On the first day of the eleventh month, the sun shone brightly over Yu Jian Prefecture, but the wind was fierce.
In the warm pavilion of Yi Cui Garden within Prince Qing De’s mansion, Cheng Yingying, seven months pregnant, smiled as she fastened the cloak for the young Prince Qing De. She said softly, “My Lord, please return early today. I’ll prepare some delicious dishes, and tonight you can stay here in Yi Cui Garden—” As she spoke, she slowly leaned into the young prince’s embrace.
She smiled coquettishly, her fragrance wafting around them. The young Prince Qing De held her in his arms, a flash of reluctance crossing his handsome face. After a long struggle, he forced a smile and said, “You’re going to Wan Fu Temple to offer incense today. Wear more clothes and take more people with you. You’re pregnant after all, and although your martial arts are good, you need to be careful. Consort Tan is gone now, and she can’t bear children anymore. I don’t want—”
“Yes, I understand, my Lord. I will pray to the Bodhisattva for blessings and bear you a son,” Cheng Yingying replied.
The young prince’s smile stiffened, but Cheng Yingying didn’t notice. She adjusted his cloak once more and, accompanied by her maids, saw him out of the courtyard.
After walking several dozen steps, the young prince stopped and looked back. He could only see her faint green silhouette disappearing behind the courtyard gate. He felt a sense of loss. Zhou Lian, the Chief Historian of the prince’s mansion, approached and whispered, “My Lord, the arrow is on the bowstring and must be released. The Emperor’s men have already arrived. Moreover, this woman is of a different race and harbors evil intentions. The princess consort was almost harmed by her. We can’t keep her.”
The young Prince Qing De stood still for a long time, then sighed deeply. “Let’s go. Yue Jinglong is waiting. I hope they make it quick, so she suffers less.”
Wan Fu Temple was a famous monastery in Yu Jian Prefecture, grand and magnificent. That day, guards cleared the area around the temple, and no one was allowed near the temple grounds. Curious onlookers learned that Prince Qing De’s concubine, who was with child, had come to offer incense and pray to the Bodhisattva for blessings to bear the prince an heir.
The soft sedan chair was carried directly into the temple and gently set down in front of the main hall. After everyone had retreated, Cheng Yingying alighted from the chair. She walked to the prayer mat, knelt, and clasped her hands together. Looking up at the face of the Bodhisattva, she seemed to see through the golden figure to a proud, phoenix-like white silhouette. Her eyes grew moist as she bowed her head and prayed silently, “May the Bodhisattva bless my Yue Luo people to be free from enslavement under his leadership. I, Cheng Yingying, am willing to sacrifice myself, only asking the Bodhisattva to keep him safe and sound.”
After praying for a while, she bowed deeply and secretly slipped the object she had been holding tightly in her right hand under the prayer mat.
The winter sun broke through the clouds, shining into the main hall, making the golden Bodhisattva’s smile seem even more radiant. Cheng Yingying silently stood up, glanced at the prayer mat once more, and walked out of the hall with a smile. As soon as her right foot stepped out of the main hall, her expression changed dramatically. Her body twisted rapidly, avoiding a sword that had been thrust silently from the right side of the hall entrance.
Knowing the situation was dire, she tried to use her right foot to kick off the hall door while still in the air, intending to flip back into the hall. However, a cold light flashed from inside. With no choice, Cheng Yingying landed and performed several backflips down the stone steps in front of the hall. At the same time, she drew a dagger from her sleeve, deflecting the combined attacks of three or four people with a series of clangs.
But more and more skilled fighters joined the attack. Surrounded by a storm of blades and swords, her movements became increasingly slow due to her pregnancy and depleted qi. Soon, a man in brocade robes struck with sword light as fast as lightning. As she was desperately fending off the attacks of several others, she couldn’t dodge. With a scream of agony, she was stabbed in the right ribs and collapsed to the ground.
The man in brocade robes grinned viciously, and the attackers all withdrew their weapons. Cheng Yingying recognized the man as Duan Ren, the top fighter under the young Prince Qing De, and her heart sank into a bottomless abyss.
Duan Ren smiled slightly and took the object retrieved by his subordinate from under the prayer mat in the hall. He opened it, looked at it, and said with a smile, “It’s indeed the defense map. You’ve outdone yourself, Great Holy Maiden!”
