Chapter 90: The Spring Search Begins

Preparations for the spring search began earlier than Lin Chengye had anticipated.

The Astronomical Observatory divined the celestial phenomena and selected an auspicious day, setting the spring search for the second day of the second lunar month. Thus, just after the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, they began to formally set out for the search.

I originally thought that the stalemate between Wei Jingchen and Wei Jingrui would continue, and that there would be a period of easier times ahead.

Unexpectedly, several high-ranking officials suddenly visited Wei Jingchen's usually quiet Su residence. In addition to their visits, they also subtly probed Wei Jingchen's views on disaster relief, officials, the imperial examination, and so on. As a result, Lin Chengye could not relax for a moment these days and talked with Wei Jingchen by lamplight for several nights.

“His Highness Prince Su said that he has been neglected for many years, but I don’t think so.”

Before they knew it, the night had deepened again. The two of them had a quick dinner and had been sitting facing each other at the desk ever since.

Lin Chengye rubbed her aching lower back and stretched her limbs, then heard a slight cracking sound. She couldn't help but tease Wei Jingchen.

These days I've even neglected my martial arts training; my mind is filled with thoughts of how to deal with those shrewd people. I need to be eloquent and persuasive, able to pinpoint the core issues beneath the surface of complexity. It's like taking an exam; anyone would find it unbearable to take one for seven or eight days straight.

Fortunately, Wei Jingchen was well-versed in literature and had his own insights into the current situation of Lai Kingdom, but he had no way to put them into practice.

Lin Chengye let out a long sigh of relief and swiftly snatched the last piece of white rice cake that Wei Jingchen had just placed in the bowl.

This was a late-night snack that the maid had just brought up. The two of them were so hungry that they didn't realize they had eaten all but one.

"Would you like another plate? It's not like my Prince Su's mansion is lacking a bite of your cold rice cake."

Wei Jingchen was dumbfounded. She never expected that the food she had put in the bowl could be taken away, and she never expected that Lin Chengye, after wandering around the martial arts world, would become so unruly.

Sometimes when they talked too late, Lin Chengye would simply rest on the same bed with her, with her leaning against the wall on the inside and Lin Chengye sleeping on the outside. However, she seemed to dislike him quite a bit, wrapping herself in the blanket and not moving at all, as if there were a Mengjiang River separating them.

"Also, stop joking. Those old ministers had no choice but to do this. My second sister has been claiming to be ill since she returned from here and refuses to see anyone."

Wei Jingchen had just picked up the soup to drink some when he thought of this and felt a little depressed. Even the best soup tasted bland, so he took a sip and put it down.

"Yes, after His Highness the Crown Prince took over the reins of government, he should have suppressed the arrogance of the Eldest Princess, just as those old ministers had expected. But unexpectedly, at the New Year's Eve banquet, it turned out that the Eldest Princess's arrogance had surpassed His Majesty's. Even a fool should realize that His Highness the Crown Prince is not on the Emperor's side at all. Where do you think those old ministers put their faces?"

Lin Chengye took over the conversation, paused, picked up another bowl on the table, and drank a few mouthfuls.

The mellow, sweet aroma slid smoothly down his throat, and Lin Chengye nodded in satisfaction, thinking to himself that the chef of the Prince Su's mansion was truly excellent.

Just as he was about to finish the remaining half bowl, he caught a glimpse of Wei Jingchen pursing his lips, silent and with a gloomy expression. Lin Chengye rubbed his forehead in exasperation, put down the bowl, pondered for a long time, and then advised him.

"But so what? Regardless of their motives, at least those who used to avoid Your Highness like the plague because of His Majesty and the Princess can now listen to your political views. These past few days, none of the ministers who have stepped out of the Prince Su's residence have looked gloomy; they are all overjoyed."

"Don't overthink it. We already have evidence that His Highness the Crown Prince is keeping corrupt officials, but because the Eldest Princess is now extremely powerful, it's not the right time to expose him."

"……you're right."

Wei Jingchen breathed a sigh of relief, his brows relaxing slightly.

"If we are to eliminate them, we must deal with both of them at the same time."

"Let's not talk about things that are so far away. The spring search will begin in three days."

Lin Chengye waved his hand, his gaze sharpening.

"We've almost finished discussing the plan these past few days, but... are you sure you want to come with me to Qingyun County? This is no small matter, and time is extremely tight. What if..."

