Fire Talisman
Tang Feng was somewhat confused. He didn't know what had happened back then, but from what the Empress Dowager said, it was clear... very clear that a lot had happened back then. "Grandmother, the person you're talking about is... cough cough cough..." Tang Feng turned his back, leaned on the soft couch, and coughed a few times. After catching his breath, he took off the handkerchief in his hand and said softly, "Grandmother, I've always had a cough, and I'm afraid I'll pass it on to you. Perhaps... I should sit over with Ziliang!" Tang Feng was about to get up when the Empress Dowager stopped him. "I'm not afraid, what are you afraid of? I held you when you were little. You didn't even have the strength to cry; you were weaker than other children. Your mother had a difficult childbirth, and Zhao Nan always felt guilty towards your mother, so he didn't take care of you much. Later, after the court stabilized, I stopped taking care of you." "As for your situation, having lived in the deep palace for so long, I haven't inquired about you again." Mentioning Tang Zhaonan always brings a pang of pain to Tang Feng's heart. Indeed, as the Empress Dowager said, he didn't know how Tang Zhaonan treated the owner of his previous body, but after he transmigrated, Tang Zhaonan wasn't as close to him. However, he did receive the necessary care. The only thing Tang Feng regretted was that the last time he met Tang Zhaonan, the two of them wanted to sever their father-son relationship. Although he had his own principles, Tang Feng knew that Tang Zhaonan was doing it for his own good. He didn't apologize out of pride, and only after Tang Zhaonan died did he realize his mistake. Seeing Tang Feng suddenly dejected, the Empress Dowager glanced at Zizhu and ordered, "Have the kitchen make some pear cake and almond milk." She then gently touched Tang Feng's forehead. "These past years haven't been easy for you, have they? You don't look like a twenty-six-year-old at all. You're too thin. Has Ziliang not treated you well?" Zhou Ziliang broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this, helplessly defending himself, "Empress Dowager...Grandmother, Xiao Feng has been ill, and his appetite is indeed poor..." He truly couldn't fatten him up. Zhou Ziliang wanted Tang Feng to eat more than anyone else. Seeing Tang Feng gradually becoming skin and bones pained him deeply. Tang Feng quickly explained, "Ziliang is fine. It's just that I haven't been able to eat much. You know my injuries haven't healed." Hearing about Tang Feng's injuries, the Empress Dowager frowned and asked sternly, "Have you investigated? If you haven't found anything, I will have the Emperor send someone to the Protectorate to investigate. A prince's tutor has been assassinated..." "There are princes and marquises present; what kind of decorum would this create if word got out?" Tang Feng certainly couldn't really investigate this matter, but the Empress Dowager was clearly not someone to be fooled. If he said something wrong and shifted the blame to Li Yunyu, that would be troublesome. Tang Feng lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then looked at Zhou Ziliang, then at the Empress Dowager, and murmured with great grievance, "Little Feng knows who it is... but he dares not say. I don't know who can stand up for me." Zhou Ziliang below was stunned. He had no idea what Tang Feng was up to. This sudden turn of events left him completely speechless. He could only look at the Empress Dowager to see her reaction. The Empress Dowager slammed her dragon-headed cane on the ground, somewhat angrily, "Tell me, and I'll stand up for you. I want to see what kind of status and background could frighten a second-rank official like this." Tang Feng seemed to have considered it for a long time before finally hesitatingly saying, "It's... the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan..."
After Tang Feng spoke, the Empress Dowager did not immediately reply. As a second-rank official, Tang Feng couldn't possibly be unaware that the Fire Talisman of the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan was in her possession. His words implied either that the Empress Dowager intended to harm him, or that someone was using the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan. "Little Feng, the Fire Talisman—I have always kept it before the Empress Dowager's memorial tablet, are you aware of that?" Tang Feng nodded. "Little Feng understands." "Since you understand, then you should also know that without the Fire Talisman, the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan cannot obey anyone." The Empress Dowager's expression grew increasingly grave. Tang Feng clearly believed that someone was using the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan to do something irreversible. If that were the case… "Grandmother, I've investigated all of this thoroughly. Although I don't understand the details, some of my friends have seen the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan. When I was sixteen, I fell off my horse. Although my memory is a bit hazy because of the head injury, I remember clearly that a masked man in a black cloak tried to kill me after I fell. Although I don't know why he failed, they still come every now and then. Their masks have very strange patterns engraved on them." After listening, the Empress Dowager beckoned to Zizhu. "Go and fetch the Shanghan Record from my room." Zizhu responded and went inside to get the book. Although Tang Feng didn't understand the Empress Dowager's meaning, he could roughly sense that she intended to help him. After all, no matter what, the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan and the Fire Talisman were inextricably linked to the Empress Dowager. Putting aside Tang Zhaonan's past relationship with the Empress Dowager, she would never want to be falsely accused in this matter.
