Chapter 38: Who is Huang Que?

  The weather is very cold, and the 12 who just woke up are shivering to remind everyone to pay attention to keeping warm.

  King Yang Xiu of Shu walked out of the small building with a gloomy face. The eunuchs standing outside the building did not dare to slack off and immediately followed him, bowing their heads. Yang Xiu suddenly stopped in his tracks, waved his hand behind him, and said in a low voice: "Pass on my order, except for the regular shift change, all other guards in the palace are dismissed. And you all retreat too, I want to be quiet for a while."

  Those few eunuchs who followed him responded and went down. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, more than half of the soldiers patrolling inside and outside the palace had withdrawn. The night sky, which had been illuminated by countless torches, returned to its original darkness. Yang Xiu walked alone with his hands behind his back, looking up at the starry sky with a thoughtful expression. His face changed unpredictably, and his emotions were unpredictable. Unconsciously, he walked along a small path paved with goose egg stones in the flower garden to the bedroom of the King and Queen of Shu. Gazing at the two slightly old and worn-out vermilion doors, Yang Xiu let out a long sigh. His voice was surprisingly filled with melancholy. Without hesitation, this young king who held the greatest power in Shu pushed open the door and entered the palace.

  The queen's bedroom, naturally, had people on duty guarding it day and night. Those eunuchs and maids saw Yang Xiu suddenly arrive out of the blue, and naturally they hurriedly came forward to pay their respects. Yang Xiu waved his hand and said in a low voice, "No need. Is...the queen already asleep?"

  One of the maids was particularly quick-witted and replied first, "Although the princess has just gone to bed, she usually doesn't sleep soundly. Should we go wake her up for you, Your Highness?"

  "Since the queen has already fallen asleep, there's no need to call her." The Queen of Shu, Peng Shi, was also a renowned lady from a prominent family in Guanzhong. She was well-read and courteous, with a gentle and virtuous personality. However, when Yang Jian arranged this marriage for his son, Yang Xiu was only thirteen years old, so it's not like she had any say in whether she liked him or not. After the wedding, the couple got along politely on the surface, but in reality, they were distant from each other. And since Tang Zhong was appointed as a concubine, Yang Xiu would often go months without spending a night in the main wife's chambers, even after their eldest son Yang Xiao was born last year. But after tonight...

  Yang Xiu let out a soft sigh and said, "Where is the young master? Take me to see him." In fact, she didn't need anyone to show her the way, so she walked straight towards the side hall. The maid on night duty inside quickly lit the lamp and pulled open the curtains. Yang Xiu walked up to the small bed where the baby was sleeping and leaned down to look. On the yellow silk quilt lay a plump and fair-skinned little baby who was not yet one year old. Although he was still young, the contours of his eyebrows could be seen to be very similar to Yang Xiu's own, and it was indeed her eldest son Yang Xiao, born when she was nearly thirty years old.

  To celebrate the birthday of this little baby, Yang Xiu made a big fuss and invited all the big shots from southwest China to gather in Chengdu. The scene was grand, possibly unprecedented. But who could have imagined that from the birth of Yang Xiao to this moment tonight, Yang Xiu had never come to see his own son before.

  Yang Xiu's eyes overflowed with love and affection, and he couldn't help but stretch out his hand to gently touch the tender skin on the baby's face. Suddenly, he felt ashamed and guilty in his heart, and secretly vowed: "Son, you are the blood of my blood, the flesh of my flesh. What grand career or great undertaking can compare to your little finger? I was wrong, Yang Xiu. From now on, I will do my best to ensure that you live a safe and happy life." He then withdrew his hand, stood up, and instructed: "Take good care of the young master. If anything goes wrong, I will hold you all responsible." The eunuchs and maidservants were terrified, and they all bowed down to accept the order. Yang Xiu didn't look back again, and quickly walked out.

  The King of Shu walked out of the queen's bedroom and strolled to the south side of the palace. This area had many independent courtyards, which were used to entertain noble guests. Yang Xiu didn't hesitate and walked towards the most secluded small courtyard, standing outside the door and calling out in a low voice: "Ning Xianchang."

  As soon as the sound fell, the door opened automatically without wind and split to both sides. Under the lamp shadow, only two men and women were seen sitting on the ground with their knees crossed. The woman's figure was like a fairy, but she wore a veil that did not reveal her true appearance, and it was the successor of the Wulin Holy Land Ci Hang Jing Zhai, Fan Qinghui. And the man was wearing a brocade robe, elegant and extraordinary. It was actually the scattered real person Ning Daoqi, who had been locked in the Wu Hou legacy array by Yang Zhao with the true dragon's blood on the five-zhang original. Behind the two, on the bed, a young woman in white clothes was quietly sleeping.

