Chapter 3394: Grateful but Disrespectful
They entered through the back door and didn't run into anyone on the way. As they reached the gate of the small courtyard, they saw Master Shangshan coming towards them. He said to them, "Your Highness, Your Highness, and your two young princes, I bow to you."
Both little princesses bowed to him.
Nan Yan asked, "Is the Taoist priest here to see the emperor?"
Master Shangshan said, "I heard that the Emperor, the Imperial Concubine, and the Imperial Concubine Yi went to the back mountain. I wanted to come and see them, but—"
As he spoke, he glanced behind Nan Yan.
"Has the Emperor not returned yet?"
Nan Yan said, "The emperor wants to be alone and quiet, so I brought my sister, Concubine Yi, back first."
Master Shangshan said, "Is that so..."
His face became more solemn.
Concubine Yi was not familiar with him, and the two children were a little tired, so she said goodbye to Nan Yan and took Xin Ping and Yong Ping County back to rest. Nan Yan raised his hand to indicate to Master Shang Shan that he wanted to talk to him, and then walked towards the other side of the yard. Naturally, Master Shang Shan had to follow him.
Nan Yan said as she walked, "Did the emperor ask the Taoist priest to send people to clean up the back mountain these past two days?"
"yes."
"That wordless monument..."
"It was also prepared on the orders of the Emperor."
"Then, did the Emperor say anything?"
"If words were to be engraved on the stone tablet, the Emperor would naturally give instructions; however, since this is a blank tablet, the Emperor does not need to give any additional instructions."
When Nan Yan heard this, she stopped and looked back at Master Shangshan.
"Then, Taoist priest, do you know who that inscriptionless stele is for?"
Master Shangshan said calmly, "Since the emperor has not given any instructions, I will not ask any more questions."
Nan Yan smiled and said, "I'm not asking if you asked or not."
“…”
"I'm asking you if you know."
Master Shangshan's gray eyebrows trembled slightly, and he also looked up at Nan Yan, with a glint of light in his eyes.
The two had known each other for over a decade, but their time together hadn't lasted more than ten days. Nan Yan knew this old Taoist priest was no ordinary person. He was able to remain stationed at the Imperial Mausoleum Temple, and even remain unshaken despite the massive force of the Tiangang Lianhuanwu. He possessed countless strategies and secrets.
And now, he is old.
His once upright figure was slightly hunched, and his agile movements were much slower than before. Even when Nan Yan walked too fast, he had to gasp for air to keep up.
An old man in his eighties could not resist the erosion of time after all.
His deep eyes gradually became clear, and there were some emotions that he could not avoid showing, no matter how unwilling he was.
The two looked at each other for a long time, and finally Master Shangshan lowered his head and sighed softly.
Nan Yan said: "So, the Taoist priest knows."
Master Shangshan remained silent.
And this is the default.
Nan Yan nodded and said, "In fact, I should have known this long ago. Even Arslan, who had just arrived, could easily find the stone tablet. The Taoist priest was ordered to guard the Imperial Tomb Temple and knew every plant and tree here like the back of his hand. How could he not know that there was such a tablet standing in the back mountain? Even -"
Having said that, she narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Master, you should have seen the person who erected the monument, right?"
“…”
Master Shangshan still didn't speak.
But from his attitude just now, Nan Yan knew that as long as he didn't deny it, it meant he agreed.
Nan Yan narrowed her eyes slightly and said in a deep voice, "Since the Taoist priest has already met him, why didn't the Taoist priest mention him to me during my previous visits to the Imperial Tomb Temple?"
Master Shangshan said calmly, "The Queen didn't ask."
Nan Yan raised her eyebrows.
The emperor asked him to prepare a stele without words, and he didn't ask unless the emperor said much. He knew clearly that the person who erected the stele for Princess Tana was Nan Yan's father, and he didn't mention a word unless Nan Yan asked.
You are really patient.
But it seems that only such a patient person could survive from the hands of Emperor Gao and stay on this turbulent Xingluo Lake for so many years.
Nan Yan thought for a moment and then asked, "If that's the case, then why has the stele—it's been standing in this back mountain for decades? Why has the Taoist never worshipped it?"
Master Shangshan said calmly: "Respect, respect, respect. Only with respect can there be service."
Nan Yan immediately frowned: "What do you mean, Taoist priest?"
Master Shangshan probably came to his senses suddenly. He realized that what he had just said was too blunt. If the imperial concubine told the emperor, his life would be in danger. So he said nothing more, lowered his head, and took a step back in silence.
But the words were out.
Nan Yan frowned and chewed the food carefully, then said, "The Taoist priest seems to have no good feelings towards Princess Tana."
Master Shangshan did not speak.
"Why?"
Nan Yan pressed the issue, "I heard it was because she took the Neng Kingdom's Imperial Seal away that the Neng Kingdom's court was in chaos, giving Emperor Gao the opportunity to strike back. Logically, you—no, everyone in the Great Yan Dynasty should be grateful to her."
Master Shangshan narrowed his eyes slightly, and after a long while he looked at Nanyan and said calmly, "Of course I'm grateful."
Nan Yan thought for a moment and said, "Grateful, but not respectful."
Master Shangshan said, "Gratitude is different from respect."
Nan Yan wanted to say something more, but Master Shangshan, perhaps not wanting to continue this discussion, said calmly, "Your Majesty, don't worry about this matter. Personally, Princess Tana did lend a helping hand to the Emperor Gao, but this assistance wasn't for justice or her ideals, but simply out of a selfish desire."
“…”
"A woman, for the sake of a little love, betrayed her country and abandoned her family and homeland."
“…”
"She did help Yan Nation, but everyone has the same opinion of her as I do."
Nan Yan's heart suddenly sank: "Even Emperor Gao is like this?"
“…”
"That's why he had to—"
In the end, she couldn't say the four words "leave the mother and keep the son", although in her opinion, since Master Shangshan had met Marquis Bowang who came here to erect a monument for Princess Tana, he must have some understanding of what happened in Yumen Pass.
Master Shangshan's expression remained unchanged.
He glanced at Nan Yan, and after a long while, he said calmly, "Otherwise, why would Emperor Gao issue an edict prohibiting women from other countries from appearing in the Yan Kingdom's harem?"
After hearing this, Nan Yan sighed deeply.
Indeed, after learning about what Princess Tana had done in the past, she felt only the gratitude of a younger generation towards an elder, especially as Zhu Feng's concubine felt for his mother, but she had no respect for him.
I think love should never be everything in life.
If you give up everything for love, you will eventually be given up by everything.
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