Pei Su made no effort to hide on his way back to the Governor's Mansion.
Jiang Suining followed slightly behind and to Pei Su's right. She did not conceal her face, and the effect was...
Half an hour later, every high-class brothel and tavern in Lin'an County was abuzz, all talking about one thing: the girl of otherworldly beauty following behind the Heir of the Northern Marquis.
As the capital of a prefecture, the residents of Lin'an County were by no means unworldly. Yet, many still gaped like country bumpkins upon seeing the girl's face.
When had they ever seen such peerless beauty?
It was said that even the most beautiful courtesan of Lin'an County's Yanwu Pavilion, the lovely Yu, had snuck a peek only to feel so ashamed of her own looks that she wished she could cover her face and flee.
Some even proclaimed—
"That Bai Liuying, the youngest daughter of the Bai family, who the Martial World has been calling the greatest beauty on earth these past few years, probably can't be much better than this!"
******
While the outside world was in an uproar over Jiang Suining's ethereal beauty, Pei Su had already brought her back to Zhuyang Tower.
"Your Highness, who is this?"
Inside the tower, Banxia sized up the stunning girl the Heir had brought back.
"Banxia, find her a place to stay for now."
"This way, miss."
Pei Su didn't answer, and Banxia didn't dare ask more. She simply followed his orders, leading Jiang Suining to a small room in the inner part of the second floor.
Of course, she couldn't help but try to subtly probe for information along the way. After a brief conversation, Banxia was even more bewildered.
The girl's mind was almost too pure.
Where on earth did His Highness find such a girl, so pure in both appearance and thought...
******
Meanwhile, Pei Su entered a secluded room.
The black-robed Old Wu slowly materialized in the room as well. With a wave of his hands, a sound-proofing formation enveloped the space.
Pei Su sat down in a chair and raised his eyes.
"Speak. Tell me about twenty years ago. About the Dragon Sparrow, about Xiao Lin, and all the related secrets."
Old Wu was silent for a long moment before speaking.
"Young Master, do you know what triggered that series of events twenty years ago?"
Twenty years ago, whether it was the Battle of Tianque Pass or the theft of the Divine Blade, the root cause was the reigning Emperor's seclusion on Kongtong Mountain.
What was strange was that His Majesty had been in seclusion for twenty years now, with no sign of emerging. To this day, no one in the Imperial Court even knew the reason for his seclusion.
The Emperor's seclusion on Kongtong Mountain shook the realm and threw the court into disarray, leading to the next major event: the "Petition at Kongtong."
The Crown Prince led the court officials to the foot of Kongtong Mountain, kowtowing and pleading for three days and three nights, but the Emperor never responded.
Three days later, the General of the Right Capital Guard, Liu Wan, stormed the mountain with his sword, vowing not to retreat until he saw His Majesty. He was cut down on the mountainside by the National Guard General, Pei Jun.
Half of the officials dispersed, but the Crown Prince and a few loyal, old marquises remained, refusing to leave even unto death.
No one had expected that the Emperor would truly not emerge, allowing the Crown Prince and the others to literally kneel to death at the foot of Kongtong Mountain.
Afterward, the Imperial Court quickly installed the young Crown Prince Jing, who was only seven years old. The Empress began to rule from behind a curtain, and for twenty years now, her power has grown to a depth that would astonish the world.
"Correct," Old Wu nodded. "Then came the Petition at Kongtong, the new Crown Prince, the Empress's regency, and after that, King Chen's rebellion."
Pei Su's eyes narrowed.
King Chen of the Northland, named Mang, was the most powerful king of a different surname in the Great Jin Dynasty. His life story was the stuff of legend.
It was said that Chen Mang was once just an orphan from Daxing County in Yizhou, displaced by the chaos of war. He joined the army to survive, starting as a mere foot soldier.
He fought in hundreds of battles, big and small, rising through the ranks from squad leader to platoon leader, to company commander, and then to major. His strategies were extraordinary, and he wielded his troops like a god.
In the 303rd year of the Yongjin era, he made a military pledge before the Emperor himself to lead an expedition against the barbarians of the northern grasslands.
He personally led one hundred thousand iron cavalry to crush an enemy force of three hundred thousand, reclaiming lost territory. On the Yanran Steppe, he beheaded the Great Chanyu of North Mongolia and brought the head back himself, throwing it onto the floor of Jinluan Hall, shocking the entire court.
The Emperor was overjoyed. He bestowed upon him a golden seal and purple ribbon, granted him land and the title of king, and made him the ruler of the thirteen prefectures of the Northland. He was known as King Chen of the Northland, with a grand mansion and honors equivalent to the Three Ducal Ministers. He had achieved glory and fame, earning the reverence of the realm.
