“I remember when I was five years old, I fell seriously ill. I was originally able to cultivate, but after the illness, my spiritual roots were completely destroyed and I lost all my spiritual power. When my father found out, he was furious. He suspected that someone was deliberately trying to harm me and ordered a thorough investigation of the entire palace, but in the end, nothing came of it.”
Qinghe frowned: "If your spiritual root is not severely damaged, it cannot be destroyed even by a common illness. Your father is right, someone wants to harm you."
Changping continued, "Ever since I was unable to cultivate, my father has searched far and wide for cultivators and alchemists throughout the land. Anyone who could possibly cure me was invited to the palace. At first, I held onto a sliver of hope, but so many years have passed, and we still haven't found a way to restore me." Her tone was tinged with disappointment. "Actually, whether I can cultivate or not is not important to me. I just want to make my father happy."
After she finished speaking, there was a long silence. Qinghe didn't know what to say; she never really cared about other people's affairs. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to look at Shen Xun and Mo Junqian, only to find them also silent.
Realizing the awkward atmosphere, Changping smiled nonchalantly: "You don't need to be like this. I've gotten used to it over the years. But you mustn't look down on me. Although I have no cultivation, my horsemanship and archery skills are second to none!"
Qinghe said seriously, "How could that be? You're very capable."
Changping was overjoyed to receive the praise.
Strangely, when others said this before, she would only feel that they were just being polite, but when this person in front of her said it, she felt genuinely happy.
"By the way, we still don't know your names?"
Qinghe: "My name is Qinghe, and these two are Zhu Xun and Mo Junqian."
Changping wasn't curious about the existence of the child Shen Xun, but he was curious about Mo Junqian's surname, and asked, "Mo? You're also surnamed Mo?"
Mo Junqian asked in confusion, "Is something wrong?"
Changping explained, "Actually, Changping is just my title. My real name is Mo Shaoxue. Mo is the royal surname of our Tianqi Kingdom. Apart from the royal family, very few people have the surname Mo. May I ask where you are from, young master, and who your parents are?"
When asked about his family background, Mo Junqian did not find it abrupt and said frankly, "I was born outside the border. My parents passed away when I was very young. I only know that my father's surname is Mo and my mother's surname is He. I know nothing else."
Changping nodded: "I see," then smiled sheepishly: "I'm sorry, I brought up something that upset you."
Mo Junqian shook his head, indicating that it was alright.
During lunch, they got to know each other, and with Qinghe's personal charm, they successfully secured a day trip to the palace.
On the way back, Shen Xun couldn't help but look Qing He up and down: "It seems that girl really likes you."
Qinghe raised an eyebrow: "That's right, this goddess's charm is boundless, reaching to the heavens and the earth..."
Shen Xun interrupted her: "You in men's clothing."
Qinghe continued speaking to himself, "Even if he dresses up as a man, he will still charm countless girls and win their hearts..."
Shen Xun interrupted her again: "If she finds out you're a woman, won't she gather all the cultivators in the world and offer a bounty for your head? I bet the reward will be substantial."
Qinghe: "...What good will it do you to undermine my confidence?"
Shen Xun shrugged. He didn't know if it had hurt her confidence, but he was certainly in a good mood after teasing her a couple of times.
No sooner had they returned to the dilapidated temple than Li Jiang and Mu Dong arrived.
Seeing the two of them pulling and tugging at each other, their faces flushed, Qinghe guessed that they must have been arguing again.
Once everyone was quiet and seated, he asked helplessly, "What are you two arguing about now?"
Mu Dong had his back to everyone, clearly too angry to speak.
Li Jiang said angrily, "I heard there's a fortune teller in the corner tower of East Alley. This man knows everything from astronomy to geography, and he has thousands of pieces of information in his hands. He makes a living by selling information. I originally went there to inquire about the whereabouts of the Divine Pearl, but as soon as I paid the money, before I could even say anything, this man suddenly rushed out and knocked over his stall! The fortune teller thought he was here for revenge, so he hurriedly packed up his shop and ran away, leaving me nowhere to look for him. I wasted dozens of taels of silver!"
