Chapter 67: Crossing the River South (Part 3 Combined)
The flowing water rippled against the mossy stones, murmuring softly. Qingqing withdrew the last glimpse of her gaze that had fallen on Yan Dibai; she had no time to worry about him, as she was focused entirely on dealing with the two people in front of her.
The morning wind swept through the mountains and forests, roaring and hissing. Fortunately, it wasn't too strong, and not exactly piercing.
"It's just locating the tomb and digging it out; it'll only take a little time. What gives you, a mere woman, the confidence to threaten us?"
Lu Xi turned back and stood shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Zhang. The moment he saw Yang Liuqing, who was dressed in rags, he immediately understood her purpose and his face fell with disdain.
Qingqing's smile remained unchanged:
"Young master, you misunderstand me. I am not trying to blackmail you. I simply want to make an exchange."
Do you think we're fools?
Lu Xi showed no sign of wanting to believe him, and was even more displeased that this disheveled girl had suddenly appeared and was wasting his time. He was already irritable due to the recent setbacks, and now he could hardly maintain his composure as a member of a noble family. He did not want to waste any more words with Qingqing, and his face revealed his killing intent.
Mr. Zhang, standing to the side, kept stroking his beard, and it was difficult to discern anything from his actions.
Qingqing gritted her teeth secretly, then suddenly raised her hand and gave a proper bow.
"Sir, with your feather fan and silk turban, you possess extraordinary bearing. You must be as learned as the great Confucian scholar Lin Xiangru of our time. Surely you know the saying, 'The Purple Star dims and then brightens again'?"
Mr. Zhang's narrowed eyes froze instantly.
The girl stood tall and straight; though slender, every curve of her bow was as natural and beautiful as if it had been calculated.
Having spent so much time by Yan Dibai's side, having met all sorts of princes, ministers, noble ladies, and concubines, and having been immersed in palace rules and etiquette for a year and a half, Yang Liuqing truly possessed a natural air of composure when she feigned profundity.
Lu Xi paused for a moment, noticing the difference.
This young woman was at most a girl of marriageable age. She had a wound on her forehead, and her clothes were tattered, making her thin and disheveled. However, her figure was remarkably neat, and her eyes shone with a hidden light. Moreover, every move she made showed signs of being disciplined, and she knew of the three-dynasty veteran Lin Xiangru and spoke with the eloquence of someone who had read quite a few books.
What drew the most attention was the unusual gesture she made.
Although Lu Xi was not among the most outstanding scions of aristocratic families, he still had to learn etiquette, music, horsemanship, and archery.
The person before me raised their hand to their forehead and bowed their head. There was something quite different about them.
Looking at Yang Liuqing again, Lu Xi's eyes clearly held a hint of inquiry.
Mr. Zhang, who had been peering intently behind the girl, suddenly chuckled and said, "This young lady seems to be someone of considerable importance. 'The Purple Star, obscured yet bright again'... this is not something an ordinary person can say. Perhaps it's best to be cautious in your words?"
Qingqing set up this verbal trap for so long precisely to make them suspicious.
Although she vaguely understood that the strategist was deliberately trying to curry favor, she remained steadfast in her lie.
"Sir, you are indeed overthinking this. However, I have heard that... the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu is located deep in the mountains, precisely where the Purple Star rose in the past. Unlike the other dozen or so emperors, it is not something that can be easily manipulated. I know that you two are not ordinary people, nor are you rigid and rule-abiding. However, this celestial phenomenon has existed since ancient times, and no one in every dynasty has failed to respect it. If we were to truly disturb the spirits of the emperors and offend the celestial stars... you should understand the implications."
“Excavating the mausoleum is not difficult; at worst, we can move this mountain. However, you and the master certainly know better than I how much effort it will take and how much unnecessary trouble it will cause.”
Even in ancient times, and even in modern times, few people can completely disregard talk of ghosts and spirits. Qingqing combined this with the strange rumors she had heard while working in the palace, adding her own embellishments. Even though she knew nothing about anything except the name Yan Chong, she couldn't deny that these words sounded somewhat reasonable.
Yan Chong was a meteoric rise to prominence back then; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a star of great fortune. Lu Xi's brows indeed furrowed, and he habitually glanced sideways at Mr. Zhang.
Mr. Zhang remained silent, listening intently.
Qingqing felt that Mr. Zhang was still assessing the credibility, advantages and disadvantages, and benefits.
While the group was talking, the thin morning mist had already dissipated completely. The mountain wind returned for the second time, and the birds chirped and fluttered their wings in surprise.
Qingqing stood halfway in the stream and suddenly felt the water flowing over her feet increase its speed.
The three of them each had their own thoughts and plans, and it wasn't time to completely reveal their true intentions yet, but she simply couldn't wait any longer.
The unevaporated dew on the grass blades indicated that Yan Dibai had been on the verge of death all night, and it was still unknown how long the medicine given by Prime Minister Lin would last.
She must seize the opportunity before her.
Her heart started pounding again, and she unconsciously gripped her sleeves with both hands.
Her hints about the Purple Star are not very clear, but mostly refer to Yan Chong.
What if Yan Dibai's identity is really revealed?
