The wind rises and the duckweed reveals the clues

Chapter Quote: Dai Zong's return brings dark tides, and the mystery of the old case is revealed. He uses tricks to create false formations and cleverly uses external forces to deter the enemy.

---

As autumn approached, the reeds of Liangshan Lake gradually turned withered and yellow. On this seemingly peaceful day, Dai Zong, the "God of Speed," arrived dusty and weary back at the mountain stronghold. He made no fanfare, but quietly headed straight to Wu Yong's courtyard to report.

This news was like a stone dropped into a still lake, sending ripples through Yan Qing's heart. What was to come finally came.

In the days following Dai Zong's return, everything seemed normal in the stronghold, but Yan Qing could clearly sense the invisible pressure looming once again. Wu Yong's gaze on him was inquiring and cold, and even Song Jiang's occasional glances carried a hint of indescribable complexity.

He knew that Dai Zong must have brought back news about the "Tokyo fire case twenty years ago", and this news might be extremely unfavorable to him.

We can no longer passively wait. We must take the initiative, at least to find out what Dai Zong has found.

That afternoon, Yan Qing "ran into" Bai Sheng again. He didn't directly inquire about Dai Zong's affairs, but instead pressed a small ingot of bright yellow gold into Bai Sheng's hand, his tone tinged with worry. "Brother Bai Sheng, the atmosphere in the stronghold seems a bit tense these days. What's happened? I'm feeling a bit uneasy."

Bai Sheng held the gold in his hand, his eyes gleaming. He looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "Captain Yan, you're right! Brother Dai Zong came back a few days ago, and it seems...it seems he found out something incredible! I overheard the military advisor and Brother Dai Zong talking in secret, talking about 'Yan Qing'... 'his identity is confirmed'... 'related to the remnants of the previous dynasty'...and some 'palace secrets'...it made me break out in a cold sweat!"

Remnants of the previous dynasty? Palace secrets? Yan Qing was horrified, yet he forced himself to remain calm. "Is this true? This... how can this be explained?"

"I don't know the details," Bai Sheng scratched his head. "I just heard them mention a place called 'Qing... Qinghui Pavilion'? Yes, that's Qinghui Pavilion! They said the fire twenty years ago was burned there! It seems that many people died at that time, including... a female official named Yan..."

Qinghui Pavilion! The female official surnamed Yan!

These words exploded in Yan Qing's mind like thunder! Some dusty, vague fragments of childhood memories suddenly flashed - it seemed... it seemed that he had heard his master vaguely mention the word "Qinghui" after being drunk, his tone filled with endless sadness and nostalgia... Could it be... Could it be that his life experience was really related to this palace tragedy?

A chill ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. If this were true, Wu Yong could easily label him as a "remnant of the previous dynasty" and "having ulterior motives." By then, not only Lu Junyi, but even the emperor himself would be unable to protect him!

We must immediately confirm the authenticity of this matter and find a solution!

That night, Yan Qing once again sent the highest-level secret letter to "Yinyi", passing on key information such as "Qinghui Pavilion" and "female official surnamed Yan", and requesting that the truth of the case be found out at all costs.

However, distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. He must create enough variables within Liangshan before Wu Yong launches an attack to make him hesitate.

His gaze once again turned to Fan Rui, who was proficient in "magic".

This time, Yan Qing did not go for an "accidental encounter" again, but chose to knock on Fan Rui's door directly in the middle of the night.

Fan Rui was quite surprised to see it was him when he opened the door. A hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes. "Chief Yan Qing? You are visiting me so late at night. What can I do for you?"

Yan Qing's expression was solemn, and he went straight to the point: "Brother Fan Rui, Yan Qing has come here to ask for a favor concerning my life, which also concerns the future fortune of Liangshan."

He invited Fan Rui into the house, closed the door, and did not mention his own predicament. Instead, he took out a feng shui map of Liangshan Lake that he had roughly drawn from memory and spread it on the table.

"Brother Fan Rui is well versed in feng shui and metaphysics. Please take a look." Yan Qing pointed to several key locations on the map. "Recently, I've been observing the celestial phenomena, watching the stars at night, and carefully examining the water veins and mountain shapes. I've discovered that the 'qi' of our Liangshan Lake seems... somewhat blocked. In particular, there's a hint of evil energy in these areas. I'm afraid this is not a good omen. If this continues, it could damage the foundation of our mountain stronghold."

What he said was half true and half false, combined with his knowledge of the final outcome of Liangshan in his previous life and his daily observations of the terrain, and he said it in a very serious manner.

Fan Rui was already extremely obsessed with this, and upon hearing this, he immediately looked at the map carefully, calculated with his fingers, and his expression gradually became serious: "Well... what Chief Yan Qing said is not false. The water here is too fast, gathering evil spirits; the mountain ridge over there is like a knife, which is a conflict... It's true... it's indeed a hindrance. It's just that in the past, when my luck was high, I could suppress it, but now..." He pondered in silence, a gleam in his eyes.

Yan Qing struck while the iron was hot and lowered his voice, "To be honest, Senior Brother, I've been feeling something lately, and I've been unable to sleep at night. Just now, while meditating, I suddenly received a vague warning that seemed to be related to the word 'Qinghui' and faintly pointed to the southeast... I wonder what Senior Brother might have deduced?"

He deliberately threw out the keyword "Qinghui" as a "warning" to see Fan Rui's reaction.

