin exclaimed, "They're so affectionate! Why did you have to stomp on them?"

Su Ling said expressionlessly, "This kind of Gu relies on your life force to survive, and it won't stop until it drains you dry."

Qingyin's hair stood on end, and she shouted, "Who wants to drain Qingyin's life force?"

Su Ling glanced back at Zhang Weiyi, then turned and left.

Xu Lianning picked up the clothes that had already dried and said softly to Zhang Weiyi, "Sister Ling has been in a bad mood these past few days, so don't expect her to give you a pleasant look."

Zhang Weiyi smiled and said, "What she said is mostly right. I admit to being shameless, but I never think of myself as pathetic."

The mountain fog wouldn't dissipate, so they couldn't go out. This delay lasted for two or three days. The group sat facing each other all day, with almost nothing to do, and were getting increasingly bored.

Xu Lianning began to miss Zhang Weiyi's shameless face slightly. Right now, however, he was more well-behaved than anyone else, always maintaining a certain distance from them—neither close nor distant, just perfectly balanced in that respect. Zhang Weiyi was very good at reading people and guessing their intentions.

They're the same kind of people. They like to guess, always overthinking things in their minds, eventually wearing down everyone else's patience.

As she was thinking, she suddenly heard Qingyin ask in her ear, "...Is it okay?" Without thinking too much, she readily replied, "Okay." As soon as she finished speaking, Qingyin broke into a beautiful smile: "Brother Shang, you see, Sister Xu agreed, you can't go back on your word."

Xu Lianning turned to look at the others, and everyone wore an expression of utter helplessness. Zhang Weiyi coughed lightly, deliberately avoiding looking at her. Sensing something was amiss, she couldn't help but ask, "What exactly happened?"

Qingyin jumped over and grabbed her sleeve, her voice crisp and clear: "I was just asking who wants to play rock-paper-scissors, and the loser has to take off their clothes. Master Shang said he wanted me to ask you. You promised, so you can't go back on your word."

Xu Lianning then realized that she had been distracted and made a blunder. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Rock-paper-scissors, is that right? Okay." She looked at Qingyin and smiled slightly, "How do we play?"

Qingyin rolled up her sleeves, beaming with joy: "Come on, everyone, come closer!"

Xu Lianning thought Shang Mingjian was incredibly hypocritical; he clearly wanted to refuse, but instead passed the buck to someone else, deliberately trying to embarrass him. But whether it was just bad luck or something else, she hadn't won a single game of rock-paper-scissors. Even Zhang Weiyi's deliberate attempts to let her win couldn't salvage the situation.

Qingyin pounced on her, grabbing her sleeve and pulling it outwards, her eyebrows dancing with excitement: "Sister Xu, you lost, you have to take off your clothes!" Xu Lianning pushed her hand away, but she pounced on her again, pulling at her. She quickly held her down, looking at Su Ling for help. Su Ling turned her head away indifferently. She looked at Chongxuan again, but he only showed an apologetic yet amused smile, remaining silent.

Xu Lianning was extremely embarrassed, blaming himself for his momentary carelessness in trying to harm others, which led to this predicament.

Shang Mingjian coughed lightly, turned around and walked away, wondering to himself, "Could it be that he really is getting old?"

Qingyin simply clung to him, extremely smug: "You can't back out, hurry up." Just as she was struggling, her wrist was suddenly grabbed, and Zhang Weiyi's voice was very close to hers: "I'll take her place, is that okay?"

Qingyin turned her head and immediately remembered that he had used a spell on her, so she quickly moved far away: "B-okay..."

Xu Lianning turned her head to look at him, only to see that he had also turned his head at the same time, a slight smile on his face, as he pulled his outer robe open and then neatly tossed it to the ground. Not to mention Su Ling, even Xu Lianning froze, speechless for a moment. Shang Mingjian, who had just walked a short distance away, thought blankly, "He really has grown old."

Zhang Weiyi bent down, picked up his outer robe, and draped it over his shoulders. He said calmly, "Lian Ning, there are some things I want to say to you alone."

Xu Lianning stood up and followed him to a tree not far away.

The soft sunlight bathed them, bringing a touch of warmth. Zhang Weiyi squinted slightly in the sunlight, looking down at her: "Lian Ning, is there anything you want to ask me?"

Xu Lianning thought for a moment, her slightly sly expression somewhat similar to Su Ling's: "How many women have you been with before?"

