Chapter 99 Settling Accounts (1) Let me guess, when are you planning to...?
“My parents gave me life once, and I will be reborn nine times as cause and effect... Since cause and effect are fixed, all things are one, and life and death are the same. I will no longer interfere with your path.”
"Suicide to glimpse the heavens and explore the cycle of reincarnation."
[Xiao Yinshi, influenced by a cosmic wave that travels through time and space, has honed his political skills for nine lifetimes, making him unparalleled in his abilities. He is now bound to the identity of the Imperial Tutor.]
On her way back, Feng Tan pondered the fragmented clues she had gathered along the way, her mind a jumbled mess. The setting sun cast shadowy indistinct light on the palace ahead, and night was approaching. Feng Tan didn't want to go back so early, but she couldn't leave the palace gates, so she turned back and waited for the officials on the palace road they always took after their shifts.
A pale crescent moon hung in the sky. As dusk and night intersected, Feng Tan finally saw Shen Shiyi turn around and come towards her. Feng Tan was followed by sixteen members of the Luosha Army. As soon as Shen Shiyi stepped onto the palace path, she saw Feng Tan. She reacted quickly, turning around and running away like a mouse seeing a cat.
"Stop." Feng Tan's voice came from behind, forcing Shen Shiyi to stop in his tracks.
She felt guilty towards Feng Tan, which caused her usually aloof face to wear a forced smile when she saw him, saying, "What a coincidence, Lord Feng."
Feng Tan approached her and said, "Unfortunately, I've been waiting for you here for an hour."
Shen Shiyi's personal servant was carrying a palace lantern. She took the lantern and waved for him to leave. Then she squinted at the army behind Feng Tan and said, "Could they go a little further away?"
Military orders are absolute, and the Rakshasa Army cannot stray more than twenty feet from Feng Tan. Feng Tan shook his head and said, "No, but it doesn't matter. In any case, their master can guess what we'll talk about when we meet."
Looking at Feng Tan, who had been forced to change into women's clothing, Shen Shiyi exclaimed, "Even the most beautiful woman in the world is not enough to describe you, Lord Feng! You are so pleasing to the eye. You should have dressed up in girls' clothes long ago to broaden the horizons of us rough folks!"
Time was precious, so Feng Tan ignored Shen Shiyi's evasive remarks, knowing that it was a sign of her guilt, and said, "On the night of the prison break, the Shen family army that followed me all betrayed me. Their goal was to kill me, but by some twist of fate, my husband blocked it, resulting in my husband being stabbed several times and dying. I know this was not your doing. If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't stoop to using underhanded methods, and besides, we have no enmity between us."
Looking at Shen Shiyi's somber expression, Feng Tan stared intently and said, "The fact that he was able to secretly switch your Shen family army without you noticing means that he is a person of status in Huachao. You know who he is, right?"
"I know." Shen Shiyi's eyes contained a lot of things: struggle, guilt, and helplessness. After a long while, she said, "I'm sorry, Feng Tan, I can't tell you."
Feng Tan looked at her, resentment welling up in her clear eyes. "Why?"
Starlight spread across the sky, clearly illuminating the two figures facing each other on the palace road. Shen Shiyi looked at Feng Tan. In fact, she admired Feng Tan very much, but political ambitions put them in opposition from the beginning. Later, they plotted to break the prisoner from the imperial prison. She rescued her brother, but Feng Tan lost her teacher forever.
Shen Shiyi remained silent for a moment, then knelt on one knee, supporting himself on his sword. He looked up at Feng Tan's pale face and said, "In the end, this matter was my oversight. I originally wanted to come to you to apologize as soon as possible, but I dared not. However, I also know that I cannot escape your accountability. Feng Tan, I cannot tell you who the perpetrator is. As compensation, I, Shen Shiyi, can grant you a promise. As long as you tell me, I can do it for you."
Feng Tan leaned down and looked into her eyes, saying, "What if I asked you to send me back to Dahuang?"
