As the four of them stood by the vast and misty Mountain and Water Pool, gazing at the solemn Lin Yuan Pavilion in the distance, the people in the pavilion were also watching them amidst the picturesque scenery.
A pair of clear eyes seed to be tinted with the mist, and the gaze beca sowhat ethereal.
"He Xin, what are you looking at?"
A lodious female voice sounded behind him, but Yu Wenqian remained still, quietly watching the distance, until Yu Mingyue, who had just been appointed as an official at Jixian Hall, slowly walked up, stopping half a step behind him, and saw those vague figures by the Heavenly Water Pool.
A cold light imdiately flashed in her sharp, bright eyes.
She said, "If I’m not mistaken, that should be King Qin, Princess Qin, the newly appointed Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Pei Xingyuan, and—"
As she spoke, the cold light in her eyes grew more intense.
At this mont, the person in front of her slowly turned around. His jade green robe with a hidden white crane pattern flattered his tall and handso figure. Standing by the window on the third floor, the wind occasionally blew in, filling his wide sleeves and causing his clothing to flutter, yet his stance remained as straight as bamboo, exuding an otherworldly aura.
However, those clear eyes seed to have absorbed the mist from the Mountain and Water Pool, revealing a hint of confusion.
This person was none other than Han King Yu Wenqian.
Listening to Yu Mingyue’s words, he felt that she left unsaid more than what she voiced. So he smiled and asked, "What are you thinking?"
Yu Mingyue looked at him and asked, "What are you hesitating about?"
"..."
Upon hearing Yu Mingyue’s words, a trace of vagueness flickered in Yu Wenqian’s clear eyes.
He said, "I am not hesitating."
Yu Mingyue replied, "If you’re not hesitating, then why haven’t you submitted Shen Wuzheng’s recomndation?"
"..."
"Fortunately, Father also submitted a proposal, allowing Your Majesty to make a decision."
"..."
"Otherwise, if soone like him were to beco Director of the Ministry of Revenue, Yu Wenye would beco even stronger. If he accumulates military achievents, it will be even harder for us to contend with him."
Yu Wenqian was silent for a mont and said, "I have no intentions of opposing my second brother."
Yu Mingyue’s excessively beautiful and keen eyes imdiately flashed with an even sharper light. She looked intently at Yu Wenqian and said in a deep voice, "Your second brother not only intends to oppose you, but he has already taken action against you."
"..."
"Otherwise, when people see you today, they should be paying homage to the Crown Prince, not the Han King."
"..."
"He Xin, why won’t you believe ?"
Yu Wenqian’s gaze flickered slightly before he said, "If I truly didn’t believe you, I wouldn’t have set aside my cultivation to return to my father’s side, nor would I have coordinated with your esteed father to peacefully take Changa An City."
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingyue’s tone beca more urgent: "Then what are you doing now?"
Yu Wenqian was silent for a mont and said, "I just don’t want anything unexpected to happen in the Battle of Taiyuan."
"..."
"If there really is a battle in Taiyuan."
"..."
"If there’s an unexpected event, it will affect the Dragon Raising Land of the Emperor and put Yan Jie in peril."
Yu Mingyue imdiately said, "I’ve told you long ago, there will be a great battle in Taiyuan, but ultimately you will win. Also, your third brother, Yu Wencheng, will not be in danger at this ti."
"..."
"The danger to the two of you only cos from the brother who truly intends to oppose you!"
Although her voice wasn’t loud, in the spacious third floor of Lin Yuan Pavilion that resembled a palace, her words echoed, and instantly, countless voices, big or small, high or low, repeatedly echoed her last sentence, almost enveloping the two, making one feel sowhat suffocated.
Yu Wenqian really held his breath.
But his face showed no signs of fear or unease, only deeper solemnity. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse: "But, haven’t you also been wrong before?"
"...!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Mingyue’s face also changed.
Yu Wenqian took a deep breath and calmly said, "You once said that as soon as Father ascended to the throne, he would appoint as Crown Prince. But now, I am only a Han King."
"..."
Yu Mingyue’s face was sowhat unsightly, and after a while, she softly said, "So, you still don’t believe ?"
Yu Wenqian gently shook his head: "It’s not that I don’t believe you."
"..."
"I am just thinking—perhaps the world you know is beginning to change."
"...!?"
Yu Mingyue suddenly widened her eyes, looking at him in astonishnt: "You, what do you an?"
"..."
Yu Wenqian did not imdiately answer her; instead, he silently lowered his eyelids, the long lashes like a bird’s wings resting over his clear eyes, concealing the complex thoughts in his mind at that mont. After a while, he lifted his head to look at Yu Mingyue, smiled faintly, and said: "I, I haven’t figured out what I’m thinking either."
