Chapter 13 Conflicting Interests
"good omen?"
"The sea is calm and the dragon and the seashell are breathing. This is a good omen."
The curtains of the sanctuary hung low, layer upon layer, impervious to wind and rain. Dragon belly incense, sandalwood, and benzoin blended and settled in this secret room, making the air inside the sanctuary as dense and firm as pearls.
"Living things need to breathe. Since these are just dragons and sea monsters playing on the sea surface, just ignore them."
The sound behind the curtain was like bubbles exhaled by pearls in the water, which would disappear without a trace if one was not careful.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The woman in the black gold-woven robe stepped back step by step, leaving the hall. Her movements were light and graceful, and the curtain swayed a few times before returning to its original state, as if there had just been a gust of wind carrying rain.
The cold wind blew away the incense ashes that fell on the woman's body and also pricked her fragile leg bones. She slowly dragged her steps down the stairs.
"It's going to rain." She looked at the overcast sky and slowly exhaled.
The eunuch Feng Xu, who was waiting outside the purification hall, hurried forward to support Wu Zhuang as soon as he saw her come out.
"What did your Majesty say?"
"Never mind."
"I can't tell them this." Feng Xu frowned.
"They can do whatever they want." Wu Zhuang said with a smile, "Just tell me the truth. As for how to do it, can they still make a scene in front of the emperor?"
Feng Xu nodded repeatedly. As the cold wind blew, he tilted his head and coughed twice.
"The autumn wind is harsh, so we need to nourish ourselves quickly." Feng Xu changed the subject and said, "I have a few lambs that were raised on a diet of red dates and ginseng. If we keep them, they'll be too old for meat. When will you be so kind as to offer me some food?"
"What are you planning behind my back?"
Feng Xu looked up and saw a man wearing the same black robe as Wu Zhuang, striding towards him.
"You've come at the right time, Ji Zhuang." Feng Xu said with a smile, "You just happened to be talking about coming to my place to eat mutton."
"I'm indispensable for such a good thing." Xi Zhuang quickly stepped forward and supported Wu Zhuang with Feng Xu on both sides. "Sister, you must come this time."
"My legs hurt." Wu Zhuang looked up at Feng Xu, "You have to send a car to pick me up."
"That's not difficult." Feng Xu smiled happily. "If you're so kind as to ask me to carry you on my back, let alone a carriage."
This flattery was both corny and disgusting. After all, Feng Xu had a fair and clean face, so the Wuzhuang siblings just shook their heads and laughed after hearing it.
"By the way, I came to see you for something serious." After laughing, Xi Zhuang's face immediately darkened. "Nangong Shao hid a member of the Qiu family, and she deceived us all."
"Why are you panicking? She's just a little kid who used to play with the Third Princess," Wu Zhuang sneered. "Her backers aren't in Dadu. What can she possibly do?"
"I'm not afraid of her, I just think she's an eyesore. I heard the princess thinks highly of her." Ji Zhuang's eyes were sinister. "Is Nangong Shao up to something?"
"Why are you afraid of her?" Wu Zhuang glanced at Feng Xu beside him, who lowered his head and dared not breathe. "What does Minister Feng think?"
"You've got me stumped by this question," Feng Xu said with a smile. "I've only been in the palace for a few years, so I haven't caught up with any of those things. My godfather just died without a second thought, only telling me to follow the two imperial masters. He didn't give me any extra instructions."
"My sister only said one thing, and you have so much to say." Ji Zhuang raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Just say it when I asked you to. Are you afraid that we will spread the word?"
"I am a nobody and my words don't carry much weight." Feng Xu said with an apologetic smile.
Wu Zhuang and Gui Zhuang stopped talking and stared at him with a half-smile.
Feng Xu had no choice but to say, "I think that Madam Nangong used to be the Grand Chamberlain, and she must be feeling guilty..." As he spoke, he carefully observed the reactions of the two people opposite him.
"After all, the Queen was her former master. When the incident happened, she took the Yunyang Marquisate and hid away, while the Qiu family was the one who died for their master." Feng Xu said stiffly, "I'm afraid she felt sorry for the orphan girl of the Qiu family and couldn't let it go."
"Conscience." Ji Zhuang and Wu Zhuang exchanged a playful look. "Then we should remind her that her conscience needs to be in the right place."
After saying that, Ji Zhuang took his sister's arm and was about to leave.
Feng Xu quickly followed up: "You still need to tell me what to say when I go to the front court now."
"Tell the truth."
Feng Xu walked a few steps, but the Wuzhuang siblings ignored him. He could only bow and see them off until they were out of sight.
He squatted on the ground in worry.
"How can I tell you the truth? I don't understand either."
*
"That's called 'Sea City'?"
"A mirage. The one in the mountains is called a 'mountain mirage,' and the one in the desert... well, they're all pretty much the same thing, so we call them all 'mirages.'"
The carriage was swaying, and the corners of the curtains kept hitting Qiu Xuan's shoulders. She turned back to fix them and continued to discuss with Fei Fei:
"I've only seen this kind of illusion in books. Can it even fake the sun?"
"Didn't the court bulletin say that after the sun rises in the east, this side will disappear?" Princess Feifei fixed the other side of the curtain. "It's normal, no big deal."
"Does it sound like you mean 'I've seen it'?"
"Of course," Feifei said proudly. "There are also mirages in the desert. I've seen them many times. Sometimes, a large city suddenly appears on the horizon. Many merchants setting out on their journey for the first time think it's real, head towards the mirage, and end up stranded in the middle of the desert."
"Have you ever been trapped?"
"I'm so smart, how could I be fooled?" Feifei raised her chin proudly. "The one I saw was even more amazing. Not only was there a city, but there was also an army. Those soldiers were that tall!"
Feifei pointed at the tall locust tree outside the car window: "No, it's taller than that tree. Thousands of troops are fighting on the horizon."
She danced around as she spoke, "They had these long swords, and they just slashed at each other, and in one blow, they blew away the hills."
Qiu Xuan was amused and giggled: "Didn't they say they were all fake? Why are there no hills anymore?"
"The wind blew away all the sand." Feifei smiled and tried to make amends.
"Is there anything else?" Qiu Xuan listened with great interest.
"A lot of interesting things happen in the desert every day. Have you ever seen a spring suddenly appear and disappear?"
As he was speaking, there was a commotion outside.
"What happened?"
Feifei stuck her head out curiously and saw dozens of common people kneeling down and bowing to a man in black clothes, black robe and black mask, muttering something as they bowed.
"What are they worshipping?"
The black-robed mage raised his hands to the sky, breathed in, and roared. He then began to spin in circles. Several children guarding the brazier began to throw yellow paper into the fire. The yellow paper burned and danced with the mage's spinning.
The people prayed even louder.
"The dragon is safe!" the wizard shouted.
"They are praying for peace in the East China Sea."
"They're really making a fuss out of nothing. If Liangzhou were like here, where every event had to be judged as auspicious or inauspicious, then everything that happened in the desert would be enough to scare people to death."
"After all, it's a natural phenomenon, and people always want peace of mind." Qiu Xuan murmured.
The emperor is seeking immortals and asking for advice, so how should the people cope with the situation?
*
"Your Majesty said nothing?"
Faced with the princess's questioning, Feng Xu had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Everything remains the same. Please let the princess decide."
"What should I do?" Jiang Jue paced nervously and said to Feng Xu, "Go ask again."
"Let Feng Changshi go back." The eldest princess said, and the latter quickly withdrew.
"Aunt, what should we do?" Jiang Jue said anxiously, "Qingzhou cannot be in chaos. If Qingzhou is lost, Nanchu will cross the river."
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