They negotiated beneath the shadows of the palace walls. Upon hearing this, the Rakshasa Army behind Feng Tan gripped their long swords. In the tense atmosphere, Shen Shiyi spoke clearly, "Agreed."
Feng Tan smiled upon hearing this, but there was no smile in her eyes. "You're willing to risk offending the emperor rather than reveal the mastermind behind it all. I'm quite curious about your relationship with that person. You're really that close."
“No iron,” Shen Shiyi replied calmly without the slightest hesitation, “but I really have no other choice, I cannot say.”
Feng Tan nodded and said, "Alright, we shouldn't refuse a promise that's been offered to us. General Shen, I hope you won't go back on your word this time."
......
Investigating cases is Feng Tan's forte, and the fact that Shen Shiyi couldn't say it doesn't mean that Feng Tan has no way to find out.
She practiced her kung fu in the Imperial Garden for a while, and after a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead, she slowly exhaled. No matter how she tried to circulate her qi, the meridians in her left leg could not be cleared. Even though Feng Tan was very self-assured, she was not in a good mood. This displeasure reached its peak when she saw the brightly lit main hall of the Qianhe Palace.
...Xiao Yinshi returned after finishing his official duties.
He had been extremely busy with court affairs for the past month, and often Feng Tan was already fast asleep before he returned to his bedchamber. It was as if he couldn't bear to see Feng Tan sleeping so comfortably. When he got into bed and pulled off the covers, he didn't hold back at all. If Feng Tan turned around and turned her back to him, he would stretch out his long arm and pull her back. In short, his bad behavior was countless.
He returned early tonight, which dampened Feng Tan's desire to climb the steps. The starry sky above was dazzling, and the autumn night breeze was gentle. Feng Tan borrowed a Luosha Army cloak, spread it on the white marble bricks, and lay down in front of the hall to look at the starry sky.
The teacher said that every star in the sky is actually a celestial body, hanging high in the sky, blooming magnificently and quietly. The earliest light comes from there. When you are unhappy, look at the universe, and you will feel the gentle breeze that has lasted for eternity, and the sentiment that your traces are as high as the stars.
The view of the starry sky was suddenly blocked by a tall, dark shadow. Feng Tan looked at Xiao Yin, slowly stood up, and walked towards the palace without saying a word.
Xiao Yinshi stepped forward, grabbed Feng Tan's wrist, and led her towards the side hall. His grip was a bit strong, and Feng Tan frowned, asking, "Where are we going?"
Xiao Yinshi's eyes were dark as he said, "Golden Platform."
The plaque above the main hall bore these three characters, but there was no high platform here. Feng Tan was somewhat puzzled, but she had no right to refuse, so she simply let Xiao Yinshi lead her away.
After a month of recuperation, Feng Tan was able to walk without crutches today, and her left leg was able to walk normally. However, the man's legs were long and his strides were large, so when he pulled her along, it looked like she was jogging.
After the palace maids lit the candles in the side hall, they bowed and withdrew. Only then did Xiao Yinshi release Feng Tan's fingers, walk to the Buddha-shaped mechanism, and turn the wheel. He secretly watched as it opened with a rumble. He turned around, his dark eyes filled with an unreadable light, and said, "Come in."
The hidden door was like the entrance to a ghostly realm. Xiao Yinshi stood at the entrance, his black and gold dragon robe making him appear even more otherworldly. Today, he wore an imperial green jade bead on his finger. He gently rubbed it for a moment, then frowned as he looked at Feng Tan and said, "Should I invite you?"
Feng Tan snapped out of her daze. The feeling of being controlled was clearly unpleasant. She didn't say anything and walked straight into the secret door.
As Xiao Yinshi watched her walk ahead, a strange light flickered in his eyes. After walking for a while, they emerged from a hidden door to find themselves in a completely different world.
A towering platform, built of gold, stands majestically in the center of a vast open space, its golden glow radiating extravagance under the moonlight. Such a high golden platform cannot be valued merely as priceless.