Zhang Weiyi was taken aback, then smiled gently and said, "I need to think about that."

Xu Lianning turned her head and asked again, "You can either answer this, or tell me why you want to get involved with Longteng Post Station. Or, answer both."

Zhang Weiyi smiled faintly: "I told you before that the Emperor dotes on Consort Wan the most, so the Wan family is very powerful and has many followers. They support my fourth brother behind the scenes, while I am on the Crown Prince's side. Longteng Post Station is connected with the Wan family. That's one thing. The second is about the Jingxiang Rebellion four years ago."

"You mean, many people from the martial arts world were involved in the chaos in Jingxiang back then. Longteng Post Station actually had similar ambitions?"

“They even keep archers, and I don’t know how long they’ve been training them. If we hadn’t been ambushed that night, I wouldn’t have known things had gotten this bad. You’ve been to the secret chamber at Longteng Post Station; those nine-dragon-patterned cups and coiled-dragon jade pendants are things even royalty can’t use. Becoming the leader of the martial arts alliance and then setting your sights on the throne—you’re dreaming too much.” Zhang Weiyi paused, then smiled and said, “As for the former, right now I only have you.”

Xu Lianning turned her head slightly: "I believe everything you said about Longteng Post Station."

Zhang Weiyi looked at the section of fair neck that was vaguely visible between her collar and hair, and couldn't help but lower his head and kiss her neck: "Don't you believe the last part?"

She smiled and said, "I never paid attention to your status as a prince before, so I never thought about it carefully. In fact, we could never be together. You will marry a woman of equal social standing, who is well-educated, reasonable, and virtuous, not me."

Zhang Weiyi smiled and said, "Yes, that's how the laws of the Ming Dynasty are. I can't formally marry you." He said quietly, "Let's wait a little longer. After the matter at Longteng Post Station is settled, it's up to you whether you stay or leave."

Xu Lianning did not reply, but Su Ling said from afar behind her, "The fog outside is about to dissipate, let's prepare to leave here."

Chapter Forty-Five

Xu Lianning turned to Su Ling and replied, "Sister Ling, we're coming right now." She glanced at Zhang Weiyi, then looked down at the ground and asked, "Won't going out now delay our business?"

Zhang Weiyi said calmly, "When I came in, I never thought I could get out. I did this entirely of my own free will; no one forced me."

Xu Lianning paused for a moment, then turned and walked towards Su Ling.

This journey from Shennongping was undoubtedly much smoother. Zhang Weiyi parted ways with them at the Dabadongmai pass, heading south alone. Xu Lianning glanced back once, then didn't look back again.

As soon as the group arrived at the small town at the foot of Wudang Mountain, they heard a loud and cheerful voice calling out from ahead: "Miss Xu!" Xu Lianning looked in the direction of the voice and saw He Jing. She went up to him and asked, "Uncle-Master, have you come down the mountain?"

He Jing scratched his head, looking surprised: "How did you know?"

Xu Lianning smiled slightly and said, "I just guessed. Could you lead the way for us? I have important business with my senior master."

He Jing's good point was that he agreed readily and immediately led the way. Su Ling shook her head behind him, her tone full of regret: "Why is He Jing still so dim-witted? I saw him when I went to Wudang, and he looked just like that." She paused, then added, "He Jing is more favored by Master Tianyan, while Zhang Weiyi is much less so. If only their dim-wittedness could be balanced."

Xu Lianning smiled and said, "If I had a choice, I would like to live like He Jing in Wudang, instead of living like I am in Lingxuan Palace today."

He Jing led everyone to the open-air teahouse. Before they even got close, they saw Master Tianyan sitting there, dressed in a feathered crown and star-studded robe, exuding a calm and serene aura. Xu Lianning stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "Lianning greets Senior Uncle."

Master Tianyan was quite surprised. He raised his hand to support her arm and looked her over for a moment: "Lian Ning, why did you come here? Is there something you need?"

Xu Lianning lowered his head and remained silent. Shang Mingjian stepped forward, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then changed the subject, saying, "Actually, it's about Longteng Post Station. After much thought, I believe only a True Person can take charge of the overall situation." He explained the cause and effect clearly, and the other party nodded repeatedly.

Master Tianyan's expression was complicated as he slowly said, "Actually, this time I left Wudang to meet at Wuchang Town at the invitation of Longteng Post Station. Wudang is close to the land, so we only recently sent someone to notify them. Other sects that are far away received their invitations two months ago."

