Chapter 501: The Li Palace Unties the Knot
That young woman was none other than Frost, the senior maidservant of the Xu Mansion.
A year and a half had passed. She appeared more composed and mature, her brows and eyes having grown calmer.
Frost stared at the youth behind the lantern... no, now he should be called a young man. For some reason, she grew increasingly nervous, her clasped hands becoming damp and warm.
She wanted to say something. She felt she ought to say something, before the young lady returned to the capital. Because she now realized, just as the master and mistress had said, that this marriage arrangement might truly be the best choice for the young lady. However... so many things had happened back then. If it had been her, she would certainly still hold a grudge to this day.
Just as she gritted her teeth and prepared to speak, Chen Changsheng arrived before her. He nodded, then continued walking toward the stone archway.
There was no resentment, no hatred, no arrogance, no gnashing of teeth.
It was very calm, as if he were merely a passerby who had nodded in greeting to someone he had met at some place and some time.
Frost was stunned.
In that brief moment, Chen Changsheng had already passed through the stone archway.
Frost turned, raised her hand, wanting to call out to him, but in the end, she did not.
Watching his retreating figure, her heart felt a trace of confusion.
She couldn't quite understand why it felt like not much time had passed, yet that youth and this world seemed to have already changed so much.
Leaving the Eastern Divine General's Mansion, he followed the main road until he reached a stone bridge.
It was the same stone bridge. On that sweltering summer night, the riverbank beneath the bridge was crowded with people seeking cool air. There were no fallen leaves on the water. He stood at the bridgehead, withdrew his gaze, and looked back at the soaring eaves of the Eastern Divine General's Mansion. He remained silent, wondering if he, like Frost, was also struck by a similar feeling—that although only a year and a half had passed since he first entered the capital to annul the engagement, it already felt like a lifetime ago.
Back then, when he left Xining for the capital, his main purpose was to participate in the Grand Examination, win first place, enter the Lingyan Pavilion, and seek the secret to defying fate. Annulling the engagement was a secondary matter, though certainly a necessary one. Now, although he had yet to find a way to defy fate, there was no doubt that his destiny had already undergone drastic changes. Yet why had this engagement still not been annulled?
He shook his head and walked toward the stone bridge, deciding to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
To untie the knot, one must find the one who tied it. The same applied to annulling the engagement. The Grand Preceptor had long since passed away. His teacher, along with Senior Brother, had vanished like clouds and cranes, leaving no trace. So he could only seek out the third party to the marriage contract.
He went to the Li Palace.
No announcement was needed. The priests guarding the palace respectfully invited him in and personally accompanied him along the long Sacred Path until they reached the deepest palace hall.
The Li Palace was very quiet at night, and the residence of the Pope was even more so. The sky, framed by the four black eaves, was dotted with stars. If one gazed at it long enough, it really did resemble a deep, dark well.
At some point, he had already taken off the string of stone beads from his wrist.
The quiet hall was filled with the sound of splashing water. He turned and walked inside, bowing to the Pope, who looked like an ordinary old man beside a basin of green leaves.
"Uncle Master, what is the reason for all this?"
In the past, Chen Changsheng rarely addressed the Pope as "Uncle Master." It wasn't due to any spiritual fastidiousness, but simply because he wasn't used to it. But after so many things had happened at the National Academy, and after hearing Xu Shiji's rather blunt words at the Eastern Divine General's Mansion, he understood that no matter how he addressed him, in the eyes of the world, his relationship with the Pope was already inseparable. So it was better to get used to it early. He was a man who valued time; since he had made the decision, he would act on it.
Just as this question had been lingering in his mind for quite some time, now that he could face the Pope directly, he naturally asked it outright.
The address of "Uncle Master" and the question itself made the Pope pause for a moment, then he smiled.
Chen Changsheng was asking about the struggle between the old and new factions of the State Church and the Li Palace's recent silence.
"You young people—even if your matters aren't trivial, if you make mistakes or do something less than perfect, there's always room for remedy or justification afterward."
The Pope placed the wooden ladle back into the water basin, took the linen cloth Chen Changsheng handed him, gently wiped his hands, and said, "But we old people can't do that. Young people can be impulsive, can be passionate, but we must remain calm, even cold. In everyone's eyes, we are scheming—or, to put it more nicely, far-sighted. So we naturally won't act impulsively. Everything we do must hide some conspiracy. Therefore, as soon as we make a move, things easily escalate, and there is no room left for retreat."
These two paragraphs were somewhat fragmented, but Chen Changsheng understood.
This storm was originally the opening move of the Tianhai family and the new faction of the State Church against the Pope, but it had been forcibly blocked at the gates of the National Academy. Naturally, the Li Palace would remain silent.
The Pope walked back to his chair, gestured for him to sit, and said, "Moreover, this is an opportunity."