Make them interested, give them leverage, and give them the opportunity to use the former emperor to command the world.
Yang Liuqing abruptly took a step back, deliberately widening the distance, raised her head, and curled her lips into a haughty smile: "Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you two. I have one more thing that I can offer as a token of my gratitude for your assistance—"
Before he could finish speaking, "Ugh...!"
The grass rustled, and I could vaguely hear a fourth voice.
"...?" Qingqing glanced at the two men, who also looked slightly puzzled. After thinking for a moment, she turned her face away.
Yan Dibai was still lying there with his eyes closed, and there was no one else around.
Qingqing's glimmer of hope was immediately dashed, and as she was about to turn back to continue the negotiations, she caught a glimpse of Yan Dibai's chest, which had been flat and even, heaving violently.
Yang Liuqing paused for half a second, then pounced. Yan Dibai frowned, and suddenly made gurgling noises in his throat, his breathing becoming increasingly labored. His hands also strangely pried at the pebbles in the water, causing red mist to rise from the water in an instant.
She was startled by the scene before her. Seeing the blood flowing more and more from his fingertips, Qingqing realized what was happening and quickly took his movable hand and held it tightly in her palm: "Don't move, don't move!"
Lu Xi was puzzled when he heard a "poof!" sound. The boy's neck kept stiffening upwards, and the gurgling sound in his throat became faster and faster. His closed eyes rolled around wildly through the thin eyelids. Suddenly, a patch of dark blood burst out from the top of the girl's drooping hair, spreading into a blood mist that covered half the sky.
Yan Dibai's trembling body suddenly stopped at that moment, and she fell back into the stream with a thud.
The hand in her palm suddenly curled up, Qingqing's eyes widened, and without bothering to wipe the bloodstains from her face, she bent her knees and fell straight into the water.
"So much blood..."
She leaned closer to look at the boy's face, which was covered by black hair. Yan Di's white eyelids trembled again, and after a low groan, his eyelids lifted halfway. His eyebrows were painfully furrowed, but he was clearly alive again.
Qingqing was slightly choked, checked his breath, and thought, "He's pregnant?" She bit her lip in disbelief, then took his hand and examined it closely—the skin was broken.
The layers of red marks on her knuckles were from gripping too tightly in her haste. Fortunately, nothing else happened.
"How are you? Can you speak—?" She dared to believe that he was really alright. Just as she opened her mouth, Yan Dibai's body suddenly shuddered twice, and he coughed up the last mouthful of blood stuck in his lungs. His bloodshot eyes suddenly widened, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints, staring straight at the lush greenery.
The boy looked up at the sky, and it took a moment for his unfocused eyes to regain their human color.
However, for some reason, even with rapid breathing, Yan Dibai remained frozen in place, appearing as if he were mentally controlled by something, exuding an eerie and unapproachable aura.
Yang Liuqing was stunned for a moment upon seeing this, but the feeling of unfamiliarity was quickly overshadowed by surprise. She cupped the boy's bony face in her hands, her voice trembling and low: "He's still alive, he's still alive..."
Qingqing's legs suddenly went weak, and she could no longer control her emotions, her face flashing between tears and smiles. Tears blurred the boy's features, which she clumsily wiped away, leaving a muddy mess. In that instant, she completely forgot about the differences in status and rank.
She didn't see that Yan Dibai's pupils twitched slightly as she cupped his face, then his eyelids slowly returned to their round shape.
Unlike his own warmth, it seemed to be able to accelerate the bonding of his fragmented consciousness. He froze for a moment, then grunted and gritted his teeth before his eyes regained their light.
I'm finally free.
Who is crying?
...Is it her who's crying?
Yan Dibai frowned, tilting his head slightly as he gazed at the girl who was constantly wiping away the traces of her tears with a complicated expression.
He imagined the first scene would be Yang Liuqing, thin and wet, her face full of concern as she saw him wake up. But she was crying her heart out, and the first thing he saw was her hands repeatedly wiping her face.
The surface was a mixture of green grass sap, brownish muddy water, and bloodstains seeping from numerous small wounds. It looked extremely unsightly.
In no time, her hands became rough, dark, and thin again. Even after being raised in the palace, they were still not as good as his cheapest clothes.
His lips touched up and down, but he didn't say anything. His gaze swept over her hand, then settled on her eyes, nose, and mouth.
A cut on the forehead.
Why is Yang Liuqing, who dared to defy the world and lead him to escape, crying so miserably?
I think the last time she cried was when... he refused to leave with her.
In the dimly lit bedchamber, two strings of shimmering beads suddenly fell.
She cried again while he was trapped in the nightmare.
This is the second time.
Unfortunately, this time it disappeared before it could even turn into a string of beads.
Yan Dibai's restless, depressed, and desolate heart softened strangely for a moment, and he wanted to push away the hand that was constantly drawing on her face. She looked too ugly; no woman in the palace cried like that.
But as soon as he tried to move his arm, a sharp pain shot through him. Yan Dibai wrinkled his nose, but was completely awake.
He had little confidence in his physical condition. The mountain was too high and steep; he probably wouldn't survive. Even if he desperately snatched the medicine from Yang Liuqing's arms at the last moment, he wasn't sure he could survive.
