Chapter 851: In the Name of Convenience
The blind zitherist left the house, carrying his zither as he walked out the door.
An Lin had also recognized his identity. Her face slightly pale, she said nothing and performed a junior's salute.
The King of Linghai had not yet awakened from his earlier shock, only to be stunned once again.
The Eternal Life Sect was the ancestral court of the Southern Sect of the state religion. As archbishops of the state religion, he and An Lin naturally understood the Eternal Life Sect far better than Chen Changsheng did.
They knew that this blind zitherist had once been the Grand Elder of the Eternal Life Sect.
Back then, Su Li had charged into the Eternal Life Sect with a single sword. By the Cold Pool's edge, blood had flowed like a river, and countless had died.
The few elders who had survived were, at the time, merely unremarkable second-generation elders. The first-generation elders who truly represented the sect's strength had been nearly wiped out. According to later investigations, only two of the most powerful elders had escaped the calamity by going into seclusion, but they too had vanished without a trace.
Who could have imagined that this Grand Elder of the Eternal Life Sect had ended up in the Tang Clan?
……
……
"Minister Wei was the Minister of Justice under the previous dynasty. Now, he condescends to oversee the penal hall in my household," Old Master Tang said to Chen Changsheng. "Back when he served as minister, Zhou Tong had just risen to prominence through the Mu Zhe family case and, following Her Majesty's wishes, became his disciple. All of Zhou Tong's later methods were learned from him. But their philosophies differed. Minister Wei greatly disliked him. Even with the Holy Empress's backing, Zhou Tong was still thoroughly humiliated by Minister Wei. It wasn't until the late Emperor lost his sight and all court affairs fell into Her Majesty's hands that the situation reversed."
Chen Changsheng asked, "What happened?"
"Minister Wei could be considered the first true prisoner of Zhou Prison."
Old Master Tang did not elaborate further and continued, "I asked Su Li to go to the capital and rescue him. Since then, the minister has remained in Wenshui City."
Chen Changsheng was silent for a moment before asking, "And that one?"
Old Master Tang said, "When Su Li attacked the Eternal Life Sect back then, he spared two lives out of consideration for me."
Chen Changsheng roughly understood.
The two surviving elders were now also in Wenshui City.
One was the blind zitherist from before, and the other was the old offering attendant currently in the ancestral hall.
"These are the favors I owe Su Li. He asked me to agree to one thing, and today I repaid that favor to him."
Old Master Tang glanced at the old umbrella and said, "That thing you wanted—one hour."
Chen Changsheng thought of that senior he hadn't seen in a long time and felt a pang of nostalgia.
Old Master Tang concluded, "This favor arose from those three people, and when it was repaid, it was still those three. Every sip and bite—it seems there truly is a destined pattern."
These words were his explanation for today's events, but also a way to pass the time.
Old Master Tang and Chen Changsheng were waiting for someone.
The most important person.
The Second Master of the Tang Clan.
……
……
The Second Master of the Tang Clan brushed the snow off his shoulder and said to Old Master Tang with a smile, "How much did the old man win at the card table today?"
His demeanor was natural, his voice calm, just like every time he returned to the old residence. He was still the sensible second son who knew how to please the old man.
But today, the old residence held not only Old Master Tang but also Chen Changsheng and others.
"I do have an agreement with the Eternal Life Sect. I wanted to kill Chen Changsheng."
The Second Master of the Tang Clan said calmly, "Plotting to assassinate the Pope—it sounds like a grave crime. But I don't think it's wrong."
Yes, once this was known, it would certainly be a crime. But from the Tang Clan's standpoint, it wasn't a mistake.
In the old residence amid the wind and snow, today's discussion wasn't about crime but about right and wrong.
And this right and wrong wasn't the world's judgment but Old Master Tang's.
Never mind that he had colluded with the Eternal Life Sect; in truth, many forces, including the Qiu Shan family, wanted Chen Changsheng dead. So what?
Outside the house, the King of Linghai and An Lin's expressions grew grave.
Because it was clear that Old Master Tang agreed with his view. Intending to kill Chen Changsheng wasn't a big deal, even if cleaning it up now was troublesome.
But what about poisoning the First Master of the Tang Clan?
Old Master Tang wouldn't care about that either.
Just as he had told Chen Changsheng an hour ago, to an old man of his generation, deeply influenced by Emperor Taizong, as long as the Second Master could keep the Tang Clan's legacy from failing—or even elevate it further—what did it matter if he poisoned his own elder brother or even committed patricide?
Chen Changsheng asked, "Then how do you explain the Demon Lord's substitute appearing at Song Mountain Military Prefecture? What is your relationship with Snow City?"
The room fell very quiet. The sound of wind and snow outside seemed to grow louder, somewhat unsettling.
Old Master Tang said, "With all this commotion in one hour, has Tang-er found anything?"
The one who answered was the steward of the old residence.
His expression was uneasy, as if he hadn't expected the reply from the ancestral hall to be like this.
"The eldest young master first said that proving the second master's connection with the... demon race was very simple. It only required one sentence."
"Oh? I'm curious. What sentence could prove in a single line that my son colluded with the demons?"
Old Master Tang said expressionlessly.
The steward looked up at the old master, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "The eldest young master said there was no need for evidence. Free judgment would suffice. If you, old master, were willing to believe the second master was innocent, then he would be innocent. If you were unwilling to believe the second master, then naturally you would know he was not innocent."
The room grew even quieter. For a long time, no one spoke.
No one understood their grandfather better than Tang Thirty-Six.
What need was there for evidence? What need was there for him or Chen Changsheng to do anything? Everything was already under Old Master Tang's control.
In the end, only he could make the decision. So what was the point of doing certain things?
The Second Master of the Tang Clan smiled without speaking, because he too understood his father very well.
"Then what was the point of him stirring up all this trouble?" Old Master Tang asked.
The steward's voice trembled slightly as he replied, "The eldest young master said he just found those few elders displeasing to the eye. Also, there were some dirty things in the family that needed cleaning up, so he took care of them while he was at it. And... he wanted to burn down the second master's favorite Tonglu Pavilion, to make his heart ache."
Hearing this, thinking of that courtyard now reduced to scorched earth, never to be restored, the Second Master's lips twitched slightly, and he could no longer maintain his smile.
"Should I believe you?" Old Master Tang asked, looking at his son.
The Second Master of the Tang Clan replied calmly, "Of course."
Old Master Tang looked into his eyes and asked, "Then what about the matter at Song Mountain Military Prefecture?"
The Second Master of the Tang Clan smiled and said, "I never made any agreement with Snow City. I never met anyone either. It was just that the Black Robe found me through the Eternal Life Sect. I knew what they wanted to do, so I conveniently gave them a hand. Of course, at the time, I only thought they wanted to kill Chen Changsheng. I didn't know their real target was the Demon Lord."
Everyone present could tell he wasn't lying. He wasn't hiding anything.
If everything was as he said, could the charge of colluding with the demons still stand?
He didn't know what others would think, but to the people in this room, it still stood, because...
Zhe Xiu said, "Convenience won't do."
If you gave the demons convenience, then it made things very inconvenient for us.
The room fell silent once more.