Chapter 686 Her Son (Two Updates)
Xiao Heng never expected to fall out of the crowd. It had been so long since he had encountered something like this.
Even if you encounter a robber, the robber can be killed by a signboard; even if you encounter a thief, the thief can be run over by a passing carriage...
Does that mean I'll be unlucky again once I change back into men's clothing?
If you get trampled by a horse's hoof, you won't even know how you died.
Fortunately, the crowd rushed to see the Crown Princess, which narrowed the road and forced the carriages to slow down slightly.
I still have time to get up and leave.
Xiao Heng braced himself against the ground with his hands, enduring the pain in his knees as he stood up.
But after taking just one step, I don't know what I stepped on, my foot slipped, and I fell down with a thud!
He fell flat on his face, that's really something—
"Oh no! This is bad!"
The driver really didn't expect that after the man got up, he would fall again!
I can't seem to slow down any further...
Besides, if I braked too fast and threw Tai-nü out, whose responsibility would that be?
The guards lined up on horseback to escort the carriage on both sides, but there was no time to rein in their horses.
At the critical moment, a blue figure leaped up from the front and flew over everyone's heads.
Despite being extremely far away, they arrived in front of the carriage in the blink of an eye.
He didn't stop. With incredible speed, he reached out his long, powerful hand, grabbed Xiao Heng from the ground, and dashed forward.
He was rescuing people so fast that he couldn't stop.
"Ah! He's going to crash into the Crown Princess's carriage!"
"oops!"
The crowd could hardly bear to look.
However, the thing he feared did not happen. He suddenly sprang up, grabbed Xiao Heng, and flew over the roof of the Crown Princess's carriage.
The two landed on the street behind the convoy.
In the crowd, someone recognized the man and exclaimed, "It's Master Qingfeng!"
"It really is Master Qingfeng! Master Qingfeng has come down the mountain!"
"Master Qingfeng hasn't come down the mountain for five years, has he? He's still the same as before, unchanged at all."
"Master Qingfeng is so handsome and dashing!" A young woman exclaimed in awe, clutching her handkerchief in the pavilion.
Another girl beside her scoffed, "What's so handsome about a Taoist priest! He doesn't even care about women! I think the young master he saved is far more handsome!"
"No way! Master Qingfeng is the most handsome!"
"That young master is the most handsome!"
Xiao Heng steadied himself, and the other person released his grip on his hand.
Xiao Heng then looked at the other person.
When he heard someone call him "Taoist Master," he thought it was an elderly Taoist priest, but it turned out to be a young man in his twenties.
The other person was dressed in a blue Taoist robe, with an otherworldly air and a face as beautiful as jade. His eyes were clear and sharp, and his whole body seemed to exude a Taoist aura that was isolated from the world. All the noise and hustle and bustle of the mortal world instantly became quiet around him.
It's not that the environment is quieter, but rather that being around him brings peace of mind.
Xiao Heng bowed to the other party in gratitude: "Thank you for saving me, Daoist Master."
The other party seemed to be an otherworldly and unapproachable person, but in reality, he was very approachable. He cupped his hands and returned the greeting to Xiao Heng, saying, "You're welcome."
It is a voice that is detached from worldly affairs and untouched by human concerns.
He turned and left after he finished speaking.
It's as if I haven't done anything remarkable.
He was heading in the opposite direction from the Crown Princess's carriage. Well, he had just come from the east, so it was normal for him to go west now.
Xiao Heng glanced at his retreating figure, then turned to look at the west end of the long street. The Crown Princess's carriage and guards had already resolutely left, gradually disappearing into the long street.
In stark contrast to Master Qingfeng's courageous act, the Crown Princess's indifference aroused public outrage.
"So many years have passed, and you're still as arrogant as ever!"
The speaker was a middle-aged man who had been queuing in front of the dried meat shop. He was older and knew more about what happened back then than the younger generation present.
Then a young man asked him, "Was the Crown Princess very domineering before?"
The middle-aged man clicked his tongue and said, "In the old days, it wasn't uncommon for carriages to run people over or for people to be beaten to death in the street. If she hadn't been born a crown princess and had the empress and the Xuanyuan family backing her up, she would have been deposed by the king countless times!"
"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes! She beat a child to death in the street! That child was only five or six years old! And only this tall! And then she beat him to death here!"
"Oh dear, what a disaster!"
"Why did she come back?"
The murmurs of the crowd were incessant. Xiao Heng knew the power of rumors, but he couldn't tell the truth from the falsehood.
The crowd didn't disperse as quickly, but it wasn't as lively as before. People around them hurried on their way, each busy with their own affairs.