Moreover, King Chen came from a humble background and had few ties to the great aristocratic families, so he was greatly favored by the Emperor, who used him to reform the court and counterbalance the monopoly of power held by the established clans of the Great Jin Dynasty.
And King Chen had always remained loyal, maintaining an extremely close relationship with the Emperor. It was even rumored that in private, they dispensed with the formalities of ruler and subject, addressing each other as sworn brothers.
Of course, what Pei Su recalled was from the Pei family's archives, records that had been sealed away for decades.
But in the Great Jin Dynasty of today, the mere mention of King Chen of the Northland would make even a child in the capital curse his name, while the civil and military officials of the court would seethe with righteous indignation.
"That man has a wicked heart and harbors sinister intentions. He defies heaven's will and violates the natural order. He is a truly disloyal, unfilial, unkind, and unrighteous traitor."
The reason for their curses was, of course, that twenty years ago, upon hearing of the Emperor's seclusion, he was consumed by ambition. He mobilized his troops to invade the south, hypocritically claiming he was "marching to the capital to aid the king."
"That was also the year my father became the North Guard King Marquis and led three hundred thousand iron cavalry north to Tianque Pass, which led to the Battle of Tianque Pass." Follow the newest chapters on NovelPing.
"Correct," Old Wu's voice was hoarse. "The Marquis and King Chen are both the finest military talents in the world. For a time, the battle reached a stalemate. It was under these circumstances that the Left-Central Squadron of the Imperial Guard was sent to deliver the Divine Blade to the north."
Pei Su frowned.
"Everything you've said so far are historical events I'm already familiar with."
"Young Master!" Old Wu suddenly broke into a smile. "The entire court and all the people of the world believe that journey was to deliver the Divine Blade Dragon Sparrow to the north. But in truth, the Divine Blade Dragon Sparrow was merely a distraction... to cover up something much more important."
******
Twenty li east of Lin'an County, in a deserted, rarely visited village.
Zhao Lan supported the heavily injured and dying Xiao Lin into a dilapidated thatched hut.
"Xiao Bo, don't rush. Speak slowly. Come, sit down first."
Xiao Lin sat in a corner, his face deathly pale. His exposed skin was a terrifying bluish-black.
"Lan'er, I sacrificed my own life essence and blood to escape, but I've been deeply poisoned. I don't think I'll live past tomorrow..."
"Xiao Bo, you... don't say that!"
Zhao Lan's expression was sorrowful, his voice slow.
But Xiao Lin gripped Zhao Lan's shoulders tightly, his eyes wide.
"Lan'er, if I die, some things may never have an answer. The world may never know the truth!"
"Alright, alright! You can tell me..." Zhao Lan was startled by Xiao Lin's agitation. "Twenty years ago, you were the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Guard, and you were tasked with escorting the Dragon Sparrow to the north..."
As he spoke, Zhao Lan secretly glanced at the black cloth on Xiao Lin's back.
"And, Xiao Bo, did you really... steal the Imperial Court's Divine Blade?"
On their way here, Xiao Lin's poison wound had worsened to the point where even flying was a great strain, yet he had continued to recount his past without stopping.
For the past dozen years, Xiao Bo had never spoken of his past.
He said he was a descendant of the Xiao family from Ping'an County in Ganzhou. As a young man, he came to the capital and became a low-ranking soldier, performing trivial tasks. Later, through diligent training and repeated meritorious service, he entered the Yulin Guard, rising from a common soldier to Captain and then Commander.
Later, after distinguishing himself during the "Taihe Hall Night Raid" at the Imperial Palace, he was appointed Vice-Commander of the Imperial Guard.
"Lan'er, twenty years ago, the Imperial Guard Commander of the Gao Clan and I, along with over a hundred men from the Left-Central Guard, escorted the Dragon Sparrow all the way north..."
PS: ① [The Taihe Hall Night Raid]: In the 298th year of the Yongjin era, the heretical martial world sect "Kuyang" infiltrated the Great Jin's Imperial Capital and launched a late-night attack on Taihe Hall in the Imperial Palace. Fortunately, Captain Xiao Zhongyong led his men to intercept them, preventing the Kuyang from breaching the hall. To this day, the Kuyang's objective remains unknown, with only some rumors suggesting they were after the world's most venomous demonic artifact, the "Infant Poison Pearl." It is hailed as the most bizarre case in the Imperial Capital in the last century and is now sealed away in the forbidden archives of the Da Li Temple.