Spring's Gentle Warmth and Glorious Light (II)

Behind Ye Zhanxin was Sima Huanyu's confidant, the former garrison commander of Huainan, who now trembled with fear, looking as if his father had died, dejected and forlorn.

The rest of the officials, both high and low-ranking, were from the Aristocratic Clan in Jiangnan, representatives of the Immortal Clan, and some sect elders.

Thousands of people stood in line, waiting quietly in the rain. These were the foundation of the rule over Huainan; these people were the true source of popular support.

The convoy of vehicles stopped here.

Sima Canglan stepped down, the rain falling on him but he automatically avoided it, not wetting his robes at all. Standing in the rain, he looked at Ye Zhanxin at the front of the group.

The two looked at each other.

Ye Zhanxin his hands and bowed deeply.

"Ye Zhanxin, the governor of Yangzhou, along with officials from Huainan, respectfully welcomes the Prince."

Behind him, thousands of people bowed at the same time.

"Welcome, Your Highness!"

After accepting the bow, Sima Canglan stepped forward and helped Ye Zhanxin up with both hands.

"You're too kind, Lord Ye." The voice was gentle and tinged with a smile.

"I am new to Huainan and unfamiliar with the place. I will rely on the Ye Clan and the many talented officials of Huainan for guidance in the future."

Ye Zhanxin raised his head, his smile unchanged.

"Your Highness is too kind. Your Highness is hereby ordered by the Emperor to guard Huainan, which is a blessing for the people of Huainan. This humble official will certainly do his utmost to assist Your Highness."

Sima Canglan nodded.

He turned around and looked at the four-horse carriage.

"Lord Ye, would you be willing to ride in my carriage?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people from various sectors of Huainan behind Ye Zhanxin varied.

Traveling together in the same car.

That was an immense honor, and a sign that he had been accepted as a confidant.

A strange light flashed in Ye Zhanxin's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

"Your Highness's favor is too much for this humble official to bear."

"What is there to be afraid of?" Sima Canglan laughed loudly, his laughter clearly audible to everyone.

"You are the governor of Yangzhou, and I am also stationed in Huainan. For the sake of future stability and peace in Jiangnan Huainan, it's always good for us to be closer. Quickly, come with me to the carriage."

Ye Zhanxin silent for a moment, then finally nodded, and the two boarded the carriage side by side.

The carriage curtains fell, and the convoy slowly drove into the city.

The people of Huainan exchanged glances, secretly passing messages among themselves, each with their own thoughts. Even the former garrison commander of Huainan, who had been left behind, wore a hint of sarcasm on his dejected face.

Raising a tiger will only bring trouble... Ha!

Inside the chassis.

Sima Canglan and Ye Zhanxin sat facing each other.

Tea and snacks were laid out on the table, the aroma of tea wafting through the air.

"Zhanxin, is this how I address you?"

Without waiting for Ye Zhanxin to speak, Sima Canglan picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"I have heard that the Ye Clan has been extremely subservient to the court in recent years?"

Ye Zhanxin smiled slightly.

"The Cloud Mist Ye Clan has lived in Jiangnan for generations. They are entrusted with this region by the imperial court and are therefore expected to be respectful and obedient."

"Should?" Sima Canglan smiled.

"In this world, there are no such things as 'should'. The Ye Clan has two Heavenly Kings, a renowned Golden Core Immortal clan with dozens of the Purple Mansion and over a hundred Ruin Realm. If they are not obedient, even the imperial court can't do anything about it."

Ye Zhanxin's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Your Highness is mistaken. No matter how powerful the Ye Clan, they are still subjects of the Great Jin. The proper relationship between ruler and subject must not be forgotten."

Sima Canglan looked at him, his smile deepening.

"What a fine example of the relationship between ruler and subject!"

He put down his teacup.

"Zhanxin, I am new here and have a question to ask you."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"Huainan has been under the control of Brother Huanyu for many years. There have been many disagreements between Brother Huanyu and the Ye Clan. I would like to know, what is the Ye Clan's attitude towards me?"

Ye Zhanxin silent for a moment.

"What Your Highness wishes to ask is whether the Ye Clan is friend or foe?"

"Exactly."

Ye Zhanxin raised his head and looked directly at Sima Canglan.

"The Ye Clan has only loyalty to the court and only respect for the prince. As for anything else, this humble official knows nothing."

Sima Canglan looked at him and suddenly smiled.

"Very well," he said softly. "With Lord Ye's words, I am relieved."

He raised his hand and took out the jade seal from his bosom.

The jade seal is entirely dark blue, with prominent dragon patterns and the four characters "Guardian of Huainan" engraved on it.