This sentence was even simpler, even vaguer, but Chen Changsheng still understood.
If the offensive of the Tianhai family and the new faction of the State Church could be controlled within a certain scope, it would be a very precious opportunity for the National Academy and for him.
Just as his spiritual sense was being purified and tempered in the ocean of sword intent, his sword was also becoming more stable and powerful through these battles.
"Only like this can you mature as quickly as possible," the Pope said kindly, looking at him.
Chen Changsheng only partially understood this conclusion. When he discussed it with Tang Thirty-Six, this was the point they couldn't determine: why had the Pope chosen this method to make him grow, and why was it so urgent? In Tang Thirty-Six's words, it was almost like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.
Seeing his expression, the Pope was somewhat surprised and said, "I thought you weren't very interested in these matters and would need some time to figure it out, or that you would come to me earlier."
"There are many things I'm not interested in, but I still have to learn them. Since you can't avoid them... that's what Tang Tang said to me," Chen Changsheng said.
Tang Thirty-Six had told him that since he was going to become the Pope, he had to learn these seemingly dull things and build his own foundation, like the National Academy.
The reason Chen Changsheng could understand all of the Pope's earlier words was also because Tang Thirty-Six had already made similar analyses in advance.
Now it seemed that Tang Thirty-Six's deductions were all correct.
"You've made a very good friend," the Pope said with some emotion. "When I first met his grandfather, we were about your age. But later, due to some matters, our views diverged, and naturally, we couldn't maintain our friendship. He returned to Wenshui, and I entered the Li Palace. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed."
A few days ago, watching Mo Yu and Tang Thirty-Six talk at the National Academy, Chen Changsheng had realized what the so-called upper class was, but he never expected that the Pope and Old Master Tang had once been so close.
"Since you didn't come in the past few days, I thought you wouldn't come recently. Why did you suddenly come tonight?" the Pope asked.
The National Academy had already weathered the most difficult stage. If they hadn't sought help from the Li Palace then, there was even less reason to do so now.
"I went to the Eastern Divine General's Mansion," Chen Changsheng said. "I want to annul the engagement, but they've been stalling. So I wanted to ask Uncle Master to help directly dissolve this marriage."
The Pope noticed the serious expression on his face and asked with a hint of surprise, "Do you know what this marriage means?"
If it were before, Chen Changsheng would naturally believe the story his master had told—that Xu Yourong's grandfather had been ambushed and severely wounded by a demon general while offering sacrifices for the late emperor, and even the imperial physicians couldn't cure him. It happened that his master, Ji Daoist, passed by and worked a miraculous cure. Out of gratitude, the Grand Preceptor had arranged this marriage. But now, he naturally understood that there must be hidden circumstances behind this marriage contract.
Because his master was not only Ji Daoist but also Dean Shang, the strongest enemy of Her Holiness the Empress.
"Whatever this marriage means, it has nothing to do with me."
If an ordinary youth said such words to an elder, they would often carry a strong sense of childish absurdity, filled with a nauseating fervor, but in reality, they would just be selfish and reckless. However, when these words came from Chen Changsheng's mouth, they lacked these problems. They were very calm and very convincing. The difference was that the former often had no idea what responsibility was, while he, after careful consideration, had confirmed that this was not a responsibility he should bear.
Life and death were his own affairs. Marriage was his own affair. Having children was his own affair. How to raise children was also his own affair. Chen Changsheng hadn't systematically organized these thoughts; he simply acted this way naturally. Perhaps it was because he had always cultivated the principle of "following the heart's will," and the four points above were the minimum requirements of that principle.
The Pope looked at him and asked again, "In the future, you won't regret it?"
A profound meaning flickered in the depths of the old man's starry eyes.
Chen Changsheng didn't notice it. "No," he said.
The Pope gazed at him quietly and said, "Good."
Before taking his leave, Chen Changsheng asked, "Can we not fight?"
This naturally referred to the much-anticipated battle between him and Xu Yourong. According to information Tang Thirty-Six had gathered, the Qingyao Thirteen Departments had already begun preparing a challenge letter, with the scribe being a Grand Scholar from the court. Chen Changsheng had never wanted to fight Xu Yourong. After visiting the Eastern Divine General's Mansion today, he felt even more sympathy for the woman he had never met. And now that he had the Pope's approval to annul the engagement, he felt there was even less reason to fight this battle.
"Our sect cultivates the principle of 'following the heart's will.' As long as you are willing, of course you can avoid it. Even if the other party wants to fight, you can evade."
The Pope picked up the wooden ladle from the water basin and continued watering the pot of green leaves, speaking slowly. "But you must be able to confirm that your choice is indeed following the heart's will."
Chen Changsheng looked at the Pope's back. This time, he finally understood a little, knowing that these words carried deeper meaning.