If he dies... Yan Dibai stared at the girl stuck at the bottom of the mountainside and thought, "Why don't I drag Yang Liuqing with me?"
She loved him so much, considered him everything, and put him first in everything. If he died, what would become of her?
In chaotic times, people are worse off than grass, but he still had some kindness in him and couldn't bear to see her suffer.
Who would have thought that he was destined to find life amidst death.
This long-silent mountain forest, the imperial mausoleum which he had only mentioned casually in a class taught by Prime Minister Lin when he was young, unexpectedly saved his life.
It was the pain in his five fingers and the chatter of the woman's voice that truly pulled him back to life at the last moment.
He swallowed hard; the blood he had just vomited only brought brief comfort to his burning internal organs. In just a few breaths, the excruciating pain, alternating between extreme heat and chills, returned.
Qingqing had just stopped crying and was about to peel off his clothes to check Yan Dibai's condition when he tried to move his stiff body. She exclaimed and stopped him, "Don't move! You're still injured!"
Upon hearing her shout and seeing her still reddened eyes, Yan Dibai's thin lips twitched uncomfortably. After a moment of slight, grimacing, his face contorted, he surprisingly gave up.
He lay there awkwardly and listlessly, his gaze sweeping calmly over the girl, before instantly hardening with a sharp edge upon meeting Lu Xi and the other man. Yan Dibai paused slightly, then turned his gaze to the two who had been watching the show with great interest for so long.
The young man smiled humbly, calmly taking back the burden that belonged to him from Yang Liuqing's hands.
Lu Xi's enjoyment of watching the play was instantly dampened by Yan Dibai's actions.
The smile appeared gentle, but it was merely a casual cover-up. Beneath that smile lay something even more unpleasant than the smile the young woman had just displayed, resembling the arrogant and conceited nature of the Gu family.
Unexpectedly, what was even more unsettling than the smile was the young man's unhurried voice:
"I do have the answer to what you are looking for."
Lu Xi disliked his expression and became suspicious again. Mr. Zhang, standing to the side, stroked his beard and openly met Yan Dibai's gaze:
"It seems this young lady wasn't lying; I was just overthinking it."
Yan Dibai smiled faintly and said to Yang Liuqing in a hoarse voice, "Drag me up."
The water that had been cut off resumed its flow, and the sound of the water grew louder. Yan Dibai leaned against the tree trunk, calming the blood rushing to his head, and stopped speaking.
Lu Xi was about to make a sarcastic remark when he turned around and saw that the group he had brought had already rushed into the deep mountains. Seeing that they were unharmed, they all looked relieved.
"Thankfully, they are safe! We were very worried because our lord and the gentleman had been gone for so long, so we specially captured Physician Jiang to accompany them!"
Mr. Zhang responded by waving his feather fan, and Lu Xi frowned: "The master has already said that there is no major problem here, why are you getting involved!"
The leader's smirk was, in essence, out of concern for his well-being, so Lu Xi couldn't reprimand him further. Staring at the young couple, he felt that his people's arrival was too opportune, giving the two of them more reason to act arrogantly.
Upon seeing the doctor, panting and carrying a medicine box, Qingqing's eyes immediately lit up, and she glanced at Yan Dibai in acknowledgment.
Yan Di's eyelids drooped, and her tone became increasingly nonchalant.
"I wonder if either of you has any knowledge of the Waterways Classic?"
Mr. Zhang: "Hmm? Young man, you are so young, yet you know the Commentary on the Waterways Classic?"
The young man smiled leisurely:
"The south side of a mountain is considered sunny, while the north side of a river is considered shady. The stones were used to divide the river and change its course; the spring stones are in the east, and the autumn stones are in the west."
"Then, the swallows returned to the nine palaces, and the Purple Crape Myrtle shone brightly again."
Mr. Zhang was startled. Suddenly, following Yan Dibai's words, he looked around. He seemed dazed for a moment, and then looked incredulously at the stream where Yan Dibai had been lying.
On the not-so-deep riverbed, two moss-covered pebbles of similar size are half-embedded diagonally.
If you look closely, there is a gap of about the same size in the center below the two stones.
It was clearly a mechanical formation.
Mr. Zhang's hand holding the fan trembled uncontrollably, and he almost gasped for breath.
"You mean, the founding emperor of Yan and Jin used the terrain and waterways as a strategic formation, employing streams as traps to conceal his mausoleum. Once these traps were solved, the emperor rose again, and the Purple Star appeared?"
After Lu Xi finished greeting his subordinates, he turned around and was startled by the sharp look in his master's eyes. He wanted to say something but couldn't get it out.
In stark contrast to the excited Mr. Zhang, the young man simply smiled and said, "If you wish to find out the truth... why not do as Ah Qing suggested and make an exchange with us?"
Qingqing's eyelids twitched. "Aqing?"
She felt a little dizzy. Was that the alias Yan Dibai had given her?
Mr. Zhang lowered his head after receiving this reply, while Lu Xi, standing to the side, was puzzled: "Sir?"
Mr. Zhang exhaled a breath of hot air: "Please, my lord, come with me to another place to talk."
-
"!"
My face is itchy... What's scratching me?