Blood continued to pour from the wound in Cheng Yingying’s ribs as she struggled to stand up, instinctively glancing behind the hall.
Duan Ren stood with his hands behind his back, looking at her as if she were a beast fallen into a trap. His voice was as cold as ice: “Great Holy Maiden, there’s no need to look. Before you arrived, I had already captured the person coming to retrieve the ‘defense map’. At this moment, the Black-Robed Guards are using him to arrest your Yue Luo Sect members in Yu Jian Prefecture one by one.”
Cheng Yingying’s face instantly drained of color. The pain from her rib wound was unbearable. Her mind raced as she gasped, “How dare you! The child in my womb is the prince’s flesh and blood. I demand to see the prince!”
Duan Ren chuckled and shook his head. “The prince is currently hunting in the Western Mountains and has no time to see Consort Cheng. However, before this humble servant came, the prince said that if all the Yue Luo people in the city were found, I should give the consort a quick death, not letting her suffer too much.”
Knowing all hope was lost, Cheng Yingying suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, forcing Duan Ren to step back. She swiftly retreated, using the silk ribbon in her sleeve to wrap around a large tree in the temple, leveraging it to fly towards the temple exit.
Duan Ren roared angrily, “Kill her!”
With his shout, dozens of people suddenly appeared from behind the temple walls, each holding a bow or crossbow. Arrows filled the sky, and with a series of thuds and sprays of blood, Cheng Yingying cried out in agony and fell to the ground.
Duan Ren walked slowly towards her, watching as the face that had been beautiful and delicate moments ago was gradually overtaken by the color of death. He sneered.
Cheng Yingying’s dying face showed a sorrowful expression. Her eyes were wide open, and a string of extremely weak sounds came from her throat. Duan Ren couldn’t help but listen closely, barely making out one sentence: “Phoenix, oh phoenix, when will you return to the West—”
Under the winter sun, she finally exhaled her last breath, twitched slightly, and then lay still.
The wind blew harder, lifting her skirt. She lay in a pool of blood, like a withered lotus, unable to withstand the strong wind, broken beyond repair.
At this time, the young Prince Qing De had already arrived at Lake Er, a hundred li away.
The wind on the lake was even stronger than in the city, howling as it blew. Despite his martial arts skills, he couldn’t help but pull his cloak tighter. The cloak still carried her faint fragrance, and his expression darkened. Then, remembering that none of her tender affection had been genuine, he snorted in hatred.
Chief Historian Zhou Lian seemed to know his thoughts and walked alongside him, speaking in a low voice, “My Lord, the Xing Yue Sect has been lurking in our dynasty for many years. The Emperor has long wanted to root them out completely. This time, they have joined forces with Pei Yan, further incurring the Emperor’s wrath. Since Your Highness has already made the decision, there’s no need for further hesitation. Only the child born to Consort Tan is the rightful young prince.”
“Indeed,” the young Prince Qing De sighed. “She arranged for someone to assassinate me, pretended to save me, and even framed the Emperor. I almost fell for her trap. Fortunately, the Emperor is wise, and our people secretly saw the true face of that ‘Little Holy Maiden’ in Yue Luo, so we were prepared early on. We had Consort Tan pretend to miscarry to avoid great danger. Otherwise—”
He looked at the red pleasure boat in the distance on the lake, still harboring a last trace of hesitation. “Zi Zhi, tell me, was my father’s death unrelated to the Emperor?”
Zhou Lian remained silent for a long time. The winter wind was bone-chillingly cold, and he shivered, speaking in a low voice, “My Lord, forgive this lowly one for saying something that could cost me my head, but the key issue now is not who was responsible for the old prince’s death. The truth may never be known. The crucial point is that you, My Lord, cannot die at the hands of Pei Yan or the Yue Luo people.”
He lowered his voice even further, “Pei Yan’s ambition is to replace the Xie imperial family, and sooner or later, he will come after you, My Lord. If Cheng Yingying had succeeded in harming Consort Tan, she could have poisoned you at any time after giving birth to a son. But as long as you follow the Emperor and the Crown Prince’s wishes this time, stabilizing the southern half of the empire for the Xie family when the Crown Prince ascends to the throne in the future, you, My Lord, will be able to—”
The young Prince Qing De waved his hand, and Zhou Lian said no more. Seeing the pleasure boat on the lake drawing closer, the prince’s expression became complex. Zhou Lian couldn’t help but whisper in his ear again, “My Lord when you meet Young Master Yue later, please be careful not to reveal anything. Yue Jinglong is very shrewd. This time we’ve finally lured him out, so we can deal with the Second Young Master Yue.”