Ascending the jade steps to the high platform required considerable effort, and Feng Tan was already panting heavily when she reached the top. Four large, two-foot-square golden pillars supported the triple-eaved roof with dragon motifs, and the horizontal beams were also carved with kui dragon patterns. Two lines of poetry were inscribed on a wide stone plaque:
To repay the kindness shown to me on the Golden Terrace, I would gladly die for you, like a jade dragon.
It seems that this was the highest-level venue for the meeting between the emperor and his ministers of the Hua Dynasty. Looking into the distance, one can see the vast land and rivers. Looking up at the sky, one can find that this is also a good place for stargazing, with a vast and boundless expanse.
Everything on the golden table had been arranged in advance. On the cherry wood eight-immortal peach wood table were a fruit plate with bright red and green fresh fruits, a pot of clear wine, and next to it was a similar openwork embroidered couch covered with brocade yellow satin. In the corner, there was a sandalwood incense burner.
The wisps of incense enveloped Xiao Yinshi's face. He must have finished his dinner. He poured two glasses of wine and handed them to Feng Tan, saying, "The autumn night is chilly. Have some wine to warm yourself up."
Feng Tan glanced at the clear wine and said, "I don't want to drink it."
Xiao Yinshi said calmly, "It's fine if you don't drink it, it'll just get a little cold in a bit."
As autumn drew to a close, the average temperature in Huachao was a bit colder than in Dahuang. Feng Tan, who had always been in good health, looked noticeably better after recovering from a serious illness. She said, "It's alright, I'm not cold."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yinshi's lips curved into a slight smile, but it vanished in an instant. Feng Tan keenly sensed that he possessed an unusual temperament tonight, which he concealed well beneath his outward appearance, even giving off a gentle impression.
As the wine trickled down his throat, Xiao Yinshi looked up at Feng Tan, his voice deep and mellow, tinged with a hint of laughter, as if he were in a good mood. "The rise and fall of a nation depends on the governance of its officials; the prosperity and decline of a court depends on its finances. Dahua has been plagued by corruption for years under Xiao Songyun's rule, and correcting its extravagance is not something that can be done overnight. Fortunately, I am familiar with this matter. In the past, it would take more than half a year, but this time, by speeding up the process, it was completed in just over a month."
In the past... Feng Tan's eyes were still fogged up, and the meaning of these words made her even more confused, but a bad premonition rose in her heart.
Xiao Yinshi fiddled with the amber wine cup, poured himself another cup of wine and drank it down. The strong liquor burned his throat, causing a dark fire to ignite in his dark eyes. He said, "It's your turn now."
A wine cup clattered against the table. A squad of Rakshasa soldiers escorted five palace maids and eunuchs into the square. He stood up, looking down at Feng Tan, and said, "In the past month, while the Rakshasa army was under martial law, you've won over three eunuchs and two palace maids, inducing them to do many things for you. They even told you about the Imperial Guard's patrol and handover routes. Let me guess, when do you plan to escape?"
He watched Feng Tan's face grow paler and paler, his voice exceptionally clear in the dark of midnight, "It should be today, after all, the medicine powder you stole from the Imperial Medical Bureau loses its effectiveness when exposed to air. It can only be used tonight while I'm asleep so that I can inhale it and you can escape along the predetermined route."
Feng Tan's heart pounded. She thought she had been discreet enough, but Xiao Yinshi knew everything, which sent a chill down her spine.
As soon as he finished speaking, another group of people entered through the red gate below the stage. The leading general reported to the stage, "Your Majesty, there is indeed an army composed of women outside the capital!"
The general dared not speak his mind, but raised his head and waved to the emperor on the high platform, signaling them to step down.
"Unfortunately, Feng Tan's escape game has failed again." Seeing Feng Tan's increasingly pale face, Xiao Yinshi leaned closer to her, the ferocity in his eyes making Feng Tan feel terrified, and declared, "Let's settle things tonight."
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