Qingqing suddenly opened her eyes, sat up abruptly, and slapped her left cheek, a broken blade of grass instantly appearing between her fingers.
Qingqing remained silent, staring at the grass for a while, when suddenly a chilling, sarcastic voice rang in her ears:
"Why didn't you sleep a little longer?"
Yan Dibai lay on the rattan mat, casually tossing away the remaining half of a blade of grass between her fingers. The doctor, who was pounding medicine beside her, saw her wake up and handed her some ointment: "Young lady, you've finally woken up after sleeping for a night and a half. Here's some ointment for your forehead."
Qingqing was still a little dazed: "Oh... thank you."
The small porcelain box in her palm was icy cold. She clenched it tightly, and after a while, the coldness stimulated her, and her consciousness slowly returned.
Yes, she fell asleep right after the doctor finished treating Yan Dibai's injuries.
It's probably caused by bursts of mental tension.
The doctor prepared the medicinal decoction and then examined the splints that were fixing the bones.
Qingqing touched her forehead, which had just been treated, and watched from the side. Due to limited resources, Yan Dibai obediently allowed the doctor to tear open his clothes and treat his wounds one by one.
Qingqing felt increasingly uncomfortable looking at it.
During the days he was confined in the cold palace, she felt distressed by his emaciated frame when she undressed and bathed him. Now, a large number of wounds have been added to his bony skin, making him even more twisted and horrifying.
Several times he faced life and death, always teetering between these two extremes, constantly throwing himself like a die.
Unfortunately, luck always seems to arrive late at times like these, leaving you hanging on by a thread while waiting for the next storm.
"The medicine has been applied for the past two days, and the young lady should have learned how to use it. Next time, the young lady will be in charge of changing the medicine, which will be faster." After the doctor finished giving his instructions, Qingqing nodded, exhausted, and moved to sit down in Yan Dibai's small tent.
She splashed some stream water on her face and looked around, only to realize that almost two days had passed since she reached an agreement with the Lu family.
Yan Dibai's words were extremely persuasive, and Mr. Zhang returned not long after leaving to question him in detail.
This gave Yan Dibai ample time to prepare his explanation, and he effortlessly used the classic text on waterways to describe the mountain's topography and the direction of the water flow. Although his delivery was weak and listless, his arguments were clear and his evidence irrefutable, leaving no room for doubt.
Lu Xi immediately laughed heartily, and allowed the physician to step forward and examine him. The old physician took off his clothes, took his pulse, and listed a long list in an orderly manner:
"The middle of his right arm is fractured and the tendons are broken, and his little finger is cracked. The third rib on his left side is broken, and there are twenty-three purplish bruises all over his body. This is an injury from a fall, which caused the qi and blood to be out of their proper channels, and the qi and blood to stagnate. In addition, the lung vessels were injured by the shock, and he is short of breath and coughing up blood-tinged foam. Hiss... I don't know why his heart pulse is sometimes rapid and sometimes weak. Young man, you are as thin as a rake. Is it because you rarely eat? Tsk... But the rescue was timely. With more rest, you will be able to walk freely in less than two months."
"I've always been in poor health, and I was seriously ill a while ago, which scared the doctor." Yan Dibai wasn't surprised by this. He casually made up a reason to accept his injury and asked the doctor for some licorice root, astragalus, and astragalus to chew.
These were all medicinal herbs that nourish yin and replenish qi. The doctor was surprised that the young man knew a bit about pharmacology and readily gave them the herbs.
Qingqing's heart was pounding.
The injuries were numerous, but the vital points were avoided. The drug addiction of Yan Dibai would likely prevent him from moving freely.
But the latter is too tricky, so we can only wait and think of a solution later.
She herself was fine; the injury on her buttocks was almost gone, and the soreness in her arms and back was due to muscle strain from carrying heavy loads for a long time, which would subside in a couple of days. As for her head, it only affected the soft tissue layer, and she would feel dizzy occasionally, but it wasn't a serious problem.
However, the two were also an inescapable pair of weak and disabled. Lu Xi was quite at ease about this and was rather generous. He set up a simple tent on the spot for Yan Dibai to stay in first, and had his soldiers do the work while keeping an eye on the two of them, while he took his men and strategists to find stones.
During the doctor's examination, Qingqing chatted briefly with the dozens of people guarding them and learned that they came from Jiangdong, which was also part of Jiangbiao. They were one of the local aristocratic families that had existed for hundreds of years, and were the second most prominent in the area. They had a deep-seated grudge against the most prominent Gu family.
The purpose of this trip to the capital is to get a share of the pie and to rival the Gu family.
Thinking of the token she had taken out when she escaped, Qingqing savored its meaning and quietly tightened the token's grip.
Pretending not to know how those people died, she continued to interact with them with a smile, and their interactions were relatively peaceful.
Qingqing stared blankly for a moment, then tightened the splint on Yan Dibai's arm, which had been loosened, and offered him a black flatbread.
For the past two days, Yan Dibai has spent the rest of his time either sleeping or staring blankly at something.
He had never escaped such a perilous situation before. The various noises and hallucinations he experienced while unconscious were so real, and because he couldn't talk about them with anyone for various reasons, he finally managed to relax for a while and then uncontrollably fell into a kind of ethereal and illusory state of mind.
