Chapter 96: Day and Night, Together
"Although I only just learned that the Princess of Ping is Her Majesty's adopted daughter, I think many people, especially those in the capital, have known this for a long time. As for the rest, neither Prince Xiang's faction nor Prince Zhongshan's side has any blood relation to Her Majesty. She has no descendants of her own, and many of the legends about her defying fate to alter her destiny stem from this fact."
Chen Changsheng gazed at the magnificent landscape and continued calmly, "But people have forgotten one very important thing. If that legend is true, then as long as the Crown Prince Zhaoming is still alive, Her Majesty's defiance of fate has not succeeded—or at least, it has not yet ended."
Xu Yourong thought of the unusual movements in the capital over the past decade and the files the eunuch chief in the imperial palace had been secretly investigating. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "That doesn't hold."
Chen Changsheng understood her meaning. The Saintess Empress had ruled for over two hundred years. If her defiance of fate had not succeeded, how could she have ascended the throne?
"If defying fate is not an instantaneous event but a long process, like a river, then it could hold. The Saintess Empress might have a hidden weakness that no one knows about. The existence of Crown Prince Zhaoming would be the greatest danger to her."
He looked at her and said, "If I were Crown Prince Zhaoming, then my existence would be the most dangerous thing for Her Majesty. Of course she would want to kill me."
Xu Yourong was highly skilled in deduction and naturally wouldn't overlook any doubts. She asked, "If you truly are Crown Prince Zhaoming, why did Dean Shang send you to the capital? Wasn't he afraid the Saintess Empress would discover your identity? He and the Pope don't even seem to have tried to hide your identity, as if they deliberately wanted Her Majesty to know of your existence."
No question could withstand scrutiny. Even without problems, many questions would arise. Chen Changsheng said uncertainly, "Because I am much younger than Crown Prince Zhaoming, so..."
This was a strong reason, but it also sounded like an excuse, because only three people in the old temple of Xining knew his true age. He knew it was hard to convince anyone. After a moment of silence, he said, "If I'm still alive when I reach the capital, I'll go directly to ask Uncle."
Xu Yourong looked at his face and saw no anxiety or fear there. She thought of how calm he had been throughout their discussion and realized that facing death with such composure was remarkable. The person she liked was truly extraordinary. Her heart moved with her thoughts, and she leaned against his shoulder, whispering, "You will live."
A faint fragrance drifted with her dark hair. Chen Changsheng looked at her, thinking that if he could stay like this forever, it would be a very happy thing. But things rarely went as one wished. Once the Old Man of Heaven's Secrets sent word back to the capital, the Saintess Empress would surely send people to kill him and wouldn't let him return alive.
Xu Yourong didn't lift her head to see his expression but could clearly sense his worry. She said, "Unless Her Majesty acts personally, who can kill you?"
The carriages of Mao Qiuyu and Linghai Zhiwang were behind them. Mao Qiuyu certainly wouldn't let Chen Changsheng die, and although Linghai Zhiwang very much wanted him dead, he couldn't stand by and do nothing in full view of everyone. With these two pinnacle Star Condensation experts of the national religion by his side, even the most formidable assassins would find it hard to get close. But Chen Changsheng knew well that if the Saintess Empress was determined to kill him, she wouldn't send mere assassins—she would dispatch armies led personally by divine generals. No matter how strong Mao Qiuyu was, how could he protect him?
Just as he was thinking about these things, he suddenly spotted a red flower in the green wilderness. That red flower swayed gently among the green branches, sometimes moving, sometimes still, seemingly staying in place, yet never leaving his line of sight. It turned out to be moving forward alongside the rapidly speeding carriage.
It was long past dawn now, and there was no dew on the grass or plants in the wilderness, but that red flower was covered in morning dew, shining with a beautiful luster under the sunlight, its redness striking.
Somewhat surprised, he looked at Xu Yourong and asked uncertainly, "Bieyang Hong?"
Xu Yourong nodded, then looked toward the distant wasteland and said, "Guanxing Ke should be following a hundred li away."
Chen Changsheng was startled.
A few days ago, when the Demon Lord entered the Cold Mountain, the Old Man of Heaven's Secrets had sent word across the world. Guanxing Ke, who was closest, and Bieyang Hong, who was fastest, had arrived first.