  If Yang Zhao were here, he would naturally be able to easily identify this woman as Mingyue Dajia. Moreover, it can be inferred from this that just now when I was fighting with Tang Mengshu at the Chengdu Prefecture Government Office, either Ning Daoqi and Fan Qinghui were both present, or only one of them was by my side. But all my actions at that time must have fallen under someone else's eyes.

  Yang Xiu was not Yang Zhao. Although he had also long heard of the reputation of Mingyue Dajia, Xiao Yitian, who was said to be unparalleled in the world, and even sent a letter inviting her to come to Chengdu to perform at the Shizi's birthday banquet. But Yang Xiu himself had never met Mingyue Dajia before. So when he saw that there was suddenly an extra person in the room, he couldn't help but be taken aback. He asked strangely: "Ning Xianchang, Fan Xianzi, who is this girl?"

  "It's Qinghui's acquaintance sister." Fang Qinghui said calmly, "Your Highness doesn't need to mind her. Her acupoints have been sealed and she has fallen asleep. No matter what Your Highness says, it will absolutely not be leaked out."

  Yang Xiu nodded and sat down in front of the two, saying in a low voice: "What Ning Xianchang said is indeed true. Qing Mei... no, Tang Zhongqing actually secretly brought Yang Zhao back to the palace without telling me, the king. And what's more, Tang Yuxue even used his own life force connected to the heavenly silkworm energy to save him."

  Ning Dao's expression changed as he said, "Oh, the Heaven Silkworm Skill? I thought this strange skill had long been lost, but it seems there are still people who know how to use it. So, Yang Zhao won't die after all?"

  Yang Xiu said angrily: "Of course he won't die naturally. But... humph, what does that old scoundrel Tang Wu Yi want to do?"

  Ning Daoqi said calmly, "Between Tang Wuyi and the Prince, it's either the east wind prevails over the west or the west wind prevails over the east. Since the Prince has been trying his best to infiltrate and buy them off, Tang Wuyi, as the master of the Tang Sect, is not willing to be a pawn for others. It's only natural that he would try to counterattack. Preparing a few tricks up his sleeve is simply a matter of course. However, since the Prince has already foiled their plot tonight, I believe Tang Wuyi won't dare to take any rash action again, lest he provoke the Prince's wrath."

  "It may be so. But... my dear sister... *sigh*..." Yang Xiu was about to say something, but finally let out a long sigh and shook his head. He raised his hands in gratitude and said: "This time, I truly must thank you, Ning Xianchang. If it weren't for your timely arrival with the news, I'm afraid I would still be deceived by Tang Wuyi, and two days later, I would have to personally send my own son on the road to the underworld. Your great kindness is impossible to repay; please accept my bow." As he finished speaking, he indeed bowed his head in respect.

  Ning Daoqi secretly manipulated his true energy, and his entire body smoothly retreated half a foot, avoiding Yang Xiu's grand courtesy. He said: "Your Majesty, please rise. To be honest, this matter also has my own selfish motives, and it is merely a mutually beneficial exchange between Your Majesty and I. Your Majesty really doesn't need to be so polite."

  Yang Xiu's sword eyebrows rose, and he said in surprise: "Even an immortal can have personal motives?"

  Ning Daoqi sighed and said, "I, Ning, have not yet attained enlightenment and am still just an ordinary person. What's the point of being extraordinary if I have personal motives?" He paused for a moment before continuing, "Yang Zhao's son is both Yang Guang's eldest son and the disciple of Mohaye, the master of the Extreme Bliss Demon Sect. If he were to ascend to the throne one day, he would surely promote the demonic teachings of the Extreme Bliss Demon Sect, bringing chaos to the world and harming countless lives. As a poor Daoist who has been entrusted with an important mission by the Heavenly Master of Chaoyang, I should be doing my utmost to help the Crown Prince regain his position. Unfortunately, given the current situation, it seems that the Crown Prince's chances of regaining his position as heir apparent are already extremely slim."

  "For the time being, there is no other way but to remove the fire from under the cauldron and choose a wise ruler for the great Sui dynasty. In terms of reputation, prestige, talent, and military achievements, Your Highness is an outstanding choice, beyond reproach. Whether it's for the benefit of all living beings or for the interests of our Buddhist and Taoist sects, if I, Ning, don't help you, who else can?"

  Yang Xiu's mouth corners slightly curved upwards, revealing a self-satisfied smile. He sat back down and humbly said: "As for talent and prestige, actually Big Brother is ten times better than me. The Great Sui Empire will be ruled by him in the future, which would be most suitable, but... Alas, Father Emperor and Mother Empress mistakenly believed Yang Su's treacherous words and were deceived by Mohe Ye's evil schemes, abolishing Big Brother and establishing Yang Guang instead... Hmph, from young to old, he has always been a sickly person. In terms of literary talent and martial arts, what aspect can surpass me? If such a person sits on the dragon throne, even without Yang Su and that evil monk stirring up trouble, it would still be a foolish ruler."