Xiao Heng stood on the long street, gazing in the direction where the Crown Princess's carriage had departed.
Whether it was his imagination or not, the moment he fell in front of the carriage, it seemed as if an undeniable gaze fell upon him from inside the carriage.
...
The dried meat he had just bought had gotten dirty, so Xiao Heng went and bought some new dried meat.
He thought everything would be fine from now on, but then something unexpected happened.
Just as he turned around with the dried meat in his hand, he bumped into Nangong Li, who was coming out of the blacksmith shop across the street.
Nangong Li spotted Xiao Heng at a glance.
The carriage was just a few steps away from Xiao Heng, but he didn't get on. Instead, he turned back and went into a meat jerky shop.
Nangong Li frowned.
"General, what's wrong? The carriage is ready," said the guard beside him.
Nangong Li glanced at the shop and said, "I saw someone. Tell them to wait for me here. You go around and block the back door of that meat jerky shop. Don't let anyone out!"
"yes!"
The guards quickly crossed the street and went around the alley to the back door of the shop.
Nangong Li then stepped into the shop.
Nangong Li's right sleeve was empty, making him inevitably attract attention as he walked down the street.
The meat jerky vendor came over and politely asked, "Sir, are you here to buy meat jerky?"
Actually, he didn't own the shop; he just rented the small space in front of it. Inside, it was a restaurant.
Nangong Li ignored him and strode towards the main hall.
Nangong Li had a fierce appearance and a cold aura, so the meat jerky vendor didn't dare to bother him and went back to his stall to sell meat jerky.
Nangong Li wandered around the main hall for a while but didn't find Xiao Heng. He went to the back door and asked the guard, "Has anyone gone out?"
The guard shook his head: "Reporting to the general, no one has left since I took up my post here."
Nangong Li searched every restaurant, even the kitchen and the outhouse, but he still couldn't find Xiao Heng.
Nangong Li was certain he hadn't misread it.
That person just now was Xiao Heng!
Have you come to the State of Yan, Xiao Heng?
It's like someone who refuses to take the path to heaven and barges into hell when there's no way out!
If you were hiding in Zhao Kingdom, I wouldn't be able to do anything to you, but now that you've come to my territory, don't blame me for settling all my old and new scores with you!
"General!" The guard looked at Nangong Li, whose expression was strange, with a puzzled expression.
Nangong Li said smugly, "Go and investigate which Zhao people have come to Shengdu recently! I'm going to the Crown Prince's residence!"
The guard saluted and said, "Yes, General!"
Nangong Li paused, then, as if remembering something, gave a cold laugh: "Especially investigate these two names: Xiao Liulang and Gu Jiao!"
...
At Tianqiong Academy, all the students in Mingxin Hall had an indescribable day. After school, no one dared to linger and they all left the classroom in a rush.
When Gu Xiaoshun came to find his sister, he discovered that the classroom was completely empty.
He scratched his head: "Huh? Why is everyone eating so enthusiastically today?"
Gu Jiao handed the book bag to Gu Xiaoshun: "I'm going out for a bit, I won't be back for dinner."
"Going out again? What am I going to say if Gu Yan asks?" Gu Xiaoshun is fearless, but he's afraid of Gu Yan asking him questions.
Gu Jiao said, "Just say I went to Tianxiang Pavilion and will be back tonight."
Upon hearing that it was just a trip to Tianxiang Pavilion, Gu Xiaoshun felt relieved. Tianxiang Pavilion was where Gu Chengfeng was staying temporarily, and it was a very safe place.
He agreed, "Okay, sister, go and come back soon."
Gu Jiao nodded: "Okay."
After leaving Tianqiong Academy, Gu Jiao hired a carriage to travel to the vicinity of Tianxiang Pavilion, and walked the rest of the way.
She was very vigilant the whole way, and only entered Tianxiang Pavilion through the back door after making sure she was not being followed.
Xu Fengxian was sitting in the backyard berating Gu Chengfeng: "Hmph! He's got such a temper every day! One minute this master comes and he won't see him, the next minute that master comes and he won't see him either! Who does he think he is! The Emperor of Heaven himself!"
Yinxing tugged weakly at Xu Fengxian's sleeve.
Xu Fengxian impatiently shook off her hand and continued to complain, "What? Did I say something wrong? Do you think I run this big theater without spending money? If he dares to rudely treat the customers again tonight, I'll kick him out of here—"
Before she could finish saying the last word, Xu Fengxian felt a dark shadow loom over her head.
She looked up and exclaimed, "Oh my god!"
She was so frightened that she fell off the stool and landed on her bottom on the ground.
Ginkgo reluctantly helped her up.
