"Your Highness, none of the servants in this mansion know where His Highness has gone," Zhao Mama replied.
Upon hearing this, Mei Xiyuan's smile gradually faded, and then she asked with a serious expression, "Did you go to Chenghua Palace to look for that secret letter?"
"Your Highness, without His Highness's permission, no one is allowed to step into Chenghua Palace or Lin Yuexuan. Have you forgotten?" Zhao Mama reminded her cautiously.
"Oh dear, look how flustered I am!" Mei Xiyuan was so concerned that she lost her composure. She had been in the Qin Prince's mansion for several months, and how could she not know that in this vast mansion, only this small Shaohua Pavilion was a place she could freely roam? Apart from that, everything else belonged to Xuan Yuanhan.
At this moment, Lu Tianjiao seemed to have been pondering for a long time before speaking with suspicion, "Sister, based on my understanding of His Highness over the years, I feel... could it be that His Highness's going out with his sword today is also related to that girl?"
Reminded by Lu Tianjiao, Mei Xiyuan suddenly felt that it might actually be true.
"Sister, it seems we need to speed up our plans. We absolutely cannot let anything happen to His Highness, otherwise..." Mei Xiyuan said this with a hint of concealment but a deeper meaning.
In truth, what she was most worried about was the high position she longed for. If anything happened to Xuan Yuanhan, she would have lost everything in her life.
Upon hearing this, only boundless silence filled the Shaohua Pavilion, and the two of them were lost in their own endless thoughts.
On a steep and rugged mountain road near Hanhuang Mountain in northern Xiqin.
Two tall, upright figures appeared indistinctly, using their hands to disperse the layers of thin mist that filled the valley.
"Your Highness, it's so cold here!" Cheng Liang followed beside Xuan Yuanhan, shivering from time to time, and couldn't help but pull his cloak tighter around his body.
As they ventured deeper into the mountains, the path became increasingly rugged. Their horses had long been left behind, and they had no choice but to walk.
It has been almost four hours since I started my journey after receiving the message from Lu Tianjiao early this morning.
Xuanyuan Han glanced at him coldly, noticing that his lips were blue from the cold and he was shivering, wrapped tightly in his clothes, looking quite disheveled. So he said, "Drinking a little bit of Cold Wasteland Brew will make you feel less cold."
"Oh...right...Cold Wilderness Brew, how could I have forgotten about it?" Cheng Liang said, slapping his forehead, taking out the small jade bottle he had been carrying in his bosom, quickly uncorking it and handing it to Xuan Yuanhan.
"I am not cold," Xuan Yuanhan said coldly, glancing at the jade bottle.
However, Cheng Liang, full of doubt, advised, "Your Highness is also made of flesh and blood, how can you not feel cold? If Your Highness doesn't want it... then this subordinate doesn't want it either." As he spoke, he put the stopper back in and prepared to put it away.
"Then you should go down the mountain right now and stop following me," Xuan Yuanhan said, frowning as he turned around and spoke sharply to him when he saw that he was disobedient. After speaking, he turned around and quickened his pace.
Hearing this, Cheng Liang finally obediently took a small sip, and instantly felt his whole body warm up, as if he were by a fire. He felt completely revitalized, his whole body became active, and he seemed full of energy. Then, he happily followed after him.
"How is it?" Xuan Yuanhan asked in a cold voice when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the other person was no longer wrapped up, huddled up, and shivering.
“Your Highness, this Lu Xian is indeed quite capable,” Cheng Liang said with a smile.
Xuan Yuanhan slowly raised his eyebrows and said with a hint of satisfaction in his voice, "Lu Xian is like a living history book of this Lingkong Continent. He knows everything from astronomy to geography. Do you think he is capable?"
"If that's the case, how come I heard that when he was a historian in the court, he was in a very sorry state? There were even ministers in the court who jointly petitioned the emperor to dismiss him from his post and exile him to the frontier?" Cheng Liang asked, puzzled.
Xuan Yuanhan listened and said calmly, "Lu Xian is a disciple of a branch of the Tang Clan who has lived in Sichuan for thousands of years and stood tall in the land of Sichuan."
"So that's how it is! I've heard that the Tang Clan in Sichuan is full of experts and elites. When they do emerge, they are renowned throughout the land, truly a prominent family in Sichuan. However, because there are many branches in the clan, it is difficult to gain a foothold in the sect without exceptional talent. Moreover, many disciples from collateral branches who cannot rise to prominence have changed their names and joined other sects to seek development... Could it be that Lu Xian also entered the imperial court because he was mediocre in the sect?" Cheng Liang suddenly realized, but doubts still arose in his heart.
"Wrong, quite the opposite. He displayed extraordinary intelligence from birth, and his literary and martial talents were unmatched in the Tang Clan. It was all because of a woman!"
"Woman...his deceased wife? I never expected that the old-fashioned Lu Xian would be such a devoted lover," Cheng Liang exclaimed in surprise.
"It wasn't his wife; he was only after an orphan girl who grew up in the mountains of Sichuan. Back then, Lu Xian was young and impetuous, and he and that girl secretly pledged their lives to each other. Later, a fellow disciple discovered this and, wanting to humiliate her, tried to take advantage of her beauty. Unable to bear the humiliation, the girl jumped off a cliff and died..."
Xuanyuan Han paused for a moment while speaking, and Cheng Liang pressed him for an answer, "And then what happened?"
Xuan Yuanhan sighed and continued, "Later, the Tang Clan punished both of them accordingly, but Lu Xian was determined to avenge the woman. He took his fellow disciple's life with a single palm strike on the spot as punishment. Even so, the Tang Clan did not expel him from the sect because of his extraordinary talent, but he insisted on leaving with a heart full of despair and personally crippled his internal energy cultivation."
