Chapter 35: Tangdi's Sorrow
The East China Sea's raging waves crashed against the thousand-foot cliffs, their roar like thunder, each impact sending pale foam splattering against the cliffs. A salty sea breeze, laced with moisture, ripped Yun Yuan's skirt into fluttering crimson afterimages.
Yun Yuan raised her eyes and looked at Wu Yi. Even at this moment, the woman's expression was still a little carefree, like a lazy cat tired of the trivialities of the world. Her expression was always calm, giving people an inexplicable feeling that she had no extra thoughts.
Yun Yuan remembered what Tao Yao had said: a gifted spy is like this, with a calm and pure demeanor that naturally inspires trust. Even if there are thousands of twists and turns in their hearts, no one can see it.
Wu Yi was it. For the past few months, every key move had been planned by Wu Yi, and Yun Yuan herself was at best the most suitable and fortunate chess piece.
Wu Yi smiled and said, "Then tell me what role I played yesterday."
Yun Yuan pondered, "If Feng Xiaotian had killed you, it would have meant they were brothers of one mind, and Feng Xiaoming was merely a puppet in his brother's hands. Feng Xiaotian would have known your words were true, and would have eliminated you as soon as possible. Now that you've escaped the Feng family alive, it's clear the Feng family head was truly kept in the dark, which is why he's saving your life to test the truth."
Yun Yuan smiled and said, "To achieve this, you only need a suitable excuse to assassinate Feng Xiaoming."
Wu Yi raised an eyebrow: "What is that?"
"The Queen's order—what you told Feng Xiaotian was that seven or eight years ago, you were ordered by the late Queen to infiltrate the Feng family in order to take Feng Xiaoming's life." Yun Yuan smiled and said, "This way, you can take this opportunity to reveal all of Feng Xiaoming's actions back then."
"Clever indeed." Wu Yi chuckled. "However, apart from his identity, everything else he said is true. Feng Xiaoming did indeed target the Feng family back then. He discovered the impenetrable 'Wind God Formation' and offered the Queen the advice that 'the Feng family cannot be attacked by force; only poison can break them.'" A hint of sarcasm flashed in his eyes. "But who knew that after Feng Xiaotian became the head of the family, he would change his mind and side with the Queen. The Queen no longer wants to annihilate the Feng family, but instead wants to cook Feng Xiaoming, that vicious dog, into oblivion."
"I've always heard that Feng Xiaotian is incredibly cunning, his chess moves as sharp as a blade, his moves leaving no trace. Even the trembling spiderwebs on the eaves are a reflection of his manipulation," Yun Yuan sighed. "I never expected he'd be completely oblivious to his fellow brethren. Judging by the properties of the Wuchang Jie... I'm afraid most of the Fengspies have become puppets of that venomous snake."
"I can only say that this venomous snake put on a great show." Wu Yi sat down against the cave wall. "If Feng Xiaoming hadn't been desperate and asked Feng Die to take my place, he might not have listened to my words. Now Feng Xiaotian probably sees clearly - his good brother has a black heart."
"I heard that some spies followed Feng Yanhao out of the martial arts world, and some were imprisoned in Tingtao Courtyard..." Yun Yuan pondered, "Is it a purge and reorganization?"
Wu Yi said slowly, "He should have done so long ago. He can't even figure out why the Third Young Master is on the Infinite List. What's the point of keeping such a spy around?"
"The Infinite Ranking..." Yun Yuan was stunned: "I originally thought it was the work of Feng Yanhao."
Wu Yi shook her head. "The Feng family's reverence for their ancestors' teachings is ingrained in their bones, and fighting among brothers and relatives is a taboo. Feng Yanhao has always only wanted to control Feng Yanyuan, and has never harbored any intention of killing him—at least not yet."
Yun Yuan was amused. "This ancestral precept is so powerful that even the 'Black Judge' is willing to be restrained?"
"Do you think that divine halberd is just a magic array? It's actually the Feng family's shrine! It's said that disobeying ancestral teachings will be retaliated by the divine halberd—it's so magical, yet the Feng family believes it wholeheartedly." Wu Yi sneered, "Except Feng Xiaoming, of course. When he was the Queen's lackey, he was already targeting the Feng family. With such a deep hatred, he's probably forgotten these so-called ancestral teachings."
"If that's the case, it's even more unbelievable that Feng Yanxuan would resort to such a murderous act."
"There's something strange about the Second Young Master, but..." Wu Yi's eyes narrowed. "The man behind this must be Feng Xiaoming. If he wants to leave the valley, he has to disperse the Wind God Formation, and killing Feng Yanyuan is the most direct way. Feng Xiaotian wouldn't have failed to think of this." She looked at Yun Yuan. "Now that he's seen clearly what his good brother looks like, how could he trust him again?"
Yun Yuan nodded. "And Feng Xiaoming's limited skills would probably keep him hidden in the sewers, and he wouldn't dare flaunt them in front of the Feng family. Compared to the rift between these two brothers," she smiled slightly. "My identity is actually insignificant."