She said through gritted teeth in a low voice, "Why didn't you warn me when he came?"
Ginkgo said aggrievedly, "I reminded you, but you didn't listen."
Xu Fengxian cursed inwardly, but forced a fawning smile: "Oh, young master has arrived! Please, have a seat! Please, have a seat! Yinxing, serve the young master some tea!"
"Yes!" Ginkgo hurriedly went to prepare the report.
Xu Fengxian called out to her again, "Wait here, I'll go make some tea!"
She would rather work than stay and suffer the boy's anger.
Gu Jiao seemed to have no intention of confronting him. She said, "I'm here to find him," and went upstairs.
Xu Fengxian's body went limp, and she slumped onto the stool. She raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead and said with lingering fear, "I was so scared... so scared... I didn't see anyone at the door just now... how did it grow out like that..."
Gu Jiao went upstairs.
Gu Chengfeng is now doing very well at the opera house. He not only has his own luxurious private room, but also several servants at his beck and call.
Despite her complaints, Xu Fengxian was reluctant to actually get rid of Gu Chengfeng, her cash cow.
Gu Chengfeng was reciting the script. These were lyrics written in the old master's storybooks, and the stories were also from the storybooks, commonly known as a play within a play.
It must be admitted that the plays written by the old master are wonderful, full of twists and turns, and most importantly, the ending of each play leaves everyone on the edge of their seats, making them anxious, sleepless, and eager to see the next one.
That's how Tianxiang Pavilion's business started to thrive.
With more guests arriving, Gu Chengfeng naturally became more adept at gathering information.
However, he didn't plan to inquire about the news tonight; he wanted to see if that girl had returned.
No sooner had he put down the booklet in his hand than Gu Jiao stepped into the room.
"You..." Gu Chengfeng took a while to come to his senses. He looked her up and down, then quickly went over to close the door. He sat down with Gu Jiao at the octagonal table and said in a deep voice, "When did you get back? Why did you take so long?"
Gu Jiao said, "I went back yesterday, but something came up and I was delayed."
"A little thing?" Gu Chengfeng grabbed her hand, rolled up her sleeve, and looked at the bruises on her arm. He said irritably, "This is a little thing?"
The bruises are still there after so many days, which shows how swollen it was when the injury happened.
Gu Jiao pulled her hand back: "Find a way to contact Xiao Heng and tell him I'm back safely."
Gu Chengfeng snorted, "Did you come here just to let that kid know you're safe?"
"No, not exactly," Gu Jiao said.
Gu Chengfeng's eyes lit up. "Tell me quickly, I want to let you know I'm safe too!"
"And ask what you've found out recently," Gu Jiao continued.
Gu Chengfeng's face darkened.
...
Opera houses were very popular in Shengdu, and it was easier to survive by opening an opera house than a brothel, which is why Xu Fengxian changed her brothel into an opera house.
Those who frequent brothels are all men, but those who come to watch operas are not limited by gender. If the opera is good, even the eunuchs from the palace will come to support it.
The inner city was strictly managed, and it was easy to run into acquaintances. Over time, the outer city became the preferred choice for guests.
In the past few days, Gu Chengfeng has indeed found out quite a bit of information.
"Shengdu has been quite lively lately. The Crown Princess has returned, and some disciples and advisors from aristocratic families who were traveling and cultivating abroad have also returned. Among them, I know of Master Qingfeng from the Feng family and Qi Xuan, the master of Han Shizi from the Han family."
Gu Jiao heard a familiar name: "Qi Xuan? That Qi Xuan from the Tang Clan?"
Now it was Gu Chengfeng's turn to be surprised: "How did you know?"
Gu Jiao said "Oh," and then said, "I've fought him before."
Gu Chengfeng was shocked: "You, you fought him? You were injured by him? You're not crippled, are you? That guy is not someone to be trifled with! It is said that his martial arts are extremely high, and he is a guy that even the Imperial Preceptor Hall has to give him some respect! The reason why Prince Han can become the number one expert of this generation in Shengdu is all thanks to Qi Xuan!"
Gu Jiao shook her head: "No, he didn't hurt me. He left after only two moves."
Gu Chengfeng asked, puzzled, "Then how did you know he was Qi Xuan?"
Gu Jiao said, "That's what Madam Nan said. Madam Nan knows him."
Having interacted with Nan Shi Niang so many times, Gu Chengfeng roughly understood that she was someone of importance. He asked curiously, "Just who is Nan Shi Niang?"
"Qi Xuan's former junior sister," Gu Jiao said truthfully.
Gu Chengfeng's mouth gaped open.