"Well done, that's spirited. I really didn't expect Lu Xian to be such a martial arts prodigy," Cheng Liang said, raising his fist with an expression of admiration and surprise.
"But why did he later... in the court?" Cheng Liang continued to ask.
Xuanyuan Han paused for a moment, then frowned and said, "Lu Xian was utterly despondent after that and only wanted to focus on scientific research. However, the Emperor discovered that his intelligence was more suitable for leading troops to conquer Lingkong. So, behind the scenes, the Emperor ordered his cronies to secretly collude with him, causing Lu Xian to be ostracized among the civil officials and forcing him to submit."
"So when he was most isolated and helpless, His Highness extended an olive branch to him, which was also his lifeline. And it is most appropriate to keep such a person in the academy for further study." Cheng Liang finally understood.
It turns out that the master valued talent, which is why, when Lu Xian was still a young boy, he disregarded pressure from all sides and did his best to help him stay away from the intrigues and backstabbing in the court.
Later, he was assigned to teach and educate students at Xiqin College, where he devoted himself to research and has also fully supported and invested in the college's expenses over the years.
Lu Xian did not disappoint Xuan Yuanhan's expectations, and he carried forward the Xi Qin Academy. Now it is the most prestigious academy in the entire Ling Kong. There are countless people who want to enter the academy, but very few can actually get in.
Most importantly, the list of admitted students each year must undergo final approval by Xuanyuanhan.
In retrospect, this not only fulfilled Lu Xian's wishes but also protected him. More importantly, Lu Xian was grateful to Xuan Yuanhan for the rest of his life, following his lead wholeheartedly.
In other words, acquiring Lu Xian is equivalent to acquiring the entire Wenqu Star of the Lingkong Continent, making this investment undoubtedly worthwhile.
Despite his young age, Xuanyuan Han demonstrated remarkable strategic acumen, showcasing the foresight and wisdom of a born statesman, and winning battles from afar. Once again, Cheng Liang was astonished, clasping his hands in reverence and saying, "Your Highness is wise."
"It seems that even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. Lu Xian is like that, and so is Your Highness. Your Highness is now willing to do anything for Miss Yi. But Miss Yi doesn't seem to understand Your Highness's feelings. Why does Your Highness always refuse to say it?" Cheng Liang teased Xuan Yuanhan again.
Seeing that Xuan Yuanhan was only focused on walking with his head down and did not answer for a long time, Cheng Liang began to speculate, saying, "Is Your Highness still worried about that Wei Mingxuan? He is just a commoner, how can he compete with Your Highness? If it were me, I would just ask him directly who he chooses. He is clearly worried about her all day long, but he is hiding it like this. It is really frustrating."
Unexpectedly, Xuan Yuanhan remained silent. Cheng Liang felt like banging his head against a wall. Then, a thought flashed through his mind, and he said, "Your Highness, Miss Yi is so obsessed with Wei Mingxuan. Could it be that she will never marry anyone but Wei Mingxuan in this life?"
"She dares?!" Sure enough, upon hearing this, Xuan Yuanhan finally couldn't help but raise his head, frown, and speak.
Cheng Liang secretly turned his face away, grinning with delight. Then he said, "However, Your Highness's move is quite agreeable. This Miss Yi is about to enter the Prince's mansion. When I get back, I must warn those clumsy subordinates in advance that they must not treat Miss Yi like a servant and must take special care of her."
“Bones, someone really was here! Your Highness, look quickly!” Cheng Liang had just finished uttering those four words when he discovered two seemingly dried white skeletons on the slope, with fragments of clothing still faintly visible on their bodies. He exclaimed in surprise.
Upon hearing this, Xuanyuan Han immediately glanced coldly at the side he was pointing to, then quickly looked up at what was in front of him and suddenly said, "We've finally arrived."
It turns out that these dried bones were like road signs in the desolate mountains.
Cheng Liang also looked ahead hurriedly, and immediately his mouth dropped open, and he stood there dumbfounded in the howling cold wind.
As far as the eye could see, it was extremely cold, desolate, and almost devoid of any signs of life, with only endless, undulating ice peaks and snow-capped mountains stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Your Highness, are we really going to climb onto this enormous white creature in front of us?" Cheng Liang asked his master in a daze, seeking confirmation.
"Not the one in front of us, but the highest peak in this area." With that, Xuan Yuanhan strode towards the highest peak among the many ice and snow-capped mountains.
Cheng Liang stood there stunned for a moment, then quickly ran to catch up.
At this moment, Yi Junhao was almost at the summit. The higher he climbed, the thinner the air became, making breathing increasingly difficult; the stronger the wind, the colder he felt. Although he had taken a secret medicine to ward off the cold before setting out, he still felt the chill seeping into his bones, and he couldn't help but shiver. With each tremor, the looser snow around him was shaken off and fell, crashing against the mountain walls with a series of startling "whoosh" sounds.
What he found most unacceptable was not the cold air, but the fact that he had not found the yellowish-green or slightly purplish-glossy bud of the twelfth lunar month during his rock climbing journey.
His heart was pounding, and he couldn't help but mutter, "It couldn't have been taken by someone."
In his haste, he pressed the foothold firmly against the cliff face and leaped onto the next foothold he had chosen, pressing his entire body tightly against it.
Then, she opened her captivating peach blossom eyes wide, her gaze sweeping over every nook and cranny she could see and touch.
"Your Highness, look! This footprint looks new!" Upon hearing Cheng Liang's apparent discovery, Xuan Yuanhan hurriedly came over to confirm.
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