Xu Lianning was slightly puzzled: "Why Wuchang Town? Wouldn't it be better to be in Nanjing Prefecture?"

Shang Mingjian smiled slightly and said, "There is a villa in Longtengyi near Wuchang. If a real fight breaks out, it will be easier to deal with the villa."

Xu Lianning remained silent.

Master Tianyan smiled slightly and said, "We are not prepared yet. Once we lay everything out in the open, we will probably lose a lot of manpower. Fortunately, there are still a few days before the Wuchang Conference, so we still have time to gather our forces."

Shang Mingjian thought for a moment and said calmly, "I already have some plans in mind, so there's no need for you to worry too much, senior."

Master Tianyan nodded: "Then go ahead, but be careful."

Xu Lianning felt extremely awkward around the Wudang people, and preferred to stay with Shang Mingjian and the others, so she also took her leave. Su Ling teased, "Why aren't you catching up with your fellow disciples? Why are you leaving in such a hurry?"

Xu Lianning smiled but did not answer. She took two steps and met Li Qingyun coming towards her. Li Qingyun nodded politely and said, "Miss Xu, it's been a long time."

Xu Lianning stopped and looked at her, saying softly, "...Miss Li." As Li Qingyun walked past her, she added, "I'm very sorry about what happened before."

Li Qingyun trembled and hurried over, feeling utterly wronged. How could Xu Lianning's actions be forgiven with just an apology? She walked to her master's side, lowered her head, and remained silent. Her master had his eyes closed, as if in meditation, and didn't open them even when she heard any noise around her.

She sat at her master's feet, quietly watching the sunlight slowly set in the west, and couldn't help but say, "Master, Sect Leader Liu invited us to Wuchang Town, but we've been sitting here for most of the day."

Master Tianyan opened his eyes and said, "Wait a little longer. You should meet up with us later."

Li Qingyun's eyes widened in surprise: "Senior Brother is coming?" A cheerful smile graced her face as she stood up to instruct the tea stall attendant to prepare tea. He Jing couldn't help but mutter to himself, "She looked so distressed just a moment ago, but her expression changed in the blink of an eye. Tsk, women are indeed fickle."

Li Qingyun turned and glared at him, but when she turned back, she saw that familiar figure standing before her, dressed in flowing blue robes, exuding elegance and refinement. The man before her was as handsome as ever, but he had become terribly thin, and his face was increasingly pale. Her eyes stung, and she whispered, "Senior Brother..."

Zhang Weiyi walked slowly, not even glancing at her, and headed straight for Master Tianyan. Li Qingyun watched as he reached his master, then suddenly lifted his robes and knelt down. The suddenness of the movement was so great that Master Tianyan instinctively reached out to help him, only to feel a numbness in his knees, followed by pressure points being pressed on his waist.

Li Qingyun opened his mouth to ask a question, but found that he couldn't say a word. Suddenly, his vision blurred and he collapsed to the ground.

Hearing the sounds of people falling to the ground behind him, Zhang Weiyi slowly lowered his head, placed his hands on his knees, and kowtowed. Then he stood up, turned around, and said, "Send everyone to a secluded place. We will give them the antidote and release them after ten days." The tea stall waiter behind him replied respectfully, "Your Highness, please rest assured."

Zhang Weiyi said slowly and deliberately, "Then we should also set off for Wuchang to disperse the people and avoid alerting them."

Longtengyi Villa, Wuchang.

Su Ling stood at the door, glanced at the gatekeeper, then looked at the old locust tree peeking out from the corner, and gently pulled Xu Lianning. Xu Lianning immediately understood, and the two walked to the corner and leaped onto the locust tree.

Xu Lianning sat on the tree and looked down, with a clear view of the scene inside the manor. She couldn't help but say, "I wonder if Master Shang can keep the situation under control."

Su Ling smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, Young Master Shang has managed Mingjian Manor for the past few years and has quite a few capable people. Fortunately, he has no ambition, otherwise, if one Liu Junru had appeared and another Shang Mingjian had appeared, there would never be peace."

Xu Lianning suddenly remembered something and asked, "Could it be that the owner of Huaying Pavilion is really the owner of Manor Shang?"

Su Ling said, "I'm not anyone to him, how would I know so much?"

Xu Lianning thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No, it definitely can't be Master Shang..."

Liu Junru's voice came on the wind, and even the two people sitting in the tree could hear it clearly: "I am truly ashamed to have troubled you all to come from afar."