Qi Xuan's former junior sister, wasn't she also from the Tang Sect?
Girl, what kind of master and mistress did you find for Gu Yan?
Gu Jiao hadn't yet come into contact with the Feng family, so she wasn't particularly interested in that Qingfeng Daoist. In comparison, she was more concerned about Qi Xuan: "Qi Xuan is actually a staff member of the Han family."
That's fine.
Birds of a feather flock together; it'll be easier to take action against them if a fight breaks out in the future.
Thinking about the reason Gu Jiao left Shengdu, Gu Chengfeng asked, "You said last time you were going to confirm something, did you confirm it?"
"No."
She did not see the Crown Princess.
Gu Chengfeng: "Is it related to Xiao Heng?"
Gu Jiao: "Mm."
Hmph, he knew it. This girl would risk her life for Xiao Heng.
Gu Chengfeng said seriously, "I don't care whether you came back safely this time or not, don't do this kind of thankless task again. The Crown Princess can't possibly deal with the Crown Prince. Do you know why the Crown Princess suddenly returned to Shengdu?"
Gu Jiao shook her head.
Gu Chengfeng said, "Actually, there are many rumors among the people. Some say that the King of Great Yan wanted to execute the Crown Princess, while others say that he wanted to pardon her. There are even rumors that the King himself called her Crown Princess. But they are all false! The Crown Princess herself wanted to come back!"
"Can she just go back whenever she wants?" If Gu Jiao remembered correctly, the Crown Princess seemed to have been imprisoned in Guanshan to guard the imperial mausoleum.
"Of course not. This is inside information that I went through a lot of trouble to find out!" Gu Chengfeng said solemnly, "The Crown Princess... has lost her memory!"
...
In the southwest corner of the Great Yan Imperial Palace, on a secluded and messy path, a young palace maid carrying a basket of wild fruits walked breathlessly towards a dilapidated bedchamber in the afterglow of the setting sun.
This place used to be the most bustling place in the Great Yan Imperial Palace, but now it can't even be considered deserted.
The young palace maid arrived at the door: "Your Majesty..."
He had only uttered one word when he realized the form of address was inappropriate, so he corrected himself, saying, "The Three Dukes..."
It's still not right.
In the palace, the slightest carelessness could lead to death.
The young palace maid thought for a moment and then called out, "My lady, I've brought back dinner!"
However, no one responded to her.
The young palace maid mustered her courage and stepped over the threshold into the overgrown front yard. The weeds hadn't been trimmed in ages and were already half a person tall. Every now and then, something would dart quickly through the weeds, whether it was a wild cat or a mouse, she couldn't tell.
The palace maid's face turned pale with fright.
She was a new palace maid who entered the palace this year. Just because she didn't offer any tribute to the head maid, she was assigned to this place to serve a former crown princess who had already been deposed.
Everyone outside says that the king summoned the crown princess back, which is not wrong, but the reason for the summons was not that the king finally remembered the crown princess.
Rather, it was the Crown Princess who was attacked at the imperial mausoleum a few days ago.
I heard that the assassins cut down the bridge to prevent the princess from escaping.
The princess escaped death by falling into the lake, but unexpectedly, she suffered amnesia after being rescued.
Not only that, that group of people were extremely vicious and even destroyed the imperial tombs.
If it were merely the assassination of a deposed crown princess, the king might not have mobilized such a large force. However, the destruction of the imperial tombs was tantamount to shaking the dragon vein of the Great Yan Dynasty, enraging the king. It was only in order to investigate the truth of the matter that the crown princess was summoned back to the capital.
All the servants around the Crown Princess had been questioned, and since there was no one to serve her, they sent her, a newly arrived palace maid, here.
This is the palace where the Third Princess lived before she was made Crown Princess. After the Crown Princess's crime of colluding with the Xuanyuan family to rebel was confirmed, everyone around her was executed.
After the young palace maid moved in, she dared not get up at night, for fear of accidentally encountering some ghost.
"Master...Master, where have you gone? Master..."
The young palace maid was so anxious that she was sweating profusely because she couldn't find the Crown Princess.
"Won't something bad happen? Even though she's a deposed crown princess, if something really happens to her, I'll be buried with her..."
The Crown Princess, whom the palace maid was frantically searching for, was sitting in a nearby pavilion.
The pavilion is built on a low hillside, surrounded by railings on the east, west and south sides, and with more than ten steps on the north side.
The pavilion is quite high, so the view is expansive and the breeze is excellent.
A man and a woman sat in the pavilion. The woman was dressed in old and simple folk clothes, and her black hair was tied back with a wooden hairpin.
