Chapter 85: Stirring Up the Grass to Alert the Snake
Xie Huailing had said at the beginning that there were two key issues to investigate: one was related to Nangong Ling, which was shrouded in mystery involving him, Tianfeng Shisilang, and Li Qi; the other was related to the Nanwang Mansion, which was mainly focused on the eccentric princess and Ye Gucheng.
As things have progressed to this point, the first key has dispelled all the fog, and the truth has been revealed to her.
More than a decade ago, after abandoning her husband and children to avenge herself, Li Qi changed her name to Shi Guanyin and became a free-spirited female demon in the desert. Even in her cave in the Stone Forest, she never forgot to admire herself in the mirror, believing herself to be the most beautiful woman in the world, looking down on all the beauties in the martial arts world.
Not long after returning to the Song Dynasty, she learned about Qiu Lingsu, the true most beautiful woman in the world.
She may have learned about it when she went to Henan Prefecture, or perhaps Henan Prefecture was just a feint. In any case, fifteen years ago, in the autumn, Shi Guanyin came to Bianjing City. There she met Qiu Lingsu, and feeling inferior, she developed a terrifying jealousy. What happened after that meeting is probably only known to them, but the result was that there was no more number one beauty in the world, and Shi Guanyin did not enter the Central Plains for many years.
Xie Huailing could make a rough deduction. First, Qiu Lingsu's appearance was ruined by Shi Guanyin, there is no doubt about that. Shi Guanyin retreated to the Central Plains, and she probably suffered a loss as well.
However, Qiu Lingsu's martial arts skills are far inferior to Shi Guanyin's, and she is no match for Shi Guanyin in terms of ruthlessness and intelligence. What can she do?
Recalling the doctor's words about Ye Erniang being "severely injured in the past, and suffering another serious injury before her wounds had healed," a general outline of what happened becomes clear: Shi Guanyin, who wanted to disfigure Qiu Lingsu, clashed with the injured Ye Erniang. Although Ye Erniang was powerless to stop Shi Guanyin from ruining Qiu Lingsu's appearance, she still injured Shi Guanyin, and in return, she suffered a second serious injury. This also explains Qiu Lingsu's deep affection for Ye Erniang.
The injured Shi Guanyin was furious, but the incident occurred in Bianjing, a city in turmoil during the autumn of the fifteenth year. She could not stay long and had to leave hastily, harboring resentment. After that, Qiu Lingsu changed her name to Ye Shuzhen and married Ren Ci.
For over a decade, Shi Guanyin had considered revenge, determined not to let Ye Shuzhen have an easy time, but investigating her current identity would require considerable effort. Under these circumstances, she likely only recently discovered Ye Shuzhen's whereabouts, and then accidentally found out that Nangong Ling was her child. Deciding to use him, she revealed Nangong Ling and Wuhua's true parentage.
Then, Nangong Ling became entangled with the Nanwang Mansion. The Nanwang Mansion's motives are still unknown, but Nangong Ling's motivations were at least partly due to Shi Guanyin's instigation and the death of her own father. At this point, the first key point became completely clear.
And the second key point...
Xie Huailing had previously asked Gong Jiu to investigate the Southern Prince's Mansion. Firstly, Gong Jiu's status made him more suitable for this task than anyone else. Secondly, although she had methods she could use, it was not advisable to act rashly before many things were clear.
Now that she has investigated most of the matter and understood the limitations of the Southern Prince's Mansion in the martial arts world, Xie Huailing has enough initiative to do a lot.
She was even willing to do some very risky things, after all, she agreed with the princess's view that it was best to understand one's goals personally.
This is the most effective way to increase your chances of winning. Human opinions are ultimately not entirely objective; even the most direct records are inevitably influenced by someone's subjectivity. A chess player cannot learn about their pieces from others, or they might be defeated by the pieces themselves.
Therefore, even if she doesn't come to see Xie Huailing, Xie Huailing will still go to see her.
She didn't want to see Xie Huailing, but Xie Huailing had plenty of ways to deal with it.
The saying "beating the grass to scare the snake" can be applied to some people as luring the snake out of its hole.
The restaurant remained the same, with its vermilion doors and red lanterns hanging high, seemingly yawning in the spring breeze. The aroma of wine and meat, even before one entered, eagerly settled on the shoulders of passersby. Inside, the air was filled with the fragrance of incense, and a boisterous atmosphere permeated the gilded and painted beams. The shadow cast by the assassination attempt at the Six and a Half Hall was quickly dispelled; business, of course, still needed to be done.
The carriage stopped under the shade of willows not far away. The dark curtains hung down, close to the door, with only a thin gap left under the curtains, as narrow as the eye of a coin, but enough to see the commotion at the entrance of the restaurant.
Shaman stared intently out of the car window, while Xie Huailing rested his chin on his hand, closed his eyes, and waited slowly.
She brought someone with her this time. The maid who had been with her for months got off the carriage and stepped into the restaurant with a leisurely gait. After a short while, the maid returned and lifted the carriage curtain, speaking carefully in a low voice.