"..."
"It’s just that there are indeed so things that are beyond your control now; that’s a fact."
"..."
"And I can’t risk the safety of my third brother."
Although Yu Mingyue was sowhat confused by his words, she quickly understood his implication: "You, are you going to participate in the battle of Taiyuan?"
Yu Wenqian said: "I’ve always said that the safety of my brothers is my bottom line."
Yu Mingyue frowned deeply.
However, that wasn’t an expression of disgust; on the contrary, during these days of interaction, this man’s originally calm and unconcerned deanor occasionally exuded an even more imposing aura than a god of death, a complex character that sotis constrained her, but also fascinated her imnsely.
She looked at Yu Wenqian, thought for a while, and said: "If that’s the case, then you should listen to even more regarding this matter."
After speaking, Yu Mingyue slowly turned her head, looking through the window as tall as a gate, at the misty Mountain and Water Pool opposite, and the elegant figure walking in the Thousand-step Corridor.
"..."
Yu Wenqian did not speak imdiately.
Because he used to stay up late to read Buddhist Scriptures during practice, his eyesight was not as good as his second brother’s. Although his movent technique was decent, his sight was not; yet, even so, he could clearly see that beside the figure in the Thousand-step Corridor, that made Yu Mingyue’s eyes blaze, was a slender, delicate shadow.
After a long while, he said: "Why?"
Yu Mingyue said: "I just ntioned that the danger to you two brothers only cos from the brother who will really face you, and the one who strategizes for him and does the most in these matters is Shen Wuzheng!"
"..."
"Otherwise, who do you think it was that nearly had us cornered during this plague control, even exposed from behind the scenes?"
"..."
"Moreover, his thods are far from limited to this!"
At this point, it seed she was worried that Yu Wenqian might still hold benevolent thoughts, or might hesitate, so she turned to look at the clear eyes where indeed a hint of almost gentle emotion erged, and then looked around them. The spacious pavilion, due to past capital relocations, had long since had all paintings and calligraphy moved out, with only a few ordinary items left on the first and second floors, and the third floor was already empty.
She said: "This place will beco where the portraits of your second brother’s ritorious officials are hung in the future, called Lingyan Pavilion!"
"..."
"And the first among these Lingyan Pavilion officials is Shen Wuzheng!"
"...!"
Yu Wenqian’s brow furrowed slightly.
He paused for a while and said: "But here, it’s called Lin Yuan—"
Before he could finish, for one, out of caution, and for another, as if realizing sothing, right when Yu Mingyue noticed his hesitation and knew he paused because sothing occurred to him, just as she was about to speak, voices ca from below the pavilion.
The two of them stayed silent for a mont, calming themselves and their breaths, as they looked down out the window.
Only to see a few little eunuchs carrying a large plaque over to the entrance of the Lin Yuan Pavilion. However, the palace maids and eunuchs following the two guarded the door and wouldn’t let them in. The little eunuchs repeatedly smiled apologetically and bowed, seemingly busy trying to accomplish sothing, but those guarding the door refused to relent.
Yu Mingyue’s eyes revealed a cold smile.
She turned to Yu Wenqian, who seed to be lost in thought, and said: "Go down and take a look."
"..."
Yu Wenqian gave her a glance, said nothing, and turned to go downstairs, with Yu Mingyue following behind him. The two of them, one in front and one behind, soon reached the first floor.
As soon as they descended the stairs, they heard the palace maids at the door say: "His Highness Prince Han is upstairs enjoying the scenery with Lord Yu, knocking and clattering down here like this, what is it? If you spoil their mood, there will surely be consequences for you!"
The little eunuchs bringing the plaque bore bitter expressions, the leader among them smiled apologetically, "Ladies, we wouldn’t dare disturb His Highness Prince Han’s enjoynt, but it is under edict from Your Majesty that this plaque must be replaced today—offending His Majesty’s taboo is not sothing we dare delay."
As he spoke, Yu Wenqian walked over.
As soon as the palace maids saw them, they hurriedly turned to bow, and the little eunuchs quickly knelt to pay homage.
Yu Wenqian walked to the entrance, calmly raised his hand to indicate for them to rise, then asked: "Father ordered you to co here to change the plaque?"
The little eunuch hurriedly replied: "Yes."
"Change to what?"
"It’s this."
The little eunuch gestured, and the others imdiately lifted the plaque.
Yu Wenqian looked up to see the large plaque bearing several vigorous characters, written by his father, Yu Wenquan himself—
Lingyan Pavilion!
User Comments
0 comments from readers