Chen Changsheng hadn't expected that after the Demon Lord retreated to the Snow Plains, these two great figures hadn't left the Cold Mountain. And it seemed they would escort him all the way back to the capital.
Bieyang Hong and Guanxing Ke weren't ordinary experts. They were supreme powerhouses in the sacred domain, ranked among the Eight Winds and Rains. Even if Chen Changsheng were the future Pope, he wouldn't have the right to have them as escorts. Their appearance and accompaniment were more importantly a display of deterrence from the old faction of the national religion and the pro-royalist forces—a declaration.
"Her Majesty has always had many enemies," Xu Yourong said, looking at the little red flower in the wilderness.
Chen Changsheng thought to himself that now it seemed he was the enemy Her Majesty most wanted to eliminate.
...
...
With two of the Eight Winds and Rains accompanying him, no matter what military force the Great Zhou court deployed, it couldn't threaten Chen Changsheng's life. As Xu Yourong had said, unless the Saintess Empress acted personally, Chen Changsheng could return to the capital safely—provided, of course, that his illness didn't worsen sharply.
The situation was now extremely complex, filled with many unsolved mysteries and dangers. Every so often, Xu Yourong would perform the Holy Light Technique on Chen Changsheng to ensure the blood scent inside him wouldn't leak out. This drained her spiritual sense greatly, and her face grew increasingly pale.
Even so, she didn't rest. She watched the passing scenery with apparent calm but underlying vigilance.
She arranged for Chen Changsheng to stay in her carriage and wouldn't allow him to leave for even a step. Everything—eating, treating wounds, resting, even washing—was done inside the carriage.
At the same time, she forbade anyone from stepping onto the carriage. Everything concerning Chen Changsheng was handled by her personally: what to eat and drink, when to eat and drink, when to sleep, when to wake up, whom to see. Even Tang Thirty-Six and Zhezhe could only come to the carriage during rest periods and talk with Chen Changsheng from a few zhang away.
One evening, Tang Thirty-Six came to the carriage. As in previous days, he waited eagerly for a long time before the gauze curtain was finally lifted. He hadn't spoken with Chen Changsheng for long when Xu Yourong came over with a bowl of lotus seed porridge and signaled the Nanxi Zhai disciples to lower the curtain again.
Through the gauze, Tang Thirty-Six could vaguely see Xu Yourong feeding Chen Changsheng the porridge. He was furious and shouted inside, "Are you raising a child? You're not his mother!"
Upon hearing this, the Nanxi Zhai disciples' expressions changed sharply, and the sound of swords ringing filled the air.
Tang Thirty-Six naturally didn't have the guts to challenge the Nanxi Zhai sword formation. He turned around sullenly and went back to the National Academy's carriage.
In the first few days, Zhezhe had gone with him every day to see Chen Changsheng. Later, once he was sure Chen Changsheng was fine, he had no patience to deal with the Nanxi Zhai women and didn't want to see the scenes on the carriage, so he stopped going. Now, seeing Tang Thirty-Six's indignant expression, he asked what had happened but said nothing.
"Don't you think it's strange?" Tang Thirty-Six said.
Zhezhe remained silent. Of course, he knew something was wrong, but Chen Changsheng seemed to trust Xu Yourong more, so he could only watch from the sidelines.
Many people found it strange and problematic. From the moment they left the Cold Mountain, many eyes hadn't left that carriage.
People's emotions were unusual. What was going on?
It had been many days. The Saintess and Chen Changsheng were together day and night on the carriage. What were they doing?
By now, many had vaguely guessed—or perhaps long ago knew—that they were already together. But people still couldn't accept that they were together all the time.
This had nothing to do with factions or positions.
People simply couldn't accept that the pure and immaculate Saintess would keep a stinking man by her side day after day. It was truly unsightly.
The Nanxi Zhai disciples often saw her bringing him tea and water, and one female disciple even witnessed her wiping his body clean.
Even if they were already together, even if he was injured, why did the Saintess have to serve him personally?
Because of these things, the atmosphere in the convoy had been strange, and the Nanxi Zhai disciples' moods were especially oppressive.
Because Xu Yourong was their master, their most beloved, goddess-like Saintess.
That night, Nanxi Zhai disciple Ye Xiaolian took a letter handwritten by Chen Changsheng to the National Academy's carriage.