Before he could finish speaking, Mu Dong suddenly turned around and yelled at him, "How can you blame me! Someone stole my money and you just happened to be there! I think that person looked shifty and probably just a con artist. He claims to know everything about astronomy and geography. If he had that kind of ability, why would he need to set up a stall on the street?"
Li Jiang said coldly, "In short, you have to compensate me for my losses."
Mu Dong protested, "Why should I pay? It's clearly your fault for not being able to find that conman. Besides, I'm broke. How am I supposed to pay you back?"
Qinghe asked, "Then where's your money? Was it really stolen?"
At this point, Mu Dong's anger subsided considerably: "No, the person who stole my money was an old woman, who was mentally unstable. I saw that she was dressed in rags and looked pale and thin, so I... I gave her all the money."
Qinghe looked pained. She hadn't even spent this much money on clothes. She wasn't well-off to begin with, and now, after only one day in the capital, she had already spent more than half of her travel expenses. How was she going to survive the rest of the day?
Li Jiang glanced at him indifferently, her eyes revealing a hint of schadenfreude: "You've spent all your money, let's see how you eat now."
Mu Dong snorted: "It's none of your business. I'm practicing abstinence from grains."
The two disliked each other so much that they simply sat on opposite sides, wishing they could stay far away from each other.
Qing shook his head helplessly.
After a moment, Qinghe said seriously, "Just now we met Princess Changping of Tianqi Kingdom. On the night of the Flower Festival and Wine Offering, she will invite us to the palace as guests."
Li Jiang finally stopped blushing and listened attentively to Qing He's plan.
Mu Dong also silently stretched out his ears.
"I will bring the Wind-Fixing Pearl with me. If the Water-Controlling Pearl is really in the palace, it will definitely be detected."
Li Jiang: "Will there be any danger? We can meet you outside the capital."
Qinghe shook his head: "I don't know either. If the person behind this is also looking for the Water Control Pearl, then he may have already sent someone to infiltrate the capital and act according to the situation."
It was a very tiring day, and everyone went to bed early.
Qinghe leaned against the temple gate, gazing up at the starry sky.
The night was cloudless, and the desolate moonlit sky carried a slight chill.
A bad feeling suddenly welled up in Qinghe's heart.
"Are you worried that something might happen that day?" A gentle voice came from beside me.
Qinghe didn't turn around, nor did he answer.
Mo Junqian followed her gaze to the sky. The moonlight was hazy, and even her voice carried an ethereal quality.
"Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt in any way."
Qinghe chuckled lightly, not taking his words to heart.
She doesn't need anyone's protection, nor will she be a burden to anyone.
She is who she is, and only she.
...
Time flies, and before Qinghe could even try all the snacks on the street, the grand festival of flower viewing and wine offering had arrived.
Early in the morning, as soon as the group approached the city gate, they heard the cheers and shouts of the people in the city.
Everyone was carrying pots and pans and hurrying towards the foot of the imperial city. Qinghe knew that the imperial palace was opening its granaries to distribute grain.
Qinghe glanced at the group, whose hands were empty, and tentatively asked, "How about we go and ask for some too?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he successfully received three eye rolls.
Qinghe wisely kept quiet.
"Qinghe!"
Suddenly a shout came, and Qinghe looked up to see Princess Changping.
She was still riding that fiery red horse, dressed in a striking red outfit, looking dashing and heroic.
Changping dismounted and came before the group. Her face was lightly made up with powder and cinnabar, which made her even more beautiful.
Qinghe exclaimed, "Your attire today is quite unique and makes you look even more beautiful."
Changping smiled shyly: "I dressed like this in previous years for the flower parade and wine offering, but they thought it looked strange. You are the first person to say it looks good."