The pleasure boat docked, but the person on board did not appear. The young Prince Qing De smiled slightly, his toes lightly touching the ground as he rose into the air, landing gently on the deck. He lifted the curtain and entered, saying with a smile, “Brother Yue is in good spirits.”
Yue Jinglong, the heir of the Yue clan, was sitting around a brazier. Seeing the young Prince Qing De enter, he raised his handsome eyebrows slightly and smiled, “Your Highness is a bit late.”
“A small family matter delayed me. I hope Brother Yue will forgive me. How is Lord Yue faring?” The young Prince Qing De bowed slightly before sitting down.
After exchanging some pleasantries, the young Prince Qing De felt the boat sway very slightly, knowing that the boatman outside had gone ashore and there was no one else on the boat. As he poured wine, his expression became serious. “Brother Yue, Yu Jian Prefecture is full of spies from all sides. Let’s keep this brief. My coming to see you this time is at the risk of losing my head.”
Yue Jinglong smiled knowingly, “Your Highness is straightforward. Please speak freely.”
The young Prince Qing De spoke solemnly, “I’ve invited Brother Yue here to propose an alliance with Lord Yue.”
“Oh?” Yue Jinglong looked at the young prince with interest, his mind racing. Since the Bo Yun Mountain rebellion and the southern expedition of the Huan army, his father had known the opportunity couldn’t be missed and decisively established himself as the King of Yue. The young Prince Qing De before him had maintained an ambiguous attitude, with his forces engaging in minor skirmishes with the Yue army north of Nanzhao Mountain. Both sides were tacitly observing the situation in the north.
As reports from the north kept coming in, it seemed Pei Yan was on the verge of a great victory, and both sides grew anxious. The young Prince Qing De feared Pei Yan would replace the Xie imperial family, leading to the extermination of the Xie princes like himself. Lord Yue feared that after pacifying the North, Pei Yan would use the Yue rebellion as an excuse to march south.
With similar thoughts, they naturally agreed to meet. First, their strategists exchanged information, then they arranged to meet today on this pleasure boat on Lake Er. Yue Jinglong had decided to first probe the young prince’s intentions. Seeing the prince take the initiative, he inwardly laughed, thinking the prince’s reputation for incompetence was not unfounded.
The young Prince Qing De leaned forward slightly and said, “Brother Yue, let’s be frank. We now share the same fate and the same enemy.”
“Pei Yan?” Yue Jinglong slowly rotated his wine cup.
“Yes. Pei Yan is ambitious. If he rebels, my Xie clan will not escape calamity. But if the Xie clan falls, Lord Yue will be his next target,” the young prince explained confidently.
Yue Jinglong nodded, “When Pei Yan tried to win me over, I knew he had ulterior motives. Thinking back, the Bo Yun Mountain rebellion was likely connected to him.”
“So, Brother Yue, we can’t control the north, but we absolutely cannot let Pei Yan extend his reach to the south.”
“What brilliant plan does Your Highness have? I’m all ears.”
The young Prince Qing De smiled, “It’s not so much a brilliant plan, but at least it can give Pei Yan pause, preventing him from immediately raising an army to rebel. Once he returns to the capital, Scholar Dong and the other ministers will have ways to restrain him and gradually strip him of his military power.”
Yue Jinglong thought for a moment and said, “Nan’an Prefecture and Xiang Prefecture?”
“Brother Yue is perceptive. Indeed, most of Pei Yan’s Changfeng Cavalry are from Nan’an and Xiang Prefectures, and the Pei clan’s roots are in Nan’an. If we control Nan’an and Xiang, Pei Yan will be hesitant to act rashly.”
“But Nan’an Prefecture is currently under the control of Prince Jing and the Pei clan. Although their forces are not numerous, they won’t be easy to deal with,” Yue Jinglong smiled, waiting for the prince’s next words.
“That’s why we need to join forces to control Nan’an and Xiang Prefectures.”
“How do we control them?”
The young Prince Qing De’s face showed a decisive, martial air, “My forces from Yu Jian Prefecture will march north under the Crown Prince’s edict to take over Nan’an and Xiang Prefectures!”