Zizhu quickly returned with an ancient book, handed it to the Empress Dowager, and then stood back down. The Empress Dowager casually flipped through it, then handed it to Tang Feng, asking, "Is this the pattern you mentioned?" Tang Feng took the book, examined it carefully, and nodded vigorously. "That's it." The Empress Dowager then sighed. "This is called Ancient Sheep Grass. The weather in Shanghan is unbearably hot, and few flowers and plants can survive there, but Ancient Sheep Grass is incredibly vigorous. It doesn't need watering and grows very well on its own. Because the patterns on its leaves resemble a sheep's head, it's named Ancient Sheep Grass. If it really is the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan..." "This matter must be thoroughly investigated. Come, Xiao Feng, follow me. Zi Liang, come with us too." Although Tang Feng didn't understand the Empress Dowager's meaning, he didn't ask. He stood up and, along with Zhou Zi Liang, took the Empress Dowager's arms on either side. "I... am getting old, and my legs are not as strong as they used to be. Perhaps I don't have many years left to live. However, I am still sharp-witted and clear-headed, and I can still distinguish between what is important and what is not. If anyone is really using the Fire Talisman to commit evil deeds under my very nose, then I will naturally stand up for you and for Yan Yun." Tang Feng and Zhou Zi Liang followed the Empress Dowager to the study, with Zi Zhu following behind them. After taking two steps, he lifted the ever-burning lamp on the bookshelf, and the bookshelf slowly began to rotate until a long, dark staircase appeared behind it. Tang Feng and Zhou Ziliang exchanged a glance, then Tang Feng looked down at the Empress Dowager. "Grandmother, what is this?" "This is the underground palace leading to the Imperial Mausoleum. The memorial tablet of the Empress Dowager is placed there. Didn't you say that the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan attempted to assassinate you? I was going to go to the underground palace to see if the Fire Talisman was still there. I can make decisions for you on other matters with just a word, but the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan represent too many things for me to judge." Tang Feng didn't press further, simply nodding. "Little Feng knows."
The underground palace wasn't long; after walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, you could see the lights in the distance. The Empress Dowager, leaning on her dragon-headed cane, tapped the ground repeatedly. "The old prince's tomb is here. Perhaps I will go down to find him soon." "Your Majesty will surely live to be a thousand years old, you need not be alarmed." Tang Feng knew that the royal family was most sensitive about age. If one were just a country bumpkin, one would live as long as one could, leaving it to fate. But the royal relatives enjoyed wealth and power every day, and naturally hoped to live a long and healthy life. "You still believe in this? The last young emperor of the Great Ruan Dynasty hanged himself on the city wall at only sixteen. The people around him chanted 'Long live the emperor!' day and night, but what was the result? He still didn't live past his birthplace. It's better to believe in this than to..." At the end of the underground palace, hundreds of eternal lamps stood on both sides of the stone path. Yan Yun had only been established for a few decades, and the imperial mausoleum only held two memorial tablets: one for the once-powerful Old King Li Xiuheng, and the other for Princess Linghua, the mother of the Old King and master of the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan. The Empress Dowager gestured for Tang Feng and Zhou Ziliang not to approach. She took three incense sticks from the shrine, lit them, and placed them in the incense burner before the tablets. Then she took out the sandalwood box under the Grand Empress Dowager's tablet, opened it, and breathed a sigh of relief, "The Fire Talisman is still here." She then turned to Zizhu, "Go and summon Lan Chi to me." After giving this instruction, the Empress Dowager explained to Tang Feng, "Although the Fire Talisman is here, it doesn't mean no one has touched it. The Sixteen Riders of Yanshan are not loyal to Yan Yun." "Just look at the fire talisman; Lan Chi is the leader of the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan. If anything