This girlish demeanor surprised the unsuspecting Li Jiang and Mu Dong. After a moment, Mu Dong suddenly realized what was happening and blurted out, "Qing and you..."
Mo Junqian reacted quickly and covered his mouth.
Changping noticed two people she hadn't seen yesterday, and Qinghe took the initiative to introduce them to her: "This is my senior brother Li Jiang, and that is my junior brother Mu Dong. He has a bit of a problem, please don't be offended." Qinghe pointed to his head.
Changping understood, and looked at Mu Dong with pity.
"By the way, I need to go to Zuixianju to prepare the menu for the dinner. Do you want to come with me?"
Qinghe turned to look at the group and said, "Okay, then my friends..."
Changping readily agreed, "Let's go together."
Changping led the horse and walked ahead with Qinghe, chatting as they went. Qinghe said something that made Changping laugh continuously, which stunned Mu Dong.
He turned his head stiffly to look at Mo Junqian, somewhat incredulous.
Mo Junqian nodded at him: "That's exactly what you think."
After a long while, he finally had to accept the fact, standing there stunned, muttering to himself, "No wonder she dressed as a man... So, I not only have to compete with men for women, but also with women for women. That's too tragic..."
After walking a short distance, Li Jiang turned around and found Mu Dong still standing there. She walked back and pulled him, saying coldly, "What are you thinking about! Stay close."
...
Zuixianju was packed as usual. Changping led Qinghe to the third floor, to the same private room as yesterday.
The difference this time was that the person who came to greet them was the legendary owner of Zuixianju, He Si.
Qinghe carefully examined the young talent before her. He was dressed in a dark long robe, like a scholar, gentle and refined, with a faint melancholy between his brows.
As they got closer, Qinghe smelled a medicinal fragrance emanating from him.
Is this He Si a master alchemist?
"Mr. He, this is the menu for this year's banquet. Please take a look."
He Si took it, glanced at it briefly, and said, "I understand. Princess, rest assured, Zui Xian Ju will prepare all the meals."
Changping patted He Si on the shoulder, his voice clear and crisp: "I trust you to handle things."
He Si nodded and smiled politely.
After enjoying a sumptuous breakfast at Zuixianju, I came out to find that the granaries had already been opened and the distribution of grain had ended. The streets were lined with all kinds of flowers and red lanterns were hanging high. The people walking on the streets were all young men and women, talented scholars and beautiful ladies.
Everyone was dressed in bright colors, with wide hems embroidered with various floral patterns, a wide variety of which were even unfamiliar to some.
Qinghe stopped in front of a row of flowers. The petals were snow-white, blooming in clusters, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air. The fragrance was quite unique and seemed to have never been seen before.
"What kind of flower is this?" she asked curiously.
Changping knelt down beside her, gently stroking the petals and inhaling their delicate fragrance.
"This is the rose of Sharon, the national flower of the Tianqi Kingdom."
“The rose of Sharon…” Qinghe murmured, “No wonder I see this flower embroidered on many people’s clothes, it turns out it’s the national flower.”
Qinghe also squatted down and reached out to touch the petals. The soft petals brushed against her palm, and she could vaguely see faint spiritual energy being drawn out from the flower's stamen and merging into her body.
Qinghe squinted her eyes, the comfortable feeling of spiritual energy flowing through her whole body always made her feel refreshed and happy, no matter how many times she experienced it.
Just as she was immersed in the comfortable sensation of the spiritual sea, someone suddenly pinched her arm hard, and the piercing pain instantly brought her back to her senses.
"hiss……"
I gasped sharply; this person really went all out!
Mo Junqian asked worriedly from the side, "Senior Sister, are you alright?"
"fine."
Qinghe stroked her arm, her thoughts still lingering on the snow-white rose petals. The petals, which she had just absorbed spiritual energy from, were still vibrant and swaying in the wind.
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