Yue Jinglong let out a long “Oh” and fell into deep thought. The young prince watched him intently, his expression solemn.
Yue Jinglong slowly sipped his wine and said, “Your Highness wants to ally with my Yue state. Does this mean you want my Yue army not to take advantage of the situation and cross north of Nanzhao Mountain while your forces march north?”
The young prince smiled, “I know this isn’t very attractive to Brother Yue.”
Yue Jinglong became interested, “I’d like to know what that very attractive condition is.”
The young Prince Qing De took a letter from his sleeve and handed it over. Yue Jinglong accepted it and read it carefully. His handsome brows furrowed slightly, but a smile gradually appeared in his eyes. Finally, he said with a laugh, “This is Scholar Dong’s handiwork, isn’t it?”
“Brother Yue has a good eye.”
“Haha, forgive me for saying so, but the Crown Prince couldn’t write such elegant prose.”
The young Prince Qing De threw back his head and laughed, concealing a cold glint in his eyes. After laughing, he said, “But after the matter is settled, acknowledging the establishment of the Yue state and ceding the three prefectures south of Yu Jian Prefecture to Yue has the Crown Prince’s approval.”
Yue Jinglong thought for a long time, his face impassive. The young prince said no more. In the pleasure boat, only the sound of the lake wind making the bamboo curtains flutter could be heard.
After a long while, Yue Jinglong let out a long breath, furrowed his brow, and slowly said, “This is a matter of great importance. I need to return and discuss it with my father before giving Your Highness an answer.”
The young prince’s face first showed a hint of disappointment, then calmly said, “Of course, but time is of the essence. I hope Lord Yue can make a decision quickly.”
“Naturally.”
The young Prince Qing De tightened his cloak and went ashore, turning to watch the pleasure boat sail away, a cold smile gradually appearing on his lips. Chief Historian Zhou Lian approached and said softly, “Did he believe it?”
“He seemed about half convinced.”
“It doesn’t matter whether he believes it or not.”
The young prince had now calmed down and asked in a low voice, “Is everything arranged?”
“Yes, Master Ye is personally leading the team. Our forces will follow, and they will surely meet with the Second Young Master Yue at ‘Zhaoyun Gorge’ in time.”
Remembering Master Ye’s skills, the young prince couldn’t help but shudder. He said, “If that’s the case, there’s nothing more for us to do. Let’s go back, it’s very cold here.”
After traveling more than ten li, Duan Ren rode up on horseback. The young prince reined in his mount, and Duan Ren saluted on horseback before riding alongside him. He reported softly, “She was hit by nine arrows in total and died without much suffering. We’ve retrieved the defense map.”
The young prince’s face paled slightly, and he instinctively wrapped his cloak tighter. Then, realizing what he was doing, he trembled as he unfastened the cloak and threw it violently into the wind. Zhou Lian quickly took off his cloak and handed it to him.
The young prince slowly fastened the new cloak, his complexion returning to normal. After a while, he said slowly, “Three days from now, convey my verbal order: Consort Zheng, out of jealousy, secretly poisoned the pregnant Consort Cheng. Poisoning a royal heir is an unforgivable crime; she is to be executed immediately. Consort Cheng will be buried with the rites of a secondary consort.”
Yue Jinglong’s visit had been secret and cautious, and he dared not stay a moment longer in the young Prince Qing De’s territory. He ordered the pleasure boat to sail quickly, met up with his guards, then abandoned the boat and took to the mountain paths, rushing south. Traveling through the night, he finally reached “Zhaoyun Gorge” as the first light of dawn appeared on the second day.
At this time, the mountain path was cold and desolate. The winter morning wind swept through the gorge, stirring up a sky full of dead leaves. Yue Jinglong unconsciously squinted his eyes.
His subordinate, Li Cheng, seeing this, said, “Master, do you want to rest for a while?”
Yue Jinglong felt an inexplicable sense of unease and said, “No, we must return as quickly as possible.” With that, he spurred his horse, and the group galloped towards “Zhaoyun Gorge.”
As they reached the middle of the gorge, a whistle sounded, and countless armed men emerged from both sides of the valley, their weapons glinting.
Yue Jinglong’s heart sank, and he quickly reined in his horse. Seeing a group of men approaching from the front, he breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, “Is that you, Jingyang?”