  Ning Daoqi also laughed and said: "So, Your Highness should be even more willing to accept it graciously."

  Yang Xiu nodded, raised his hand and solemnly said: "I, the king, am willing to make a vow to the heavens, as long as Ning Xianchang assists me in achieving my great cause, after I ascend to the throne, I will establish Taoism as the state religion and appoint Xianchang as the Guardian of the Country."

  Ning Daoqi said calmly, "I am a carefree cloud and crane, with only one goal in mind - to attain spiritual liberation. I have no interest in external honors. As long as the king can treat all living beings with kindness, I will be content. However, for now, the most important thing is that big matter. Only by succeeding in that big matter can the king truly gain the qualifications and capital to compete for the throne. This matter has been planned by the Tang family for many years, so we still need to rely on their power. Therefore, until it is successful, the king must remember not to turn against them."

  Yang Xiu nodded and said, "This point is also clear in my mind. Considering our long-standing relationship, as long as they don't try to manipulate me again, I wouldn't want to take drastic measures against the Tang Sect either." He sighed deeply, stood up and said, "Until the day of our actual departure, I'll temporarily trouble you two. It's late at night, I won't disturb your rest anymore. Farewell."

  Ning Daoqi nodded and said, "Goodbye, Your Highness. Please forgive me and Fang Shizhi for not seeing you off." With a wave of his sleeve, the door automatically opened again. It wasn't until Yang Xiu left that he waved his sleeve once more and closed the door.

  From start to finish, Fan Qinghui, who had never exchanged a word with Yang Xiu, suddenly opened her cherry lips and asked: "Ning Shixiong, do you really want to help Yang Xiu ascend the throne?"

  Ning Daoqi smiled and said: "How is that possible? Only Li Shimin, the second son of Li Yuan, is the true ruler destined by heaven. This is something you and I have long known."

  "Then, Brother Master should also know that the thing they are plotting is related to the safety of the Divine State and cannot be moved."

  Ning Daoqi sneered, "Tangmen are ambitious and Yang Xiu is greedy, they don't care about the safety of the divine state, and they want to get involved in that matter. It's really infuriating. However, compared to these clowns, Yang Zhao is the one who can truly threaten the future true heir. As long as he lives, the Li family's reign will only be a fleeting illusion. Therefore, no matter what, this time we must use Yang Xiu's hands to get rid of him. As for that thing... with Ning here, Tangmen and Yang Xiu won't have a chance to get involved."

  Fang Qing's expression turned calm and serene, and after a moment of silence, he suddenly said: "It seems that Master Ning has some resentment in his tone. Is it because of the matter on Wuzhangyuan that day, when we mistakenly fell into Yang Zhao's trick?"

  Ning Daoqi was taken aback and said, "Why is Master Fan asking this? The events of that day were indeed an unprecedented experience in Ning's life. But it was just a clever trick born out of danger and luck. Ning has never put such unmentionable tactics to heart."

  Feng Qinghui was silent for a moment, then suddenly said slowly: "On this journey south to Shu, I have been thinking about a question all along. What is the true destiny of the Son of Heaven? And what exactly is the will of heaven? If it is predestined that there can only be one true Son of Heaven, why are there three people with the emperor's star? Ning brother, our decision to help the Li family establish a new dynasty, was this decision really correct?"

  Ning Dao furrowed his brow and said: "Why would Fang Shi think this way? What exactly happened on the road to the south?"

  "Feng Qing smiled wryly and said, "Nothing, it's just that at the time... Alas, I had already made up my mind to kill that little devil with my own hands, and I even saw him fall from a cliff of thousands of feet. But in such a desperate situation, he was still able to escape alive. It's really unbelievable. Moreover, just now I clearly saw that little devil invite heavenly thunder into his body, and he had already entered the Ghost Gate, unable to turn back. Yet, he actually appeared again with the lost Heavenly Silkworm Skill, which has been lost for hundreds of years... Is this what they mean by 'heaven's will'? Ning Shixiong, are we going against heaven's will if we want to deal with Yang Zhao?"

  Ning Daoqi laughed and said, "So that's how it is. However, my junior sister was overthinking things. Although there may be more than one person destined to shine with imperial starlight, the true Dragon Son of Heaven is absolutely unique. The Yang family has been acting against the natural order, revering the heretical Extreme Bliss cult. It can be seen that their fate is about to come to an end. By assisting the new dynasty's Son of Heaven, we are naturally performing a great meritorious deed that aligns with heaven and humanity."

  Fang Qinghui gazed back at Mingyue, who was still sleeping soundly on the couch. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly and said, "You're right, it was indeed just my own misunderstanding. I'm ashamed to have needed Ning Shixiong's explanation for such a simple truth, despite all these years of cultivation."