Judging by her clothes and appearance, she was no different from ordinary women, but she was, in fact, the former crown princess of the Great Yan royal family.
"I heard that my elder sister has returned. I should have come to visit her sooner, but I have been busy with official duties these past few days. Please forgive me."
The man speaking was opposite her. He was not yet forty years old and called her "Royal Sister," but he did not look as young as she did.
“I heard you’re the Crown Prince,” she said.
The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Yes, after my elder sister was deposed, my father appointed me as the Crown Prince."
"Oh." She turned her head slightly, looking at the palaces and a lush orchard on the side. "When did an orchard appear there? I remember it was a lotus pond, which I had dug up."
The Crown Prince said in a gentle tone, "Father Emperor ordered that it be filled in."
"Oh." She said "oh" again, lowering her eyes, "I really like the lotus flowers there."
The Crown Prince said, "Elder sister, you see, you still remember things from the past."
She shook her head slightly and said softly, "I only remember what I was like before I was seventeen."
"Is that so?" The Crown Prince picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip. "Then what does my elder sister remember?"
Her gaze drifted further into the distance: "I remember my mother and uncle, as well as my eldest cousin, second cousin, third cousin, eldest cousin, younger cousin, and younger cousin."
The Crown Prince looked at her intently and said, "The Empress Dowager has passed away."
She nodded slightly, as if numb, or as if resigned to her fate: "Yes, the new palace maid told me. Also, the Xuanyuan family is gone, I'm all alone now, and my father doesn't favor me anymore. I have to be careful in the palace, or I might lose my life at any time."
The Crown Prince scrutinized every expression on her face: "Elder sister, please don't say that. You still have Father, and you still have me."
She said softly, "My mother-in-law is very good to me, and you, my second brother, are also very good to me."
The crown prince smiled and said, "It's all as it should be."
She stopped talking and continued to admire the scenery in the palace, as if she had been away for too long and had suddenly returned, and couldn't get enough of it.
The evening breeze caressed her exquisite face, making one envious that time had not left any marks on her face.
The Crown Prince dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids who were guarding the steps: "You may all leave."
"yes!"
The palace servants retreated three steps away.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone into her eyes, and her beautiful eyes seemed to hold a lost starry sea and galaxy.
It was these eyes, these eyes that were exactly the same as those of the Xuanyuan family, that, even without anger, made people feel an invisible pressure as if it came from the soul.
"Royal elder sister," the crown prince called to her.
She didn't look at the Crown Prince, but continued to admire the scenery she wanted to enjoy: "You've been talking too much today, I want to look at the scenery."
The Crown Prince stared at her intently, his smile vanishing as he said calmly, "Elder sister, have you really lost your memory?"
She sighed, "There's nothing I can do if you don't believe me."
The Crown Prince suddenly smiled: "It's not that I don't believe it, it's just that what my elder sister has experienced is too unbelievable. Elder sister, there's no one else here, you don't need to hide anything from me."
She said, "I didn't hide anything."
The Crown Prince sneered, "Is that so? Just now, when I asked my elder sister what she remembered, she mentioned her mother and her maternal clan, but she didn't mention her only blood relative. Elder sister, have you even forgotten your own son?"
She shook her head: "I've said it before, I've forgotten everything that happened after I turned seventeen."
The Crown Prince stood up and leaned towards her across the stone table: "Sister, you've forgotten? Then let me, your younger brother, help you remember. Sister, when you were seventeen, you suddenly disappeared from the Yan Kingdom. After that, you had a child with someone, and that child's name was..."
“I remember now, his name is Huangfu Qing,” she said with a smile.
"No." The prince whispered a name in her ear.
She didn't move.
"It seems that my elder sister truly remembers nothing." The Crown Prince smiled, straightened up, and said, "It's getting late, I'll take my leave."
After saying that, he turned and walked out of the pavilion. Just as he was about to step down the steps, he suddenly stopped, as if he had thought of something, and said casually with a smile, "I forgot to give the gift to my elder sister."
He turned back, took a paper-wrapped bag of dried meat from his pocket, and placed it on the table.
"I bought it on the street my elder sister walked down today." He smiled meaningfully. "Is my elder sister satisfied with this gift?"
"etc."
Just as the prince was about to leave the pavilion, she called out to him.
The Crown Prince turned around and looked at her with a half-smile: "Imperial Sister, did you suddenly remember something? For example, what things should you tell Father, and what things shouldn't you tell him?"
She smiled and shook her head: "No, it's not that. I just remembered that I also brought you a gift."
After speaking, she slowly walked up to the Crown Prince and smiled at him.
The next second, she reached out and pushed the prince down the steep steps!
(End of this chapter)
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