"Miss, everything is done. The private room has been reserved, and we've also subtly discussed the events of the past few days with the manager."
Shaman only then realized what Xie Huailing was about to do, and sat up straight, wanting to speak, but as if struck by lightning, she was incredulous and hesitated to speak.
Without a doubt, this was a step that exposed her true colors. Xie Huailing had chosen to put herself right under their noses. If the Prince of Nan's mansion investigated further, they would know that Xie Huailing had sent someone to investigate, and they would understand that she had taken notice of them.
Once they realize that their scheme has been exposed, they will be extremely anxious. Their plans must not be discovered by the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, and the collusion between the Prince's Mansion and the Jianghu forces must not be exposed in broad daylight.
So, what will they do?
To throw oneself into disarray, to cover it up, to frame someone, or...
Shaman dared not think about it anymore. She gripped Xie Huailing's wrist tightly, her cat-like eyes fixed on her, hoping to hear something different, but it was clear that there was no going back, and Xie Huailing had no intention of turning back.
Unmoved by wind and rain, as steadfast as a mountain, Xie Huailing opened her eyes, her gaze clear and calm, devoid of any of the laziness of an idle person. Even those who had placed themselves in the vortex had the leisure to coax Shaman, jokingly saying, "You look terrible, relax."
.
The candlelight in the study was dim, illuminating only a small area. Everything outside this small space was shrouded in a gray gloom; the books laid out on the wooden desk, or the shadows of the people sitting opposite, were only sketched out. Upon closer inspection, one could see the towering bookshelves on the walls, casting deep shadows. The silence was enigmatic, the only occasional sound the wind whistling past the window, sounding like the stealth of a night traveler, afraid to reveal their presence.
Ye Gucheng sat upright at the table, his white robes obscuring everything in the dim light. He still exuded a chilling aura, his face expressionless, his gaze fixed on a point in the void, as if deep in thought, or as if nothing else mattered to him.
Three soft knocks followed, the rhythm clear and restrained. After the three neat knocks, the door was pushed open, and the man brushed the dust off his clothes and walked in. He was still wearing the disguise he had worn during the day, and he did not let his guard down. Beneath his ordinary face were a pair of calm and clear eyes, their light and shadow indistinct.
Wu Hua first looked at Ye Gucheng and nodded slightly in greeting. Seeing that Ye Gucheng had no intention of paying attention to him, he then turned his gaze to the deepest corner of the study.
There, the light couldn't reach her at all. The heavy curtains, as thick as bricks and tiles, hung down, and a slender figure was almost embedded in the shadows. She remained sitting there, huddled up, her hands nervously clasped in front of her knees, her head bowed, as if she wanted to hide herself completely. Her breathing was extremely light and slow, as if she was afraid of disturbing something.
Wu Hua withdrew her gaze and spoke to Ye Gucheng first, her voice calm: "I have settled down in the Beggars' Sect and have met my younger brother."
Mentioning Nangong Ling, he paused slightly, but without holding back, and said, "However, in my opinion, his heart is now entirely focused on that Miss Xie from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. His mind is wavering, and I'm afraid he's not up to much responsibility. What should we do next?"
Ye Gucheng did not respond immediately. His gaze shifted to the shadows, silently exerting pressure.
The girl in the shadows was the one who truly held the power. She seemed to tremble slightly, and after a long while, a weak, tense voice drifted out, as if she were talking to herself: "She's found out."
Wu Hua frowned: "Who?"
“She sent someone to the restaurant and booked the same private room as last time…” The girl’s voice was broken. She didn’t answer Wuhua’s question, as if Wuhua wasn’t even there. She was only concerned with conveying the coldness under her fear. “She must have discovered something… This is not good, this is not good at all.”
Wu Hua remained silent for a moment, feeling only unease and dread at the princess's temperament. Even though the monk, disguised as a ruthless man, was facing her, he still felt like he was confronting a snake. He guessed who she was referring to and calmly analyzed, "Xie Huailing? If so, she'll either try to cover it up or find another way. We can't let her investigate any further. If the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion intervenes now, it will be detrimental to our grand plan."
The princess shook her head vigorously. In the shadows, her shadow seemed to break free from her body, its outline blurred like water droplets, perhaps signifying something more sinister. Wuhua clearly sensed that the ever-present, inescapable, and timid cloud of fear was churning violently, emanating a chilling aura of danger.
The girl suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question: "The Six and a Half Hall won't let this go. They're planning to assassinate us again, aren't they?"
The flowerless one smelled the rain. The rain fell heavily, the wind howled, and the room was filled with the remnants of a soul.
Ye Gucheng spoke, and everyone present understood her meaning. He was no ordinary person; he was only temporarily allied with the Southern Prince's Mansion, which was why he was sitting here. He coldly reminded everyone that this move was risky: "Don't forget her identity, and don't underestimate the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion."
The princess shook her head again; her mind was made up and there was no turning back. She pressed her hand to her chest, trying to draw courage from within, but she couldn't. What drove her to do all this was fear, and what forced her to make the decision was instinct: "I'm really... terrified of intelligent people."
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