As the newcomers drew closer, Yue Jinglong saw his half-brother, Yue Jingyang, in shining armor, his face stern. Before Yue Jinglong could speak, Yue Jingyang said harshly, “Elder Brother, so it is you!”
Yue Jinglong, being a seasoned warrior, knew the situation was not right. He became highly alert and coldly stared at Yue Jingyang, “Second Brother, what do you mean? I don’t understand.”
Yue Jingyang shook his head, his voice filled with grief and anger, “Elder Brother, it was bad enough that you always looked down on me for being born of a concubine, and that you monopolized power. But why did you order your subordinates to rebel, to kill our father and sovereign?! Why did you lead enemy troops into our territory to destroy our Yue state?!”
Yue Jinglong was shocked, realizing he had fallen into a massive conspiracy. In his fury, he shouted, “What are you saying?! You traitor, what have you done to Father?!”
Yue Jingyang sneered, “You plotted to kill our father and sovereign, yet you dare to question me?! Your subordinates failed to assassinate Father, so you led the young Prince Qing De’s men into our territory. Elder Brother, you truly disappoint me!”
Yue Jinglong was drenched in sweat, shouting angrily, “You’re spewing vicious lies!”
Yue Jingyang laughed long and hard, then said through gritted teeth, “Elder Brother, look behind you. Do you still dare say you didn’t lead the enemy into our land?!”
Yue Jinglong quickly turned around. In the distance, thousands of horsemen were stirring up clouds of yellow dust. Soon, they galloped near, led by Guan Zhen, a great general under the young Prince Qing De. Guan Zhen, holding a spear in his right hand and reins in his left, laughed loudly, “Young Master Yue, didn’t you say you would open the gates and let us in? Why have you stopped?!”
Realizing he was surrounded, Yue Jinglong made a split-second decision and shouted, “Go!” His skilled subordinates understood his intention and charged forward, their blades flashing, to block the combined attack of Yue Jingyang and Guan Zhen. Yue Jinglong seized the opportunity and spurred his horse forward.
Worried about his father, he pressed on, intending to force his way through “Zhaoyun Gorge.” Suddenly, a sword flash flew through the air, carrying an immense killing intent, like dark clouds pressing down. Yue Jinglong flipped off his horse, landing on the ground. His sword moves were continuous, but he was still forced to retreat step by step by the attacker.
Amid the fiercest exchange of his life, he saw his opponent: tall and slender, with handsome features and skin fairer than most women’s. It was the famous Master Ye of “Lan Yue Lou” from the capital.
Yue Jinglong had seen Master Ye during his visit to the capital but never knew he possessed such extraordinary skills, let alone expected him to appear out of nowhere during his brother’s treacherous plot. But there was no time to think further. Master Ye’s sword strikes came faster and faster. Yue Jinglong defended with all his might but was still forced to retreat step by step.
Soon, his back hit something hard – he had reached the edge of the mountain path with nowhere to retreat. As he tried to leap away, Master Ye let out a fierce shout, his sword technique like a raging storm and crashing waves. Yue Jinglong could no longer withstand it. After a few more exchanges, his sword was knocked from his hand. Master Ye, with a cold smile on his face, swept his sword across. A trickle of blood seeped from Yue Jinglong’s throat as he slowly fell to the ground.
The winter sun of dawn broke through the clouds, reflecting off Master Ye’s cold sword, making it shine like snow and the streak of blood on the blade appeared particularly bewitching. Master Ye, with a leisurely grace, sheathed his sword and turned to exchange smiles with Yue Jingyang and Guan Zhen.
On the 30th day of the 10th month in the 5th year of Chengxi of the Hua Dynasty, Yue Jinglong, heir to the Yue clan, ordered his general Yao Hua to lead troops into the royal palace, severely wounding the King of Yue. The assassination attempt failed. Fearing his father’s retribution, on the 2nd day of the 11th month, he led the young Prince Qing De’s army into Yue territory. At “Zhaoyun Gorge,” he was intercepted by Yue Jingyang, the second son of the King of Yue. After a fierce battle, Yue Jinglong perished, and the young Prince Qing De’s forces were driven back.
On the 3rd day of the 11th month, due to poison on the sword, the King of Yue passed away. The second son, Yue Jingyang, took control of the Yue clan. Three days later, he voluntarily submitted a memorial, expressing his willingness to once again become a vassal of the Hua Dynasty.