Qingqing asked again, seemingly impatient, before Yan Dibai finally snapped out of her daze and instinctively tried to refuse. But seeing her exhausted face, he couldn't bring himself to utter those usual harsh and impatient words. Instead, he took a bite of the softest part of the pancake.
Sure enough, she breathed a sigh of relief, and her eyes curved into a smile of contentment.
Yan Dibai slowed his chewing, then swallowed it all at once. He forgot that the damage to his internal organs from the fall, while not fatal, was still considerable. Just as he finished his act of bravado, his stomach cramped. He cried out in pain and froze in place. Only after Qingqing brought him some water did Yan Dibai silently lower his head and drink it all in a few gulps. When she tried to feed him more biscuits, Yan Dibai kept his mouth tightly shut.
Qingqing sighed with worry: "These brothers only have flatbread on them. If only they had rice, they could cook porridge over a fire so it wouldn't upset their stomachs."
Yan Dibai said calmly, "I won't starve to death anytime soon."
Qingqing looked at him with concern, but said nothing else.
Yan Dibai vaguely guessed what she was thinking, and then added with a stern face, "Who wants to eat that mixed porridge?"
Qingqing glanced at him, her expression softening slightly as expected: "Your Majesty, what would you like to eat, Ah Bai? There are birds in the forest, but it's a pity we don't have a slingshot, otherwise we could have some meat to nourish ourselves..."
Yan Dibai: ...
Could it be that in her mind he only has one image: being unreasonable?
Wait, Ah Bai?
Yan Dibai's brain reacted for a moment, and he suddenly felt a jolt.
Is this a name he casually picked out for Aqing?
Such perfunctory treatment.
He said irritably, "You're still recovering from a serious injury, what use is meat? All you ever think about is hunting birds and eating meat."
Seeing that he hadn't directly refuted the name she'd secretly chosen as a return gift, Qingqing felt secretly pleased. She was understanding of Yan Dibai's current attitude and naturally wouldn't hold it against him. However, just as she nodded, she turned to observe Yan Dibai with surprise.
Why does it seem like he's still holding a grudge about that time she caught and ate the bird?
Yan Dibai noticed the difference in her gaze and frowned: "What is it now?"
Qingqing chuckled twice, trying to hide her embarrassment, and asked in a low voice, "Will the medicine help?"
She was asking about the medicine given by Prime Minister Lin.
Yan Dibai remained silent, lazily humming under the subtle gazes of the group, his dark eyebrows sweeping open: "I'm perfectly fine, at most I'll just accumulate some blood and cough it up a few more times."
In short, it's not finished yet. Qingqing stopped playing games with Yan Dibai: "Once Young Master Lu and Mr. Zhang find the last mechanism stone, will the mausoleum finally reveal its true form?"
"...Maybe."
Actually, they were originally supposed to be taken along. However, Qingqing and Yan Dibai were both covered in injuries, and if they were not careful, it would cause more trouble, so they were left to be watched over by the others.
At first, Qingqing was still uneasy. After all, she had been talking nonsense in order to discuss things together after saving Yan Dibai, but she didn't expect that he would point it out without asking any questions as soon as he woke up.
Swallows return to the Nine Palaces, the Purple Crape Myrtle shines again… It sounds flawless, as if it were true.
What a coincidence.
“Spring stones are in the east, autumn stones are in the west. Logically there should also be summer and winter stones, so why is there only one missing?” Qingqing blurted out.
Yan Dibai glanced at the ears that had perked up around him, then looked at the curious Yang Liuqing and said, "How would I know what the Emperor Taizu was thinking? Anyway, that's how things are. Perhaps the Emperor Taizu didn't like one of the seasons, or perhaps he was in a hurry to build the mausoleum and made a mistake."
Qingqing thought to herself, "You probably don't know either."
Of course, both of them tacitly chose to avoid the topic. The onlookers, dissatisfied with their lack of an answer, withdrew their ears and continued cutting grass and digging.
After waiting a while, Qingqing got a little bored and was about to get up to take a look when a soldier wielding a hoe suddenly ran over laughing, "Sir, you've found the mechanism stone!"
After two full days, the results were finally achieved, and joy suddenly rose up in the mountains and forests.
As soon as Qingqing stood up, Mr. Zhang, carrying a stone in his arms, quickly walked into her line of sight. Behind him, Lu Xi was panting heavily, and the soldiers following him were covered in foul-smelling mud, clearly having gone through some hardships.
Qingqing hurriedly got up. Mr. Zhang handed the stone to Lu Xi, and the young man's face showed nervousness. Lu Xi held the stone, about to bend down, but then glanced at Mr. Zhang with some uncertainty.
If this secret is true, then the founding emperor of Yan and Jin should receive the blessings of the Purple Star in the heavens... perhaps bestowing good fortune upon the Lu family?
Mr. Zhang nodded: "My lord, just do it."
Lu Xi stared intently at Yan Dibai, whose body was covered in cloth.
The boy lay obediently on the rattan mat, his face, barely recognizable as human, displaying a smile without any attempt to hide it, his bloodshot phoenix eyes remaining calm and undisturbed.