"That's right." Wu Yi smiled. "If you can still get the Third Young Master to take you to Shouchun, and use the Feng family's status, perhaps you can even get deeper into the center of the storm."
Yun Yuan recalled Feng Yanyuan's expression when he handed her the yellow slip, "He seemed to have wanted to take me to Shouchun."
"Because you're also a Feng spy. He's worried about leaving you alone in the Feng family." Wu Yi's eyes suddenly softened, and his voice gradually lowered. "The Third Young Master is different from the others in the Feng family. Since you're willing to save him, you must have noticed."
Yun Yuan was slightly startled. "I... haven't thought about it carefully." Her eyes suddenly fixed. "He's not the culprit, and I'm only alive thanks to his protection. Let's just call it a day."
"You are quite clear about gratitude and resentment."
"What about you?" Yun Yuan's eyes flickered.
"I?"
"Most of the information you brought was about Yuanfeng Court. You even wanted to know about Third Young Master's preferences, like Yue..." She paused, "I originally thought you were from Yuanfeng Court."
"I was originally going to Yuanfeng Courtyard." Wu Yi stroked her sleeves gently, "but the young master refused to accept me, so I ended up in Haofeng Courtyard by mistake."
"Then you..." Yun Yuan's voice became increasingly tense, "Why did you sneak into the Feng family in the first place?"
Wu Yi smiled bitterly: "To find my senior sister."
"Senior Sister?"
Yun Yuan was slightly startled. The sea of peony blossoms on the hillside behind Yuanfeng Courtyard suddenly appeared before her eyes. Yes, it wasn't so much that she knew everything about Feng Yanyuan, but rather that she knew his biological mother's preferences like the back of her hand.
Her heart trembled: "No wonder you... Yu Rong is your senior sister?"
Wu Yi nodded slightly.
The afternoon sun was blazing, and golden rays of light penetrated the cracks in the rocks, casting mottled shadows on the damp cave walls.
Wu Yi sighed softly, "This woman's ambition is beyond words. In terms of martial arts, she could kill me in ten moves; in terms of strategy, she's set up a trap that even Feng Xiaotian can't see through. If she hadn't truly fallen in love with Feng Xiaotian, she wouldn't have taken off her battle robe and donned her wedding gown, nor would she have been left alone when she was framed, at the mercy of others..."
"Framed...?"
Wu Yi smiled bitterly. "The Feng family kept her affairs a secret. I only discovered something strange by chance from an old servant's drunken rant... She was so young, yet when she was buried... she looked like an old woman. That foolish servant kept saying nonsense like 'life for life'..." Her voice trembled slightly. "Later, a maid was forced to take Wuchang and became poisoned. Only then did I realize that such a poison existed in the world."
Hatred welled up in Wu Yi's eyes. "After she got married, she was like a bird with broken wings. She couldn't even see me. What could she have done to deserve such poison? When I learned that Feng Xiaoming was also the Queen's vicious dog, I understood..." She dug her nails into the rock wall. "Using a concubine to take the blame is just like..." Wu Yi's voice rose and fell with the whimpering of the sea breeze. "It's like stepping on an ant."
The two were silent for a while.
The sound of the tide is like a complaint, hitting the rugged rock walls.
Yun Yuan sighed softly, "No wonder the Third Young Master misses his mother so much, yet never mentions her. It turns out Yu Rong was being used as a spy." She suddenly remembered Ru Yue's words from last night, and her voice softened a bit, "But I heard Feng Xiaotian went to the peony garden in the back mountain alone yesterday and set up a cenotaph for Yu Rong."
"A cenotaph?" Wu Yi's voice was as cold as ice. "He's really good at acting. Ha..." She sneered, "Feng Xiaotian—his conscience comes later than the tide."
She squinted her eyes and looked at the blazing white sky outside the cave, raised her hand to block the glaring sunlight, and the light spots that leaked through her fingers danced on her blood-stained clothes.
"I've said everything I need to say. The later you go back, the harder it will be to explain."
Yun Yuan understood. As she turned, the sunlight pierced her crimson sleeves, like a burning peony petal. She reached the cave entrance, flung her sleeves around, and wrapped them around the branches of a crooked pine tree on the cliffside. The sea breeze, carrying a salty, acrid heat, lashed her face, lifting her clothes and long, dark hair. As soon as she uttered the words, "Take care," she soared into the air.
Wu Yi looked up and saw the figure taking off and landing several times under the azure sky, with his clothes fluttering like a bird soaring against the wind, and then disappearing in the dazzling sunlight in a blink of an eye.
It was dusk when Yun Yuan returned to the Feng family's house, and the vermilion lacquered door was shut. The late spring mountain night breeze was cool, rustling her sleeves.
Exhausted, she sat down, leaning against the stone lion, pondering how to survive this cold mountain night. She sat there for about an hour, when the gate suddenly creaked open. Feng Jiu stood in the shadows, lantern in hand. The dim light illuminated his tense jaw. The words "Come in" were as hard as stones hitting the ground.
The two of them walked in silence.
Lanterns cast a wavering halo of light on the bluestone road.