happens, we can find out immediately," Zhou Ziliang said. He moved a chair for the Empress Dowager, helped her sit down, and then stood aside. The Empress Dowager pointed at Tang Feng and said, "He's still injured. Why didn't you move a chair for him? Ziliang, you're not a very considerate husband!" Zhou Ziliang quickly went to get another chair and placed it next to Tang Feng. "Grandmother, Ziliang always knows the rules. He was afraid that if you sat down, it would be a breach of etiquette if I sat down too." Hearing the Empress Dowager's reproach, Tang Feng quickly explained for Zhou Ziliang. Of course, he knew that Zhou Ziliang never made excuses for himself in these matters; he would only listen silently. "I don't have that many formalities. I'm not from a prestigious family; I just married a good husband and benefited from his good fortune." "Furthermore, back then, when they, father and son, rebelled, Xiling was searching for us everywhere. I followed the Empress Dowager, hiding here and there, searching for more than half a year before finally finding them. We suffered so much, but we didn't care about formalities. People shouldn't be too idle. When they're idle, they become too particular. If a war really breaks out, who will remember that they can't stand on equal footing with their subjects?" After saying this, the Empress Dowager smiled, her eyes crinkling. Tang Feng truly admired the Empress Dowager. She was broad-minded, kind, and well-read. More importantly, with the Empress Dowager, Tang Feng felt a long-lost sense of family affection. When Tang Zhaonan was alive, it wasn't that he didn't love Tang Feng; he never lacked anything in terms of food, clothing, or daily necessities. But Tang Zhaonan was ultimately his father, and he never expressed his love for Tang Feng in words. The last time Tang Feng felt such tolerance and gentleness from his elders was when his grandmother was alive in his previous life. So, if Tang Feng disregarded his status, he genuinely wanted to act coquettishly by the Empress Dowager's side. Although Madam Zhou had always treated Tang Feng like her own son, Tang Feng knew that Madam Zhou's feelings were more pity for the original owner of his body. The warmth Tang Feng had lacked for so many years was suddenly being filled at this moment. Noticing Tang Feng's unusual behavior, Zhou Ziliang bent down to support him. "What's wrong? Is your wound hurting again?" "No," Tang Feng shook his head. "I suddenly thought of the past, of my father." Mentioning Tang Zhaonan, Tang Feng's eyes lowered, darkening slightly. Then he looked up at the Empress Dowager and smiled. "Grandmother, thank you. If I had really died that day, Ziliang definitely wouldn't have been able to accept it, and my father in the afterlife would certainly not forgive me. My father... he wanted me to live well."
"Xiao Feng, your Empress Dowager is asking you, how did your father die? Do you know?" Hearing Tang Feng mention Tang Zhaonan, the Empress Dowager's heart tightened, and she pressed him for an answer. "My father hanged himself at home... Empress Dowager, why do you ask this?" The Empress Dowager's gaze softened slightly as she looked at Tang Feng. "It's nothing. I'm old and no longer concern myself with the affairs of the court. I watched your father grow up, and I don't even know how he passed away. Today, your sudden mention of him brings back some memories. It's not just Zhaonan; all the old ministers who accompanied the Emperor in his campaigns have also left him. Sometimes power isn't a good thing; the higher you stand..." Although they see far ahead, they often overlook things close at hand. Some people are blinded by power, and over time, their hearts become clouded. In the royal family, there will always be a choice between interests and sentiments, with interests taking precedence. If they could do it all over again, many people would probably want to avoid court affairs. The court is far beyond the comprehension of one person.” Tang Feng listened to this, not understanding why the Empress Dowager would suddenly say these things to him. He thought that the Empress Dowager had already discovered his involvement in helping the Ninth Prince seize the throne, and was subtly pointing fingers at him. Although he was afraid, he remained calm on the surface and nodded in agreement, “Grandmother is right, Xiao Feng will certainly remember it.”
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