Lu Xi felt a tightness in his chest for no reason, but Qingqing bowed and said, "Young master, please don't be offended. Ah Bai is in poor health and has been suffering from this injury, so he is not good at speaking. He has no ill intentions!"
Once she was certain the ugly boy was unharmed, the short thorns on the girl's body vanished in the blink of an eye. Her tone was no longer arrogant or domineering; instead, she was often shy and smiling, without a trace of aggression.
Lu Xi found her much more pleasing to the eye. Now that she had made the decision, he no longer hesitated. He took a deep breath and placed the hard-won stone into the empty space.
one two three.
"Boom—"
The stream suddenly stopped flowing, and the sound echoed through the mountains.
Three mossy stones sank at the same time, and the remaining stream water flowed into the gap along with these three stones, leaving only a thin layer of damp soil in a short while. The mountain wind continued, sounding like the neighing of a strong horse, sharp and piercing.
"They're out! They're out!"
The heavy machinery creaked and groaned as it operated, and birds in the forest rushed to take flight. Then, with a loud clang, a thick tree on the hillside across the stream snapped in two in a bizarre manner, leaving layers of grass and shrubs lying on the ground, revealing a hole five or six feet wide, covered with fallen branches as a cover.
This is the entrance to the mausoleum.
"It's right in front of me! How ingenious!" Lu Xi was shocked and couldn't help but take a few steps forward.
The mausoleum blends seamlessly into the mountain, completely inconspicuous, unlike any other mausoleum of emperors of the same era. None of the group, including Mr. Zhang, realized that the mausoleum was right in front of them.
Mr. Zhang frowned, a rare sight, and was truly shocked as he looked at the unassuming, cave-like entrance.
These past few days, observing the wind and water, the divination indicated that the vital energy was not in the center of this mountain, but in a mud pit where the last mechanism stone had fallen. He did not doubt the boy's words, but felt extremely puzzled.
Why abandon a good place? It is not right for an emperor to believe in destiny.
Seeing it now is an eye-opening experience.
"Throughout history, all emperors who have achieved something have embarked on massive construction projects in order to ensure the longevity of their descendants and the continuation of their imperial ambitions. All eleven imperial tombs on Qifeng Mountain are no exception. However, this founding emperor used mechanical tricks to hide himself without a trace, disdaining to be buried in the best feng shui location in the mountains. He was truly a ruthless and cunning ruler who did not believe in fate."
If all heroes in the world possessed such a mindset, why would it be difficult to find a wise ruler to assist them?
Qingqing was also amazed by the ingenuity of the mechanism and couldn't help but glance at Yan Dibai.
He showed no surprise, as if he had expected it all along.
Is it under his control?
…However, unlike Mr. Zhang's amazement at the unique ideas of Emperor Taizu of Yan and Jin, she was even more surprised that the cave above was the very place where she had first woken up. It was that same horizontal tree that had protected her from rolling down.
As for the mechanism, how could it be such a coincidence that it was the place where Yan Dibai was lying?
For no apparent reason, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Perhaps because he had something on his mind, Mr. Zhang suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Yan Dibai, as if he had seen through something, his deep meaning surging.
Yan Dibai never backed down, her eyes and brows smiling gently.
Qingqing immediately sensed something was wrong with the atmosphere and was about to speak up to divert attention when Mr. Zhang suddenly smiled deeply and began to slowly examine her.
Qingqing froze, then smiled.
Fortunately, the laughter lasted only a few seconds. In his excitement, Lu Xi waved his sleeve and led his men into the cave, with Mr. Zhang following behind.
Qingqing's smile vanished instantly, and she lifted her foot to follow, only to be met with a hoe and a shovel placed in front of her.
The two elder brothers, speaking in a Jiangdong accent, glared angrily: "How dare you lay a finger on our lord's property!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was just curious!" Qingqing exclaimed in surprise, quickly apologizing and obediently squatting back down next to Yan Dibai under the angry glares of the others.
Seeing the bustling crowd inside, I felt a little uneasy.
How can we allow outsiders to plunder our ancestral home, Yan Dibai's final resting place?
She's a modern person, but she's not immune to the reverence for her ancestors. If she can't stand idly by while her ancestral graves are being desecrated, then what should Yan Dibai do?
This man was once an emperor.
Qingqing had a lot of wild ideas, but Yan Dibai just kept watching the group enter the mausoleum without even raising an eyebrow. It was all for naught that she had such wild ideas.
I have no worries about the finest ingredients.
He didn't understand it at first, but after the mechanism confirmed his deductions step by step, he had a good idea of what was going on.
This ancestor, whose early life was deliberately erased, was no ordinary person. There is an 80% chance that the yellow and white objects that ordinary people would want are not even in the mausoleum.
If the commotion were to be confirmed, the excitement would suddenly cease at a certain moment. Everyone outside the cave would crane their necks, only to hear a furious shout coming from inside: "Where's the coffin? Where are the burial goods? Go and dig them up! I don't believe that a grand imperial tomb doesn't have a secret chamber!"