Fan Rui's entire body trembled violently, and he suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Qinghui?! You...you sensed it too?!" He grabbed Yan Qing's arm fiercely, his voice trembling. "I've been divining recently, and I've received this prophecy several times, pointing to the southeast palace! I'm filled with doubts and uncertainty! Could...could something really happen?"

Yan Qing was secretly delighted, knowing that his bet had paid off! Fan Rui had indeed noticed something unusual, or rather, he had been led by Fan Rui to "notice" something unusual. He nodded gravely, "It seems Yan Qing isn't the only one experiencing this illusion. The celestial phenomena are warning us, and the earth's atmosphere is changing. I'm afraid... there will be a major disturbance in the mountain stronghold. Since we have sensed something, we must be on guard."

Fan Rui paced back and forth in the room, his expression changing constantly. Finally, he stopped and looked at Yan Qing, his tone more serious than ever before: "Chief Yan Qing, this matter is of no small importance! If it is really as you and I feel, it concerns the foundation of the village's fortune. We must make plans early! I must hold a meeting immediately and conduct a careful deduction! If there is any result, I will let you know!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother!" Yan Qing bowed, knowing he had sown a seed of doubt in Fan Rui's mind about the current situation, linking the sensitive word "Qinghui" with "shanzhai luck." If Wu Yong were to use this as a cudgel, the doubts of Fan Rui, a "professional," might have an unexpected deterrent effect.

Yan Qing didn't feel much better after leaving Fan Rui's place. These plots could only delay or create some chaos. If the evidence Dai Zong brought back was conclusive and Wu Yong was determined to get rid of him, it would probably be difficult to reverse the situation.

He needs more direct and powerful external intervention.

Suddenly, he thought of someone—An Daoquan, who was being pursued by the Imperial City Bureau and implicated in palace secrets! He had sent An Daoquan to Daming Prefecture. Perhaps his secrets could corroborate the old case of "Qinghui Pavilion" and even become a powerful weapon for counterattack!

But how can we make Lu Junyi know the key and react in time?

Just as Yan Qing was racking his brains for a way to contact them, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

Three days later, at the Juyi Hall, a routine meeting took place. As expected, Wu Yong began to speak out. He did not directly mention Yan Qing's background, but, under the pretext of rectifying the mountain stronghold's discipline and eliminating hidden dangers, he proposed a "review" of the pasts of all the leaders, especially those who had come up the mountain in recent years. They needed to clearly explain their backgrounds for inspection.

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. Many of the leaders who had come up the mountain later showed signs of unease, as this was clearly a targeted scrutiny.

Just as Song Jiang hesitated and Wu Yong pressed on, a burst of rapid horse hooves and noise suddenly came from outside the hall! A scout rushed into the hall, panting and reporting:

"Report! A special envoy from Lu Junyi of Daming Prefecture has arrived at the foot of the mountain! He said he has an urgent matter and needs to see Brother Gongming and Chief Yanqing!"

Lu Junyi's special envoy? At this critical moment?

Everyone was stunned. A hint of doubt flashed in Wu Yong's eyes, and Song Jiang hurriedly said, "Please come in!"

A dusty, yet sharp-eyed man strode into the hall. After clasping his fists in salute to Song Jiang, he fixed his gaze on Yan Qing and said in a clear voice, "Chief Yan Qing! My master has a personal letter here, and he has ordered me to deliver it to you in person! He also said that since it concerns our old friend 'Qinghui', please be sure to read it in person!"

After the old friend "Qinghui"!

These six words exploded in the gathering hall like thunder!

Wu Yong's face instantly turned grim! The news Dai Zong had brought back was confidential. How could Lu Junyi, so far away in Daming Prefecture, have known the name "Qinghui"? And why did he even send a special envoy to mention it publicly? This was clearly a warning, a declaration—that he, Lu Junyi, was already aware of the situation and was on Yan Qing's side!

Yan Qing was also shaken, but more than anything, he felt relieved. He stepped forward, took the sealed letter, and calmly said to the envoy, "Thank you, sir. I thank you for your concern."

He turned to face Song Jiang and the others and said frankly, "Brother Gongming, brothers, since Mr. Lu has sent a letter, it must be something important. As for what the military advisor said about sorting out the past, Yan Qing's background is clean. We can verify it according to the rules of the stronghold and there is no objection."

His attitude was neither humble nor arrogant. He had the confidence brought by Lu Junyi's strong support, and he also showed his willingness to accept scrutiny, making it impossible to find fault with him.

Song Jiang watched this scene, then glanced at Wu Yong, whose face was ashen. He understood what was going on. He laughed and said, "Since Mr. Lu has sent a letter, Brother Yanqing, please go and deal with it first. As for the matter of sorting it out, we can discuss it later, later!"

Wu Yong stared intently at the letter in Yan Qing's hand, then glanced at Lu Junyi's envoy, knowing that he could no longer force his way forward. He had calculated everything, but he had never expected Lu Junyi's reaction to be so swift and forceful!

The meeting in the Juyi Hall came to an end in such an abrupt turn.

Yan Qing took the heavy letter and returned to his residence. He knew that this letter was not only Lu Junyi's support, but also contained important information about the old case of "Qinghui Pavilion" and might even be related to An Daoquan's secrets.

He carefully opened the wax seal and read the letter carefully. As his eyes scanned the lines, his face changed from shock to understanding, and even more so, a heavy and complex emotion.

Outside the window, the autumn wind was blowing, blowing up a few dead leaves.

The prelude to the storm has already begun.

---

Chapter 53 End