"I'm just curious, what exactly can you discover?"

Wei Jingchen paused for a moment, then continued.

"Or rather, what are you trying to discover? Qingluan Medicine Valley is just a martial arts sect."

"...There are just too many things I can't figure out, so I'm just taking a chance."

Lin Chengye frowned slightly. She knew this matter went back twenty years, and the clues were subtle and couldn't be uncovered in a short time. She was willing to wait, even lie low for many years, but…

The fingertips, folded beneath the wide sleeves of her robe and clasped together on her knees, touched the prominent veins on the back of Lin Chengye's own hand; the blood beneath the thin skin was warm. She felt a chill run down her spine, a barely perceptible shiver running through her.

But why am I so uneasy?

...

On the second day of the second month of the twenty-second year of Yongjing, at an auspicious time in the early morning.

The imperial guards, with their ceremonial retinue, carriages and horses rumbling, banners obscuring the sun, stretched for miles. The city of Linsu was deserted as people lined the streets to watch, a spectacle unlike any other. It seemed as if the new year was beginning amidst this grand spring procession.

Lin Chengye only parted the carriage curtain a crack as he passed through the bustling Central Street, but seeing the yellow dust flying around him and the galloping warhorses, he closed it again with little interest.

To her, all of this seemed more like an elaborately staged drama, or a game played by royal nobles who had lived in the palace for years, and had nothing to do with her.

Lin Chengye's current status was lowly, and his carriage was at the end of the procession, which suited her perfectly. A gust of wind rustled past his ear; Lin Chengye sensed something and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Sure enough, a figure darted into the carriage, his voice cold.

"There are many eyes and ears in Lin Su City, and they are even more cautious as the spring search approaches. This letter can only be delivered to you at this time."

It took quite a bit of effort for the letter from the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect to reach this place. Chai Hu Nan took out a palm-sized wooden scroll from under his hooded black robe and threw it into Lin Cheng Ye's arms.

The royal hunting grounds selected for this spring's search are located southwest of Linsu City, collectively known as Mo Mengze. Surrounded by mountains, it is warmer than other places in winter, the lake never freezes, and the flowers bloom very early. It is said that on the day the eldest princess was born, the late emperor was overjoyed and personally named this place.

Coincidentally, Qingyun County was also located not far from here, separated only by a mountain, which gave her the opportunity to make a round trip under the cover of night.

The convoy would arrive at their campsite, Qixia Terrace, in the afternoon. Therefore, she only had two hours to read the list. Lin Chengye dared not delay even a moment and immediately unrolled the scroll.

To compress space as much as possible, the characters engraved on the scrolls are extremely small, curled up like earthworms, crawling on rows of bamboo slips, which at first glance can be dizzying and nauseating.

Since that underground passage was used by the Mother-Grooming Moth, it must have been built after the death of the late emperor in the 49th year of Zhenping. And the person whose skills were so refined must have been at least quite old.

Therefore, Lin Chengye only wanted the list of disciples who had studied at the Shenshu Tianji Sect forty-nine years ago, whether they were inner or outer disciples.

"Sadahira forty-nine... forty-eight..."

Lin Chengye scanned the year by year, word by word, almost counting each year in a whisper. Only occasionally, when he saw a surname that was unusual, would he speak softly.

"In the eighth year of Yongjing, Ni Sang left before completing his studies for a year... This surname is rare. I remember the assassin organization, Masked River."

"...Yes. The Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect has many disciples, and it does not exclude disciples from other sects, but only recruits them as outer disciples. After all, to enter the inner sect, one must cultivate the ability to turn stone into gold, but most of the disciples from other sects have already cultivated an internal skill."

Chai Hu Nan paused, then continued.

"However, most sects are not as open as the Heavenly Mystery Sect. The rules of the Masked River Sect are: all our disciples should be willing to die for our cause. If any of them betray us, they will be killed no matter how far away they are. There will be no mercy."

Lin Chengye's heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at Chai Hu Nan.

Unlike the Azure Phoenix Medicine Valley, whose virtues are widely known and whose rules are familiar to many, this sect is not so well-known. However, it would be difficult for someone who is not a member of this sect to remember the rules of a sect that makes a living by killing so clearly.

However, having joined the Jiangjin Alliance, he has probably decided to forget the past.

Lin Chengye didn't say anything, and turned his attention back to the scroll on his lap.