Lu Xi's hand holding the torch trembled slightly, but his expression changed drastically upon entering the mausoleum—the empty grotto contained only dusty stirrups and half a crimson riding cap hanging above a broken pottery jar. The young man rushed out in a fit of rage, not even bothering to straighten his crooked hair ornament, and shouted:
"Is this really the mausoleum of Yan Chong? Why are there only a few broken items inside?!"
Qingqing was stunned again, not knowing how many times she had been surprised.
An ordinary cave with nothing inside?
Lu Xi gripped his sword, ready to lash out at any moment. Qingqing was about to speak when a fingertip covered in medicine lightly tapped the back of her hand.
She turned her head, and the composure on the young man's face cracked slightly. He frowned, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said:
"Young master, are you saying that there are no imperial coffins inside, just an empty cavity?"
Lu Xi scoffed, "Would I lie to you?"
"I didn't spend all this effort, staying up for two days and nights, just to find an empty space!"
Yan Dibai remained silent for a moment, his eyes slightly lowered, lost in thought. Lu Xi, however, had lost all patience: "Bury these two alive on the spot!"
Qingqing quickly said, "There must be some misunderstanding, young master, please calm down! Ah Bai has another way!"
Lu Xi ignored her explanation and waved for his men to seize it. Suddenly, Mr. Zhang emerged from the cave: "My lord, do not be hasty. Let us take a look at this."
Lu Xi's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "Sir?"
Mr. Zhang strolled over, glanced at Qingqing, who was standing protectively in front of Yan Dibai, and then smiled at Yan Dibai, his face showing a hint of pleasure.
He handed a pair of rotten stirrups to Lu Xi, who glared at them angrily: "Stirrups? What's there to see! Sir, this man and woman are utterly liars; I should have beheaded them on the spot—"
Mr. Zhang chuckled, sized up Yan Dibai who had slowly raised his eyes, and then gestured for him to extend his hand:
"Young master, do you know anything about this?"
Yan Dibai, observing the rusty stirrups, suddenly smiled, appearing to be in a very good mood.
"I suppose you've figured out the reason, sir? I'm not as learned as you are. Since you know, please explain. Don't let me make a mistake again and anger the young master."
Mr. Zhang shrugged: "Why be so humble, young man?"
Yan Dibai was in a dilemma: "Does the master really want me to make a fool of myself?"
Mr. Zhang just smiled.
Yan Di chuckled and then examined the stirrups, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, these stirrups were used by Emperor Taizu when he was herding horses. This cave was his herding dwelling when he was young. Emperor Taizu conquered the world on horseback and spent decades with horses, so he regarded horses as treasures, far more valuable than gold or silver."
The treasures that the world desires are not even comparable to two broken stirrups for Yan Chong.
Lu Xi was shocked: "Sir, is it true?"
Mr. Zhang nodded without hesitation: "That matches."
The attendant then brought out a broken earthenware jar and a tattered horse saddlecloth riddled with holes.
The pottery jar has a chip, indicating it was frequently used. The horse-drawn saddlecloth is made of several different colored fabrics, among which a crimson fabric with faint floral patterns is the most valuable item.
He sighed, as if it were absurd: "This elaborate scheme, in the end, only guarded the youthful memories of a great hero. Perhaps that Emperor Taizu and Empress were long dead elsewhere. Anecdotes are just anecdotes; only our ancestors know the truth."
The long-awaited military treatise turned out to be nothing but a mirage.
Lu Xi was shocked, never expecting that all his hard work would end like this, and his face grew increasingly grim. Mr. Zhang then signaled his men to disperse and invited Lu Xi to speak privately.
After hearing all this, Qingqing completely understood the reason.
That was definitely a bit unlucky.
However, it's one thing for Yan Chong to act unconventionally and unorthodoxly, and it's another for Lu Xi and his group to dig up graves and steal treasures. It's just that the latter placed all their hopes on him, and investing time and manpower was a necessary process; surely it shouldn't warrant such resentment as murder...
She sighed repeatedly until Yan Dibai coughed, at which point she remembered that she was still blocking Yan Dibai's way and quickly stepped back.
The boy ignored everything that had just happened. He shifted his neck and slowly chewed on the rehmannia root: "The straw pillow is worn out, let's change it."
His expression remained completely unchanged.
Qingqing bent down. Yan Di was used to using a white pillow, and he always felt uncomfortable without one. She found some dry grass and quickly wove one up, stuffing it under his head. He used it like that for more than a day, and he didn't complain.
Supporting the boy's neck and adjusting his position, Yang Liuqing also used her fingernails to snap off any protruding thorns. But as she finished, she froze, staring at the exposed section of the boy's neck.
The bluish-purple veins almost extended down to the jaw, expanding and contracting with each breath.
These things didn't exist when we were in the palace.
Could it be that the poison has spread again, or...?
"What are you looking at?" Yan Dibai asked abruptly.
Qingqing suddenly pulled away, "On your neck..."
Yan Di pursed her thin, pale lips slightly: "Is it serious?"
Qingqing nodded vigorously.
He paused, his throat bobbing, and said, "He's not dead yet."
"...But what about afterwards?"
“Yang Liuqing,” Yan Dibai suddenly said.
Qingqing exclaimed in surprise, "Why are you yelling like that! Luckily they were far away!"