When I stepped into Yuanfeng Courtyard, I found that the lights in Mulan Pavilion were still on. The warm yellow candlelight shone through the red gauze window, casting a hazy shadow in the night.
Yun Yuan's heart moved slightly, and just as she stepped onto the stairs, the light suddenly went out.
She froze on the steps, the night dew gradually soaking through her embroidered shoes. In the distance, the sound of a night watchman echoed, signaling the third watch.
Feng Jiu sighed heavily, his voice particularly clear in the night: "The master ordered you to go back to your room and rest, don't disturb him."
He watched her bow mechanically, then limp away around the corner of the corridor, and couldn't help but sigh again.
Turning around and going up the stairs, Feng Jiu knocked lightly on the door, and a low voice "Come in" came from inside.
Pushing open the door, the room was surprisingly darker than the night itself. Feng Yanyuan sat alone on the bamboo couch in the front pavilion, his entire body shrouded in shadows, a mere silhouette.
"We've checked everything." Feng Jiu lowered his voice. "After she came down the mountain, she changed post horses and was indeed heading towards the county town. But..." He paused, "When they reached a fork in the road, the old horse suddenly went crazy, turned towards the cliff, and threw her off. Feng Die saw her fall with his own eyes, but he didn't expect her to climb back up."
Feng Yanyuan remained silent for a long time, his figure in the shadows not moving at all. After a while, his low, hoarse voice rang out from the darkness: "How is her...injury?"
Feng Jiu said, "Her whip wounds hadn't healed yet. She fell down the mountain and then climbed the cliff. She must have incurred some new injuries. I saw her staggering just now, and her right leg seemed to be inconvenient." He paused, then asked, "She left the Feng family in the early morning, acting so stealthy. Why didn't you interrogate her, young master?"
Feng Jiu knew he shouldn't ask too much, but he really couldn't help it.
The spilled ginseng tea from that morning still leaves a mark on the desk—the young master, clearly beside himself with anxiety, yet he persisted in obstructing the investigation. That day was as cold as a thousand-year-old ice sculpture, terrified and hushed to the very core of the courtyard. Even at night, despite his sick body, he forced himself to study by lamplight, without actually turning a single page.
As soon as Yun Yuan arrived at the gate of the Feng family, the young master suddenly raised his head as if he had sensed something. His whole body regained its vitality, but the first words he said were four cold words: "Ask Feng Die first."
An hour had passed by the time Feng Jiu finished questioning Feng Die and went down the mountain to meet her. After finally getting someone in, the young master not only ignored her but also locked the door shut.
"If she dares to come back, she must have an excuse. What's the point in asking?" Feng Yanyuan's voice was as soft as the night breeze, without a trace of emotion. "It doesn't matter if her legs are not very agile. I can let her ride with me then."
He didn't really understand why he'd brought a maid along, but his previous question was already unnecessary. The young master always seemed to be hesitant to talk about Yun Yuan, so it was best not to be annoying.
Feng Jiu's throat moved, and he finally swallowed back his doubts. He tactfully changed the subject: "Young Master, when do you plan to set off? Yesterday, the head of the family specifically instructed..." His voice unconsciously lowered a few notes, "He said that the young master is still young, and you still need to guard the Wind God Formation..."
Feng Yanyuan stood up with a flick of his sleeves.
"Now that the Wind God Formation has been restored, it will naturally protect the Feng family." He paused. "Besides... the mistress has always been wary of me defending the formation. My leaving the Feng family is exactly what she wants. She will convince father tonight."
Suddenly, a night breeze blew through the room from outside the window, blowing the broken crabapple petals on the table into his sleeves. Feng Yanyuan casually picked up the petals, flicked them with his fingertips, and his eyes followed the dark red.
"Prepare some more medicine." Before going to bed, he suddenly stopped and said in a voice so soft that it seemed like he was talking to himself, "I want... from Xuanhe Hall."
Feng Jiu bowed and replied "Yes". When he looked up, the bamboo curtain had already been lowered. He could only hear an almost inaudible sigh from behind the curtain, which startled the copper bells under the eaves to tremble slightly.
As Feng Yanyuan had anticipated, the next morning the head of the family changed his mind. In the dim light of dawn, he stood on the stone steps in front of the ancestral hall, spinning the string of red sandalwood Buddhist beads rapidly in his hand. "Be careful on your way there."
The carriage Feng Jiu had prepared was quite ordinary—a double-shafted carriage with a green cloth lining, pulled by two dark-colored chestnut horses, even the bridles featuring worn bronze ornaments. Before daybreak, he had already changed into a coarse cloth jerkin, with the ring-handled sword commonly used by his troops dangling from his waist, giving him the look of a true merchant knight.
"Gee!" With a gentle shout, the horse broke into a trot, its tail swishing and its rump twisting. The bronze bells hanging from the shafts jingled, startling a few early-rising sparrows along the roadside. Feng Jiu caught a glimpse of the young master lifting a corner of the carriage curtain. Yun Yuan sat inside, wrapped in a lilac cloak, the silver hairpin in her hair gleaming faintly in the morning light.
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