"This is the seal of the garrison commander of Huainan. As I am new here, I still need to familiarize myself with the administration. This seal will be temporarily kept by Lord Ye. You may handle all matters, large and small, in Huainan as you see fit."

Ye Zhanxin's pupils contracted slightly.

To act expediently!! That is immense power.

"Your Highness..." he wanted to say something.

Sima Canglan raised his hand to stop him.

"Zhanxin, there's no need to refuse. I trust the Ye Clan, and especially I trust Zhanxin. We've known each other for many years, and I've also received Ye Clan help for many years."

"The saying goes, 'If you doubt someone, don't use them; if you use someone, don't doubt them.' My heart is not as magnanimous as my elder brother Sima Huanyu!"

He placed the jade pendant in front of Ye Zhanxin.

Ye Zhanxin stared at the jade pendant, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, he accepted it with both hands.

"This humble official will certainly not fail Your Highness's trust."

Sima Canglan smiled, picked up his teacup, and looked out the window.

It's raining.

"Zhanxin," he suddenly spoke.

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"How long do you think this rain will last?"

Ye Zhanxin was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Your Highness's kindness is such that the rain can continue for as long as you wish."

Sima Canglan shook his head.

"It's not that I want it to last as long as I want it to last. It's that Huainan needs to last as long as it wants it to last."

He turned his head and looked at Ye Zhanxin.

"This rain can alleviate the Calamity in Huainan to some extent. But the strange phenomena behind it and the widespread fear among the people will take time to resolve. All I can do is buy more time for Huainan and let some people see that the Sima Clan is not to be trifled with!"

Ye Zhanxin silent.

He looked at Sima Canglan, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

Sima Huanyu was sharp and ambitious, wanting to trample everyone under his feet. Sima Canglan, on the other hand, was gentle and refined, respectful to scholars, and not simple-minded.

But the more someone is like that, the more dangerous they are.

"Your Highness is truly virtuous," he said softly. "The people of Huainan will remember Your Highness's kindness."

Sima Canglan smiled.

There was pride in that smile, but also a hint of something else that was hard to define.

Northern Frontier.

Sima Honglin stood atop the mountain in the void, looking down upon the earth.

Spring returns to the earth, all things revive, willows turn green and flowers bloom red.

He raised his hand and waved it gently.

Spring rain falls, nourishing the land.

That is the Divine Ability Law Power of spring, the origin of the extreme Yang, and the Principle of the cycle of the four seasons.

Where spring rains fall, the Dharma spreads, and the world is renewed.

The black mist was dispersed by the spring sunshine, and the dormant evil was driven away by the vitality of life. Those who died were blown away by the spring breeze, turning into specks of light and returning to heaven and earth.

"Spring is here and the scenery is beautiful," Sima Honglin said softly.

An aged voice sounded behind him.

"Third Master's methods are extraordinary."

Sima Honglin did not turn around.

"The Ancestor is in seclusion. Why aren't you guarding the Imperial Ancestral Temple? What are you doing here?"

The aged voice chuckled.

"The incense in the Imperial Ancestral Temple goes out and is lit again, then goes out again. This old servant feels uneasy watching it."

Sima Honglin turned around.

The old man guarding the temple stood behind him, his back hunched, but his cloudy eyes were unusually clear.

"Third Master," the old man said slowly, "Second Master, are you really going to abandon this?"

Sima Honglin remained silent for a moment.

"I can't control it," he said. "Over there in the Wind Abyss Ruin Realm, there's the Taiping Great Peace Temple, the Greater Yin, the Ye Clan, and even several families within my own court, all plotting their own schemes. If I were to intervene, I would be making an enemy of the entire world."

The old man nodded.

"What about Huainan...?"

"Sixth Brother has gone," Sima Honglin said. "If he has attained the Golden Core, he should be more than capable of securing his position in Huainan."

The old man looked at him, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

"Third Master, if I may be so bold as to ask, is this arrangement ultimately for the sake of the Sima Clan, or for your own sake?"

Sima Honglin smiled.

That smile contained both honesty and calculation; it was hard to explain.

"For the sake of the Sima Clan, and for my own sake, these two are inseparable."

The old man remained silent for a moment.

Finally, he nodded.

"Then this old servant is relieved."

He turned and headed towards Luoyang.

But after taking only a few steps, he stopped again.

"Third Master," he said without turning his head, "Although the Ancestor is in seclusion, he will eventually emerge. Have you thought about how you will explain things then?"

Sima Honglin watched his retreating figure without answering.

The old man smiled and continued walking downhill.

Their figures gradually disappeared into the spring sunshine.

Sima Honglin stood there, gazing at the land bathed in the bright spring sunshine, remaining silent for a long time.