Chai Hu Nan knelt on one knee and waited silently beside Lin Cheng Ye.

Time passed slowly with the rumbling of the carriage over the ground. Outside the carriage window, the noise of people was deafening, and the sound of horses' hooves was as dense as thunder. The closer they got to the Mo Meng Ze, the more excited the people became.

Inside the car, however, the atmosphere was completely different. The tension grew even stronger, and there wasn't a sound; the air seemed to have stopped flowing. Lin Chengye's fingertips traced one name after another, but his heart sank lower and lower.

The Princess's residence had no retainers, advisors, or confidants, only servants and guards. Wei Jingchen also told her the names of all the ministers promoted by the Princess after the forty-ninth year of Zhenping, which Lin Chengye memorized, but she couldn't find any name on the list of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Sect that was suspicious.

If someone could have poisoned Qin Ruoliu, they must have been in close contact with her long before the Princess launched her coup. How could they have left no trace, as if this person had never existed in the palace?

The sound of horns had already sounded outside the carriage curtain, indicating that the lead carriage had arrived at Mo Mengze, and she would arrive in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

There really wasn't a single trace to be found.

It was too late. Lin Chengye gritted her teeth, feeling somewhat defeated. Just as she was about to give up, she glanced at the last name on the scroll. Suddenly, Lin Chengye's fingers stopped, her pupils narrowed slightly, and she couldn't help but murmur the name aloud.

"...In the thirty-first year of Zhenping, Wu Ma Yi had studied in the outer sect for three years. Because he trespassed into the Hundred Faces Tower and stole a secret plan, he was expelled from the Heavenly Mystery Sect and never recorded again."

Chai Hu Nan suddenly raised his head.

"...It has been eighteen years since the forty-ninth year of Zhenping, so this person's age is at least reasonable."

Lin Chengye murmured to herself, and she immediately tucked the scroll away and threw it into the burning stove in the carriage.

The carriage remained steady, and just then, the scroll was completely consumed by the flames in the furnace.

"At sunset today, Anan will accompany you to Qingyun County."

As soon as Chai Hu Nan finished speaking, he disappeared into the carriage like a wisp of smoke.

If it weren't for the slight swaying of the carriage curtain, Lin Chengye would have thought it was just his imagination. Lin Chengye pressed his slender fingers against his forehead, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

"Wu Ma Yi, Wu Ma... So, the person who built the tunnel and planted the parasites is the same one? That Wu Ma family member once studied at the outer sect of the Divine Pivot Heavenly Mystery Gate?"

This wasn't entirely fruitless, but her doubts and unease didn't lessen in the slightest. Where could someone with such extraordinary skills be found? And under what identity was she hiding in the palace, serving the eldest princess? Why was she completely unknown?

...

After the convoy arrived at Mo Mengze, the emperor took up residence at the main camp of Qixia Terrace. By evening, all the tents had been settled, and wisps of smoke rose from the campsites.

Wei Jingchen was the last to be summoned by the emperor, and she said some trivial things. It was already late when she left the tent. She returned to her own tent and changed clothes with Jiang Heng.

"Your Highness..." Jiang Heng's eyes were full of worry, and he hesitated to speak.

This is the first time since she became the princess's guard that she is not by her side.

"Don't worry about me, the two of us will go and return quickly this time."

After saying that, Wei Jingchen quietly left the tent and disappeared into the thick night. She came to a huge rock that she had arranged to meet Lin Chengye, but she did not see him.

"You were incredibly slow this time."

Suddenly, Lin Chengye's leisurely voice came from behind the rock, but this person's voice was not as relaxed as usual, and there was a hint of tension in it.

The night wind was cold, and the crows on the branches cried out like weeping blood.

Wei Jingchen straightened his collar and said in a deep voice.

"Enough talk, let's go!"

Author's Note: [Yuanbao] 2025/10/15 6:00 I made some minor revisions to the text, but it won't affect reading.

I apologize in advance.

I've written over 300,000 words so far, and I've maintained an almost daily update schedule. Although the data is poor, I can still persevere because of my passion and the support of a few readers.

However, I've been under a lot of work pressure lately, which has made me unable to relieve my anxiety. I may need to take a break for a while, and the update date may be uncertain, but I will try my best to update every other day.

This story is nearing its end, so I will definitely finish writing it. [Yuanbao]