As if finding her flustered attempt to cover up amusing, a hint of barely perceptible amusement flickered in Yan Di's white eyes, and his tone subtly shifted:
"What a coincidence!"
"skillful?"
His eyelashes drooped, and he remained silent. Yang Liuqing, silent, rolled down the mountain and unexpectedly discovered the imperial tomb, and the tomb and its traps were exactly where they had landed...
These coincidences weighed on her mind; it was better not to mention them, for mentioning them would inevitably remind her of Da Huanfa.
What is Yan Dibai implying by suddenly saying this in the current situation?
Yang Liuqing blinked, her face, washed clean with water, filled with aroused curiosity.
Yan Dibai suddenly looked away, his tone unfriendly: "What nonsense are you thinking?"
Qingqing was taken aback: "Didn't you tell me to guess?"
The young man raised an eyebrow: "I said it's a coincidence that this former residence was used as a mausoleum. What do you think it is?"
Qingqing choked.
The atmosphere was quiet for a moment, and just when Qingqing thought Yan Dibai was about to end the conversation, she suddenly heard him say again:
Have you ever tasted fresh loquat?
Loquat?
People in the village grew it every other street, so of course we ate a lot of it. But after eating it so much, we stopped liking it.
Just as she was about to answer, she suddenly remembered that when she served in the palace, the eunuchs would present her with local specialties from all over the country every day. Although there were quite a few varieties, there were so many plates that it looked dazzling, and she never knew where to put her first bite.
Further down the list are various fruits and vegetables, mostly peaches, plums, apricots, and dates common in the north, occasionally grapes and pomegranates, and in certain seasons a dish of lychees and longans from the Lingnan region. As for loquats...
It seems there were some candied loquats?
She had never seen Yan Di eat that dark, unappetizing thing before. She had seen Wo Xue sneak a sip once, savoring it slowly and carefully, while giving her a sidelong glance, forbidding her to tell anyone.
But she comes from a place rich in produce, so she's not that craving fruit.
If even Yan Dibai can't get fresh loquats, then for Yang Liuqing, who comes from a commoner background, loquats seem to be something she can't possibly have access to at all.
Her 21st-century soul made her want to nod, but her body's habits were a step ahead of her consciousness, and before she could answer, her head quickly shook itself.
“Uh, I,” she said, coming to her senses. Just as she was about to add a few words, a few blurry lights flickered in Yan Dibai’s red eyes.
He leaned back on the straw pillow, half his face bathed in the soft light of sparse leaves. The sun was high in the sky, its halo softening his rugged features, making him feel as if he had returned to the time before he was imprisoned.
The boy squinted, watching the two people walking back, a calm smile playing on his lips:
"How is Jiangdong?"
"Jiangdong...?"
He raised an eyebrow and hummed lazily through his nose: "Just in time for the loquats to be out of season, so we can eat our fill."
Qingqing's eyes have become rounder.
Before she could delve into the deeper meaning hidden in Yan Di's words, he bent one arm, twisted his unsteady body, and earnestly said to Lu Xi, who was approaching and still had an angry look on his face:
"I am deeply troubled by the waste of your manpower earlier. I am not capable enough, but in order to make amends, I hope to make another deal with you."
Lu Xi was temporarily persuaded by Mr. Zhang's words. He said that the ugly boy was shrewd and ambitious, and probably had a powerful background, so he could be used.
The Lu family has no one else to rely on, and these words truly hit the nail on the head. After much deliberation, he can only conclude that this journey is a cruel joke played by fate.
Lu Xi was pondering how to deal with Yan Dibai when, unexpectedly, Yan Dibai spoke first, changing his tune and taking a step back.
So, it was this young man who asked for a favor.
"My lord is so wise and resourceful, why would I need to help you?" Lu Xi thought to himself, but he still held his chin up high, unwilling to lose face.
"I will give you another treasure, young master, and I hope you will give me the horse turban."
Lu Xi glared at Yan Dibai for a long while, then suddenly burst into laughter: "A horse turban? This thing is old and unusable; I was going to throw it away anyway. Why would you exchange it for another treasure?"
Yan Dibai smiled more genuinely, as if his thoughts had been exposed: "Even though the relics of the founding emperor are worn and old, they cannot resist curiosity. Young Master Lu is insightful and must know that this horse turban is a clue."
Lu Xi clenched his fist secretly: "Oh? What is Young Master Bai trying to provoke...?"
Yan Dibai sighed heavily and looked at Yang Liuqing: "To be honest, my body is almost dead. I have struggled to survive until now, hoping that your ship, Young Master, can carry me and Aqing on the water for a while and away from the troubles in the capital."
This was somewhat of an emotional appeal. However, Lu Xi found the boy's sudden show of weakness quite appealing, and also realized the brilliance of Yan Dibai's insightful explanation. He genuinely wanted to know his background, so he coughed lightly:
"...What is the other treasure you mentioned?"
The young man looked directly into Lu Xi's increasingly gleaming eyes, gave a slight smile, and exuded an uncontrollable allure.
"I resolved the dispute between the four families of Wuxing for you, and quelled the turmoil among the migrants who fled south. I acquired land and managed the waterways, and wealth flowed like a river. Could this be considered a treasure trove?"
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